Psalm 54

CM

O God, by your name, set me free
By your might, justify.
The words of my mouth heed, hear me,
O God, now hear my cry.

Strangers me are attacking hard;
My life they will not spare.
They're ruthless men, with no regard
For God; they do not care.

God is my help; the Lord, surely,
Who me sustains all through.
Let evil come back on those who slander me;
In faithfulness, destroy.

I'll give a freewill sacrifice,
An offering to you;
I will, O Lord, your great name praise,
For your name's good, it's true.

For me salvation he supplies,
Saves me from all my woes,
They've looked in triumph have my eyes
Upon my many foes.

Psalm 53

CM (St Agnews [Dykes])

The fool, he speaks to his own heart,
He says ‘There is no God.’
Their ways are vile, they are corrupt;
There’s no-one who does good.

God from his heaven looks down and scans
The sons of men to see
If there is one who understands
Or seeks to God to flee.

They’ve turned aside, yes, every one,
Corrupted they’ve become;
Those who do good - there now are none,
No, there’s not even one.

Will evil doers never learn? -
My people they’ve devoured,
As though they’re bread, there’s no concern,
They do not call on God.

There they were all in dread so great -
Where nothing was to dread.
Shamed there by God, for he did hate,
The raiders bones God spread.

From Zion may deliv’rance rise,
From God for Israel!
Jacob be glad, Isra’l rejoice
When God makes all things well.

Psalm 52

CM

You mighty man, why do you boast
Of sin; why boast all day?
You are a man who is disgraced
In God's own eyes today.

Your tongue, destruction it conceives;
It's like a razor keen,
Your mouth by practice, it deceives,
You love what is unclean.

You love what's evil not what's good,
Love lies, not staying true.
Yes, you adore each harmful word,
O tongue so vile, untrue!

God will arrange for your descent
To lasting ruin, damned.
He'll snatch and tear you from your tent,
Uproot you from the land.

The righteous they will see and fear;
“Here is the man who failed
To make,” they'll say, yes how they'll jeer,
“Make God his safe stronghold.”

“In his great wealth he trusted, he,
Grew strong destroying others!”
But I am like an olive tree
That blossoms in God's house.

I trust in God's unfailing grace
For ages yet to come.
Forevermore your name I'll praise
For all that you have done.

My hope I will in your name place
Because it's good, your name.
How I'll praise you before the face
Of saints you've freed from blame.

Psalm 51b

CM

From all my sins, O hide your face,
Blot out iniquity.
God, make a pure heart in its place,
Renew resolve in me.

Me from your presence do not send
Or your pure Spirit take.
A willing spirit to me lend,
Salvation’s joy rewake.

And then I will transgressors teach
Your ways that are so true,
Then sinners will turn back, changed each,
They will turn back to you.

O God from bloodguilt set me free,
The God who saves me, yes,
And then my tongue will singing be
About your righteousness.

O Lord, my lips unloose to sing,
Let my mouth speak your praise.
If you craved off'rings, these I'd bring;
You don't want lambs to blaze.

The sacrifices sought by God -
A broken soul that cries;
A bruised and broken heart, O God,
You never will despise.

In your good pleasure Zion make
To prosper and to grow;
O may Jerus'lem's walls not break,
Rebuilding may they know.

Then righteous sacrifice there'll be,
A whole burnt offering
To give delight to you, for see
To altars bulls we'll bring.

Psalm 51a

CM

O God, be merciful to me,
According to your grace;
According to your sympathy
Transgression’s stains efface.

Wash me from all iniquity,
Cleanse me from sin, I cry.
All my transgressions known to me,
My sin I can’t deny.

I’ve sinned against you, only you,
Done evil in your sight,
So when you speak, your words prove true
And when you judge, you’re right.

I’ve been a sinner from the start,
Conceived I was, in sin.
The truth you seek within the heart,
You wisdom teach within.

With hyssop cleanse and clean I’ll be;
Wash me more white than snow.
May joy and gladness come to me,
The bones you crushed bliss know.

From all my sins, O hide your face,
Blot out iniquity.
God, make a pure heart in its place,
Renew resolve in me.

Psalm 50

CMD

True God, the Lord, the Mighty One,
He tells the earth to come
From where begins the rising sun,
To where the sun goes down.
From Zion, perfect beauty see -
God shines in bright array.
Our God comes forth; mute he'll not be,
For he has things to say.

Before him raging flames devour,
Around him tempests rage.
The heav'ns above, him stand before,
And earth, that he may judge:
“Bring me my sons of holiness,
Who gave their gifts in pledge.”
The heav'ns proclaim his righteousness,
For God himself is judge.

Hear, O my people, I’ll declare,
O Israel, this rebuke,
I'm God, your God, O be aware,
Hear me against you speak.
I don’t reprove for sacrifice
Or off'rings that you've made.
They're ever set before my eyes.
I do not need your aid.

Goats from your pens I do not need
Nor bulls out of your stalls.
Each woodland beast is mine indeed,
Herds on a thousand hills.
The mountain birds I know them too,
All beasts I own in fields.
If hungry I would not tell you,
Earth's mine and all it yields.

The flesh of bullocks do I eat
Drink blood from goats do I?
Give God thank-offerings of meat,
Keep vows to the Most High.
And call upon me in the day
When troubles great you see;
I will deliver you, I say,
And you will honour me.

But to the wicked, God he speaks,
“And what right makes it yours
To take my cov'nant on your lips
Or to recite my laws?
Yes, my instruction you so hate
My words behind you throw.
You'll with a thief associate,
You'll with adult'rers go.”

“You use your mouth for evil crimes,
Your tongue it lies, what shame.
You've smeared your brother many times,
Your mother's son defame.
These things you've done and mute I stayed;
You thought me just like you.
But by me charges will be laid,
You'll see me confront you.”

Consider this and think it through,
All you who God forget:
Or into shreds I will tear you,
With none to rescue yet.
The one who will thank-off'rings slay
He seeks to honour me.
The way he readies so he may
By God be then set free.