Psalm 52–55

Psalm 52

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Doeg the Edomite said to Saul, “David has gone to see Ahimelech.”

¹Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior?

Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?

²All day long you plot destruction.

Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor;

you’re an expert at telling lies.

³You love evil more than good

and lies more than truth.

Interlude

⁴You love to destroy others with your words,

you liar!

⁵But God will strike you down once and for all.

He will pull you from your home

and uproot you from the land of the living.

Interlude

⁶The righteous will see it and be amazed.

They will laugh and say,

⁷“Look what happens to mighty warriors

who do not trust in God.

They trust their wealth instead

and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

⁸But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.

I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.

⁹I will praise you forever, O God,

for what you have done.

I will trust in your good name

in the presence of your faithful people.

Psalm 53

For the choir director: A meditation; a psalm of David.

¹Only fools say in their hearts,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;

not one of them does good!

²God looks down from heaven

on the entire human race;

he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,

if anyone seeks God.

³But no, all have turned away;

all have become corrupt.

No one does good,

not a single one!

⁴Will those who do evil never learn?

They eat up my people like bread

and wouldn’t think of praying to God.

⁵Terror will grip them,

terror like they have never known before.

God will scatter the bones of your enemies.

You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

⁶Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?

When God restores his people,

Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

Psalm 54

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “We know where David is hiding.” To be accompanied by stringed instruments.

¹Come with great power, O God, and rescue me!

Defend me with your might.

²Listen to my prayer, O God.

Pay attention to my plea.

³For strangers are attacking me;

violent people are trying to kill me.

They care nothing for God.

Interlude

⁴But God is my helper.

The Lord keeps me alive!

⁵May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them.

Do as you promised and put an end to them.

⁶I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you;

I will praise your name, O Lord,

for it is good.

⁷For you have rescued me from my troubles

and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

Psalm 55

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

¹Listen to my prayer, O God.

Do not ignore my cry for help!

²Please listen and answer me,

for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.

³My enemies shout at me,

making loud and wicked threats.

They bring trouble on me

and angrily hunt me down.

⁴My heart pounds in my chest.

The terror of death assaults me.

⁵Fear and trembling overwhelm me,

and I can’t stop shaking.

⁶Oh, that I had wings like a dove;

then I would fly away and rest!

⁷I would fly far away

to the quiet of the wilderness.

Interlude

⁸How quickly I would escape—

far from this wild storm of hatred.

⁹Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans,

for I see violence and conflict in the city.

¹⁰Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders,

but the real danger is wickedness within the city.

¹¹Everything is falling apart;

threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.

¹²It is not an enemy who taunts me—

I could bear that.

It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—

I could have hidden from them.

¹³Instead, it is you—my equal,

my companion and close friend.

¹⁴What good fellowship we once enjoyed

as we walked together to the house of God.

¹⁵Let death stalk my enemies;

let the grave swallow them alive,

for evil makes its home within them.

¹⁶But I will call on God,

and the Lord will rescue me.

¹⁷Morning, noon, and night

I cry out in my distress,

and the Lord hears my voice.

¹⁸He ransoms me and keeps me safe

from the battle waged against me,

though many still oppose me.

¹⁹God, who has ruled forever,

will hear me and humble them.

Interlude

For my enemies refuse to change their ways;

they do not fear God.

²⁰As for my companion, he betrayed his friends;

he broke his promises.

²¹His words are as smooth as butter,

but in his heart is war.

His words are as soothing as lotion,

but underneath are daggers!

²²Give your burdens to the Lord,

and he will take care of you.

He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

²³But you, O God, will send the wicked

down to the pit of destruction.

Murderers and liars will die young,

but I am trusting you to save me.