5 The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.
6 Heb “upon the sons of man.”
7 Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
8 Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
9 Heb “everyone turns aside.”
10 Heb “together they are corrupt.”
11 Heb “there is none that does good.”
12 Heb “all the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8.
13 Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question (rendered in the translation as a positive affirmation) expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5–7).
14 Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination ( 1027 ). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror.
15 Heb “for God is with a godly generation.” The Hebrew noun דּוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the general class of people who are characterized by godliness. See 190 for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

to see if there are any who understand,

who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers

who eat up my people as they eat bread

and do not call upon the Lord?

There they are in great terror,

for God is with the generation of the righteous.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Lord looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

All have turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on the Lord.

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

for God is present in the company of the righteous.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race

to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.

All have turned away;

all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good,

not even one.

Will evildoers never understand?

They consume my people as they consume bread;

they do not call on the Lord.

Then they will be filled with dread,

for God is with those who are righteous.

NLTNew Living Translation

The Lord looks down from heaven

on the entire human race;

he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,

if anyone seeks God.

But no, all have turned away;

all have become corrupt.

No one does good,

not a single one!

Will those who do evil never learn?

They eat up my people like bread

and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.

Terror will grip them,

for God is with those who obey him.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Yahweh looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind

to see whether there is one who has insight,

one who cares about God.

All have gone astray;

they are altogether corrupt.

There is not one who does good;

there is not even one.

All who do evil—do they not know,

they who eat my people as though they were eating bread?

They do not call on Yahweh.

There they are very fearful

because God is with the generation of the righteous.

KJV 1900King James Version

The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy:

There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And call not upon the Lord.

There were they in great fear:

For God is in the generation of the righteous.

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