« | Psalm 53 | » |
1 (A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "Mahalath.") Only a fool would say, "There is no God!" People like that are worthless! They are heartless and cruel and never do right.
2 From heaven God looks down to see if anyone is wise enough to search for him.
3 But all of them are crooked and corrupt. Not one of them does right.
4 Won't you lawbreakers learn? You refuse to pray, and you gobble down the people of God.
5 But you will be terrified worse than ever before. God will scatter the bones of his enemies, and you will be ashamed when God rejects you.
6 I long for someone from Zion to come and save Israel! Our God, when you bless your people again, Jacob's family will be glad, and Israel will celebrate.
The Contemporary English Version (CEV)
The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is a modern Bible translation that aims to make the scriptures accessible and understandable to a broad audience, including children and those with limited English proficiency. Published by the American Bible Society in 1995, the CEV emphasizes clarity, readability, and ease of comprehension. Unlike more literal translations, the CEV uses a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, which focuses on conveying the original meaning of the text in a way that is clear and straightforward for contemporary readers.
One of the key features of the CEV is its use of everyday language and simple sentence structures. The translators avoided theological jargon and archaic terms, instead opting for language that is commonly used in daily conversation. This makes the CEV particularly well-suited for public reading, educational settings, and outreach programs where the audience might not be familiar with traditional biblical language. The translation strives to communicate the essence of the biblical message without the barriers that complex language can sometimes create.