Psa 53 | HCSB | STEP | For the choir director : on Mahalath . A Davidic Maskil . The fool says in his heart , “God does not exist .” They are corrupt , and they do vile deeds . There is no one who does good .

Psalms 53

A Portrait of Sinners

1 For the choir director: on Mahalath. ^{▼▼Perhaps a tune, a musical instrument, or a dance; this may be related to Hb word for “sickness.”
,} ^b A Davidic ^{▼▼Maskil: From a Hebrew word meaning to be prudent or to have insight; possibly a contemplative, instructive, or wisdom psalm}Maskil.

The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good. ^d
2 God looks down from heaven on the ^{▼▼everyone/ human race: Literally, sons of man or sons of Adam}human race
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God. ^f
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one. ^g

4 Will evildoers never understand?
They consume My people as they consume bread; ^h
they do not call on God. ⁱ
5 Then they will be filled with terror –
terror like no other ^j –
because God will scatter
the bones of those who besiege you. ^k
You will put them to shame,
for God has rejected them. ^l

6 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from ^{▼▼Zion: Originally a term for the fortified section of Jerusalem and then, by extension, used for the temple and the city of Jerusalem both in the present time and in the future}Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of His people, ^{▼▼Or restores His captive people}
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad. ^o