Psalm 51–53

Psalm 51

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

¹Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:

According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions;

And my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,

And done that which is evil in thy sight;

That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest,

And be clear when thou judgest.

⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity;

And in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts;

And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness,

That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹Hide thy face from my sins,

And blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God;

And renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence;

And take not thy holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;

And uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;

And sinners shall be converted unto thee.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation;

And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open thou my lips;

And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

¹⁶For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it:

Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:

A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

¹⁸Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion:

Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then wilt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,

In burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering:

Then will they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Psalm 52

For the Chief Musician. Maschil of David; when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

¹Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?

The lovingkindness of God endureth continually.

²Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness,

Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

³Thou lovest evil more than good,

And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah

⁴Thou lovest all devouring words,

O thou deceitful tongue.

⁵God will likewise destroy thee for ever;

He will take thee up, and pluck thee out of thy tent,

And root thee out of the land of the living. Selah

⁶The righteous also shall see it, and fear,

And shall laugh at him, saying,

⁷Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength,

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

And strengthened himself in his wickedness.

⁸But as for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God:

I trust in the lovingkindness of God for ever and ever.

⁹I will give thee thanks for ever, because thou hast done it;

And I will hope in thy name, for it is good, in the presence of thy saints.

Psalm 53

For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David.

¹The fool hath said in his heart,

There is no God.

Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity;

There is none that doeth good.

²God looked down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there were any that did understand,

That did seek after God.

³Every one of them is gone back; they are together become filthy;

There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

⁴Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And call not upon God?

⁵There were they in great fear, where no fear was;

For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee:

Thou hast put them to shame, because God hath rejected them.

⁶Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!

When God bringeth back the captivity of his people,

Then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.