Psalms 53
7 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside · tap 🔊 to hear a verse
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־מָחֲלַ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃
lamnatseakh al-makhalat maskil ledavid
For the leader; on mahalath. A maskil of David.
אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל בְּ֭לִבּוֹ אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים הִֽ֝שְׁחִ֗יתוּ וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ עָ֝֗וֶל אֵ֣ין עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב׃
amar naval belibbo en elohim hishkhitu vehitivu avel en oseh-tov
The scoundrel thinks, “God does not care.” Mortals’ wrongdoing is corrupt and loathsome; no one does good.
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים מִשָּׁמַיִם֮ הִשְׁקִ֢יף עַֽל־בְּנֵי־אָ֫דָ֥ם לִ֭רְאוֹת הֲיֵ֣שׁ מַשְׂכִּ֑יל דֹּ֝רֵ֗שׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃
elohim mishamayim hishqif al-bene-adam lirot hayesh maskil doresh et-elohim
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׃
kullo sag yakhdav ne'elakhu en oseh-tov en gam-ekhad
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׃
halo yade'u po'ale aven okhele ammi okhlu lekhem elohim lo qara'u
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׃
sham pakhadu fakhad lo-hayah fakhad ki-elohim pizzar atsmot khonakh hevishotah ki-elohim me'asam
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.
מִ֥י־יִתֵּ֣ן מִצִּיּוֹן֮ יְשֻׁע֢וֹת יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל בְּשׁ֣וּב אֱ֭לֹהִים שְׁב֣וּת עַמּ֑וֹ יָגֵ֥ל יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב יִשְׂמַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
mi-yitten mitsiyyon yeshu'ot yisra'el beshuv elohim shevut ammo yagel ya'aqov yismakh yisra'el
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.
Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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