Psalm 52

God Judges the Proud

For the choir director. A Maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”(A)

Why boast about evil, you hero!(B)
God’s faithful love is constant.(C)
Like a sharpened razor,
your tongue devises destruction,
working treachery.(D)
You love evil instead of good,
lying instead of speaking truthfully.(E)Selah
You love any words that destroy,
you treacherous tongue!(F)

This is why God will bring you down forever.
He will take you, ripping you out of your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.(G)Selah
The righteous will see and fear,
and they will derisively say about that hero,[a](H)
“Here is the man
who would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”(I)

But I am like a flourishing olive tree
in the house of God;(J)
I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.(K)
I will praise you forever for what you have done.
In the presence of your faithful people,
I will put my hope in your name, for it is good.(L)

Footnotes

  1. 52:6 Lit about him

Psalm 52

Judgment on the Deceitful

To the leader. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came to Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Why do you boast, O mighty one,
    of mischief done against the godly?[a]
All day long(A)     you are plotting destruction.
Your tongue is like a sharp razor,
    you worker of treachery.(B)
You love evil more than good
    and lying more than speaking the truth. Selah(C)
You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.(D)

But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah(E)
The righteous will see and fear
    and will laugh at the evildoer,[b] saying,(F)
“See the one who would not take
    refuge in God
but trusted in abundant riches
    and sought refuge in wealth!”[c](G)

But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.(H)
I will thank you forever
    because of what you have done.
In the presence of the faithful
    I will proclaim[d] your name, for it is good.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 52.1 Cn Compare Syr: Heb the kindness of God
  2. 52.6 Heb him
  3. 52.7 Syr Tg: Heb in his destruction
  4. 52.9 Cn: Heb wait for