The Message Bible MSG
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 I run to you, God; I run for dear life. Don't let me down! Take me seriously this time!
1
To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. In Thee, O Jehovah, I have trusted, Let me not be ashamed to the age, In Thy righteousness deliver me.
2 Get down on my level and listen, and please - no procrastination! Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff aerie a place of safety.
2
Incline unto me Thine ear hastily, deliver me, Be to me for a strong rock, For a house of bulwarks to save me.
3 You're my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide.
3
For my rock and my bulwark [art] Thou, For Thy name's sake lead me and tend me.
4 Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you.
4
Bring me out from the net that they hid for me, For Thou [art] my strength.
5 I've put my life in your hands. You won't drop me, you'll never let me down.
5
Into Thy hand I commit my spirit, Thou hast redeemed me, Jehovah God of truth.
6 I hate all this silly religion, but you, God, I trust.
6
I have hated the observers of lying vanities, And I toward Jehovah have been confident.
7 I'm leaping and singing in the circle of your love; you saw my pain, you disarmed my tormentors,
7
I rejoice, and am glad in Thy kindness, In that Thou hast seen mine affliction, Thou hast known in adversities my soul.
8 You didn't leave me in their clutches but gave me room to breathe.
8
And Thou hast not shut me up, Into the hand of an enemy, Thou hast caused my feet to stand in a broad place.
9 Be kind to me, God - I'm in deep, deep trouble again. I've cried my eyes out; I feel hollow inside.
9
Favour me, O Jehovah, for distress [is] to me, Mine eye, my soul, and my body Have become old by provocation.
10 My life leaks away, groan by groan; my years fade out in sighs. My troubles have worn me out, turned my bones to powder.
10
For my life hath been consumed in sorrow And my years in sighing. Feeble because of mine iniquity hath been my strength, And my bones have become old.
11 To my enemies I'm a monster; I'm ridiculed by the neighbors. My friends are horrified; they cross the street to avoid me.
11
Among all mine adversaries I have been a reproach, And to my neighbours exceedingly, And a fear to mine acquaintances, Those seeing me without -- fled from me.
12 They want to blot me from memory, forget me like a corpse in a grave, discard me like a broken dish in the trash.
12
I have been forgotten as dead out of mind, I have been as a perishing vessel.
13 The street-talk gossip has me "criminally insane"! Behind locked doors they plot how to ruin me for good.
13
For I have heard an evil account of many, Fear [is] round about. In their being united against me, To take my life they have devised,
14 Desperate, I throw myself on you: you are my God!
14
And I on Thee -- I have trusted, O Jehovah, I have said, `Thou [art] my God.'
15 Hour by hour I place my days in your hand, safe from the hands out to get me.
15
In Thy hand [are] my times, Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from my pursuers.
16 Warm me, your servant, with a smile; save me because you love me.
16
Cause Thy face to shine on Thy servant, Save me in Thy kindness.
17 Don't embarrass me by not showing up; I've given you plenty of notice. Embarrass the wicked, stand them up, leave them stupidly shaking their heads as they drift down to hell.
17
O Jehovah, let me not be ashamed, For I have called Thee, let the wicked be ashamed, Let them become silent to Sheol.
18 Gag those loudmouthed liars who heckle me, your follower, with jeers and catcalls.
18
Let lips of falsehood become dumb, That are speaking against the righteous, Ancient sayings, in pride and contempt.
19 What a stack of blessing you have piled up for those who worship you, Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world.
19
How abundant is Thy goodness, That Thou hast laid up for those fearing Thee,
20 You hide them safely away from the opposition. As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces, you silence the poisonous gossip.
20
Thou hast wrought for those trusting in Thee, Before sons of men. Thou hidest them in the secret place of Thy presence, From artifices of man, Thou concealest them in a tabernacle, From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed God! His love is the wonder of the world.
21
Blessed [is] Jehovah, For He hath made marvellous His kindness To me in a city of bulwarks.
22 I panicked. "Out of sight, out of mind," I said. But you heard me say it, you heard and listened.
22
And I -- I have said in my haste, `I have been cut off from before Thine eyes,' But Thou hast heard the voice of my supplications, In my crying unto Thee.
23 Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone.
23
Love Jehovah, all ye His saints, Jehovah is keeping the faithful, And recompensing abundantly a proud doer.
24 Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon.
24
Be strong, and He strengtheneth your heart, All ye who are waiting for Jehovah!
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.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.