לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל מָחֲלַת מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד

For the chief musician, on the maḥalat, a contemplation by David. It is unclear what maḥalat refers to. It was probably a type of musical instrument, or perhaps the name of a specific melody.

אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹהִים הִשְׁחִיתוּ וְהִתְעִיבוּ עָוֶל אֵין עֹשֵׂה טוֹב

The scoundrel says in his heart, even if he does not declare it audibly: There is no God. His thoughts are evident from his behavior. They have been corrupted and have acted abominably; there is no one who does good. This belief partially underlies his abominable behavior.

אֱלֹהִים מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁקִיף עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דֹּרֵשׁ אֶת אֱלֹהִים

God looks down from heaven upon the sons of man to see if there is anyone of understanding who seeks God.

כֻּלּוֹ סָג יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ אֵין עֹשֵׂה טוֹב אֵין גַּם אֶחָד

The results of God’s examination of mankind are discouraging. He finds that it, the entire generation, has all gone sour in the spiritual sense, all of them together befouled; there is no one who does good, not even one.

הלֹא יָדְעוּ פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם אֱלֹהִים לֹא קָרָאוּ

Have the evildoers no knowledge, they, who devour my people as if eating bread, they who do not call out to God? This verse depicts a world devoid of holiness. Evil people are present everywhere, attacking and harming those who are good.

שָׁם פָּחֲדוּ פַחַד לֹא הָיָה פָחַד כִּי אֱלֹהִים פִּזַּר עַצְמוֹת חֹנָךְ הֱבִשֹׁתָה כִּי אֱלֹהִים מְאָסָם

There they, the few virtuous people, the victims of the evildoers, were in great fear of being swallowed up by the wicked. Turning to the righteous, the psalmist declares: But, in fact, there was no reason for you to fear, for God has scattered the bones of those who beset you and encamped against you. The psalmist addresses himself to the evildoers themselves: You were put to shame! And this is because God despised them, the evildoers.

מִי יִתֵּן מִצִּיּוֹן יְשֻׁעוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשׁוּב אֱלֹהִים שְׁבוּת עַמּוֹ יָגֵל יַעֲקֹב יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל

The psalm closes with words of prayer: May the salvation of Israel emerge from Zion! When God restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel will exult.