For the Chief Musician. By Dawud1.
1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt.
They have done abominable works.
There is no one who does good.
2YAHWEH2 looked down from heaven on the children of men,
To see if there were any who did understand,
Who did seek after God3.
3They have all turned aside.
They have together become corrupt.
There is none who does good, no, not one.4
4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on YAHWEH?
5There they were in great fear,
For God is in the generation of the righteous.
6You frustrate the plan of the poor,
Because YAHWEH is his refuge.
7Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Al-Quds5!
When YAHWEH restores the fortunes of his people,
Then Yaqub shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.6
- 14:title Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 14:2 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 14:2 God, English translation of elohim. Elohim (Hebrew) is related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 14:1-3 Cited in the Injil, Romans 3:10-12, which says, “As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous. No, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, No, not, so much as one.” ↩︎
- 14:7 Al-Quds, meaning “the Holy (City).” The Hebrew text reads Zion, a synonym for Jerusalem. It originally referred to Mount Zion, one of the hills of Jerusalem. Here its use is probably symbolic of heaven, God’s dwelling place. ↩︎
- 14:1-6 See Zabur 53:1-6. ↩︎