Psalm 52-54

Common English Bible

Psalm 52

For the music leader. A maskil^[a] of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has gone to Ahimelech’s house.”

52 Hey, powerful person!
    Why do you brag about evil?
    God’s faithful love lasts all day long.
²Your tongue devises destruction:
    it’s like a sharpened razor, causing deception.
³You love evil more than good;
    you love lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
⁴You love all destructive words;
    you love the deceiving tongue.

⁵But God will take you down permanently;
    he will snatch you up,
    tear you out of your tent,
    and uproot you from the land of the living! Selah
⁶The righteous will see and be in awe;
    they will laugh at those people:
⁷“Look at them! They didn’t make God their refuge.
    Instead, they trusted in their own great wealth.
        They sought refuge in it—to their own destruction!”

⁸But I am like a green olive tree in God’s house;
    I trust in God’s faithful love forever and always.
⁹I will give thanks to you, God, forever,
    because you have acted.
In the presence of your faithful people,
    I will hope in your name because it’s so good.

Psalm 53

For the music leader, according to the mahalath. A maskil^[b] of David.

53 Fools say in their hearts, There’s no God.
They are corrupt and do horrible deeds;
not one of them does anything good.

²God looks down from heaven on humans
    to see if anyone is wise,
    to see if anyone seeks God.
³But all have turned away.
    Everyone is corrupt.
    No one does good—
    not even one person!

⁴Are they dumb—these evildoers—
devouring my people like they are eating bread
but never calling on God?

⁵There, where there was nothing to fear,
    they will be in utter panic
    because God will scatter the bones
        of those who attacked you.
You will put them to shame
    because God has rejected them.

⁶Let Israel’s salvation come out of Zion!
    When God changes
    his people’s circumstances for the better,
        Jacob will rejoice;
        Israel will celebrate!

Psalm 54

For the music leader. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[c] of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding among us?”

54 God! Save me by your name;
defend me by your might!
²God! Hear my prayer;
listen to the words of my mouth!

³The proud have come up against me;
violent people want me dead.
They pay no attention to God. Selah

⁴But look here: God is my helper;
my Lord sustains my life.
⁵He will bring disaster on my opponents.
By your faithfulness, God, destroy them!

⁶I will sacrifice to you freely;
    I will give thanks to your name, Lord,
        because it’s so good,
⁷        and because God has delivered me
        from every distress.
    My eyes have seen my enemies’ defeat.^[d]