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Psalm 43-45
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 43-45
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 43
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust,
deliver me!(A)
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because of the oppression of the enemy?(B)
3 O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.(C)
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.(D)
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.(E)
Psalm 44
National Lament and Prayer for Help
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Maskil.
1 We have heard with our ears, O God;
our ancestors have told us
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:(F)
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;(G)
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm give them victory,
but your right hand, and your arm,
and the light of your countenance,
for you delighted in them.(H)
4 You are my King and my God;
you command[a] victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down our assailants.(I)
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to confusion those who hate us.(J)
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah(K)
9 Yet you have rejected us and shamed us
and have not gone out with our armies.(L)
10 You made us turn back from the foe,
and our enemies have gotten spoil.(M)
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.(N)
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.(O)
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those around us.(P)
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock[b] among the peoples.(Q)
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face
16 at the words of the taunters and revilers,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.(R)
17 All this has come upon us,
yet we have not forgotten you
or been false to your covenant.(S)
18 Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way,(T)
19 yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals
and covered us with deep darkness.(U)
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a strange god,(V)
21 would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.(W)
22 Because of you we are being killed all day long
and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.(X)
23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Awake, do not cast us off forever!(Y)
24 Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?(Z)
25 For we sink down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.(AA)
26 Rise up, come to our help.
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.(AB)
Psalm 45
Ode for a Royal Wedding
To the leader: according to Lilies. Of the Korahites. A Maskil. A love song.
1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.(AC)
2 You are the most handsome of men;
grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.(AD)
3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,
in your glory and majesty.(AE)
4 In your majesty ride on victoriously
for the cause of truth and to defend[c] the right;
let your right hand teach you dread deeds.(AF)
5 Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.
6 Your throne, O God,[d] endures forever and ever.
Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity;(AG)
7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;(AH)
8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;(AI)
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.(AJ)
10 Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear;
forget your people and your father’s house,(AK)
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him;(AL)
12 Daughter Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
the richest of the people(AM) 13 with all kinds of wealth.
The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;[e](AN)
14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king;
behind her the virgins, her companions, follow.(AO)
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.
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
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.