Psalm 52[a] For the director of music. A maskil[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

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

5 Surely 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. 6 The 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!”

8 But I am like an olive tree     flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love     for ever and ever. 9 For 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.