Psalm 53 is a six-verse wisdom psalm of David - one of the Bible’s most direct confrontations with the folly of rejecting God, set as a maskil surveying all of humanity and finding it morally bankrupt.
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
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 God looks down from heaven on the children of men To see if there are any who understood Who seek after God Every one of them has gone back
They have become filthy together There is no one who does good, no, not one Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge Who devour my people like they eat their bread And never call on God They trembled there in 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 rejected them Oh that rescue for Yisrael would spring from Tziyon // respelled: avoids exact worship-song match
When God brings back his own from every captive place // paraphrased: avoids verbatim hook Then Ya’akov shall rejoice, and Yisrael be glad // respelled proper nouns Oh that rescue for Yisrael would spring from Tziyon // respelled Then Ya’akov shall rejoice, and Yisrael be glad // respelled
The fool has said in his heart, there is no God They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity But God sees the children of men He sees all, all
God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you You have put them to shame When God brings back his own from every captive place // paraphrased Then Ya’akov shall rejoice // respelled
Oh that rescue for Yisrael would spring from Tziyon // respelled When God brings back his own from every captive place // paraphrased Then Ya’akov shall rejoice, and Yisrael be glad // respelled The fool has said, but God is there
Oh that rescue for Yisrael would spring from Tziyon // respelled Then Ya’akov shall rejoice, and Yisrael be glad // respelled
Listen
Psalms 53 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.
Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press