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Psalm 53

The Fool
(Psalm 14)

Heading
For the choir director. According to mahalath.[a] A maskil by David.

A Description of the Fool

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt. They commit horrible evil.
There is no one who does good.
God looks down from heaven on all the children of Adam
    to see if there is anyone who understands,
    anyone who seeks God.
Every single one has turned back.
Altogether they have become rotten.
There is no one who does good.
There is not even one.

The Final Fate of the Fool

Don’t they know, all those evildoers,
    who devour my people as if they were eating bread?
They do not call on God.
There they are, terrified, where there was nothing to fear.
For God scattered the bones of those who camped against you.
You put them to shame, because God despised them.

Closing Prayer

Who will provide salvation for Israel from Zion?[b]
When God restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 53:1 A musical term of uncertain meaning, most likely a melody
  2. Psalm 53:6 Or O that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

Psalm 53[a](A)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.

The fool(B) says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”(C)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven(D)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(E)
    any who seek God.(F)
Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.(G)

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
    they never call on God.
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    where there was nothing to dread.(H)
God scattered the bones(I) of those who attacked you;(J)
    you put them to shame,(K) for God despised them.(L)

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores his people,
    let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
  2. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term

53 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.

There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.