New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace!
1 "Remember, God, all we've been through. Study our plight, the black mark we've made in history.
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to aliens.
2 Our precious land has been given to outsiders, our homes to strangers.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows.
3 Orphans we are, not a father in sight, and our mothers no better than widows.
4 We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought.
4 We have to pay to drink our own water. Even our firewood comes at a price.
5 With a yoke on our necks we are hard driven; we are weary, we are given no rest.
5 We're nothing but slaves, bullied and bowed, worn out and without any rest.
6 We have made a pact with Egypt and Assyria, to get enough bread.
6 We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt just to get something to eat.
7 Our ancestors sinned; they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.
7 Our parents sinned and are no more, and now we're paying for the wrongs they did.
8 Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
8 Slaves rule over us; there's no escape from their grip.
9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
9 We risk our lives to gather food in the bandit-infested desert.
10 Our skin is black as an oven from the scorching heat of famine.
10 Our skin has turned black as an oven, dried out like old leather from the famine.
11 Women are raped in Zion, virgins in the towns of Judah.
11 Our wives were raped in the streets in Zion, and our virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders.
12 They hanged our princes by their hands, dishonored our elders.
13 Young men are compelled to grind, and boys stagger under loads of wood.
13 Strapping young men were put to women's work, mere boys forced to do men's work.
14 The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music.
14 The city gate is empty of wise elders. Music from the young is heard no more.
15 The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has been turned to mourning.
15 All the joy is gone from our hearts. Our dances have turned into dirges.
16 The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!
16 The crown of glory has toppled from our head. Woe! Woe! Would that we'd never sinned!
17 Because of this our hearts are sick, because of these things our eyes have grown dim:
17 Because of all this we're heartsick; we can't see through the tears.
18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate; jackals prowl over it.
18 On Mount Zion, wrecked and ruined, jackals pace and prowl.
19 But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations.
19 And yet, God, you're sovereign still, your throne intact and eternal.
20 Why have you forgotten us completely? Why have you forsaken us these many days?
20 So why do you keep forgetting us? Why dump us and leave us like this?
21 Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old—
21 Bring us back to you, God - we're ready to come back. Give us a fresh start.
22 unless you have utterly rejected us, and are angry with us beyond measure.
22 As it is, you've cruelly disowned us. You've been so very angry with us."
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.