To the Chief Musician. Set to "Mahalath." A Contemplation of David. The fool has said in his heart, "[There is] no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; [There is] none who does good.

Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; [There is] none who does good, No, not one.

[There is] a generation -- oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.

[There is] a generation whose teeth [are like] swords, And whose fangs [are like] knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from [among] men.

The wicked in [his] pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength.

He has said in his heart, "God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see."

Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips [are] our own; Who [is] lord over us?"

"For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set [him] in the safety for which he yearns."

And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we;

"come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and [so] go up out of the land."

Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears."

Then Jezebel his wife said to him, "You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people;

So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it [was] written in the letters which she had sent to them.

And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!" Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.

And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead."

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

"You shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "Have you murdered and also taken possession?" ' And you shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours." ' "

'Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free.

"And concerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'

But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.

So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.

"See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house."

"Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know,

"Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen [it,"] says the LORD.

They return, [but] not to the Most High; They are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword For the cursings of their tongue. This [shall be] their derision in the land of Egypt.

and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. [They are] presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling [words,] flattering people to gain advantage.