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Psalm 49-51
New King James Version
Psalm 49-51
New King James Version
The Confidence of the Foolish
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my [a]dark saying on the harp.
5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 Those who (A)trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor (B)give to God a ransom for him—
8 For (C)the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
9 That he should continue to live eternally,
And (D)not [b]see the Pit.
10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 [c]Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They (E)call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not [d]remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the way of those who are (F)foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
(G)The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
(H)And their beauty shall be consumed in [e]the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God (I)will redeem my soul from the power of [f]the grave,
For He shall (J)receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives (K)he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see (L)light.[g]
20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
(M)Is like the beasts that perish.
God the Righteous Judge
A Psalm of Asaph.
50 The (N)Mighty One, God the Lord,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
(O)God will shine forth.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
(P)A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
4 (Q)He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
5 “Gather (R)My saints together to Me,
(S)Those who have [h]made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 Let the (T)heavens declare His righteousness,
For (U)God Himself is Judge. Selah
7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
(V)I am God, your God!
8 (W)I will not [i]rebuke you (X)for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
9 (Y)I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
(Z)For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13 (AA)Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14 (AB)Offer to God thanksgiving,
And (AC)pay your vows to the Most High.
15 (AD)Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17 (AE)Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18 When you saw a thief, you (AF)consented[j] with him,
And have been a (AG)partaker with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth to evil,
And (AH)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 kept silent;
(AI)You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And (AJ)set them in order before your eyes.
22 “Now consider this, you who (AK)forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And (AL)to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”
A Prayer of Repentance
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David (AM)when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
(AN)Blot out my transgressions.
2 (AO)Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 (AP)Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil (AQ)in Your sight—
(AR)That You may be found just [k]when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
5 (AS)Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 (AT)Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be (AU)whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken (AV)may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 (AW)Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your (AX)Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your (AY)generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For (AZ)You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 (BA)The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with (BB)the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:4 riddle
- Psalm 49:9 experience corruption
- Psalm 49:11 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Their graves shall be their houses forever
- Psalm 49:12 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. understand (cf. v. 20)
- Psalm 49:14 Or Sheol
- Psalm 49:15 Or Sheol
- Psalm 49:19 The light of life
- Psalm 50:5 Lit. cut
- Psalm 50:8 reprove
- Psalm 50:18 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. ran
- Psalm 51:4 LXX, Tg., Vg. in Your words
Psalm 49-51
New International Version
Psalm 49-51
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.
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
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.