New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 O LORD, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage!
1
Take a deep breath, God; calm down - don't be so hasty with your punishing rod.
2 Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me.
2
Your sharp-pointed arrows of rebuke draw blood; my backside smarts from your caning.
3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins.
3
I've lost twenty pounds in two months because of your accusation. My bones are brittle as dry sticks because of my sin.
4 My guilt overwhelms me— it is a burden too heavy to bear.
4
I'm swamped by my bad behavior, collapsed under gunnysacks of guilt.
5 My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.
5
The cuts in my flesh stink and grow maggots because I've lived so badly.
6 I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief.
6
And now I'm flat on my face feeling sorry for myself morning to night.
7 A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken.
7
All my insides are on fire, my body is a wreck.
8 I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.
8
I'm on my last legs; I've had it - my life is a vomit of groans.
9 You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh.
9
Lord, my longings are sitting in plain sight, my groans an old story to you.
10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind.
10
My heart's about to break; I'm a burned-out case. Cataracts blind me to God and good;
11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance.
11
old friends avoid me like the plague. My cousins never visit, my neighbors stab me in the back.
12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery.
12
My competitors blacken my name, devoutly they pray for my ruin.
13 But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
13
But I'm deaf and mute to it all, ears shut, mouth shut.
14 I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply.
14
I don't hear a word they say, don't speak a word in response.
15 For I am waiting for you, O LORD . You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
15
What I do, God, is wait for you, wait for my Lord, my God - you will answer!
16 I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall.”
16
I wait and pray so they won't laugh me off, won't smugly strut off when I stumble.
17 I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain.
17
I'm on the edge of losing it - the pain in my gut keeps burning.
18 But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
18
I'm ready to tell my story of failure, I'm no longer smug in my sin.
19 I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason.
19
My enemies are alive and in action, a lynch mob after my neck.
20 They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good.
20
I give out good and get back evil from God-haters who can't stand a God-lover.
21 Do not abandon me, O LORD . Do not stand at a distance, my God.
21
Don't dump me, God; my God, don't stand me up.
22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.
22
Hurry and help me; I want some wide-open space in my life!
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. 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.