43 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

For they got 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 hadst a favour unto them.

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.

13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

15 My confusion is continually 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 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 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

21 Shall 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 counted 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 belly cleaveth unto the earth.

26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

45 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did 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 shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

13 The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.

16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

Psalm 43[a]

Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause(A)
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(B) from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.(C)
You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected(D) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(E)
    oppressed by the enemy?(F)
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)
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.

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]

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)
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)
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.

You are my King(AD) and my God,(AE)
    who decrees[d] victories(AF) for Jacob.
Through you we push back(AG) our enemies;
    through your name we trample(AH) our foes.
I put no trust in my bow,(AI)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory(AJ) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.(AK)
In God we make our boast(AL) all day long,(AM)
    and we will praise your name forever.[e](AN)

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)

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.

You are the most excellent of men
    and your lips have been anointed with grace,(CD)
    since God has blessed you forever.(CE)

Gird your sword(CF) on your side, you mighty one;(CG)
    clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(CH)
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)
Let your sharp arrows(CM) pierce the hearts(CN) of the king’s enemies;(CO)
    let the nations fall beneath your feet.
Your throne, O God,[h] will last for ever and ever;(CP)
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
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)
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.
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.

17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;(DT)
    therefore the nations will praise you(DU) for ever and ever.(DV)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 43:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  2. Psalm 44:1 In Hebrew texts 44:1-26 is numbered 44:2-27.
  3. Psalm 44:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  4. Psalm 44:4 Septuagint, Aquila and Syriac; Hebrew King, O God; / command
  5. Psalm 44:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  6. Psalm 45:1 In Hebrew texts 45:1-17 is numbered 45:2-18.
  7. Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  8. Psalm 45:6 Here the king is addressed as God’s representative.
  9. Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts

27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.

29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:

44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

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The Shipwreck

27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[a] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet[b] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet[c] deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat(A) down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”(B) 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”(C) 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it(D) and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged(E) and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.(F)

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach,(G) where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors,(H) they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.(I)

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life(J) and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:27 In ancient times the name referred to an area extending well south of Italy.
  2. Acts 27:28 Or about 37 meters
  3. Acts 27:28 Or about 27 meters