I know, it is really awful isn't it. So often, it is terrible English, but worst of all he misses the whole point of passages often actually saying the complete opposite of what is meant.
I did a study of one chapter (james 1) for our Adult Sunday School class, and the Message is just beyond poor. In the few cases where I have looked at it, it very frequently misses the point, misinterprets it, gets it down right wrong, and amazingly since it is meant to makes things easy and plain, actually confused me, or was pretty much meaningless.
Here's the text with my comments in square brackets
JAMES 1:1-12 THE MESSAGE
1*I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello! [Tthe Kingdom Come is horrible, and completely absent from the original text - the reference is to a geographical reality - the Dispersion, Kingdom Come is a phrase used of those who have been destroyed in a bomb or something]
2-4*Consider it a sheer gift [poor, sheer? the word in Greek is ‘all’, and likewise the word in the Greek does not mean gift, it is joy or delight - isn’t even good English], friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. [The Greek is nothing to do with the direction of attacks or tests, but the nature, not from many places, but of all kinds] You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.[There is no indication of this phrase at all in the original - not a word of it, it is pure invention - I don’t even think it is a good application] Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5-8*If you don’t know what you’re doing, [poor - the idea is not of knowing what we’re but not understanding what is happening and why.] pray to the Father. He loves to help. [very poor - the word generous is easily understood - God’s willingness to help is not what James is emphasising but how generous his help always is.] You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers”[what on earth does this mean? I thought The Message was meant to make the Bible easier to understand?] are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.[Completely absent in form and sense in the original]
9-11*When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! [This is a terrible case of interpretation instead of translation and a terrible one at that - just awful; down and outers???? get a break?...Cheer? He misses almost every point James is making, for a start the counsel is to the poor man and how he is react not how we are to react to a poor man etc..]Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing. 12*Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. [mighty fortunate? - pure fantasy on the author’s part - neither good theology not translation]
