Psalms 53:1

New King James Version

To the Chief Musician. Set to 'Mahalath.' A Contemplation [fn] of David. The fool has said in his heart,"There is no God."They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;There is none who does good.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.There is no one who does good.

Hebrew Names Version
<> The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good.

King James Version
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

English Standard Version

To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

New Century Version

For the director of music. By mahalath. A maskil of David.

Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." Fools are evil and do terrible things; none of them does anything good.

New English Translation

For the music director; according to the machalath style; a well-written song by David.

Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

Amplified Bible
The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt and evil, and have committed repulsive injustice; There is no one who does good.

New American Standard Bible
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good.

World English Bible
<> The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good.

Geneva Bible (1587)
To him that excelleth on Mahalath. A Psalme of Dauid to giue instruction. The foole hath saide in his heart, There is no God. they haue corrupted & done abominable wickednes: there is none that doeth good.

Legacy Standard Bible
The wicked fool says in his heart, "There is no God,"They act corruptly, and commit abominable injustice;There is no one who does good.

Berean Standard Bible
For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good.

Contemporary English Version

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "Mahalath.")

Only a fool would say, "There is no God!" People like that are worthless! They are heartless and cruel and never do right.

Complete Jewish Bible
For the leader. On machalat. A maskil of David:

Darby Translation

To the chief Musician. On Mahalath: an instruction. Of David.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God! They have corrupted themselves, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

Easy-to-Read Version

To the director: Use the mahalath. A maskil of David.

Only fools think there is no God. People like that are evil and do terrible things. They never do what is right.

George Lamsa Translation
THE fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and abominable in their iniquities; and there is none that does good.

Good News Translation
Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." They are all corrupt, and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right.

Lexham English Bible

For the music director, according to Mahalath.

A maskil of David.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt and they have done abominable iniquity. There is none who does good.

Literal Translation
To the Chief musician on Mahalath. A Contemplation; A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! They have done corruptly; they have committed abominable wickedness; there is none doing good!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The foolish bodies saye in their hertes: Tush, there is no God. Corrupte are they, and become abhominable in their wickednesses: there is not one, that doth good.

American Standard Version

For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none that doeth good.

Bible in Basic English

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the Leader; upon Mahalath. Maschil of David.

King James Version (1611)
[To the chiefe musician vpon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalme of Dauid.] The foole hath sayde in his heart, There is no god; Corrupt are they, and haue done abhominable iniquitie; there is none that doth good.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The foole hath sayde in his heart there is no God: they haue corrupted them selues, & haue made their wickednes abhominable, he is not that doeth good.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted themselves, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none that does good.

English Revised Version
For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth good.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The title of the two and fiftithe salm. To the ouercomer bi the quere, the lernyng of Dauid. The vnwise man seide in his herte; God is not. Thei ben `corrupt, and maad abhomynable in her wickidnessis; noon is that doith good.

Update Bible Version
For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, and have done disgusting iniquity; There is none that does good.

Webster's Bible Translation
To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, [A Psalm] of David. The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity: [there is] none that doeth good.

New Living Translation

For the choir director: A meditation; a psalm of David.

Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

New Life Bible
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are sinful and have done bad things. There is no one who does good.

New Revised Standard

To the leader: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The impious hath said in his heart, There is no God! They have acted corruptly, They have wrought abominable perversity, There is none that doeth good: -

Douay-Rheims Bible
(52-1) <Unto the end, for Maeleth, understandings to David.> The fool said in his heart: There is no God. (52-2) They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none that doth good.

Revised Standard Version
To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none that does good.

Young's Literal Translation
To the Overseer. -- `On a disease.' -- An instruction, by David. A fool said in his heart, `There is no God.' They have done corruptly, Yea, they have done abominable iniquity, There is none doing good.

THE MESSAGE
A David Psalm Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone." It's poison gas— they foul themselves, they poison Rivers and skies; thistles are their cash crop. God sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He's looking for someone not stupid— one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman.

New American Standard Bible (1995)

For the choir director; according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God," They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good.

Contextual Overview

¹ To the Chief Musician. Set to 'Mahalath.' A Contemplation [fn] of David. The fool has said in his heart,"There is no God."They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;There is none who does good. ² God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. ³ Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. ⁴ Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God? ⁵ There they are in great fear Where no fear was, For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, Because God has despised them. ⁶ Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fool: Psalms 14:1-7, Psalms 92:6, Matthew 5:22, Luke 12:20

said: Psalms 10:4, Psalms 10:6, Psalms 10:11, Psalms 10:13, 1 Kings 12:26, Romans 1:21, Romans 1:28

Corrupt: Genesis 6:5, Genesis 6:6, Genesis 6:11-13, Job 14:4, Job 15:16

have done: Leviticus 18:24-30, Deuteronomy 12:31, 1 Kings 14:24, Ezekiel 16:47, Ezekiel 16:51, Ephesians 5:12, 1 Peter 4:3

there is: Romans 3:10-31

Reciprocal: Psalms 73:8 - corrupt Jeremiah 17:9 - General Jeremiah 51:17 - Every Matthew 12:34 - how Mark 7:21 - out Romans 3:12 - there is none Romans 8:7 - the carnal mind

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The fool hath said in his heart, [there is] no God,.... The Targum adds, "of whom is revenge"; or there is no God to punish and avenge the wicked;

corrupt are they; the Chaldee paraphrase is, "the wicked have corrupted their ways"; as all flesh had done in the old world, Genesis 6:12;

and have done abominable iniquity; iniquity is the abominable thing that God hates, and makes men abominable in his sight; in Psalms 11:1, it is read, "abominable worlds": the Targum paraphrases the words, "they are far from good, for iniquity is found in them"; see Revelation 21:8;

[there is] none that doeth good; Revelation 21:8- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The fool hath said in his heart ... - For the meaning of this verse, see the notes at Psalms 14:1. The only change in this verse - a change which does not affect the sense - is the substitution of the word “iniquity,” in Psalms 53:1-6, for “works,” in Psalms 14:1-7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM LIII

The sentiments of atheists and deists, who deny Divine

Providence; their character: they are corrupt, foolish,

abominable, and cruel, 1-4;

God fills them with terror, 5;

reproaches these for their oppression of the poor, 5.

The psalmist prays for the restoration of Israel, 6.

NOTES ON PSALM LIII

The title, To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, an instructive Psalm of David. The word מחלת machalath, some translate the president; others, the master or leader of the dance; others, hollow instruments; others, the chorus. A flute pipe, or wind instrument with holes, appears to be what is intended. "To the chief player on the flute;" or, "To the master of the band of pipers."

Verse Psalms 53:1. The fool hath said in his heart — The whole of this Psalm, except a few inconsiderable differences, is the same as the fourteenth; and, therefore, the same notes and analysis may be applied to it; or, by referring to the fourteenth, the reader will find the subject of it amply explained. I shall add a few short notes.

Have done abominable iniquity — Instead of עול avel, evil or iniquity, eight of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have עלילה alilah, work, which is nearly the same as in Psalms 14:1, &c.