Add parallel Print Page Options

This is a special song that David wrote for the music leader.

It was when Doeg, the man from Edom, went to Saul and told him, ‘David went to the house of Ahimelech, the priest.’

Cruel words[a]

52 Strong man, why are you so proud
    about the evil things that you like to do?
Remember that God's faithful love keeps me safe.
Your tongue is like a sharp knife!
You talk about how to hurt other people,
    You speak nothing but lies.
You love to do evil things,
    not good things.
You love to tell lies
    more than the truth.
Selah.
You love to say cruel words.
    You speak to deceive others.
But God will knock you down,
    and he will break you into pieces.
He will take you away from your home.
He will remove you from this world where people live.
Selah.
Righteous people will see what has happened,
    and they will be afraid.[b]
Then they will laugh at the wicked person,
    and they will say,
‘Look! This man did not trust God to keep him safe.
    Instead, he trusted in his riches.
He thought that he could be cruel,
    and that would keep him safe.’
But I am like a strong olive tree
    that grows in the house of God.
I will always trust in God's faithful love for his people.
I will always praise you, God,
    for what you have done.
I will trust you to help me,
    together with all those who serve you.

Footnotes

  1. 52:1 King Saul was trying to kill David. David and his men ran away from Saul. Doeg told Saul where he could find David. See 1 Samuel 21:7.
  2. 52:6 When God does a powerful thing, it often makes us afraid. But when we begin to understand what he has done, we are happy! We know that God always does what is right.

Psalm 52[a]

For the director of music. A maskil[b] 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.[c]
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 man
    who did not make God his stronghold(N)
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)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
  2. Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.