Psalm 52–54

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

52For 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

¹Why do you boast about evil, O mighty man?

The loyal love of God endures continually.^b

²Your tongue plans destruction,

like a sharp razor, working deceit.

³You love evil more than good,

a lie more than speaking what is right.^c Selah

⁴You love all devouring words,

O deceitful tongue,

⁵but 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

⁶And the righteous will see and fear,

and will laugh at him, saying,

⁷“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.”

⁸But I am like an olive tree flourishing

in the house^d of God.

I trust the loyal love of God forever and ever.

⁹I 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.

The Folly of the Godless and Salvation for Israel

53For the music director, according to Mahalath.

A maskil of David.^a

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

They are corrupt and they have done abominable iniquity.

There is none who does good.

²God looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind

to see whether there is one who has insight,

one who seeks God.

³All of them^b have turned back.

They are altogether corrupt.

There is none who does good;

there is not even one.

⁴Do not evildoers know,

they who eat my people as though they were eating bread?

They do not call on God.

⁵There they are very fearful^c

where no fear had been,

because God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you.

You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

⁶Oh, that from Zion^d would come salvation for Israel!

When God returns the fortunes^e of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries

54For the music director, with stringed instruments.

A maskil of David,

when the Ziphites went and said to Saul,

“Is not David hiding himself among us?”^a

¹O God, by your name save me,

and by your power vindicate me.

²O God, hear my prayer;

heed the words of my mouth.

³For foreigners have risen against me,

and ruthless men seek my life.

They have not set God before them. Selah

⁴See, God is my helper;

The Lord is with those who sustain my life.^b

⁵He will repay^c my enemies for their^d evil;

in your faithfulness destroy them.

⁶I will freely sacrifice to you;

I will give thanks to your name,

O Yahweh, because it is good.

⁷Because he has delivered me from all trouble,

and my eye has looked with satisfaction on my enemies.