Evening star., 1941-04-14
Catholic Hierarchy
Announces Modern
Edition of Bible
SimpIified Version
Is First Revision
In 100 Years
Bs the Associated Press

b the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 14.-The Cath
olic hierarchy has announced that a
new English edition of the New
Testament, highly simplified and
modernized, will be published May
18, Biblical Sunday"
Approved by the Pontifical Biblical
Commission, the first revision in 100
years is the product of five years
work by scholars in the original
Semitic, Greek and Latin scrip
lures. 1t is based on the ancient
Latin Vulgate and the Challoner-
Rheims text and will be called the
confraternity edition.
The Episcopal Committee of the
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
said that to meet the needs of liv-
ing, changing language it was nee
esSary to eliminate many of the
characteristics of older English edi-
tlonS-the original RHEIMS and
Douay version of 1882 and Bishop
Challoners revision in London in
1750.
ARE tStu.
Among the radical departures in
style are the use of paragraphs, quo
tation marks, copious explanatory
notes, standardized punctuation and
Webster's preferred spelling. Small
letters are used for pronouns re-
ferring to God, and the use of cap
1tals has been curtailed except for
purposes of clarity. Verse was aban-
doned for paragraphing.
Most prominent among changes
In the text are elimination of many
archaic forms and phrases. While
thou" and thee" were retained,
third person singular verb forms,
such as hath, doth and runneth, are
modenized. Among changes of this
category are:
Listened" for gave ear: "had
to" for was of necessity to-; II
have the right" for 1T is meet for
me-; brothers" for "brethren";
Indeed" for verify; "as" for for
asmuch as; girl or maid" for
"damsel"; ''paralytic" for ill of
the palsy; and you" for "ye."
Connotation Changes.
The famous old phrase gave up
the ghost" has become died" be-
cause usage has altered the mean
ing Thus traffic" has become
business; "expound" has become
explain"
Because of changing connota-
tions "prevaricator" of the old text
has been changed to sinner;
"ancients" to elders; "seduce" to
"cheat"; babes" to little ones;
"belly' to stomach; sober" to
"sane," and mean" to "lowly."
Several erroneous and confused
translations have been corrected.
In this wise, awake, ye just!' has
become awake as you should"
and the spirit liveth" has been
changed to the spirit is life"
Idioms Are Edited Out.
1dioms of other languages which
crept into earlier texts have been
re-translated into present. day Eng
lish. For clarification, "laborer is
worthy of his hire" has been
changed to "laborer deserves his
wage; "evil eye" to Jealousy;
'in my name" to ''for my sake;
"all flesh" to "all mankind; lends
of the world" to final age of the
world; ''his bowels are more abun-
dainty towards you" to his affec-
ton for you is all the more abun-
dant"; "infameth the wheel of our
nativity" to setting on fire the
course of our life" and faint to
'lose heart"
The effect of the changes has been
to present a more readable and
understandable testament.
The scholars changed Jonas mode
of transportation from whale"
to fish"
FISHERS" Become Fishermen"
In the revision the famous fish
ers," Peter and Andrew, are called
Fishermen" for better diction; and
for the same reason having devil
is changed to possessed"
TWenty-Seven Catholic biblical
scholars, each trained and expert
enced in his subject, formed the in
tellectual nucleus of the work that
went into the revision. Many other
authorities collaborated as editors
or critics
Proofs of the revision were cir
culated widely among authorities for
criticism and suggestions. The Cath
olic hierarchy in the United States
and Canada and biblical students in
all English-speaking parts of the
world were asked to examine the