The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language

by Eugene H. Peterson

Perfect for today's busy Christian, this convenient size of The Message allows the best-selling contemporary translation of the Bible to fit into a briefcase, purse, or backpack.

The Message Burgundy Full Leather Compact Size Bible presents God's Word in the language of today.

Trim size: 3 7/8 x 5 3/4

Genres: Christian, Religion, Reference, Nonfiction, Christianity, Theology, Faith

2265 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

Eugene H. Peterson was a pastor, scholar, author, and poet. For many years he was James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also served as founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He had written over thirty books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language a contemporary translation of the Bible. After retiring from full-time teaching, Eugene and his wife Jan lived in the Big Sky Country of rural Montana. He died in October 2018.

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot of (unfortunate) debate about the validity of this translation of the Bible. Some refuse to call it any more than a paraphrase. Living in a foreign, non-Western culture (and having worked on some translation myself) helped me better understand the importance of context, the influence of culture, and the shortcomings of literal translations in writing. As I read Peterson's translation of the Bible, I am mindful that it is not a literal translation but am more than satisfied with the heart of the message he seems to capture so well. I really love reading it! It's like a new romance with an old friend. So over the next year I am attempting to read the whole thing! We'll see how this goes...

FYI...I'm reading the free version of this on www.youversion.com, and will be using the ESV Reading Plan on the same site (even though I'm not reading the ESV version). Bottom line, I'll be jumping around each day between different parts instead of reading cover-to-cover. I'm currently on day 18 of the plan.

[Steve Miyamoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have to love a Bible translation that says stuff like:

God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. (Romans 8:3a)

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit that I didn't read this cover to cover. But I have read significant sections of this Bible and wanted to leave a review.

First, The Message Bible needs to be viewed in perspective. As Mr. Peterson notes, this is not a study Bible. It is not meant to be used to get deep down into doctrine. Instead, this is a reading Bible. Mr. Peterson's goal in his translation was to bring the same feelings to the modern reader that that were experienced by the original audiences to the Bible's message.

The result is wonderful. It is a Bible I want to read. It is engaging. The stories I've heard since I was a kid are now more than skeletal words on a page. They are alive, bold-faced, and breathing. I also appreciate Mr. Peterson's mini essays that give context and modern-day application to each book.

So if you want to get back into the Bible but can't quite find the gumption to pick up the normal translation, give this a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised. And you can always give it a try for free at websites such as Biblegateway.com.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever longed to read the Bible but were put off by your memories of its language? This is your solution: an absolutely faithful translation in modern language. It almost makes Chronicles readable.

[Jenna Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, like many others, had always avoided reading the Message Bible because of its supposed "heretical" leanings. However, recently I've been experimenting with some different translations. I have always read the NIV Bible, but the language style has become so familiar to me that I found that I was having trouble focusing while I was reading. I've got a Bible app on my iPhone, so every once and a while I would cross-reference verses from other translations with the NIV just to get a different perspective. Sometimes, when I tried out the Message, it helped clarify the meaning of certain difficult passages. So, when I came across a cheap, pocket version at our local Christian bookstore, I bought it.

There are definite pros and cons associated with this translation, or paraphrase, rather.

Pros:
- The ease of reading is very high.
- There is almost no semblance to popular translations of the Bible, so you aren't so stuck in the familiarity of the language being used that you can't pick up on the meaning any more.
- It can help (and "help" is the operative word, here) clarify difficult or confusing passages.
- Overall, it's just very refreshing to read.

Cons:
- Because of the updated, contemporary language, it can come across as silly (Hebrews 6:1, "Stop the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art") or even irreverent (Acts 8:20, "Peter said, 'To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that's unthinkable—trying to buy God's gift!'"). I didn't have a huge problem with this, but some people may not like it.
- Sometimes sentences are added that are a bit superfluous and probably reflect the opinions of the editors/translators more than the actual meaning of the text.
- Sometimes the meaning of passages is cloudy for the same reasons I just mentioned, and there's been more than once that I've had to actually refer back to my NIV to figure it out.

The Message should not be your only Bible translation. It's good as a cross-referencing tool, or possibly as a Bible for a new believer, but it's a paraphrase. It doesn't always reflect the original meaning of the text, and it's based on someone's personal opinions on how the passages should be interpreted. Even Eugene H. Peterson himself, in the preface, says: "The Message is a reading Bible. It is not intended to replace the excellent study Bibles that are available. My intent here (as it was earlier in my congregation and community) is simply to get people reading it who don't know that the Bible is read-able at all, at least by them, and to get people who long ago lost interest in the Bible to read it again. But I haven't tried to make it easy—there is much in the Bible that is hard to understand. So at some point along the way, soon or late, it will be important to get a standard study Bible to facilitate further study." In the end, it's definitely not this horrible thing that so many Christians have painted it as and it has many strong points; I mean, I've personally found it to be a breath of fresh air in my daily devotions. But make sure you read it with caution and discernment.

[Phileo Truth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This translation of the Bible renders the text unrecognizable to any word-for-word and most thought-for-thought translations. In its efforts to be conversational, the language is bastardized. It is a sad commentary on the state of the church that so many in Christendom teach from this Bible in the general assembly. This translation should have been shelved.

[booklady]

My Goodread's friend, Homeschoolmama, recently reviewed this, which reminded me of my own copy on the shelf for many years now. It was also purchased as a reference to help with difficult Scripture passages. Need to pull it down more; it is not doing me any good 'on a shelf'!

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did it!!!!! My goal was to read the Bible in a year, so I followed a schedule and just finished this translation of the Bible today! Whew! I had chosen The Message because it was in contemporary language. Previously, I had read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in here, and had been impressed with the images Peterson chose. Well - I am glad I read the whole Bible now, because over all, I felt cheated. Part of this, I'm sure, is because I am so used to reading the King James version. Yes, some of the language is kind of archaic, but The Message does not even come close to the beauty of the King James version. Some of the translated passages in The Message felt stilted and almost "yesterday", whereas the King James evokes more feelings. I also felt as if Peterson put more "religion" in his version. I don't believe Jesus and Christ are synonymous. I believe Jesus was a human who came here to show us our sonship, and that he is gone now. but Christ is always here - and always was here - as his divine nature. Peterson put more of the traditional belief into his translation, where Jesus the man is coming back. I'm glad I read this, though. and now I plan on reading God's Secretaries and The Legacy of the King James Bible during this year!

[Tom LA · Rating 3 out of 5]

U2’s Bono loves this version of the Bible, not only translated but also slightly re-phrased in order to “make better sense” to modern people. There is a YouTube video where he talks at length with the author.

I don’t like this approach very much. The Bible is already, in itself, the product of various translations. Too often the original meaning, in “The Message”, gets lost.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. The Word of God in contemporary language without losing the true import or meaning.

[Lee Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this contemporary Bible! It’s not the most accurate translation—it’s really not fair to even call it a translation, but rather a paraphrase betraying Peterson’s religious convictions—but I just find it enjoyable to read. It’s poetic and beautiful. Do not use it as a study Bible, but as an inspiring read.

I chose the book of John to highlight some of the translations, so you can get a feel for the wording. These aren’t my favorite passages, but they do highlight what I mean by a “paraphrasing.”

KJV: John 1:12-13, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Message: But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.

KJV: John 1:31, And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

Message: I knew nothing about who he was—only this: that my task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so you can get a fresh start with God.

KJV: John 3:29-30, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

Message: The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom’s friend, his ‘best man’—that’s me—in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? That’s why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.

KJV: John 6:43-44, Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except he Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Message: Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End.

[Chris Suleske · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Peterson's original Message transliteration was published, I eschewed it, taking my direction from critics who cherry-picked passages with which they took issue. By the time this version had been released, I'd mellowed in my take on such things. More than that, I'd come to appreciate Peterson's style of writing. It is easy to take passages with which we are accustomed and contrast them with the Message, producing instant dissonance. Psalm 23 is Psalm 23, in the KJV translation. Best to hear it as such, if it works for you.

I find I like to turn to the Message for the long streams of the Bible with which I've had less exposure, particularly the minor prophets. Peterson rocks some serious Nahum.

I'd probably give this work 4 stars if it were not so grand an undertaking. But because of the colossal endeavor that is a completely new interpretation and telling of the Word of God, I have to reward the effort with a fifth star. C'mon, this is a serious gift to humanity.

I should add that my 82 year old friend, who came to Christ just about the time I was born, is the one who had me reevaluate my take on the Message.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eugene Peterson's "The Message" with its probing, dynamic interpretations of scripture often brings my own understanding of the possibilities and trajectories of the biblical texts to a new level. I bought this New Testament / Psalms for a friend whose first language is not English, although she speaks fluently and quite idiomatically.

This book is a delight! It's fairly thick and heavy because it's not printed on ultra-fine India paper and because (happily) they set it in an easily readable size of type. The margins are wide enough to make a gracious visual presentation and to write some of your own notes, too!

I heard someone describe Peterson's "tremendous devotion – tremendous scholarship," and that's for sure. I was disappointed to learn from another Amazon reviewer that some of his earlier versions of the texts contained even more to contemplate and consider, but someone decided they needed some pre-publication taming. As it turned out, this still was an excellent choice for my non-native speaker friend, and I'll give it an ultra high recommendation for almost any reader!

[Dean Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I've ever used The Message for my through-the-bible reading. A lot has been said about its weaknesses and what people don't like about The Message. Here are a few things I liked:
- I found it helpful for reading the longer historical portions of the Old Testament.
- I loved it for reading Job.
- I can't tell how many times in the Psalms I thought to myself, "Oh, that's where that song came from!" A lot of songwriters, from U2 to songs on Christian radio, must read the Psalms from The Message.
- I found myself carving out time to read entire books of the bible in one sitting. The Message is great for that.
- I found some portions especially powerful. The last half of Galatians was particularly moving. The Gospels were great.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this translation of the Bible. I found it very easy to read. It still didn’t make some of the more dull books exciting but they were more understandable. It also made some of the more iconic scripture passages less recognizable. I think this would be a good version of the Bible for someone just starting their faith journey.

[Elizabeth]

I like the way this Bible is set up for the most part. I would have liked to have all the verses separated from each other instead of having them in paragraphs.

More of a reading Bible instead of a study Bible, it flows from verse to verse in story like format. I kind of like that and I kind of don’t since it doesn’t give you the impression of having separate verses.

All in all though I think I will find myself using it again and again. It’s the perfect size to carry in a purse/bag or if you don’t want to carry a regular sized Bible around.

Below are some verse differences between The Message//Remix and The King James Version

The Message//Remix

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 voice.

-John 3:16

First this: God created the Heavens and the Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss

-Genesis 1:1-2

King James Version

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in should not perish, but have ever lasting life.

-John 3:16

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

-Genesis 1:1-2

[Legsoffury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would only consider it appropriate for somebody well-acquainted with a respectable translation of the Bible to read this. What do I mean by respectable; well I mean a translation that has stood the test of time and that is respected by a large majority of Bible scholars and Greek/Hebrew linguists. This is NOT a translation, but an interpretation. There is a big difference. This to me is more of a supplemental curiosity rather then a Bible I could actually make reference to.

As it is, there were some parts I found insightful and other parts that were more obviously slanted towards the the "interpreters" view.

If you are new to the bible, read a real translation and formulate your own thoughts before reading the entire thing through another person's interpretation.

[Heather's Mum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe not the most acurate, word for word translation, but oh so easy to just sit and read for inspiration and spirtual nurture. NOT a "study" Bible, but a "reading" text.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is difficult to "review" a book like The Message. For one thing, I know that the experience of reading a religious text is quite different for a believer than for a non-believer. As a Christian, are my thoughts on this restricted to other Christians? Or can I say something about this book that would be meaningful to a non-religious reader?

For another thing, Eugene Peterson's rendering of the Bible in contemporary language is big, diverse, sprawling and complex and took me several years to complete. Because I have read the Bible several times before (in other translations), the experience is different for me than it might be for someone coming to this material for the first time. Imagine revisiting a friend you haven't seen in a while, but they've lost a little weight, changed their hair color and are wearing a new style of clothes. It's a little like that.

All of which is to say, I am not sure I can convey why this book is so great, nor can I readily separate my overall feelings about the Bible from my experience of this version of it. I will share that what I enjoyed most about this rendition - which falls somewhere between straight translation and paraphrase - is how Peterson's language can shake the complacency off of those of us who have been reading the Bible for years. There were any number of times where I found myself re-reading a passage, startled by what it said. Jesus was a very radical figure and I fear that the Christian church has sanitized his message and boxed him in a little too much. The Message forces us to reevaluate what Jesus said and ask whether we really are ready to be Christ-followers.

[Nancy Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This paraphrase of the Bible is arranged to pair a reading from the New Testament w/a section from the Old Testament. Each section is followed by some reflective questions. At times the sections go together, at other times they don't. The chapters do no necessarily follow the sequential order of the "regular" Message by Peterson or the regular order of the books of the Bible.
I have been able to finally read the Bible through this translation, to think about what I am reading, and to relate what I am reading to my life and to current society. In addition, the pairings of Old and New Testament enable me, as a modern-day Christian who has often been impressed by people who throw out quotes from the Bible, to see where those quotes are taken out of context or where laws (such as those related to food restrictions) were later rescinded by Jesus.
This version is set up so a reader following the plan can finish the Bible in a year, two years, or four years. I began in late January. It is now mid-July and I have read from day 1 through day 298. I anticipate completing the Bible within the next month. The modern language and the paraphrase made it possible.
I have missed some of the well known verses (and the verse markings), but I have my standard Bibles for that.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it took me 3 years to the day, but I got through all of The Message. (I eventually bought the Kindle version so I could take it with me on trips, and so I could compile my highlighted passages.) If you're looking to just do a straight read-through of the Bible, I highly recommend this translation. It's not ideal for in-depth study (something Peterson acknowledges upfront), but for getting a better handle on the overall "message" (if you will) of each book of the Bible, it's excellent. Having it translated into everyday language not only makes for a more fluent reading experience, but it also meant my brain didn't keep getting caught on familiar lines and passages, but instead could focus on the meaning behind the words. That was incredibly valuable to me. If I were handing someone a Bible for the first time, I think this is the version I'd want to give them. This is probably the one I will want to read to my kids.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pastor Peterson gets it right more often than he gets it wrong, and anyone who has read his translation of the Holy Scriptures from the original language into contemporary English knows this very well.

There's a lot of controversy around this translation. Most people hold to the notion that it is a paraphrase. The thing about translations is that they are either word for word or thought for thought, and one is better for studying and one is better for reading and we need both. This is a thought for thought translation by an author, professor and pastor with half a century of experience dealing with Greek and Hebrew. Anyone who wants to throw stones at the Message needs to wait until they have put in the time this man has.

My prayer is that true students of the Word will be blessed by reading this, and that we would avoid foolish disputes because they profit nothing.

[Redbird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a translation of the Bible. It’s a paraphrase, which is different. It’s one man’s study (Eugene Peterson) of the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) and putting it into modern day language. The NT was published in 1993. The OT came out in parts, but in its entirety in 2002. What’s interesting about The Message is that for those used to the King James Version (which BTW is not how everybody talked originally), it gives the reader a very different way of thinking about those traditional verses that maybe have become rote over time, akin to the Pledge of Allegiance, for example.

I will read The Message sometimes for variety but I always go back to the English Standard Version, which has the reputation for being the most accurate translation from the original languages to English.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I prefer to treat this as a contemporary commentary on the Bible rather than as a legitimate translation of the Bible, and I take it that is what Eugene Peterson intended it for since he says in his introduction to The Message that it was not intended to replace standard study Bibles, but unfortunately it is not marketed that way at all. It is helpful at times and obscures with goofiness or inappropriate light-heartedness at other times.

[Brian Eshleman]

Uses a vigorous, current language that really grabbed my attention. Not for the Biblical scholar, but if it whets hunger for the Word I believe God can be glorified.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This translation is a offense to God. Eugene Peterson must be delusional to write something like this.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this version of the Bible. Written for his grandson, Eugene Peterson writes this paraphrase in such an easy to understand manner.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will read in 2013. This is one of my go to versions of the Bible in my bible studies

[Tony · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely fiction and extremely slow moving story

[Donna Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting rewrite of the Bible. Pretty good but not my fave