The translation below is by Yorkshireman Myles Coverdale, and was included in the first Book of Common Prayer, published in 1549. Because it was used for church worship, this translation of the Psalms was for many people more familiar than that found in the King James Bible.
Each verse is divided into two parts by a colon, a device related to the way Psalms are chanted in church. For reading, this colon can be ignored or treated as another mark of punctuation such as a comma.
Other translations
The Authorized Version
Tate and Brady’s metrical psalter
See also
Day 10
Morning Prayer
Psalm 50
Deus deorum
THE Lord, even the most mighty God, hath spoken : and called the world, from the rising up of the sun unto the going down thereof.
2 Out of Sion hath God appeared : in perfect beauty.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence : there shall go before him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him.
4 He shall call the heaven from above : and the earth, that he may judge his people.
5 Gather my saints together unto me : those that have made a covenant with me with sacrifice.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness : for God is Judge himself.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak : I myself will testify against thee, O Israel; for I am God, even thy God.
8 I will not reprove thee because of thy sacrifices, or for thy burnt-offerings : because they were not alway before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of thine house : nor he-goat out of thy folds.
10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine : and so are the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls upon the mountains : and the wild beasts of the field are in my sight.
12 If I be hungry, I will not tell thee : for the whole world is mine, and all that is therein.
13 Thinkest thou that I will eat bulls’ flesh : and drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving : and pay thy vows unto the most Highest.
15 And call upon me in the time of trouble : so will I hear thee, and thou shalt praise me.
16 But unto the ungodly said God : Why dost thou preach my laws, and takest my covenant in thy mouth;
17 Whereas thou hatest to be reformed : and has cast my words behind thee?
18 When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst unto him : and hast been partaker with the adulterers.
19 Thou hast let thy mouth speak wickedness : and with thy tongue thou hast set forth deceit.
20 Thou satest, and spakest against thy brother : yea, and hast slandered thine own mother’s son.
21 These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue, and thou thoughtest wickedly, that I am even such a one as thyself : but I will reprove thee, and set before thee the things that thou hast done.
22 O consider this, ye that forget God : lest I pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you.
23 Whoso offereth me thanks and praise, he honoureth me : and to him that ordereth his conversation right will I shew the salvation of God.
Psalm 51
Miserere mei, Deus
HAVE mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness : according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.
2 Wash me throughly from my wickedness : and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my faults : and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight : that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.
5 Behold, I was shapen in wickedness : and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
6 But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts : and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
7 Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean : thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness : that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Turn thy face from my sins : and put out all my misdeeds.
10 Make me a clean heart, O God : and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence : and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
12 O give me the comfort of thy help again : and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
13 Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked : and sinners shall be converted unto thee.Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health : and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.
14 Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord : and my mouth shall shew thy praise.
15 For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee : but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.
16 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit : a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.
17 O be favourable and gracious unto Sion : build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
18 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations : then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.
Psalm 52
Quid gloriaris?
WHY boastest thou thyself, thou tyrant : that thou canst do mischief;
2 Whereas the goodness of God : endureth yet daily?
3 Thy tongue imagineth wickedness : and with lies thou cuttest like a sharp rasor.
4 Thou hast loved unrighteousness more than goodness : and to talk of lies more than righteousness.
5 Thou hast loved to speak all words that may do hurt : O thou false tongue.
6 Therefore shall God destroy thee for ever : he shall take thee, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling, and root thee out of the land of the living.
7 The righteous also shall see this, and fear : and shall laugh him to scorn;
8 Lo, this is the man that took not God for his strength : but trusted unto the multitude of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
9 As for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God : my trust is in the tender mercy of God for ever and ever.
10 I will always give thanks unto thee for that thou hast done : and I will hope in thy Name, for thy saints like it well.
Day 10
Evening Prayer
Psalm 53
Dixit insipiens
THE foolish body hath said in his heart : There is no God.
2 Corrupt are they, and become abominable in their wickedness : there is none that doeth good.
3 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men : to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after God.
4 But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable : there is also none that doeth good, no not one.
5 Are not they without understanding, that work wickedness : eating up my people as if they would eat bread? they have not called upon God.
6 They were afraid where no fear was : for God hath broken the bones of him that besieged thee; thou hast put them to confusion, because God hath despised them.
7 O that the salvation were given unto Israel out of Sion : O that the Lord would deliver his people out of captivity!
8 Then should Jacob rejoice : and Israel should be right glad.
Psalm 54
Deus, in nomine
SAVE me, O God, for thy Name’s sake : and avenge me in thy strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God : and hearken unto the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers are risen up against me : and tyrants, which have not God before their eyes, seek after my soul.
4 Behold, God is my helper : the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies : destroy thou them in thy truth.
6 An offering of a free heart will I give thee, and praise thy Name, O Lord : because it is so comfortable.
7 For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble : and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
Psalm 55
Exaudi, Deus
HEAR my prayer, O God : and hide not thyself from my petition.
2 Take heed unto me, and hear me : how I mourn in my prayer, and am vexed.
3 The enemy crieth so, and the ungodly cometh on so fast : for they are minded to do me some mischief; so maliciously are they set against me.
4 My heart is disquieted within me : and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me : and an horrible dread hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, O that I had wings like a dove : for then would I flee away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I get me away far off : and remain in the wilderness.
8 I would make haste to escape : because of the stormy wind and tempest.
9 Destroy their tongues, O Lord, and divide them : for I have spied unrighteousness and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about within the walls thereof : mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is therein : deceit and guile go not out of their streets.
12 For it is not an open enemy, that hath done me this dishonour : for then I could have borne it.
13 Neither was it mine adversary, that did magnify himself against me : for then peradventure I would have hid myself from him.
14 But it was even thou, my companion : my guide, and mine own familiar friend.
15 We took sweet counsel together : and walked in the house of God as friends.
16 As for me, I will call upon God : and the Lord shall save me.
17 In the evening, and morning, and at noonday will I pray, and that instantly : and he shall hear my voice.
18 It is he that hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me : for there were many with me.
19 Yea, even God, that endureth for ever, shall hear me, and bring them down : for they will not turn, nor fear God.
20 He laid his hands upon such as be at peace with him : and he brake his covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were softer than butter, having war in his heart : his words were smoother than oil, and yet be they very swords.
22 O cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish thee : and shall not suffer the righteous to fall for ever.
23 And as for them : thou, O God, shalt bring them into the pit of destruction.
24 The blood-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days : nevertheless, my trust shall be in thee, O Lord.
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