Any readers of The Message, Bible translation?

TM19782017 · Aug 22, 2019

I never knew this even existed. I haven’t gave it a good look through yet but reading certain verses in different translations can sometimes make it a little bit clearer.

For instance:

Matthew 5:3
KJV
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

MSG
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule”

Thoughts?

Oncefallen · Aug 22, 2019

I hate to tell you, The Message is not a translation, it's a paraphrase. It may make for "easy reading" but like any other paraphrase it is subject to a boat load of deviation from accuracy.

Ahwatukee · Aug 22, 2019

TM19782017 said:

Hello TM19782017,

Looking at a verse of scripture parallel is indeed a good study practice. I have been using an application for many years which allows me to compare the major translations side by side, as well as the definition of Hebrew and Greek words, Lexicons, dictionaries, maps and the Interlinear, just to name a few. Except for very few instances, I find that they all pretty much say the same thing using different translated words, as well as their positioning. Compare below:

"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." (BSB)

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (NLT)

However, "OnceFAllen" is correct in that, the example that you gave above is a paraphrase and doesn't quite capture the true meaning.

JamOn · Aug 22, 2019

Yea doesn’t seem correct, imo poor in spirit doesn’t seem to equate to someone being at their end of rope.

posthuman · Aug 22, 2019

TM19782017 said:

Magenta · Aug 22, 2019

Here’s a list of translations and their suggested reading level:

King James Version (KJV): 12th grade

Revised Standard Version (RSV): 12th grade

New American Standard Bible (NASB): 11th grade

New Revised Standard Version (RNSV): 11th grade

English Standard Version (ESV): 10th grade

New International Version (NIV): 8th grade

Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSV): 8th grade

New King James Version (NKJV): 7th grade

New Living Translation (NLT): 6th grade

God’s Word (GW): 5th grade

The Message (MSG): 5th grade

New Century Version (NCV): 3rd grade

Magenta · Aug 22, 2019

The Lord's Prayer

New International Version

9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.'"

King James Version

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The Message:

9–17

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.

Much has been made of that "as above, so below" line, due to its occultic association

Guojing · Aug 22, 2019

TM19782017 said:

My favorite part of the Message Bible is how they made what Paul is saying about Jesus's obedience on the cross so much more exciting.

In Romans 3, many people love to quote that verse "23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God", and they say that so solemnly but the true meaning of that verse, in the wider context of what Paul was saying, is captured very well in the Message translation.

21-24 But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

When you read that, you go "Praise Jesus!"

JamOn · Aug 22, 2019

I wonder why people have a desire to change the wording of the Bible in a extreme fashions.

posthuman · Aug 22, 2019

JamOn said:

it often doesn't say what people want it to say, and says what people really want it not to say.

Poinsetta · Aug 22, 2019

The Amplified

Everyday Living

Joyce Meyer

(Suits my beard) 😁😁😁😁

calibob · Aug 22, 2019

Magenta said:

Thank you. The binding on my NIV is starting to fail so I'll be shopping for a new one soon. The NIV is easy and pretty good for a fast, accurate, overall panoramic studies. The RSV and ESV are more detail oriented to me. Which will be great too. In my first few years I studied from KJV 1611 but found the dialect slow and cumbersome.

CherieR · Aug 23, 2019

TM19782017 said:

I would recommend the NIV or NLT over the MSG. The NIV and NLT are much closer to the meaning. The MSG is more like one man's thoughts on the bible not true translating. The bible translations such as NIV and NLT, ESV, KJV, NKJV and others had a team working on the bible. With the MSG as far as I can tell, it was not with a team just Eugene Peterson writing it. And when there is only one person writing, he can pretty much write whatever he wants without the accountability you would have with a team working together on the Bible.

calibob · Aug 23, 2019

CherieR said:

I remember when I first started reading the Bible. I didn't know there was a difference between translations and paraphrased versions. The bibles I had been exposed to were only the KJV (1611 version) and a similar Catholic version and I had attempted plodding through them starting in Genesis a few times. I never made it to Exodus.

Some gave me a Good News or Good News for Modern Man New Testament and I was hooked. Sure they were written on a children's comprehension level and when I was more mature in the Lord I started reading a KJV pocket New Testament and started finding inaccuracies and near contradictions between them but for some one who had been taught random single verses from the Catholic missal even the kids versions in context ministered to me more than many years of Catechism and mixed up teachings so let's remember what Isaiah said.

When I was a babe in Christ I needed texts that were easy to read and comprehend. Then as an a step up paraphrase to translations for adolescents was in order on the way to big boy stuff.

The overall message is not to quarrel over fine points of scripture but to deliver the simple message that Jesus saves and we must be born again. I'm not and don't pretend to be a theologist. But I know how to throw a life preserver to someone that's drowning. Isn't that what we are supposed to be doing the most?

CherieR · Aug 23, 2019

calibob said:

I remember when I first started reading the Bible. I didn't know there was a difference between translations and paraphrased versions. The bibles I had been exposed to were only the KJV (1611 version) and a similar Catholic version and I had attempted plodding through them starting in Genesis a few times. I never made it to Exodus.

Some gave me a Good News or Good News for Modern Man New Testament and I was hooked. Sure they were written on a children's comprehension level and when I was more mature in the Lord I started reading a KJV pocket New Testament and started finding inaccuracies and near contradictions between them but for some one who had been taught random single verses from the Catholic missal even the kids versions in context ministered to me more than many years of Catechism and mixed up teachings so let's remember what Isaiah said.
View attachment 203123 When I was a babe in Christ I needed texts that were easy to read and comprehend. Then as an a step up paraphrase to translations for adolescents was in order on the way to big boy stuff.

The overall message is not to quarrel over fine points of scripture but to deliver the simple message that Jesus saves and we must be born again. I'm not and don't pretend to be a theologist. But I know how to throw a life preserver to someone that's drowning. Isn't that what we are supposed to be doing the most?

Yes, I suggested the NIV and NLT because I think they are pretty easy to read. I would not recommend the MSG to anyone though. There are plently other easy to read bibles other than the MSG to choose from.

JamOn · Aug 23, 2019

there’s a bible called “bible in basic English” it uses basic vocabulary of 850 words, I’ve got a copy in ebooks it is simple to read. the idea behind it i think was for people not that knowledgeable with all the English lingo. the new heart English bible is pretty good for standard vocabulary.

JamOn · Aug 23, 2019

The new heart link, there is no copy rights to the Bible and extensive foot notes on translations that’s pretty cool.

https://nheb.net/pdffiles.html

calibob · Aug 23, 2019

CherieR said:

I haven't read it, or heard of it till this string came to my attention.

KJV1611 · Aug 23, 2019

1Pe 1:23 (KJV) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Since were born again by the incorruptible word of God the right words matter.

calibob · Aug 23, 2019

KJV1611 said:

True. However we must understand them. The last time I checked the average reading comprehension level for adults in the USA is only 8th grade and some 12th grade English classes are dummed down to 4th & 5th grades now.

It's like teaching children. The Lord understood this and taught in parabels and not Leviticus.

Any readers of The Message, Bible translation?

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