The New Community Bible (NCB) published by St Pauls Publication is the revised edition of the popular Christian Community Bible translated by Late Bernardo Hurault, a French Priest and biblical scholar, from original languages to Spanish in 1971. Since then it has been translated into many languages and millions of copies have been distributed.
Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge who launched the International Edition of the New Community Bible in Sydney on the feast day of Blessed James Alberione, the founder of the Pauline Family said, “Now is the time when we have to become a more biblical Church, a people more immersed in the Word of God. This is the best way to know Jesus whose voice we hear and whose face we see on every page of the Bible. That is why The New Community Bible (international edition) is such a gift. May it find its way into many hands and hearts and homes in this time of grace and faith”.
In the General Introduction to the NCB Dr Augustine Mulloor OCD underlines the fact that “The New Community Bible provides a new version of the Bible in English, in a language that is adapted and understandable to all English-speaking readers. It makes available a Bible that provides also the necessary and sufficiently adequate introductions, explanations and commentaries, so that the believers can safely grow familiar with the Sacred Scripture and read them fruitfully and experience a transformation of life”.
Assessing the book of Exodus in the NCB, especially in regard to the accuracy of translation, Rev. Dr. Mark Kenney, sm, lecturer in Biblical Studies at the Catholic Institute of Sydney says, “The entire text of Exodus was compared with the Hebrew and found to be an accurate, readable translation.”
Dr Michele A. Connolly, rsj, Academic Dean of Catholic Institute of Sydney assessed the Gospel of Mark and said, “I would recommend this translation for anyone looking for a text for personal prayer and reflection that reads in accessible English.”
She said the notes and commentary, which “probably drive at theology and spirituality more than technical explication of the text” are quite suitable for Australia. Speaking about the presentation of the Bible she says “the volume is presented very attractively: the quality of the paper, the thumb index, the clarity of the text, the spacing of the layout all make it easy to read. The illustrations are powerful.”
