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Psalm 43-45
New American Standard Bible
Psalm 43-45
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Help.
43 (A)Vindicate me, God, and (B)plead my case against an ungodly nation;
[a]Save me from (C)the deceitful and unjust person!
2 For You are the (D)God of my strength; why have You (E)rejected me?
Why do I go about (F)mourning [b]because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out Your (G)light and Your truth, they shall lead me;
They shall bring me to Your (H)holy hill
And to Your (I)dwelling places.
4 Then I will go to (J)the altar of God,
To God [c]my exceeding (K)joy;
And I will praise You on the (L)lyre, God, my God.
5 (M)Why are you [d]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will [e]again praise [f]Him
For the [g]help of His presence, my God.
Former Times of Help and Present Troubles.
For the music director. A [h]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
44 God, we have heard with our ears,
Our (N)fathers have told us
The (O)work that You did in their days,
In the (P)days of old.
2 You with Your own hand (Q)drove out the nations;
Then You (R)planted them;
You (S)afflicted the peoples,
Then You (T)let them go free.
3 For by their own sword they (U)did not possess the land,
And their own arm did not save them,
But Your right hand and Your (V)arm and the (W)light of Your presence,
For You (X)favored them.
4 You are (Y)my King, God;
(Z)Command [i]victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we will (AA)push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will (AB)trample down those who rise up against us.
6 For I will (AC)not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.
7 But You (AD)have saved us from our adversaries,
And You have (AE)put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have (AF)boasted all day long,
And we will (AG)give thanks to Your name forever. Selah
9 Yet You (AH)have rejected us and brought us to (AI)dishonor,
And (AJ)do not go out with our armies.
10 You cause us to (AK)turn back from the enemy;
And those who hate us (AL)have taken spoils for themselves.
11 You turn us over [j]to be eaten like (AM)sheep,
And have (AN)scattered us among the nations.
12 You (AO)sell Your people [k]cheaply,
And have not [l]profited by their sale.
13 You make us an object of (AP)reproach to our neighbors,
Of scoffing and (AQ)ridicule to those around us.
14 You make us (AR)a proverb among the nations,
A [m](AS)laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me
And [n]I am covered with my (AT)humiliation,
16 Because of the voice of one who (AU)taunts and reviles,
Because of the presence of the (AV)enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us, but we have (AW)not forgotten You,
And we have not (AX)dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not (AY)turned back,
And our steps (AZ)have not deviated from Your way,
19 Yet You have (BA)crushed us in a place of (BB)jackals
And covered us with [o](BC)deep darkness.
20 If we had (BD)forgotten the name of our God
Or extended our [p]hands to (BE)a strange god,
21 Would God not (BF)find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 But (BG)for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are regarded as (BH)sheep to be slaughtered.
23 (BI)Wake Yourself up, why (BJ)do You sleep, Lord?
Awake, (BK)do not reject us forever.
24 Why do You (BL)hide Your face
And (BM)forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our (BN)souls have sunk down into the dust;
Our bodies cling to the earth.
26 (BO)Rise up, be our help,
And (BP)redeem us because of Your mercy.
A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.
For the music director; according to the [q]Shoshannim. A [r]Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
45 My heart is moved with a good theme;
I [s]address my [t]verses to the [u]King;
My tongue is the pen of (BQ)a ready writer.
2 You are the most handsome of the sons of mankind;
(BR)Grace is poured [v]upon Your lips;
Therefore God has (BS)blessed You forever.
3 Strap (BT)Your sword on Your thigh, [w](BU)Mighty One,
In Your splendor and majesty!
4 And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth, (BV)humility, and righteousness;
Let Your (BW)right hand teach You [x]awesome things.
5 Your (BX)arrows are sharp;
The (BY)peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are (BZ)in the heart of the King’s enemies.
6 (CA)Your throne, God, is forever and ever;
(CB)The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
7 You have (CC)loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has (CD)anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your companions.
8 All Your garments are fragrant with (CE)myrrh, aloes, and cassia;
From ivory palaces (CF)stringed instruments have made You joyful.
9 Kings’ daughters are among (CG)Your noble women;
At Your (CH)right hand stands the queen in (CI)gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, daughter, look and incline your ear:
(CJ)Forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will crave your beauty.
Because He is your (CK)Lord, (CL)bow down to Him.
12 The daughter of (CM)Tyre will come with a gift;
The (CN)wealthy among the people will seek your favor.
13 The King’s daughter is all glorious within;
Her clothing is (CO)interwoven with gold.
14 She will be (CP)brought to the King (CQ)in colorful garments;
The (CR)virgins, her companions who follow her,
Will be brought to You.
15 They will be brought with joy and rejoicing;
They will enter into the King’s palace.
16 In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will make (CS)Your name known among all generations;
Therefore the peoples (CT)will praise You forever and ever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 43:1 Or May You
- Psalm 43:2 Or while the enemy oppresses
- Psalm 43:4 Lit the gladness of my joy
- Psalm 43:5 Or dissolved away
- Psalm 43:5 Or still
- Psalm 43:5 As in some ancient mss; MT Him, the help of my face and my God
- Psalm 43:5 Or saving acts of
- Psalm 44 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
- Psalm 44:4 Lit salvation
- Psalm 44:11 Lit for food
- Psalm 44:12 Lit for no wealth
- Psalm 44:12 Or set a high price on them
- Psalm 44:14 Lit shaking of the head
- Psalm 44:15 Lit the shame of my face has covered me
- Psalm 44:19 Or the shadow of death
- Psalm 44:20 Lit palms
- Psalm 45 Title Or possibly Lilies
- Psalm 45 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Wisdom Psalm
- Psalm 45:1 Lit am saying
- Psalm 45:1 Lit works
- Psalm 45:1 Prob. refers to a Davidic king as a type of Christ
- Psalm 45:2 Or through
- Psalm 45:3 Or Warrior
- Psalm 45:4 Or fearful
Psalm 43-45
New International Version
Psalm 43-45
New International Version
Psalm 43[a]
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause(A)
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(B) from those who are
deceitful and wicked.(C)
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected(D) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(E)
oppressed by the enemy?(F)
3 Send me your light(G) and your faithful care,(H)
let them lead me;(I)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(J)
to the place where you dwell.(K)
4 Then I will go(L) to the altar(M) of God,
to God, my joy(N) and my delight.(O)
I will praise you with the lyre,(P)
O God, my God.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.(Q)
Psalm 44[b]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[c]
1 We have heard it with our ears,(R) O God;
our ancestors have told us(S)
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.(T)
2 With your hand you drove out(U) the nations
and planted(V) our ancestors;
you crushed(W) the peoples
and made our ancestors flourish.(X)
3 It was not by their sword(Y) that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(Z) your arm,(AA)
and the light(AB) of your face, for you loved(AC) them.
4 You are my King(AD) and my God,(AE)
who decrees[d] victories(AF) for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back(AG) our enemies;
through your name we trample(AH) our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,(AI)
my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory(AJ) over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.(AK)
8 In God we make our boast(AL) all day long,(AM)
and we will praise your name forever.[e](AN)
9 But now you have rejected(AO) and humbled us;(AP)
you no longer go out with our armies.(AQ)
10 You made us retreat(AR) before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered(AS) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(AT)
and have scattered us among the nations.(AU)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(AV)
gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach(AW) to our neighbors,(AX)
the scorn(AY) and derision(AZ) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(BA) among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads(BB) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(BC) all day long,
and my face is covered with shame(BD)
16 at the taunts(BE) of those who reproach and revile(BF) me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(BG)
17 All this came upon us,
though we had not forgotten(BH) you;
we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(BI) back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(BJ) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(BK)
you covered us over with deep darkness.(BL)
20 If we had forgotten(BM) the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(BN)
21 would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?(BO)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep(BP) to be slaughtered.(BQ)
23 Awake,(BR) Lord! Why do you sleep?(BS)
Rouse yourself!(BT) Do not reject us forever.(BU)
24 Why do you hide your face(BV)
and forget(BW) our misery and oppression?(BX)
25 We are brought down to the dust;(BY)
our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(BZ) and help us;
rescue(CA) us because of your unfailing love.(CB)
Psalm 45[f]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[g] A wedding song.(CC)
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,(CD)
since God has blessed you forever.(CE)
3 Gird your sword(CF) on your side, you mighty one;(CG)
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(CH)
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously(CI)
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;(CJ)
let your right hand(CK) achieve awesome deeds.(CL)
5 Let your sharp arrows(CM) pierce the hearts(CN) of the king’s enemies;(CO)
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God,[h] will last for ever and ever;(CP)
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness(CQ) and hate wickedness;(CR)
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing(CS) you with the oil of joy.(CT)
8 All your robes are fragrant(CU) with myrrh(CV) and aloes(CW) and cassia;(CX)
from palaces adorned with ivory(CY)
the music of the strings(CZ) makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings(DA) are among your honored women;
at your right hand(DB) is the royal bride(DC) in gold of Ophir.(DD)
10 Listen, daughter,(DE) and pay careful attention:(DF)
Forget your people(DG) and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;(DH)
honor(DI) him, for he is your lord.(DJ)
12 The city of Tyre(DK) will come with a gift,[i](DL)
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious(DM) is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.(DN)
14 In embroidered garments(DO) she is led to the king;(DP)
her virgin companions(DQ) follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,(DR)
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes(DS) throughout the land.
Footnotes
- Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
- Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
- Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 45:1 In Hebrew texts 45:1-17 is numbered 45:2-18.
- Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 45:6 Here the king is addressed as God’s representative.
- Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts
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