Psalms 43; Psalms 44; Psalms 45; Psalms 49; Psalms 84; Psalms 85; Psalms 87

1 Judge me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation. Rescue me from deceitful and unjust people.

2 You are my fortress, O God! Why have you rejected me? Why must I walk around in mourning while the enemy oppresses me?

3 Send your light and your truth. Let them guide me. Let them bring me to your holy mountain and to your dwelling place.

4 Then let me go to the altar of God, to God my [highest] joy, and I will give thanks to you on the lyre, O God, my God.

5 Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God, because I will still praise him. He is my savior and my God.

1 O God, we have heard it with our own ears. Our ancestors have told us about the miracle you performed in their day, in days long ago.

2 By your power you forced nations [out of the land], but you planted our ancestors [there]. You shattered many groups of people, but you set our ancestors free.

3 It was not with their swords that they took possession of the land. They did not gain victory with their own strength. It was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your presence [that did it], because you were pleased with them.

4 You alone are my king, O God. You won those victories for Jacob.

5 With you we can walk over our enemies. With your name we can trample those who attack us.

6 I do not rely on my bow, and my sword will never save me.

7 But you saved us from our enemies. You put to shame those who hate us.

8 All day long we praise our God. We give thanks to you forever. Selah

9 But now you have rejected and disgraced us. You do not even go along with our armies.

10 You make us retreat from the enemy. Those who hate us rob us at will.

11 You hand us over to be butchered like sheep and scatter us among the nations.

12 You sell your people for almost nothing, and at that price you have gained nothing.

13 You made us a disgrace to our neighbors and an object of ridicule and contempt to those around us.

14 You made our [defeat] a proverb among the nations so that people shake their heads at us.

15 All day long my disgrace is in front of me. Shame covers my face

16 because of the words of those who insult and slander us, because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.

17 Although all of this happened to us, we never forgot you. We never ignored your promise.

18 Our hearts never turned away. Our feet never left your path.

19 Yet, you crushed us in a place for jackals and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we forgot the name of our God or stretched out our hands to pray to another god,

21 wouldn't God find out, since he knows the secrets in our hearts?

22 Indeed, we are being killed all day long because of you. We are thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.

23 Wake up! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Awake! Do not reject us forever!

24 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our suffering and misery?

25 Our souls are bowing in the dust. Our bodies cling to the ground.

26 Arise! Help us! Rescue us because of your mercy!

1 My heart is overflowing with good news. I will direct my song to the king. My tongue is a pen for a skillful writer.

2 You are the most handsome of Adam's descendants. Grace is poured on your lips. That is why God has blessed you forever.

3 O warrior, strap your sword to your side with your splendor and majesty.

4 Ride on victoriously in your majesty for the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your right hand teach you awe-inspiring things.

5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies. Nations fall beneath you.

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice.

7 You have loved what is right and hated what is wrong. That is why God, your God, has anointed you, rather than your companions, with the oil of joy.

8 All your robes are [fragrant] with myrrh, aloes, and cassia. From ivory palaces the music of stringed instruments delights you.

9 The daughters of kings are among your noble ladies. The queen takes her place at your right hand and wears gold from Ophir.

10 Listen, daughter! Look closely! Turn your ear [toward me]. Forget your people, and forget your father's house.

11 The king longs for your beauty. He is your Lord. Worship him.

12 The people of Tyre, the richest people, want to win your favor with a gift.

13 The daughter of the king is glorious inside [the palace]. Her dress is embroidered with gold.

14 Wearing a colorful gown, she is brought to the king. Her bridesmaids follow her. They will be brought to you.

15 With joy and delight they are brought in. They enter the palace of the king.

16 Your sons will take the place of your father. You will make them princes over the whole earth.

17 I will cause your name to be remembered throughout every generation. That is why the nations will give thanks to you forever and ever.

1 Listen to this, all you people. Open your ears, all who live in the world--

2 common people and important ones, rich people and poor ones.

3 My mouth will speak wise sayings, the insights I have carefully considered.

4 I will turn my attention to a proverb. I will explain my riddle with the [music of] a lyre.

5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when slanderers surround me with evil?

6 They trust their riches and brag about their abundant wealth.

7 No one can ever buy back another person or pay God a ransom for his life.

8 The price to be paid for his soul is too costly. He must always give up

9 in order to live forever and never see the pit.

10 Indeed, one can see that wise people die, that foolish and stupid people meet the same end. They leave their riches to others.

11 Although they named their lands after themselves, their graves have become their homes for ages to come, their dwelling places throughout every generation.

12 But mortals will not continue here with what they treasure. They are like animals that die.

13 This is the final outcome for fools and their followers who are delighted by what they say: Selah

14 Like sheep, they are driven to hell with death as their shepherd. (Decent people will rule them in the morning.) Their forms will decay in the grave, far away from their comfortable homes.

15 But God will buy me back from the power of hell because he will take me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when someone becomes rich, when the greatness of his house increases.

17 He will not take anything with him when he dies. His greatness cannot follow him.

18 Even though he blesses himself while he is alive (and they praise you when you do well for yourself),

19 he must join the generation of his ancestors, who will never see light [again].

20 Mortals, with what they treasure, still don't have understanding. They are like animals that die.

1 Your dwelling place is lovely, O LORD of Armies!

2 My soul longs and yearns for the LORD's courtyards. My whole body shouts for joy to the living God.

3 Even sparrows find a home, and swallows find a nest for themselves. There they hatch their young near your altars, O LORD of Armies, my king and my God.

4 Blessed are those who live in your house. They are always praising you. Selah

5 Blessed are those who find strength in you. Their hearts are on the road [that leads to you].

6 As they pass through a valley where balsam trees grow, they make it a place of springs. The early rains cover it with blessings.

7 Their strength grows as they go along until each one of them appears in front of God in Zion.

8 O LORD God, commander of armies, hear my prayer. Open your ears, O God of Jacob. Selah

9 Look at our shield, O God. Look with favor on the face of your anointed one.

10 One day in your courtyards is better than a thousand [anywhere else]. I would rather stand in the entrance to my God's house than live inside wicked people's homes.

11 The LORD God is a sun and shield. The LORD grants favor and honor. He does not hold back any blessing from those who live innocently.

12 O LORD of Armies, blessed is the person who trusts you.

1 You favored your land, O LORD. You restored the fortunes of Jacob.

2 You removed your people's guilt. You pardoned all their sins.

3 You laid aside all your fury. You turned away from your burning anger.

4 Restore us, O God, our savior. Put an end to your anger against us.

5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you ever let go of your anger in the generations to come?

6 Won't you restore our lives again so that your people may find joy in you?

7 Show us your mercy, O LORD, by giving us your salvation.

8 I want to hear what God the LORD says, because he promises peace to his people, to his godly ones. But they must not go back to their stupidity.

9 Indeed, his salvation is near those who fear him, and [his] glory will remain in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met. Righteousness and peace have kissed.

11 Truth sprouts from the ground, and righteousness looks down from heaven.

12 The LORD will certainly give us what is good, and our land will produce crops.

13 Righteousness will go ahead of him and make a path for his steps.

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."