There Is None Who Does Good

53 To the choirmaster: according to pMahalath. A Maskil1 of David.

1  qThe fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

there is none who does good.

2  God looks down from heaven

on the children of man

to see if there are any who understand,2

who seek after God.

3  They have all fallen away;

together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

4  Have those who work evil no knowledge,

who eat up my people as they eat bread,

and do not call upon God?

5  There they are, in great terror,

rwhere there is no terror!

For God sscatters the bones of him who encamps against you;

you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

6  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

16 A hMiktam1 of David.

1  Preserve me, O God, for in you I itake refuge.

2  I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

jI have no good apart from you.”

3  As for kthe saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.2

4  The sorrows of those who run after3 another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or ltake their names on my lips.

5  The Lord is mmy chosen portion and my ncup;

you hold my olot.

6  pThe lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7  I bless the Lord who qgives me counsel;

in rthe night also my sheart instructs me.4

8  tI have uset the Lord always before me;

because he is at my vright hand, I shall not be wshaken.

9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my xwhole being5 rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

10  For you will not abandon my soul to ySheol,

zor let your aholy one see bcorruption.6

11  You make known to me cthe path of life;

in your presence there is dfullness of joy;

at your right hand are epleasures forevermore.

In the Shadow of Your Wings

17 A fPrayer of David.

1  Hear a just cause, O Lord; gattend to my cry!

Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

2  From your presence hlet my vindication come!

Let your eyes behold the right!

3  You have itried my heart, you have jvisited me by knight,

you have ltested me, and you will find nothing;

I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

4  With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips

I have avoided the ways of the violent.

5  My steps have mheld fast to your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

6  I ncall upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

oincline your ear to me; hear my words.

7  pWondrously show1 your steadfast love,

O Savior of those who seek refuge

from qtheir adversaries at your right hand.

8  Keep me as rthe apple of your eye;

hide me in sthe shadow of your wings,

9  from the wicked who do me violence,

my deadly enemies who tsurround me.

10  uThey close their hearts to pity;

with their mouths they vspeak arrogantly.

11  They have now surrounded our wsteps;

they set their eyes to xcast us to the ground.

12  He is like a lion eager to tear,

as a young lion ylurking in ambush.

13  Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!

Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,

14  from men by your hand, O Lord,

from zmen of the world whose aportion is in this life.2

You fill their womb with treasure;3

they are satisfied with bchildren,

and they leave their abundance to their infants.

15  As for me, I shall cbehold your face in righteousness;

when I dawake, I shall be esatisfied with your likeness.