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The Folly of the Godless and God’s Final Triumph

For the music director. Of David.[a]

14 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt.
They do abominable deeds.
There is none who does good.
Yahweh looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind
to see whether there is one who has insight,
one who cares about God.
All have gone astray;
they are altogether corrupt.
There is not one who does good;
there is not even one.
All who do evil—do they not know,
they who eat my people as though they were eating bread?
They do not call on Yahweh.
There they are very fearful[b]
because God is with the generation of the righteous.
You would put to shame the plan of the poor,
because[c] Yahweh is his refuge.
Oh that from Zion[d] would come salvation for Israel!
When Yahweh returns the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be happy.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 14:5 Literally “they feared a fear”
  3. Psalm 14:6 Or “but”
  4. Psalm 14:7 Literally “Who will give that from Zion”

Psalm 14

For the music leader. Of David.

14 Fools say in their hearts, There is no God.
    They are corrupt and do evil things;
    not one of them does anything good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on humans
    to see if anyone is wise,
    to see if anyone seeks God,
        but all of them have turned bad.
        Everyone is corrupt.
        No one does good—
        not even one person!

Are they dumb, all these evildoers,
    devouring my people
    like they are eating bread
        but never calling on the Lord?

Count on it:[a] they will be in utter panic
    because God is with the righteous generation.
You evildoers may humiliate
    the plans of those who suffer,
        but the Lord is their refuge.

Let Israel’s salvation come out of Zion!
        When the Lord changes
        his people’s circumstances for the better,
        Jacob will rejoice;
        Israel will celebrate!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 14:5 Or There they will be; cf 53:5