Beginning
Psalm 40[a](A)
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently(B) for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.(C)
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,(D)
out of the mud(E) and mire;(F)
he set my feet(G) on a rock(H)
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song(I) in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord(J)
and put their trust(K) in him.
4 Blessed is the one(L)
who trusts in the Lord,(M)
who does not look to the proud,(N)
to those who turn aside to false gods.[b](O)
5 Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders(P) you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare(Q) with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many(R) to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—(S)
but my ears you have opened[c]—(T)
burnt offerings(U) and sin offerings[d] you did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.[e](V)
8 I desire to do your will,(W) my God;(X)
your law is within my heart.”(Y)
9 I proclaim your saving acts(Z) in the great assembly;(AA)
I do not seal my lips, Lord,
as you know.(AB)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness(AC) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.(AD)
11 Do not withhold your mercy(AE) from me, Lord;
may your love(AF) and faithfulness(AG) always protect(AH) me.
12 For troubles(AI) without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(AK)
and my heart fails(AL) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
come quickly, Lord, to help me.(AM)
14 May all who want to take my life(AN)
be put to shame and confusion;(AO)
may all who desire my ruin(AP)
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(AQ)
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(AR)
rejoice and be glad(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The Lord is great!”(AT)
17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(AU)
may the Lord think(AV) of me.
You are my help(AW) and my deliverer;(AX)
you are my God, do not delay.(AY)
Psalm 41[f]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Blessed(AZ) are those who have regard for the weak;(BA)
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(BB)
2 The Lord protects(BC) and preserves them—(BD)
they are counted among the blessed in the land—(BE)
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(BF)
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(BG)
and restores them from their bed of illness.(BH)
4 I said, “Have mercy(BI) on me, Lord;
heal(BJ) me, for I have sinned(BK) against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?(BL)”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely,(BM) while his heart gathers slander;(BN)
then he goes out and spreads(BO) it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together(BP) against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up(BQ) from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,(BR)
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned[g] against me.(BS)
10 But may you have mercy(BT) on me, Lord;
raise me up,(BU) that I may repay(BV) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(BW)
for my enemy does not triumph over me.(BX)
12 Because of my integrity(BY) you uphold me(BZ)
and set me in your presence forever.(CA)
13 Praise(CB) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(CC)
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(CD)
BOOK II
Psalms 42–72
Psalm 42[h][i]
For the director of music. A maskil[j] of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer(CE) pants for streams of water,(CF)
so my soul pants(CG) for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts(CH) for God, for the living God.(CI)
When can I go(CJ) and meet with God?
3 My tears(CK) have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(CL)
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:(CM)
how I used to go to the house of God(CN)
under the protection of the Mighty One[k]
with shouts of joy(CO) and praise(CP)
among the festive throng.(CQ)
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?(CR)
Why so disturbed(CS) within me?
Put your hope in God,(CT)
for I will yet praise(CU) him,
my Savior(CV) and my God.(CW)
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember(CX) you
from the land of the Jordan,(CY)
the heights of Hermon(CZ)—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep(DA)
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.(DB)
8 By day the Lord directs his love,(DC)
at night(DD) his song(DE) is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.(DF)
9 I say to God my Rock,(DG)
“Why have you forgotten(DH) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(DI)
oppressed(DJ) by the enemy?”(DK)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(DL)
as my foes taunt(DM) me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”(DN)
11 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.(DO)
Psalm 43[l]
1 Vindicate me, my God,
and plead my cause(DP)
against an unfaithful nation.
Rescue me(DQ) from those who are
deceitful and wicked.(DR)
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected(DS) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(DT)
oppressed by the enemy?(DU)
3 Send me your light(DV) and your faithful care,(DW)
let them lead me;(DX)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(DY)
to the place where you dwell.(DZ)
4 Then I will go(EA) to the altar(EB) of God,
to God, my joy(EC) and my delight.(ED)
I will praise you with the lyre,(EE)
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.(EF)
Psalm 44[m]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[n]
1 We have heard it with our ears,(EG) O God;
our ancestors have told us(EH)
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.(EI)
2 With your hand you drove out(EJ) the nations
and planted(EK) our ancestors;
you crushed(EL) the peoples
and made our ancestors flourish.(EM)
3 It was not by their sword(EN) that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(EO) your arm,(EP)
and the light(EQ) of your face, for you loved(ER) them.
4 You are my King(ES) and my God,(ET)
who decrees[o] victories(EU) for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back(EV) our enemies;
through your name we trample(EW) our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,(EX)
my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory(EY) over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.(EZ)
8 In God we make our boast(FA) all day long,(FB)
and we will praise your name forever.[p](FC)
9 But now you have rejected(FD) and humbled us;(FE)
you no longer go out with our armies.(FF)
10 You made us retreat(FG) before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered(FH) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(FI)
and have scattered us among the nations.(FJ)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(FK)
gaining nothing from their sale.
13 You have made us a reproach(FL) to our neighbors,(FM)
the scorn(FN) and derision(FO) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(FP) among the nations;
the peoples shake their heads(FQ) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(FR) all day long,
and my face is covered with shame(FS)
16 at the taunts(FT) of those who reproach and revile(FU) me,
because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(FV)
17 All this came upon us,
though we had not forgotten(FW) you;
we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(FX) back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(FY) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(FZ)
you covered us over with deep darkness.(GA)
20 If we had forgotten(GB) the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(GC)
21 would not God have discovered it,
since he knows the secrets of the heart?(GD)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep(GE) to be slaughtered.(GF)
23 Awake,(GG) Lord! Why do you sleep?(GH)
Rouse yourself!(GI) Do not reject us forever.(GJ)
24 Why do you hide your face(GK)
and forget(GL) our misery and oppression?(GM)
25 We are brought down to the dust;(GN)
our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(GO) and help us;
rescue(GP) us because of your unfailing love.(GQ)
Psalm 45[q]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[r] A wedding song.(GR)
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,(GS)
since God has blessed you forever.(GT)
3 Gird your sword(GU) on your side, you mighty one;(GV)
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(GW)
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously(GX)
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;(GY)
let your right hand(GZ) achieve awesome deeds.(HA)
5 Let your sharp arrows(HB) pierce the hearts(HC) of the king’s enemies;(HD)
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God,[s] will last for ever and ever;(HE)
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness(HF) and hate wickedness;(HG)
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing(HH) you with the oil of joy.(HI)
8 All your robes are fragrant(HJ) with myrrh(HK) and aloes(HL) and cassia;(HM)
from palaces adorned with ivory(HN)
the music of the strings(HO) makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings(HP) are among your honored women;
at your right hand(HQ) is the royal bride(HR) in gold of Ophir.(HS)
10 Listen, daughter,(HT) and pay careful attention:(HU)
Forget your people(HV) and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;(HW)
honor(HX) him, for he is your lord.(HY)
12 The city of Tyre(HZ) will come with a gift,[t](IA)
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious(IB) is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.(IC)
14 In embroidered garments(ID) she is led to the king;(IE)
her virgin companions(IF) follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,(IG)
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes(IH) throughout the land.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.