1

לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־מָחֲלַת מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד׃

For the leader; on mahalath. A maskil of David.

2

אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹהִים הִשְׁחִיתוּ וְהִתְעִיבוּ עָוֶל אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב׃

The scoundrel thinks, “God does not care.” Mortals’ wrongdoing is corrupt and loathsome; no one does good.

3

אֱלֹהִים מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁקִיף עַל־בְּנֵי־אָדָם לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דֹּרֵשׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִים׃

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

4

כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב אֵין גַּם־אֶחָד׃

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

5

הֲלֹא יָדְעוּ פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם אֱלֹהִים לֹא קָרָאוּ׃

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

6

שָׁם פָּחֲדוּ פַחַד לֹא־הָיָה פָחַד כִּי־אֱלֹהִים פִּזַּר עַצְמוֹת חֹנָךְ הֱבִשֹׁתָה כִּי־אֱלֹהִים מְאָסָם׃

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, for God has rejected them.

7

מִי־יִתֵּן מִצִּיּוֹן יְשֻׁעוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשׁוּב אֱלֹהִים שְׁבוּת עַמּוֹ יָגֵל יַעֲקֹב יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ {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.