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Psalm 11-16
The Message
Psalm 11-16
The Message
11 1-3 I’ve already run for dear life
straight to the arms of God.
So why would I run away now
when you say,
“Run to the mountains; the evil
bows are bent, the wicked arrows
Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness
at every heart open to God.
The bottom’s dropped out of the country;
good people don’t have a chance”?
4-6 But God hasn’t moved to the mountains;
his holy address hasn’t changed.
He’s in charge, as always, his eyes
taking everything in, his eyelids
Unblinking, examining Adam’s flesh and blood
inside and out, not missing a thing.
He tests the good and the bad alike;
if anyone cheats, God’s outraged.
Fail the test and you’re out,
out in a hail of firestones,
Drinking from a canteen
filled with hot desert wind.
7 God’s business is putting things right;
he loves getting the lines straight,
Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall,
we can look him straight in the eye.
12 1-2 Quick, God, I need your helping hand!
The last decent person just went down,
All the friends I depended on gone.
Everyone talks in lie language;
Lies slide off their oily lips.
They doubletalk with forked tongues.
3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull
The braggart tongues from their mouths!
I’m tired of hearing, “We can talk anyone into anything!
Our lips manage the world.”
5 Into the hovels of the poor,
Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:
“I’ve had enough; I’m on my way
To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”
6-8 God’s words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven.
God, keep us safe from their lies,
From the wicked who stalk us with lies,
From the wicked who collect honors
For their wonderful lies.
13 1-2 Long enough, God—
you’ve ignored me long enough.
I’ve looked at the back of your head
long enough. Long enough
I’ve carried this ton of trouble,
lived with a stomach full of pain.
Long enough my arrogant enemies
have looked down their noses at me.
3-4 Take a good look at me, God, my God;
I want to look life in the eye,
So no enemy can get the best of me
or laugh when I fall on my face.
5-6 I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms—
I’m celebrating your rescue.
I’m singing at the top of my lungs,
I’m so full of answered prayers.
14 Bilious and bloated, they gas,
“God is gone.”
Their words are poison gas,
fouling the air; they poison
Rivers and skies;
thistles are their cash crop.
2 God sticks his head out of heaven.
He looks around.
He’s looking for someone not stupid—
one man, even, God-expectant,
just one God-ready woman.
3 He comes up empty. A string
of zeros. Useless, unshepherded
Sheep, taking turns pretending
to be Shepherd.
The ninety and nine
follow their fellow.
4 Don’t they know anything,
all these predators?
Don’t they know
they can’t get away with this—
Treating people like a fast-food meal
over which they’re too busy to pray?
5-6 Night is coming for them, and nightmares,
for God takes the side of victims.
Do you think you can mess
with the dreams of the poor?
You can’t, for God
makes their dreams come true.
7 Is there anyone around to save Israel?
Yes. God is around; God turns life around.
Turned-around Jacob skips rope,
turned-around Israel sings laughter.
15 God, who gets invited
to dinner at your place?
How do we get on your guest list?
2 “Walk straight,
act right,
tell the truth.
3-4 “Don’t hurt your friend,
don’t blame your neighbor;
despise the despicable.
5 “Keep your word even when it costs you,
make an honest living,
never take a bribe.
“You’ll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this.”
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God,
I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around—
what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god.
Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I’m on the right way.
Psalm 11-16
New International Version
Psalm 11-16
New International Version
Psalm 11
For the director of music. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge.(A)
How then can you say to me:
“Flee(B) like a bird to your mountain.(C)
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;(D)
they set their arrows(E) against the strings
to shoot from the shadows(F)
at the upright in heart.(G)
3 When the foundations(H) are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;(I)
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.(J)
He observes everyone on earth;(K)
his eyes examine(L) them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,(M)
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.(N)
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;(O)
a scorching wind(P) will be their lot.
Psalm 12[a]
For the director of music. According to sheminith.[b] A psalm of David.
1 Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;(U)
those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2 Everyone lies(V) to their neighbor;
they flatter with their lips
but harbor deception in their hearts.(W)
3 May the Lord silence all flattering lips(X)
and every boastful tongue—(Y)
4 those who say,
“By our tongues we will prevail;(Z)
our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”
5 “Because the poor are plundered(AA) and the needy groan,(AB)
I will now arise,(AC)” says the Lord.
“I will protect them(AD) from those who malign them.”
6 And the words of the Lord are flawless,(AE)
like silver purified(AF) in a crucible,(AG)
like gold[c] refined seven times.
7 You, Lord, will keep the needy safe(AH)
and will protect us forever from the wicked,(AI)
8 who freely strut(AJ) about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.
Psalm 13[d]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long,(AK) Lord? Will you forget me(AL) forever?
How long will you hide your face(AM) from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts(AN)
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?(AO)
3 Look on me(AP) and answer,(AQ) Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes,(AR) or I will sleep in death,(AS)
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,(AT)”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.(AU)
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;(AV)
my heart rejoices in your salvation.(AW)
6 I will sing(AX) the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 14(AY)
For the director of music. Of David.
1 The fool[e] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”(AZ)
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven(BA)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(BB)
any who seek God.(BC)
3 All have turned away,(BD) all have become corrupt;(BE)
there is no one who does good,(BF)
not even one.(BG)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?(BH)
They devour my people(BI) as though eating bread;
they never call on the Lord.(BJ)
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.(BK)
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!(BL)
When the Lord restores(BM) his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
2 The one whose walk is blameless,(BQ)
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth(BR) from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,(BS)
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors(BT) those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath(BU) even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;(BV)
who does not accept a bribe(BW) against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.(BX)
Psalm 16
A miktam[f] of David.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(CA)
apart from you I have no good thing.”(CB)
3 I say of the holy people(CC) who are in the land,(CD)
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods(CE) will suffer(CF) more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names(CG) on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion(CH) and my cup;(CI)
you make my lot(CJ) secure.
6 The boundary lines(CK) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.(CL)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(CM)
even at night(CN) my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand,(CO) I will not be shaken.(CP)
9 Therefore my heart is glad(CQ) and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,(CR)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(CS)
nor will you let your faithful[g] one(CT) see decay.(CU)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(CV)
you will fill me with joy in your presence,(CW)
with eternal pleasures(CX) at your right hand.(CY)
Footnotes
- Psalm 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-8 is numbered 12:2-9.
- Psalm 12:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 12:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text earth
- Psalm 13:1 In Hebrew texts 13:1-6 is numbered 13:2-6.
- Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.
- Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 16:10 Or holy
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.