Psalm 52

International Standard Version

To the Director: A Davidic instruction^[a] about Doeg, the Edomite, when he went to Saul and told him, “David went to the house of Abimelech.”

A Rebuke to the Deceitful

52 Why do you make evil
    the foundation of your boasting, mighty one?^[b]
        God’s gracious love never ceases.^[c]
²Your tongue, like a sharp razor, devises wicked things
    and crafts treachery.
³You love evil rather than good,
    falsehood rather than speaking uprightly.
Interlude

⁴You love all words that destroy, you deceitful tongue!

⁵But God will tear you down forever;
he will take you away,
even snatching you out of your tent!
He will uproot you from the land of the living.
Interlude

⁶The righteous will fear when they see this,
    but then they will laugh at him, saying,
⁷“Look, here is a young man who refused to make God his strength;
    instead, he trusted in his great wealth
        and made his wickedness his strength.

⁸But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
    I trust in the gracious love of God forever and ever.
⁹Therefore I will praise you forever
    because of what you did;
I will proclaim that your name is good
    in the midst of your faithful ones.

Footnotes

Psalm 52:1 Lit. maskil
Psalm 52:1 Or O warrior
Psalm 52:1 Lit. love is all the day

Psalm 52

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)

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.

International Standard Version (ISV)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 52

International Standard Version

To the Director: A Davidic instruction^[a] about Doeg, the Edomite, when he went to Saul and told him, “David went to the house of Abimelech.”

A Rebuke to the Deceitful

Footnotes

Psalm 52

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.”

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 52 International Standard Version

To the Director: A Davidic instruction[a] about Doeg, the Edomite, when he went to Saul and told him, “David went to the house of Abimelech.”

A Rebuke to the Deceitful

Footnotes

Psalm 52 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.”

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 52

International Standard Version

To the Director: A Davidic instruction^[a] about Doeg, the Edomite, when he went to Saul and told him, “David went to the house of Abimelech.”

Psalm 52

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.”