New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 O God, we have heard it with our own ears— our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago:
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We've been hearing about this, God, all our lives. Our fathers told us the stories their fathers told them,
2 You drove out the pagan nations by your power and gave all the land to our ancestors. You crushed their enemies and set our ancestors free.
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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.
3 They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them.
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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.
4 You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel.
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You're my King, O God - command victories for Jacob!
5 Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes.
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With your help we'll wipe out our enemies, in your name we'll stomp them to dust.
6 I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me.
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I don't trust in weapons; my sword won't save me -
7 You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us.
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But it's you, you who saved us from the enemy; you made those who hate us lose face.
8 O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Interlude
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All day we parade God's praise - we thank you by name over and over.
9 But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle.
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But now you've walked off and left us, you've disgraced us and won't fight for us.
10 You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.
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You made us turn tail and run; those who hate us have cleaned us out.
11 You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations.
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You delivered us as sheep to the butcher, you scattered us to the four winds.
12 You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale.
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You sold your people at a discount - you made nothing on the sale.
13 You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
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You made people on the street, urchins, poke fun and call us names.
14 You have made us the butt of their jokes; they shake their heads at us in scorn.
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You made us a joke among the godless, a cheap joke among the rabble.
15 We can’t escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces.
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Every day I'm up against it, my nose rubbed in my shame -
16 All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies.
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Gossip and ridicule fill the air, people out to get me crowd the street.
17 All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant.
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All this came down on us, and we've done nothing to deserve it.
18 Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.
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our hearts were never false, our feet never left your path.
19 Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death.
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Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals? or lockup in a black hole?
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,
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If we had forgotten to pray to our God or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods,
21 God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart.
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Wouldn't God have figured this out? We can't hide things from him.
22 But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.
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No, you decided to make us martyrs, lambs assigned for sacrifice each day.
23 Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever.
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Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day? Wake up! Don't you care what happens to us?
24 Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?
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Why do you bury your face in the pillow? Why pretend things are just fine with us?
25 We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt.
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And here we are - flat on our faces in the dirt, held down with a boot on our necks.
26 Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love.
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Get up and come to our rescue. If you love us so much, Help us!
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.