This work is a compact on the whole Bible written by Roman Catholic according to the principles of modern biblical criticism. It is no secret that the last fifteen or twenty years have seen almost a revolution in Catholic biblical studies a revolution encouraged by authority, for its Magna Carta was the encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943) of Pope Pius XII. The principles of literary and historical criticism, so long regarded with suspicion, are now, at last, accepted and applied by Catholic exegetes. The results have been many: a new and vital interest in the Bible throughout the Church: a greater contribution of biblical studies to modern theology: a community of effort and understanding among Catholic and non-Catholic scholars. But there has remained a need to gather the fruits of these insights into one place where they will be conveniently available to all who are interested.