Psalm 21

New International Version

Psalm 21^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.^(A)
How great is his joy in the victories you give!^(B)

²You have granted him his heart’s desire^(C)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.^[b]
³You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold^(D) on his head.^(E)
⁴He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.^(F)
⁵Through the victories^(G) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.^(H)
⁶Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy^(I) of your presence.^(J)
⁷For the king trusts in the Lord;^(K)
    through the unfailing love^(L) of the Most High^(M)
    he will not be shaken.^(N)

⁸Your hand will lay hold^(O) on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
⁹When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.^(P)
¹⁰You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.^(Q)
¹¹Though they plot evil^(R) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,^(S) they cannot succeed.
¹²You will make them turn their backs^(T)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³Be exalted^(U) in your strength, Lord;^(V)
we will sing and praise your might.

Footnotes

Psalm 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-13 is numbered 21:2-14.
Psalm 21:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Genesis 48:8-22

New International Version

⁸When Israel^(A) saw the sons of Joseph,^(B) he asked, “Who are these?”

⁹“They are the sons God has given me here,”^(C) Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless^(D) them.”

¹⁰Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see.^(E) So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them^(F) and embraced them.^(G)

¹¹Israel^(H) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,^(I) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”^(J)

¹²Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees^(K) and bowed down with his face to the ground.^(L) ¹³And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand,^(M) and brought them close to him. ¹⁴But Israel^(N) reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head,^(O) though he was the younger,^(P) and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.^(Q)

¹⁵Then he blessed^(R) Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers
    Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully,^(S)
the God who has been my shepherd^(T)
    all my life to this day,
¹⁶the Angel^(U) who has delivered me from all harm^(V)
    —may he bless^(W) these boys.^(X)
May they be called by my name
    and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,^(Y)
and may they increase greatly
    on the earth.”^(Z)

¹⁷When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand^(AA) on Ephraim’s head^(AB) he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”^(AC)

¹⁹But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.^(AD) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,^(AE) and his descendants will become a group of nations.^(AF)” ²⁰He blessed^(AG) them that day^(AH) and said,

“In your^[a] name will Israel^(AI) pronounce this blessing:^(AJ)
‘May God make you like Ephraim^(AK) and Manasseh.^(AL)’”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

²¹Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you^[b]^(AM) and take you^[c] back to the land of your^[d] fathers.^(AN) ²²And to you I give one more ridge of land^[e]^(AO) than to your brothers,^(AP) the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword^(AQ) and my bow.”

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Footnotes

Genesis 48:20 The Hebrew is singular.
Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
Genesis 48:21 The Hebrew is plural.
Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew for ridge of land is identical with the place name Shechem.