Why boastest thou thyself in evil, thou mighty man? The loving-kindness of •God abideth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischievous things, like a sharp razor, practising deceit. Thou hast loved evil rather than good, lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou hast loved all devouring words, O deceitful tongue! •God shall likewise destroy thee for ever; he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy tent, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

⁶The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, ⁷Behold the man that made not God his strength, but put confidence in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his avarice. ⁸But as for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God: I will confide in the loving-kindness of God for ever and ever. ⁹I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it; and I will wait on thy name, before thy godly ones, for it is good.

Psalm 53

To the chief Musician. On Mahalath: an instruction. Of David.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God! They have corrupted themselves, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from the heavens upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back, they are together become corrupt: there is none that doeth good, not even one. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, eating up my people as they eat bread? they call not upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was; for God scattereth the bones of him that encampeth against thee. Thou hast put them to shame, for God hath despised them. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God turneth again the captivity of his people, Jacob shall be glad, Israel shall rejoice.

Psalm 54

To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David; when the Ziphites came, and said to Saul, Is not David hiding himself with us?

O God, by thy name save me, and by thy strength do me justice. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers are risen up against me, and the violent seek after my life: they have not set God before them. Selah.

⁴Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is among them that uphold my soul. ⁵He will requite evil to mine enemies: in thy truth cut them off. ⁶I will freely sacrifice unto thee; I will praise thy name, O Jehovah, because it is good. ⁷For he hath delivered me out of all trouble; and mine eye hath seen its desire upon mine enemies.

Psalm 55

To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David.

Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud, Because of the voice of the enemy; because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they persecute me. My heart is writhing within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest; Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah; I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.

⁹Swallow them up, Lord; divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. ¹⁰Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; and iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it. ¹¹Perversities are in the midst thereof; and oppression and deceit depart not from its streets. ¹²For it is not an enemy that hath reproached me—then could I have borne it; neither is it he that hateth me that hath magnified himself against me—then would I have hidden myself from him; ¹³But it was thou, a man mine equal, mine intimate, my familiar friend. … ¹⁴We who held sweet intercourse together. To the house of God we walked amid the throng. ¹⁵Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst.

¹⁶As for me, unto God will I call; and Jehovah will save me. ¹⁷Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and moan aloud; and he will hear my voice. ¹⁸He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me. ¹⁹•God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) …because there is no change in them, and they fear not God. ²⁰He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant. ²¹Smooth were the milky words of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords. ²²Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved. ²³And thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But as for me, I will confide in thee.

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