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Psalm 41-45
American Standard Version
Psalm 41-45
American Standard Version
The psalmist in sickness complains of enemies and false friends.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
41 Blessed is he that considereth [a]the poor:
Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.
2 Jehovah will preserve him, and keep him alive,
And he shall be blessed [b]upon the earth;
And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.
3 Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing:
Thou [c]makest all his bed in his sickness.
4 I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me:
Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
5 Mine enemies speak evil against me, saying,
When will he die, and his name perish?
6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh falsehood;
His heart gathereth iniquity to itself:
When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
7 All that hate me whisper together against me;
Against me do they devise my hurt.
8 [d]An evil disease, say they, [e]cleaveth fast unto him;
And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
Who did eat of my bread,
Hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 But thou, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me, and raise me up,
That I may requite them.
11 By this I know that thou delightest in me,
Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity,
And settest me before thy face for ever.
13 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel,
From everlasting and to everlasting.
Amen, and Amen.
Book II
Thirsting for God in trouble and exile.
For the Chief Musician. Maschil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
So panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they [f]continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
4 These things I remember, and pour out my soul [g]within me,
How I went with the throng, and [h]led them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.
5 Why art thou [i]cast down, O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him
For the help of his countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
Therefore do I remember thee from the land of the Jordan,
And the Hermons, from [j]the hill Mizar.
7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls:
All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8 Yet Jehovah will command his lovingkindness in the day-time;
And in the night his song shall be with me,
Even a prayer unto the God of my life.
9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?
Why go I mourning [k]because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 As with [l]a sword in my bones, mine adversaries reproach me,
While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him,
Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
Prayer for deliverance.
43 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation:
Oh deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength; why hast thou cast me off?
Why go I mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me:
Let them bring me unto thy holy hill,
And to thy tabernacles.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God,
Unto God [n]my exceeding joy;
And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him,
Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
Former deliverances and present troubles.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil.
44 We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
What work thou didst in their days,
In the days of old.
2 Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand;
But them thou didst plant:
Thou didst afflict the peoples;
But them thou didst spread abroad.
3 For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword,
Neither did their own arm save them;
But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance,
Because thou wast favorable unto them.
4 Thou art my King, O God:
Command [o]deliverance for Jacob.
5 Through thee will we push down our adversaries:
Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow,
Neither shall my sword save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our adversaries,
And hast put them to shame that hate us.
8 In God have we made our boast all the day long,
And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. Selah
9 But now thou hast cast us off, and brought us to dishonor,
And goest not forth with our hosts.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary;
And they that hate us take spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast made us like sheep appointed for food,
And hast scattered us among the nations.
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought,
And hast not increased thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makest us a byword among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All the day long is my dishonor before me,
And the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth,
By reason of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee,
Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back,
Neither have our steps declined from thy way,
19 [p]That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals,
And covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God,
Or spread forth our hands to a strange god;
21 Will not God search this out?
For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?
Arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face,
And forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust:
Our body cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Rise up for our help,
And redeem us for thy lovingkindness’ sake.
A song celebrating the king’s marriage.
For the Chief Musician; set to [q]Shoshannim. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil. A Song of loves.
45 My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter;
[r]I speak the things which I have made touching the king:
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 Thou art fairer than the children of men;
Grace is poured [s]into thy lips:
Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one,
Thy glory and thy majesty.
4 And in thy majesty ride on prosperously,
[t]Because of truth and meekness and righteousness:
And [u]thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5 Thine arrows are sharp;
The peoples fall under thee;
They are in the heart of the king’s enemies.
6 [v]Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
7 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness:
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among thy honorable women:
At thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear;
Forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house:
11 So will the king desire thy beauty;
For he is thy lord; and reverence thou him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift;
The rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.
13 The king’s daughter [w]within the palace is all glorious:
Her clothing is inwrought with gold.
14 She shall be led unto the king [x]in broidered work:
The virgins her companions that follow her
Shall be brought unto thee.
15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be led:
They shall enter into the king’s palace.
16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,
Whom thou shalt make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations:
Therefore shall the peoples give thee thanks for ever and ever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 41:1 Or, the weak
- Psalm 41:2 Or, in the land
- Psalm 41:3 Hebrew turnest, or, changest.
- Psalm 41:8 Or, Some wicked thing
- Psalm 41:8 Or, is poured out upon him
- Psalm 42:3 Hebrew all the day.
- Psalm 42:4 Hebrew upon.
- Psalm 42:4 Or, went in procession with them
- Psalm 42:5 Hebrew bowed down.
- Psalm 42:6 Or, the little mountain
- Psalm 42:9 Or, while the enemy oppresseth
- Psalm 42:10 Or, crushing
- Psalm 43:2 Or, while the enemy oppresseth
- Psalm 43:4 Hebrew the gladness of my joy.
- Psalm 44:4 Or, victories
- Psalm 44:19 Or, Though
- Psalm 45:1 That is, Lilies.
- Psalm 45:1 Or, I speak: my work is for a king
- Psalm 45:2 Or, upon
- Psalm 45:4 Or, In behalf of
- Psalm 45:4 Or, let thy right hand teach
- Psalm 45:6 Or, Thy throne is the throne of God etc.
- Psalm 45:13 Or, in the inner part of the palace
- Psalm 45:14 Or, upon
Psalm 41-45
New International Version
Psalm 41-45
New International Version
Psalm 41[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)
2 The Lord protects(D) and preserves them—(E)
they are counted among the blessed in the land—(F)
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(G)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(H)
and restores them from their bed of illness.(I)
4 I said, “Have mercy(J) on me, Lord;
heal(K) me, for I have sinned(L) against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?(M)”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely,(N) while his heart gathers slander;(O)
then he goes out and spreads(P) it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together(Q) against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up(R) from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,(S)
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[b] against me.(T)
10 But may you have mercy(U) on me, Lord;
raise me up,(V) that I may repay(W) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(X)
for my enemy does not triumph over me.(Y)
12 Because of my integrity(Z) you uphold me(AA)
and set me in your presence forever.(AB)
13 Praise(AC) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(AD)
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(AE)
BOOK II
Psalms 42–72
Psalm 42[c][d]
For the director of music. A maskil[e] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer(AF) pants for streams of water,(AG)
so my soul pants(AH) for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts(AI) for God, for the living God.(AJ)
When can I go(AK) and meet with God?
3 My tears(AL) have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(AM)
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:(AN)
how I used to go to the house of God(AO)
under the protection of the Mighty One[f]
with shouts of joy(AP) and praise(AQ)
among the festive throng.(AR)
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?(AS)
Why so disturbed(AT) within me?
Put your hope in God,(AU)
for I will yet praise(AV) him,
my Savior(AW) and my God.(AX)
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember(AY) you
from the land of the Jordan,(AZ)
the heights of Hermon(BA)—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep(BB)
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.(BC)
8 By day the Lord directs his love,(BD)
at night(BE) his song(BF) is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.(BG)
9 I say to God my Rock,(BH)
“Why have you forgotten(BI) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(BJ)
oppressed(BK) by the enemy?”(BL)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(BM)
as my foes taunt(BN) me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(BO)
11 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.(BP)
Psalm 43[g]
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause(BQ)
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(BR) from those who are
deceitful and wicked.(BS)
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected(BT) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(BU)
oppressed by the enemy?(BV)
3 Send me your light(BW) and your faithful care,(BX)
let them lead me;(BY)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(BZ)
to the place where you dwell.(CA)
4 Then I will go(CB) to the altar(CC) of God,
to God, my joy(CD) and my delight.(CE)
I will praise you with the lyre,(CF)
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.(CG)
Psalm 44[h]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[i]
1 We have heard it with our ears,(CH) O God;
our ancestors have told us(CI)
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.(CJ)
2 With your hand you drove out(CK) the nations
and planted(CL) our ancestors;
you crushed(CM) the peoples
and made our ancestors flourish.(CN)
3 It was not by their sword(CO) that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(CP) your arm,(CQ)
and the light(CR) of your face, for you loved(CS) them.
4 You are my King(CT) and my God,(CU)
who decrees[j] victories(CV) for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back(CW) our enemies;
through your name we trample(CX) our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,(CY)
my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory(CZ) over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.(DA)
8 In God we make our boast(DB) all day long,(DC)
and we will praise your name forever.[k](DD)
9 But now you have rejected(DE) and humbled us;(DF)
you no longer go out with our armies.(DG)
10 You made us retreat(DH) before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered(DI) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(DJ)
and have scattered us among the nations.(DK)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(DL)
gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach(DM) to our neighbors,(DN)
the scorn(DO) and derision(DP) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(DQ) among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads(DR) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(DS) all day long,
and my face is covered with shame(DT)
16 at the taunts(DU) of those who reproach and revile(DV) me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(DW)
17 All this came upon us,
though we had not forgotten(DX) you;
we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(DY) back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(DZ) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(EA)
you covered us over with deep darkness.(EB)
20 If we had forgotten(EC) the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(ED)
21 would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?(EE)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep(EF) to be slaughtered.(EG)
23 Awake,(EH) Lord! Why do you sleep?(EI)
Rouse yourself!(EJ) Do not reject us forever.(EK)
24 Why do you hide your face(EL)
and forget(EM) our misery and oppression?(EN)
25 We are brought down to the dust;(EO)
our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(EP) and help us;
rescue(EQ) us because of your unfailing love.(ER)
Psalm 45[l]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[m] A wedding song.(ES)
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,(ET)
since God has blessed you forever.(EU)
3 Gird your sword(EV) on your side, you mighty one;(EW)
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(EX)
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously(EY)
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;(EZ)
let your right hand(FA) achieve awesome deeds.(FB)
5 Let your sharp arrows(FC) pierce the hearts(FD) of the king’s enemies;(FE)
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God,[n] will last for ever and ever;(FF)
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness(FG) and hate wickedness;(FH)
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing(FI) you with the oil of joy.(FJ)
8 All your robes are fragrant(FK) with myrrh(FL) and aloes(FM) and cassia;(FN)
from palaces adorned with ivory(FO)
the music of the strings(FP) makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings(FQ) are among your honored women;
at your right hand(FR) is the royal bride(FS) in gold of Ophir.(FT)
10 Listen, daughter,(FU) and pay careful attention:(FV)
Forget your people(FW) and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;(FX)
honor(FY) him, for he is your lord.(FZ)
12 The city of Tyre(GA) will come with a gift,[o](GB)
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious(GC) is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.(GD)
14 In embroidered garments(GE) she is led to the king;(GF)
her virgin companions(GG) follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,(GH)
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes(GI) throughout the land.
Footnotes
- Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
- Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
- Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
- Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
- Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- 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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