The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 A song to our strong God! a shout to the God of Jacob!
1
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Anthems from the choir, music from the band, sweet sounds from lute and harp,
2
Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Trumpets and trombones and horns: it's festival day, a feast to God!
3
Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 A day decreed by God, solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob.
4
For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 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:
5
This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
6 "I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor.
6
I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.
7 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.
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Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
8 "Listen, dear ones - get this straight; O Israel, don't take this lightly.
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Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 Don't take up with strange gods, don't worship the latest in gods.
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There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 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.
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I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 "But my people didn't listen, Israel paid no attention;
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But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
12 So I let go of the reins and told them, 'Run! Do it your own way!'
12
So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
13 "Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? Israel, will you follow my map?
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Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
14 I'll make short work of your enemies, give your foes the back of my hand.
14
I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
15 I'll send the God-haters cringing like dogs, never to be heard from again.
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The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
16 You'll feast on my fresh-baked bread spread with butter and rock-pure honey."
16
He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
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.