Psalm 52–54

A David Psalm, When Doeg the Edomite Reported to Saul, “David’s at Ahimelech’s House”

^1–452Why do you brag of evil, “Big Man”?

God’s mercy carries the day.

You scheme catastrophe;

your tongue cuts razor-sharp,

artisan in lies.

You love evil more than good,

you call black white.

You love malicious gossip,

you foul-mouth.

⁵God will tear you limb from limb,

sweep you up and throw you out,

Pull you up by the roots

from the land of life.

^6–7Good people will watch and

worship. They’ll laugh in relief:

“Big Man bet on the wrong horse,

trusted in big money,

made his living from catastrophe.”

⁸And I’m an olive tree,

growing green in God’s house.

I trusted in the generous mercy

of God then and now.

⁹I thank you always

that you went into action.

And I’ll stay right here,

your good name my hope,

in company with your faithful friends.

A David Psalm

^1–253Bilious and bloated, they gas,

“God is gone.”

It’s poison gas—

they foul themselves, they poison

Rivers and skies;

thistles are their cash crop.

God sticks his head out of heaven.

He looks around.

He’s looking for someone not stupid—

one man, even, God-expectant,

just one God-ready woman.

³He comes up empty. A string

of zeros. Useless, unshepherded

Sheep, taking turns pretending

to be Shepherd.

The ninety and nine

follow the one.

⁴Don’t they know anything,

all these impostors?

Don’t they know

they can’t get away with this,

Treating people like a fast-food meal

over which they’re too busy to pray?

⁵Night is coming for them, and nightmare—

a nightmare they’ll never wake up from.

God will make hash of these squatters,

send them packing for good.

⁶Is there anyone around to save Israel?

God turns life around.

Turned-around Jacob skips rope,

turned-around Israel sings laughter.

A David Psalm, When the Ziphites Reported to Saul, “David Is Hiding Out with Us”

^1–254God, for your sake, help me!

Use your influence to clear me.

Listen, God—I’m desperate.

Don’t be too busy to hear me.

³Outlaws are out to get me,

hit men are trying to kill me.

Nothing will stop them;

God means nothing to them.

^4–5Oh, look! God’s right here helping!

God’s on my side,

Evil is looping back on my enemies.

Don’t let up! Finish them off!

^6–7I’m ready now to worship, so ready.

I thank you, God—you’re so good.

You got me out of every scrape,

and I saw my enemies get it.