The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 Up with God! Down with his enemies! Adversaries, run for the hills!
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God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 Gone like a puff of smoke, like a blob of wax in the fire - one look at God and the wicked vanish.
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As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 When the righteous see God in action they'll laugh, they'll sing, they'll laugh and sing for joy.
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But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him!
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Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him!
5 Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house.
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Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
6 God makes homes for the homeless, leads prisoners to freedom, but leaves rebels to rot in hell.
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God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 God, when you took the lead with your people, when you marched out into the wild,
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O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat; God was on the march. Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move, at the sight of Israel's God.
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the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
9 You pour out rain in buckets, O God; thorn and cactus become an oasis
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Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad; you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 For your people to camp in and enjoy. You set them up in business; they went from rags to riches.
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your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gave the word; thousands called out the good news:
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The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 "Kings of the armies are on the run, on the run!"
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"The kings of the armies--they flee, they flee!" The women at home divide the spoil--
13 While housewives, safe and sound back home, divide up the plunder, the plunder of Canaanite silver and gold.
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though you men lie among the sheepfolds-- the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 On that day that Shaddai scattered the kings, snow fell on Black Mountain.
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When the Almighty scatters kings there, let snow fall on Zalmon.
15 You huge mountains, Bashan mountains, mighty mountains, dragon mountains.
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O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 All you mountains not chosen, sulk now, and feel sorry for yourselves, For this is the mountain God has chosen to live on; he'll rule from this mountain forever.
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Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God, twice ten thousand, and thousands more besides, The Lord in the lead, riding down Sinai - straight to the Holy Place!
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The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You climbed to the High Place, captives in tow, your arms full of booty from rebels, And now you sit there in state, God, sovereign God!
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You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord - day after day he carries us along.
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Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah
20 He's our Savior, our God, oh yes! He's God-for-us, he's God-who-saves-us. Lord God knows all death's ins and outs.
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Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 What's more, he made heads roll, split the skulls of the enemy As he marched out of heaven,
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But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 saying, "I tied up the Dragon in knots, put a muzzle on the Deep Blue Sea."
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The Lord said, "I will bring them back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 You can wade through your enemies' blood, and your dogs taste of your enemies from your boots.
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that you may strike your feet in their blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe."
24 See God on parade to the sanctuary, my God, my King on the march!
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Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary--
25 Singers out front, the band behind, maidens in the middle with castanets.
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the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 The whole choir blesses God. Like a fountain of praise, Israel blesses God.
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"Bless God in the great congregation, the LORD, O you who are of Israel's fountain!"
27 Look - little Benjamin's out front and leading Princes of Judah in their royal robes, princes of Zebulon, princes of Naphtali.
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There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 Parade your power, O God, the power, O God, that made us what we are.
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Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Your temple, High God, is Jerusalem; kings bring gifts to you.
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Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke that old crocodile, Egypt, with her herd of wild bulls and calves, Rapacious in her lust for silver, crushing peoples, spoiling for a fight.
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Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute; scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Let Egyptian traders bring blue cloth and Cush come running to God, her hands outstretched.
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Nobles shall come from Egypt; Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing, O kings of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord!
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O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 There he is: Sky-Rider, striding the ancient skies. Listen - he's calling in thunder, rumbling, rolling thunder.
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to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Call out "Bravo!" to God, the High God of Israel. His splendor and strength rise huge as thunderheads.
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Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies.
35 A terrible beauty, O God, streams from your sanctuary. It's Israel's strong God! He gives power and might to his people! O you, his people - bless God!
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Awesome is God from hissanctuary; the God of Israel--he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
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 English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.