Psalm 52:title–54:7

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

52 To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of David, when cDoeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

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

The steadfast love of God endures all the day.

2  Your dtongue plots destruction,

like ea sharp razor, you fworker of deceit.

3  You love evil more than good,

and glying 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 htear you from your tent;

he will uproot you from ithe land of the living. Selah

6  The righteous shall jsee and fear,

and shall klaugh at him, saying,

7  “See the man who would not make

God his refuge,

but ltrusted in the abundance of his riches

and sought refuge in his own destruction!”2

8  But I am like ma 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, nfor it is good,

in the presence of the ogodly.

There Is None Who Does Good

53 To the choirmaster: according to pMahalath. A Maskil1 of David.

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

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

there is none who does good.

2  God looks down from heaven

on the children of man

to see if there are any who understand,2

who seek after God.

3  They have all fallen away;

together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

4  Have those who work evil no knowledge,

who eat up my people as they eat bread,

and do not call upon God?

5  There they are, in great terror,

rwhere there is no terror!

For God sscatters the bones of him who encamps against you;

you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

6  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

The Lord Upholds My Life

54 To the choirmaster: with tstringed instruments. A Maskil1 of David, uwhen the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

1  O God, save me by your vname,

and vindicate me by your might.

2  O God, whear my prayer;

give ear to the words of my mouth.

3  xFor ystrangers2 have risen against me;

ruthless men zseek my life;

they do not set God before themselves. Selah

4  Behold, aGod is my helper;

the Lord is the upholder of my life.

5  He will return the evil to my enemies;

in your bfaithfulness cput an end to them.

6  With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;

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

7  For he has delivered me from every trouble,

and my eye has elooked in triumph on my enemies.