Help | The Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible
Version Information
The Catholic Public Domain Version, Original Edition was completed on March 28th, 2009.
This version of the Bible is called the Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV) of the Holy Bible. The Catholic Public Domain Version of the Bible is a translation of the Sacred Bible, Sixtus V and Clement VIII Latin Vulgate edition. The 1914 Hetzenauer edition of the Vulgate was the main source text. Several other Latin editions were consulted including the 1861 Vercellone edition, the 1822 - 1824 Leander van Ess edition (which compares the 1590, 1592, 1593, 1598 editions of the Sixtus V and Clement VIII editions), and the modern-day Tweedale Edition (London, 2005). The Challoner Douay-Rheims Version of the Bible was used as a guide in translating the Latin text into English. The original Rheims Douai Bible was also frequently consulted.
The sole translator and editor of the Catholic Public Domain Version is Ronald L. Conte Jr. I have relied on God's Providence and Grace in translating and editing the Sacred Bible. I also have used various reference texts, in print and in electronic form. Since the Latin editions of the Bible used in this translation are in the public domain, as the sole translator and editor of the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible, I hereby place the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible in the public domain in perpetuity.
As a text in the public domain, the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible has no copyright, trademark, or other legal restrictions. The only restriction is that there can be no restriction. No one may copyright this version of the Bible. No one may trademark the version name: Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV). Anyone may publish the Catholic Public Domain Version, in whole or in part; no further permission is needed. It can be published in print or in electronic form by any individual or group. However, anyone publishing this version of the Bible may not copyright or restrict their publication in any way, shape, or form. It must remain in the public domain.
Anyone may make their own version of the Bible, based on, or derived from, this version. While some may criticize this translation, "no one is forbidden to do it better!" Any Biblical scholar, or other person, who thinks that he can improve on this version, can make whatever changes to this version that he sees fit to make. Changed, altered, or edited versions of the Catholic Public Domain Version can be published in print or electronically, in whole or in part; no further permission is needed. However, no one may copyright or otherwise restrict any edit of this edition of the Bible; this version must remain in the public domain. But if anyone prepares a substantially new version of the Bible, based on or derived from this version, please consider placing the new version also in the public domain.
Translators are welcome to translate the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible into other languages. However, I ask that all such translations remain in the public domain, without any restrictions or claim of ownership. The Bible is a gift from God to all humanity. No one should own or restrict what is given to all by God.
I strongly recommend that everyone refrain from doing anything with this version of the Bible that might incur the wrath of God. If anyone tries to copyright or otherwise restrict this version of the Bible, may God rebuke them. If anyone promotes or distributes this version of the Bible, or frees it from unjust restrictions, may God bless them.
The Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible can be freely distributed in print and electronic form. Anyone can distribute this version in electronic form, through file sharing networks, web sites, and all other forms of communication and distribution. I am placing the Catholic Public Domain Version of the Sacred Bible entirely in the public domain. But no person, company, or organization may claim any kind of copyright or restriction whatsoever on this version of the Bible. Those who place copies of this version on their web site cannot claim a copyright on the electronic or web version, even if they make some changes to the files.
The Catholic Public Domain Version was created by making a verse by verse translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible, comparing each verse to the text of the Challoner Douay Rheims version. The Catholic Public Domain Version is a new translation of the Latin Vulgate, made using the Challoner Douay Rheims version as a guide.
The Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV) is intended to be an accurate, modern English, public domain version of the Bible, which is freely and widely available in electronic form, including over the internet. Please feel free to post this version for viewing, and to offer the files as a download, on your web site. The files are all public domain and free to download, use, and redistribute. However, you may not claim any copyright or other restriction on your posting of these files, even if you make some changes.
If anyone tries to take this version out of the public domain, may God prevent them and rebuke them. The Holy Bible should not be owned by anyone. No version of the Bible should be under copyright or other restriction. The Word of God should be freely and easily available to everyone.
May God be ever blessed.