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

1 Have pity on me, O God, in keeping with your mercy. In keeping with your unlimited compassion, wipe out my rebellious acts.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 I admit that I am rebellious. My sin is always in front of me.

4 I have sinned against you, especially you. I have done what you consider evil. So you hand down justice when you speak, and you are blameless when you judge.

5 Indeed, I was born guilty. I was a sinner when my mother conceived me.

6 Yet, you desire truth and sincerity. Deep down inside me you teach me wisdom.

7 Purify me from sin with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear [sounds of] joy and gladness. Let the bones that you have broken dance.

9 Hide your face from my sins, and wipe out all that I have done wrong.

10 Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a faithful spirit within me.

11 Do not force me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and provide me with a spirit of willing obedience.

13 [Then] I will teach your ways to those who are rebellious, and sinners will return to you.

14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, O God, my savior. Let my tongue sing joyfully about your righteousness!

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will tell about your praise.

16 You are not happy with any sacrifice. Otherwise, I would offer one [to you]. You are not pleased with burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. O God, you do not despise a broken and sorrowful heart.

18 Favor Zion with your goodness. Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit-- with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Young bulls will be offered on your altar.

1 Why do you brag about the evil you've done, you hero? The mercy of God lasts all day long!

2 Your tongue makes up threats. It's like a sharp razor, you master of deceit.

3 You prefer evil to good. You prefer lying to speaking the truth. Selah

4 You love every destructive accusation, you deceitful tongue!

5 But God will ruin you forever. He will grab you and drag you out of your tent. He will pull your roots out of this world of the living. Selah

6 Righteous people will see [this] and be struck with fear. They will laugh at you and say,

7 "Look at this person who refused to make God his fortress! Instead, he trusted his great wealth and became strong through his greed."

8 But I am like a large olive tree in God's house. I trust the mercy of God forever and ever.

9 I will give thanks to you forever for what you have done. In the presence of your godly people, I will wait with hope in your good name.

1 Godless fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They do disgusting things. There is no one who does good things.

2 God looks down from heaven on Adam's descendants to see if there is anyone who acts wisely, if there is anyone who seeks help from God.

3 Everyone has fallen away. Together they have become rotten to the core. No one, not even one person, does good things.

4 Are all those troublemakers, those who devour my people as if they were devouring food, so ignorant that they do not call on God?

5 There they are--panic-stricken-- [but] there was no reason to panic, because God has scattered the bones of those who set up camp against you. You put them to shame. After all, God has rejected them.

6 If only salvation for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice. Israel will be glad.

1 O God, save me by your name, and defend me with your might.

2 O God, hear my prayer, and open your ears to the words from my mouth.

3 Strangers have attacked me. Ruthless people seek my life. They do not think about God. Selah

4 God is my helper! The Lord is the provider for my life.

5 My enemies spy on me. Pay them back with evil. Destroy them with your truth!

6 I will make a sacrifice to you along with a freewill offering. I will give thanks to your good name, O LORD.

7 Your name rescues me from every trouble. My eyes will gloat over my enemies.

1 Open your ears to my prayer, O God. Do not hide from my plea for mercy.

2 Pay attention to me, and answer me. My thoughts are restless, and I am confused

3 because my enemy shouts at me and a wicked person persecutes me. They bring misery crashing down on me, and they attack me out of anger.

4 My heart is in turmoil. The terrors of death have seized me.

5 Fear and trembling have overcome me. Horror has overwhelmed me.

6 I said, "If only I had wings like a dove-- I would fly away and find rest.

7 Indeed, I would run far away. I would stay in the desert. Selah

8 I would hurry to find shelter from the raging wind and storm."

9 Completely confuse their language, O Lord, because I see violence and conflict in the city.

10 Day and night they go around on [top of] the city walls. Trouble and misery are everywhere.

11 Destruction is everywhere. Oppression and fraud never leave the streets.

12 If an enemy had insulted me, then I could bear it. If someone who hated me had attacked me, then I could hide from him.

13 But it is you, my equal, my best friend, one I knew so well!

14 We used to talk to each other in complete confidence and walk into God's house with the festival crowds.

15 Let death suddenly take [wicked people]! Let them go into the grave while they are still alive, because evil lives in their homes as well as in their hearts.

16 But I call on God, and the LORD saves me.

17 Morning, noon, and night I complain and groan, and he listens to my voice.

18 With [his] peace, he will rescue my soul from the war waged against me, because there are many [soldiers fighting] against me.

19 God will listen. The one who has sat enthroned from the beginning will deal with them. Selah They never change. They never fear God.

20 [My best friend] has betrayed his friends. He has broken his solemn promise.

21 His speech is smoother than butter, but there is war in his heart. His words are more soothing than oil, but they are like swords ready to attack.

22 Turn your burdens over to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble.

23 But you, O God, will throw [wicked people] into the deepest pit. Bloodthirsty and deceitful people will not live out half their days. But I will trust you.

1 Have pity on me, O God, because people are harassing me. All day long warriors oppress me.

2 All day long my enemies spy on me. They harass me. There are so many fighting against me.

3 Even when I am afraid, I still trust you.

4 I praise the word of God. I trust God. I am not afraid. What can mere flesh [and blood] do to me?

5 All day long my enemies twist my words. Their every thought is an evil plan against me.

6 They attack, and then they hide. They watch my every step as they wait to take my life.

7 With the wrong they do, can they escape? O God, angrily make the nations fall.

8 (You have kept a record of my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. They are already in your book.)

9 Then my enemies will retreat when I call [to you]. This I know: God is on my side.

10 I praise the word of God. I praise the word of the LORD.

11 I trust God. I am not afraid. What can mortals do to me?

12 I am bound by my vows to you, O God. I will keep my vows by offering songs of thanksgiving to you.

13 You have rescued me from death. You have kept my feet from stumbling so that I could walk in your presence, in the light of life.

1 Have pity on me, O God. Have pity on me, because my soul takes refuge in you. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until destructive storms pass by.

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

3 He sends his help from heaven and saves me. He disgraces the one who is harassing me. Selah God sends his mercy and his truth!

4 My soul is surrounded by lions. I must lie down with man-eating lions. Their teeth are spears and arrows. Their tongues are sharp swords.

5 May you be honored above the heavens, O God. Let your glory extend over the whole earth.

6 [My enemies] spread out a net to catch me. (My soul is bowed down.) They dug a pit to trap me, but then they fell into it. Selah

7 My heart is confident, O God. My heart is confident. I want to sing and make music.

8 Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I want to wake up at dawn.

9 I want to give thanks to you among the people, O Lord. I want to make music to praise you among the nations

10 because your mercy is as high as the heavens. Your truth reaches the skies.

11 May you be honored above the heavens, O God. Let your glory extend over the whole earth.