Psalm 52-54

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Psalm 52

God Judges the Proud

For the choir director. A Davidic Maskil. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”^(A)

¹Why brag about evil, you hero!^(B)
God’s faithful love is constant.^(C)
²Like a sharpened razor,
your tongue devises destruction,
working treachery.^(D)
³You love evil instead of good,
lying instead of speaking truthfully.^(E)Selah
⁴You love any words that destroy,
you treacherous tongue!^(F)

⁵This is why God will bring you down forever.
He will take you, ripping you out of your tent;
He will uproot you from the land of the living.^(G)Selah
⁶The righteous will look on with awe
and will ridicule him:^(H)
⁷“Here is the man
who would not make God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches,
taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”^[a]^(I)

⁸But I am like a flourishing olive tree
in the house of God;^(J)
I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.^(K)
⁹I will praise You forever for what You have done.
In the presence of Your faithful people,
I will put my hope in Your name, for it is good.^(L)

Psalm 53

A Portrait of Sinners

For the choir director: on Mahalath.^[b]^(M) A Davidic Maskil.

¹The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.^(N)
²God looks down from heaven on the human race
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.^(O)
³All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.^(P)

⁴Will evildoers never understand?
They consume My people as they consume bread;^(Q)
they do not call on God.^(R)
⁵Then they will be filled with terror—
terror like no other^(S)—
because God will scatter
the bones of those who besiege you.^(T)
You will put them to shame,
for God has rejected them.^(U)

⁶Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of His people,^[c]
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.^(V)

Psalm 54

Prayer for Deliverance

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Davidic Maskil. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”^(W)

¹God, save me by Your name,
and vindicate me by Your might!^(X)
²God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words of my mouth.^(Y)
³For strangers rise up against me,
and violent men seek my life.
They have no regard for God.^[d]^(Z)Selah

⁴God is my helper;
the Lord is the sustainer of my life.^[e]^(AA)
⁵He will repay my adversaries for their evil.
Because of Your faithfulness, annihilate them.^(AB)

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You.^(AC)
I will praise Your name, Yahweh,
because it is good.^(AD)
⁷For He has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked down on my enemies.^(AE)

Footnotes

Psalm 52:7 Or riches, and grew strong in his evil desire; lit his destruction
Psalm 53:1 Perhaps a tune, a musical instrument, or a dance; this may be related to Hb word for “sickness.”
Psalm 53:6 Or restores His captive people
Psalm 54:3 Lit They do not set God before them
Psalm 54:4 Or is with those who sustain my life

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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 52-54

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Psalm 52

God Judges the Proud

For the choir director. A Davidic Maskil. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”^(A)

Psalm 53

A Portrait of Sinners

For the choir director: on Mahalath.^[b]^(M) A Davidic Maskil.

Psalm 54

Prayer for Deliverance

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Davidic Maskil. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”^(W)

Footnotes

Cross references

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 Holman Christian Standard Bible

Psalm 52

God Judges the Proud

For the choir director. A Davidic Maskil. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”(A)

Psalm 53

A Portrait of Sinners

For the choir director: on Mahalath.[b](M) A Davidic Maskil.

Psalm 54

Prayer for Deliverance

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Davidic Maskil. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”(W)

Footnotes

Cross references

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible

For the choir director. A Davidic Maskil. When Doeg the Edomite went and reported to Saul, telling him, “David went to Ahimelech’s house.”^(A)

For the choir director: on Mahalath.^[b]^(M) A Davidic Maskil.

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Davidic Maskil. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?”^(W)

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?”