Psalms

PSALM 52^*

The Deceitful Tongue

1For the leader. A maskil of David, 2when Doeg the Edomite entered and reported to Saul, saying to him: “David has entered the house of Ahimelech.”^a

I

3Why do you glory in what is evil, you who are mighty by the mercy of God?

All day long

4you are thinking up intrigues;

your tongue is like a sharpened razor,

you worker of deceit.^b

5You love evil more than good,

lying rather than saying what is right.^c

Selah

6You love all the words that create confusion,

you deceitful tongue.^d

II

7God too will strike you down forever,

he will lay hold of you and pluck you from your tent,

uproot you from the land of the living.^e

Selah

8The righteous will see and they will fear;

but they will laugh at him:^f

9“Behold the man! He did not take God as his refuge,

but he trusted in the abundance of his wealth,

and grew powerful through his wickedness.”^g

III

10But I, like an olive tree^* flourishing in the house of God,^h

I trust in God’s mercy forever and ever.

11I will thank you forever

for what you have done.

I will put my hope in your name—for it is good,ⁱ

—in the presence of those devoted to you.

* [Psalm 52] A condemnation of the powerful and arrogant (Ps 52:3–6), who bring down upon themselves God’s judgment (Ps 52:7). The just, those who trust in God alone, are gladdened and strengthened by the downfall of their traditional enemies (Ps 52:8–9).

* [52:10] Like an olive tree: the righteous will flourish in the house of God like a well-watered olive tree, cf. Ps 92:14; 128:3.

a. [52:2] 1 Sm 21:8; 22:6ff.

b. [52:4] Ps 12:3; 59:8; 120:2–3; Sir 51:3.

c. [52:5] Jer 4:22; Jn 3:19–20.

d. [52:6] Jer 9:4.

e. [52:7] Ps 27:13; 28:5; 56:14; Jb 18:14; Prv 2:22; Is 38:11.

f. [52:8] Ps 44:14; 64:9.

g. [52:9] Jb 31:24; Prv 11:28.

h. [52:10] Ps 1:3; 92:12–14; Jer 11:16; 17:8.

i. [52:11] Ps 22:23; 26:12; 35:18; 149:1.