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The Augustine Bible: ESV Catholic Edition (ESV-CE) - Catholic Bible with Blue Paperback Cover
The turning point in St. Augustine’s life came when the emptiness within drove him to cry out to God in anguish. As if in answer, he heard children singing “tolle lege,” “take and read.” We are grateful for the privilege to publish The Augustine Bible, and we hope it encourages you to “take and read” with faith, as St. Augustine did, and so to truly hear the voice of God speaking to you in love.
The Augustine Bible features a beautiful foil-stamped slipcase and a durable matte cover to ensure that you can use and treasure this Bible for years to come. Printed in Italy, The Augustine Bible features the English Standard Version® Catholic Edition translation, which many consider to be the best available English translation of the Bible.
The Augustine Bible features a beautiful foil-stamped slipcase and a durable matte cover to ensure that you can use and treasure this Bible for years to come. Printed in Italy, The Augustine Bible features the English Standard Version® Catholic Edition translation, which many consider to be the best available English translation of the Bible.
1232 pages, Paperback
Published December 20, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 10, 2025
In the summer of 2024 I found out that the church in England, Scotland, and Wales was getting a new lectionary. One based on the English Standard Version Catholic Edition. I started looking for an Anglicised edition, one that used British or in my case Canadian Spelling rather than the American. I could not find one. So I picked up this volume to be able to start reading the ESV-CE version of the bible. My children took a look at it and my youngest daughter has this same edition now, and my son had the blue paperback edition.
The description of this bible states:
“The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Catholic Edition is an essentially literal translation in elegant, contemporary English. The ESV-Catholic Edition emphasizes word-for-word accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning. This Catholic Edition was reviewed in accord with the norms of Liturgiam authenticam and abides by Catholic hermeneutical principles. It was granted the Imprimatur by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India in 2018 and was approved for liturgical use by the Vatican s Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2019. This gray hardcover edition offers readers a beautiful Bible, which is ideal for anyone who desires to study, read, and pray the Word of God.”
It highlights the following features:
Gray with gold foil stamp (cover and spine only)
Anti-scuff matte lamination
Navy and gold ribbons
1,232 pages
8 pages of maps printed after last text page
Printed in Italy
We are informed that the ESV-Catholic Edition emphasizes “word-for-word” accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning.
I enjoyed reading through this translation. It is not my favourite reading edition, which would be The Jerusalem Bible or the New Jerusalem, or Revised New Jerusalem. But this one is pretty close. It is also solid for study. When I was in university doing my religious studies degree with a focus on Roman Catholic Thought, I often compared numerous translations and editions, when working on essays and other papers. This would have been a great edition for that detailed work.
I was hesitant but also excited to give this new translation a try. The ESV-CE has been available since about 2017. And the Augustinian Institute has had editions since 2020. I believe late in 2025 the Catholic Truth Society will have a UK edition available. Reading Hearing Christ’s Voice A New Lectionary for the Church by Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB on why a new Lectionary and why this translation for that new lectionary helped me to eagerly approach this translation. I am thankful I gave it a read. I am thankful I was able to pick this edition up and give it a read. As mentioned I believe this is a good edition for just reading and for study, as such I can recommend it. The Augustine Institute has several editions and styles available. I like this clean crisp edition with minimal footnotes to use as a reading bible. I just really wish there was a Kindle edition available, I have a dual form of dyslexia and with eBooks I can change the font, and the colour of the page and font to make reading easier. I have found several different eBooks of the ESV translation but none of the ESV-CE. A great reading copy of the bible, if you have not read the ESV version this would be a great place to start!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!
The description of this bible states:
“The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® Catholic Edition is an essentially literal translation in elegant, contemporary English. The ESV-Catholic Edition emphasizes word-for-word accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning. This Catholic Edition was reviewed in accord with the norms of Liturgiam authenticam and abides by Catholic hermeneutical principles. It was granted the Imprimatur by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India in 2018 and was approved for liturgical use by the Vatican s Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2019. This gray hardcover edition offers readers a beautiful Bible, which is ideal for anyone who desires to study, read, and pray the Word of God.”
It highlights the following features:
Gray with gold foil stamp (cover and spine only)
Anti-scuff matte lamination
Navy and gold ribbons
1,232 pages
8 pages of maps printed after last text page
Printed in Italy
We are informed that the ESV-Catholic Edition emphasizes “word-for-word” accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning.
I enjoyed reading through this translation. It is not my favourite reading edition, which would be The Jerusalem Bible or the New Jerusalem, or Revised New Jerusalem. But this one is pretty close. It is also solid for study. When I was in university doing my religious studies degree with a focus on Roman Catholic Thought, I often compared numerous translations and editions, when working on essays and other papers. This would have been a great edition for that detailed work.
I was hesitant but also excited to give this new translation a try. The ESV-CE has been available since about 2017. And the Augustinian Institute has had editions since 2020. I believe late in 2025 the Catholic Truth Society will have a UK edition available. Reading Hearing Christ’s Voice A New Lectionary for the Church by Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB on why a new Lectionary and why this translation for that new lectionary helped me to eagerly approach this translation. I am thankful I gave it a read. I am thankful I was able to pick this edition up and give it a read. As mentioned I believe this is a good edition for just reading and for study, as such I can recommend it. The Augustine Institute has several editions and styles available. I like this clean crisp edition with minimal footnotes to use as a reading bible. I just really wish there was a Kindle edition available, I have a dual form of dyslexia and with eBooks I can change the font, and the colour of the page and font to make reading easier. I have found several different eBooks of the ESV translation but none of the ESV-CE. A great reading copy of the bible, if you have not read the ESV version this would be a great place to start!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!
July 31, 2023
This edition seems to be very well produced and well in keeping with the standards one might expect from the ESV. This review, however, is of the deuterocanonical books particularly.
I would love to see every Protestant teacher read these books. While I have no doubt they are apocryphal, they are packed with information and cultural insight that will improve my understanding and interpretation of the canonical books. Highly recommended.
I would love to see every Protestant teacher read these books. While I have no doubt they are apocryphal, they are packed with information and cultural insight that will improve my understanding and interpretation of the canonical books. Highly recommended.
August 21, 2024
I have a few quibbles for deuterocanonical portions of Esther and Daniel. To differentiate the deuterocanonical (DC) and the protocanonical (PC) portions, they italicize it. I find this to be distracting and a footnote telling you about this difference should've been sufficient.
The DC parts of Esther have the verse numbers of (for example for Chapter 1) 1a, 1b, 1c and so on while the PC parts have the regular verse numbers. Most Catholic translations have the DC portions under a chapter with a letter (like Chapter A) for the DC parts. While I don't like this at least it's not as annoying as having twenty verses with the same number. Daniel 3 has the Song of the Three where the PC are numbered as it would be, then the DC continues on, and then ends with the PC/DC verse numbers (like verse 24/91). I don't know why they didn't do a similar approach with DC Esther.
Last major quibble is the font size, which is 8. Thankfully my eyes are fine and can read it, but others who might have issues are going to be found wanting. I find a large-print size to be easier to read even with my eyesight. An Anglicized edition from Cambridge has a 9.5 size, and this seems to be the best option for a font size. There doesn't seem to be a large-print with the DC in Septuagint order anywhere and that is disconcerting.
There is a video by Peter Chapman on the differences between ESV and ESV-CE which I found interesting called "Differences and changes between the ESV-CE and ESV in the Protestant Canon" on Youtube. Douglas Beaumont has a video on Youtube titled "The Augustine Bible: a Catholic ESV?" for more information.
I personally don't like study notes or references in my Bibles so the fact that there are just translation and manuscript notes on the bottom are more than fine with me.
If Augustine Institute (or anyone else) had a good genuine leather large-print edition released in the future, I'd go with that. Otherwise, for a non-Anglicized version, editions from AI is the only ones available.
The DC parts of Esther have the verse numbers of (for example for Chapter 1) 1a, 1b, 1c and so on while the PC parts have the regular verse numbers. Most Catholic translations have the DC portions under a chapter with a letter (like Chapter A) for the DC parts. While I don't like this at least it's not as annoying as having twenty verses with the same number. Daniel 3 has the Song of the Three where the PC are numbered as it would be, then the DC continues on, and then ends with the PC/DC verse numbers (like verse 24/91). I don't know why they didn't do a similar approach with DC Esther.
Last major quibble is the font size, which is 8. Thankfully my eyes are fine and can read it, but others who might have issues are going to be found wanting. I find a large-print size to be easier to read even with my eyesight. An Anglicized edition from Cambridge has a 9.5 size, and this seems to be the best option for a font size. There doesn't seem to be a large-print with the DC in Septuagint order anywhere and that is disconcerting.
There is a video by Peter Chapman on the differences between ESV and ESV-CE which I found interesting called "Differences and changes between the ESV-CE and ESV in the Protestant Canon" on Youtube. Douglas Beaumont has a video on Youtube titled "The Augustine Bible: a Catholic ESV?" for more information.
I personally don't like study notes or references in my Bibles so the fact that there are just translation and manuscript notes on the bottom are more than fine with me.
If Augustine Institute (or anyone else) had a good genuine leather large-print edition released in the future, I'd go with that. Otherwise, for a non-Anglicized version, editions from AI is the only ones available.
May 29, 2023
What can be said that hasn't been said? The Bible is the single most important book in the world! This translation is good and has a fine layout. Very compact!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews