The Message New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (Softcover): The New Testament in Contemporary Language

I absolutely love this translation. It’s perfect for someone new to reading the Bible. It’s much easier to understand than a KJV or even NLT. I felt like God was just having a lovely conversation with me while reading it. It’s the perfect size for a gift and in addition to the New Testament it also comes with Psalms & Proverbs!

This book is 606 pages so far I read 333. The book starts with Jesus four disciples. They were Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Next there is a great book called Acts. Then Paul wrote a letter to the Romans. Next Paul wrote a letter about how much he loved Jesus Christ. This is called 1 Corinthians. Next comes 2 Corinthians and this passage teaches you how to become a leader. Galatians teaches you that you have to love with your whole heart. It also teaches you that you must forgive people no matter how many times they hurt you. The next book is called Ephesians and this book explains to you how wonderful heaven is. It also explains why the Catholics believe that the Jews are going to Purgatory. Philippians talks about how living a Christians life can make you extremely happy. The next book is Colossians.this book teaches you that Jesus need to be the center of your life. Thessalonians teaches you how to life a pure life. 2 Thessalonians teaches you if you honor Jesus he will hour you. 1 Timothy teaches you how you must love everyone including Jesus. I hope this help you about half the book I read.

I am a Bible student and love studying the Word of God. Sometimes, after reading many passages over and over, it helps to have a new perspective. The Message Bible is written in modern day language (english) and is very easy to understand. It makes the Bible all fresh again. After reading several chapters in The Message, I check it out in NAS and usually find that the same thing is said in a different way. I especially love the gospels in The Message. Only problem, start to read just for a few minutes and end up reading for an hour or more. Great work by Mr. Peterson which I believe was definitely inspired by God.

I must admit I was a little disappointed with "The Message". Many friends had praised Eugene Peterson's translation of the New Testament as not only meaningful and contemporary, but far-sighted and even revolutionary. Now I'm all in favor of any attempts to popularize the New Testament and get people to read it, and it's very pleasing that so many people find "The Message" relevant, helpful and enlightening. And "The Message" certainly reads well. The author's style is lively, his language pointed yet up-to-date. All this is most worthy of praise, but it is not quite what the publisher's advertising led me to expect. I anticipated the author was going to treat the New Testament in exactly the same freewheeling manner he re-invents the Old Testament's "Psalms", which are also included in this book. Instead, he writes up the Gospels in a far more traditional style. For example, here is Peterson's interpretation of an incident recorded in John 18: 19-23: Annas interrogated Jesus regarding his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered, "I've spoken openly in public. I've taught regularly in meeting places and the Temple, where the Jews all come together. Everything has been out in the open. I've said nothing in secret. So why are you treating me like a conspirator? Question those who have been listening to me. They know well what I have said. My teachings have all been aboveboard." When he said this, one of the policemen standing there slapped Jesus across the face, saying, "How dare you speak to the Chief Priest like that?" Jesus replied, "If I've said something wrong, prove it. But if I've spoken the plain truth, why this slapping around?" Sound familiar? It should! Peterson's translation closely follows the word order and much of the vocabulary of the Revised Standard Version. By way of contrast, here is my version as recorded in my translation of John's Gospel: Essential Bible Wisdom: GOOD NEWS by John, the Beloved Disciple, and John, the Elder : I went back into the palace itself where Annas, the former High Priest, was interrogating Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching. I heard Jesus answer, "I've spoken to the world at large quite plainly and openly. I always gave My teaching in a synagogue or in the temple where all of us are free to congregate. I spoke nothing in secret. So why ask Me about My teaching? Why not ask those who listened to Me: your priests and the Pharisees? They know what I said. Perhaps you distrust them as I do and hold their testimony in contempt?" When Jesus said this, one of the attendants standing nearby struck Him across the face, exclaiming, "Is that any way to answer the High Priest?" "If I've spoken wrongly, tell Me what I've said wrong. But if what I said was right, why do you strike Me?"

Jesus loves you. This I know for the Bible tells me so. This book is a wonderful introduction for someone who is interested in the word of God, but intimidated by the language ~ and rule-touting Christians. Remember: we are called to help draw people to the love of Jesus. If every "the", "and" & "but" in a translation of the Bible is important to you, don't buy this book! It isn't, nor does it claim to be, a translation. It is a view of what is written, pointing out how it is relevant in our lives today ~ using words in a way that people ordinarily talk today. If, when you are standing around the water-cooler, you talk this way: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but for the interests of others" this is probably not a book you would enjoy. If, however, you might more likely say: "Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead", maybe it is. From "The Message": "Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they're interested in is appearances - knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at his ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. . . . The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash - along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ." I think that's a fair representation of what it says in Philippians 2.

THE MESSAGE New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs Eugene Peterson (An Amazon book review) Eugene Peterson, a former professor of Hebrew and Greek, has done a masterful job of recasting the New Testament into contemporary language. In his experience, many people find a numbing familiarity with the earlier translations and have given up or have become confused by cryptic language that no longer speaks to them. One needs only to crack the book to realize the fresh breath of air that blows through the verses that used to clog the mind with antiquated language. For example: Matt. 5:48 in the RSV reads "You, therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." If that isn't a turn off! Listen to Peterson's rendition: "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you". One more example of the verse in Matt. 10:34 in the RSV reads "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword". Talk about opportunity for misunderstanding! Try Peterson's wording, "Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I've come to cut--make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law--cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God." Those should be sufficient--the book is full of `em. You'll be surprised! Ernest G. Barr August 8, 2008

LOVE this! The Lord had laid it on my heart to purchase this for my ex-husband, which I did. I bought myself a copy too and while I've not had the opportunity to give him his yet I read one book just yesterday after church. I had initially purchased my husband the KJV but he said it was too hard for him to understand (hey! ...it's all they had at Walmart and I wasn't as familiar with translation to to translation versions yet. I know this is something he'll be able to read, and while I was reading it yesterday it encouraged me to re-read some parts in my side-by-side KJV and the Living Bible. This was a wonderful, God-inspired purchase.

I bought this book for my husband because someone recommended it to him and he doesn't like to read the KJ or the NKJ versions. I didn't read this book through but I did find two things that were not accurate. In regard to the writing of the Ten Commandments. There were two tablets. NKJ reads: EX 31:18 He (G-d) gave Moses two tablets of stone written with the finger of G-d, Ex 34:1 Cut two tables of stone like the first ones, and I (G-d) will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. In "The Message" EX 31:18 reads correctly. EX 34:1 reads "Cut out two tablets of stone just like the originals and engrave on them the words that were on the original tablets you smashed". G-d wrote on both tablets not Moses. There was another error when the Message where the word 'begotten' is used or not used when it speaks of the Son of G-d. I don't mind when people make things easier to read but they should never 'CHANGE' the meaning behind the original especially the word of G-d. What else is in the Message that is not correctly translated? I don't recommend this book to anyone that has never studied the BIBLE. They will not get the whole truth.

Do not buy! Absolutely cannot believe that NavPress printed the Bible with this font size! It is absolutely impossible to have a comfortable read with this form factor. 13cm on length!!! Insane! Disgraceful by NavPress.

Throughout my spiritual life--well over 60 years since becoming a Christian at age 16, I have always enjoyed reading the latest translations, particularly those that attempt to rephrase the text in modern idioms. This translation is in that tradition, and takes it a lot further than I would have thought possible. Just occasionally I feel "this is a step too far" but I keep reading it for the sudden new and refreshing insights that it so often brings to long-familiar (over-familiar?) passages. You may not like it all, but you will be glad you bought it if you do! Don't hesitate...

Die lockere, alltägliche, manchmal legere Ausdrucksweise von "The Message" bietet sich als zusätzliche, erklärende Hilfe zur Lektüre der Bibel an. Soviel ich weiß, gibt es "The Message" auch auf Deutsch als "Die Nachricht". Manchmal ist der Ton etwas sehr leger, aber, wie schon erwähnt, als Zusatzlektüre zur Bibel ist das Buch sehr wohl zu empfehlen.

Great!! Not recommended for people who aren't used to fine print text. Very compact, can fit in your pocket. Good quality binding.

I love how small and pocket size it is. I can literally carry around every time, everywear