Behold the power of God in the Psalms!

The future proves the past.

Psalm 53:

Denunciation of Godlessness

A Maskil of David.

53 The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

there is none that does good.

2 God looks down from heaven

upon the sons of men

to see if there are any that are wise,

that seek after God.

3 They have all fallen away;

they are all alike depraved;

there is none that does good,

no, not one.

4 Have those who work evil no understanding,

who eat up my people as they eat bread,

and do not call upon God?

5 There they are, in great terror,

in terror such as has not been!

For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;

they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.

6 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,

Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.

Behold the power of God in the Psalms!

The future proves the past.

Psalm 7:

Plea for Help against Persecutors

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush a Benjaminite.

7 O Lord my God, in thee do I take refuge;

save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,

2 lest like a lion they rend me,

dragging me away, with none to rescue.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,

if there is wrong in my hands,

4 if I have requited my friend with evil

or plundered my enemy without cause,

5 let the enemy pursue me and overtake me,

and let him trample my life to the ground,

and lay my soul in the dust. Selah

6 Arise, O Lord, in thy anger,

lift thyself up against the fury of my enemies;

awake, O my God; thou hast appointed a judgment.

7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about thee;

and over it take thy seat on high.

8 The Lord judges the peoples;

judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness

and according to the integrity that is in me.

9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,

but establish thou the righteous,

thou who triest the minds and hearts,

thou righteous God.

10 My shield is with God,

who saves the upright in heart.

11 God is a righteous judge,

and a God who has indignation every day.

12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;

he has bent and strung his bow;

13 he has prepared his deadly weapons,

making his arrows fiery shafts.

14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil,

and is pregnant with mischief,

and brings forth lies.

15 He makes a pit, digging it out,

and falls into the hole which he has made.

16 His mischief returns upon his own head,

and on his own pate his violence descends.

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,

and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.