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.

Psalm 56

Prayer for Relief from Tormentors

To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David When the aPhilistines Captured Him in Gath.

1 Be bmerciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;

Fighting all day he oppresses me.

2 My enemies would chound me all day,

For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

3 Whenever I am afraid,

I will trust in You.

4 In God (I will praise His word),

In God I have put my trust;

dI will not fear.

What can flesh do to me?

5 All day they twist my words;

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They gather together,

They hide, they mark my steps,

When they lie in wait for my life.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity?

In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

8 You number my wanderings;

Put my tears into Your bottle;

eAre they not in Your book?

9 When I cry out to You,

Then my enemies will turn back;

This I know, because fGod is for me.

10 In God (I will praise His word),

In the Lord (I will praise His word),

11 In God I have put my trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

12 Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;

I will render praises to You,

13 gFor You have delivered my soul from death.

Have You not kept my feet from falling,

That I may walk before God

In the hlight of the living?

Psalm 57

Prayer for Safety from Enemies

To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David aWhen He Fled from Saul into the Cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

bAnd in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

cUntil these calamities have passed by.

2 I will cry out to God Most High,

To God dwho performs all things for me.

3 eHe shall send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches the one who 2would swallow me up.

Selah

God fshall send forth His mercy and His truth.

4 My soul is among lions;

I lie among the sons of men

Who are set on fire,

gWhose teeth are spears and arrows,

And their tongue a sharp sword.

5 hBe exalted, O God, above the heavens;

Let Your glory be above all the earth.

6 iThey have prepared a net for my steps;

My soul is bowed down;

They have dug a pit before me;

Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen.

Selah

7 jMy heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise.

8 Awake, kmy glory!

Awake, lute and harp!

I will awaken the dawn.

9 lI will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing to You among the 3nations.

10 mFor Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,

And Your truth unto the clouds.

11 nBe exalted, O God, above the heavens;

Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Psalm 58

The Just Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to 1“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.

1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?

Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?

2 No, in heart you work wickedness;

You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 aThe wicked are estranged from the womb;

They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

4 bTheir poison is like the poison of a serpent;

They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,

5 Which will not cheed the voice of charmers,

Charming ever so skillfully.

6 dBreak 2their teeth in their mouth, O God!

Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!

7 eLet them flow away as waters which run continually;

When he bends his bow,

Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.

8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,

fLike a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your gpots can feel the burning thorns,

He shall take them away has with a whirlwind,

As in His living and burning wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the ivengeance;

jHe shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

11 kSo that men will say,

“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;

Surely He is God who ljudges in the earth.”