The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 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?
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O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 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!
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Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3 Come and visit the site of disaster, see how they've wrecked the sanctuary.
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Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in, brawling and scrawling graffiti.
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Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
5 They set fire to the porch; axes swinging, they chopped up the woodwork,
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A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6 Beat down the doors with sledgehammers, then split them into kindling.
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But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7 They burned your holy place to the ground, violated the place of worship.
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They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
8 They said to themselves, "We'll wipe them all out," and burned down all the places of worship.
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They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 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.
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We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10 How long, God, will barbarians blaspheme, enemies curse and get by with it?
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O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why don't you do something? How long are you going to sit there with your hands folded in your lap?
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Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
12 God is my King from the very start; he works salvation in the womb of the earth.
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For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 With one blow you split the sea in two, you made mincemeat of the dragon Tannin.
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Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You lopped off the heads of Leviathan, then served them up in a stew for the animals.
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Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 With your finger you opened up springs and creeks, and dried up the wild floodwaters.
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Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
16 You own the day, you own the night; you put stars and sun in place.
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The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 You laid out the four corners of earth, shaped the seasons of summer and winter.
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Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18 Mark and remember, God, all the enemy taunts, each idiot desecration.
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Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19 Don't throw your lambs to the wolves; after all we've been through, don't forget us.
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O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20 Remember your promises; the city is in darkness, the countryside violent.
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Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 Don't leave the victims to rot in the street; make them a choir that sings your praises.
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O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 On your feet, O God - stand up for yourself! Do you hear what they're saying about you, all the vile obscenities?
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Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23 Don't tune out their malicious filth, the brawling invective that never lets up.
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Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.
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 King James Version is in the public domain.