Psalm 51–55

¹To the Overseer.—A Psalm of David, in the coming inn unto him of Nathan the prophet, when he hath gone in unto Bath-Sheba. Favour me, O God, according to Thy kindness, According to the abundance of Thy mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

²Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me,

³For my transgressions I do know, And my sin is before me continually.

⁴Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging.

⁵Lo, in iniquity I have been brought forth, And in sin doth my mother conceive me.

⁶Lo, truth Thou hast desired in the inward parts, And in the hidden part Wisdom Thou causest me to know.

⁷Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter.

⁸Thou causest me to hear joy and gladness, Thou makest joyful bones Thou hast bruised.

⁹Hide Thy face from my sin. And all mine iniquities blot out.

¹⁰A clean heart prepare for me, O God, And a right spirit renew within me.

¹¹Cast me not forth from Thy presence, And Thy Holy Spirit take not from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And a willing spirit doth sustain me.

¹³I teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners unto Thee do return.

¹⁴Deliver me from blood, O God, God of my salvation, My tongue singeth of Thy righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, my lips thou dost open, And my mouth declareth Thy praise.

¹⁶For Thou desirest not sacrifice, or I give it, Burnt-offering Thou acceptest not.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A heart broken and bruised, O God, Thou dost not despise.

¹⁸Do good in Thy good pleasure with Zion, Thou dost build the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then Thou desirest sacrifices of righteousness, Burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering, Then they offer bullocks on thine altar!

Psalm 52

¹To the Overseer.—An instruction, by David, in the coming in of Doeg the Edomite, and he declareth to Saul, and saith to him, ‘David came in unto the house of Ahimelech.’ What, boasteth thou in evil, O mighty one? The kindness of God is all the day.

²Mischiefs doth thy tongue devise, Like a sharp razor, working deceit.

³Thou hast loved evil rather than good, Lying, than speaking righteousness. Selah.

⁴Thou hast loved all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

⁵Also—God doth break thee down for ever, Taketh thee, and pulleth thee out of the tent, And He hath uprooted thee Out of the land of the living. Selah.

⁶And the righteous see, And fear, and laugh at him.

⁷‘Lo, the man who maketh not God his strong place, And trusteth in the abundance of his riches, He is strong in his mischiefs.’

⁸And I, as a green olive in the house of God, I have trusted in the kindness of God, To the age and for ever,

⁹I thank Thee to the age, because Thou hast done it, And I wait on Thy name for it is good before Thy saints!

Psalm 53

¹To the Overseer.—‘On a disease.’—An instruction, by David. A fool said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They have done corruptly, Yea, they have done abominable iniquity, There is none doing good.

²God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, One seeking God.

³Every one went back, together they became filthy, There is none doing good—not even one.

⁴Have not workers of iniquity known, Those eating my people have eaten bread, God they have not called.

⁵There they feared a fear—there was no fear, For God hath scattered the bones of him Who is encamping against thee, Thou hast put to shame, For God hath despised them.

⁶Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God turneth back to a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice—Israel is glad!

Psalm 54

¹To the Overseer with stringed instruments.—An instruction, by David, in the coming in of the Ziphim, and they say to Saul, ‘Is not David hiding himself with us?’ O God, by Thy name save me, and by Thy might judge me.

²O God, hear my prayer, Give ear to the sayings of my mouth,

³For strangers have risen up against me And terrible ones have sought my soul, They have not set God before them. Selah.

⁴Lo, God is a helper to me, The Lord is with those supporting my soul,

⁵Turn back doth the evil thing to mine enemies, In Thy truth cut them off.

⁶With a free will-offering I sacrifice to Thee, I thank Thy name, O Jehovah, for it is good,

⁷For, from all adversity He delivered me, And on mine enemies hath mine eye looked!

Psalm 55

¹To the Overseer with stringed instruments.—An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, to my prayer, And hide not from my supplication.

²Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,

³Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me.

⁴My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

⁵Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.

⁶And I say, ‘Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,

⁷Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

⁸I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

⁹Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

¹⁰By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness are in its midst,

¹¹Mischiefs are in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.

¹²For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear it, He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.

¹³But thou, a man—as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.

¹⁴When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.

¹⁵Desolations are upon them, They go down to Sheol—alive, For wickedness is in their dwelling, in their midst.

¹⁶I—to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.

¹⁷Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice,

¹⁸He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.

¹⁹God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God,

²⁰He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.

²¹Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart is war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they are drawn swords.

²²Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous.

²³And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I—I do trust in Thee!

Psalm 56