Forgive us our Trespasses

[EDWARDJL]

I was curious. When we say the Lord's prayer at Mass, we say "forgive us our trespasses".  However, all of the Catholic bible versions I am familiar with (NAB, RSV-CE, Douay-Rheims, etc. state "forgive us our debts".  Can anyone tell me the version where we got the word trespass from?

[desertknight]

Good question.  I don't know why there is a difference in the Pater Noster.  Most Protestant editions of the Gospels use "debts" as well as most Catholic versions actually.  My Catholic NAB uses "debts" but at Mass we use the word "trespasses" in it's recitation.  "Trespasses" is used in the 1962 Missale Romanum as well.

[winsome]

I searched around using google and found this

When the prayer began to be translated into English, different words were used. Wycliffe (1395) used "debts," while Tyndale (1526) used "trespasses." When the Book of Common prayer was first published (1549), "trespasses" was used, and as such became the standard word used in many liturgies. Most translations, including the original King James, used the more literal "debts," and this is reflected in its use liturgically also.