New Bible removes 'booty' and 'virgin'

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops said its 2011 translation of the Bible will omit the word "booty" from a verse and replace "virgin" with "young woman."

The bishops group, based in Washington, said the latest edition of the New American Bible, due out on March 9, will be more accurate and more accessible than previous versions.



Among the changes in the new version, which was compiled by a team of 50 scholars and translators assisted by language experts, theologians and bishops, is the replacing of the word "booty" with "spoils" of war. The word booty, which has become American slang for buttocks, has been known to elicit snickers from school children.

The 2011 version also replaces the word "virgin" in Isaiah 7:14 with "the young woman," explaining the original Hebrew word, almah, may or may not refer to a virgin. "We needed a new translation because English is a living language," said Richard Sklba, the retired auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee and part of the New American Bible's review and editing team.