What a wicked person says harms others (mischief) and is untrue (deceit); see comments on these terms in 5.6b; 10.7. As noted elsewhere, mischief in English is not adequate as a description of something that is wrong or harmful to others. The words of his mouth may require shifting into an adverbial clause; for example, “When he speaks, his words are evil.”

Line b of verse 3 can be translated “he will not consider doing good,” as New Jerusalem Bible does, or as Good News Translation “he no longer does what is wise and good” (so Revised Standard Version); New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible “he has turned his back on wisdom”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “he has lost the notion of what is good”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “he lost his good sense, he quit doing good;” Bible en français courant “Doing good makes no sense to him.” It seems best to follow either Good News Translation or Bible en français courant here.

The evil man is further portrayed in verse 4 as one who makes evil plans (plots mischief), who “takes his stand on a way that isn’t good,” that is, whose conduct is always evil (line b), and as one who spurns not evil (line c). He plots mischief may sometimes be rendered “The things he thinks about doing are evil” or “He thinks of evil things to do.” The clause while on his bed in line a refers to his time of leisure, or rest. Line b is taken by Dahood to mean “the path of crime,” that is, active evil and not just the passive avoidance of good. Both Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version retain the negative in he spurns not evil. In some languages it will be more natural to say, for example, “he always accepts to do evil deeds” or “he always says ‘Yes’ to evil.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .