New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good.
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<To the chief music-maker; put to Mahalath. Maschil. Of David. The foolish man has said in his heart, God will not do anything. They are unclean, they have done evil works; there is not one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.
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God was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God.
3 They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.
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Every one of them has gone back; they are unclean: there is not one who does good, no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, those evildoers, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?
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Have the workers of evil no knowledge? they take my people for food, as they would take bread; they make no prayer to God.
5 There they shall be in great terror, in terror such as has not been. For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
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They were in great fear, where there was no cause for fear: for the bones of those who make war on you have been broken by God; you have put them to shame, because God has no desire for them.
6 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
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May the salvation of Israel come out of Zion! When the fate of his people is changed by God, Jacob will have joy, and Israel will be glad.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.