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Psalm 43-45
The Message
Psalm 43-45
The Message
43 1-2 Clear my name, God; stick up for me
against these loveless, immoral people.
Get me out of here, away
from these lying degenerates.
I counted on you, God.
Why did you walk out on me?
Why am I pacing the floor, wringing my hands
over these outrageous people?
3-4 Give me your lantern and compass,
give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
to the place of your presence,
To enter the place of worship,
meet my exuberant God,
Sing my thanks with a harp,
magnificent God, my God.
5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.
44 1-3 We’ve been hearing about this, God,
all our lives.
Our fathers told us the stories
their fathers told them,
How single-handedly you weeded out the godless
from the fields and planted us,
How you sent those people packing
but gave us a fresh start.
We didn’t fight for this land;
we didn’t work for it—it was a gift!
You gave it, smiling as you gave it,
delighting as you gave it.
4-8 You’re my King, O God—
command victories for Jacob!
With your help we’ll wipe out our enemies,
in your name we’ll stomp them to dust.
I don’t trust in weapons;
my sword won’t save me—
But it’s you, you who saved us from the enemy;
you made those who hate us lose face.
All day we parade God’s praise—
we thank you by name over and over.
9-12 But now you’ve walked off and left us,
you’ve disgraced us and won’t fight for us.
You made us turn tail and run;
those who hate us have cleaned us out.
You delivered us as sheep to the butcher,
you scattered us to the four winds.
You sold your people at a discount—
you made nothing on the sale.
13-16 You made people on the street,
people we know, poke fun and call us names.
You made us a joke among the godless,
a cheap joke among the rabble.
Every day I’m up against it,
my nose rubbed in my shame—
Gossip and ridicule fill the air,
people out to get me crowd the street.
17-19 All this came down on us,
and we’ve done nothing to deserve it.
We never betrayed your Covenant: our hearts
were never false, our feet never left your path.
Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals?
or lockup in a black hole?
20-22 If we had forgotten to pray to our God
or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods,
Wouldn’t God have figured this out?
We can’t hide things from him.
No, you decided to make us martyrs,
lambs assigned for sacrifice each day.
23-26 Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day?
Wake up! Don’t you care what happens to us?
Why do you bury your face in the pillow?
Why pretend things are just fine with us?
And here we are—flat on our faces in the dirt,
held down with a boot on our necks.
Get up and come to our rescue.
If you love us so much, Help us!
45 My heart bursts its banks,
spilling beauty and goodness.
I pour it out in a poem to the king,
shaping the river into words:
* * *
2-4 “You’re the handsomest of men;
every word from your lips is sheer grace,
and God has blessed you, blessed you so much.
Strap your sword to your side, warrior!
Accept praise! Accept due honor!
Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly!
Ride on the side of truth!
Ride for the righteous meek!
4-5 “Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark;
you shoot sharp arrows
Into enemy hearts; the king’s
foes lie down in the dust, beaten.
6-7 “Your throne is God’s throne,
ever and always;
The scepter of your royal rule
measures right living.
You love the right
and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
from among your dear companions.
8-9 “Your forest-drenched garments
are fragrant with mountain breeze.
Chamber music—from the throne room—
makes you want to dance.
Kings’ daughters are maids in your court,
the Bride glittering with golden jewelry.
* * *
10-12 “Now listen, daughter, don’t miss a word:
forget your country, put your home behind you.
Be here—the king is wild for you.
Since he’s your lord, adore him.
Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre;
rich guests shower you with presents.”
13-15 (Her wedding dress is dazzling,
lined with gold by the weavers;
All her dresses and robes
are woven with gold.
She is led to the king,
followed by her virgin companions.
A procession of joy and laughter!
a grand entrance to the king’s palace!)
16-17 “Set your mind now on sons—
don’t dote on father and grandfather.
You’ll set your sons up as princes
all over the earth.
I’ll make you famous for generations;
you’ll be the talk of the town
for a long, long time.”
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
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.