The Message Bible MSG
Young's Literal Translation YLT
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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To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. An Instruction. O God, with our ears we have heard, Our fathers have recounted to us, The work Thou didst work in their days, In the days 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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Thou, [with] Thy hand, nations hast dispossessed. And Thou dost plant them. Thou afflictest peoples, and sendest them away.
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, not by their sword Possessed they the land, And their arm gave not salvation to them, But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, And the light of Thy countenance, Because Thou hadst accepted them.
4 You're my King, O God - command victories for Jacob!
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Thou [art] He, my king, O God, Command the deliverances of Jacob.
5 With your help we'll wipe out our enemies, in your name we'll stomp them to dust.
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By Thee our adversaries we do push, By Thy name tread down our withstanders,
6 I don't trust in weapons; my sword won't save me -
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For, not in my bow do I trust, And my sword doth not 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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For Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And those hating us Thou hast put to shame.
8 All day we parade God's praise - we thank you by name over and over.
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In God we have boasted all the day, And Thy name to the age we thank. 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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In anger Thou hast cast off and causest us to blush, And goest not forth with our hosts.
10 You made us turn tail and run; those who hate us have cleaned us out.
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Thou causest us to turn backward from an adversary, And those hating us, Have spoiled for themselves.
11 You delivered us as sheep to the butcher, you scattered us to the four winds.
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Thou makest us food like sheep, And among nations Thou hast scattered us.
12 You sold your people at a discount - you made nothing on the sale.
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Thou sellest Thy people -- without wealth, And hast not become great 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 reproach to our surrounders.
14 You made us a joke among the godless, a cheap joke among the rabble.
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Thou makest us a simile among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples.
15 Every day I'm up against it, my nose rubbed in my shame -
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All the day my confusion [is] 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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Because of the voice of a reproacher and reviler, Because of an enemy and a self-avenger.
17 All this came down on us, and we've done nothing to deserve it.
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All this met us, and we did not forget Thee, Nor have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant.
18 our hearts were never false, our feet never left your path.
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We turn not backward our heart, Nor turn aside doth our step from Thy path.
19 Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals? or lockup in a black hole?
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But Thou hast smitten us in a place of dragons, And dost cover us over with death-shade.
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, And spread 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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Doth not God search out this? 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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Surely, for Thy sake we have been slain all the day, Reckoned as sheep of 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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Stir up -- why dost Thou sleep, O Lord? Awake, 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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Why Thy face hidest Thou? Thou forgettest our afflictions 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 bowed to the dust hath our soul, Cleaved to the earth hath our belly.
26 Get up and come to our rescue. If you love us so much, Help us!
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Arise, a help to us, And ransom us for thy kindness' 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.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.