Catholic Answers: Which Bible Do Catholics Use?

The question of "which Bible" in a Catholic context is primarily a Christian concern, but Judaism is directly relevant because the dispute over the Old Testament canon originates in differences between Jewish textual traditions. The Hebrew Bible — called the Tanakh — contains 24 books (equivalent to the Protestant 39 when subdivided), drawn from the Masoretic Text tradition. The deuterocanonical books that Catholics include were largely written in or preserved through Greek, and the Jewish community at Jamnia (circa 90 CE, per scholar Heinrich Graetz's 19th-century analysis, though later scholars like Jack Lewis have questioned a formal "council") did not accept them as authoritative scripture.

The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of Hebrew scriptures used widely in the Second Temple period, did include many of these extra books — and it's this tradition that the Catholic Church drew upon. So while Judaism doesn't answer "which Catholic Bible," it's the source of the canonical divergence. Jesus himself referenced scripture in ways consistent with the broader Septuagint tradition Mark 12:24, and the question of knowing "the scriptures" was clearly alive in his context Mark 12:24.

This is the core in-scope religion for this question. The Catholic Church uses a 73-book Bible: the 27-book New Testament (shared with all Christians) plus a 46-book Old Testament that includes the deuterocanonical books — Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch, along with additions to Daniel and Esther. Most Protestant traditions use a 66-book Bible, omitting those seven deuterocanonical books (which Protestants often call the "Apocrypha").

The Catholic canon was formally defined at the Council of Trent in 1546, partly in response to the Protestant Reformation. The standard Catholic Bible translation in English is the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE), approved for liturgical use in the United States, though the Revised Standard Version — Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) and the Jerusalem Bible are also widely used and respected by Catholic scholars like Raymond Brown.

The authority of scripture itself is affirmed throughout the Gospels. When the high priest pressed Jesus at his trial, Jesus' identity as the Christ — the subject of all scripture — was the central issue Matthew 26:63. Jesus also called his followers to genuine faith rooted in God Mark 11:22, and rebuked those who didn't know the scriptures Mark 12:24. For Catholics, the Church's Magisterium (teaching authority) and Sacred Tradition together with scripture form a unified whole — meaning the Church, not the individual reader, authoritatively interprets the canon.

It's worth noting there's internal Catholic disagreement about preferred translations. Some traditionalists favor the Douay-Rheims Bible (1582–1610), translated from the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome, while modern Catholics generally use NABRE or RSV-CE. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) officially sanctions the NABRE for Mass readings.

Not applicable. The question of which Bible Catholics use concerns Christian canonical scripture; Islam does not use the Bible as a primary religious text. However, Islam does acknowledge that earlier scriptures — the Torah (Tawrat) and the Gospel (Injil) — were genuine divine revelations, while holding that the texts as currently preserved have been altered over time (tahrif). The Qur'an itself notes ongoing dispute about earlier scriptures Quran 41:45, and describes Jesus, the central figure of the New Testament, as "the word of truth" Quran 19:34. The Qur'an also swears by "the Scripture that maketh plain" Quran 44:2, affirming the principle of divine written revelation — though Muslims hold the Qur'an as the final, uncorrupted form of that revelation, superseding prior texts.

Not applicable. Concerns Christian (Catholic) scripture/practice; no direct counterpart.

This question is specific to Catholic Christianity. With the passages provided, I can only make very limited observations: Jesus explicitly appealed to the authority of “the scriptures,” correcting error when people did not know them Mark 12:24. He exhorted faith in God Mark 11:22. In his trial, the high priest adjured him under oath, underscoring the solemn context in which claims about God and Messiah were weighed Matthew 26:63.

However, identifying “which Bible” Catholics use (i.e., canon and specific approved translations) requires historical and ecclesial documentation not present in the retrieved passages, so I can’t name editions or canons here without further sources Mark 12:24. If you can supply passages or references about Catholic canon decisions or translation approvals, I’ll give a precise, sourced answer.

Not applicable. Concerns Christian (Catholic) scripture/practice; no direct counterpart.