Psalm 51–53

Psalm 51

A PRAYER FOR RESTORATION

For the choir director. A psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.^y

¹Be gracious to me, God,

according to your faithful love;

according to your abundant compassion,

blot out my rebellion.^z

²Completely wash away my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.^aa

³For I am conscious of my rebellion,

and my sin is always before me.^ab

⁴Against you—you alone—I have sinned

and done this evil in your sight.^ac

So you are right when you pass sentence;

you are blameless when you judge.^ad

⁵Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;

I was sinful when my mother conceived me.^ae

⁶Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,

and you teach me wisdom deep within.^af

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.^ag

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.^ah

⁹Turn your face away^A from my sins

and blot out all my guilt.^ai

¹⁰God, create a clean heart for me

and renew a steadfast^B spirit within me.^a

¹¹Do not banish me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.^b

¹²Restore the joy of your salvation to me,

and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.^c

¹³Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,

and sinners will return to you.^d

¹⁴Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God^e—

God of my salvation—

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.^f

¹⁵Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.^g

¹⁶You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;

you are not pleased with a burnt offering.^h

¹⁷The sacrifice pleasing to God is^C a broken spirit.

You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.ⁱ

¹⁸In your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;

build the walls of Jerusalem.^j

¹⁹Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices,

whole burnt offerings;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.^k

Psalm 52

GOD JUDGES THE PROUD

For the choir director. A Maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”^l

¹Why boast about evil, you hero!^m

God’s faithful love is constant.ⁿ

²Like a sharpened razor,

your tongue devises destruction,

working treachery.^o

³You love evil instead of good,

lying instead of speaking truthfully.^p

Selah

⁴You love any words that destroy,

you treacherous tongue!^q

⁵This is why God will bring you down forever.

He will take you, ripping you out of your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living.^r

Selah

⁶The righteous will see and fear,

and they will derisively say about that hero,^As

⁷“Here is the man

who would not make God his refuge,

but trusted in the abundance of his riches,

taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”^t

⁸But I am like a flourishing olive tree

in the house of God;^u

I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.^v

⁹I will praise you forever for what you have done.

In the presence of your faithful people,

I will put my hope in your name, for it is good.^w

Psalm 53

A PORTRAIT OF SINNERS

For the choir director: on Mahalath.^x A Maskil of David.

¹The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”

They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.

There is no one who does good.^y

²God looks down from heaven on the human race^B

to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.^z

³All have turned away;

all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good,

not even one.^aa

⁴Will evildoers never understand?

They consume my people as they consume bread;^ab

they do not call on God.^ac

⁵Then they will be filled with dread—

dread like no other^ad—

because God will scatter

the bones of those who besiege you.^ae

You will put them to shame,

for God has rejected them.^a

⁶Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,^C

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.^b