Psalm 51

A Prayer of Repentance

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David aWhen Nathan the Prophet Went to Him, After He Had Gone in to Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

bBlot out my transgressions.

2 cWash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.

4 dAgainst You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil ein Your sight—

fThat You may be found just 1when You speak,

And blameless when You judge.

5 gBehold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,

And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 hPurge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be iwhiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladness,

That the bones You have broken jmay rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins,

And blot out all my iniquities.

10 kCreate in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your lHoly Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your mgenerous Spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

The God of my salvation,

And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,

And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

16 For nYou do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

17 oThe sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then You shall be pleased with pthe sacrifices of righteousness,

With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Psalm 52

The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly

To the Chief Musician. A 1Contemplation of David aWhen Doeg the Edomite Went and bTold Saul, and Said to Him, “David Has Gone to the House of Ahimelech.”

1 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

The goodness of God endures continually.

2 Your tongue devises destruction,

Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 You love evil more than good,

Lying rather than speaking righteousness.

Selah

4 You love all devouring words,

You deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;

He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,

And uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah

6 The righteous also shall see and fear,

And shall laugh at him, saying,

7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

And strengthened himself in his 2wickedness.”

8 But I am clike a green olive tree in the house of God;

I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

9 I will praise You forever,

Because You have done it;

And in the presence of Your saints

I will wait on Your name, for it 3is good.

Psalm 53

Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A 1Contemplation of David.

1 The afool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;

bThere is none who does good.

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

To see if there are any who understand, who cseek God.

3 Every one of them has turned aside;

They have together become corrupt;

There is none who does good,

No, not one.

4 Have the workers of iniquity dno knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And do not call upon God?

5 eThere they are in great fear

Where no fear was,

For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;

You have put them to shame,

Because God has despised them.

6 fOh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

When God brings back 2the captivity of His people,

Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Psalm 54

Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries

To the Chief Musician. With 1Stringed Instruments. A 2Contemplation of David aWhen the Ziphites Went and Said to Saul, “Is David Not Hiding with Us?”

1 Save me, O God, by Your name,

And vindicate me by Your strength.

2 Hear my prayer, O God;

Give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers have risen up against me,

And oppressors have sought after my life;

They have not set God before them.

Selah

4 Behold, God is my helper;

The Lord is with those who 3uphold my life.

5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.

4Cut them off in Your 5truth.

6 I will freely sacrifice to You;

I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.

7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble;

bAnd my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

Psalm 55

Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends

To the Chief Musician. With 1Stringed Instruments. A 2Contemplation of David.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,

And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

2 Attend to me, and hear me;

I aam 3restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,

3 Because of the voice of the enemy,

Because of the oppression of the wicked;

bFor they bring down trouble upon me,

And in wrath they hate me.

4 cMy heart is severely pained within me,

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,

And horror has overwhelmed me.

6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

7 Indeed, I would wander far off,

And remain in the wilderness.

Selah

8 I would hasten my escape

From the windy storm and tempest.”

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their 4tongues,

For I have seen dviolence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go around it on its walls;

eIniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.

11 Destruction is in its midst;

fOppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

12 gFor it is not an enemy who reproaches me;

Then I could bear it.

Nor is it one who hates me who has hexalted himself against me;

Then I could hide from him.

13 But it was you, a man my equal,

iMy companion and my acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together,

And jwalked to the house of God in the throng.

15 Let death seize them;

Let them kgo down alive into 5hell,

For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

16 As for me, I will call upon God,

And the Lord shall save me.

17 lEvening and morning and at noon

I will pray, and cry aloud,

And He shall hear my voice.

18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,

For mthere were many against me.

19 God will hear, and afflict them,

nEven He who abides from of old.

Selah

Because they do not change,

Therefore they do not fear God.

20 He has oput forth his hands against those who pwere at peace with him;

He has broken his 6covenant.

21 qThe words of his mouth were smoother than butter,

But war was in his heart;

His words were softer than oil,

Yet they were drawn swords.

22 rCast your burden on the Lord,

And sHe shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be 7moved.

23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;

tBloodthirsty and deceitful men ushall not live out half their days;

But I will trust in You.