[redgolum]

The English Standard Version (ESV) is in many ways the old RSV, with a few more notes.

I grew up with the RSV. The pacing and wording of the ESV is close enough that I do not have any issues with it. There was supposed to be a Catholic version, but I know that got held up because the US Bishops wouldn’t have held the copyright.

The NASB sucks. Just sucks. My brides priest admits it sucks.

[redgolum]

By sucks I mean the flow and pacing. The translation is decent in most places. The New Jerusalem Bible is (in my opinion) better to read out loud from.

But I grew up in a church were we put great store in the ability to read the Bible out loud in front of people. We LCMS people also had to memorize huge amounts of the Bible, and recite it on command in Sunday School, so having a good flowing translation is very important.

[Cicero]

Yes, I sometimes do the readings at Mass. I do the best I can, but the NASB is not an inspiring translation, and hard to make it really sound biblical.

I’m afraid you’re right, that the Bishops’ main concern seems to be copyright ownership. If they used the RSV or whatever, less money would flow their way.

And the HQ for copyrighted texts and lousy, post-Vatican-II hymns is Portland, Oregon, which is not exactly a center of traditional liturgy.