| Psalm 46 | |||
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1
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God is our refuge and
strength, • a very present help in trouble; |
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2
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Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth be moved, • and though the mountains tremble in the heart of the sea; |
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3
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Though the waters rage and
swell, • and though the mountains quake at the towering seas. |
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4
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There is a river whose streams
make glad the city of God, • the holy place of the dwelling of the Most High. |
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5
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God is in the midst of her; | ||
| therefore shall she not be
removed; • God shall help her at the break of day. |
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6
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The nations are in uproar and
the kingdoms are shaken, • but God utters his voice and the earth shall melt away. |
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7
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The Lord of hosts is with
us; • the God of Jacob is our stronghold. |
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8
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Come and behold the works of the
Lord, • what destruction he has wrought upon the earth. |
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9
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He makes wars to cease in all
the world; • he shatters the bow and snaps the spear |
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| and burns the chariots in the fire. | |||
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10
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'Be still, and know that I am
God; • I will be exalted among the nations; |
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| I will be exalted in the earth.' | |||
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11
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The Lord of hosts is with
us; • the God of Jacob is our stronghold. |
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| Psalm 47 | |||
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1
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Clap your hands together, all
you peoples; • O sing to God with shouts of joy. |
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2
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For the Lord Most High is to be
feared; • he is the great King over all the earth. |
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3
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He subdued the peoples under
us • and the nations under our feet. |
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4
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He has chosen our heritage for
us, • the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. |
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5
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God has gone up with a merry
noise, • the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. |
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6
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O sing praises to God, sing
praises; • sing praises to our King, sing praises. |
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7
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For God is the King of all the
earth; • sing praises with all your skill. |
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8
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God reigns over the
nations; • God has taken his seat upon his holy throne. |
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9
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The nobles of the peoples are
gathered together • with the people of the God of Abraham. |
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10
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For the powers of the earth
belong to God • and he is very highly exalted. |
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| Psalm 48 | |||
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1
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Great is the Lord and highly to
be praised, • in the city of our God. |
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2
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His holy mountain is fair and
lifted high, • the joy of all the earth. |
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3
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On Mount Zion, the divine
dwelling place, • stands the city of the great king. |
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4
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In her palaces God has shown
himself • to be a sure refuge. |
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5
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For behold, the kings of the
earth assembled • and swept forward together. |
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6
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They saw, and were
dumbfounded; • dismayed, they fled in terror. |
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7
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Trembling seized them there; | ||
| they writhed like a woman in
labour, • as when the east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish. |
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8
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As we had heard, so have we seen | ||
| in the city of the Lord of
hosts, the city of our God: • God has established her for ever. |
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9
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We have waited on your
loving-kindness, O God, • in the midst of your temple. |
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10
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As with your name, O God, | ||
| so your praise reaches to the
ends of the earth; • your right hand is full of justice. |
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11
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Let Mount Zion rejoice and the
daughters of Judah be glad, • because of your judgements, O Lord. |
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12
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Walk about Zion and go round about her; | ||
| count all her towers; • consider well her bulwarks; pass through her citadels, |
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13
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That you may tell those who come after | ||
| that such is our God for ever
and ever. • It is he that shall be our guide for evermore. |
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| Psalm 49 | |||
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1
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Hear this, all you
peoples; • listen, all you that dwell in the world, |
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2
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You of low or high
degree, • both rich and poor together. |
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3
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My mouth shall speak of
wisdom • and my heart shall meditate on understanding. |
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4
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I will incline my ear to a
parable; • I will unfold my riddle with the lyre. |
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5
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Why should I fear in evil
days, • when the malice of my foes surrounds me, |
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6
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Such as trust in their
goods • and glory in the abundance of their riches? |
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7
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For no one can indeed ransom
another • or pay to God the price of deliverance. |
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8
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To ransom a soul is too
costly; • there is no price one could pay for it, |
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9
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So that they might live for
ever, • and never see the grave. |
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10
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For we see that the wise die also; | ||
| with the foolish and ignorant
they perish • and leave their riches to others. |
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11
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Their tomb is their home for ever, | ||
| their dwelling through all
generations, • though they call their lands after their own names. |
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12
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Those who have honour, but lack
understanding, • are like the beasts that perish. |
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13
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Such is the way of those who
boast in themselves, • the end of those who delight in their own words. |
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14
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Like a flock of sheep they are destined to die; | ||
| death is their
shepherd; • they go down straight to the Pit. |
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15
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Their beauty shall waste
away, • and the land of the dead shall be their dwelling. |
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16
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But God shall ransom my
soul; • from the grasp of death will he take me. |
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17
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Be not afraid if some grow
rich • and the glory of their house increases, |
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18
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For they will carry nothing away
when they die, • nor will their glory follow after them. |
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19
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Though they count themselves
happy while they live • and praise you for your success, |
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20
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They shall enter the company of
their ancestors • who will nevermore see the light. |
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21
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Those who have honour, but lack
understanding, • are like the beasts that perish. |
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| Psalm 50 | |||
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1
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The Lord, the most mighty God,
has spoken • and called the world from the rising of the sun to its setting. |
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2
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Out of Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth; • our God comes and will not keep silence. |
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3
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Consuming fire goes out before
him • and a mighty tempest stirs about him. |
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4
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He calls the heaven
above, • and the earth, that he may judge his people: |
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5
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'Gather to me my
faithful, • who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice.' |
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6
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Let the heavens declare his
righteousness, • for God himself is judge. |
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7
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Hear, O my people, and I will
speak: • 'I will testify against you, O Israel; |
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| for I am God, your God. | |||
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8
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'I will not reprove you for your
sacrifices, • for your burnt offerings are always before me. |
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9
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'I will take no bull out of your
house, • nor he-goat out of your folds, |
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10
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'For all the beasts of the
forest are mine, • the cattle upon a thousand hills. |
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11
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'I know every bird of the
mountains • and the insect of the field is mine. |
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12
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'If I were hungry, I would not
tell you, • for the whole world is mine and all that fills it. |
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13
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'Do you think I eat the flesh of
bulls, • or drink the blood of goats? |
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14
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'Offer to God a sacrifice of
thanksgiving • and fulfil your vows to God Most High. |
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15
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'Call upon me in the day of
trouble; • I will deliver you and you shall honour me.' |
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16
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But to the wicked, says
God: • 'Why do you recite my statutes |
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| and take my covenant upon your lips, | |||
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17
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'Since you refuse to be
disciplined • and have cast my words behind you? |
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18
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'When you saw a thief, you made
friends with him • and you threw in your lot with adulterers. |
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19
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'You have loosed your lips for
evil • and harnessed your tongue to deceit. |
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20
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'You sit and speak evil of your
brother; • you slander your own mother's son. |
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21
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'These things have you done, and
should I keep silence? • Did you think that I am even such a one as yourself? |
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22
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'But no, I must reprove
you, • and set before your eyes the things that you have done. |
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23
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'You that forget God, consider
this well, • lest I tear you apart and there is none to deliver you. |
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24
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'Whoever offers me the sacrifice
of thanksgiving honours me • and to those who keep my way |
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| will I show the salvation of God.' | |||