Psalms 51; Psalms 52; Psalms 53; Psalms 54; Psalms 55; Psalms 56; Psalms 57

Psalms 51

1 God, be merciful to me because you are loving. Because you are always ready to be merciful, wipe out all my wrongs.

2 Wash away all my guilt and make me clean again.

3 I know about my wrongs, and I can't forget my sin.

4 You are the only one I have sinned against; I have done what you say is wrong. You are right when you speak and fair when you judge.

5 I was brought into this world in sin. In sin my mother gave birth to me.

6 You want me to be completely truthful, so teach me wisdom.

7 Take away my sin, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones you crushed be happy again.

9 Turn your face from my sins and wipe out all my guilt.

10 Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again.

11 Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me.

12 Give me back the joy of your salvation. Keep me strong by giving me a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach your ways to those who do wrong, and sinners will turn back to you.

14 God, save me from the guilt of murder, God of my salvation, and I will sing about your goodness.

15 Lord, let me speak so I may praise you.

16 You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give them. You don't want burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

18 Do whatever good you wish for Jerusalem. Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will be pleased with right sacrifices and whole burnt offerings, and bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalms 52

1 Mighty warrior, why do you brag about the evil you do? God's love will continue forever.

2 You think up evil plans. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, making up lies.

3 You love wrong more than right and lies more than truth.Selah

4 You love words that bite and tongues that lie.

5 But God will ruin you forever. He will grab you and throw you out of your tent; he will tear you away from the land of the living.Selah

6 Those who do right will see this and fear God. They will laugh at you and say,

7 "Look what happened to the man who did not depend on God but depended on his money. He grew strong by his evil plans."

8 But I am like an olive tree growing in God's Temple. forever and ever.

9 God, I will thank you forever for what you have done. With those who worship you, I will trust you because you are good.

Psalms 53

1 Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." Fools are evil and do terrible things; none of them does anything good.

2 God looked down from heaven on all people to see if anyone was wise, if anyone was looking to God for help.

3 But all have turned away. Together, everyone has become evil; none of them does anything good. Not a single person.

4 Don't the wicked understand? They destroy my people as if they were eating bread. They do not ask God for help.

5 The wicked are filled with terror where there had been nothing to fear. God will scatter the bones of your enemies. You will defeat them, because God has rejected them.

6 I pray that victory will come to Israel from Mount Zion! May God bring them back. Then the people of Jacob will rejoice, and the people of Israel will be glad.

Psalms 54

1 God, save me because of who you are. By your strength show that I am innocent.

2 Hear my prayer, God; listen to what I say.

3 Strangers turn against me, and cruel men want to kill me. They do not care about God.Selah

4 See, God will help me; the Lord will support me.

5 Let my enemies be punished with their own evil. Destroy them because you are loyal to me.

6 I will offer a sacrifice as a special gift to you. I will thank you, Lord, because you are good.

7 You have saved me from all my troubles, and I have seen my enemies defeated.

Psalms 55

1 God, listen to my prayer and do not ignore my cry for help.

2 Pay attention to me and answer me. I am troubled and upset

3 by what the enemy says and how the wicked look at me. They bring troubles down on me, and in anger they attack me.

4 I am frightened inside; the terror of death has attacked me.

5 I am scared and shaking, and terror grips me.

6 I said, "I wish I had wings like a dove. Then I would fly away and rest.

7 I would wander far away and stay in the desert.Selah

8 I would hurry to my place of escape, far away from the wind and storm."

9 Lord, destroy and confuse their words, because I see violence and fighting in the city.

10 Day and night they are all around its walls, and evil and trouble are everywhere inside.

11 Destruction is everywhere in the city; trouble and lying never leave its streets.

12 It was not an enemy insulting me. I could stand that. It was not someone who hated me. I could hide from him.

13 But it is you, a person like me, my companion and good friend.

14 We had a good friendship and walked together to God's Temple.

15 Let death take away my enemies. Let them die while they are still young because evil lives with them.

16 But I will call to God for help, and the Lord will save me.

17 Morning, noon, and night I am troubled and upset, but he will listen to me.

18 Many are against me, but he keeps me safe in battle.

19 God who lives forever will hear me and punish them.Selah But they will not change; they do not fear God.

20 The one who was my friend attacks his friends and breaks his promises.

21 His words are slippery like butter, but war is in his heart. His words are smoother than oil, but they cut like knives.

22 Give your worries to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will never let good people down.

23 But, God, you will bring down the wicked to the grave. Murderers and liars will live only half a lifetime. But I will trust in you.

Psalms 56

1 God, be merciful to me because people are chasing me; the battle has pressed me all day long.

2 My enemies have chased me all day; there are many proud people fighting me.

3 When I am afraid, I will trust you.

4 I praise God for his word. I trust God, so I am not afraid. What can human beings do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words; all their evil plans are against me.

6 They wait. They hide. They watch my steps, hoping to kill me.

7 God, do not let them escape; punish the foreign nations in your anger.

8 You have recorded my troubles. You have kept a list of my tears. Aren't they in your records?

9 On the day I call for help, my enemies will be defeated. I know that God is on my side.

10 I praise God for his word to me; I praise the Lord for his word.

11 I trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?

12 God, I must keep my promises to you. I will give you my offerings to thank you,

13 because you have saved me from death. You have kept me from being defeated. in light among the living.

Psalms 57

1 Be merciful to me, God; be merciful to me because I come to you for protection. Let me hide under the shadow of your wings until the trouble has passed.

2 I cry out to God Most High, to the God who does everything for me.

3 He sends help from heaven and saves me. He punishes those who chase me. Selah God sends me his love and truth.

4 Enemies, like lions, are all around me; I must lie down among them. Their teeth are like spears and arrows, their tongues as sharp as swords.

5 God is supreme over the skies; his majesty covers the earth.

6 They set a trap for me. I am very worried. They dug a pit in my path, but they fell into it themselves. Selah

7 My heart is steady, God; my heart is steady. I will sing and praise you.

8 Wake up, my soul. Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.

9 Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing songs of praise about you to all the nations.

10 Your great love reaches to the skies, your truth to the clouds.

11 God, you are supreme above the skies. Let your glory be over all the earth.