To the Chief Musician. Of David.
1The fool hath said in his heart,
There is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works;
there is none that doeth good.
2The Lord looked down from heaven
upon the children of men,
to see if there were any that did understand,
who seek after God.
3They are all gone aside,
they are all together become filthy;
there is none that doeth good,
there is not even one.
4Have they no knowledge,
all evildoers?
who eat up My people as they eat bread,
and call not upon the Lord.
5There were they in great fear,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
6Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor,
because the Lord is his refuge.
7Oh, that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion,
when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of His people;
Let Jacob rejoice,
let Israel be glad.
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, both now and ever,
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
1The fool hath | said ( in ) his heart,*
… | … There ( is no ) God.
They are corrupt, they have done a- | bom- ( ’na- ) ble works;*
there is | none that ( doeth ) good.
2The Lord looked | down ( from ) heaven*
upon the | children ( of ) men,
to see if there were any | that ( did un- ) derstand,*
… | who seek ( after ) God.
3They are | all ( gone ) aside,*
they are all together | become ( filth- ) y;
there is | none ( that do- ) eth good,*
there | is not ( even ) one.
4Have | they ( no ) knowledge,*
all | evil- ( do- ) ers?
who eat up My people | as ( they ) eat bread,*
and call | not up- ( on the ) Lord.
5There | were ( they in ) great fear,*
for God is with the generation | of the ( right- ) eous.
6Ye have shamed the | coun- ( sel of ) the poor,*
because the Lord | is his ( ref- ) uge.
7Oh, that the salvation of Israel were come | out ( of ) Zion,*
when the Lord bringeth back the captivity | of His ( peo- ) ple;
Let | Ja- ( cob ) rejoice,*
let | Isra- ( el be ) glad.
and to the | Holy ( Spir- ) it;
as it was in the beginning, both | now ( and ) ever,*
and unto ages of | ages. ( A- ) men.
The 14th Psalm is sung as the Eleventh Psalm of the First Nocturn at Matins on Sunday. It is the basis for Martin Luther’s hymn “The Mouth of Fools May Well Confess” (“Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl“).