Bible translations (Catalan)
Encyclopedia
The first complete Catalan bible translation was produced by the Catholic Church, between 1287 and 1290. It was entrusted to Jaume de Montjuich by Alfonso II of Aragon
. Remains of this version can be found in Paris (Bibliothèque Nationale). Also, in the same French library, we can find another translation into Catalan, which Jaume II of Aragon received on November 23, 1319.
In the early fifteenth century appeared another whole Bible translation by Bonifaci Ferrer
. In 1490 a psalter by Joan Roís de Corella
came to light in Venice. The Valencian Bible
by Bonifaci Ferrer was printed in 1478 before any Bible was printed in English or Spanish.
The prohibition, in Spain and other Catholic countries, of vernacular translations, along with the decline of the Catalan language until its renaissance in the nineteenth century, explains why there were no translations into Catalan from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.
In 1832 a Catalan exiled in London, Josep Melcior Prat Colom, sponsored by the British and Foreign Bible Society
, translated the New Testament (Lo Nou Testament de nostre Senyor Jesu-Christ), which was published afterwards in Barcelona (1836) and Madrid (1888).
Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II or Alfons I ; Huesca, 1-25 March 1157 – 25 April 1196), called the Chaste or the Troubadour, was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1164 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon and the first King of Aragon who was...
. Remains of this version can be found in Paris (Bibliothèque Nationale). Also, in the same French library, we can find another translation into Catalan, which Jaume II of Aragon received on November 23, 1319.
In the early fifteenth century appeared another whole Bible translation by Bonifaci Ferrer
Bonifaci Ferrer
Boniface Ferrer , was a Carthusian monk, brother of Saint Vicent Ferrer, and translator of the first Bible into Valencian....
. In 1490 a psalter by Joan Roís de Corella
Joan Roís de Corella
Joan Roís de Corella was a Catalan-language writer from the Kingdom of Valencia.He was born into a minor noble family of Aragonese origin in either Gandia or Valencia and apparently followed a career in the church. He may have been ordained as a priest, but apparently had two children.He is...
came to light in Venice. The Valencian Bible
Valencian Bible
The Valencian Bible was the first printed Bible in the Valencian language,between 1477 and 1478. It is the third Bible printed in a modern language The Valencian Bible was the first printed Bible in the Valencian language,between 1477 and 1478. It is the third Bible printed in a modern language The...
by Bonifaci Ferrer was printed in 1478 before any Bible was printed in English or Spanish.
The prohibition, in Spain and other Catholic countries, of vernacular translations, along with the decline of the Catalan language until its renaissance in the nineteenth century, explains why there were no translations into Catalan from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.
In 1832 a Catalan exiled in London, Josep Melcior Prat Colom, sponsored by the British and Foreign Bible Society
British and Foreign Bible Society
The British and Foreign Bible Society, often known in England and Wales as simply as Bible Society, is a non-denominational Christian Bible society with charity status whose purpose is to make the Bible available throughout the world....
, translated the New Testament (Lo Nou Testament de nostre Senyor Jesu-Christ), which was published afterwards in Barcelona (1836) and Madrid (1888).
List of Bible Translators
- Josep Melcior Prat Colom (1779-1855)
- Joan Roís de CorellaJoan Roís de CorellaJoan Roís de Corella was a Catalan-language writer from the Kingdom of Valencia.He was born into a minor noble family of Aragonese origin in either Gandia or Valencia and apparently followed a career in the church. He may have been ordained as a priest, but apparently had two children.He is...
, 15th century psalter - Bonifaci FerrerBonifaci FerrerBoniface Ferrer , was a Carthusian monk, brother of Saint Vicent Ferrer, and translator of the first Bible into Valencian....
(Valencia 1350-1417), 1478 - Jaume de Montjuich, 13th century
- Pau and Samuel Sais, 2000
20th century to present
In the twentieth century many new translations flourished, both Catholic and Protestant.Catholic translations
- 1948 Bíblia de Cambó, by Fundació Bíblica Catalana; started in 1927 (published in 14 individual volumes)
- 1968 Bíblia de Cambó, 2nd Edition: a new translation in one volume, reprinted some times
- 1970 Bíblia dels Monjos de Montserrat: by the Monks of Montserrat, started in 1926. Other editions based on it have been published, with some textual variations
Protestant translations
- 1988 Nou Testament: the New Testament, by the Institució Bíblica Evangèlica de Catalunya, with the help of the International Bible SocietyInternational Bible SocietyBiblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL (from a merger of International Bible Society (IBS) and Send the Light (STL), has its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is a nonprofit Christian organization that...
- 2000 Bíblia Evangèlica Catalana (BEC); also La Bíblia del 2000: by Pau Sais and Samuel Sais of the Institució Bíblica Evangèlica de Catalunya
Ecumenical translation
For the Ecumenical translation, Catholic and Protestant translators worked together. However, there are two editions: a Catholic edition with the deuterocanonical books and a Protestant edition without.- 1993 Bíblia Catalana Interconfessional (BCI), by Associació Bíblica de Catalunya, Editorial Claret, and Societats Bíbliques Unides
Comparison
| Translation | Genesis 1:1–3 | John Gospel of John The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus... 3:16 |
|---|---|---|
| Bíblia Catalana Interconfessional (BCI) | Al principi, Déu va crear el cel i la terra. La terra era caòtica i desolada, les tenebres cobrien la superfície de l'oceà, i l'Esperit de Déu planava sobre les aigües. Déu digué: -Que existeixi la llum. I la llum va existir. | Déu ha estimat tant el món que ha donat el seu Fill únic perquè no es perdi cap dels qui creuen en ell, sinó que tinguin vida eterna. |
| Bíblia Evangèlica Catalana (BEC) | En el principi, Déu va crear el cel i la terra. La terra era caòtica i desolada, les tenebres cobrien la superfície de l’abisme i l’esperit de Déu planava per damunt les aigües. I Déu digué: “Que hi hagi llum”; i hi hagué llum. | Ja que Déu ha estimat tant el món, que ha donat el seu Fill únic perquè tot el qui creu en ell no es perdi, sinó que tingui vida eterna. |