Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. For the next two days, we're going
to be going through a group of psalms known as
the Psalms of the Sons of Korah. Today's readings
are from Psalms 42 through 46, along with Psalms
15 and 24. Psalm 15, inscription, A Psalm of
David. Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in your holy hill? He who walks
uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks
the truth in his heart, he who does not backbite
with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor,
nor does he take up a reproach against his friend,
in whose eyes a vile person is despised. But
he honors those who fear the Lord, he who swears
to his own hurt and does not change, he who does
not put out his money at usury, nor does he take
a bribe against the innocent. He who does these
things shall never be moved. Psalm 24 Inscription
A Psalm of David The earth is the Lord's, and
all its fullness, the world and those who dwell
therein. For he who has founded it upon the seas,
and established it upon the waters, who may ascend
into the hill of the Lord, or who may stand in
his holy place, he who has clean hands and a
pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to
an idol, nor sworn deceitfully, he shall receive
blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from
the God of his salvation. This is Jacob. Psalm
42, Inscription To the chief musician, a contemplation
of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the
water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God? My tears
have been my food day and night, while they continually
say to me, Where is your God? When I remember
these things, I pour out my soul within me, for
I used to go with the multitude. I went with
them to the house of God, with the voice of joy
and praise, with a multitude that kept a pilgrim
feast. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and
why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God,
for I shall yet praise him, for the help of his
countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within
me, therefore I will remember you from the land
of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon,
from the hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at
the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves
and billows have gone over me. The Lord will
command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and
in the night his song shall be with me, a prayer
to the God of my life. I will say to God, my
rock, why have you forgotten me? Why do I go
mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
As with a breaking of my bones, my enemies reproach
me, while they say to me all day long, where
is your God? Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in
God, for I shall yet praise him, the help of
my countenance and my God. Psalm 43 Vindicate
me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly
nation. O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust
man, for you are the God of my strength. Why
do you cast me off? Why do I go mourning because
of the oppression of the enemy? O send out your
light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them
bring me to your holy hill and to your tabernacle.
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my
exceeding joy. And on the harp I will praise
you, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O
my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him. the
help of my countenance and my God. We have heard
with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us,
the deeds you did in their days, in days of old.
You drove out the nations with your hand, but
them you planted. You afflicted the peoples and
cast them out, for they did not gain possession
of the land by their own sword, nor did their
own arm save them. But it was your right hand,
your arm, and the light of your countenance,
because you favored them. You are my king, O
God. Command victories for Jacob. Through you
we will push down our enemies. Through your name
we will trample those who rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my
sword save me. But you have saved us from our
enemies, and have put to shame those who hated
us. In God we boast all day long, and praise
your name forever. Salah. But you have cast us
off and put us to shame. and you did not go out
with our armies you make us turn back from the
enemy and those who hate us have taken spoil
for themselves you have given us up like sheep
intended for food and have scattered us among
the nations you sell your people for next to
nothing and are not enriched by selling them
You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn
and a derision to those all around us. You make
us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the
head among the peoples. My dishonor is continually
before me, and the shame of my face has covered
me, because of the voice of him who reproaches
and reviles, because of the enemy and the avenger.
All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten
you, nor have we dealt falsely with your covenant.
Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps
departed from your way. But you have severely
broken us in the place of jackals, and covered
us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten
the name of our God, or stretched out our hands
to a foreign god, would not God search this out?
For he knows the secrets of the heart. Yet for
your sake we are killed all day long. We are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake,
why do you sleep, O Lord? Arise, do not cast
us off forever. Why do you hide your face, and
forget our affliction and our oppression? Psalm
45, inscription. Grace is poured upon your lips.
Therefore God has blessed you forever. Gird your
sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, with your
glory and your majesty. And in your majesty ride
prosperously because of truth, humility, and
righteousness. And your right hand shall teach
you awesome things. Your arrows are sharp in
the heart of the king's enemies. The peoples
fall under you. Your throne, O God, is forever
and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter
of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate
wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed
you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.
All your garments are scented with myrrh and
aloes and cassia. Out of the ivory palaces by
which they have made you glad, king's daughters
are among your honorable women. At your right
hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. Listen,
O daughter, consider and incline your ear. Forget
your own people also in your father's house,
so the king will greatly desire your beauty.
Because he is your lord, worship him, and the
daughter of Tyre will come with a gift. The rich
among the people will seek your favor. The royal
daughter is all glorious within the palace. Her
clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought
to the king in robes of many colors. The virgins,
her companions, who follow her, shall be brought
to you. With gladness and rejoicing, they shall
be brought. They shall enter the king's palace.
Instead of your fathers shall be your sons. Whom
you shall make princes in all the earth. I will
make your name to be remembered in all generations.
Therefore the people shall praise you forever
and ever. Psalm 46, inscription. To the chief
musician, a psalm of the sons of Korah, a song
for Alamut. God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. Therefore we will
not fear, even though the earth be moved, and
though the mountains be carried into the midst
of the sea, though its waters roar and be troubled.
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Salah. There is a river whose streams shall make
glad the city of God. The holy place of the tabernacle
of the Most High. God is in the midst of her.
She shall not be moved. God shall help her just
at the break of dawn. The nations raged. The
kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice. The
earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us. The
God of Jacob is our refuge. Salah. Come behold
the works of the Lord, who has made desolations
in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end
of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the
spear in two. He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted
among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob
is our refuge. Salah. God bless you and have
a great day.