Bible in Basic English
JOB, 1
In the land of Uz was a man named Job
1.1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. He was without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil.
2. And he had seven sons and three daughters.
3. And of cattle he had seven thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand camels, and a thousand oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great number of servants. And the man was greater than any of the sons of the east.
4. His sons regularly went to one another's houses, and every one on his day gave a feast : and at these times they sent for I their three sisters to take part in their feasts with them.
5. And at the end of their days of feasting, Job sent and made them clean, getting up early in the morning and offering burned offerings for them all.
For Job said, It may be that my sons have done wrong and said evil of God in their hearts. And Job did this whenever the feasts came round.
1.6 And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.
7. And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from ? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth, and walking about on it.
8. And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far from evil ?
9. And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Is it for nothing that at Job is a god-fearing man ?
10. Have you yourself not put a wall round him and his house and all he has on every side, blessing the work of his hands, and increasing his cattle in the land ?
11. But now, put out your hand against all he has, and he will be cursing you to your face.
12. And the Lord said to the Satan, See, I give all he has into your hands, only do not put a finger on the man himself. And the Satan went out from before the Lord.
13. And there was a day when his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their oldest brother,
14. And a man came to Job, and said, The oxen were ploughing, and the asses were taking their food by their side :
15. And the men of Sheba came against them and took them away, putting the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
16. And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The fire of God came down from heaven, burning up the sheep and the goats and the young men completely, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
17. And this one was still talking when another came, and said, The Chaldaeans made themselves into three bands, and came down on the camels and took them away,
puffing the young men to the sword, and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
18. And this one was still talking when another came, and said, Your sons and your daughters were feasting together in their oldest brother's house,
19. When a great wind came rushing from the waste land against the four sides of the house, and it came down on the young men, and they are dead ; and I was the only one who got away safe to give you the news.
1.20 Then Job got up, and after parting his clothing and cutting off his hair, he went down on his face to the earth, and gave worship, and said,
21. With nothing I came out of my mother's body, and with nothing I will go back there ; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away ; let the Lord's name be praised.
22. In all this Job did no sin, and did not say that God's acts were foolish.
JOB 2
Satan permitted to test Job
2.1 And there was a day when the sons of the gods came together before the Lord, and the Satan came with them.
2. And the Lord said to the Satan, Where do you come from ? And the Satan said in answer, From wandering this way and that on the earth and walking about on it.
3. And the Lord said to the Satan, Have you taken note of my servant Job, for there is no one like him on the earth, a man without sin and upright, fearing God and keeping himself far - from evil ?
And he still keeps his righteousness, though you have been moving me to send destruction on him without cause.
4. And the Satan said in answer to the Lord, Skin for skin, all a man has he will give for his life.
5. But now, if you only put your hand on his bone and his flesh, he will certainly be cursing you to your face.
6. And the Lord said to the Satan, See, he is in your hands, only do not take his life.
2.7 And the Satan went out from before the Lord and sent on Job an evil disease, covering his skin from his feet to the top of his head.
8. And he took a broken bit of a pot, and, seated in the dust, was rubbing himself with the sharp edge of it.
2.9 And his wife said to him, Are you still keeping your righteousness ? Say a curse against God, and put an end to yourself.
10. And he said to her, You are talking like one of the foolish women. If we take the good God sends us, are we not to take the evil when it comes ? In all this Job kept his lips from sin.
2.11 And Job's three friends had word of all this evil which had come on him. And they came every one from his place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.
So they came together to a meeting-place, in order that they might go and make clear to Job their grief for him, and give him comfort.
12. And lifting up their eyes when they were still far off, it did not seem that the man they saw was Job because of the change in him. And they gave way to bitter weeping, with signs of grief, and put dust on their heads.
13. And they took their seats on the earth by his side for seven days and seven nights : but no one said a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
JOB 3
Job curses the day of his birth
3.1 Then, opening his mouth, and cursing the day of his birth,
2 Job made answer and said,
3 Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.
4 That day -- let it be dark ; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it ;
5 Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves ; let it be covered with a cloud ; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.
6 That night -- let the thick dark take it ; let it not have joy among the days of the year ; let it not come into the number of the months.
7 As for that night, let it have no fruit ; let no voice of joy be sounded in it ;
8 Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day ; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.
9 Let its morning stars be dark ; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any ; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.
10 Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.
3.11 Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath ?
12 Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk ?
13 For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,
14 With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves ;
15 Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver ;
16 Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence ; like young children who have not seen the light.
17 There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.
18 There the prisoners are at peace together ; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears.
19 The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
3.20 Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul ;
21 To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not ; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth ;
22 Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place ;
23 To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God ?
24 In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.
25 For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.
26 I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest ; nothing but pain comes on me.
JOB 4
Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man ?
4.1 And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,
2 If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you ? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind ?
3 Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong ;
4 He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.
5 But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you ; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled.
6 Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope ?
4.7 Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man ? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off ?
8 What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.
9 By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.
10 Though the noise of the lion and the sounding of his voice, may be loud, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.
4.12 A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears.
13 In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,
14 Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble ;
15 And a breath was moving over my face ; the hair of my flesh became stiff :
16 Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly ; there was a form before my eyes : a quiet voice came to my ears, saying :
17 May a man be upright before God ? or a man be clean before his Maker ?
18 Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels ;
19 How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect ;
20 Between morning and evening they are completely broken ; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.
21 If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom ?
JOB 5
Trouble is man's fate from birth
5.1 Give now a cry for help ; is there anyone who will give you an answer ? and to which of the holy ones will you make your prayer ?
2 For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly the curse came on his house.
4 Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.
5 Their produce is taken by him who has no food, and their grain goes to the poor, and he who is in need of water gets it from their spring.
6 For evil does not come out of the dust, or trouble out of the earth ;
7 But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.
8 But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him :
9 Who does great things outside our knowledge, wonders without number :
10 Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields :
11 Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place ;
12 Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.
13 He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.
14 In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.
15 But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.
16 So the poor man has hope, and the mouth of the evil-doer is stopped.
5.17 Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God : so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.
18 For after his punishment he gives comfort, and after wounding, his hands make you well.
19 He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.
20 When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
21 He will keep you safe from the evil tongue ; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.
22 You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.
23 For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 And you will be certain that your tent is at peace, and after looking over your property you will see that nothing is gone.
25 You will be certain that your seed will be great, and your offspring like the plants of the earth.
26 You will come to your last resting-place in full strength, as the grain is taken up to the crushing-floor in its time.
27 See, we have made search with care, and it is so ; it has come to our ears ; see that you take note of it for yourself.
JOB 6
Job makes protest to his friends
6.1 And Job made answer and said,
2 If only my passion might be measured, and put into the scales against my trouble!
3 For then its weight would be more than the sand of the seas : because of this my words have been uncontrolled.
4 For the arrows of the Ruler of all are present with me, and their poison goes deep into my spirit : his army of fears is put in order against me.
5 Does the ass of the fields give out his voice when he has grass ? or does the ox make sounds over his food ?
6 Will a man take food which has no taste without salt ? or is there any taste in the soft substance of purslain ?
7 My soul has no desire for such things, they are as disease in my food.
6.8 If only I might have an answer to my prayer, and God would give me my desire!
9 If only he would be pleased to put an end to me ; and would let loose his hand, so that I might be cut off!
10 So I would still have comfort, and I would have joy in the pains of death, for I have not been false to the words of the Holy One.
11 Have I strength to go on waiting, or have I any end to be looking forward to ?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh brass ?
13 I have no help in myself, and wisdom is completely gone from me.
6.14 He whose heart is shut against his friend has given up the fear of the Ruler of all.
15 My friends have been false like a stream, like streams in the valleys which come to an end :
16 Which are dark because of the ice, and the snow falling into them ;
17 Under the burning sun they are cut off, and come to nothing because of the heat.
18 The camel-trains go out of their way ; they go up into the waste and come to destruction.
19 The camel-trains of Tema were searching with care, the bands of Sheba were waiting for them :
20 They were put to shame because of their hope ; they came and their hope was gone.
21 So have you now become to me ; you see my sad condition and are in fear.
22 Did I say, Give me something ? or, Make a payment for me out of your wealth ?
23 Or, Get me out of the power of my hater ? or, Give money so that I may be free from the power of the cruel ones ?
6.24 Give me teaching and I will be quiet ; and make me see my error.
25 How pleasing are upright words! but what force is there in your arguments ?
26 My words may seem wrong to you, but the words of him who has no hope are for the wind.
27 Truly, you are such as would give up the child of a dead man to his creditors, and would make a profit out of your friend.
28 Now then, let your eyes be turned to me, for truly I will not say what is false to your face.
29 Let your minds be changed, and do not have an evil opinion of me ; yes, be changed, for my righteousness is still in me.
30 Is there evil in my tongue ? is not the cause of my trouble clear to me ?
JOB 7
The night is long
7.1 Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth ? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment ?
2 As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment :
3 So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.
4 When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up ? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.
5 My flesh is covered with worms and dust ; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.
6 My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.
7.7 O, keep in mind that my life is wind : my eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer : your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.
9 A cloud comes to an end and is gone ; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.
10 He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.
7.11 So I will not keep my mouth shut ; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me ?
13 When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease ;
14 Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear ;
15 So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.
16 I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.
17 What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,
18 And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute ?
19 How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space ?
20 If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men ? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself ?
21 And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended ? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.
JOB 8
Does God give wrong decisions ?
8.1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
2 How long will you say these things, and how long will the words of your mouth be like a strong wind ?
3 Does God give wrong decisions ? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging ?
4 If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.
5 If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all ;
6 If you are clean and upright ; then he will certainly be moved to take up your cause, and will make clear your righteousness by building up your house again.
7 And though your start was small, your end will be very great.
8 Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers :
9 (For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade :)
10 Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you ?
8.11 Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth ? will the grass get tall without water ?
12 When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.
13 So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind ; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing :
14 Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.
15 He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there ; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing.
16 He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.
17 His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.
18 If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.
19 Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place.
8.20 Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.
21 The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.
22 Your haters will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the sinner will not be seen again.
JOB 9
How may I answer him ?
9.1 And Job made answer and said,
2 Truly, I see that it is so : and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God ?
3 If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.
4 He is wise in heart and great in strength : who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it ?
5 It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath :
6 Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking :
7 Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light ; and who keeps the stars from shining.
8 By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea :
9 Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south :
10 Who does great things not to be searched out ; yes, wonders without number.
11 See, he goes past me and I see him not : he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.
12 If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back ? who may say to him, What are you doing ?
9.13 God's wrath may not be turned back ; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.
14 How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him ?
15 Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer ; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.
16 If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.
17 For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.
18 He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.
19 If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day ?
20 Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong ; I have done no evil ; but he says that I am a sinner.
21 I have done no wrong ; I give no thought to what becomes of me ; I have no desire for life.
22 It is all the same to me ; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.
23 If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.
24 The land is given into the power of the evil-doer ; the faces of its judges are covered ; if not by him, then who has done it ?
9.25 My days go quicker than a post-runner : they go in flight, they see no good.
26 They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.
27 If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright ;
28 I go in fear of all my pains ; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.
29 You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing ?
30 If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap ;
31 Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.
32 For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.
33 There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.
34 Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me :
35 Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him ; for there is no cause of fear in myself.
JOB 10
My soul is tired of life
10.1 My soul is tired of life ; I will let my sad thoughts go free in words ; my soul will make a bitter outcry.
2 I will say to God, Do not put me down as a sinner ; make clear to me what you have against me.
3 What profit is it to you to be cruel, to give up the work of your hands, looking kindly on the design of evil-doers ?
4 Have you eyes of flesh, or do you see as man sees ?
5 Are your days as the days of man, or your years like his,
6 That you take note of my sin, searching after my wrongdoing,
7 Though you see that I am not an evil-doer ; and there is no one who is able to take a man out of your hands ?
8 Your hands made me, and I was formed by you, but then, changing your purpose, you gave me up to destruction.
9 O keep in mind that you made me out of earth ; and will you send me back again to dust ?
10 Was I not drained out like milk, becoming hard like cheese ?
11 By you I was clothed with skin and flesh, and joined together with bones and muscles.
12 You have been kind to me, and your grace has been with me, and your care has kept my spirit safe.
13 But you kept these things in the secret of your heart ; I am certain this was in your thoughts :
14 That, if I did wrong, you would take note of it, and would not make me clear from sin :
15 That, if I was an evil-doer, the curse would come on me ; and if I was upright, my head would not be lifted up, being full of shame and overcome with trouble.
16 And that if there was cause for pride, you would go after me like a lion ; and again put out your wonders against me :
17 That you would send new witnesses against me, increasing your wrath against me, and letting loose new armies on me.
10.18 Why then did you make me come out of my mother's body ? It would have been better for me to have taken my last breath, and for no eye to have seen me,
19 And for me to have been as if I had not been ; to have been taken from my mother's body straight to my last resting-place.
20 Are not the days of my life small in number ? Let your eyes be turned away from me, so that I may have a little pleasure,
21 Before I go to the place from which I will not come back, to the land where all is dark and black,
22 A land of thick dark, without order, where the very light is dark.
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