Psalm 52–54

Psalm 52

For the choir director; a maskil; a psalm by David when Doeg (who was from Edom) told Saul that David had come to Ahimelech’s home. 

¹Why do you brag about the evil you’ve done, you hero? 

The mercy of God lasts all day long! 

²Your tongue makes up threats. 

It’s like a sharp razor, you master of deceit. 

³You prefer evil to good. 

You prefer lying to speaking the truth. 

Selah 

⁴You love every destructive accusation, you deceitful tongue! 

⁵But God will ruin you forever. 

He will grab you and drag you out of your tent. 

He will pull your roots out of this world of the living. 

Selah 

⁶Righteous people will see ⸤this⸥ and be struck with fear. 

They will laugh at you and say, 

⁷“Look at this person who refused to make God his fortress! 

Instead, he trusted his great wealth 

and became strong through his greed.” 

⁸But I am like a large olive tree in God’s house. 

I trust the mercy of God forever and ever. 

⁹I will give thanks to you forever 

for what you have done. 

In the presence of your godly people, 

I will wait with hope in your good name. 

Psalm 53^a

For the choir director; according to mahalath,^ba maskil by David. 

¹Godless fools say in their hearts, 

“There is no God.” 

They are corrupt. 

They do disgusting things. 

There is no one who does good things. 

²God looks down from heaven on Adam’s descendants 

to see if there is anyone who acts wisely, 

if there is anyone who seeks help from God. 

³Everyone has fallen away. 

Together they have become rotten to the core. 

No one, not even one person, does good things. 

⁴Are all those troublemakers, 

those who devour my people as if they were devouring food, 

so ignorant that they do not call on God? 

⁵There they are—panic-stricken— 

⸤but⸥ there was no reason to panic, 

because God has scattered the bones 

of those who set up camp against you. 

You put them to shame. 

After all, God has rejected them. 

⁶If only salvation for Israel would come from Zion! 

When God restores the fortunes of his people, 

Jacob will rejoice. 

Israel will be glad. 

Psalm 54

For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a maskil by David when people from the city of Ziph told Saul that David was hiding among them. 

¹O God, save me by your name, 

and defend me with your might. 

²O God, hear my prayer, 

and open your ears to the words from my mouth. 

³Strangers have attacked me. 

Ruthless people seek my life. 

They do not think about God. 

Selah 

⁴God is my helper! 

The Lord is the provider for my life. 

⁵My enemies spy on me. 

Pay them back with evil. 

Destroy them with your truth! 

⁶I will make a sacrifice to you along with a freewill offering. 

I will give thanks to your good name, O Lord. 

⁷Your name rescues me from every trouble. 

My eyes will gloat over my enemies.