Psalm 43-45

New International Version

Psalm 43^[a]

¹Vindicate me, my God,
    and plead my cause^(A)
    against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me^(B) from those who are
    deceitful and wicked.^(C)
²You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected^(D) me?
Why must I go about mourning,^(E)
    oppressed by the enemy?^(F)
³Send 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)
⁴Then 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.

⁵Why, 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]

¹We 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)
²With your hand you drove out^(U) the nations
    and planted^(V) our ancestors;
you crushed^(W) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.^(X)
³It 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.

⁴You are my King^(AD) and my God,^(AE)
    who decrees^[d] victories^(AF) for Jacob.
⁵Through you we push back^(AG) our enemies;
    through your name we trample^(AH) our foes.
⁶I put no trust in my bow,^(AI)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷but you give us victory^(AJ) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.^(AK)
⁸In God we make our boast^(AL) all day long,^(AM)
    and we will praise your name forever.^[e]^(AN)

⁹But now you have rejected^(AO) and humbled us;^(AP)
    you no longer go out with our armies.^(AQ)
¹⁰You made us retreat^(AR) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered^(AS) us.
¹¹You gave us up to be devoured like sheep^(AT)
    and have scattered us among the nations.^(AU)
¹²You sold your people for a pittance,^(AV)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³You have made us a reproach^(AW) to our neighbors,^(AX)
    the scorn^(AY) and derision^(AZ) of those around us.
¹⁴You have made us a byword^(BA) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads^(BB) at us.
¹⁵I live in disgrace^(BC) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame^(BD)
¹⁶at the taunts^(BE) of those who reproach and revile^(BF) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.^(BG)

¹⁷All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten^(BH) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸Our hearts had not turned^(BI) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹But you crushed^(BJ) us and made us a haunt for jackals;^(BK)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.^(BL)

²⁰If we had forgotten^(BM) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,^(BN)
²¹would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?^(BO)
²²Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep^(BP) to be slaughtered.^(BQ)

²³Awake,^(BR) Lord! Why do you sleep?^(BS)
Rouse yourself!^(BT) Do not reject us forever.^(BU)
²⁴Why do you hide your face^(BV)
and forget^(BW) our misery and oppression?^(BX)

²⁵We are brought down to the dust;^(BY)
our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶Rise 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)

¹My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

²You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,^(CD)
since God has blessed you forever.^(CE)

³Gird your sword^(CF) on your side, you mighty one;^(CG)
    clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.^(CH)
⁴In your majesty ride forth victoriously^(CI)
    in the cause of truth, humility and justice;^(CJ)
    let your right hand^(CK) achieve awesome deeds.^(CL)
⁵Let your sharp arrows^(CM) pierce the hearts^(CN) of the king’s enemies;^(CO)
    let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶Your throne, O God,^[h] will last for ever and ever;^(CP)
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁷You 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)
⁸All 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.
⁹Daughters of kings^(DA) are among your honored women;
    at your right hand^(DB) is the royal bride^(DC) in gold of Ophir.^(DD)

¹⁰Listen, daughter,^(DE) and pay careful attention:^(DF)
    Forget your people^(DG) and your father’s house.
¹¹Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;^(DH)
    honor^(DI) him, for he is your lord.^(DJ)
¹²The city of Tyre^(DK) will come with a gift,^[i]^(DL)
    people of wealth will seek your favor.
¹³All glorious^(DM) is the princess within her chamber;
    her gown is interwoven with gold.^(DN)
¹⁴In embroidered garments^(DO) she is led to the king;^(DP)
    her virgin companions^(DQ) follow her—
    those brought to be with her.
¹⁵Led in with joy and gladness,^(DR)
    they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes^(DS) throughout the land.

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

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

Acts 27:27-44

New International Version

The Shipwreck

²⁷On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic^[a] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. ²⁸They 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. ²⁹Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. ³⁰In 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. ³¹Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”^(B) ³²So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

³³Just 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. ³⁴Now 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) ³⁵After 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. ³⁶They were all encouraged^(E) and ate some food themselves. ³⁷Altogether there were 276 of us on board. ³⁸When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.^(F)

³⁹When 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. ⁴⁰Cutting 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. ⁴¹But 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)

⁴²The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. ⁴³But 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. ⁴⁴The 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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