The Message (MSG)

A David Psalm

1 Light, space, zest—

that’sGod!

So, with him on my side I’m fearless,

afraid of no one and nothing.

2 When vandal hordes ride down

ready to eat me alive,

Those bullies and toughs

fall flat on their faces.

3 When besieged,

I’m calm as a baby.

When all hell breaks loose,

I’m collected and cool.

4 I’m askingGodfor one thing,

only one thing:

To live with him in his house

my whole life long.

I’ll contemplate his beauty;

I’ll study at his feet.

5 That’s the only quiet, secure place

in a noisy world,

The perfect getaway,

far from the buzz of traffic.

6 God holds me head and shoulders

above all who try to pull me down.

I’m headed for his place to offer anthems

that will raise the roof!

Already I’m singing God-songs;

I’m making music toGod.

7-9 Listen,God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs:

“Be good to me! Answer me!”

When my heart whispered, “Seek God,”

my whole being replied,

“I’m seeking him!”

Don’t hide from me now!

9-10 You’ve always been right there for me;

don’t turn your back on me now.

Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me;

you’ve always kept the door open.

My father and mother walked out and left me,

butGodtook me in.

11-12 Point me down your highway,God;

direct me along a well-lighted street;

show my enemies whose side you’re on.

Don’t throw me to the dogs,

those liars who are out to get me,

filling the air with their threats.

13-14 I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness

in the exuberant earth.

Stay withGod!

Take heart. Don’t quit.

I’ll say it again:

Stay withGod.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/27-4f9c23e4212e456b8f1b42b3a12abee0.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1 Don’t turn a deaf ear

when I call you,God.

If all I get from you is

deafening silence,

I’d be better off

in the Black Hole.

2 I’m letting you know what I need,

calling out for help

And lifting my arms

toward your inner sanctum.

3-4 Don’t shove me into

the same jail cell with those crooks,

With those who are

full-time employees of evil.

They talk a good line of “peace,”

then moonlight for the Devil.

Pay them back for what they’ve done,

for how bad they’ve been.

Pay them back for their long hours

in the Devil’s workshop;

Then cap it with a huge bonus.

5 Because they have no idea how God works

or what he is up to,

God will smash them to smithereens

and walk away from the ruins.

6-7 Blessed beGod—

he heard me praying.

He proved he’s on my side;

I’ve thrown my lot in with him.

Now I’m jumping for joy,

and shouting and singing my thanks to him.

8-9 Godis all strength for his people,

ample refuge for his chosen leader;

Save your people

and bless your heritage.

Care for them;

carry them like a good shepherd.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/28-ddfc3c6167716d711c336713819e235c.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-2 Bravo,God, bravo!

Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”

In awe before the glory,

in awe before God’s visible power.

Stand at attention!

Dress your best to honor him!

3 Godthunders across the waters,

Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—

God, across the flood waters.

4 God’s thunder tympanic,

God’s thunder symphonic.

5 God’s thunder smashes cedars,

Godtopples the northern cedars.

6 The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,

The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

7-8 God’s thunder spits fire.

Godthunders, the wilderness quakes;

He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

9 God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing

A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.

We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”

10 Above the floodwaters isGod’s throne

from which his power flows,

from which he rules the world.

11 Godmakes his people strong.

Godgives his people peace.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/29-19ea24c3756a413e57be6f0e737b20a2.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1 I give you all the credit,God—

you got me out of that mess,

you didn’t let my foes gloat.

2-3 God, my God, I yelled for help

and you put me together.

God, you pulled me out of the grave,

gave me another chance at life

when I was down-and-out.

4-5 All you saints! Sing your hearts out toGod!

Thank him to his face!

He gets angry once in a while, but across

a lifetime there is only love.

The nights of crying your eyes out

give way to days of laughter.

6-7 When things were going great

I crowed, “I’ve got it made.

I’mGod’s favorite.

He made me king of the mountain.”

Then you looked the other way

and I fell to pieces.

8-10 I called out to you,God;

I laid my case before you:

“Can you sell me for a profit when I’m dead?

auction me off at a cemetery yard sale?

When I’m ‘dust to dust’ my songs

and stories of you won’t sell.

So listen! and be kind!

Help me out of this!”

11-12 You did it: you changed wild lament

into whirling dance;

You ripped off my black mourning band

and decked me with wildflowers.

I’m about to burst with song;

I can’t keep quiet about you.

God, my God,

I can’t thank you enough.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/30-c10e15beec8df949f4912d220b4ebc21.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-2 I run to you,God; I run for dear life.

Don’t let me down!

Take me seriously this time!

Get down on my level and listen,

and please—no procrastination!

Your granite cave a hiding place,

your high cliff aerie a place of safety.

3-5 You’re my cave to hide in,

my cliff to climb.

Be my safe leader,

be my true mountain guide.

Free me from hidden traps;

I want to hide in you.

I’ve put my life in your hands.

You won’t drop me,

you’ll never let me down.

6-13 I hate all this silly religion,

but you,God, I trust.

I’m leaping and singing in the circle of your love;

you saw my pain,

you disarmed my tormentors,

You didn’t leave me in their clutches

but gave me room to breathe.

Be kind to me,God—

I’m in deep, deep trouble again.

I’ve cried my eyes out;

I feel hollow inside.

My life leaks away, groan by groan;

my years fade out in sighs.

My troubles have worn me out,

turned my bones to powder.

To my enemies I’m a monster;

I’m ridiculed by the neighbors.

My friends are horrified;

they cross the street to avoid me.

They want to blot me from memory,

forget me like a corpse in a grave,

discard me like a broken dish in the trash.

The street-talk gossip has me

“criminally insane”!

Behind locked doors they plot

how to ruin me for good.

14-18 Desperate, I throw myself on you:

youare my God!

Hour by hour I place my days in your hand,

safe from the hands out to get me.

Warm me, your servant, with a smile;

save me because you love me.

Don’t embarrass me by not showing up;

I’ve given you plenty of notice.

Embarrass the wicked, stand them up,

leave them stupidly shaking their heads

as they drift down to hell.

Gag those loudmouthed liars

who heckle me, your follower,

with jeers and catcalls.

19-22 What a stack of blessing you have piled up

for those who worship you,

Ready and waiting for all who run to you

to escape an unkind world.

You hide them safely away

from the opposition.

As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces,

you silence the poisonous gossip.

BlessedGod!

His love is the wonder of the world.

Trapped by a siege, I panicked.

“Out of sight, out of mind,” I said.

But you heard me say it,

you heard and listened.

23 LoveGod, all you saints;

Godtakes care of all who stay close to him,

But he pays back in full

those arrogant enough to go it alone.

24 Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up.

ExpectGodto get here soon.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/31-24a0668c1e8bc77f8ef667e7ad5233ba.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1 Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—

you get a fresh start,

your slate’s wiped clean.

2 Count yourself lucky—

Godholds nothing against you

and you’re holding nothing back from him.

3 When I kept it all inside,

my bones turned to powder,

my words became daylong groans.

4 The pressure never let up;

all the juices of my life dried up.

5 Then I let it all out;

I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures toGod.”

Suddenly the pressure was gone—

my guilt dissolved,

my sin disappeared.

6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;

when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts

we’ll be on high ground, untouched.

7 God’s my island hideaway,

keeps danger far from the shore,

throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.

8 Let me give you some good advice;

I’m looking you in the eye

and giving it to you straight:

9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule

that needs bit and bridle

to stay on track.”

10 God-defiers are always in trouble;

God-affirmers find themselves loved

every time they turn around.

11 CelebrateGod.

Sing together—everyone!

All you honest hearts, raise the roof!

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/32-47136c876f90c347e28f9c00be7731d8.mp3?version_id=97—

1-3 Good people, cheerGod!

Right-living people sound best when praising.

Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs!

Play his praise on a grand piano!

Invent your own new song to him;

give him a trumpet fanfare.

4-5 ForGod’s Word is solid to the core;

everything he makes is sound inside and out.

He loves it when everything fits,

when his world is in plumb-line true.

Earth is drenched

inGod’s affectionate satisfaction.

6-7 The skies were made byGod’s command;

he breathed the word and the stars popped out.

He scooped Sea into his jug,

put Ocean in his keg.

8-9 Earth-creatures, bow beforeGod;

world-dwellers—down on your knees!

Here’s why: he spoke and there it was,

in place the moment he said so.

10-12 Godtakes the wind out of Babel pretense,

he shoots down the world’s power-schemes.

God’s plan for the world stands up,

all his designs are made to last.

Blessed is the country withGodfor God;

blessed are the people he’s put in his will.

13-15 From high in the skiesGodlooks around,

he sees all Adam’s brood.

From where he sits

he overlooks all us earth-dwellers.

He has shaped each person in turn;

now he watches everything we do.

16-17 No king succeeds with a big army alone,

no warrior wins by brute strength.

Horsepower is not the answer;

no one gets by on muscle alone.

18-19 Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him,

the ones who are looking for his love.

He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times;

in lean times he keeps body and soul together.

20-22 We’re depending onGod;

he’s everything we need.

What’s more, our hearts brim with joy

since we’ve taken for our own his holy name.

Love us,God, with all you’ve got—

that’s what we’re depending on.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/33-0c68d4d8c31200b71ee576fdeae69b7b.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm, When He Outwitted Abimelech and Got Away

1 I blessGodevery chance I get;

my lungs expand with his praise.

2 I live and breatheGod;

if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

3 Join me in spreading the news;

together let’s get the word out.

4 Godmet me more than halfway,

he freed me from my anxious fears.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.

Never hide your feelings from him.

6 When I was desperate, I called out,

andGodgot me out of a tight spot.

7 God’s angel sets up a circle

of protection around us while we pray.

8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—

how goodGodis.

Blessed are you who run to him.

9 WorshipGodif you want the best;

worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,

butGod-seekers are full of God.

11 Come, children, listen closely;

I’ll give you a lesson inGodworship.

12 Who out there has a lust for life?

Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?

13 Guard your tongue from profanity,

and no more lying through your teeth.

14 Turn your back on sin; do something good.

Embrace peace—don’t let it get away!

15 Godkeeps an eye on his friends,

his ears pick up every moan and groan.

16 Godwon’t put up with rebels;

he’ll cull them from the pack.

17 Is anyone crying for help?Godis listening,

ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll findGodright there;

if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;

still,Godis there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;

not even a finger gets broken.

21 The wicked commit slow suicide;

they waste their lives hating the good.

22 Godpays for each slave’s freedom;

no one who runs to him loses out.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/34-b72007467852a179356778dd0af27cec.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-3 Harass these hecklers,God,

punch these bullies in the nose.

Grab a weapon, anything at hand;

stand up for me!

Get ready to throw the spear, aim the javelin,

at the people who are out to get me.

Reassure me; let me hear you say,

“I’ll save you.”

4-8 When those thugs try to knife me in the back,

make them look foolish.

Frustrate all those

who are plotting my downfall.

Make them like cinders in a high wind,

withGod’s angel working the bellows.

Make their road lightless and mud-slick,

withGod’s angel on their tails.

Out of sheer cussedness they set a trap to catch me;

for no good reason they dug a ditch to stop me.

Surprise them with your ambush—

catch them in the very trap they set,

the disaster they planned for me.

9-10 But let me run loose and free,

celebratingGod’s great work,

Every bone in my body laughing, singing, “God,

there’s no one like you.

You put the down-and-out on their feet

and protect the unprotected from bullies!”

11-12 Hostile accusers appear out of nowhere,

they stand up and badger me.

They pay me back misery for mercy,

leaving my soul empty.

13-14 When they were sick, I dressed in black;

instead of eating, I prayed.

My prayers were like lead in my gut,

like I’d lost my best friend, my brother.

I paced, distraught as a motherless child,

hunched and heavyhearted.

15-16 But when I was down

they threw a party!

All the nameless riffraff of the town came

chanting insults about me.

Like barbarians desecrating a shrine,

they destroyed my reputation.

17-18 God, how long are you going

to stand there doing nothing?

Save me from their brutalities;

everything I’ve got is being thrown to the lions.

I will give you full credit

when everyone gathers for worship;

When the people turn out in force

I will say my Hallelujahs.

19-21 Don’t let these liars, my enemies,

have a party at my expense,

Those who hate me for no reason,

winking and rolling their eyes.

No good is going to come

from that crowd;

They spend all their time cooking up gossip

against those who mind their own business.

They open their mouths

in ugly grins,

Mocking, “Ha-ha, ha-ha, thought you’d get away with it?

We’ve caught you hands down!”

22 Don’t you see what they’re doing,God?

You’re not going to let them

Get by with it, are you? Not going to walk off

withoutdoingsomething, are you?

23-26 Please get up—wake up! Tend to my case.

My God, my Lord—my life is on the line.

Do what you think is right,God, my God,

but don’t make me pay for their good time.

Don’t let them say to themselves,

“Ha-ha, we got what we wanted.”

Don’t let them say,

“We’ve chewed him up and spit him out.”

Let those who are being hilarious

at my expense

Be made to look ridiculous.

Make them wear donkey’s ears;

Pin them with the donkey’s tail,

who made themselves so high and mighty!

27-28 But those who want

the best for me,

Let them have the last word—a glad shout!—

and say, over and over and over,

“Godis great—everything works

together for good for his servant.”

I’ll tell the world how great and good you are,

I’ll shout Hallelujah all day, every day.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/35-4279c9598912495206577f7c9cddc527.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-4 The God-rebel tunes in to sedition—

all ears, eager to sin.

He has no regard for God,

he stands insolent before him.

He has smooth-talked himself

into believing

That his evil

will never be noticed.

Words gutter from his mouth,

dishwater dirty.

Can’t remember when he

did anything decent.

Every time he goes to bed,

he fathers another evil plot.

When he’s loose on the streets,

nobody’s safe.

He plays with fire

and doesn’t care who gets burned.

5-6 God’s love is meteoric,

his loyalty astronomic,

His purpose titanic,

his verdicts oceanic.

Yet in his largeness

nothing gets lost;

Not a man, not a mouse,

slips through the cracks.

7-9 How exquisite your love, O God!

How eager we are to run under your wings,

To eat our fill at the banquet you spread

as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.

You’re a fountain of cascading light,

and you open our eyes to light.

10-12 Keep on loving your friends;

do your work in welcoming hearts.

Don’t let the bullies kick me around,

the moral midgets slap me down.

Send the upstarts sprawling

flat on their faces in the mud.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/36-a0260c73d697d8b1fac1c28ddfddeb9f.mp3?version_id=97—