The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 <A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah. To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil. Of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation, I have been crying to you for help by day and by night:
1
Lord God, my savior, I cry out all day, and at night I come before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you; give ear to my cry:
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Hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help!
3 For my soul is full of evils, and my life has come near to the underworld.
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So many troubles have fallen on me that I am close to death.
4 I am numbered among those who go down into the earth; I have become like a man for whom there is no help:
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I am like all others who are about to die; all my strength is gone.
5 My soul is among the dead, like those in the underworld, to whom you give no more thought; for they are cut off from your care.
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I am abandoned among the dead; I am like the slain lying in their graves, those you have forgotten completely, who are beyond your help.
6 You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
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You have thrown me into the depths of the tomb, into the darkest and deepest pit.
7 The weight of your wrath is crushing me, all your waves have overcome me. (Selah.)
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Your anger lies heavy on me, and I am crushed beneath its waves.
8 You have sent my friends far away from me; you have made me a disgusting thing in their eyes: I am shut up, and not able to come out.
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You have caused my friends to abandon me; you have made me repulsive to them. I am closed in and cannot escape;
9 My eyes are wasting away because of my trouble: Lord, my cry has gone up to you every day, my hands are stretched out to you.
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my eyes are weak from suffering. Lord, every day I call to you and lift my hands to you in prayer.
10 Will you do works of wonder for the dead? will the shades come back to give you praise? (Selah.)
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Do you perform miracles for the dead? Do they rise up and praise you?
11 Will the story of your mercy be given in the house of the dead? will news of your faith come to the place of destruction?
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Is your constant love spoken of in the grave or your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 May there be knowledge of your wonders in the dark? or of your righteousness where memory is dead?
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Are your miracles seen in that place of darkness or your goodness in the land of the forgotten?
13 But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.
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Lord, I call to you for help; every morning I pray to you.
14 Lord, why have you sent away my soul? why is your face covered from me?
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Why do you reject me, Lord? Why do you turn away from me?
15 I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength.
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Ever since I was young, I have suffered and been near death; I am worn out from the burden of your punishments.
16 The heat of your wrath has gone over me; I am broken by your cruel punishments.
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Your furious anger crushes me; your terrible attacks destroy me.
17 They are round me all the day like water; they have made a circle about me.
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All day long they surround me like a flood; they close in on me from every side.
18 You have sent my friends and lovers far from me; I am gone from the memory of those who are dear to me.
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You have made even my closest friends abandon me, and darkness is my only companion.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.