Psalm 52:1–71:24

1 Why boast about evil, you hero!m

God’s faithful love is constant.n

2 Like a sharpened razor,

your tongue devises destruction,

working treachery.o

3 You love evil instead of good,

lying instead of speaking truthfully.p

Selah

4 You love any words that destroy,

you treacherous tongue!q

5 This 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

6 The righteous will see and fear,

and they will derisively say about that hero,A,s

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

8 But I am like a flourishing olive tree

in the house of God;u

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

9 I 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.

1 The 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

2 God looks down from heaven on the human raceB

to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.z

3 All have turned away;

all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good,

not even one.aa

4 Will evildoers never understand?

They consume my people as they consume bread;ab

they do not call on God.ac

5 Then they will be filled with dread—

dread like no otherad—

because God will scatter

the bones of those who besiege you.ae

You will put them to shame,

for God has rejected them.a

6 Oh, 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

Psalm 54

PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”c

1 God, save me by your name,

and vindicate me by your might!d

2 God, hear my prayer;

listen to the words from my mouth.e

3 For strangers rise up against me,

and violent men intend to kill me.

They do not let God guide them.A,f

Selah

4 God is my helper;

the Lord is the sustainer of my life.B,g

5 He will repay my adversaries for their evil.

Because of your faithfulness, annihilate them.h

6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you.i

I will praise your name, Lord,

because it is good.j

7 For he has rescued me from every trouble,

and my eye has looked down on my enemies.k

Psalm 55

BETRAYAL BY A FRIEND

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

1 God, listen to my prayer

and do not hide from my plea for help.l

2 Pay attention to me and answer me.m

I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint,n

3 because of the enemy’s words,C

because of the pressureD of the wicked.

For they bring down disaster on me

and harass me in anger.o

4 My heart shudders within me;p

terrors of death sweep over me.

5 Fear and trembling grip me;

horror has overwhelmed me.q

6 I said, “If only I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and find rest.r

7 How far away I would flee;

I would stay in the wilderness.s

Selah

8 I would hurry to my shelter

from the raging wind and the storm.”t

9 Lord, confuseE and confound their speech,F,u

for I see violence and strife in the city;

10 day and night they make the rounds on its walls.

Crime and trouble are within it;v

11 destruction is inside it;

oppression and deceit never leave its marketplace.w

12 Now it is not an enemy who insults me—

otherwise I could bear it;

it is not a foe who rises up against me—

otherwise I could hide from him.

13 But it is you, a man who is my peer,

my companion and good friend!x

14 We used to have close fellowship;

we walked with the crowd into the house of God.y

15 Let death take them by surprise;z

let them go down to Sheol alive,

because evil is in their homes and within them.aa

16 But I call to God,

and the Lord will save me.ab

17 I complain and groan morning, noon, and night,ac

and he hears my voice.ad

18 Though many are against me,

he will redeem me from my battle unharmed.ae

19 God, the one enthroned from long ago,af

will hear and will humiliate them

Selah

because they do not change

and do not fear God.a

20 My friendb acts violently

against those at peace with him;c

he violates his covenant.d

21 His buttery words are smooth,

but war is in his heart.

His words are softer than oil,

but they are drawn swords.e

22 Cast your burden on the Lord,

and he will sustain you;f

he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.g

23 God, you will bring them down

to the Pit of destruction;h

men of bloodshed and treachery

will not live out half their days.i

But I will trust in you.j

Psalm 56

A CALL FOR GOD’S PROTECTION

For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.” A Miktam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.k

1 Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me;

he fights and oppresses me all day long.

2 My adversaries trample me all day,

for many arrogantly fight against me.A,l

3 When I am afraid,

I will trust in you.m

4 In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust; I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?n

5 They twist my words all day long;

all their thoughts against me are evil.o

6 They stir up strife,B they lurk,

they watch my steps

while they wait to take my life.p

7 Will they escape in spite of such sin?

God, bring down the nations in wrath.q

8 You yourself have recorded my wanderings.C

Put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book?r

9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.s

This I know: God is for me.t

10 In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord, whose word I praise,

11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid.

What can mere humans do to me?u

12 I am obligated by vowsA to you, God;

I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you.v

13 For you rescued me from death,

even my feet from stumbling,

to walk before God in the light of life.w

Psalm 57

PRAISE FOR GOD’S PROTECTION

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. When he fled before Saul into the cave.x

1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,

for I take refuge in you.

I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings

until danger passes.y

2 I call to God Most High,

to God who fulfills his purpose for me.B,z

3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me,

challenging the one who tramples me.aa

Selah

God sends his faithful love and truth.ab

4 I am surrounded by lions;

I lie down among devouring lions—

people whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.ac

5 God, be exalted above the heavens;

let your glory be over the whole earth.ad

6 They prepared a net for my steps;

I was despondent.

They dug a pit ahead of me,

but they fell into it!ae

Selah

7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.

I will sing; I will sing praises.af

8 Wake up, my soul!

Wake up, harp and lyre!

I will wake up the dawn.ag

9 I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to you among the nations.a

10 For your faithful love is as high as the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches the clouds.b

11 God, be exalted above the heavens;c

let your glory be over the whole earth.d

Psalm 58

A CRY AGAINST INJUSTICE

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David.

1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?C

Do you judge people fairly?e

2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;

with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.f

3 The wicked go astray from the womb;

liars wander about from birth.g

4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,

like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,h

5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers

who skillfully weave spells.i

6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;

Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.j

7 May they vanish like water that flows by;

may they aim their blunted arrows.A,k

8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,

like a woman’s miscarried child,

may they not see the sun.l

9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—

whether green or burning—

he will sweep them away.B,m

10 The righteous one will rejoice

when he sees the retribution;n

he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.o

11 Then people will say,

“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!

There is a God who judges on earth!”p

Psalm 59

GOD OUR STRONGHOLD

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.q

1 Rescue me from my enemies, my God;r

protect me from those who rise up against me.s

2 Rescue me from evildoers,

and save me from men of bloodshed.t

3 Because look, Lord, they set an ambush for me.u

Powerful men attack me,

but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.v

4 For no fault of mine,

they run and take up a position.

Awake to help me, and take notice.w

5 Lord God of Armies, you are the God of Israel.

Rise up to punish all the nations;

do not show favor to any wicked traitors.x

Selah

6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs

and prowling around the city.y

7 Look, they spew from their mouths—

sharp words fromC their lips.z

“For who,” they say, “will hear?”aa

8 But you laugh at them, Lord;

you ridicule all the nations.ab

9 I will keep watch for you, myD strength,

because God is my stronghold.ac

10 My faithful GodA will come to meet me;

God will let me look down on my adversaries.ad

11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.

By your power, make them homeless wanderersae

and bring them down,

Lord, our shield.a

12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,

let them be caught in their pride.

They utter curses and lies.b

13 Consume them in fury;

consume them until they are gone.c

Then people will know throughoutB the earth

that God rules over Jacob.d

Selah

14 And they return at evening, snarling like dogs

and prowling around the city.e

15 They scavenge for food;

they growl if they are not satisfied.f

16 But I will sing of your strength

and will joyfully proclaim

your faithful love in the morning.g

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