The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 We've been hearing about this, God, all our lives. Our fathers told us the stories their fathers told them,
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We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
2 How single-handedly you weeded out the godless from the fields and planted us, How you sent those people packing but gave us a fresh start.
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How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3 We didn't fight for this land; we didn't work for it - it was a gift! You gave it, smiling as you gave it, delighting as you gave it.
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For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
4 You're my King, O God - command victories for Jacob!
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Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
5 With your help we'll wipe out our enemies, in your name we'll stomp them to dust.
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Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 I don't trust in weapons; my sword won't save me -
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For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 But it's you, you who saved us from the enemy; you made those who hate us lose face.
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But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 All day we parade God's praise - we thank you by name over and over.
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In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9 But now you've walked off and left us, you've disgraced us and won't fight for us.
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But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
10 You made us turn tail and run; those who hate us have cleaned us out.
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Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11 You delivered us as sheep to the butcher, you scattered us to the four winds.
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Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12 You sold your people at a discount - you made nothing on the sale.
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Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13 You made people on the street, urchins, poke fun and call us names.
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Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 You made us a joke among the godless, a cheap joke among the rabble.
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Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15 Every day I'm up against it, my nose rubbed in my shame -
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My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 Gossip and ridicule fill the air, people out to get me crowd the street.
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For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17 All this came down on us, and we've done nothing to deserve it.
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All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 our hearts were never false, our feet never left your path.
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Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19 Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals? or lockup in a black hole?
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Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten to pray to our God or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods,
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If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21 Wouldn't God have figured this out? We can't hide things from him.
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Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 No, you decided to make us martyrs, lambs assigned for sacrifice each day.
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Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day? Wake up! Don't you care what happens to us?
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Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Why do you bury your face in the pillow? Why pretend things are just fine with us?
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Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 And here we are - flat on our faces in the dirt, held down with a boot on our necks.
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For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Get up and come to our rescue. If you love us so much, Help us!
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Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.
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 King James Version is in the public domain.