Psalm 43–45
Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
1 Vindicate ame, O God,
And bplead my cause against an ungodly nation;
Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
cWhy do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 dOh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to eYour holy hill
And to Your 1tabernacle.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.
5 fWhy are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The 2help of my countenance and my God.
Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor
To the Chief Musician. A aContemplation 1Of the Sons of Korah.
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, bOur fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old:
2 cYou drove out the 2nations with Your hand,
But them You planted;
You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.
3 For dthey did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
eBecause You favored them.
4Command victories for Jacob.
5 Through You gwe will push down our enemies;
Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.
6 For hI will not trust in my bow,
Nor shall my sword save me.
7 But You have saved us from our enemies,
And have put to shame those who hated us.
8 iIn God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever.
Selah
9 But jYou have cast us off and put us to shame,
And You do not go out with our armies.
10 You make us kturn back from the enemy,
And those who hate us have taken 5spoil for themselves.
11 lYou have given us up like sheep intended for food,
And have mscattered us among the nations.
12 nYou sell Your people for next to nothing,
And are not enriched by selling them.
13 oYou make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and a derision to those all around us.
14 pYou make us a byword among the nations,
qA shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 My dishonor is continually before me,
And the shame of my face has covered me,
16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
rBecause of the enemy and the avenger.
17 sAll this has come upon us;
But we have not forgotten You,
Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
tNor have our steps departed from Your way;
19 But You have severely broken us in uthe place of jackals,
And covered …
Psalm 49
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my 1dark saying on the harp.
5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 Those who atrust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor bgive to God a ransom for him—
8 For cthe redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9 That he should continue to live eternally,
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 3Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They ecall their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not 4remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the way of those who are ffoolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings.
Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
gThe upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
hAnd their beauty shall be consumed in 5the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God iwill redeem my soul from the power of 6the grave,
For He shall jreceive me.
Selah
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives khe blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see llight. 7
20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
mIs like the beasts that perish.
Psalm 84–85
The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God
To the Chief Musician. aOn 1An Instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 How blovely 2is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
2 cMy soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your dhouse;
They will still be praising You.
Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley eof 3Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with 4pools.
7 They go ffrom strength to strength;
5Each one gappears before God in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob!
Selah
9 hO God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your 6anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather 7be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is ia sun and jshield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
kNo good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
lBlessed is the man who trusts in You!
Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm aOf the Sons of Korah.
1 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have bbrought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin.
Selah
3 You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
4 cRestore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
5 dWill You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
6 Will You not erevive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
And grant us Your salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to 1folly.
9 Surely fHis salvation is near to those who fear Him,
gThat glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together;
hRighteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 iYes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Psalm 87
The Glories of the City of God
A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.
1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 aThe Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 bGlorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God!
Selah
4 “I will make mention of 1Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me;
Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’ ”
5 And of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”
When He cregisters the peoples:
“This one was born there.”
Selah
7 Both the singers and the players on instruments say,
“All my springs are in you.”
Psalm 87 — The New International Version (NIV)
Title Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you,
city of God:
4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her.”
6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples:
“This one was born in Zion.”
7 As they make music they will sing,
“All my fountains are in you.”
Psalm 87 — English Standard Version (ESV)
Title A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.
1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things of you are spoken,
O city of God. Selah
4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will establish her.
6 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”
Psalm 87 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
Title A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.
1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of thee,
O city of God. Selah.
4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me:
Behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia;
This man was born there.
5 And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her:
And the highest himself shall establish her.
6 The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people,
That this man was born there. Selah.
7 As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there:
All my springs are in thee.
Psalm 87 — New Living Translation (NLT)
Title A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.
1 On the holy mountain
stands the city founded by the Lord.
2 He loves the city of Jerusalem
more than any other city in Israel.
3 O city of God,
what glorious things are said of you!
Interlude
4 I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—
also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia.
They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!
5 Regarding Jerusalem it will be said,
“Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.”
And the Most High will personally bless this city.
6 When the Lord registers the nations, he will say,
“They have all become citizens of Jerusalem.”
Interlude
7 The people will play flutes and sing,
“The source of my life springs from Jerusalem!”
Psalm 87 — New Century Version (NCV)
Title A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 The Lord built Jerusalem on the holy mountain.
2 He loves its gates more than any other place in Israel.
3 City of God,
wonderful things are said about you.Selah
4 God says, “I will put Egypt and Babylonia
on the list of nations that know me.
People from Philistia, Tyre, and Cush
will be born there.”
5 They will say about Jerusalem,
“This one and that one were born there.
God Most High will strengthen her.”
6 The Lord will keep a list of the nations.
He will note, “This person was born there.”
Selah
7 They will dance and sing,
“All good things come from Jerusalem.”
Psalm 87 — American Standard Version (ASV)
Title A Psalm of the sons of Korah; a Song.
1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of thee,
O city of God. Selah
4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me:
Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia:
This one was born there.
5 Yea, of Zion it shall be said,
This one and that one was born in her;
And the Most High himself will establish her.
6 Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples,
This one was born there. Selah
7 They that sing as well as they that dance shall say,
All my fountains are in thee.
Psalm 87 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)
Title Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm. A Song.
1 His foundation is in the mountains of holiness. 2 Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more than all the habitations of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon among them that know me; behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: this man was born there. 5 And of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; and the Most High himself shall establish her. 6 Jehovah will count, when he inscribeth the peoples, This man was born there. Selah. 7 As well the singers as the dancers shall say, All my springs are in thee.
Psalm 87 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Title By Korah’s descendants; a psalm; a song.
1 ⸤The city⸥ the Lord has founded ⸤stands⸥ on holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the city of Zion
more than any other place in Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said about you, O city of God!
Selah
4 ⸤The Lord says,⸥ “I will add Egypt and Babylon
as well as Philistia, Tyre, and Sudan
to the list of those who acknowledge me.
Each nation ⸤will claim that it⸥ was born there.”
5 But it will be said of Zion,
“Every race is born in it.
The Most High will make it secure.”
6 The Lord will record this in the Book of Nations:
“Every race ⸤claims that it⸥ was born there.”
Selah
7 Singers and dancers will sing,
“Zion is the source of all our blessings.”
Psalm 87 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Title A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song.
1 His foundation is on the holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said about you,
city of God. Selah
4 “I will mention those who know Me:
Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush—
each one was born there.”
5 And it will be said of Zion,
“This one and that one were born in her.”
The Most High Himself will establish her.
6 When He registers the peoples,
the Lord will record,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers alike will say,
“My whole source of joy is in you.”
Psalm 87 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Title Of the Korahites. A Psalm. A Song.
1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God. Selah
4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—
“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in it”;
for the Most High himself will establish it.
6 The Lord records, as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”
Psalm 87 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)
Title Of the sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1 His foundation is on the holy mountains.
2 Yahweh loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken about you,
O city of God. Selah
4 I will record those who know me
in Rahab and Babylon,
behold in Philistia and Tyre with Cush,
“This one was born there.”
5 But with respect to Zion it shall be said,
“Each one was born in her,”
for the Most High himself will establish her.
6 Yahweh will record in writing the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah
7 And while dancing, singers will sing,
“All my springs are in you.”
Psalm 87 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)
Title A psalm of the Sons of Korah. A song.
1 The Lord has built his city
on the holy mountain.
2 He loves the city of Zion
more than all of the other places
where the people of Jacob live.
3 City of God,
the Lord says glorious things about you. Selah
4 He says, “I will include Egypt and Babylon
in a list of those who recognize me as king.
I will also include Philistia and Tyre, along with Cush.
I will say about them, ‘They were born in Zion.’ ”
5 Certainly it will be said about Zion,
“This nation and that nation were born in her.
The Most High God himself will make her secure.”
6 Here is what the Lord will write in his list of the nations.
“Each of them was born in Zion.” Selah
7 As they make music they will sing,
“Zion, all of our blessings come from you.”
Psalm 87 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)
Title A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God.
Selah.
4 “I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’ ”
5 But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will establish her.
6 The Lord will count when He registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.”
Selah.
7 Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say,
“All my springs of joy are in you.”