1. Look for significant words, phrases, or themes.
2. Look for areas where you identify with the psalmist.
3. Look for God’s attributes and demonstrations of his character.
4. Look for guidance in ways you can reflect God’s likeness.

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Psalm 50 

The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks.
    He calls out to the earth
from the sunrise in the east
    to the sunset in the west.
² From Zion, perfect and beautiful,
    God’s glory shines out.
³ Our God comes, and he won’t be silent.
    A burning fire goes ahead of him.
    A terrible storm is all around him.
⁴ He calls out to heaven and earth to be his witnesses.
    Then he judges his people.
⁵ He says, “Gather this holy people around me.
    They made a covenant with me by offering a sacrifice.”
⁶ The heavens announce that what God decides is right.
    That’s because he is a God of justice.

⁷ God says, “Listen, my people, and I will speak.
    I will be a witness against you, Israel.
    I am God, your God.
⁸ I don’t bring charges against you because of your sacrifices.
    I don’t bring charges because of the burnt offerings you always bring me.
⁹ I don’t need a bull from your barn.
    I don’t need goats from your pens.
¹⁰ Every animal in the forest already belongs to me.
    And so do the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I own every bird in the mountains.
    The insects in the fields belong to me.
¹² If I were hungry, I wouldn’t tell you.
    The world belongs to me. And so does everything in it.
¹³ Do I eat the meat of bulls?
    Do I drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴ Bring me thank offerings, because I am your God.
    Carry out the promises you made to me, because I am the Most High God.
¹⁵ Call out to me when trouble comes.
    I will save you. And you will honor me.”

¹⁶ But here is what God says to a sinful person.

“What right do you have to speak the words of my laws?
    How dare you speak the words of my covenant!
¹⁷ You hate my teaching.
    You turn your back on what I say.
¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join him.
    You make friends with those who commit adultery.
¹⁹ You use your mouth to speak evil.
    You use your tongue to spread lies.
²⁰ You are a witness against your brother.
    You always tell lies about your own mother’s son.
²¹ When you did these things, I kept silent.
    So you thought I was just like you.
But now I’m going to bring you to court.
    I will bring charges against you.

²² “You who forget God, think about this.
    If you don’t, I will tear you to pieces.
    No one will be able to save you.
²³ People who sacrifice thank offerings to me honor me.
    To those who are without blame I will show my power to save.”

Psalm 51 

God, have mercy on me
    according to your faithful love.
Because your love is so tender and kind,
    wipe out my lawless acts.
² Wash away all the evil things I’ve done.
    Make me pure from my sin.

³ I know the lawless acts I’ve committed.
    I can’t forget my sin.
⁴ You are the one I’ve really sinned against.
    I’ve done what is evil in your sight.
So you are right when you sentence me.
    You are fair when you judge me.
⁵ I know I’ve been a sinner ever since I was born.
    I’ve been a sinner ever since my mother became pregnant with me.
⁶ I know that you wanted faithfulness even when I was in my mother’s body.
    You taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Sprinkle me with hyssop, then I will be clean.
    Wash me, then I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear you say, “Your sins are forgiven.”
    That will bring me joy and gladness.
    Let the body you have broken be glad.
⁹ Take away all my sins.
    Wipe away all the evil things I’ve done.

¹⁰ God, create a pure heart in me.
    Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you.
¹¹ Don’t send me away from you.
    Don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me.
¹² Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you.
    Give me a spirit that obeys you so that I will keep going.

¹³ Then I will teach your ways to those who commit lawless acts.
    And sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ You are the God who saves me.
    I have committed murder.
    God, take away my guilt.
Then my tongue will sing about how right you are
    no matter what you do.
¹⁵ Lord, open my lips so that I can speak.
    Then my mouth will praise you.
¹⁶ You don’t take delight in sacrifice.
    If you did, I would bring it.
    You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit.
    God, you will gladly accept a heart
    that is broken because of sadness over sin.

¹⁸ May you be pleased to give Zion success.
    May it please you to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of those who do what is right.
    Whole burnt offerings will bring delight to you.
    And bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 52 

You think you are such a big, strong man!
    Why do you brag about the evil things you’ve done?
    You are a dishonor to God all the time.
² You plan ways to destroy others.
    Your tongue is like a blade that has a sharp edge.
    You are always telling lies.
³ You love evil instead of good.
    You would rather lie than tell the truth.
⁴     You love to harm others with your words, you liar!

⁵ So God will destroy you forever.
    He will grab you and pluck you from your tent.
    He will remove you from this life.
⁶ Those who do what is right will see it and learn a lesson from it.
    They will laugh at you and say,
⁷ “Just look at this fellow!
    He didn’t depend on God for his safety.
He put his trust in all his wealth.
    He grew strong by destroying others!”

⁸ But I am like a healthy olive tree.
    My roots are deep in the house of God.
I trust in your faithful love
    for ever and ever.
⁹ I will praise you forever for what you have done.
    I will praise you when I’m with your faithful people.
    I will put my hope in you because you are good.

Psalm 53 

Foolish people say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They do all kinds of horrible and evil things.
    No one does anything good.

² God looks down from heaven
    on all people.
He wants to see if there are any who understand.
    He wants to see if there are any who trust in God.
³ All of them have turned away.
    They have all become evil.
No one does anything good,
    no one at all.

⁴ Don’t these people who do evil know anything?
    They eat up my people as if they were eating bread.
    They never call out to God for help.
⁵ Just look at them! They are filled with terror
    even when there is nothing to be afraid of!
People of Israel, God scattered the bones of those who attacked you.
    You put them to shame, because God hated them.

⁶ How I pray that the God who saves Israel will come out of Zion!
    God will bless his people with great success again.
    Then let the people of Jacob be filled with joy! Let Israel be glad!

Psalm 54 

God, save me by your power.
    Set me free by your might.
² God, hear my prayer.
    Listen to what I’m saying.

³ Enemies who are proud are attacking me.
    Mean people are trying to kill me.
    They don’t care about God.

⁴ But I know that God helps me.
    The Lord is the one who keeps me going.

⁵ My enemies tell lies about me.
    Do to them the evil things they planned against me.
    God, be faithful and destroy them.

⁶ I will sacrifice an offering to you
    just because I choose to.
Lord, I will praise your name
    because it is good.
⁷ You have saved me from all my troubles.
    With my own eyes I have seen you win the battle over my enemies.