The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 God, come close. Come quickly! Open your ears - it's my voice you're hearing!
1
O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising; my raised hands are my evening prayers.
2
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
3 Post a guard at my mouth, God, set a watch at the door of my lips.
3
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Don't let me so much as dream of evil or thoughtlessly fall into bad company. And these people who only do wrong - don't let them lure me with their sweet talk!
4
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me, Don't let sin anoint my head. I'm praying hard against their evil ways!
5
Let a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness; let him rebuke me--it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff; make them face the music.
6
When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 Like a rock pulverized by a maul, let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell.
7
As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 But God, dear Lord, I only have eyes for you. Since I've run for dear life to you, take good care of me.
8
But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Protect me from their evil scheming, from all their demonic subterfuge.
9
Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall flat on their faces, while I walk off without a scratch. A David prayer - when he was in the cave.
10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.
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.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.