Psa 42-50 | ESV | STEP | To the choirmaster . A Maskil of the Sons of Korah . As a deer pants for flowing streams , so pants my soul for you, O God .

1 ^cAs a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 ^dMy soul thirsts for God,
for ^ethe living God.
When shall I come and ^fappear before God? ^{▼▼Revocalization yields and see the face of God}
3 ^hMy tears have been my food
day and night,
ⁱwhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember,
as I ^jpour out my soul:
^khow I would go ^lwith the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
^ma multitude keeping festival.
5 ⁿWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you ^oin turmoil within me?
^pHope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation ^{▼▼Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5} 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I ^rremember you
^sfrom the land of Jordan and of ^tHermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
^uall your breakers and your ^vwaves
have gone over me.
8 By day the Lord ^wcommands his steadfast love,
and at ^xnight his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, ^ymy rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
^zWhy do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
^aawhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 ^abWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalms 43

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

1 ^acVindicate me, O God, and ^addefend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from ^aethe deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
2 For you are ^afthe God in whom I take refuge;
why have you ^agrejected me?
Why do I ^ahgo about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 ^aiSend out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your ^ajholy hill
and to your ^akdwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 ^alWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
^amHope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalms 44

Come to Our Help

To the choirmaster. ^anA Maskil ^{▼▼Probably a musical or liturgical term} of the Sons of Korah.

1 O God, we have heard with our ears,
^apour fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
^aqin the days of old:
2 you with your own hand ^ardrove out the nations,
but ^asthem you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but ^atthem you set free;
3 for not ^auby their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and ^avthe light of your face,
^awfor you delighted in them.
4 ^axYou are my King, O God;
^ayordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we ^azpush down our foes;
through your name we ^batread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in ^bbmy bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have ^bcput to shame those who hate us.
8 ^bdIn God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But you have ^berejected us and disgraced us
and ^bfhave not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us ^bgturn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like ^bhsheep for slaughter
and have ^biscattered us among the nations.
12 ^bjYou have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us ^bkthe taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and ^blscorn of those around us.
14 You have made us ^bma byword among the nations,
^bna laughingstock ^{▼▼Hebrew a shaking of the head} among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and ^bpshame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of ^bqthe enemy and the avenger.
17 ^brAll this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our ^bssteps ^btdeparted from your way;
19 yet you have ^bubroken us in the place of ^bvjackals
and covered us with ^bwthe shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or ^bxspread out our hands to ^bya foreign god,
21 ^bzwould not God discover this?
^caFor he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet ^cbfor your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 ^ccAwake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! ^cdDo not reject us forever!
24 Why ^cedo you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our ^cfsoul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; ^cgcome to our help!
^chRedeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

Psalms 45

Your Throne, O God, Is Forever

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil ^{▼▼Probably a musical or liturgical term} of ^cjthe Sons of Korah; a love song.

1 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of ^cka ready scribe.
2 You are ^clthe most handsome of the sons of men;
^cmgrace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 ^cnGird your ^cosword on your thigh, O ^cpmighty one,
in ^cqyour splendor and majesty!
4 In your majesty ^crride out victoriously
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you ^csawesome deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.
6 ^ctYour throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The ^cuscepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
7 ^cvyou have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore ^cwGod, your God, has ^cxanointed you
with the oil of ^cygladness ^czbeyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with ^damyrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces ^dbstringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
^dcat your right hand stands the queen in ^ddgold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
forget your people and your father’s house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your ^delord, ^dfbow to him.
12 The people ^{▼▼Hebrew daughter} of Tyre will ^dhseek your favor with ^digifts,
^djthe richest of the people. ^{▼▼Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor}
13 All glorious is ^dlthe princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
14 ^dmIn many-colored robes ^dnshe is led to the king,
with her virgin companions following behind her.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
you will make them ^doprinces in all the earth.
17 ^dpI will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

Psalms 46

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of ^dqthe Sons of Korah. According to ^drAlamoth. ^{▼▼Probably a musical or liturgical term} A Song.

1 God is our ^dtrefuge and strength,
a very ^dupresent ^{▼▼Or well proved} help in ^dwtrouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear ^dxthough the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into ^dythe heart of the sea,
3 though ^dzits waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is ^eaa river whose streams make glad ^ebthe city of God,
the holy ^echabitation of the Most High.
5 ^edGod is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 ^eeThe nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he ^efutters his voice, the earth ^egmelts.
7 ^ehThe Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 ^eiCome, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 ^ejHe makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he ^ekbreaks the bow and shatters the spear;
^elhe burns the chariots with fire.
10 ^em“Be still, and know that I am God.
^enI will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 ^eoThe Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Psalms 47

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^epthe Sons of Korah.

1 ^eqClap your hands, all peoples!
^erShout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the Lord, the Most High, ^esis to be feared,
^eta great king over all the earth.
3 He ^eusubdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our ^evheritage for us,
^ewthe pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God ^exhas gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is ^eythe King of all the earth;
sing praises ^ezwith a psalm! ^{▼▼Hebrew maskil}
8 God ^fbreigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 ^fcThe princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For ^fdthe shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!

Psalms 48

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of ^fethe Sons of Korah.

1 ^ffGreat is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in ^fgthe city of our God!
His ^fhholy mountain, 2 ^fibeautiful in elevation,
is ^fjthe joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
^fkthe city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress.
4 For behold, ^flthe kings assembled;
they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 ^fmTrembling took hold of them there,
anguish ^fnas of a woman in labor.
7 By ^fothe east wind you ^fpshattered
the ships of ^fqTarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in ^frthe city of our God,
which God will ^fsestablish forever. Selah
9 We have thought on your ^ftsteadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10 As your ^funame, O God,
so your praise reaches to ^fvthe ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Let Mount ^fwZion be glad!
Let ^fxthe daughters of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments!
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
number her towers,
13 consider well her ^fyramparts,
go through her citadels,
^fzthat you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will ^gaguide us forever. ^{▼▼Septuagint; another reading is (compare Jerome, Syriac) He will guide us beyond death}

Psalms 49

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^gcthe Sons of Korah.

1 ^gdHear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 ^geboth low and high,
rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak ^gfwisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to ^gga proverb;
I will solve my ^ghriddle to the music of the lyre.
5 ^giWhy should I fear in ^gjtimes of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 those who ^gktrust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man ^glcan ransom another,
or ^gmgive to God ^gnthe price of his life,
8 for ^gothe ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
and ^gpnever see the pit.
10 For he sees ^gqthat even the wise die;
^grthe fool and the stupid alike must perish
and ^gsleave their wealth to others.
11 Their ^gtgraves are their homes forever, ^{▼▼Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever}
their dwelling places ^gvto all generations,
though they ^gwcalled lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp ^gxwill not remain;
^gyhe is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the path of those who have ^gzfoolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts. ^{▼▼Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts} Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright ^hbshall rule over them in the morning.
^hcTheir form shall be consumed ^hdin Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will ^heransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will ^hfreceive me. Selah
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17 ^hgFor when he dies he will ^hhcarry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself ^hiblessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will ^hjgo to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again ^hksee light.
20 ^hlMan in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Psalms 50

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of ^hmAsaph.

1 ^hnThe Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
^hofrom the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, ^hpthe perfection of beauty,
^hqGod shines forth.
3 Our God comes; he ^hrdoes not keep silence; ^{▼▼Or May our God come, and not keep silence}
before him is a devouring ^htfire,
around him a mighty tempest.
4 ^huHe calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made ^hva covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 ^hwThe heavens declare his righteousness,
for ^hxGod himself is judge! Selah
7 ^hy“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
^hzI am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices ^iado I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 ^ibI know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
^icfor the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 ^idOffer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, ^{▼▼Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God}
and ^ifperform your vows to the Most High,
15 and ^igcall upon me in the day of trouble;
I will ^ihdeliver you, and you shall ⁱⁱglorify me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 ^ijFor you hate discipline,
^ikand you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, ^ilyou are pleased with him,
^imand you keep company with adulterers.
19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
ⁱⁿand your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done, and I ^iohave been silent;
you thought that I ^{▼▼Or that the I am} was one like yourself.
But now I ^iqrebuke you and ^irlay the charge before you.
22 “Mark this, then, you who ^isforget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be ^itnone to deliver!
23 The one who ^iuoffers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who ^ivorders his way rightly
I will show the ^iwsalvation of God!”

Psalms 42

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil ▼▼Probably a musical or liturgical term of bthe Sons of Korah.