« | Psalm 53 | » |
1 TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MAHALATH. A MASKIL OF DAVID. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
3 They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
4 Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?
5 There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror! For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you; you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
The English Standard Version (ESV)
The English Standard Version (ESV) is a prominent Bible translation that strives to balance word-for-word accuracy with readability. First published in 2001 by Crossway, the ESV was developed by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors. It aims to provide a faithful rendering of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts while maintaining the literary quality and stylistic beauty of the English language. This translation approach makes the ESV suitable for both personal study and public worship.
A key feature of the ESV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or essentially literal translation philosophy. This method prioritizes a close correspondence between the original languages and the English text, ensuring that the translation remains as true as possible to the original words and structures. The ESV translators worked meticulously to preserve the nuances and intricacies of the biblical languages, while also striving for clarity and smoothness in English. This balance makes the ESV highly regarded for its accuracy and readability.