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Psalm 43-45
English Standard Version
Psalm 43-45
English Standard Version
Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
43 (A)Vindicate me, O God, and (B)defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from (C)the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
2 For you are (D)the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you (E)rejected me?
Why do I (F)go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 (G)Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your (H)holy hill
and to your (I)dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 (J)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
(K)Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Come to Our Help
To the choirmaster. (L)A Maskil[a] of the Sons of Korah.
44 O God, we have heard with our ears,
(M)our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
(N)in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand (O)drove out the nations,
but (P)them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but (Q)them you set free;
3 for not (R)by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and (S)the light of your face,
(T)for you delighted in them.
4 (U)You are my King, O God;
(V)ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we (W)push down our foes;
through your name we (X)tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in (Y)my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have (Z)put to shame those who hate us.
8 (AA)In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But you have (AB)rejected us and disgraced us
and (AC)have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us (AD)turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like (AE)sheep for slaughter
and have (AF)scattered us among the nations.
12 (AG)You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us (AH)the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and (AI)scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us (AJ)a byword among the nations,
(AK)a laughingstock[b] among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and (AL)shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of (AM)the enemy and the avenger.
17 (AN)All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our (AO)steps (AP)departed from your way;
19 yet you have (AQ)broken us in the place of (AR)jackals
and covered us with (AS)the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or (AT)spread out our hands to (AU)a foreign god,
21 (AV)would not God discover this?
(AW)For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet (AX)for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 (AY)Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! (AZ)Do not reject us forever!
24 Why (BA)do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our (BB)soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; (BC)come to our help!
(BD)Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!
Your Throne, O God, Is Forever
To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil[c] of (BE)the Sons of Korah; a love song.
45 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of (BF)a ready scribe.
2 You are (BG)the most handsome of the sons of men;
(BH)grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 (BI)Gird your (BJ)sword on your thigh, O (BK)mighty one,
in (BL)your splendor and majesty!
4 In your majesty (BM)ride out victoriously
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you (BN)awesome deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king's enemies;
the peoples fall under you.
6 (BO)Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The (BP)scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
7 (BQ)you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore (BR)God, your God, has (BS)anointed you
with the oil of (BT)gladness (BU)beyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with (BV)myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces (BW)stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
(BX)at your right hand stands the queen in (BY)gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
forget your people and your father's house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your (BZ)lord, (CA)bow to him.
12 The people[d] of Tyre will (CB)seek your favor with (CC)gifts,
(CD)the richest of the people.[e]
13 All glorious is (CE)the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
14 (CF)In many-colored robes (CG)she is led to the king,
with her virgin companions following behind her.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
you will make them (CH)princes in all the earth.
17 (CI)I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 44:14 Hebrew a shaking of the head
- Psalm 45:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 45:12 Hebrew daughter
- Psalm 45:12 Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor
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
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.