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

14 That man is a fool who says to himself, “There is no God!” Anyone who talks like that is warped and evil and cannot really be a good person at all.

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please God. But no, all have strayed away; all are rotten with sin. Not one is good, not one! They eat my people like bread and wouldn’t think of praying! Don’t they really know any better?

Terror shall grip them, for God is with those who love him. He is the refuge of the poor and humble when evildoers are oppressing them. Oh, that the time of their rescue were already here, that God would come from Zion now to save his people. What gladness when the Lord has rescued Israel!