Knox Bible

I had heard Msgr. Ronald Knox's translation of the Bible, but never actually laid my hands on one. A copy was loaned to me last night. I have about a week to look through it.

Here's what the Ronald Knox Society of North America has to say about it:

Msgr.Knox’s translation of the Holy Bible from the Vulgate was a monumental task fraught with difficulties. He described it as 'nine years hard'. For those used to the cadences of the King James (Authorised) Version it will come as a disappointment. It was Msgr.Knox’s goal to help the average person’s understanding, not necessarily his enjoyment, of Sacred Scripture. Robert Speaight’s assessment is a fairly accurate one, “Where the Bible appears to be plain sailing, I doubt very much whether readers will gain anything but incidental accuracies from Knox’s version … but it is generally conceded that Knox was at his best in translating St.Paul, because in the case of St.Paul the intellect is more important than the ear. It matters immensely that we should know what St.Paul was talking about …his version of the Epistles is brilliant.”

Of course we have our own small offering from Msgr. Knox: The Theology of Martyrdom. I didn't know this past August was the 50th anniversary of his passing (if I did, maybe we would have had a special on this booklet.)

Oremus pro invicem!