The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language [Hardcover]

Eugene H. Peterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2002

Heart-Racing. Thought-Provoking. Life-Changing.

If you find reading the Bible uneventful, "old hat," or downright confusing, then it's time for The Message. Join the millions of readers who have been drawn to God through Eugene Peterson's best-selling Bible paraphrase.

Translated directly from the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts into today's American idiom, The Message is designed as a reading Bible. With no distracting verse numbers or stiff, formal language, the sixty-six books of Scripture unfold like a gripping novel. Passages you've read many times before will come alive, revealing the vibrant energy and passion of God's Word.

From the mysterious Old Testament stories to the straightforward teachings of Jesus to the encouraging early church letters, reading The Message will jump-start your heart, challenge your mind, and forever change your life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Readers who have either found the Bible to be an intimidating proposition or who are so familiar with it that the words have lost their meaning will discover that Eugene Peterson's The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language is a welcome way to read and reread one of the best-loved books of all time. It's directly translated from the Greek and Hebrew texts and is intentionally designed to be a reading Bible rather than a study Bible. Each of the 66 books has an introduction by Peterson, and there are no verse numbers to interrupt the flow of the passages.

The vibrant flavor of the text is evident from the opening verses of the book of Genesis: "First this: God created the Heavens and Earth--all you see; all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness."

There's renewed vigor in some of Jesus' most well-known words of the New Testament in John 3: "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again."

Whether it's the poetry of the Psalms, the thundering tirades of the Old Testament prophets, or the ageless words of Jesus, Peterson breaths new life into timeless passages in this fresh-voiced paraphrase. --Cindy Crosby

From the Publisher

Voted as "Book of the Decade" by the Academy of Parish Clergy (2003)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2265 pages
• Publisher: Navpress (July 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576832899
• ISBN-13: 978-1576832899
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (564 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

592 of 602 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Message: Numbered Edition is Joy to Read October 29, 2005

By S.A.M.

Format:Hardcover

This latest edition of the paraphrased Bible "The Message" is wonderful! The full title is "The Message: Numbered Edition, The Bible in Contemporary Language". It seems that with each new edition, The Message titles get longer!

I have enjoyed chapter after chapter since I received this edition a couple of weeks ago from Amazon. I keep my New American Standard Bible (NASB) and my HarperCollins New Revised Standard (NRS) Study Bible close at hand while I read The Message. Thus, if needed, I can look up a passage to make certain I am understanding the full context of the Message translation. This research in comparing passages is increasing my understanding of the Bible.

The Message makes clearer, in today's language, what many biblical passages mean. I find this wonderful paraphrase to be full of "aha" moments when a passage I may have glossed over or didn't fully understand, in the past, finally comes to life.

One of my favorite examples: The NASB gives Matthew 5:13-14 (a portion of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus is explaining how things are to his disciples) as:

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;...."

I have heard and read these words many times, but the complete meaning was not there (for me).

Now, read it in today's language. Here is The Message translation/paraphrase for the same passage:

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be the salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?... You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here's another way to put it: you're here to be the light, bringing out the God colors to the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill....."

Amazing! In my view, at least, The Message offers a more immediate sense of the meaning of the passage.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR: Eugene Peterson, a retired pastor and professor, is a superb translator, as well he would be after years of teaching Biblical languages at the University level. In addition, he is very much in tune with the language of American society today. His paraphrased translation was overseen by a large number of Bible scholars to ensure it's reliability.

ABOUT THIS EDITION: Many reviewers have discussed how wonderful The Message Bible is to read. So, I would like to address some of the features of The Message Bible itself. If you bring up The Message Bibles, either on Amazon or at the publisher's (NavPress) site, there are now so many editions, it gets a little crazy trying to sort them all out! Here is a little clarification:

1.) "The Message" (original) does not include verse numbers because it is meant as a reading Bible, rather than a study Bible.

2.) "The Message:Remix" DOES include verse numbers.

3.) The edition I am reviewing here, "The Message: Numbered Edition, The Bible in Contemporary Language", offers the verse numbers plus several new features over the Remix editions.

This edition I am reviewing is one of the less expensive of the new numbered editions, and I thought I had settled for one of those slick hardcover editions because of my low budget. However, much to my surprise, it comes in a beautiful navy blue, padded, hard cover that is wonderfully nice to the touch. The title is in silver. At Amazon's low price, I feel it is a great bargain!

The new Numbered Editions come with several updated features over the older The Message:Remix Bibles.

Though the font is a bit fainter than I would like (at age 62!), I DO find it to be surprisingly readable! The pages are of a very nice French paper, in a lovely cream color that is easy on the eyes. This edition is apparently one-half pound lighter than the older Remix editions. It's still hefty, so I will say that I am happy that the publisher managed to lighten it up a bit!

As mentioned above, The Message: Numbered Edition is much more a reading Bible than a study Bible. You will definitely want to keep your regular study Bibles on hand!

In all, I am very happy with this wonderful edition of The Message. I recommend it to anyone who wants to read the Bible with a more immediate sense of understanding and with great enjoyment! :) Read more ›

440 of 472 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the Word of God? God might disagree! September 6, 2002

By Bradley Morehouse

Format:Hardcover

While reviewing the various comments about this work, I kept thinking about my initial experience when the Message New Testament was being prepared for its introduction a few years ago. I was working the Customer Service desk at NavPress (the books publisher) at the time. Because of my religious training, I didn't consider this a Bible either, I thought of it as a devotional work, or a cute little paraphrase. It wasn't the authoritative "Word of God," however. Then something profound happened.

When the book was released, calls started coming in...incredible calls! People who would never read a Bible read The Message and made new commitments to walk a life of faith. Others who had experienced stagnation in their walk were renewed and strengthened. Because of this, I began to read the work, and experienced new depths in my Christian experience. In fact, several of the encounters I personally experienced were so powerful and life changing that to this day I can't discuss them without tears. Then, instead of putting my other translations into retirement, I began to study and appreciate them more fully, and I now read the KJV and NJB regularly.

I've shared the above because I've read recent reviews that accuse The Message of being a watered down Gospel, a failed rendering, or a comic book edition of the scripture. Maybe so, but the Holy Spirit uses it to change peoples lives. I know this from listening to hundreds of stories, and experiencing it first hand.

My suggestion is that you read "The Message" and see if the Holy Spirit speaks to you through it. If the Spirit does, continue to read it, if the Spirit doesn't, put the book down and find something else. It's that simple...and there's no need to berate it if it doesn't suit your spiritual temperament....

By the way, I no longer work for NavPress or the Navigators, and I have no book to sell you on Bible translations. Sorry! Read more ›

111 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Message gets even better with numbers! October 15, 2005

By C. Martin

Format:Hardcover

Since the complete Message Bible was introduced in 2002, I have enjoyed its translation but have often wished for numbered verses. I found that I was unable to use my Message translation in church or in Bible study.

I was thrilled to see the new numbered edition on my store shelf. It is just what I was looking for!

The Message is a wonderful translation because it helps the reader to relate today's events and language with what the Bible is saying. I find often that after I read The Message translation, I am better able to understand and more likely to read again the more complex translations.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Message June 26, 2009

By Georgia N. Williams

Format:Bonded Leather|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very nice Bible--new edition of The Message. Only complaint is the print is too small for my aging eyes.

55 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Contemporary Translation December 16, 2005

By Jane Hinrichs VINE™ VOICE

Format:Bonded Leather|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have a been an avid Bible reader and studier since 1987. I know the Bible well and have been reading it nonstop since then. But when I was givent his Bible as a gift I read the entire thing over a course of about four months and it changed my life. It makes the whole Bible come alive again. It explains things that are hard for us contemporary people to understand. I would recommend getting the new ones with verse numbers though. I have the original edition and it is frustrating when I cannot easily find a specific verse.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Message, a new twist on the scriptures October 27, 2007

By Bob bear

Format:Imitation Leather|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me say this first, I don't want to discourage anyone from buying this contemporary interpretation of the scriptures. I find the language used is refreshing and down right funny at times. I have enjoyed reading "The Message". I commend the job Mr.Peterson did on this interpretation. That said, I feel that "The Message" is not written in the language that I would use talking to friends over coffee about the Bible, nor the language that I would use telling my 4 year old granddaughter about the Bible, but I am a 50 year old man. I think this interpretation my be well geared to the high school or collage student. I am an educated man and I find some passages in the Old Testament I have to stop and clarify in my mind what is he saying. Some of the words he used are not words that I use on a daily basis. I would advise anyone interested in an easy to read and understand interpretation of the Bible to also look at the, NIV, New Living Bible or the New Century Bible. The "NIV/The Message" parallel is a great choice. I would give it "5 stars". If you are like me and already have The New Living Bible, NCB, or NIV, I would say, yes, buy the "The Message" It is fun to read. If you are using a KJV then I would say please buy one of the new interpretations in contemporary English, so you can understand what you are reading. It does no good to read the Bible if you don't understand what you are reading. The KJV is also an interpretation of the Holy Bible. God did not speak in KJV. It was written so people who lived in 1611 could better understand the Bible, so if you don't speak in 16 century English you are going to have a hard time understanding the KJV.