Psalm 52-54

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!

To the director: Use the mahalath.^[e] A maskil of David.

53 Only fools think there is no God.
    People like that are evil and do terrible things.
    They never do what is right.
²God looks down from heaven to see
    if there is anyone who is wise,
    anyone who looks to him for help.
³But everyone has turned away from him.
    Everyone has become evil.
No one does anything good.
    No, not one person!

⁴Those who are evil treat my people like bread to be eaten.
And they never ask for God’s help.
Don’t they understand what they are doing?

⁵They will be filled with fear—
a fear like they have never felt before!
People of Israel, you will defeat those who attacked you,
because God has rejected them.
And he will scatter their bones.

⁶I wish the one who lives on Mount Zion
    would bring victory to Israel!
When God makes Israel successful again,
    the people of Jacob will be very happy;
    the people of Israel will be glad.

To the director: With instruments. A maskil of David written when the Ziphites went to Saul and told him, “We think David is hiding among our people.”

54 God, use your power and save me.
    Use your great power to set me free.^[f]
²God, listen to my prayer.
    Listen to what I say.
³Strangers who don’t even think about God have turned against me.
    Those powerful men are trying to kill me. Selah

⁴Look, my God will help me.
My Lord will support me.
⁵He will punish the people who turned against me.
God, be faithful to me and destroy them.

⁶Lord, I will give freewill offerings to you.
I will praise your good name.
⁷You saved me from all my troubles.
I saw my enemies defeated.

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.”
Psalm 53:1 Psalm 53 mahalath Probably a musical term. It might be the name of an instrument or a tune, or it might mean a certain musical style.
Psalm 54:1 Literally, “God, save me with your name, judge me with your might.”

Psalm 52-54

New International Version

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.”

¹Why 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?
²You who practice deceit,^(D)
    your tongue plots destruction;^(E)
    it is like a sharpened razor.^(F)
³You love evil^(G) rather than good,
    falsehood^(H) rather than speaking the truth.^[c]
⁴You love every harmful word,
    you deceitful tongue!^(I)

⁵Surely 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)
⁶The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh^(M) at you, saying,
⁷“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!”

⁸But 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.
⁹For 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^[d]^(V)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.^[e] A maskil^[f] of David.

¹The fool^(W) says in his heart,
“There is no God.”^(X)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.

²God looks down from heaven^(Y)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,^(Z)
    any who seek God.^(AA)
³Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.^(AB)

⁴Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
    they never call on God.
⁵But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    where there was nothing to dread.^(AC)
God scattered the bones^(AD) of those who attacked you;^(AE)
    you put them to shame,^(AF) for God despised them.^(AG)

⁶Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 54^[g]

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

¹Save me^(AI), O God, by your name;^(AJ)
vindicate me by your might.^(AK)
²Hear my prayer, O God;^(AL)
listen to the words of my mouth.

³Arrogant foes are attacking me;^(AM)
ruthless people^(AN) are trying to kill me^(AO)—
people without regard for God.^[i]^(AP)

⁴Surely God is my help;^(AQ)
the Lord is the one who sustains me.^(AR)

⁵Let evil recoil^(AS) on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness^(AT) destroy them.

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering^(AU) to you;
I will praise^(AV) your name, Lord, for it is good.^(AW)
⁷You have delivered me^(AX) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^(AY)

Footnotes

Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 52-54

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.”

To the director: Use the mahalath.^[e] A maskil of David.

To the director: With instruments. A maskil of David written when the Ziphites went to Saul and told him, “We think David is hiding among our people.”

Footnotes

Psalm 52-54

New International Version

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.”

Psalm 53^[d]^(V)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.^[e] A maskil^[f] of David.

Psalm 54^[g]

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

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 52-54 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.”

To the director: Use the mahalath.[e] A maskil of David.

To the director: With instruments. A maskil of David written when the Ziphites went to Saul and told him, “We think David is hiding among our people.”

Footnotes

Psalm 52-54 New International Version

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.”

Psalm 53[d](V)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.[e] A maskil[f] of David.

Psalm 54[g]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[h] of David. When the Ziphites(AH) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 52-54

Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: Use the mahalath.^[e] A maskil of David.

Psalm 52-54

New International Version

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.”

Psalm 53^[d]^(V)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.^[e] A maskil^[f] of David.

Psalm 54^[g]

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