New English Translation

Psalms 36:1-4

1 1 2An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God,

2for he is too proud to recognize and give up his sin.

3The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful; he does not care about doing what is wise and right.

4He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed; he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not reject what is evil.

Notes

1. Psalms 36:1 Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked. ↩
2. Psalms 36:1 In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (nÿ’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1. ↩