Psalms 49-55

Psalm 49

¹To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.

²Both low and high, together rich and needy.

³My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart are things of understanding.

⁴I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle:

⁵Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.

⁶Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish.

⁷A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.

⁸And precious is the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased -- to the age.

⁹And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit.

¹⁰For he seeth wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth.

¹¹Their heart is: Their houses are to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands.

¹²And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off.

¹³This their way is folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. Selah.

¹⁴As sheep for Sheol they have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form is for consumption. Sheol is a dwelling for him.

¹⁵Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. Selah.

¹⁶Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,

¹⁷For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.

¹⁸For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)

¹⁹It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.

²⁰Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!

Psalm 50

¹A Psalm of Asaph. The God of gods -- Jehovah -- hath spoken, And He calleth to the earth From the rising of the sun unto its going in.

²From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shone.

³Our God cometh, and is not silent, Fire before Him doth devour, And round about him it hath been very tempestuous.

⁴He doth call unto the heavens from above, And unto the earth, to judge His people.

⁵Gather ye to Me My saints, Making covenant with Me over a sacrifice.

⁶And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. Selah.

⁷Hear, O My people, and I speak, O Israel, and I testify against thee, God, thy God am I.

⁸Not for thy sacrifices do I reprove thee, Yea, thy burnt-offerings Are before Me continually.

⁹I take not from thy house a bullock, From thy folds he goats.

¹⁰For Mine is every beast of the forest, The cattle on the hills of oxen.

¹¹I have known every fowl of the mountains, And the wild beast of the field is with Me.

¹²If I am hungry I tell not to thee, For Mine is the world and its fulness.

¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls, And drink the blood of he-goats?

¹⁴Sacrifice to God confession, And complete to the Most High thy vows.

¹⁵And call Me in a day of adversity, I deliver thee, and thou honourest Me.

¹⁶And to the wicked hath God said: What to thee -- to recount My statutes? That thou liftest up My covenant on thy mouth?

¹⁷Yea, thou hast hated instruction, And dost cast My words behind thee.

¹⁸If thou hast seen a thief, Then thou art pleased with him, And with adulterers is thy portion.

¹⁹Thy mouth thou hast sent forth with evil, And thy tongue joineth deceit together,

²⁰Thou sittest, against thy brother thou speakest, Against a son of thy mother givest slander.

²¹These thou didst, and I kept silent, Thou hast thought that I am like thee, I reprove thee, and set in array before thine eyes.

²²Understand this, I pray you, Ye who are forgetting God, Lest I tear, and there is no deliverer.

²³He who is sacrificing praise honoureth Me, As to him who maketh a way, I cause him to look on the salvation of God!

Psalm 51

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!