Futility of Boastful Wickedness.

For the music director. A [a]Maskil of David, [b]when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 Why do you (A)boast in evil, you mighty man?
The (B)faithfulness of God endures all day long.
Your tongue devises (C)destruction,
Like a (D)sharp razor, (E)you worker of deceit.
You (F)love evil more than good,
(G)Lies more than speaking what is right. Selah
You love all words that devour,
You (H)deceitful tongue.

[c]But God will break you down forever;
He will snatch you up and (I)tear you away from your tent,
And (J)uproot you from the (K)land of the living. Selah
The righteous will (L)see and fear,
And they will (M)laugh at him, saying,
“Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
But (N)trusted in the abundance of his riches
And (O)was strong in [d]his evil desire.”

But as for me, I am like a (P)green olive tree in the house of God;
I (Q)trust in the faithfulness of God forever and ever.
I will (R)praise You forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, (S)for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 52 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 52 Title 1 Sam 22:9
  3. Psalm 52:5 Or Also
  4. Psalm 52:7 Or his destruction

Judgment on the Deceitful

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

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

But God will break you down for ever;
    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living.Selah
The righteous shall see, and fear,
    and shall laugh at him, saying,
“See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
    and sought refuge in his wealth!”[b]

But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    for ever and ever.
I will thank thee for ever,
    because thou hast done it.
I will proclaim[c] thy name, for it is good,
    in the presence of the godly.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 52:1 Cn Compare Syr: Heb the kindness of God
  2. Psalm 52:7 Syr Tg: Heb his destruction
  3. Psalm 52:9 Cn: Heb wait for