Psalm 45-47

Common English Bible

Psalm 45

For the music leader. According to “The Lilies.” Of the Korahites. A maskil.^[a] A love song.

45 A marvelous word has stirred my heart
as I mention my works to the king.
My tongue is the pen of a skillful scribe.

²You are the most handsome of men;
    grace has been poured out on your lips.
        No wonder God has blessed you forever!
³Strap on your sword, great warrior,
    with your glory and grandeur.
⁴Go and succeed in your grandeur!
    Ride out on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness!
    Let your strong hand perform awesome deeds.^[b]
⁵Let the peoples fall beneath you.
    May your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies.
⁶Your divine throne is eternal and everlasting.
    Your royal scepter is a scepter of justice.
⁷You love righteousness and hate wickedness.
    No wonder God, your God, has anointed you
    with the oil of joy more than all your companions!
⁸All your clothes have the pleasing scent of myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
    The music of stringed instruments coming from ivory palaces entertains you.
⁹The royal princess is standing in your precious jewels; ^[c]
    the queen stands at your right, dressed in the gold of Ophir.

¹⁰Listen, daughter; pay attention, and listen closely!
    Forget your people and your father’s house.
¹¹Let the king desire your beauty.
    Because he is your master, bow down to him now.
¹²The city of Tyre, the wealthiest of all,
    will seek your favor with gifts, ¹³with riches of every sort
    for the royal princess, dressed in pearls,^[d]
        her robe embroidered with gold.
¹⁴In robes of many colors, she is led to the king.
    Her attendants, the young women servants following her,
    are presented to you as well.
¹⁵As they enter the king’s palace,
    they are led in with celebration and joy.

¹⁶Your sons, great king, will succeed your fathers;^[e]
you will appoint them as princes throughout the land.
¹⁷I will perpetuate your name from one generation to the next
so the peoples will praise you forever and always.

Psalm 46

For the music leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth.^[f] A song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
    a help always near in times of great trouble.
²That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart,
    when the mountains crumble into the center of the sea,
³    when its waters roar and rage,
    when the mountains shake because of its surging waves. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams gladden God’s city,
    the holiest dwelling of the Most High.
⁵God is in that city. It will never crumble.
    God will help it when morning dawns.
⁶Nations roar; kingdoms crumble.
    God utters his voice; the earth melts.
⁷The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
    The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah

⁸Come, see the Lord’s deeds,
    what devastation he has imposed on the earth—
⁹    bringing wars to an end in every corner of the world,
    breaking the bow and shattering the spear,
        burning chariots with fire.

¹⁰“That’s enough! Now know that I am God!
I am exalted among all nations; I am exalted throughout the world!”

¹¹The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah

Psalm 47

For the music leader. A psalm of the Korahites.

47 Clap your hands, all you people!
    Shout joyfully to God with a joyous shout!
²Because the Lord Most High is awesome,
    he is the great king of the whole world.
³He subdues the nations under us,
    subdues all people beneath our feet.
⁴He chooses our inheritance for us:
    the heights of Jacob, which he loves. Selah

⁵God has gone up with a joyous shout—
    the Lord with the blast of the ram’s horn.
⁶Sing praises to God! Sing praises!
    Sing praises to our king! Sing praises
⁷    because God is king of the whole world!
    Sing praises with a song of instruction!^[g]

⁸God is king over the nations.
    God sits on his holy throne.
⁹The leaders of all people are gathered
    with the people of Abraham’s God
    because the earth’s guardians belong to God;
        God is exalted beyond all.

Footnotes

Psalm 45:1 Perhaps instruction
Psalm 45:4 Heb uncertain
Psalm 45:9 Syr; MT royal princess is among your precious ones.
Psalm 45:13 Correction; Heb lacks for; Heb uncertain in 45:12-13.
Psalm 45:16 Heb lacks great king.
Psalm 46:1 Heb uncertain; see the note at Pss 9–10.
Psalm 47:7 Or Sing praises with understanding or wisely (cf LXX, Vulg); Heb maskil; see the note at Ps 32.