New American Bible: St. Joseph’s Edition:

Preface:

The increasing interest in and love for the Sacred Scriptures can be attributed to the biblical movement, inaugurated and encouraged by our great modern Pontiffs and given even stronger impetus by the Second Vatican Council. Reminded by them of our duty and privilege, as members of the People of God, to disseminate the inspired Word of God, we have spared no effort to produce this improved New Edition of the Old and New Testaments.

As a sure means of deepening our knowledge of Truth, we have incorporated in this Edition, the very latest complete Catholic translation known as “The New American Bible,” and produced by members of the Catholic Bible Association of America under the patronage of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

We confidently hope that the many distinctive features found only in our Edition of this fine modern translation will add greatly to the enjoyment, understanding, and appreciation of the Sacred Writings.

Among these features, we might mention: the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation of Vatican II; a helpful section on learning about the Bibe and the origins of the Sacred Writings; a valuable panoramic view of the lands, peoples, and major events of the Bible; a special self-indexing feature that enables the reader to find each book of the Bible instantly; a very handy Bible Dictionary a listing of the new Mass readings for every day of the year; a doctrinal Bible index for quick reference; and an easy-to-read, sight-saving typeface.

Most important of all, we have included a series with over 35 self-explaining maps showing key events and areas in the Bible - each placed directly near the text which it concerns. In this way, the reader is kept abreast of the history of salvation without needless turning of pages to some other part of the book.

Finally, the invaluable cross-references and notes at the bottom of each page are all clearly referred to in the text, so that as the readers move along they are constantly kept aware of the wealth of information provided by the latest biblical scholarship.

May God see fit to make this new Edition an instrument for His greater glory and the salvation of souls.

- Catholic Book Publishing Corp.

Letter from Pope Paul VI

For the faithful in all English-speaking countries the publication of The New American Bible represents a notable achievement. Its pages contain a new Catholic version of the Bible in English, along with illustrations and explanations that facilitate the understanding of the text.

For more than a quarter of a century, members of the Catholic Bible Association of America, sponsored by the Bishops’ Committee of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, have labored to create this new translation of the Scriptures from the original languages or from the older extant form in which the texts exist.

In so doing, the translators have carried out the directive of our predecessor, Pius XII, in his famous Encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu, and the decree of the Second Vatican Council (Dei Verbum), which prescribed that “up-to-date and appropriate translations be made in the various languages, by preference from the original texts of the sacred books,” and that “with the approval of Church authority, these translations may be produced in cooperation with our separated brethren” so that “all Christians may be able to use them.”

The holy task of spreading God’s word to the widest possible readership has a special urgency today. Despite all his material achievements, man still struggles with the age-old problems of how to order his life for the glory of God, for the welfare of his fellows, and the salvation of his soul. Therefore, we are gratified to find in this new translation of the Scriptures a new opportunity for men to give themselves to frequent reading of, and meditation on, the living Word of God. In its pages, we recognize His voice, we hear a message of deep significance for every one of us. Through the spiritual dynamism and prophetic force of the Bible, the Holy Spirit spreads his light and his warmth over all men, in whatever historical or sociological situation they find themselves.

On all who have contributed to this translation, and all who seek in its pages the sacred teaching and the promise of salvation of Jesus Christ our Lord, we gladly bestow our paternal Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, September 18, 1970

[Signed] paulus PP> VI