The Message: the Bible in Contemporary Language

Layman's English makes this a very easy read. The quality of the cover and the paper is also very good.

This is a reading Bible - for those of us who wants to get into the Word, yet find it hard to. The translation is a paraphrase that aims to convey the emotions and vigor in which the original authors of the Bible set out to express. That said, this translation has not been intended to replace a study bible or other versions, but for the mere pleasure of reading and getting into what God wants to speak (sooner or later, we may want to consider a study Bible to go in more depth, or have someone interpret deeper for us)."If there is anything distinctive about The Message, perhaps it is because the text is shaped by the hand of a working pastor. For most of my adult life I have been given a primary responsibility for getting the message of the Bible into the lives of the men and women with whom I worked. I did it from the pulpit and lectern, in home Bible studies and at mountain retreats, through conversations in hospitals and nursing homes, over coffee in kitchens, and while strolling on an ocean beach. The Message grew from the soil of forty years of pastoral work."EUGENE PETERSONFind more about the version: messagebible.com

- Beautiful version... to understand the word of God...can read this for better understanding the word of God- the delivery was good

It is more of a colloquial paraphrase of the Bible than a serious translation.

Very helpful. It's amazing!I'm learning this language and I loved this version of the Holy Bible! It's easy, but powerful!!

This is my favourite reading translation of the Bible. There is nothing quite like it to let you fall right in there when Byron start reading.This is how the Bible was meant to be read. When the early church were passing around the letters of the apostles no-one needed a study bible or a bible dictionary to work out what they were reading. They just knew what it was that were reading.When the Jewish people went to the Synagogue and heard the Torah being sung no-one passed around an exegetical study of the book being read. They just knew what it was that they were hearing.That is the gift that Eugene Peterson is giving us. He is not saying that this is the translation you should rely on for study or for scholarship. He explicitly says this is for reading, a port hole to allow you to get the Message of the bible, especially for those who avoid the bible because it cannot speak to them. He explicitly say you should rely on a scholarly bible for detailed specific understanding.This is a great book, I’ve read the bible over and over and this is the best, I recommend it.

The need for a fresh presentation of the scripture is obvious especially to us who are Christians. Peterson writes the message with such a consideration for the original languages that I was very surprised. Most of all, I was heartened that it did not present itself as a theological book, but the book of life and relationship with God. Not that the book was un-theologicall, but rather that it compelled me to come out of my rut and preconceptions.I would commend it to anyone who is interested in the unauthentic hearing and presentation of the Gospel.

The Message, interpretiert die Bibel in eifachen Worten, sehr gut verständlich und dennoch exact genau wie die King James die ich lese, dank unzähligen Geistlichen, die darauf geachtet haben das das Wort der Bibel nicht verändert wurde! Ich denke diese Interpretation ist fantastisch! Eliane Fileti

A bible translation of this kind was never going to be easy. I wonder how many sleepless nights were lost by these honest translators.The bible can be an extremely difficult book to follow and thus I know with my own experience a book which can easily be put down and difficult to pick up again.So for me, any book that can make the bible easier to read is very, very welcome.Then however we come to another potential problem. The word of God is the roadway of Christian Life and as such must retain the fullest weight and meaning of the scriptures. The translators, to give a welcoming feel to this translation, and to make it readable, understandable and enjoyable may just have given a lightweight feel to some of the scriptures and is unavoidable. This is meant as an observation and not a criticism.I have been a bible student since about 1970. It appears to me that there are very 'heavy' bible translations and there are 'lighter' translations. Possibly any modern day translation using modern day words runs the risk of being accused of not carrying the true weight of Gods word. To my mind there is the interpretation of the spirit of Gods word too.I found this bible as easy to read as a novel. To me thats a good thing because it encourages those who may be put off by the 'harder, less easy bible translations' to stick with it. Surely that is agood thing.Welcome this translation with open arms. It is not the only translation. It is however the one I read most in my quiet moments because it is 'readable'. If I want greater understanding or enlightenment I can read it in association with bible aids which are just as necessary in harder to read/understand bibles.Highly recommended, highly readable and a good starting point for any bible student, young or old. If it gains its reader and makes them want to search deeper into the bible surely then its done its job. This is the translation I would buy and recommend to anyone with the addage that Gods word has to be worked at and to reach an understanding one must 'study'. Thats as true of the King James vesions through to this one.