For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite 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 all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?[1]2You who practise deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.3You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.[2]4You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!5Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: he will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.6The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at you, saying,7‘Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!’8But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.9For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.
Psalm 52
English Standard Version
The Steadfast Love of God Endures
1To the choirmaster. A Maskil[1] of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. (1Sa 22:9)2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. (Ps 50:19; Ps 57:4; Ps 101:7)3You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. (Jer 9:4)4You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.5But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Ps 27:13; Pr 2:22)6The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, (Ps 2:4; Ps 40:3)7“See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”[2] (Ps 49:6)8But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. (Ps 1:3; Ps 37:35; Ps 92:12; Ps 128:3; Ps 144:12; Jer 11:16; Ho 14:6)9I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly. (Ps 50:5; Ps 54:6)