Psalm 52–55

Psalm 52

For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite^a had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

^*Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?

Why do you boast^b all day long,^c

you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

You who practice deceit,^d

your tongue plots destruction;^e

it is like a sharpened razor.^f

You love evil^g rather than good,

falsehood^h rather than speaking the truth.

You love every harmful word,

you deceitful tongue!ⁱ

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

He will snatch you up and pluck^j you from your tent;

he will uproot^k you from the land of the living.^l

The righteous will see and fear;

they will laugh^m at you, saying,

“Here now is the one

who did not make God his strongholdⁿ

but trusted in his great wealth^o

and grew strong by destroying others!”

But I am like an olive tree^p

flourishing in the house of God;

I trust^q in God’s unfailing love

for ever and ever.

For what you have done I will always praise you^r

in the presence of your faithful people.^s

And I will hope in your name,^t

for your name is good.^u

Psalm 53

53:1-6^pp — Ps 14:1–7

For the director of music. According to mahalath. A maskil of David.

^*Fools^a say in their hearts,

“There is no God.”^b

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;

there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven^c

on the human race

to see if there are any who understand,^d

any who seek God.^e

Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.^f

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on God.

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

where there was nothing to dread.^g

God scattered the bones^h of those who attacked you;ⁱ

you put them to shame,^j for God despised them.^k

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

When God restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 54

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites^a had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

^*Save me^b, O God, by your name;^c

vindicate me by your might.^d

Hear my prayer, O God;^e

listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me;^f

ruthless people^g seek my life^h—

people without regard for God.ⁱ

Surely God is my help;^j

the Lord is the one who sustains me.^k

Let evil recoil^l on those who slander me;

in your faithfulness^m destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offeringⁿ to you;

I will praise^o your name, Lord, for it is good.^p

You have delivered me^q from all my troubles,

and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^r

Psalm 55

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.

^*Listen to my prayer, O God,

do not ignore my plea;^a

hear me and answer me.^b

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught^c

because of what my enemy is saying,

because of the threats of the wicked;

for they bring down suffering on me^d

and assail^e me in their anger.^f

My heart is in anguish^g within me;

the terrors^h of death have fallen on me.

Fear and tremblingⁱ have beset me;

horror^j has overwhelmed me.

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

I would flee far away

and stay in the desert;^k

I would hurry to my place of shelter,^l

far from the tempest and storm.^m”

Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,ⁿ

for I see violence and strife^o in the city.^p

Day and night they prowl^q about on its walls;

malice and abuse are within it.

Destructive forces^r are at work in the city;

threats and lies^s never leave its streets.

If an enemy were insulting me,

I could endure it;

if a foe were rising against me,

I could hide.

But it is you, one like myself,

my companion, my close friend,^t

with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^u

at the house of God,^v

as we walked about

among the worshipers.

Let death take my enemies by surprise;^w

let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^x

for evil finds lodging among them.

As for me, I call to God,

and the Lord saves me.

Evening,^y morning^z and noon^a

I cry out in distress,

and he hears my voice.

He rescues me unharmed

from the battle waged against me,

even though many oppose me.

God, who is enthroned from of old,^b

who does not change—

he will hear^c them and humble them,

because they have no fear of God.^d

My companion attacks his friends;^e

he violates his covenant.^f

His talk is smooth as butter,^g

yet war is in his heart;

his words are more soothing than oil,^h

yet they are drawn swords.ⁱ

Cast your cares on the Lord

and he will sustain you;^j

he will never let

the righteous be shaken.^k

But you, God, will bring down the wicked

into the pit^l of decay;

the bloodthirsty and deceitful^m

will not live out half their days.ⁿ

But as for me, I trust in you.^o