Add parallel Print Page Options

Psalm 53(A)

For the Music Director. According to Mahalath. A Contemplative Maskil of David.

The fool has said in his heart,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abhorrent injustice;
    there is none who does good.

God looked down from heaven
    on the children of men,
to see if there were any who have insight,
    who seek God.
Every one of them has turned aside;
    they are altogether corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call on God?
There they were in fear,
    where there was nothing to fear,
for God has scattered the bones of him who camps against you;
    you have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God brings back the captivity of His people,
    Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad.

The Folly of the Godless and Salvation for Israel

For the music director, according to Mahalath.

A maskil of David.[a]

53 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt and they have done abominable iniquity.
There is none who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind
to see whether there is one who has insight,
one who seeks God.
All of them[b] have turned back.
They are altogether corrupt.
There is none who does good;
there is not even one.
Do not evildoers know,
they who eat my people as though they were eating bread?
They do not call on God.
There they are very fearful[c]
where no fear had been,
because God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you.
You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.
Oh, that from Zion[d] would come salvation for Israel!
When God returns the fortunes[e] of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 53:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 53:3 Literally “The whole of it,” i.e. all of humankind
  3. Psalm 53:5 Literally “they feared a fear”
  4. Psalm 53:6 Literally “Who will give that from Zion”
  5. Psalm 53:6 Or “captivity”

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