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Psalm 52:3-7
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 52:3-7
New Catholic Bible
3 Why do you boast of your evil deeds,
you champion of malice?[a]
All day long 4 you plot harm;
your tongue is like a sharpened razor,
you master of deceit.
5 [b]You love evil rather than good,
and lies rather than truthful speech. Selah
6 You wallow in destructive talk,
you tongue of deceit.
7 [c]This is the reason why God will crush you
and destroy you once and for all.
He will snatch you from your tent[d]
and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 52:3 You champion of malice: the translation follows the Greek. The Hebrew has: “the kindness of God lasts all day long.” The title is one of scorn; he is a champion only in his own mind, and God can easily put him in his place (see Isa 22:17).
- Psalm 52:5 The values of the wicked are distorted. He loves to think, speak, and do evil whenever he can profit from it (see v. 5; Mic 3:2). His entire being reflects the evil that is associated with the tongue (see Ps 120:2; Jas 3:1-12).
- Psalm 52:7 The wicked will be brought down by God while the righteous will subsist and mock them (see Ps 28:5; Job 18:14; Prov 2:22; Isa 22:17). The end of the wicked will be that of the foolish rich of Ps 49.
- Psalm 52:7 Tent: the earthly dwelling (see Job 18:14).
Psalm 52:3-7
New International Version
Psalm 52:3-7
New International Version
3 You love evil(A) rather than good,
falsehood(B) rather than speaking the truth.[a]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!(C)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck(D) you from your tent;
he will uproot(E) you from the land of the living.(F)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh(G) at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold(H)
but trusted in his great wealth(I)
and grew strong by destroying others!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
Psalm 52:3-7
New King James Version
Psalm 52:3-7
New King James Version
3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
4 You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his [a]wickedness.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 52:7 Lit. desire, in evil sense
Psalm 52:3-7
King James Version
Psalm 52:3-7
King James Version
3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
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Psalm 52:3-7
English Standard Version
Psalm 52:3-7
English Standard Version
3 You love evil more than good,
and (A)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever;
he will snatch and (B)tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from (C)the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous shall (D)see and fear,
and shall (E)laugh at him, saying,
7 “See the man who would not make
God his refuge,
but (F)trusted in the abundance of his riches
and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[a]
Footnotes
- Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.