Psalm 52

Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: A maskil of David written when Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David is in Ahimelech’s house.”

52 Great warrior, why are you bragging about the evil you did?
    You are a disgrace to God.
²You are nothing but a hired killer,^[a]
    making plans to hurt people and making up lies!
³You love evil more than goodness.
    You love lies more than truth. Selah

⁴You and your lying tongue love to hurt people.
⁵So God will ruin you forever!
He will grab you and pull you from your home,^[b] like someone pulling up a plant by the roots!^[c] Selah

⁶Good people will see this
    and learn to fear and respect God.
They will laugh at you and say,
⁷    “Look what happened to the warrior who did not depend on God.
    That fool thought his wealth and lies would protect him.”

⁸But I am like a green olive tree growing in God’s Temple.
I will trust God’s faithful love forever and ever.
⁹God, I praise you forever for what you have done.
I will speak your name^[d] before your followers because it is so good!

Footnotes

Psalm 52:2 hired killer Literally, “sharpened razor.”
Psalm 52:5 home This means the body. This is a poetic way of saying, “God will end your life here on earth.”
Psalm 52:5 like someone … roots Literally, “He will root you up from the land of the living.” This also means “He will kill you and your descendants.”
Psalm 52:9 speak your name Or “I will trust your name.”