52 To the Overseer. -- An instruction, by David, in the coming in of Doeg the Edomite, and he declareth to Saul, and saith to him, `David came in unto the house of Ahimelech.' What, boasteth thou in evil, O mighty one? The kindness of God [is] all the day.

² Mischiefs doth thy tongue devise, Like a sharp razor, working deceit.

³ Thou hast loved evil rather than good, Lying, than speaking righteousness. Selah.

⁴ Thou hast loved all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

⁵ Also -- God doth break thee down for ever, Taketh thee, and pulleth thee out of the tent, And He hath uprooted thee Out of the land of the living. Selah.

⁶ And the righteous see, And fear, and laugh at him.

⁷ `Lo, the man who maketh not God his strong place, And trusteth in the abundance of his riches, He is strong in his mischiefs.'

⁸ And I, as a green olive in the house of God, I have trusted in the kindness of God, To the age and for ever,

⁹ I thank Thee to the age, because Thou hast done [it], And I wait [on] Thy name for [it is] good before Thy saints!

53 To the Overseer. -- `On a disease.' -- An instruction, by David. A fool said in his heart, `There is no God.' They have done corruptly, Yea, they have done abominable iniquity, There is none doing good.

² God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, [One] seeking God.

³ Every one went back, together they became filthy, There is none doing good -- not even one.

⁴ Have not workers of iniquity known, Those eating my people have eaten bread, God they have not called.

⁵ There they feared a fear -- there was no fear, For God hath scattered the bones of him Who is encamping against thee, Thou hast put to shame, For God hath despised them.

⁶ Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God turneth back [to] a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice -- Israel is glad!

54 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- An instruction, by David, in the coming in of the Ziphim, and they say to Saul, `Is not David hiding himself with us?' O God, by Thy name save me, and by Thy might judge me.

² O God, hear my prayer, Give ear to the sayings of my mouth,

³ For strangers have risen up against me And terrible ones have sought my soul, They have not set God before them. Selah.

⁴ Lo, God [is] a helper to me, The Lord [is] with those supporting my soul,

⁵ Turn back doth the evil thing to mine enemies, In Thy truth cut them off.

⁶ With a free will-offering I sacrifice to Thee, I thank Thy name, O Jehovah, for [it is] good,

⁷ For, from all adversity He delivered me, And on mine enemies hath mine eye looked!

55 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And hide not from my supplication.

² Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,

³ Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me.

⁴ My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

⁵ Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.

⁶ And I say, `Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,

⁷ Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

⁸ I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

⁹ Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

¹⁰ By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,

¹¹ Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.

¹² For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.

¹³ But thou, a man -- as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.

¹⁴ When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.

¹⁵ Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol -- alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst.

¹⁶ I -- to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.

¹⁷ Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice,

¹⁸ He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.

¹⁹ God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God,

²⁰ He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.

²¹ Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is] war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords].

²² Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous.

²³ And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I -- I do trust in Thee!

56 To the Overseer. -- `On the Dumb Dove far off.' -- A secret treasure of David, in the Philistines' taking hold of him in Gath. Favour me, O God, for man swallowed me up, All the day fighting he oppresseth me,

² Mine enemies have swallowed up all the day, For many [are] fighting against me, O most High,

³ The day I am afraid I am confident toward Thee.

⁴ In God I praise His word, in God I have trusted, I fear not what flesh doth to me.

⁵ All the day they wrest my words, Concerning me all their thoughts [are] for evil,

⁶ They assemble, they hide, they watch my heels, When they have expected my soul.

⁷ By iniquity they escape, In anger the peoples put down, O God.

⁸ My wandering Thou hast counted, Thou -- place Thou my tear in Thy bottle, Are they not in Thy book?

⁹ Then turn back do mine enemies in the day I call. This I have known, that God [is] for me.

¹⁰ In God I praise the word, In Jehovah I praise the word.

¹¹ In God I trusted, I fear not what man doth to me,

¹² On me, O God, [are] Thy vows, I repay thank-offerings to Thee.

¹³ For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, Dost Thou not my feet from falling? To walk habitually before God in the light of the living!