Day 173 of 364

^50:1A Psalm by Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset. ^50:2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines out. ^50:3Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him. ^50:4He calls to the heavens above, to the earth, that he may judge his people: ^50:5“Gather my saints together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” ^50:6The heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah. ^50:7“Hear, my people, and I will speak. Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. ^50:8I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me. ^50:9I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens. ^50:10For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills. ^50:11I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are mine. ^50:12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. ^50:13Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? ^50:14Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High. ^50:15Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” ^50:16But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on your lips, ^50:17since you hate instruction, and throw my words behind you? ^50:18When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers. ^50:19“You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit. ^50:20You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son. ^50:21You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes. ^50:22“Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver. ^50:23Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.” ^51:1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. ^51:2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. ^51:3For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me. ^51:4Against 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. ^51:5Behold, I was born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin. ^51:6Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. ^51:7Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ^51:8Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. ^51:9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities. ^51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. ^51:11Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. ^51:12Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit. ^51:13Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners will be converted to you. ^51:14Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. ^51:15Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare your praise. ^51:16For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. ^51:17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart. ^51:18Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. ^51:19Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar. ^52:1For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Ahimelech’s house.” Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually. ^52:2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. ^52:3You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah. ^52:4You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue. ^52:5God 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. ^52:6The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying, ^52:7“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.” ^52:8But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever. ^52:9I 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. ^53:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Mahalath.” A contemplation by David. The 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. ^53:2God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God. ^53:3Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one. ^53:4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on God? ^53:5There 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. ^53:6Oh 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. ^54:1For 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?” Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might. ^54:2Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth. ^54:3For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven’t set God before them. Selah. ^54:4Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul. ^54:5He will repay the evil to my enemies. Destroy them in your truth. ^54:6With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to your name, LORD, for it is good. ^54:7For he has delivered me out of all trouble. My eye has seen triumph over my enemies. ^55:1For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David. Listen to my prayer, God. Don’t hide yourself from my supplication. ^55:2Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan ^55:3because 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. ^55:4My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me. ^55:5Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me. ^55:6I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest. ^55:7Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.” Selah. ^55:8“I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.” ^55:9Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. ^55:10Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her. ^55:11Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies don’t depart from her streets. ^55:12For 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. ^55:13But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend. ^55:14We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God’s house with company. ^55:15Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is among them, in their dwelling. ^55:16As for me, I will call on God. The LORD will save me. ^55:17Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice. ^55:18He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me. ^55:19God, who is enthroned forever, will hear and answer them. Selah. They never change and don’t fear God. ^55:20He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant. ^55:21His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. ^55:22Cast your burden on the LORD and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved. ^55:23But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you.