Psalms 53

The Folly of the Godless and Salvation for Israel

For the music director, according to Mahalath.

A maskil of David.*The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one

1 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.

2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind

to see whether there is one who has insight,

one who seeks God.

3 All of them*Literally "The whole of it," i.e. all of humankind have turned back.

They are altogether corrupt.

There is none who does good;

there is not even one.

4 Do not evildoers know,

they who eat my people as though they were eating bread?

They do not call on God.

5 There they are very fearful*Literally "they feared a fear"

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.

6 Oh, that from Zion*Literally "Who will give that from Zion" would come salvation for Israel!

When God returns the fortunes*Or "captivity" of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.