Douay - Rhiems Catholic Bible 1.7

The Douay-Rheims Bible is an English translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate. It holds the distinction of being the first officially authorized Catholic Bible translation in English and has served as the foundation for subsequent Roman Catholic Bibles in English. This translation includes the seven Deutero-Canonical books, also known as the Apocrypha.

In 1568, English exiles, who were members of the college at Douai in Flanders, began the work of translating the Bible. This translation has become the basis for nearly all English Catholic versions. Gregory Martin initiated the work on an English translation for Catholic readers in October 1578, making it the first Modern English translation of the Bible. Assisting him were William Allen, Richard Bristow, Thomas Worthington, and William Reynolds, all of whom contributed to revising, critiquing, and correcting Dr. Martin's work. The college published the New Testament in Rhemes in 1582 through John Fogny, along with a preface and explanatory notes.

The Old Testament was later published in two parts in 1609 and 1610 by Laurence Kellam, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Worthington, who was then the superior of the seminary. Although the Douay-Rheims translation was prepared before the New Testament's publication, financial difficulties caused a delay. The strict adherence to the Latin Vulgate text by religious scholars resulted in less elegant and idiomatic translations at times. When there was no equivalent English word for a Latin term, they Anglicized the Latin word and provided a definition in a glossary. While these choices were initially ridiculed by critics, many of these words eventually became common usage in the English language. Proper names and Psalm numbering follow the Latin Vulgate.

In 1749, Dr. Richard Challoner undertook a significant revision of the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible and accompanying texts. Over nearly two centuries, the original translations had become increasingly archaic. Dr. Challoner modernized the language and introduced a more fluid style while faithfully maintaining Dr. Martin's accuracy. This revision became the de facto standard text for English-speaking Catholics until the twentieth century. Despite its reduced usage in liturgical purposes, it is still highly regarded by many for its style. Bishop Challoner is generally credited with the included notes in this version.

In the 1610 printing of the Old Testament, an appendix contained non-canonical books such as the 'Prayer of Manasses,' 'Third Booke of Esdras,' and 'Fourth Booke of Esdras' as part of this Catholic Bible. While these books were not part of Challoner's revision, they are included in the appendices. The original texts of two short books, 'The Prophecie of Abdias' and 'The Catholike Epistle of Iude the Apostle,' are also included to provide readers with a comparison to the language used in early editions alongside the Challoner revision. More information about the Douay-Rheims version can be found in a selection from the preface to the 1582 edition and the original glossary included in the appendices.