Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 God, why have you abandoned us forever? Why does your anger smolder at the sheep of your own pasture?
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You walked off and left us, and never looked back. God, how could you do that? We're your very own sheep; how can you stomp off in anger?
2 Remember your congregation that you took as your own long ago, that you redeemed to be the tribe of your own possession— remember Mount Zion, where you dwell.
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Refresh your memory of us - you bought us a long time ago. Your most precious tribe - you paid a good price for us! Your very own Mount Zion - you actually lived here once!
3 March to the unending ruins, to all that the enemy destroyed in the sanctuary.
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Come and visit the site of disaster, see how they've wrecked the sanctuary.
4 Your enemies roared in your own meeting place; they set up their own signs there!
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While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in, brawling and scrawling graffiti.
5 It looked like axes raised against a thicket of trees.
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They set fire to the porch; axes swinging, they chopped up the woodwork,
6 And then all its carvings they hacked down with hatchet and pick.
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Beat down the doors with sledgehammers, then split them into kindling.
7 They set fire to your sanctuary, burned it to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your name.
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They burned your holy place to the ground, violated the place of worship.
8 They said in their hearts, We'll kill all of them together! They burned all of God's meeting places in the land.
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They said to themselves, "We'll wipe them all out," and burned down all the places of worship.
9 We don't see our own signs anymore. No prophet is left. And none of us know how long it will last.
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There's not a sign or symbol of God in sight, nor anyone to speak in his name, no one who knows what's going on.
10 How long, God, will foes insult you? Are enemies going to abuse your name forever?
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How long, God, will barbarians blaspheme, enemies curse and get by with it?
11 Why do you pull your hand back? Why do you hold your strong hand close to your chest?
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Why don't you do something? How long are you going to sit there with your hands folded in your lap?
12 Yet God has been my king from ancient days— God, who makes salvation happen in the heart of the earth!
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God is my King from the very start; he works salvation in the womb of the earth.
13 You split the sea with your power. You shattered the heads of the sea monsters on the water.
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With one blow you split the sea in two, you made mincemeat of the dragon Tannin.
14 You crushed Leviathan's heads. You gave it to the desert dwellers for food!
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You lopped off the heads of Leviathan, then served them up in a stew for the animals.
15 You split open springs and streams; you made strong-flowing rivers dry right up.
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With your finger you opened up springs and creeks, and dried up the wild floodwaters.
16 The day belongs to you! The night too! You established both the moon and the sun.
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You own the day, you own the night; you put stars and sun in place.
17 You set all the boundaries of the earth in place. Summer and winter? You made them!
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You laid out the four corners of earth, shaped the seasons of summer and winter.
18 So remember this, LORD: how enemies have insulted you, how unbelieving fools have abused your name.
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Mark and remember, God, all the enemy taunts, each idiot desecration.
19 Don't deliver the life of your dove to wild animals! Don't forget the lives of your afflicted people forever!
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Don't throw your lambs to the wolves; after all we've been through, don't forget us.
20 Consider the covenant! Because the land's dark places are full of violence.
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Remember your promises; the city is in darkness, the countryside violent.
21 Don't let the oppressed live in shame. No, let the poor and needy praise your name!
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Don't leave the victims to rot in the street; make them a choir that sings your praises.
22 God, rise up! Make your case! Remember how unbelieving fools insult you all day long.
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On your feet, O God - stand up for yourself! Do you hear what they're saying about you, all the vile obscenities?
23 Don't forget the voices of your enemies, the racket of your adversaries that never quits.
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Don't tune out their malicious filth, the brawling invective that never lets up.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
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.