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Psalm 51-57
New International Version
Psalm 51-57
New International Version
Psalm 51[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(A)
1 Have mercy(B) on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;(C)
according to your great compassion(D)
blot out(E) my transgressions.(F)
2 Wash away(G) all my iniquity
and cleanse(H) me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.(I)
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned(J)
and done what is evil in your sight;(K)
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.(L)
5 Surely I was sinful(M) at birth,(N)
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom(O) in that secret place.(P)
7 Cleanse(Q) me with hyssop,(R) and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(S)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;(T)
let the bones(U) you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins(V)
and blot out(W) all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart,(X) O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(Y)
11 Do not cast me(Z) from your presence(AA)
or take your Holy Spirit(AB) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(AC)
and grant me a willing spirit,(AD) to sustain me.(AE)
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(AF)
so that sinners(AG) will turn back to you.(AH)
14 Deliver me(AI) from the guilt of bloodshed,(AJ) O God,
you who are God my Savior,(AK)
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(AL)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(AM)
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(AN) or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(AO) O God, is[b] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart(AP)
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(AQ)
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(AR)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(AS)
in burnt offerings(AT) offered whole;
then bulls(AU) will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 52[c]
For the director of music. A maskil[d] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(AV) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast(AW) all day long,(AX)
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,(AY)
your tongue plots destruction;(AZ)
it is like a sharpened razor.(BA)
3 You love evil(BB) rather than good,
falsehood(BC) rather than speaking the truth.[e]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!(BD)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck(BE) you from your tent;
he will uproot(BF) you from the land of the living.(BG)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh(BH) at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold(BI)
but trusted in his great wealth(BJ)
and grew strong by destroying others!”
8 But I am like an olive tree(BK)
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust(BL) in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you(BM)
in the presence of your faithful people.(BN)
And I will hope in your name,(BO)
for your name is good.(BP)
Psalm 53[f](BQ)
For the director of music. According to mahalath.[g] A maskil[h] of David.
1 The fool(BR) says in his heart,
“There is no God.”(BS)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven(BT)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(BU)
any who seek God.(BV)
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.(BW)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.(BX)
God scattered the bones(BY) of those who attacked you;(BZ)
you put them to shame,(CA) for God despised them.(CB)
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 54[i]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[j] of David. When the Ziphites(CC) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me(CD), O God, by your name;(CE)
vindicate me by your might.(CF)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;(CG)
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;(CH)
ruthless people(CI) are trying to kill me(CJ)—
people without regard for God.[k](CK)
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering(CP) to you;
I will praise(CQ) your name, Lord, for it is good.(CR)
7 You have delivered me(CS) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.(CT)
Psalm 55[l]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[m] of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;(CU)
2 hear me and answer me.(CV)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(CW)
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(CX)
and assail(CY) me in their anger.(CZ)
4 My heart is in anguish(DA) within me;
the terrors(DB) of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling(DC) have beset me;
horror(DD) has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;[n](DE)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,(DF)
far from the tempest and storm.(DG)”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(DH)
for I see violence and strife(DI) in the city.(DJ)
10 Day and night they prowl(DK) about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(DL) are at work in the city;
threats and lies(DM) never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,(DN)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(DO)
at the house of God,(DP)
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(DQ)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(DR)
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(DS) morning(DT) and noon(DU)
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(DV)
who does not change—
he will hear(DW) them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.(DX)
20 My companion attacks his friends;(DY)
he violates his covenant.(DZ)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(EA)
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(EB)
yet they are drawn swords.(EC)
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;(ED)
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.(EE)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit(EF) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(EG)
will not live out half their days.(EH)
But as for me, I trust in you.(EI)
Psalm 56[o]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[p] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(EJ) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(EK)
all day long they press their attack.(EL)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(EM)
in their pride many are attacking me.(EN)
3 When I am afraid,(EO) I put my trust in you.(EP)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(EQ)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(ER)
What can mere mortals do to me?(ES)
5 All day long they twist my words;(ET)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(EU) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(EV)
hoping to take my life.(EW)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[q] let them escape;(EX)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(EY)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[r](EZ)—
are they not in your record?(FA)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(FB)
when I call for help.(FC)
By this I will know that God is for me.(FD)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows(FE) to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(FF)
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.(FG)
Psalm 57[s](FH)
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[t] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(FI)
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.(FJ)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(FK)
until the disaster has passed.(FL)
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.(FM)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,(FN)
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[u](FO)
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(FP)
4 I am in the midst of lions;(FQ)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(FR)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.(FS)
6 They spread a net for my feet(FT)—
I was bowed down(FU) in distress.
They dug a pit(FV) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.(FW)
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;(FX)
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!(FY)
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(FZ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
- Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are
- Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
- Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
- Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
- Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
- Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.
- Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
- Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
- Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
- Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
- Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
Psalm 51-57
King James Version
Psalm 51-57
King James Version
51 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
52 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
2 The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
53 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
54 Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good.
7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
55 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I 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 tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: 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 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
56 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
10 In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word.
11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
57 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
New International Version (NIV) 
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