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Psalm 49-52
English Standard Version
Psalm 49-52
English Standard Version
Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of (A)the Sons of Korah.
49 (B)Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 (C)both low and high,
rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak (D)wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to (E)a proverb;
I will solve my (F)riddle to the music of the lyre.
5 (G)Why should I fear in (H)times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 those who (I)trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man (J)can ransom another,
or (K)give to God (L)the price of his life,
8 for (M)the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
and (N)never see the pit.
10 For he sees (O)that even the wise die;
(P)the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and (Q)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their (R)graves are their homes forever,[a]
their dwelling places (S)to all generations,
though they (T)called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp (U)will not remain;
(V)he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the path of those who have (W)foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.[b] Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright (X)shall rule over them in the morning.
(Y)Their form shall be consumed (Z)in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will (AA)ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will (AB)receive me. Selah
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17 (AC)For when he dies he will (AD)carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself (AE)blessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will (AF)go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again (AG)see light.
20 (AH)Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
God Himself Is Judge
A Psalm of (AI)Asaph.
50 (AJ)The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
(AK)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, (AL)the perfection of beauty,
(AM)God shines forth.
3 Our God comes; he (AN)does not keep silence;[c]
before him is a devouring (AO)fire,
around him a mighty tempest.
4 (AP)He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made (AQ)a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 (AR)The heavens declare his righteousness,
for (AS)God himself is judge! Selah
7 (AT)“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
(AU)I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices (AV)do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 (AW)I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
(AX)for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 (AY)Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[d]
and (AZ)perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and (BA)call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will (BB)deliver you, and you shall (BC)glorify me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 (BD)For you hate discipline,
(BE)and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, (BF)you are pleased with him,
(BG)and you keep company with adulterers.
19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
(BH)and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I (BI)have been silent;
you thought that I[e] was one like yourself.
But now I (BJ)rebuke you and (BK)lay the charge before you.
22 “Mark this, then, you who (BL)forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be (BM)none to deliver!
23 The one who (BN)offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who (BO)orders his way rightly
I will show the (BP)salvation of God!”
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when (BQ)Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51 (BR)Have mercy on me,[f] O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your (BS)abundant mercy
(BT)blot out my transgressions.
2 (BU)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and (BV)cleanse me from my sin!
3 (BW)For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 (BX)Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil (BY)in your sight,
(BZ)so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, (CA)I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in (CB)the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me (CC)with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
(CD)wash me, and I shall be (CE)whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
(CF)let the bones (CG)that you have broken rejoice.
9 (CH)Hide your face from my sins,
and (CI)blot out all my iniquities.
10 (CJ)Create in me a (CK)clean heart, O God,
and (CL)renew a right[g] spirit within me.
11 (CM)Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not (CN)your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will (CO)return to you.
14 Deliver me from (CP)bloodguiltiness, O God,
O (CQ)God of my salvation,
and (CR)my tongue will sing aloud of your (CS)righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 (CT)For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are (CU)a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 (CV)Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
(CW)build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in (CX)right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and (CY)whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
The Steadfast Love of God Endures
To the choirmaster. A Maskil[h] of David, when (CZ)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”
52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
2 Your (DA)tongue plots destruction,
like (DB)a sharp razor, you (DC)worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
and (DD)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever;
he will snatch and (DE)tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from (DF)the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous shall (DG)see and fear,
and shall (DH)laugh at him, saying,
7 “See the man who would not make
God his refuge,
but (DI)trusted in the abundance of his riches
and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[i]
8 But I am like (DJ)a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, (DK)for it is good,
in the presence of the (DL)godly.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Their inward thought was that their homes were forever
- Psalm 49:13 Or and of those after them who approve of their boasts
- Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
- Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
- Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am
- Psalm 51:1 Or Be gracious to me
- Psalm 51:10 Or steadfast
- Psalm 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction
Psalm 49-52
New International Version
Psalm 49-52
New International Version
Psalm 49[a]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear(A) this, all you peoples;(B)
listen, all who live in this world,(C)
2 both low and high,(D)
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(E)
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(F)
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;(G)
with the harp(H) I will expound my riddle:(I)
5 Why should I fear(J) when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth(K)
and boast(L) of their great riches?(M)
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom(N) for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—(O)
9 so that they should live on(P) forever
and not see decay.(Q)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(R)
that the foolish and the senseless(S) also perish,
leaving their wealth(T) to others.(U)
11 Their tombs(V) will remain their houses[b] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,(W)
though they had[c] named(X) lands after themselves.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(AA)
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(AB) to die;(AC)
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail(AD) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(AE)
he will surely take me to himself.(AF)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(AG) with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.(AH)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(AI)
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(AJ)
who will never again see the light(AK) of life.
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(AN)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(AO)
2 From Zion,(AP) perfect in beauty,(AQ)
God shines forth.(AR)
3 Our God comes(AS)
and will not be silent;(AT)
a fire devours(AU) before him,(AV)
and around him a tempest(AW) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(AX) that he may judge his people:(AY)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(AZ)
who made a covenant(BA) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(BB) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[e][f](BC)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(BD) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(BE)
8 I bring no charges(BF) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(BG) which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull(BH) from your stall
or of goats(BI) from your pens,(BJ)
10 for every animal of the forest(BK) is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.(BL)
11 I know every bird(BM) in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields(BN) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world(BO) is mine, and all that is in it.(BP)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(BQ) to God,
fulfill your vows(BR) to the Most High,(BS)
15 and call(BT) on me in the day of trouble;(BU)
I will deliver(BV) you, and you will honor(BW) me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant(BX) on your lips?(BY)
17 You hate(BZ) my instruction
and cast my words behind(CA) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(CB) with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.(CC)
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.(CD)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(CE)
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(CF)
you thought I was exactly[g] like you.
But I now arraign(CG) you
and set my accusations(CH) before you.
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(CI)
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(CJ)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless[h] I will show my salvation.(CK)”
Psalm 51[i]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(CL)
1 Have mercy(CM) on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;(CN)
according to your great compassion(CO)
blot out(CP) my transgressions.(CQ)
2 Wash away(CR) all my iniquity
and cleanse(CS) me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.(CT)
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned(CU)
and done what is evil in your sight;(CV)
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.(CW)
5 Surely I was sinful(CX) at birth,(CY)
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom(CZ) in that secret place.(DA)
7 Cleanse(DB) me with hyssop,(DC) and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(DD)
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;(DE)
let the bones(DF) you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins(DG)
and blot out(DH) all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart,(DI) O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(DJ)
11 Do not cast me(DK) from your presence(DL)
or take your Holy Spirit(DM) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(DN)
and grant me a willing spirit,(DO) to sustain me.(DP)
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(DQ)
so that sinners(DR) will turn back to you.(DS)
14 Deliver me(DT) from the guilt of bloodshed,(DU) O God,
you who are God my Savior,(DV)
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(DW)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(DX)
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(DY) or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(DZ) O God, is[j] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart(EA)
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(EB)
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(EC)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(ED)
in burnt offerings(EE) offered whole;
then bulls(EF) will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 52[k]
For the director of music. A maskil[l] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(EG) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast(EH) all day long,(EI)
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,(EJ)
your tongue plots destruction;(EK)
it is like a sharpened razor.(EL)
3 You love evil(EM) rather than good,
falsehood(EN) rather than speaking the truth.[m]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!(EO)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck(EP) you from your tent;
he will uproot(EQ) you from the land of the living.(ER)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh(ES) at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold(ET)
but trusted in his great wealth(EU)
and grew strong by destroying others!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
- Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
- Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
- Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
- Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
- Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
- Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
- Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
- Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are
- Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
- Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.