Psalm 42–72

Book II

Psalm 42¹

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

^*As the deer^a pants for streams of water,^b

so my soul pants^c for you, my God.

My soul thirsts^d for God, for the living God.^e

When can I go^f and meet with God?

My tears^g have been my food

day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”^h

These things I remember

as I pour out my soul:ⁱ

how I used to go to the house of God^j

under the protection of the Mighty One

with shouts of joy^k and praise^l

among the festive throng.^m

Why, my soul, are you downcast?ⁿ

Why so disturbed^o within me?

Put your hope in God,^p

for I will yet praise^q him,

my Savior^r and my God.^s

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember^t you

from the land of the Jordan,^u

the heights of Hermon^v—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep^w

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.^x

By day the Lord directs his love,^y

at night^z his song^a is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.^b

I say to God my Rock,^c

“Why have you forgotten^d me?

Why must I go about mourning,^e

oppressed^f by the enemy?”^g

My bones suffer mortal agony^h

as my foes tauntⁱ me,

saying to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”^j

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.^k

Psalm 43¹

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 joyⁿ 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

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.

^*We have heard it with our ears,^a O God;

our ancestors have told us^b

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.^c

With your hand you drove out^d the nations

and planted^e our ancestors;

you crushed^f the peoples

and made our ancestors flourish.^g

It was not by their sword^h that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand,ⁱ your arm,^j

and the light^k of your face, for you loved^l them.

You are my King^m and my God,ⁿ

who decrees victories^o for Jacob.

Through you we push back^p our enemies;

through your name we trample^q our foes.

I put no trust in my bow,^r

my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory^s over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.^t

In God we make our boast^u all day long,^v

and we will praise your name forever.^w

But now you have rejected^x and humbled us;^y

you no longer go out with our armies.^z

You made us retreat^a before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered^b us.

You gave us up to be devoured like sheep^c

and have scattered us among the nations.^d

You sold your people for a pittance,^e

gaining nothing from their sale.

You have made us a reproach^f to our neighbors,^g

the scorn^h and derisionⁱ of those around us.

You have made us a byword^j among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads^k at us.

I live in disgrace^l all day long,

and my face is covered with shame^m

at the tauntsⁿ of those who reproach and revile^o me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.^p

All this came upon us,

though we had not forgotten^q you;

we had not been false to your covenant.

Our hearts had not turned^r back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

But you crushed^s us and made us a haunt for jackals;^t

you covered us over with deep darkness.^u

If we had forgotten^v the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,^w

would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?^x

Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep^y to be slaughtered.^z

Awake,^a Lord! Why do you sleep?^b

Rouse yourself!^c Do not reject us forever.^d

Why do you hide your face^e

and forget^f our misery and oppression?^g

We are brought down to the dust;^h

our bodies cling to the ground.

Rise upⁱ and help us;

redeem^j us because of your unfailing love.^k

Psalm 45

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.^a

^*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,^b

since God has blessed you forever.^c

Gird your sword^d on your side, you mighty one;^e

clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.^f

In your majesty ride forth victoriously^g

in the cause of truth, humility and justice;^h

let your right handⁱ achieve awesome deeds.^j

Let your sharp arrows^k pierce the hearts^l of the king’s enemies;^m

let the nations fall beneath your feet.

Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;ⁿ

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

You love righteousness^o and hate wickedness;^p

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing^q you with the oil of joy.^r

All your robes are fragrant^s with myrrh^t and aloes^u and cassia;^v

from palaces adorned with ivory^w

the music of the strings^x makes you glad.

Daughters of kings^y are among your honored women;

at your right hand^z is the royal bride^a in gold of Ophir.^b

Listen, daughter,^c and pay careful attention:^d

Forget your people^e and your father’s house.

Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;^f

honor^g him, for he is your lord.^h

The city of Tyreⁱ will come with a gift,^j

people of wealth will seek your favor.

All glorious^k is the princess within her chamber;

her gown is interwoven with gold.^l

In embroidered garments^m she is led to the king;ⁿ

her virgin companions^o follow her—

those brought to be with her.

Led in with joy and gladness,^p

they enter the palace of the king.

Your sons will take the place of your fathers;

you will make them princes^q throughout the land.

I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;^r

therefore the nations will praise you^s for ever and ever.^t

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

^*God is our refuge^a and strength,^b

an ever-present^c help^d in trouble.^e

Therefore we will not fear,^f though the earth give way^g

and the mountains fall^h into the heart of the sea,ⁱ

though its waters roar^j and foam^k

and the mountains quake^l with their surging.

There is a river^m whose streamsⁿ make glad the city of God,^o

the holy place where the Most High^p dwells.^q

God is within her,^r she will not fall;^s

God will help^t her at break of day.

Nations^u are in uproar,^v kingdoms^w fall;

he lifts his voice,^x the earth melts.^y

The Lord Almighty^z is with us;^a

the God of Jacob^b is our fortress.^c

Come and see what the Lord has done,^d

the desolations^e he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars^f cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow^g and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.^h

“Be still, and know that I am God;ⁱ

I will be exalted^j among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob^k is our fortress.^l

Psalm 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

^*Clap your hands,^a all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.^b

For the Lord Most High^c is awesome,^d

the great King^e over all the earth.

He subdued^f nations under us,

peoples under our feet.

He chose our inheritance^g for us,

the pride of Jacob,^h whom he loved.

God has ascendedⁱ amid shouts of joy,^j

the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.^k

Sing praises^l to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;^m

sing to him a psalmⁿ of praise.

God reigns^o over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne.^p

The nobles of the nations assemble

as the people of the God of Abraham,

for the kings of the earth belong to God;^q

he is greatly exalted.^r

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

^*Great is the Lord,^a and most worthy of praise,^b

in the city of our God,^c his holy mountain.^d

Beautiful^e in its loftiness,

the joy of the whole earth,

like the heights of Zaphon^f is Mount Zion,^g

the city of the Great King.^h

God is in her citadels;ⁱ

he has shown himself to be her fortress.^j

When the kings joined forces,

when they advanced together,^k

they saw her and were astounded;

they fled in terror.^l

Trembling seized^m them there,

pain like that of a woman in labor.ⁿ

You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish^o

shattered by an east wind.^p

As we have heard,

so we have seen

in the city of the Lord Almighty,

in the city of our God:

God makes her secure

forever.^q

Within your temple, O God,

we meditate^r on your unfailing love.^s

Like your name,^t O God,

your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;^u

your right hand is filled with righteousness.

Mount Zion rejoices,

the villages of Judah are glad

because of your judgments.^v

Walk about Zion, go around her,

count her towers,^w

consider well her ramparts,^x

view her citadels,^y

that you may tell of them

to the next generation.^z

For this God is our God for ever and ever;

he will be our guide^a even to the end.

Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

^*Hear^a this, all you peoples;^b

listen, all who live in this world,^c

both low and high,^d

rich and poor alike:

My mouth will speak words of wisdom;^e

the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.^f

I will turn my ear to a proverb;^g

with the harp^h I will expound my riddle:ⁱ

Why should I fear^j when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me—

those who trust in their wealth^k

and boast^l of their great riches?^m

No one can redeem the life of another

or give to God a sufficient ransom—

the ransomⁿ for a life is costly,

no payment is ever enough—^o

so that someone should live on^p forever

and not see decay.^q

For all can see that the wise die,^r

that the foolish and the senseless^s also perish,

leaving their wealth^t to others.^u

Their tombs^v will remain their houses forever,

their dwellings for endless generations,^w

though they had named^x lands after themselves.

Human beings, despite their wealth, do not endure;^y

they are like the beasts that perish.^z

This is the fate of those who trust in…