Psalm 45-51
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 45
A Royal Wedding Song
For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.”[a] A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song.
1 My heart is moved by a noble theme
as I recite my verses to the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.(A)
2 You are the most handsome of men;
grace flows from your lips.(B)
Therefore God has blessed you forever.(C)
3 Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side.
In your majesty and splendor(D)—
4 in your splendor ride triumphantly
in the cause of truth, humility, and justice.
May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.(E)
5 Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.(F)
6 Your throne,(G) God, is[b] forever and ever;
the scepter of Your[c] kingdom is a scepter of justice.(H)
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;(I)
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy
more than your companions.
8 Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments;
from ivory palaces harps bring you joy.(J)
9 Kings’ daughters are among your honored women;(K)
the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir,
stands at your right hand.(L)
10 Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider:
forget your people and your father’s house,(M)
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Bow down to him, for he is your lord.(N)
12 The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people,
will seek your favor with gifts.(O)
13 In her chamber, the royal daughter is all glorious,
her clothing embroidered with gold.(P)
14 In colorful garments she is led to the king;
after her, the virgins, her companions, are brought to you.(Q)
15 They are led in with gladness and rejoicing;
they enter the king’s palace.(R)
16 Your sons will succeed your ancestors;
you will make them princes throughout the land.(S)
17 I will cause your name to be remembered for all generations;
therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.(T)
Psalm 46
God Our Refuge
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.[d](U)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.(V)
2 Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,(W)
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.(X)
4 There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.(Y)
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.(Z)
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.(AA)
7 The Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(AB)
8 Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.(AC)
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
He burns up the chariots.[e](AD)
10 “Stop your fighting—and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”(AE)
11 Yahweh of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.(AF)
Psalm 47
God Our King
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples;(AG)
shout to God with a jubilant cry.(AH)
2 For Yahweh, the Most High, is awe-inspiring,
a great King over all the earth.(AI)
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.(AJ)
4 He chooses for us our inheritance—
the pride of Jacob, whom He loves.(AK)
5 God ascends among shouts of joy,
the Lord, among the sound of trumpets.(AL)
6 Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our King, sing praise!(AM)
7 Sing a song of wisdom,[f]
for God is King of all the earth.(AN)
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on His holy throne.(AO)
9 The nobles of the peoples have assembled
with the people of the God of Abraham.(AP)
For the leaders[g] of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.(AQ)
Psalm 48
Zion Exalted
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 The Lord is great and highly praised
in the city of our God.(AR)
His holy mountain, 2 rising splendidly,
is the joy of the whole earth.
Mount Zion on the slopes of the north
is the city of the great King.(AS)
3 God is known as a stronghold
in its citadels.(AT)
4 Look! The kings assembled;
they advanced together.(AU)
5 They looked and froze with fear;
they fled in terror.(AV)
6 Trembling seized them there,
agony like that of a woman in labor,(AW)
7 as You wrecked the ships of Tarshish
with the east wind.(AX)
8 Just as we heard, so we have seen
in the city of Yahweh of Hosts,
in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever.(AY)
9 God, within Your temple,
we contemplate Your faithful love.(AZ)
10 Your name, God, like Your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth;(BA)
Your right hand is filled with justice.(BB)
11 Mount Zion is glad.
The towns[h] of Judah rejoice
because of Your judgments.(BC)
12 Go around Zion, encircle it;
count its towers,
13 note its ramparts; tour its citadels
so that you can tell a future generation:(BD)
14 “This God, our God forever and ever—
He will always lead us.”[i](BE)
Psalm 49
Misplaced Trust in Wealth
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,(BF)
2 both low and high,[j]
rich and poor together.(BG)
3 My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation brings understanding.(BH)
4 I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.(BI)
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.(BJ)
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.(BK)
7 Yet these cannot redeem a person[k]
or pay his ransom to God(BL)—
8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should forever stop trying[l](BM)—
9 so that he may live forever
and not see the Pit.(BN)
10 For one can see that wise men die;
foolish and stupid men also pass away.(BO)
Then they leave their wealth to others.(BP)
11 Their graves are their eternal homes,[m]
their homes from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.(BQ)
12 But despite his assets,[n] man will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.(BR)
13 This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words.[o](BS)
14 Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,(BT)
and their form will waste away in Sheol,[p]
far from their lofty abode.(BU)
15 But God will redeem my life
from the power of Sheol,
for He will take me.(BV)
16 Do not be afraid when a man gets rich,
when the wealth[q] of his house increases.(BW)
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth[r] will not follow him down.(BX)
18 Though he praises himself during his lifetime—
and people praise you when you do well for yourself(BY)—
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers;
they will never see the light.(BZ)
20 A man with valuable possessions[s]
but without understanding
is like the animals that perish.(CA)
Psalm 50
God as Judge
A psalm of Asaph.(CB)
1 Yahweh, the God of gods[t] speaks;
He summons the earth from east to west.[u](CC)
2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God appears in radiance.[v](CD)
3 Our God is coming; He will not be silent!
Devouring fire precedes Him,
and a storm rages around Him.(CE)
4 On high, He summons heaven and earth
in order to judge His people.(CF)
5 “Gather My faithful ones to Me,
those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”(CG)
6 The heavens proclaim His righteousness,(CH)
for God is the Judge.(CI)
7 “Listen, My people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel.
I am God, your God.(CJ)
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or for your burnt offerings,
which are continually before Me.(CK)
9 I will not accept a bull from your household
or male goats from your pens,(CL)
10 for every animal of the forest is Mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird of the mountains,[w]
and the creatures of the field are Mine.(CM)
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and everything in it is Mine.(CN)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?(CO)
14 Sacrifice a thank offering to God,(CP)
and pay your vows to the Most High.(CQ)
15 Call on Me in a day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”(CR)
16 But God says to the wicked:
“What right do you have to recite My statutes
and to take My covenant on your lips?(CS)
17 You hate instruction
and turn your back on My words.[x](CT)
18 When you see a thief,
you make friends with him,
and you associate with adulterers.(CU)
19 You unleash your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue for deceit.(CV)
20 You sit, maligning your brother,
slandering your mother’s son.(CW)
21 You have done these things, and I kept silent;
you thought I was just like you.(CX)
But I will rebuke you
and lay out the case before you.[y](CY)
22 “Understand this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart,
and there will be no one to rescue you.(CZ)
23 Whoever sacrifices a thank offering honors Me,
and whoever orders his conduct,
I will show him the salvation of God.”(DA)
Psalm 51
A Prayer for Restoration
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.(DB)
1 Be gracious to me, God,
according to Your faithful love;
according to Your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.(DC)
2 Wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.(DD)
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.(DE)
4 Against You—You alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in Your sight.(DF)
So You are right when You pass sentence;
You are blameless when You judge.(DG)
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.(DH)
6 Surely You desire integrity in the inner self,
and You teach me wisdom deep within.(DI)
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(DJ)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones You have crushed rejoice.(DK)
9 Turn Your face away[z] from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.(DL)
10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast[aa] spirit within me.(DM)
11 Do not banish me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.(DN)
12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me,
and give me a willing spirit.[ab](DO)
13 Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways,
and sinners will return to You.(DP)
14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God,(DQ)
the God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.(DR)
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare Your praise.(DS)
16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
You are not pleased with a burnt offering.(DT)
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is[ac] a broken spirit.
God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.(DU)
18 In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;
build[ad] the walls of Jerusalem.(DV)
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on Your altar.(DW)
Footnotes
- Psalm 45:1 Possibly a tune; Pss 60; 69; 80
- Psalm 45:6 Or Your divine throne is, or Your throne is God’s
- Psalm 45:6 Or your
- Psalm 46:1 This may refer to a high pitch, perhaps a tune sung by soprano voices; the Hb word means “young women.”
- Psalm 46:9 Lit chariots with fire
- Psalm 47:7 Hb a Maskil
- Psalm 47:9 Lit shields
- Psalm 48:11 Lit daughters
- Psalm 48:14 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read over death
- Psalm 49:2 Lit both sons of Adam and sons of man
- Psalm 49:7 Or Certainly he cannot redeem himself, or Yet he cannot redeem a brother
- Psalm 49:8 Or costly, it will cease forever
- Psalm 49:11 LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads Their inner thought is that their houses are eternal
- Psalm 49:12 Or honor
- Psalm 49:13 Lit and after them with their mouth they were pleased
- Psalm 49:14 Hb obscure
- Psalm 49:16 Or glory
- Psalm 49:17 Or glory
- Psalm 49:20 Or with honor
- Psalm 50:1 Or The Mighty One, God, the Lord, or The God of gods, the Lord
- Psalm 50:1 Lit from the rising of the sun to its setting
- Psalm 50:2 Or God shines forth
- Psalm 50:11 LXX, Syr, Tg read heavens
- Psalm 50:17 Or and cast My words behind you
- Psalm 50:21 Lit out before your eyes
- Psalm 51:9 Lit Hide Your face
- Psalm 51:10 Or right
- Psalm 51:12 Or and sustain me with a noble spirit
- Psalm 51:17 Lit The sacrifices of God are
- Psalm 51:18 Or rebuild
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