The Holy Bible

containing the

Old and New Testaments

REVISED STANDARD VERSION

CATHOLIC EDITION

translated from the original tongues

being the version set forth a.d. 1611

old and new testaments revised a.d. 1881–1885 and a.d. 1901

(apocrypha revised a.d. 1894)

compared with the most ancient authorities

and revised a.d. 1952

(apocrypha revised a.d. 1957)

PREPARED BY THE

CATHOLIC BIBLICAL ASSOCIATION

OF GREAT BRITAIN

with a foreword by

HIS EMINENCE

RICHARD CARDINAL CUSHING

archbishop of boston

Nihil Obstat: Thomas Hanlon, S.T.L., L.S.S., Ph.L. Imprimatur: ✣ Gordon Joseph Gray, Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Epiphany 1966.

Imprimatur: ✣ Peter W. Bartholomew D.D., Bishop of Saint Cloud, Minnesota. May 11, 1966

New Testament, copyright 1946

Old Testament, copyright 1952

The Apocrypha, copyright 1957

The Catholic Edition of the New Testament, copyright 1965

The Catholic Edition of the Old Testament, incorporating the Apocrypha, © 1966

by

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

ISBN case bound 978-0-89870-490-7

ISBN paperback 978-0-89870-491-4

Cover and jacket design by Riz Boncan Marsella

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Conventions.

Foreword

The Second Vatican Council discussed Divine Revelation, in its own words, “in order that by hearing the message of salvation the whole world may believe, by believing it may hope, and by hoping, it may love.”

We welcome this American edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible for the same reasons. Here is the message of salvation presented now with beauty of language and clarity of expression. Here is the record for all men of good will to read: the story of man’s quest for God and His ways. The legacy, the vision, the hope is first and uniquely entrusted to Abraham. Through the centuries, this precious seed is nourished, trampled on, separated, destroyed, encouraged, hindered, helped, renewed, weakened, and restored. Always the hope remains. And, finally, the seed of hope bears fruit: the consummate expression of God is presented to us all in Christ Jesus, Our Lord. This is God our Father’s answer of love to our hope.

Love and hope. How appropriate these two words are in relation to this present edition. For many years, it was the hope of many that a Bible common to all Christians would be produced. Only love could bring this about. The spirit of charity nurtured this hope and here is the result inspired by the ideals of Christian unity.

I urge all to read again and again these holy words. For here in the Sacred Scriptures, “the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks to them; the force and power in the Word of God is so great that it stands as the strength of faith, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life.” May all who read this be filled with the Holy Spirit. Through this access to the Father, may we all ...