In June 2012, the USCCB Committees on Divine Worship and Doctrine jointly announced that a new Bible would be prepared for catechetical, study, and liturgical use in the dioceses of the United States.

Currently in the United States:

• The Lectionary for Mass is based on the 1970 New American Bible (NAB) Old Testament and the 1986 New Testament, with revisions for liturgical proclamation
• The Liturgy of the Hours uses the 1970 NAB for its Scripture readings
• The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) (2011) is approved for private prayer and study

The Catholic American Bible (CAB) establishes a unified Scripture text approved for:

• Proclamation at Mass
• The Liturgy of the Hours
• Private prayer and study

With the CAB, Catholics in the United States will be able to hear, pray, and study from a single Scripture text approved for liturgical and personal use.

Sacred Scripture was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Translating them involves careful choices about meaning, grammar, and tone. Each translation seeks to beautifully convey the original text in the evolving languages we use today. 

Some translations aim to be word-for-word, preserving the structure and rhythm of the original text. Others use a thought-for-thought approach, making Scripture easier to read, sing, and understand.

The forthcoming Catholic American Bible balances both—faithful to the original, yet clear and beautiful for proclamation and prayer.

The Catholic American Bible (CAB) builds upon the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), first published in 2011.

The CAB includes:

• A modified version of the Old Testament from the NABRE
• The Abbey Psalms and Canticles as the source for the Book of Psalms
• A newly revised New Testament
• Updated introductions and notes
• Appendices including the Abbey Psalms and Canticles

Together, these elements form a single text approved for liturgical and devotional use in the United States.

For prayer and study, Ascension offers The Great Adventure Catholic Bible in Spanish using the Biblia de Jerusalén Latinoamericana (BJL) translation.

For liturgical use in the United States, the Subcommittee on Divine Worship in Spanish of the USCCB noted in their newsletter that they are developing an edition of the Biblia de la Iglesia en América (BIA). Until that edition is approved, any Spanish translation lawfully approved for liturgical use by another Conference of Bishops may be used in Spanish liturgies in the United States.

The USCCB has indicated Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027 as the anticipated date for availability of the Catholic American Bible.

Join the waitlist to receive updates on Ascension’s editions!

The USCCB has not yet announced a date for the general availability of a new Lectionary. Join the waitlist to receive updates!