The Message Bible MSG
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 My God! Rescue me from my enemies, defend me from these mutineers.
1
To the Overseer. -- `Destroy not,' by David. -- A secret treasure, in Saul's sending, and they watch the house to put him to death. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God, From my withstanders set me on high.
2 Rescue me from their dirty tricks, save me from their hit men.
2
Deliver me from workers of iniquity, And from men of blood save me.
3 Desperadoes have ganged up on me, they're hiding in ambush for me. I did nothing to deserve this, God,
3
For, lo, they laid wait for my soul, Assembled against me are strong ones, Not my transgression nor my sin, O Jehovah.
4 crossed no one, wronged no one. All the same, they're after me, determined to get me.
4
Without punishment they run and prepare themselves, Stir up to meet me, and see.
5 You're God, God of angel armies, Israel's God! Get on the job and take care of these pagans, don't be soft on these hard cases.
5
And Thou, Jehovah, God of Hosts, God of Israel, Awake to inspect all the nations. Favour not any treacherous dealers of iniquity. Selah.
6 They return when the sun goes down, They howl like coyotes, ringing the city.
6
They turn back at evening, They make a noise like a dog, And go round about the city.
7 Then suddenly they're all at the gate, Snarling invective, drawn daggers in their teeth. They think they'll never get caught.
7
Lo, they belch out with their mouths, Swords [are] in their lips, for `Who heareth?'
8 But you, God, break out laughing; you treat the godless nations like jokes.
8
And Thou, O Jehovah dost laugh at them, Thou dost mock at all the nations.
9 Strong God, I'm watching you do it, I can always count on you.
9
O my Strength, unto Thee I take heed, For God [is] my tower -- the God of my kindness.
10 God in dependable love shows up on time, shows me my enemies in ruin.
10
God doth go before me, He causeth me to look on mine enemies.
11 Don't make quick work of them, God, lest my people forget. Bring them down in slow motion, take them apart piece by piece.
11
Slay them not, lest my people forget, Shake them by Thy strength, And bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 Let all their mean-mouthed arrogance catch up with them, Catch them out and bring them down - every muttered curse - every barefaced lie.
12
The sin of their mouth [is] a word of their lips, And they are captured in their pride, And from the curse and lying they recount.
13 Finish them off in fine style! Finish them off for good! Then all the world will see that God rules well in Jacob, everywhere that God's in charge.
13
Consume in fury, consume and they are not, And they know that God is ruling in Jacob, To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 They return when the sun goes down, They howl like coyotes, ringing the city.
14
And they turn back at evening, They make a noise like a dog, And they go round about the city.
15 They scavenge for bones, And bite the hand that feeds them.
15
They -- they wander for food, If they are not satisfied -- then they murmur.
16 And me? I'm singing your prowess, shouting at cockcrow your largesse, For you've been a safe place for me, a good place to hide.
16
And I -- I sing [of] Thy strength, And I sing at morn [of] Thy kindness, For thou hast been a tower to me, And a refuge for me in a day of adversity.
17 Strong God, I'm watching you do it, I can always count on you - God, my dependable love.
17
O my Strength, unto Thee I sing praise, For God [is] my tower, the God of my kindness!
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.