Psalm 52
Words: The Psalter of the United Presbyterian Church of North America, 1887 ed.
Note: This page also has a Common Metre version of this psalm.
1 O Mighty man, why boast in sin?
Forever merciful is God.
Thy tongue is like a razor keen,
Devising wrong, and working fraud.
2 Yea, more than good thou lovest wrong,
Lies more than truth thy lips employ,
O thou deceitful, lying tongue,
Thou lovest words that life destroy.
3 So God shah thee destroy got aye,
And pluck thee from thy dwelling place;
The Lord shall thee remove away,
And from the earth thy name erase.
4 The godly see his ruined state,
And fearing, they shall laugh and say,
Behold the man of boasting great,
Who would not make the Lord his stay;
5 But placed his confidence in gold,
And wealth increased to ample store;
In wickedness he grew more bold,
In sin increased yet more and more.
6 But I within God's holy place
Am like a fruitful olive tree;
My trust on God's abundant grace
Shall ever and forever be.
7 Thy praise I ever will proclaim,
Because, O Lord, thou hast done this;
And I will wait upon thy name,
For good before thy saints it is.
1 Why dost thou boast, O mighty man,
Of mischief and of ill?
The goodness of Almighty God
Endureth ever still.
2 Thy tongue doth slanders mischievous
Devise most cunningly,
Like to a razor sharp to cut,
It works deceitfully.
3 Ill more than good, and more than truth
Thou lovest speaking wrong:
Thou lovest all-devouring words,
O thou deceitful tongue.
4 So God shall thee destroy for aye,
Remove thee, pluck thee out
Quite from thy house, and from the laud
Of life he shall thee root.
5 The righteous shall it see, and fear,
And laugh at him they shall:
Lo, this the mat, is that did not
Make God his strength at all.
6 But he in his abundant wealth
His confidence did place;
He also to himself took strength
From his own wickedness.
7 But I within the house of God
Am like an olive green;
My confidence forever hath
Upon God's mercy been.
8 And I forever will thee praise,
Because thou hast done this;
I on thy name will wait, for good
Before thy saints it is.
