Psalm 53
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 53
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director: on Mahalath.(A) A Maskil of David.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.(B)
2 God looks down from heaven on the human race[a]
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.(C)
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.(D)
4 Will evildoers never understand?
They consume my people as they consume bread;(E)
they do not call on God.(F)
5 Then they will be filled with dread—
dread like no other(G)—
because God will scatter
the bones of those who besiege you.(H)
You will put them to shame,
for God has rejected them.(I)
Psalm 53
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 53[a]
Foolishness of the Wicked
1 For the director.[b] According to Mahalath. A maskil of David.
2 [c]The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
Such are depraved and their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does what is right.
3 God looks down from heaven
upon the entire human race,
to see if there are any who act with wisdom,
if even a single one seeks God.
4 But they have all turned aside;
all alike are corrupt.
There is no one who does what is right,
not even one.
5 Have all these evildoers no understanding?
They devour my people as they eat bread,
and they never call out to God.
6 Later, they will be filled with terror,
and with good reason,[d]
although now they do not fear.
For God will scatter the bones
of those who attack you;
they will be put to shame,
for God has rejected them.
7 Who will bring about the salvation of Israel
that is to come out of Zion?[e]
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel will exult.
Footnotes
- Psalm 53:1 The psalmist stresses that when people banish God from their heart, they are led to renounce and exploit their neighbors. A generation turns away from God and erects injustice into a law, but the Lord of the poor and oppressed remains vigilant. The text reproduces Ps 14 with some variants: e.g., “God” is used for “the Lord” and verse 5 (which corresponds with vv. 5-6 of Ps 14) is different.
In praying this psalm, we can recall that all the attacks of spiritual or physical tyrants upon us are futile. Christ is with his faithful till the end of time, with the whole Church and with every Christian, to enable them to overcome all external and internal adversities. And without ceasing Christ offers to his Father, out of gratitude for deliverance, a sacrifice of thanksgiving—the Eucharist. - Psalm 53:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. Mahalath: this word may signify a modulation indicating sadness. Maskil: see note on Ps 32:1a.
- Psalm 53:2 See notes on Ps 14:1b-4.
- Psalm 53:6 This verse corresponds with the theme of Ps 14:6-7 that God crushes evildoers who attack his people, but the text is quite different. Later . . . good reason: an alternative translation is: “Then they were overcome with fear, / where there was no reason to fear.” Scatter the bones: bodies left unburied (regarded as a horrible fate) in the wake of a devastating defeat—an allusion to Israel’s divine deliverance from the siege of Sennacherib in 701 B.C. as a sign of what happens to all who attack God’s people (see 2 Ki 19:35f; Isa 37:36f).
- Psalm 53:7 Who will . . . Zion?: another possible translation is: “Oh, if only salvation for Israel / would come forth from Zion.”
Psalm 53
New King James Version
Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel(A)
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A [a]Contemplation of David.
53 The (B)fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
(C)There is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who (D)seek God.
3 Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity (E)no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
5 (F)There they are in great fear
Where no fear was,
For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;
You have put them to shame,
Because God has despised them.
6 (G)Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back [b]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Footnotes
- Psalm 53:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 53:6 Or His captive people
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
