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Psalm 45

1  My heart is astir with gracious words; ♦︎
   as I make my song for the king,
      my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2  You are the fairest of men; ♦︎
   full of grace are your lips,
      for God has blest you for ever.
3  Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one; ♦︎
   gird on your majesty and glory.
4  Ride on and prosper in the cause of truth ♦︎
   and for the sake of humility and righteousness.
5  Your right hand will teach you terrible things; ♦︎
   your arrows will be sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies,
      so that peoples fall beneath you.
6  Your throne is God’s throne, for ever; ♦︎
   the sceptre of your kingdom is the sceptre of righteousness.
7  You love righteousness and hate iniquity; ♦︎
   therefore God, your God, has anointed you
      with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
8  All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia; ♦︎
   from ivory palaces the music of strings makes you glad.
9  Kings’ daughters are among your honourable women; ♦︎
   at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10  Hear, O daughter; consider and incline your ear; ♦︎
   forget your own people and your father’s house.
11  So shall the king have pleasure in your beauty; ♦︎
   he is your lord, so do him honour.
12  The people of Tyre shall bring you gifts; ♦︎
   the richest of the people shall seek your favour.
13  The king’s daughter is all glorious within; ♦︎
   her clothing is embroidered cloth of gold.
14  She shall be brought to the king in raiment of needlework; ♦︎
   after her the virgins that are her companions.
15  With joy and gladness shall they be brought ♦︎
   and enter into the palace of the king.
16  ‘Instead of your fathers you shall have sons, ♦︎
   whom you shall make princes over all the land.
17  ‘I will make your name to be remembered through all generations; ♦︎
   therefore shall the peoples praise you for ever and ever.’

4 As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber. ⁵In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form. ⁶Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. ⁷Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. ⁸Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: ⁹their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. ¹⁰As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle; ¹¹such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. ¹²Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. ¹³In the middle of^* the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire. ¹⁴The living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.

4In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: ²proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. ³For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, ⁴and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. ⁵As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Personal Instructions

9 Do your best to come to me soon, ¹⁰for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia,^* Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry.