The Holy Bible

This is the Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner Revision — the standard English translation used by English-speaking Catholics for over three centuries. Originally published in 1582 (New Testament, Rheims) and 1609–1610 (Old Testament, Douai), it was revised by Bishop Richard Challoner in the mid-eighteenth century. The text contains the full 73-book Catholic canon, including the seven deuterocanonical books (marked D): Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and 1–2 Machabees.

The Douay-Rheims text is in the public domain. No copyright restrictions apply.

Early Christians commonly read the Old Testament in Greek through the Septuagint. Its collection included the books found in the later Jewish canon as well as seven books Catholics call deuterocanonical: Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and 1–2 Machabees.

The Catholic Old Testament preserves this broader forty-six-book canon. During the Reformation, Protestants generally adopted the shorter thirty-nine-book Hebrew canon for the Old Testament. Catholic editions also retain passages in Esther and Daniel that are absent from most Protestant Bibles.

The Church reads Scripture through one literal sense and three dimensions of the spiritual sense (CCC 115–119). The literal sense asks what the inspired author intended to communicate through the text, taking its language, setting, and literary form seriously. This meaning provides the foundation for every sound spiritual reading.

• Allegorical: How does this passage reveal Christ and His saving work?
• Moral: How does it instruct me to act and shape my life?
• Anagogical: How does it direct my hope toward heaven, eternity, and the final fulfillment of God's plan?

These senses do not turn Scripture into a matter of private imagination. Spiritual interpretations must grow from the literal meaning and accord with the unity of Scripture and the faith of the Church. This approach is part of the wider ancient Christian tradition, not a method unique to Catholics, although the Catechism gives it a concise and authoritative Catholic formulation.

The Douay-Rheims uses the traditional Catholic names for several books. If you are more familiar with modern Protestant or NRSV naming, note these equivalences:

The search and reference tools accept both naming conventions.

• Browse: Select a book, then a chapter, to read the full text.
• Search: Enter any word or phrase. Use the filters to narrow by Testament, book group, or Marian verses.
• Reference: Type a standard reference — John 3:16, Genesis 1:1-5, Apocalypse 12:1-6. Both Catholic and modern book names work.
• Copy a verse: Click any verse number while reading to copy the verse text and reference to your clipboard.