Short answer: Catholics use Bibles that contain 73 books: the 66 books found in Protestant Bibles plus seven additional Old Testament books called the deuterocanonical books. There is no single required translation. Common choices are the New American Bible Revised Edition, the NRSV Catholic Edition, the RSV Catholic Edition, the Jerusalem Bible and the older Douay-Rheims. Look for "Catholic Edition" on the cover to confirm that a Bible is approved.
In This Article
The NRSV-CE (New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition) is the version I will recommend below. But first, some background. I am a Protestant pastor, and I get this question from both sides of the aisle: Catholics who want to buy a Bible and Protestants who wonder how theirs differs. People in the pews kept asking me, so I wanted to give a fair, plain answer. I will describe the Catholic Bible as the Catholic Church teaches about it and give my own view only where I say so.
The short version is that the Bibles are far more alike than different, and the differences are specific and easy to name. Let us go through them, then look at which Bibles are approved, what is read at Mass, and whether a Protestant can read a Catholic Bible.
A note on links: the Bible links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
How Is The Catholic Bible Different?
The main difference is the Old Testament canon, which is simply the list of books accepted as Scripture. The Catholic Church holds that seven Old Testament books belong in the Bible, and Protestants and Jewish communities do not. These are Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees. Catholic Bibles also include some additional passages in Esther and Daniel. The Catholic Church calls these writings deuterocanonical, meaning "second canon." Protestants have usually called them the Apocrypha.
| Tradition | Old Testament | New Testament | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 46 books, including the deuterocanonical books | 27 books | 73 |
| Protestant | 39 books | 27 books | 66 |
| Jewish (Tanakh) | The Hebrew Scriptures only | None | Counted differently |
That is the reason a Catholic Bible is a little longer. It is also why the cover of a Catholic Bible usually has the words "Catholic Edition." Protestant Bibles do not contain these seven books in the main text, and the Jewish Scriptures likewise follow the Hebrew canon. The New Testament is the same 27 books across Catholic and Protestant Bibles.
Why Do They Disagree About The Books?
Briefly: the early Christians used a Greek translation of the Old Testament that included these books, and the Catholic Church formally affirmed them at the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. Protestant reformers, following the Hebrew Bible, set them apart. I hold the Protestant view, but I do not think it is helpful to caricature the Catholic position. Both sides have historical reasons, and we can read each other's Bibles with understanding.
Translation Versus Canon
Do not confuse these two things. The canon is which books are in. The translation is how the words are rendered into English. A Catholic and a Protestant might both read from the NRSV (the Catholic Edition is the NRSV-CE), and the only difference would be whether the extra books are there. Different translations, in turn, make different choices about whether to translate word for word or thought for thought.
Which Catholic Bibles Are Approved?
An approved Catholic Bible usually carries one of these marks: the words "Catholic Edition" on the cover, or a statement of approval (an imprimatur) from a bishop or bishops' conference. This signals that the translation has been reviewed and that all 73 books are included.
The Catholic Church does not insist on one translation. It allows different ones for different purposes. Many pastors, myself included, would point a Catholic reader to the NRSV-CE first. These are the ones you will meet most often:
- New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE). The version behind the Mass readings in the United States, a favorite for parish use. The New American Bible is easy to find in print.
- NRSV Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE). A scholarly, widely respected translation, popular with Catholic readers who want an accurate text. The NRSV-CE Bible includes the full set of 73 books in the customary Catholic order.
- RSV Catholic Edition. A more traditional-sounding English, beloved by many.
- Jerusalem Bible (and the New Jerusalem Bible). A literary translation with helpful notes. The Jerusalem Bible has long been used in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- Douay-Rheims. The classic English Catholic Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and later revised. It has a stately, old-fashioned style.
Which is the most accurate? That depends on what you mean. No translation is flawless, and each has strengths. Translators bring their own limitations and assumptions. For careful study, many people compare two or three. If you are trying to understand how many versions exist and why, see how many Bible versions there are.
Do Catholics Use The King James Bible?
Not as a rule. The King James Version was made for the Church of England in the early seventeenth century, and the editions we see today are Protestant Bibles without the extra books. The Douay-Rheims is its Catholic counterpart from roughly the same period. Some Catholics do read the King James for its language, and nothing forbids it, but they would have to look elsewhere for the deuterocanonical books.
For the same reason, a Catholic who wants an NIV or ESV would be reading a Protestant Bible. That is not sinful, but the Church encourages a Catholic Bible with the notes and the complete canon. If a Bible's cover does not say Catholic Edition and the contents omit the seven books, it is a Protestant edition.
What Bible Do Most Catholics Read At Mass?
It varies by country. In the United States the Mass readings come from the New American Bible. In Canada the NRSV is used, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland the Jerusalem Bible has usually been the text. Details change over time, and readings in other languages follow other approved translations, so if it matters to you, ask your parish.
For a Catholic choosing a personal Bible, there is a practical advantage in matching the translation used at Mass. When the same passages come back to you each week, hearing them in the pew and reading them at home reinforces them in your memory.
The Second Vatican Council called Catholics to engage with Scripture more fully, which calls for a translation that is both readable and faithful to the original languages. Even so, many Catholics have felt more at ease hearing the Bible read at Mass than reading it alone. If you wonder about that, see does the Catholic Church discourage Bible reading?
Can Protestants Read A Catholic Bible?
Certainly. A Catholic Bible contains the same 66 books that you already read, and in the same words if the translation is, for example, the NRSV. You will meet the deuterocanonical books too. Many Protestants find them useful for the history of the period between the Testaments. Wisdom and Sirach are wisdom writings, and the Maccabees books tell of the Jewish revolt that shaped the world of the New Testament. I would not treat them as equal to the rest of Scripture, but they repay reading with care. The Catholic notes, of course, reflect Catholic teaching, so a Protestant should read them knowing that.
On what version Catholics should read, here is my opinion, and it comes from a Protestant pastor: I think Catholics should read the NRSV-CE (New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition) Bible. It is accurate, readable and carries the full Catholic canon. Many pastors agree that it is an excellent choice. That said, the best translation is the one you will actually open.
Why Is Matthew 17:21 Missing?
Readers sometimes find that Matthew 17:21 is missing or relegated to a footnote in modern Bibles, Catholic and Protestant. This is because the verse is absent from some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, and many modern editors believe it was added later from the parallel in Mark 9:29. This is not an attempt to hide anything: the teaching about prayer and fasting is still there in Mark. For more on this kind of question, see how to understand the Bible.
Which Bible Versions Should You Avoid?
Most mainstream translations are reliable. I would be cautious about translations produced by groups to support a particular doctrine that departs from historic Christianity, and about loose paraphrases when you need something for careful study. A Catholic reader has a simple safeguard in looking for the Catholic Edition mark. Whatever your tradition, compare a passage in two translations when it matters.
Here is a good reminder about why this all matters:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
Whatever the translation, the call is to read it. The essential step is to overcome any hesitation and simply open the Bible, whatever version it is. Do not let the pressure of finding the perfect translation keep you from the Word at all.
Key Bible Verses About Reading Scripture
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17: all Scripture is God-breathed and useful.
- Psalm 119:105: your word is a lamp for my feet.
- Hebrews 4:12: the word of God is alive and active.
- Romans 15:4: Scripture teaches us and gives hope.
- Matthew 4:4: we live on every word from the mouth of God.
- Mark 9:29: the saying about prayer that appears in place of Matthew 17:21.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Catholics use the King James Bible?
Generally no. The King James Version is a Protestant translation, and standard editions today omit the extra Old Testament books that Catholics accept. Catholics traditionally used the Douay-Rheims, and today most use a translation marked Catholic Edition or approved by their bishops.
Do Catholics have a different Bible than other Christians?
Catholics are Christians, and they share the same 27-book New Testament. The difference lies in the Old Testament, where the Catholic Bible includes seven additional books, called the deuterocanonical books, that Protestant Bibles do not. The study notes and approvals differ too.
Which Catholic Bibles are approved?
Look for the words Catholic Edition on the cover, or an imprimatur or a statement of approval from a bishop or bishops' conference inside. Widely used approved Bibles include the New American Bible Revised Edition, the NRSV Catholic Edition, the RSV Catholic Edition, the Jerusalem Bible and the Douay-Rheims.
What Bible do most Catholics read?
It depends on the country. In the United States the Mass readings come from the New American Bible, in Canada from a text based on the NRSV, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland the Jerusalem Bible has traditionally been used. Many Catholics choose a personal Bible that matches what they hear at Mass.
Why is Matthew 17:21 missing from some Bibles?
Verse 21, about prayer and fasting, is absent from the oldest Greek manuscripts, so many modern translations leave it out of the main text or move it to a footnote. The same saying appears in Mark 9:29, so the teaching itself has not been lost.
