English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
1
Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, All the friends I depended on gone.
2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
2
Everyone talks in lie language; Lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
3
Slice their lips off their faces! Pull The braggart tongues from their mouths!
4 those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?"
4
I'm tired of hearing, "We can talk anyone into anything! Our lips manage the world."
5 "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the LORD; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs."
5
Into the hovels of the poor, Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: "I've had enough; I'm on my way To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched."
6 The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
6
God's words are pure words, Pure silver words refined seven times In the fires of his word-kiln, Pure on earth as well as in heaven.
7 You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.
7
God, keep us safe from their lies, From the wicked who stalk us with lies,
8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.
8
From the wicked who collect honors For their wonderful lies.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
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.