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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

To the Director: A Davidic instruction[a] about Doeg, the Edomite, when he went to Saul and told him, “David went to the house of Abimelech.”

A Rebuke to the Deceitful

52 Why do you make evil
    the foundation of your boasting, mighty one?[b]
        God’s gracious love never ceases.[c]
Your tongue, like a sharp razor, devises wicked things
    and crafts treachery.
You love evil rather than good,
    falsehood rather than speaking uprightly.
Interlude

You love all words that destroy, you deceitful tongue!

But God will tear you down forever;
    he will take you away,
        even snatching you out of your tent!
He will uproot you from the land of the living.
Interlude

The righteous will fear when they see this,
    but then they will laugh at him, saying,
“Look, here is a young man who refused to make God his strength;
    instead, he trusted in his great wealth
        and made his wickedness his strength.

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
    I trust in the gracious love of God forever and ever.
Therefore I will praise you forever
    because of what you did;
I will proclaim that your name is good
    in the midst of your faithful ones.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 52:1 Lit. maskil
  2. Psalm 52:1 Or O warrior
  3. Psalm 52:1 Lit. love is all the day