The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 My God, don't turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer.
1
<<For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.>> God of my praise, don't remain silent,
2 Liars are pouring out invective on me; Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me,
2
For they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.
3 barking their hate, nipping my heels - and for no reason!
3
They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause.
4 I loved them and now they slander me - yes, me! - and treat my prayer like a crime;
4
In return for my love, they are my adversaries; But I am in prayer.
5 They return my good with evil, they return my love with hate.
5
They have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
6 Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge; dispatch Satan to prosecute him.
6
Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
7 When he's judged, let the verdict be, "Guilty," and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin.
7
When he is judged, let him come forth guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.
8 Give him a short life, and give his job to somebody else.
8
Let his days be few. Let another take his office.
9 Make orphans of his children, dress his wife in widow's weeds;
9
Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.
10 Turn his children into begging street urchins, evicted from their homes - homeless.
10
Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.
11 May the bank foreclose and wipe him out, and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean.
11
Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
12 May there be no one around to help him out, no one willing to give his orphans a break.
12
Let there be none to extend kindness to him, Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.
13 Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name.
13
Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 But erect a memorial to the sin of his father, and make sure his mother's name is there, too -
14
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don't let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Their sins recorded forever before God, but they themselves sunk in oblivion.
15
Let them be before Yahweh continually, That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;
16 That's all he deserves since he was never once kind, hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves.
16
Because he didn't remember to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, The broken in heart, to kill them.
17 Since he loved cursing so much, let curses rain down; Since he had no taste for blessing, let blessings flee far from him.
17
Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn't delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
18 He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes; he drank curses, took his baths in curses.
18
He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, Like oil into his bones.
19 So give him a gift - a costume of curses; he can wear curses every day of the week!
19
Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, For the belt that is always around him.
20 That's what they'll get, those out to get me - an avalanche of just deserts from God.
20
This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, Of those who speak evil against my soul.
21 Oh, God, my Lord, step in; work a miracle for me - you can do it! Get me out of here - your love is so great! -
21
But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord, for your name's sake, Because your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
22 I'm at the end of my rope, my life in ruins.
22
For I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.
23 I'm fading away to nothing, passing away, my youth gone, old before my time.
23
I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off as the locust.
24 I'm weak from hunger and can hardly stand up, my body a rack of skin and bones.
24
My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.
25 I'm a joke in poor taste to those who see me; they take one look and shake their heads.
25
I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, oh help me, God, my God, save me through your wonderful love;
26
Help me, Yahweh, my God. Save me according to your lovingkindness;
27 Then they'll know that your hand is in this, that you, God, have been at work.
27
That they may know that this is your hand; That you, Yahweh, have done it.
28 Let them curse all they want; you do the blessing.
28
They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be put to shame, But your servant shall rejoice.
29 Let them be jeered by the crowd when they stand up, followed by cheers for me, your servant. Dress my accusers in clothes dirty with shame, discarded and humiliating old ragbag clothes.
29
Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 My mouth's full of great praise for God, I'm singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds,
30
I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he's always at hand to take the side of the needy, to rescue a life from the unjust judge.
31
For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul.