Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph(A)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

14 The (B)fool has said in his heart,
There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

(C)The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
(D)They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And (E)do not call on the Lord?
There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the Lord is his (F)refuge.

(G)Oh,[a] that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
(H)When the Lord brings back [b]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 14:7 Lit. Who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel?
  2. Psalm 14:7 Or His captive people

Psalm 14(A)

For the director of music. Of David.

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

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

Do all these evildoers know nothing?(J)

They devour my people(K) as though eating bread;
    they never call on the Lord.(L)
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    for God is present in the company of the righteous.
You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is their refuge.(M)

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!(N)
    When the Lord restores(O) his people,
    let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.