Psalms Chapter 53
Bible in Basic English

48:1<A Song. A Psalm. Of the sons of Korah.> Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the town of our God, in his holy mountain. 48:2Beautiful in its high position, the joy of all the earth, is the mountain of Zion, the mountain of God, the town of the great King. 48:3In its buildings God is seen to be a high tower. 48:4For see! the kings came together by agreement, they were joined together. 48:5They saw it, and so were full of wonder; they were troubled, and went quickly away in fear. 48:6Shaking came on them and pain, as on a woman in childbirth. 48:7By you the ships of Tarshish are broken as by an east wind. 48:8As it came to our ears so have we seen it, in the town of the Lord of armies, in the town of our God; God will keep it fixed for ever. (Selah.) 48:9Our thoughts were of your mercy, O God, while we were in your Temple. 48:10As your name is, O God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth; your right hand is full of righteousness. 48:11Let there be joy in the mountain of Zion, and let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of your wise decisions. 48:12Make your way about Zion, and go round it, numbering its towers. 48:13Take note of its strong walls, looking well at its fair buildings; so that you may give word of it to the generation which comes after. 48:14Because this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide.

49:1<Alamoth. To the chief music-maker. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.> Give attention to this, all you peoples; let your ears be open, all you who are living in the world. 49:2High and low together, the poor, and those who have wealth. 49:3From my mouth will come words of wisdom; and in the thoughts of my heart will be knowledge. 49:4I will put my teaching into a story; I will make my dark sayings clear with music. 49:5What cause have I for fear in the days of evil, when the evil-doing of those who are working for my downfall is round about me? 49:6Even of those whose faith is in their wealth, and whose hearts are lifted up because of their stores. 49:7Truly, no man may get back his soul for a price, or give to God the payment for himself; 49:8(Because it takes a great price to keep his soul from death, and man is not able to give it.) 49:9So that he might have eternal life, and never see the underworld. 49:10For he sees that wise men come to their end, and foolish persons of low behaviour come to destruction together, letting their wealth go to others. 49:11The place of the dead is their house for ever, and their resting-place through all generations; those who come after them give their names to their lands. 49:12But man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts. 49:13This is the way of the foolish; their silver is for those who come after them, and their children get the pleasure of their gold. (Selah.) 49:14Death will give them their food like sheep; the underworld is their fate and they will go down into it; their flesh is food for worms; their form is wasted away; the underworld is their resting-place for ever. 49:15But God will get back my soul; for he will take me from the power of death. (Selah.) 49:16Have no fear when wealth comes to a man, and the glory of his house is increased; 49:17For at his death, he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. 49:18Though he might have pride in his soul in his life-time, and men will give you praise if you do well for yourself, 49:19He will go to the generation of his fathers; he will not see the light again. 49:20Man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

50:1<A Psalm. Of Asaph.> The God of gods, even the Lord, has sent out his voice, and the earth is full of fear; from the coming up of the sun to its going down. 50:2From Zion, most beautiful of places, God has sent out his light. 50:3Our God will come, and will not keep quiet; with fire burning before him, and storm-winds round him. 50:4His voice will go out to the heavens and to the earth, for the judging of his people: 50:5Let my saints come together to me; those who have made an agreement with me by offerings. 50:6And let the heavens make clear his righteousness; for God himself is the judge. (Selah.) 50:7Give ear, O my people, to my words; O Israel, I will be a witness against you; I am God, even your God. 50:8I will not take up a cause against you because of your offerings, or because of your burned offerings, which are ever before me. 50:9I will take no ox out of your house, or he-goats from your flocks; 50:10For every beast of the woodland is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 50:11I see all the birds of the mountains, and the beasts of the field are mine. 50:12If I had need of food, I would not give you word of it; for the earth is mine and all its wealth. 50:13Am I to take the flesh of the ox for my food, or the blood of goats for my drink? 50:14Make an offering of praise to God; keep the agreements which you have made with the Most High; 50:15Let your voice come up to me in the day of trouble; I will be your saviour, so that you may give glory to me. 50:16But to the sinner, God says, What are you doing, talking of my laws, or taking the words of my agreement in your mouth? 50:17Seeing that you have no desire for my teaching, turning your back on my words. 50:18When you saw a thief, you were in agreement with him, and you were joined with those who took other men's wives. 50:19You have given your mouth to evil, your tongue to words of deceit. 50:20You say evil of your brother; you make false statements against your mother's son. 50:21These things have you done, and I said nothing; it seemed to you that I was such a one as yourself; but I will make a protest against you, and put them in order before your eyes. 50:22Now keep this in mind, you who have no memory of God, for fear that you may be crushed under my hand, with no one to give you help: 50:23Whoever makes an offering of praise gives glory to me; and to him who is upright in his ways I will make clear the salvation of God.

51:1<To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.> Have pity on me, O God, in your mercy; out of a full heart, take away my sin. 51:2Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil. 51:3For I am conscious of my error; my sin is ever before me. 51:4Against you, you only, have I done wrong, working that which is evil in your eyes; so that your words may be seen to be right, and you may be clear when you are judging. 51:5Truly, I was formed in evil, and in sin did my mother give me birth. 51:6Your desire is for what is true in the inner parts: in the secrets of my soul you will give me knowledge of wisdom. 51:7Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow. 51:8Make me full of joy and rapture; so that the bones which have been broken may be glad. 51:9Let your face be turned from my wrongdoing, and take away all my sins. 51:10Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again. 51:11Do not put me away from before you, or take your holy spirit from me. 51:12Give me back the joy of your salvation; let a free spirit be my support. 51:13Then will I make your ways clear to wrongdoers; and sinners will be turned to you. 51:14Be my saviour from violent death, O God, the God of my salvation; and my tongue will give praise to your righteousness. 51:15O Lord, let my lips be open, so that my mouth may make clear your praise. 51:16You have no desire for an offering or I would give it; you have no delight in burned offerings. 51:17The offerings of God are a broken spirit; a broken and sorrowing heart, O God, you will not put from you. 51:18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure, building up the walls of Jerusalem. 51:19Then you will have delight in the offerings of righteousness, in burned offerings and offerings of beasts; then they will make offerings of oxen on your altar.

52:1<To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of David. When Doeg the Edomite came to Saul saying, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.> Why do you take pride in wrongdoing, lifting yourself up against the upright man all the day? 52:2Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade. 52:3You have more love for evil than for good, for deceit than for works of righteousness. (Selah.) 52:4Destruction is in all your words, O false tongue. 52:5But God will put an end to you for ever; driving you out from your tent, uprooting you from the land of the living. (Selah.) 52:6The upright will see it with fear, and will say, laughing at you: 52:7See, this is the man who did not make God his strength, but had faith in his goods and his property, and made himself strong in his wealth. 52:8But I am like a branching olive-tree in the house of God; I have put my faith in his mercy for ever and ever. 52:9I will give you praise without end for what you have done; I will give honour to your name before your saints, for it is good.

53:1<To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath. Maschil. Of David.> The foolish man has said in his heart, God will not do anything. They are unclean, they have done evil works; there is not one who does good. 53:2God was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God. 53:3Every one of them has gone back; they are unclean: there is not one who does good, no, not one. 53:4Have the workers of evil no knowledge? they take my people for food, as they would take bread; they make no prayer to God. 53:5They were in great fear, where there was no cause for fear: for the bones of those who make war on you have been broken by God; you have put them to shame, because God has no desire for them. 53:6May the salvation of Israel come out of Zion! When the fate of his people is changed by God, Jacob will have joy, and Israel will be glad.

54:1<To the chief music-maker; on Neginoth. Maschil. Of David. When the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Is not David keeping himself secret among us?> Let your name be my salvation, O God; let my cause be judged by your strength. 54:2Let my prayer come before you, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. 54:3For men who are going after me have come out against me, violent men are purposing to take my soul; they have not put God before their eyes. (Selah.) 54:4See, God is my helper: the Lord is the great supporter of my soul. 54:5Let the evil works of my haters come back on them again; let them be cut off by your good faith. 54:6Freely will I make my offerings to you; I will give praise to your name, O Lord, for it is good. 54:7Because it has been my saviour from all my trouble; and my eyes have seen the punishment of my haters.

55:1<To the chief music-maker, on Neginoth. Maschil. Of David.> Give hearing to my prayer, O God; and let not your ear be shut against my request. 55:2Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow; 55:3I am troubled because of the voice of the cruel ones, because of the loud cry of the evil-doers; for they put a weight of evil on me, and they are cruel in their hate for me. 55:4My heart is deeply wounded, and the fear of death has come on me. 55:5Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered. 55:6And I said, If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest. 55:7I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah.) 55:8I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind. 55:9Send destruction on them, O Lord, make a division of tongues among them: for I have seen fighting and violent acts in the town. 55:10By day and night they go round the town, on the walls; trouble and sorrow are in the heart of it. 55:11Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets. 55:12For it was not my hater who said evil of me; that would have been no grief to me; it was not one outside the number of my friends who made himself strong against me, or I would have kept myself from him in a secret place; 55:13But it was you, my equal, my guide, my well-loved friend. 55:14We had loving talk together, and went to the house of God in company. 55:15Let the hand of death come on them suddenly, and let them go down living into the underworld; because evil is in their houses and in their hearts. 55:16As for me, I will make my prayer to God, and he will be my saviour. 55:17In the evening and in the morning and in the middle of the day I will make my prayer with sounds of grief; and my voice will come to his ears. 55:18He has taken my soul away from the attack which was made against me, and given it peace; for great numbers were against me. 55:19God will give thought to me; he who from early times is strong will send pain and trouble on them. (Selah.) Because they are unchanged, they have no fear of God. 55:20He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement. 55:21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, but they were sharp swords. 55:22Put your cares on the Lord, and he will be your support; he will not let the upright man be moved. 55:23But you, O God, will send them down into the underworld; the cruel and the false will be cut off before half their days are ended; but I will have faith in you.

56:1<To the chief music-maker; put to Jonath elem rehokim. Of David. Michtam. When the Philistines took him in Gath.> Have mercy on me, O God, for man is attempting my destruction; every day he makes cruel attacks against me. 56:2My haters are ever ready to put an end to me; great numbers are lifting themselves up against me. 56:3In the time of my fear, I will have faith in you. 56:4In God will I give praise to his word; in God have I put my hope; I will have no fear of what flesh may do to me. 56:5Every day they make wrong use of my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 56:6They come together, they are waiting in secret places, they take note of my steps, they are waiting for my soul. 56:7By evil-doing they will not get free from punishment. In wrath, O God, let the peoples be made low. 56:8You have seen my wanderings; put the drops from my eyes into your bottle; are they not in your record? 56:9When I send up my cry to you, my haters will be turned back; I am certain of this, for God is with me. 56:10In God will I give praise to his word; in the Lord will I give praise to his word. 56:11In God have I put my hope, I will have no fear of what man may do to me. 56:12I keep the memory of my debt to you, O God; I will give you the offerings of praise. 56:13Because you have taken my soul from the power of death; and kept my feet from falling, so that I may be walking before God in the light of life.

57:1<To the chief music-maker; put to Al-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. When he went in flight from Saul, in the hole of the rock.> Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me; for the hope of my soul is in you: I will keep myself safely under the shade of your wings, till these troubles are past. 57:2I will send up my cry to the Most High God; to God who does all things for me. 57:3He will send from heaven, and take me from the power of him whose desire is for my destruction. God will send out his mercy and his good faith. 57:4My soul is among lions; I am stretched out among those who are on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword. 57:5O God, be lifted up higher than the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 57:6They have made ready a net for my steps; my soul is bent down; they have made a great hole before me, and have gone down into it themselves. (Selah.) 57:7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will make songs, and give praise. 57:8You are my glory; let the instruments of music be awake; I myself will be awake with the dawn. 57:9I will give you praise, O Lord, among the peoples; I will make songs to you among the nations. 57:10For your mercy is great, stretching up to the heavens, and your righteousness goes up to the clouds. 57:11Be lifted up, O God, higher than the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth.

58:1<To the chief music-maker; put to Al-tashheth. Michtam. Of David.> Is there righteousness in your mouths, O you gods? are you upright judges, O you sons of men? 58:2The purposes of your hearts are evil; your hands are full of cruel doings on the earth. 58:3The evil-doers are strange from the first; from the hour of their birth they go out of the true way, saying false words. 58:4Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut; 58:5Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers. 58:6O God, let their teeth be broken in their mouths; let the great teeth of the young lions be pulled out, O Lord. 58:7Let them be turned to liquid like the ever-flowing waters; let them be cut off like the grass by the way. 58:8Let them be like an after-birth which is turned to water and comes to an end; like the fruit of a woman who gives birth before her time, let them not see the sun. 58:9Before they are conscious of it, let them be cut down like thorns; let a strong wind take them away like waste growth. 58:10The upright man will be glad when he sees their punishment; his feet will be washed in the blood of the evil-doer. 58:11So that men will say, Truly there is a reward for righteousness; truly there is a God who is judge on the earth.

59:1<To the chief music-maker; put to At-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. When Saul sent, and they were watching the house, to put him to death.> Take me out of the hands of the cruel ones, O my God; keep me safe from those who come up against me. 59:2Take me out of the power of the workers of evil, and keep me safe from the men of blood. 59:3For see, they are watching in secret for my soul; the strong have come together against me? but not because of my sin, or my evil-doing, O Lord. 59:4For no sin of mine they go quickly and get themselves ready; be awake and come to my help, and see. 59:5You, O Lord God of armies, are the God of Israel; come now and give punishment to the nations; have no mercy on any workers of deceit. (Selah.) 59:6They come back in the evening; they make a noise like a dog, and go round the town. 59:7See, hate is dropping from their lips; curses are on their tongues: they say, Who gives attention to it? 59:8But you are laughing at them, O Lord; you will make sport of all the nations. 59:9O my strength, I will put my hope in you; because God is my strong tower. 59:10The God of my mercy will go before me: God will let me see my desire effected on my haters. 59:11Put them not to death, for so my people will keep the memory of them: let them be sent in all directions by your power; make them low, O Lord our saviour. 59:12Because of the sin of their mouths and the word of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and for their curses and their deceit, 59:13Put an end to them in your wrath, put an end to them, so that they may not be seen again; let them see that God is ruling in Jacob and to the ends of the earth. (Selah.) 59:14And in the evening let them come back, and make a noise like a dog, and go round the town. 59:15Let them go wandering up and down in search of food, and be there all night if they have not enough. 59:16But I will make songs of your power; yes, I will give cries of joy for your mercy in the morning; because you have been my strength and my high tower in the day of my trouble. 59:17To you, O my strength, will I make my song: because God is my high tower, even the God of my mercy.

60:1<To the chief music-maker; put to Shushan-eduth. Michtam. Of David. For teaching. When he was fighting against Aram-naharaim and Aramzobah, when Joab came back, and put twelve thousand of the Edomites to death, in the Valley of Salt.> God, you have put us away from you, you have sent us in all directions, you have been angry; O be turned to us again. 60:2By the power of your hand the earth is shaking and broken; make it strong again, for it is moved. 60:3You have made the people see hard times; you have given us the wine of shaking for our drink. 60:4Give a safe place to those who have fear of you, where they may go in flight from before the bow. (Selah.) 60:5So that your loved ones may be made safe, let your right hand be my salvation, and give me an answer. 60:6God has said in his holy place, I will be glad: I will make a division of Shechem, and the valley of Succoth will be measured out. 60:7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; and Ephraim is the strength of my head; Judah is my law-giver; 60:8Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I put out my shoe; over Philistia will a glad cry be sounded. 60:9Who will take me into the strong town? who will be my guide into Edom? 60:10Have not you put us away, O God? and you have not gone out with our armies. 60:11Give us help in our trouble; for there is no help in man. 60:12Through God we will do great things, for through him our haters will be crushed under our feet.

61:1<To the chief music-maker. On a corded instrument. Of David.> Let my cry come to you, O God; let your ears be open to my prayer. 61:2From the end of the earth will I send up my cry to you, when my heart is overcome: take me to the rock which is over-high for me. 61:3For you have been my secret place, and my high tower from those who made war on me. 61:4I will make your tent my resting-place for ever: I will keep myself under the cover of your wings. (Selah.) 61:5For you, O God, have made answer to my prayers; you have given me the heritage of those who give honour to your name. 61:6You will give the king long life; and make his years go on through the generations. 61:7May the seat of his authority be before God for ever; may mercy and righteousness keep him safe. 61:8So will I make songs in praise of your name for ever, giving to God that which is right day by day.

62:1<To the chief music-maker. After Jeduthun. A Psalm. Of David.> My soul, put all your faith in God; for from him comes my salvation. 62:2He only is my Rock and my salvation; he is my high tower; I will not be greatly moved. 62:3How long will you go on designing evil against a man? running against him as against a broken wall, which is on the point of falling? 62:4Their only thought is to put him down from his place of honour; their delight is in deceit: blessing is in their mouths but cursing in their hearts. (Selah.) 62:5My soul, put all your faith in God; for from him comes my hope. 62:6He only is my Rock and my salvation; he is my high tower; I will not be greatly moved. 62:7In God is my salvation, and my glory; the Rock of my strength, and my safe place. 62:8Have faith in him at all times, you people; let your hearts go flowing out before him: God is our safe place. (Selah.) 62:9Truly men of low birth are nothing, and men of high position are not what they seem; if they are put in the scales together they are less than a breath. 62:10Have no faith in the rewards of evil-doing, or in profits wrongly made: if your wealth is increased, do not put your hopes on it. 62:11Once has God said, twice has it come to my ears, that power is God's: 62:12And mercy, O Lord, is yours, for you give to every man the reward of his work.

63:1<A Psalm. Of David. When he was in the waste land of Judah.> O God, you are my God; early will I make my search for you: my soul is dry for need of you, my flesh is wasted with desire for you, as a dry and burning land where no water is; 63:2To see your power and your glory, as I have seen you in the holy place. 63:3Because your mercy is better than life, my lips will give you praise. 63:4So will I go on blessing you all my life, lifting up my hands in your name. 63:5My soul will be comforted, as with good food; and my mouth will give you praise with songs of joy; 63:6When the memory of you comes to me on my bed, and when I give thought to you in the night-time. 63:7Because you have been my help, I will have joy in the shade of your wings. 63:8My soul keeps ever near you: your right hand is my support. 63:9But those whose desire is my soul's destruction will go down to the lower parts of the earth. 63:10They will be cut off by the sword; they will be food for foxes. 63:11But the king will have joy in God; everyone who takes an oath by him will have cause for pride; but the false mouth will be stopped.

64:1<To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David.> O God, let the voice of my grief come to your ear: keep my life from the fear of those who are against me. 64:2Keep me safe from the secret purpose of wrongdoers; from the band of the workers of evil; 64:3Who make their tongues sharp like a sword, and whose arrows are pointed, even bitter words; 64:4So that in secret they may let loose their arrows at the upright, suddenly and unseen. 64:5They make themselves strong in an evil purpose; they make holes for secret nets; they say, Who will see it, 64:6Or make discovery of our secret purpose? The design is framed with care; and the inner thought of a man, and his heart, is deep. 64:7But God sends out an arrow against them; suddenly they are wounded. 64:8The evil of their tongues is the cause of their fall; all those who see them are shaking their heads at them. 64:9And in fear men make public the works of God; and giving thought to his acts they get wisdom. 64:10The upright will be glad in the Lord and have hope in him; and all the lovers of righteousness will give him glory.

65:1<To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. A Song.> It is right for you, O God, to have praise in Zion: to you let the offering be made. 65:2To you, O hearer of prayer, let the words of all flesh come. 65:3Evils have overcome us: but as for our sins, you will take them away. 65:4Happy is the man of your selection, to whom you give a resting-place in your house; we will be full of the good things out of your holy place. 65:5You will give us an answer in righteousness by great acts of power, O God of our salvation; you who are the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off lands of the sea; 65:6The God by whose strength the mountains are fixed; who is robed with power: 65:7Who makes the loud voice of the sea quiet, and puts an end to the sound of its waves. 65:8Those in the farthest parts of the earth have fear when they see your signs: the outgoings of the morning and evening are glad because of you. 65:9You have given your blessing to the earth, watering it and making it fertile; the river of God is full of water: and having made it ready, you give men grain. 65:10You make the ploughed lands full of water; you make smooth the slopes: you make the earth soft with showers, sending your blessing on its growth. 65:11The year is crowned with the good you give; life-giving rain is dropping from your footsteps, 65:12Falling on the grass of the waste land: and the little hills are glad on every side. 65:13The grass-land is thick with flocks; the valleys are full of grain; they give glad cries and songs of joy.

66:1<To the chief music-maker. A Song. A Psalm.> Send up a glad cry to God, all the earth: 66:2Make a song in honour of his name: give praise and glory to him. 66:3Say to God, How greatly to be feared are your works! because of your great power your haters are forced to put themselves under your feet. 66:4Let all the earth give you worship, and make songs to you; let them make songs to your name. (Selah.) 66:5Come and see the works of God: he is to be feared in all he does to the children of men. 66:6The sea was turned into dry land: they went through the river on foot: there did we have joy in him. 66:7He is ruling in power for ever; his eyes are watching the nations: may his haters have no strength against him. (Selah.) 66:8Give blessings to our God, O you peoples, let the voice of his praise be loud; 66:9Because he gives us life, and has not let our feet be moved. 66:10For you, O God, have put us to the test: testing us by fire like silver. 66:11You let us be put in prison; chains were put on our legs. 66:12You let men go driving over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but you took us out into a wide place. 66:13I will come into your house with burned offerings, I will make payment of my debt to you, 66:14Keeping the word which came from my lips, and which my mouth said, when I was in trouble. 66:15I will give you burned offerings of fat beasts, and the smoke of sheep; I will make offerings of oxen and goats. (Selah.) 66:16Come, give ear to me, all you God-fearing men, so that I may make clear to you what he has done for my soul. 66:17My voice went up to him, and I was lifted up from the underworld. 66:18I said in my heart, The Lord will not give ear to me: 66:19But truly God's ear has been open; he has give attention to the voice of my prayer. 66:20Praise be to God who has not taken away his good faith and his mercy from me.

67:1<To the chief music-maker. With corded instruments. A Psalm. A Song.> May God give us mercy and blessing, and let the light of his face be shining on us; (Selah.) 67:2So that men may see your way on the earth, and your salvation among all nations. 67:3Let the peoples give you praise, O God; let all the peoples give you praise. 67:4O let the nations be glad, and make song of joy; for you will be the judge of the peoples in righteousness, guiding the nations of the earth. (Selah.) 67:5Let the peoples give you praise, O God; let all the peoples give you praise. 67:6The earth has given her increase; and God, even our God, will give us his blessing. 67:7God will give us his blessing; so let all the ends of the earth be in fear of him.