English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
1
God! Barbarians have broken into your home, violated your holy temple, left Jerusalem a pile of rubble!
2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
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They've served up the corpses of your servants as carrion food for birds of prey, Threw the bones of your holy people out to the wild animals to gnaw on.
3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
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They dumped out their blood like buckets of water. All around Jerusalem, their bodies were left to rot, unburied.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.
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We're nothing but a joke to our neighbors, graffiti scrawled on the city walls.
5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?
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How long do we have to put up with this, God? Do you have it in for us for good? Will your smoldering rage never cool down?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name!
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If you're going to be angry, be angry with the pagans who care nothing about you, or your rival kingdoms who ignore you.
7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.
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They're the ones who ruined Jacob, who wrecked and looted the place where he lived.
8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.
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Don't blame us for the sins of our parents. Hurry up and help us; we're at the end of our rope.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!
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You're famous for helping; God, give us a break. Your reputation is on the line. Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins - do what you're famous for doing!
10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes!
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Don't let the heathen get by with their sneers: "Where's your God? Is he out to lunch?" Go public and show the godless world that they can't kill your servants and get by with it.
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
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Give groaning prisoners a hearing; pardon those on death row from their doom - you can do it!
12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
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Give our jeering neighbors what they've got coming to them; let their God-taunts boomerang and knock them flat.
13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
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Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for, will thank you over and over and over. We'll tell everyone we meet how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are!
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
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.