The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of David, when (A)Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
Your (B)tongue plots destruction,
    like (C)a sharp razor, you (D)worker of deceit.
You love evil more than good,
    and (E)lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.

But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and (F)tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from (G)the land of the living. Selah
The righteous shall (H)see and fear,
    and shall (I)laugh at him, saying,
“See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but (J)trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[b]

But I am like (K)a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.
I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, (L)for it is good,
    in the presence of the (M)godly.

There Is None Who Does Good

To the choirmaster: according to (N)Mahalath. A Maskil[c] of David.

53 (O)The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.

God looks down from heaven
    on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,[d]
    who seek after God.

They have all fallen away;
    together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
    not even one.

Have those who work evil no knowledge,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon God?

There they are, in great terror,
    (P)where there is no terror!
For God (Q)scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

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

To the choirmaster: with (R)stringed instruments. A Maskil[e] of David, (S)when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

54 O God, save me by your (T)name,
    and vindicate me by your might.
O God, (U)hear my prayer;
    give ear to the words of my mouth.

(V)For (W)strangers[f] have risen against me;
    ruthless men (X)seek my life;
    they do not set God before themselves. Selah

Behold, (Y)God is my helper;
    the Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
    in your (Z)faithfulness (AA)put an end to them.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
    I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, (AB)for it is good.
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
    and my eye has (AC)looked in triumph on my enemies.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 52:7 Or in his work of destruction
  3. Psalm 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms
  4. Psalm 53:2 Or who act wisely
  5. Psalm 54:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  6. Psalm 54:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum insolent men (compare Psalm 86:14)

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