Psalm 53-55

Psalm 53-55 New King James Version (NKJV)

Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A ^[a]Contemplation of David.

53 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.

² God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
³ Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.

⁴ Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
⁵ There they are 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 despised them.

⁶ Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back ^[b]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries

To the Chief Musician. With ^[c]stringed instruments. A ^[d]Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”

54 Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
² Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
³ For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah

⁴ Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who ^[e]uphold my life.
⁵ He will repay my enemies for their evil.
^[f]Cut them off in Your ^[g]truth.

⁶ I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
⁷ For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends

To the Chief Musician. With ^[h]stringed instruments. A ^[i]Contemplation of David.

55 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
² Attend to me, and hear me;
I am^[j] restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
³ Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.

⁴ My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
⁶ So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷ Indeed, I would 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 ^[k]tongues,
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go around it on its walls;
Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
¹¹ Destruction is in its midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

¹² For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
¹³ But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
¹⁴ We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.

¹⁵ Let death seize them;
Let them go down alive into ^[l]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
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
¹⁸ He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.
¹⁹ God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.

²⁰ He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has broken his ^[m]covenant.
²¹ The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.

²² Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be ^[n]moved.

²³ But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.