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Psalm 52

For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, regarding the time Doeg the Edomite said to Saul, “David has gone to see Ahimelech.”

Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior?
    Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?
All day long you plot destruction.
    Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor;
    you’re an expert at telling lies.
You love evil more than good
    and lies more than truth. Interlude

You love to destroy others with your words,
    you liar!
But God will strike you down once and for all.
    He will pull you from your home
    and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude

The righteous will see it and be amazed.
    They will laugh and say,
“Look what happens to mighty warriors
    who do not trust in God.
They trust their wealth instead
    and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.
    I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.
I will praise you forever, O God,
    for what you have done.
I will trust in your good name
    in the presence of your faithful people.

Footnotes

  1. 52:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.

God’s Judgment on the Wicked and Love for the Faithful

For the music director. A maskil of David.

When Doeg the Edomite came and informed Saul.

And he said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”[a]

52 Why do you boast about evil, O mighty man?
The loyal love of God endures continually.[b]
Your tongue plans destruction,
like a sharp razor, working deceit.
You love evil more than good,
a lie more than speaking what is right.[c] Selah
You love all devouring words,
O deceitful tongue,
but God will pull you down forever.
He will snatch you and tear you away from your tent,
and he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
And the righteous will see and fear,
and will laugh at him, saying,
“Look, the man who would not make God his refuge,
but he trusted in the greatness of his wealth;
he took refuge in his destructiveness.”
But I am like an olive tree flourishing
in the house[d] of God.
I trust the loyal love of God forever and ever.
I will give thanks to you forever, because of what you have done,
and I will wait on your name, because it is good,
in the presence of your faithful ones.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 52:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first two verses of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by two
  2. Psalm 52:1 Literally “all the day”
  3. Psalm 52:3 Literally “righteousness”
  4. Psalm 52:8 Or “temple”