Psalms 51–55

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

¹Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me.

⁴Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.

⁵Behold, I was born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin.

⁶Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

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

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners will be converted to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

¹⁵Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.

¹⁸Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.

For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Ahimelech’s house.”

¹Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually.

²Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

³You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah.

⁴You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue.

⁵God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.

⁶The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying,

⁷“Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

⁸But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.

⁹I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints.

For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Mahalath.” A contemplation by David.

¹The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good.

²God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God.

³Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

⁴Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on God?

⁵There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

⁶Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding himself among us?”

¹Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might.

²Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth.

³For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven’t set God before them. Selah.

⁴Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul.

⁵He will repay the evil to my enemies. Destroy them in your truth.

⁶With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to your name, LORD, for it is good.

⁷For he has delivered me out of all trouble. My eye has seen triumph over my enemies.

For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David.

¹Listen to my prayer, God. Don’t hide yourself from my supplication.

²Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan ³because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me.

⁴My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.

⁵Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me.

⁶I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.

⁷Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.” Selah.

⁸“I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.”

⁹Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her.

¹¹Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies don’t depart from her streets.

¹²For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him.

¹³But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend.