Psalm 14
The Message
14 Bilious and bloated, they gas,
“God is gone.”
Their words are poison gas,
fouling the air; they poison
Rivers and skies;
thistles are their cash crop.
2 God sticks his head out of heaven.
He looks around.
He’s looking for someone not stupid—
one man, even, God-expectant,
just one God-ready woman.
3 He comes up empty. A string
of zeros. Useless, unshepherded
Sheep, taking turns pretending
to be Shepherd.
The ninety and nine
follow their fellow.
4 Don’t they know anything,
all these predators?
Don’t they know
they can’t get away with this—
Treating people like a fast-food meal
over which they’re too busy to pray?
5-6 Night is coming for them, and nightmares,
for God takes the side of victims.
Do you think you can mess
with the dreams of the poor?
You can’t, for God
makes their dreams come true.
7 Is there anyone around to save Israel?
Yes. God is around; God turns life around.
Turned-around Jacob skips rope,
turned-around Israel sings laughter.
Psalm 14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 14
Denunciation of Godlessness
To the leader. Of David.
1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt; they do abominable deeds;
there is no one who does good.(A)
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.(B)
3 They have all gone astray; they are all alike perverse;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.(C)
4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread
and do not call upon the Lord?(D)
5 There they shall be in great terror,
for God is with the company of the righteous.(E)
6 You would confound the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.(F)
7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.(G)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.