Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version - Second Catholic Edition Hardcover – December 1, 2005

This version was what the pastor recommended for bible study. It is very well made, and the language is easy to follow, unlike the ones we grew up with. It would be nice if it had the bookmark, but not a turnoff.

This Bible will be my best friend for when I start OCIA in September this year, I was raised as a baptist since I was young and after much studying on early church history I made the decision to join his Church! The Bible is incredible, the words aren’t to small the pages are easy to turn and the book feels very sturdy I know I will have this for many years to come. All glory to my Lord Jesus Christ.

This book is a very nice size book to hold. or use as a text book on a table. The print is a good size. the paper in the book are yellow, which makes it easire on the eyes to read for a long period of time. The English in this book is easy to understand, which make it a good book for a church pew, classroom text book, or just a nice book to relax with and read like a novel.

Allow me to start off by saying that I am not officially Catholic yet. My husband is, and I am currently going through the RCIA class to learn more about the Catholic faith. I come from a very Baptist background, later nondenominational, but have felt a pull towards Catholicism and a strong need to get back in touch with my faith. Our priest recommended this Bible to us, and I am very grateful that he did.I have to first comment on the cover, which is stunning. The gold print on the outside is a perfect touch and definitely not tacky, like I feel a lot of times gold is. I also have to admit that I like the gold on the outside edges of the pages, too; I'm not entirely sure why, but I suppose it stems from my childhood Bibles always having the gold on the page edges - oh well, personal preference, I suppose. :)My first impression on actually opening the Bible is definitely positive. I like that the pages are not stark white. The pages seem to be slightly yellow, which in my opinion makes it much easier to read. Also, each chapter has a title - love it. Many of my previous Bibles did not have that, and although it is not necessary, I feel it is a great touch. The language is also great. It is still beautiful, as they did not take away too much, but it is definitely easier for me, personally, to read.The font is perfect. Let me also mention that I do not have perfect eyesight. I am nearsighted. The font is not too small, nor is it too large. I can read smaller print just fine without glasses, but the font in this Bible is much easier to read and definitely easier on the eyes. However, that may not be the case for someone who is farsighted - I cannot speak for that person, though!Also, another thing that I enjoy about this Bible is the two bookmarks it has. Most Bibles only include one of those ribbons, but this one comes with two. Again, while this is not a necessity, it is a nice bonus! I can easily bounce back and forth if I need to.Finally, we get to the maps. Something that I have always loved about Bibles is the maps that they include. I think it is especially interesting to look at the maps and compare them to those areas today, not only to see the changes (if any), but also to get an idea of the way things once were. The maps included in this Bible are beautiful. They are also well marked so that you know what period in the Bible they represent, and what paths were used by whom. All in all, it is a great inclusion and I do feel that it is important to have in any Bible!So, ultimately, I think that this is a great version to have, even if you are not Catholic or if you are interested in the Catholic faith. I personally have more than one version, and as I am rediscovering my own faith, I think it will come in handy to see the differences between versions!I absolutely recommend this.

Printed copy is almost if not perfect. Had it covered with plastic to protect it for long use. Thanks. Delivered earlier than 5 days target.

Very nice! My husband loves this translation. So far, no issues like other reviews. It’s great

Having been a Protestant many years ago, I was used to really nice bibles with nice genuine leather, calf skin, india paper, etc. I used to have an RSV Bible in nice leather cover and it was the "best" conservative translation for me with understandable English but also along the lineage of the "Authorized" version. So I was pretty thrilled to have discovered the Ignatius Bible (I'm not a fan of the NAB :-). I bought the hardcover copy first and got the leather version afterward. If anyone is interested, the hardcover copy is printed in China and the leather copy is printed in the USA.The first leather copy came with leather and pages bent in the lower right corner. Amazon promptly sent me a replacement - excellent service I may say. The second leather copy came in much better shape but still not perfect due to box being bang around during shipping I presumed. I finally realized the reason my recent NIV Bible and GN Bible Catholic Edition with imitation leather came in such a perfect shape is because all of these bibles came in their own product box which provided extra protection for the leather and pages. I'm planning to write to Ignatius Press suggesting they include a product box for the leather version (I would have gladly paid a little more). While I'm at it, I would also suggest a "cadillac" model with real genuine leather, calf skin, etc. and white paper edition to Ignatius Press; I would gladly pay much more for something like this.Both the hardcover and the leather copy are just the right size and fairly thin, thinner than the GN Bible and NAB (St. Joseph Edition). Indeed as others have noted, the leather is thin and doesn't feel or smell like leather. But it appears to be eminently serviceable (only time will tell). And to be fair I can't complain too much given the price. The text font is very nice and readable with or without my glasses. The printed text near the binding is just the right distance from the binding in the hardcover copy while the text are too close to the binding in the leather edition. Two ribbons provide a nice touch. Personally, I prefer the white paper of the NIV Bible and the GN Bible, but yellow paper works well enough. I'll also add here that the hardcover version has pretty decent quality as well. Including a concordance would have been nice but probably would push the size of the bible above my threshold of comfort.At first, I didn't think I would like the cover design pictures. After I got the Bible, I grew more and more fond of them, sort of grow on me. Why after a few years of use, the ancient cover design along with yellow paper might just give this bible an antique look from the King James era :-).In summary, while there are tons of protestant bible styles in numerous flavors and translations and versions to choose from, I'm very grateful that there is a leather version of the catholic RSV Bible available. (I wish Oxford Press or St. Benedict who put out leather bound version would print the 2nd edition of the RSV and include references.) So if you're looking for a catholic English bible and enjoy literary quality that is understandable and along the tradition of the "authorized version" with footnotes and references, I can recommend either the hardcover or leather version of the Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.

Wonderful edition! I just wish that it had a ribbon bookmark.