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There Is No One Who Does Good

For the choir director. According to [a]Mahalath. A [b]Maskil of David.

53 (A)The wicked fool says in his heart, “There is no God,”
They act corruptly, and commit abominable injustice;
(B)There is no one who does good.
God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there is (C)anyone who has insight,
Anyone who (D)seeks after God.
(E)Every one of them has turned back; together they have become [c]worthless;
There is no one who does good, not even one.

Do the workers of iniquity (F)not know,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread
And do not call upon God?
There they were in great dread (G)where no dread had been;
For God (H)scattered the bones of [d]him who encamped against you;
You (I)put them to shame, because (J)God had rejected them.
Oh, that (K)the salvation of Israel [e]would come out of Zion!
When God [f]restores His captive people,
[g]May Jacob rejoice, may Israel be glad.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 53 Title Sickness, a sad tone
  2. Psalm 53 Title Possibly Contemplative, Didactic, Skillful Psalm
  3. Psalm 53:3 Or corrupt
  4. Psalm 53:5 Or possibly those
  5. Psalm 53:6 Lit would be
  6. Psalm 53:6 Or restores the fortunes of His people
  7. Psalm 53:6 Or Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad

Denunciation of Godlessness

To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

53 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none that does good.

God looks down from heaven
    upon the sons of men
to see if there are any that are wise,
    that seek after God.

They have all fallen away;
    they are all alike depraved;
there is none that does good,
    no, not one.

Have those who work evil no understanding,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon God?

There they are, in great terror,
    in terror such as has not been!
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;[a]
    they will be put to shame,[b] for God has rejected them.

O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
    When God restores the fortunes of his people,
    Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 53:5 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb him who encamps against you
  2. Psalm 53:5 Gk: Heb you will put to shame