Psalm 52–54

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.”l

1 Why boast about evil, you hero!m

God’s faithful love is constant.n

2 Like a sharpened razor,

your tongue devises destruction,

working treachery.o

3 You love evil instead of good,

lying instead of speaking truthfully.p

Selah

4 You love any words that destroy,

you treacherous tongue!q

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.r

Selah

6 The righteous will see and fear,

and they will derisively say about that hero,A,s

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.”t

8 But I am like a flourishing olive tree

in the house of God;u

I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.v

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.w

Psalm 53

A PORTRAIT OF SINNERS

For the choir director: on Mahalath.x A Maskil of David.

1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”

They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.

There is no one who does good.y

2 God looks down from heaven on the human raceB

to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.z

3 All have turned away;

all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good,

not even one.aa

4 Will evildoers never understand?

They consume my people as they consume bread;ab

they do not call on God.ac

5 Then they will be filled with dread—

dread like no otherad—

because God will scatter

the bones of those who besiege you.ae

You will put them to shame,

for God has rejected them.a

6 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,C

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.b

Psalm 54

PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”c

1 God, save me by your name,

and vindicate me by your might!d

2 God, hear my prayer;

listen to the words from my mouth.e

3 For strangers rise up against me,

and violent men intend to kill me.

They do not let God guide them.A,f

Selah

4 God is my helper;

the Lord is the sustainer of my life.B,g

5 He will repay my adversaries for their evil.

Because of your faithfulness, annihilate them.h

6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you.i

I will praise your name, Lord,

because it is good.j

7 For he has rescued me from every trouble,

and my eye has looked down on my enemies.k