The Message Bible: Complete Bible MP3 CD – Unabridged, October 10, 2008

My wife asked for this audio Bible for Christmas, so I indulged her even though I had some doubts about the format (I thought an audible version that would load more easily onto an MP3 player would be better). I was completely wrong. I love the format - each track is a different chapter, so it's easy to find your place. The mp3 CD format makes it easy for us to listen to it in the car through our CD player, and also easy to sync to our phones for a more mobile experience.The reader is fantastic, a perfect choice for this casual paraphrase version of the Bible. His speed of reading is spot on - allowing you to listen to a good portion of the Word on, say, an hour long commute to work in the morning, while still being understandable. He gives a good interpretation of the emotion of the text without being melodramatic. I much prefer this to some of the more 'high brow' readings I've heard in the past, or even the full cast versions that I enjoyed somewhat.I don't feel that it is necessary to spend a lot of time discussing the merits of this version, since that has been done at length in other places. Suffice it to say that I find this version highly enjoyable purely as a reading version of the Bible. When I'm doing serious study, I use other versions that are more literal in their translation. However, listening to this version has opened up a level of enjoyment in the pure story of the text that I haven't felt since I was a child. Precisely because the words are different than what I'm used to, I'm forced to listen more closely, and my interest is kept by the humor and tenderness that Peterson tried to convey from the original text.The only problem I had with this product at all is that the CDs are not divided into folders by book, which would make it even easier to find your place in the text. Also, the CD player in my car won't go past 128 tracks, but will read folders if they are present.I highly recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a fun and enjoyable way to rediscover the story of the Bible.

Overall, the reason I got this audio CD/bible is because I heard a sample of the narrator and I was hooked. That part remains the best part about this product.What I dont like is the fact that this audio bible attempts to be 'hip' and modern by using modern day euphemisms and slang (e.g. 'lock, stock and barrel' - to attempt to mean 'in its entirety')An exerpt from: [...]"Since it professes to be in contemporary language, The Message abounds in modern expressions: "stuck up" (Pro. 30:13), "clean house" (1 Pet. 2:1), "get lost" (Gen. 19:9), "moonlighting" (1 Thes. 2:10), "said our piece" (1 Thes. 2:2), "slept with" (Gen. 4:1), "have sex with" (Lev. 18:6), "hanging out" (Pro. 7:12), "lock, stock, and barrel" (Mat. 4:9), "sponging" (1 Thes. 4:12), and "six feet under" (Isa. 38:18). Although such language is to be expected from a Bible that makes such a profession, the result is a Bible that does not read like a Bible at all..."It fails because many of the modern day equivalent slang are just way too corny, outdated and mess up the meaning and original intended translation.The author also strips many of the stories of their 'ludeness' and actual events by making the stories acceptable for a PG-13 audience. Such examples are:1) (Genesis 19: 1) The story about how 2 angels stay the night with Lot and the men of Sodom come to the house and demand the men come out so they can have 'relations' with them. The Message bible literally says, "give us the men so we can have 'our sport' with them". What?!? That is a terrible translation and does not reveal the true intent of what the village men really wanted.2) When Moses came back down from Mt Sinai after receiving the law, the Israelites were engaging in 'group relations' aka o.r.g.y.The Message Bible translates it as "they were having a 'very' wild party". Really? I would not have known the true nature of what really happened if I had not read the correct translation.Overall, I am very disapointed because the bible has finally made its way into the modern era of political correctness and has been stripped in many places of its true message. This product should NOT be called 'The Message'BTW, the narrator is the best Ive heard so far, I wish he would narrate a NASB version or something comparable. I would buy that product for sure.

Love this version! Only 4 CD's and it has both OT and NT. Great narrator. I bought two more for my parents. Works great in my car. I also copied a back-up to my computer just in case they get scratched and I love that every track is well marked so I can see it easily on my car CD player and also in iTunes. I love this version, and I also love the intros to each chapter and the intros to this version in the beginning. The intros have some music, but it's not a dramatic reading with different voices for different people or acted out like some version are, which I appreciate. It doesn't have annoying sound effects. The chapters are read by a man with a nice clear voice in a nice speed. Some of the intros are read by the author, although most chapter intros are read by a woman. It's a nice variety and allows you to tell quickly what is being read. Each track is a chapter, so they range from less than one minute (many of the Psalms) to about 15 minutes (for Psalm 119 for example.)Edit: My Toyota Sienna will only play the first 255 tracks of each CD. I had to burn the CDs to my computer and then transfer them to a memory stick in folders of less than 255 tracks to be able to listen to the entire Bible in my car.

I listen to a little bit every day and came to the book of Samuel. It only has a few chapters of first Samuel and Samuel II is completely missing. What other books are Missing? Not impressed!!!Darlene Simpson

Works on a dvd player but unfortunately doesn't work on my cd player, which I was hoping to use. So just be careful if you have specific plans for this purchase.

SO GOOD!

I purchased this for my husband whose time is limited. Now he can relax and listen at the same time. It is very easy to understand and I would definitely recommend this to family and friends.

Amazing narration, and what a price!