The Message Compact Burgundy Bonded Leather: The Bible in Contemporary Language

This is a small book. You can't tell from the description: you have to go down into the product details, and then get out a ruler to see how small 6.2 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches really is. It is very compact and portable, and the leather has a great feel, but be sure you have good eyes or good reading glasses for the small type, and nimble fingers for separating the thin pages.

As for Peterson's paraphrase, it will not speak to everyone equally. For me, some of his interpretations shed new light, some fall too close to the original to add anything new, and some he went in an opposite direction than I would have. I suspect that we would all feel that way, and that no two of us would agree on which parts fall into which category.

I find _The Message_ most useful when used in parallel with other translations (although I think it is not a translation but a paraphrase). In Lectio Bible study, we do three or four readings of each passage, and the group usually requests that at least one of them be from _The Message_. Whether we agree with Peterson or not, it always adds depth to the conversation.

I fell into the same trap others have posted; I did not realize the pocket size of this edition, nor did I know the print would be so small and that the verses were not numbered. I am dissapointed and am returning the Bible. No fault of Amazon's, just my lack of investigating what the item actually was. Next time I will be sure to read the reviews.

PJA

I ordered 1 for my husband, 2 for my sons, and 1 for a Nepalese friend we met on a flight from Seoul, South Korea (to visit son and daughter-in-law who work in the US Embassy there). Our Nepalese friend attends college in Mobile, AL and is a Buddist. I felt led to give him a copy or this very readable version of the Christian Bible.

I had ordered a copy for myself earlier in the year and received a 9 1/4" x 6" edition. Unfortunately, the next four I ordered came in 6" x 4" size. Perhaps the order gave me a choice of size - I don't recall. Of course, I was very, very disappointed in this purchase!

I appreciate the chance to express my disapointment in my purchase from Amazon. Perhaps my failure to receive what I thought I had ordered will help someone else.

I'm not a Christian, but I love to read religious literature. I've read most of the King James version before, but thinking this would give me a clearer overall representation of the message of the Bible I gave it a go. It's hard to follow the general flow of the Bible when the language is so unfamiliar, so I would recommend this translation to anyone who wishes to get a clearer understanding

I like this edition. Others have criticized it for having type too small to read, but I (60 and bifocaled) didn't have that problem. I like editions small enough to be easily portable, and this is an attractive leather-bound book. I have other Bibles which I use for more formal Bible study (the NRSV, the Jerusalem, etc.), but this one "reads" easily. I enjoy comparing the different versions. If the "Message" version gets kids willing to approach the (often forbidding to younger readers in some of the more formal translations) Bible in the first place, that's great.

The Bible print is very small. (I figured that was a result of the small price.) The Books are numbered, but he verses are not. Example: John 3:13. You have to read the whole Third verse & then guess which one is number 13.

This biblical paraphrase is an excellent resource, along with almost any more traditional bible, when taking part in bible study. The excellent paraphrase found throughout gives added meaning to many passages which might, otherwise, be obscure. The "parallel" format permits easy side-by-side comparison with more traditional translations. Highly recommended!!

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I purchased this Bible specifically for its small size (always check the dimensions before you buy.) It's perfect for travel and more convenient to curl up with in bed or on the couch than my bulkier KeyWord Study Bible (which I also would recommend, but more for in-depth study.) At first I wasn't sure that I liked the translation, until I read the introduction and realized that the author meant it to be a "story" Bible rather than a "study" Bible. It's especially useful in reading to my children, since the language catches their interest and understanding better even than the NIV. I will definitely be purchasing this convenient size for gifts in the future.

I bought it as a gift and the recipient really liked it. For me, the type was too small. I probably didn't read the dimensions of the bible carefully.

The is a contemporary version of the Bible and very easy to read and understand - particularly for someone who is not familar with the Bible. I personal prefer the King James Version of the Bible although some of the language is rather archaic.