NAB vs RSV-CE: Which Catholic Bible Translation Should You Use?

A Question Every Catholic Reader Faces

If you buy a Catholic Bible in English today, you will likely encounter four main translations: the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE), the Revised Standard Version — Catholic Edition (RSV-CE), the New Revised Standard Version — Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE), and the Douay-Rheims. Each has its advocates, its theological profile, and its appropriate uses. But the most common practical question is: NAB or RSV-CE? Here is an honest comparison.

The New American Bible (NAB / NABRE)

Origin: The New American Bible was commissioned by the U.S. Catholic bishops following the Second Vatican Council and first published in 1970, with a major revision to the Psalms and New Testament in 1991 and a further revision to the Old Testament completed in 2011 (the NABRE).

Use: The NABRE is the official Bible for liturgical use in the United States. If you attend Mass in an American Catholic parish, you are hearing the NABRE. The Sunday and daily lectionary use this translation. For this reason alone, many Catholics choose it for personal reading — so that the text they hear at Mass matches what they read at home.

Translation philosophy: The NAB/NABRE uses a dynamic equivalence approach — prioritizing natural, contemporary English over word-for-word fidelity. This makes it accessible and readable, but sometimes at the cost of theological precision. Critics note that certain passages sound flat or have lost traditional phrasing. Supporters argue it speaks plainly to modern readers.

The footnotes: The NABRE's footnotes are scholarly and sometimes controversial among traditional Catholics, as they reflect a historical-critical approach that some find at tension with Church teaching. The notes are useful for understanding the academic questions around texts, but they require theological formation to use well.

The Revised Standard Version — Catholic Edition (RSV-CE)

Origin: The Revised Standard Version was published by American Protestant scholars in 1952 as a revision of the King James Version. The Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) was prepared by the Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain and published in 1966, incorporating the deuterocanonical books and making a small number of adjustments to bring the translation into conformity with Catholic usage.

Use: The RSV-CE is widely used in Catholic academia, seminaries, and by many spiritual directors and theologians. It is the translation used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (English edition), by Ignatius Press publications, and in the Lectionary for Catholic-use in some other English-speaking countries.

Translation philosophy: The RSV-CE uses formal equivalence — a word-for-word approach that preserves the structure and diction of the original languages as closely as natural English allows. This makes it more theologically precise and closer to patristic citations, but slightly more formal in register.

The footnotes: The RSV-CE footnotes are minimal and non-controversial — primarily cross-references and brief textual notes. This is a significant advantage for devotional use: the text does not compete with scholarly apparatus.

Comparing a Key Passage

Isaiah 7:14 — the famous Immanuel prophecy:

NAB: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel."
RSV-CE: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

The difference is significant. The NAB translates the Hebrew almah as "young woman"; the RSV-CE follows the Septuagint and the ancient Christian tradition in translating it as "virgin" — the reading cited by Matthew 1:23 in the New Testament. This single example illustrates the different theological profiles of the two translations.

Which Should You Use?

There is no single right answer. Use the NABRE if you want your personal reading to match what you hear at Mass, or if you are beginning your study of Scripture and want the most accessible English. Use the RSV-CE if you are studying theology or reading the Fathers, if you value word-for-word accuracy, or if you find the traditional diction more conducive to prayer. Many serious Catholics keep both and move between them depending on the purpose.