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The Unbelieving Fool

For the director of music. Of David.

14 A wicked fool says to himself,
    “There is no God.”
Fools are evil. They do terrible things.
    None of them does anything good.

The Lord looked down from heaven at all the people.
    He looked to see if anyone was wise,
    if anyone was looking to God for help.
But all have turned away.
    Together, everyone has become evil.
None of them does anything good.

Don’t the wicked understand?
    They destroy my people as if they were eating bread.
    They do not ask the Lord for help.
But the wicked are filled with terror
    because God is with those who do what is right.
The wicked upset the plans of the poor.
    But the Lord will protect the poor.

I pray that victory will come to Israel from Mount Zion!
    May the Lord give them back their riches.
    Then the people of Jacob will rejoice.
    And the people of Israel will be glad.

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.

14 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

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

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.

There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.

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