The Folly of Denying God

Psalms 13

This psalm describes the fool who denies God and the corruption of those who do no good, tells how the Lord looks down from heaven and finds none who seek him, and ends with a longing for the salvation of Israel to come out of Sion.

About these editions

The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.

Thomson 1808Septuagint

Brenton 1851Septuagint

Greek · BrentonSeptuagint

KJV 1769Masoretic

JPS 1917Masoretic

ThomsonTHE fool said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt and by their works abominable: there is none who doeth good. No not one.

BrentonFor the end, a Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted themselves, and become abominable in their devices; there is none that does goodness, there is not even so much as one.

GreekΕἰς τὸ τέλος, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ. Εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἔστι Θεός· διέφθειραν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός.

KJVThe fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

JPSFor the Leader. [A Psalm] of David. The fool hath said in his heart: 'There is no God'; they have dealt corruptly, they have done abominably; there is none that doeth good.

ThomsonThe Lord looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if any had understanding or were seeking God.

BrentonThe Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there were any that understood, or sought after God.

GreekΚύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν.

KJVThe LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

JPSThe LORD looked forth from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any man of understanding, that did seek after God.

ThomsonThey had all gone aside, they were altogether become vile: there is none who doeth good—no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they practised deceit: the poison of asps is under the lips of them whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace they did not know: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

BrentonThey are all gone out of the way, they are together become good for nothing, there is none that does good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

GreekΠάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός· τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν· ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει, ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα· σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν.

KJVThey are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

JPSThey are all corrupt, they are together become impure; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

ThomsonWill they all continue senseless? They are going on in a course of iniquity: they are eating up my people as they do bread: they have not called on the Lord.

BrentonWill not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they would eat bread? they have not called upon the Lord.

GreekΟὐχὶ γνώσονται πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν, οἱ κατέσθοντες τὸν λαόν μου βρώσει ἄρτου; τὸν Κύριον οὐκ ἐπεκαλέσαντο.

KJVHave all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

JPS’Shall not all the workers of iniquity know it, who eat up My people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD?'

ThomsonThey were seized with terror, where there was no fear; because God was among a righteous generation.

BrentonThere were they alarmed with fear, where there was no fear; for God is in the righteous generation.

GreekἘκεῖ ἐδειλίασαν φόβῳ, οὗ οὐκ ἦν φόβος, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐν γενεᾷ δικαίᾳ.

KJVThere were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

JPSThere are they in great fear; for God is with the righteous generation.

ThomsonHave you despised the counsel of the poor; because his trust is in the Lord?

BrentonYe have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his hope.

GreekΒουλὴν πτωχοῦ κατῃσχύνατε, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ ἐστι.

KJVYe have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

JPSYe would put to shame the counsel of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge.

ThomsonO that He would for Sion’s sake send deliverance to Israel! When the Lord hath brought back the captives among His people: Let Jacob rejoice and let Israel be glad.

BrentonWho will bring the salvation of Israel out of Sion? when the Lord brings back the captivity of his people, let Jacob exult, and Israel be glad.

GreekΤίς δώσει ἐκ Σιὼν τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ; ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι Κύριον τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀγαλλιάσθω Ἰακὼβ, καὶ εὐφρανθήτω Ἰσραήλ.

KJVOh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

JPSOh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the LORD turneth the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.