Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every intent of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.

And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

"What [is] man, that he could be pure? And [he who is] born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

How much less man, [who is] abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!

The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

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

Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes."

This [is] an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing [happens] to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness [is] in their hearts while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.

for you are still carnal. For where [there are] envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like [mere] men?

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

The thoughts of the wicked [are] an abomination to the LORD, But [the words] of the pure [are] pleasant.

[There is] a generation [that is] pure in its own eyes, [Yet] is not washed from its filthiness.

"Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

Blessed [are] the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

" Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by [its] fruit.

"and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself [His] own special people, zealous for good works.

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.