תהילים 53

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־מָחֲלַ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃

^aCf. Psalm 14. For the leader; on mahalath.^bmahalath Meaning of Heb. unknown. A maskil of David.

אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל בְּ֭לִבּוֹ אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים הִֽ֝שְׁחִ֗יתוּ וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ עָ֝֗וֶל אֵ֣ין עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב׃

The scoundrel thinks,
“God does not care.”^cGod does not care Lit. “There is no God”; cf. 10.4.
Mortals’^dMortals’ Heb. “Their.” wrongdoing is corrupt and loathsome;
no one does good.

אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים מִשָּׁמַיִם֮ הִשְׁקִ֢יף עַֽל־בְּנֵי־אָ֫דָ֥ם לִ֭רְאוֹת הֲיֵ֣שׁ מַשְׂכִּ֑יל דֹּ֝רֵ֗שׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

God looks down from heaven on humankind
to find someone with understanding,
someone mindful of God.

כֻּלּ֥וֹ סָג֮ יַחְדָּ֢ו נֶ֫אֱלָ֥חוּ אֵ֤ין עֹֽשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב אֵ֝֗ין גַּם־אֶחָֽד׃

Everyone is dross,
altogether foul;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

הֲלֹ֥א יָדְעוּ֮ פֹּ֤עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן אֹכְלֵ֣י עַ֭מִּי אָ֣כְלוּ לֶ֑חֶם אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לֹ֣א קָרָֽאוּ׃

Are they so witless, those evildoers,
who devour my people as they devour food,
and do not invoke God?

שָׁ֤ם ׀ פָּ֥חֲדוּ פַחַד֮ לֹא־הָ֢יָ֫ה פָ֥חַד כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֗ים פִּ֭זַּר עַצְמ֣וֹת חֹנָ֑ךְ הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים מְאָסָֽם׃

There they will be seized with fright
—never was there such a fright—
for God has scattered the bones of your besiegers;
you have put them to shame,^enever was there … put them to shame Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
for God has rejected them.

מִ֥י־יִתֵּ֣ן מִצִּיּוֹן֮ יְשֻׁע֢וֹת יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל בְּשׁ֣וּב אֱ֭לֹהִים שְׁב֣וּת עַמּ֑וֹ יָגֵ֥ל יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב יִשְׂמַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}

O that the deliverance of Israel might come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of this covenanted people,
Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.