The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Message Bible MSG
1 For the Leader. On the gittit. By Asaf: Sing for joy to God our strength! Shout to the God of Ya'akov!
1
A song to our strong God! a shout to the God of Jacob!
2 Start the music! Beat the drum! Play the sweet lyre and the lute!
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Anthems from the choir, music from the band, sweet sounds from lute and harp,
3 Sound the shofar at Rosh-Hodesh and at full moon for the pilgrim feast,
3
Trumpets and trombones and horns: it's festival day, a feast to God!
4 because this is a law for Isra'el, a ruling of the God of Ya'akov.
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A day decreed by God, solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob.
5 He placed it as a testimony in Y'hosef when he went out against the land of Egypt. I heard an unfamiliar voice say,
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He commanded Joseph to keep this day so we'd never forget what he did in Egypt. I hear this most gentle whisper from One I never guessed would speak to me:
6 "I lifted the load from his shoulder; his hands were freed from the [laborer's] basket.
6
"I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor.
7 You called out when you were in trouble, and I rescued you; I answered you from the thundercloud; I tested you at the M'rivah Spring [by saying,] (Selah)
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You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place. I answered you from where the thunder hides, I proved you at Meribah Fountain.
8 "'Hear, my people, while I give you warning! Isra'el, if you would only listen to me!
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"Listen, dear ones - get this straight; O Israel, don't take this lightly.
9 There is not to be with you any foreign god; you are not to worship an alien god.
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Don't take up with strange gods, don't worship the latest in gods.
10 I am ADONAI your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will fill it.'
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I'm God, your God, the very God who rescued you from doom in Egypt, Then fed you all you could eat, filled your hungry stomachs.
11 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Isra'el would have none of me.
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"But my people didn't listen, Israel paid no attention;
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to live by their own plans.
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So I let go of the reins and told them, 'Run! Do it your own way!'
13 How I wish my people would listen to me, that Isra'el would live by my ways!
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"Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? Israel, will you follow my map?
14 I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.
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I'll make short work of your enemies, give your foes the back of my hand.
15 Those who hate ADONAI would cringe before him, while [Isra'el's] time would last forever.
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I'll send the God-haters cringing like dogs, never to be heard from again.
16 They would be fed with the finest wheat, and I would satisfy you with honey from the rocks."
16
You'll feast on my fresh-baked bread spread with butter and rock-pure honey."
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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.