The Message New Testament: The New Testament in Contemporary Language… (original 2007; udgave 2003)

I started reading with Matthew. I stopped reading when I got to the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13):

Here is a traditional rendering from the Douay-Rheims:

9 Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Here is a modern version from The Living Bible, comparable to The Message:

9 “Pray along these lines: ‘Our Father in heaven, we honor your holy name. 10 We ask that your kingdom will come now. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. 11 Give us our food again today, as usual, 12 and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. 13 Don’t bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. Amen.’

Here is how The Message renders the Lord's Prayer:

With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

I stopped when I saw the phrase, "as above, so below." This is a loaded phrase with lots of meaning for gnostics and neo-pagans. To include this in a place like the Lord's prayer, which could have easily been translated as "as in Heaven, so on Earth," speaks volumes about this translation's lack of value.

This is one of many highly questionable choices made by Peterson. Plenty of others online have pointed out other problems. I am not a fan of modern versions, and I wonder what the real motives of Bible translators are ($$$???), but there are some I feel confident in using and others that have no place in my life. This is one of the latter. ( )

So how does one rate the Bible?!
If you want to read the Bible, I suggest you read it several times. Certainly Peterson's modern paraphrase helps get the ideas across, but it isn't the Bible.
If you want to listen to an audio version (certainly assisted me in getting through that last book, Revelations), try and see if you can't find a different narrator. Doland takes an audible breath nearly every sentence, which I find offensive in a narrator. Good heavens, this isn't charity work! Then too, I found his soft voice irritating.

It is difficult for me (obviously) to separate the book from the teller of the tale. However, I am glad I listened to it. My goal is to read many translations of the Bible...Peterson's is probably an important one to have read...as long as one realizes that it isn't "the word of God." ( )

It's useful in many circumstances, but in general I find the message to be a litlte goofy. ( )