Jerusalem Bible_ Reader's Edition, The

by Alexander Jones

The Jerusalem Bible (JB or TJB) is an English-language translation of the Bible that was first introduced to the English-speaking public in 1966 and published by Darton, Longman & Todd. As a Catholic Bible, it includes the traditional 73 books found in most English translations until the mid-19th the 39 books shared with the Hebrew Bible, along with the seven deuterocanonical books as the Old Testament, and the 27 books shared by all Christians as the New Testament. It also contains copious footnotes and introductions. The Jerusalem Bible is the basis of the Lectionary for Mass used in Catholic worship throughout England, Wales, and the majority of the English-speaking world outside the United States and Canada, though the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has approved other translations for conditional liturgical use.

Genres: Reference

Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2018

Reviews

[Colin Markham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jerusalem Bible is my preferred translation of God's word. It's not a perfect translation but the great thing about it is the text 'flows' along smoothly. I find it the most inspiring rendition of Scripture available. Pros and cons? Pros first: The text is printed across the page; most Bibles are printed in double columns. The across-the-page text means that difficult passages, such as in Paul's letters, can be read more smoothly and with greater ease of comprehension. Poetic passages, such as the Psalms and much of prophecy, are set out in stanzas, which is nice. The way the text is divided into sections and sub-sections is very helpful, and the many headings assist in focusing on the context and help you to find certain passages. The print is quite small, just to warn those of you who have poor eyesight, but it is nice and black and definite. OK, now for the cons: Some of the translation choices are regrettable, such as 'happy' instead of 'blessed' in the Beatitudes and elsewhere, and there are some clumsy renderings. The Psalms are a very mixed bag, some are beautiful, others clunky. The insistence on 'Yahweh' in the Old Testament is not to everyone's taste. I have trained myself to say 'Lord' or 'the Lord' whenever I see 'Yahweh'. But taking everything into consideration, this is one of the best modern Bible translations and it was prepared before the advent of political correctness, so there is absolutely no gender-inclusive language. The New Jerusalem Bible is an extensive revision of the JB, published in 1985. Whilst it is an improvement in some ways, the inclusive language ruins the whole thing, along with the awful 'upright', instead of 'righteous'. It's a timid translation compared to the JB, which is right-on. I don't recommend the CTS New Catholic Bible, which has the JB text and the Grail psalms. The footnotes are unsound. My other go-to Bibles are: English Standard Version and the New King James Bible, but the JB wins hands-down every time. It makes God's word a joy to read. I will be posting a more detailed comparison between the JB and the NJB on my blog, Fellowship of St. Peter, before the end of September 2020, under the 'reviews' tab.

[Riley Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daily Bible I use for my prayer time and study.

Thank you Mother Angelica for recommending this beautiful Bible.

To God alone be the glory!