Psalm 52
Christian Standard Bible
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)
1 Why boast about evil, you hero!(B)
God’s faithful love is constant.(C)
2 Like a sharpened razor,
your tongue devises destruction,
working treachery.(D)
3 You love evil instead of good,
lying instead of speaking truthfully.(E)Selah
4 You love any words that destroy,
you treacherous tongue!(F)
5 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
6 The righteous will see and fear,
and they will derisively say about that hero,[a](H)
7 “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)
8 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)
9 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
- 52:6 Lit about him
Psalm 52
English Standard Version
The Steadfast Love of God Endures
To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of David, when (A)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”
52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
2 Your (B)tongue plots destruction,
like (C)a sharp razor, you (D)worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
and (E)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever;
he will snatch and (F)tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from (G)the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous shall (H)see and fear,
and shall (I)laugh at him, saying,
7 “See the man who would not make
God his refuge,
but (J)trusted in the abundance of his riches
and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[b]
8 But I am like (K)a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, (L)for it is good,
in the presence of the (M)godly.
Footnotes
- Psalm 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction
1 Samuel 22:6-23
Christian Standard Bible
6 Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree(A) at the high place. His spear was in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. 7 Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse’s son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? Do you think he’ll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?(B) 8 That’s why all of you have conspired against me! Nobody tells me when my own son makes a covenant with Jesse’s son.(C) None of you cares about me(D) or tells me that my son has stirred up my own servant to wait in ambush for me, as is the case today.”
9 Then Doeg the Edomite,(E) who was in charge of Saul’s servants, answered, “I saw Jesse’s son come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.(F) 10 Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him(G) and gave him provisions.(H) He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”(I)
Slaughter of the Priests
11 The king sent messengers to summon the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests in Nob. All of them came to the king. 12 Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub!”
“I’m at your service,(J) my lord,” he said.
13 Saul asked him, “Why did you and Jesse’s son conspire against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so he could rise up against me and wait in ambush, as is the case today.”(K)
14 Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David?(L) He is the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house. 15 Was today the first time I inquired of God for him?(M) Of course not! Please don’t let the king make an accusation against your servant or any of my father’s family, for your servant didn’t have any idea[a] about all this.”
16 But the king said, “You will die, Ahimelech—you and your father’s whole family!”
17 Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord(N) because they sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they didn’t tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to execute the priests of the Lord.
18 So the king said to Doeg, “Go and execute the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite went and executed the priests himself. On that day, he killed eighty-five men(O) who wore linen ephods.(P) 19 He also struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword—both men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.(Q)
20 However, one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar,(R) and he fled to David.(S) 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite(T) was there that day and that he was sure to report to Saul. I myself am responsible for[b] the lives of everyone in your father’s family. 23 Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life.(U) You will be safe with me.”
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1 Samuel 22:6-23
English Standard Version
Saul Kills the Priests at Nob
6 Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under (A)the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7 And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse (B)give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8 that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me (C)when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you (D)is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, (E)to lie in wait, as at this day.” 9 Then answered (F)Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse (G)coming to Nob, to (H)Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 10 (I)and he inquired of the Lord for him and (J)gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and (K)have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, (L)to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and captain over[a] your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15 Is today the first time (M)that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, (N)much or little.” 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.” 17 And the king said to (O)the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, (P)and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; (Q)both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.
20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named (R)Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, (S)when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. 23 (T)Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 22:14 Septuagint, Targum; Hebrew and has turned aside to
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