53  For the musical director: a song[fn] by David to be sung to the tune of ‘Mahalat’.[fn]

1 Fools tell themselves that there is no god.

They are corrupt and have done disgusting acts of evil.

There’s no one who does good.[ref]

2 God looks down from heaven on the children of humanity

to see if there are any with insight—

≈ who strive to obey him.

3 They’ve all turned away.

≈ Together they have become corrupt.

≈ There’s not one who does good, not even one.

4 Do those who do evil have no understanding—

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and it’s not God that they trust in to help them?

5 They were very worried even though it was quite irrational

because God will scatter the bones of any army that comes to attack you.

Those people will be put to shame because God has rejected them.

6 If only Yisrael’s (Israel’s) rescue would come from Tsiyon (Zion).

When God brings his people back from the captivity,

then Ya’akov (Jacob) will celebrate

≈ and Yisrael will be glad.