43.

1 Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars.
2 For you are God, my only safe haven. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?
3 Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.
4 There I will go to the altar of God, to God - the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!
5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God!

44.

1 [For the choir director： A psalm of the descendants of Korah.] O God, we have heard it with our own ears - our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago.
2 You drove out the pagan nations by your power and gave all the land to our ancestors. You crushed their enemies and set our ancestors free.
3 They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them.
4 You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel.
5 Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes.
6 I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me.
7 You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us.
8 O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Interlude
9 But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle.
10 You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.
11 You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale.
13 You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
14 You have made us the butt of their jokes; they shake their heads at us in scorn.
15 We can't escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces.
16 All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies.
17 All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant.
18 Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.
19 Yet you have crushed us in the jackal's desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,
21 God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart.
22 But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.
23 Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?
25 We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt.
26 Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love.

45.

1 [For the choir director： A love song to be sung to the tune "Lilies." A psalm of the descendants of Korah.] Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet.
2 You are the most handsome of all. Gracious words stream from your lips. God himself has blessed you forever.
3 Put on your sword, O mighty warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic!
4 In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies' hearts. The nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice.
7 You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.
8 Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume your robes. In ivory palaces the music of strings entertains you.
9 Kings' daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir!
10 Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away.
11 For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The princess of Tyre will shower you with gifts. The wealthy will beg your favor.
13 The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown.
14 In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids.
15 What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the king's palace!
16 Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands.
17 I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever.

46.

1 [For the choir director： A song of the descendants of Korah, to be sung by soprano voices.] God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude
4 A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.
6 The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God's voice thunders, and the earth melts!
7 The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude
8 Come, see the glorious works of the LORD. See how he brings destruction upon the world.
9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world."
11 The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude

47.

1 [For the choir director： A psalm of the descendants of Korah.] Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!
2 For the LORD Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth.
3 He subdues the nations before us, putting our enemies beneath our feet.
4 He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance, the proud possession of Jacob's descendants, whom he loves. Interlude
5 God has ascended with a mighty shout. The LORD has ascended with trumpets blaring.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm.
8 God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne.
9 The rulers of the world have gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham.For all the kings of the earth belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere.

48.

1 [A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.] How great is the LORD, how deserving of praise, in the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain!
2 It is high and magnificent; the whole earth rejoices to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King!
3 God himself is in Jerusalem's towers, revealing himself as its defender.
4 The kings of the earth joined forces and advanced against the city.
5 But when they saw it, they were stunned; they were terrified and ran away.
6 They were gripped with terror and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish shattered by a powerful east wind.
8 We had heard of the city's glory, but now we have seen it ourselves - the city of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. It is the city of our God; he will make it safe forever. Interlude
9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.
10 As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice.
12 Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers.
13 Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations.
14 For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.

49.

1 [For the choir director： A psalm of the descendants of Korah.] Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world!
2 High and low, rich and poor - listen!
3 For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.
4 I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.
5 Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?
6 They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.
7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.
8 Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough
9 to live forever and never see the grave.
10 Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.
11 The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves,
12 but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.
13 This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude
14 Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates.
15 But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude
16 So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.
17 For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.
19 But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.
20 People who boast of their wealth don't understand; they will die, just like animals.