The Revised English Bible (with Apocrypha)

by Anonymous

Book Overview

This acclaimed translation is a revision of the best-selling New English Bible. Compiled by a committee representing all major churches, the REB is praised for its modern style and accuracy. It is regarded as the most eloquent and literary translation available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195294084
• ISBN13: 9780195294088
• Release Date: September 1989
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 1296 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

REB

Not as readable as the NIV or TNIV, this translation is still a bit more dynamic and functional than the Living Bible or the Message--which are both paraphrases (free translations). I use this Great Britain translation to compare with and contrast against other versions (translations) when I am studying passages in the Bible. Because it more functional and not as formal as the NKJ or NASB, it is easier to read than these literal translations. It is a good 4th or 5th Bible to use for studying purposes. I also use the NASB, the Message, and the NRSV during these studies.

Useful Update of New English Bible

The Revised English Bible is a useful one to have, partly because it translates freshly, and does not slavishly follow the traditions established by Wyclif, Tyndale, the King James, Revised Standard Version, etc. The use of inclusive language is cautious and the translators are not squeamish about using masculine pronouns occasionally. But the language used is not the language people speak: at least not here in Australia! At times it sounds quite stilted and unnecessarily formal. If you liked the New English Bible, I think you will find that this one is a big improvement. There is not as much conjectural emendation in the Old Testament, and the translators are less inclined to move the text around, as was done in translations by Moffat and the NEB.It is well worth getting a copy for the fresh approach.

the most illuminating bible I've found; great literature

As a person who is well-read but have never really read the Bible, I am so glad I found the Revised English Bible. Growing up, I was always surrounded by bibles (especially the King James Version), but they never made much of an impact on me; I could understand the words well enough, but I couldn't feel their immediacy. So when I decided to seriously read the bible, I decided to look for an modern translation. I think I found the right one in the REB. Upon reading it, I was struck by how lucid the bible's ideas were presented to me. Take for example the famous 1 Corinthian 13 (gIf I speak with the tongue of angels...h) The following is from the New International Version (starting at 13:8):Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ... Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.Compare that with the REB translation:Love will never come to an end. Prophecies will cease; tongues of ecstasy will fall silent; knowledge will vanish. For our knowledge and our prophecy alike are partial, and the partial vanishes when wholeness comes. ... At present we see only puzzling reflections in a mirror, but one day we shall see face to face. My knowledge now is partial; then it will be whole, like God's knowledge of me. There are three things that last for ever: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of the three is love.Upon reading the REB version, I was struck by the rhetorical unity in Paul's argument about love: its eternal, whole nature vs. the passing, partial nature of knowledge, and how God relates to us via love. The words engage you to follow the argument to its conclusion. The rhetorical trail in the NIV, I think, is a bit murkier. This is why I love the REB so much. The bible has become a joy to read. The REB, with its beautiful sentences, shows why the bible is one of the world's great literature. It illuminates and enlightens.

Very Likely the Finest Contemporary Translation of the Bible

Combining outstanding scholarly integrity, accuracy, clarity, and a suberb English style which is vibrant, beautiful, and remarkably readable, the Revised English Bible is arguably the finest contemporary translation of the Scriptures. It deserves a much wider use, both for personal reading and in the churches.

A beatiful translation!!

This is a beautiful and masterful revision of the New English Bible. This is perhaps the most beautiful and fresh translation of the Scriptures to date. It is tasteful and does not use inclusive language excessively. It is unfortunate that it is not more popular, for it is far superior to the NRSV and the NIV. I use this translation for devotional reading along with the Oxford Annotated Bible (Revised Standard Version, 1977) and the New Jerusalem Bible. The addition of the Deuterocanonical books to this text makes it acceptable to Catholics as well. Every Christian should own this translation, the Revised Standard Version, and the New Jerusalem Bible.