Bible in Basic English
JOB, 21
Prosperity of the the evil-doers
21:1 Then Job made answer and said,
2 Give attention with care to my words ; and let this be your comfort.
3 Let me say what is in my mind, and after that, go on making sport of me.
4 As for me, is my outcry against man ? is it then to be wondered at if my spirit is troubled ?
5 Take note of me and be full of wonder, put your hand on your mouth.
6 At the very thought of it my flesh is shaking with fear.
7 Why is life given to the evil-doers ? why do they become old and strong in power ?
8 Their children are ever with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their houses are free from fear, and the rod of God does not come on them.
10 Their ox is ready at all times to give seed; their cow gives birth, without dropping her young.
11 They send out their young ones like a flock, and their children have pleasure in the dance,
12 They make songs to the instruments of music, and are glad at the sound of the pipe.
13 Their days come to an end without trouble, and suddenly they go down to the underworld.
14 Though they said to God, Go away from us, for we have no desire for the knowledge of your ways.
15 What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship ? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him ?
16 Truly, is not their well-being in their power ? (The purpose of the evil-doers is far from me.)
21:17 How frequently is the light of the evil-doers put out, or does trouble come on them ? how frequently does his wrath take them with cords ?
18 How frequently are they as dry stems before the wind, or as grass taken away by the storm-wind ?
19 You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it !
20 Let his eyes see his trouble, and let him be full of the wrath of the Ruler of all !
21 For what interest has he in his house after him, when the number of his months is ended ?
22 Is anyone able to give teaching to God ? for he is the judge of those who are on high.
23 One comes to his end in complete well-being, full of peace and quiet :
24 His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones.
25 And another comes to his end with a bitter soul, without ever tasting good.
26 Together they go down to the dust, and are covered by the worm.
21:27 See, I am conscious of your thoughts, and of your violent purposes against me ;
28 For you say, Where is the house of the ruler, and where is the tent of the evil-doer ?
29 Have you not put the question to the travellers, and do you not take note of their experience ?
30 How the evil man goes free in the day of trouble, and has salvation in the day of wrath ?
31 Who will make his way clear to his face ? and if he has done a thing, who gives him punishment for it ?
32 He is taken to his last resting-place, and keeps watch over it.
33 The earth of the valley covering his bones is sweet to him, and all men come after him, as there were unnumbered before him.
34 Why then do you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit, when you see that there is nothing in your answers but deceit ?
JOB 22
Eliphaz reproves Job
22:1 Then Eliphaz and Temanite made answer and said,
2 Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God ? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.
3 Is it of any interest to the Ruler of all that you are upright ? or is it of use to him that your ways are without sin ?
4 Is it because you give him honour that he is sending punishment on you and is judging you ?
5 Is not your evil-doing great ? and there is no end to your sins.
6 For you have taken your brother's goods when he was not in your debt, and have taken away the clothing of those who have need of it.
7 You do not give water to the tired traveller, and from him who has no food you keep back bread.
8 For it was the man with power who had the land, and the man with an honoured name who was living in it.
9 You have sent widows away without hearing their cause, and you have taken away the support of the child who has no father.
10 For this cause nets are round your feet, and you are overcome with sudden fear.
11 Your light is made dark so that you are unable to see, and you are covered by a mass of waters.
12 Is not God as high as heaven ? and see the stars, how high they are !
13 And you say, What knowledge has God ? is he able to give decisions through the deep dark ?
14 Thick clouds are covering him, so that he is unable to see ; and he is walking on the arch of heaven.
15 Will you keep the old way by which evil men went ?
16 Who were violently taken away before their time, who were overcome by the rush of waters:
17 Who said to God, Go away from us ; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us ?
18 Though he made their houses full of good things : but the purpose of the evil-doers is far from me !
19 The upright saw it and were glad : and those who had done no wrong made sport of them,
20 Saying, Truly, their substance is cut off, and their wealth is food for the fire.
22:21 Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace : so will you do well in your undertakings.
22 Be pleased to take teaching from his mouth, and let his words be stored up in your heart.
23 If you come back to the Ruler of all, making yourself low before him ; if you put evil far away from your tents ;
24 And put your gold in the dust, even your gold of Ophir among the rocks of the valleys ;
25 Then the Ruler of all will be your gold, and his teaching will be your silver ;
26 For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and be answered ; and you will give effect to your oaths.
28 Your purposes will come about, and light will be shining on your ways.
29 For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.
30 He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.
JOB 23
Job longs to find God
23:1 And Job made answer and said,
2 Even today my outcry is bitter ; his hand is hard on my sorrow.
3 If only I had knowledge of where he might be seen, so that I might come even to his seat !
4 I would put my cause in order before him, and my mouth would be full of arguments.
5 I would see what his answers would be, and have knowledge of what he would say to me.
6 Would he make use of his great power to overcome me ? No, but he would give attention to me.
7 There an upright man might put his cause before him ; and I would be free for ever from my judge.
23:8 See, I go forward, but he is not there ; and back, but I do not see him ;
9 I am looking for him on the left hand, but there is no sign of him ; and turning to the right, I am not able to see him.
10 For he has knowledge of the way I take ; after I have been tested I will come out like gold.
11 My feet have gone in his steps ; I have kept in his way, without turning to one side or to the other.
12 I have never gone against the orders of his lips ; the words of his mouth have been stored up in my heart.
13 But his purpose is fixed and there is no changing it ; and he gives effect to the desire of his soul.
14 For what has been ordered for me by him will be gone through to the end : and his mind is full of such designs.
15 For this cause I am in fear before him, my thoughts of him overcome me.
16 For God has made my heart feeble, and my mind is troubled before the Ruler of all.
17 For I am overcome by the dark, and by the black night which is covering my face.
JOB 24
Of evil men
24:1 Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days ?
2 The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.
3 They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.
(9) The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.
4 The crushed are turned out of the way ; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.
5 Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care ; from the waste land they get bread for their children.
6 They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.
7 They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.
8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.
10 Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.
11 Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil ; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.
12 From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help ; but God does not take note of their prayer.
13 Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.
14 He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need.
15 And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me ; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about ;
16 In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses : in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.
17 For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.
24:18 They go quickly on the face of the waters ; their heritage is cursed in the earth ; the steps of the crusher of grapes are not turned to their vine-garden.
19 Snow waters become dry with the heat : so do sinners go down into the underworld.
20 The public place of his town has no more knowledge of him, and his name has gone from the memory of men : he is rooted up like a dead tree.
24:21 He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child.
22 But God by his power gives long life to the strong ; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.
23 He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support ; and his eyes are on his ways.
24 For a short time they are lifted up ; then they are gone ; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25 And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value ?
JOB 25
Man's inferiority to God
25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
2 Rule and power are his ; he makes peace in his high places.
3 Is it possible for his armies to be numbered ? and on whom is not his light shining ?
4 How then is it possible for man to be upright before God ? or how may he be clean who is a son of woman ?
5 See, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not clean in his eyes:
6 How much less man who is an insect, and the son of man who is a worm !
JOB 26
Job's faith
1 Then Job made answer and said,
2 How have you given help to him who has no power ! how have you been the salvation of the arm which has no strength !
3 How have you given teaching to him who has no wisdom, and fully made clear true knowledge !
4 To whom have your words been said ? and whose spirit came out from you ?
5 The shades in the underworld are shaking ; the waters and those living in them.
6 The underworld is uncovered before him, and Destruction has no veil.
7 By his hand the north is stretched out in space, and the earth is hanging on nothing.
8 By him the waters are shut up in his thick clouds, and the cloud does not give way under them.
9 By him the face of his high seat is veiled, and his cloud stretched out over it.
10 By him a circle is marked out on the face of the waters, to the limits of the light and the dark.
11 The pillars of heaven are shaking, and are overcome by his sharp words.
12 By his power the sea was made quiet ; and by his wisdom Rahab was wounded.
13 By his wind the heavens become bright : by his hand the quickly moving snake was cut through.
14 See, these are only the outskirts of his ways ; and how small is that which comes to our ears about him ! But the thunder of his acts of power is outside all knowledge.
JOB 27
Job keeps his righteousness
27:1 And Job again took up the word and said,
2 By the life of God, who has taken away my right ; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter ;
3 (For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life ;)
4 Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false.
5 Let it be far from me ! I will certainly not say that you are right ! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.
6 I will keep it safe, and will not let it go : my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life.
27:7 Let my hater be like the evil man, and let him who comes against me be as the sinner.
8 For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul ?
9 Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble ?
10 Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times ?
11 I will give you teaching about the hand of God ; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.
12 Truly, you have all seen it yourselves ; why then have you become completely foolish ?
27:13 This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.
14 If his children are increased, it is for the sword ; and his offspring have not enough bread.
15 When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them.
16 Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing ;
17 He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.
18 His house has no more strength than a spider's thread, or a watchman's tent.
19 He goes to rest full of wealth, but does so for the last time : on opening his eyes, he sees it there no longer.
20 Fears overtake him like rushing waters ; in the night the storm-wind takes him away.
21 The east wind takes him up and he is gone ; he is forced violently out of his place.
22 God sends his arrows against him without mercy ; he goes in flight before his hand.
23 Men make signs of joy because of him, driving him from his place with sounds of hissing.
JOB 28
Where comes wisdom ?
28:1 Truely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is washed out.
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and stone is changed into brass by the fire.
3 Man puts an end to the dark, searching out to the farthest limit the stones of the deep places of the dark.
4 He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day ; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.
5 As for the earth, bread comes out of it ; but under its face it is turned up as if by fire.
6 Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7 No bird has knowledge of it, and the hawk's eye has never seen it.
8 The great beasts have not gone over it, and the cruel lion has not taken that way.
9 Man puts out his hand on the hard rock, overturning mountains by the roots.
10 He makes deep ways, cut through the rock, and his eye sees everything of value.
11 He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light.
28:12 But where may wisdom be seen ? and where is the resting-place of knowledge ?
13 Man has not seen the way to it, and it is not in the land of the living.
14 The deep waters say, It is not in me : and the sea says, It is not with me.
15 Gold may not be given for it, or a weight of silver in payment for it.
16 It may not be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the onyx of great price, or the sapphire.
17 Gold and glass are not equal to it in price, and it may not be exchanged for jewels of the best gold.
18 There is no need to say anything about coral or crystal ; and the value of wisdom is greater than that of pearls.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia is not equal to it, and it may not be valued with the best gold.
28:20 From where then does wisdom come, and where is the resting-place of knowledge ?
21 For it is kept secret from the eyes of all living, unseen by the birds of the air.
22 Destruction and Death say, We have only had word of it with our ears.
23 God has knowledge of the way to it, and of its resting-place ;
24 For his eyes go to the ends of the earth, and he sees everything under heaven.
25 When he made a weight for the wind, measuring out the waters ;
26 When he made a law for the rain, and a way for the thunder-flames ;
27 Then he saw it, and put it on record ; he gave it its fixed form, searching it out completely.
28 And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.
JOB 29
Job's past happiness
29:1 And Job again took up the word and said,
2 If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me !
3 When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.
4 As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God ;
5 While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me ;
6 When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.
7 When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,
8 The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats ;
9 The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths ;
10 The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
11 For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy ; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me ;
12 For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.
13 The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.
14 I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it ; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.
16 I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
17 By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.
18 Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number ;
19 My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,
20 My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
29:21 Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.
22 After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts ;
23 They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.
24 I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.
25 I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. . . .
JOB 30
Job's present wretchedness
30:1 But now those who are younger than I make sport of me ; those whose fathers I would not have put with the dogs of my flocks.
2 Of what use is the strength of their hands to me ? all force is gone from them.
3 They are wasted for need of food, biting the dry earth ; their only hope of life is in the waste land.
4 They are pulling off the salt leaves from the brushwood, and making a meal of roots.
5 They are sent out from among their townsmen, men are crying after them as thieves
6 They have to get a resting-place in the hollows of the valleys, in holes of the earth and rocks.
7 They make noises like asses among the brushwood ; they get together under the thorns.
8 They are sons of shame, and of men without a name, who have been forced out of the land.
30:9 And now I have become their song, and I am a word of shame to them.
10 I am disgusting to them ; they keep away from me, and put marks of shame on me.
11 For he has made loose the cord of my bow, and put me to shame ; he has sent down my flag to the earth before me.
12 The lines of his men of war put themselves in order, and make high their ways of destruction against me:
13 They have made waste my roads, with a view to my destruction ; his bowmen come round about me ;
14 As through a wide broken place in the wall they come on, I am overturned by the shock of their attack.
15 Fears have come on me ; my hope is gone like the wind, and my well-being like a cloud.
30:16 But now my soul is turned to water in me, days of trouble overtake me:
17 The flesh is gone from my bones, and they give me no rest ; there is no end to my pains.
18 With great force he takes a grip of my clothing, pulling me by the neck of my coat.
19 Truly God has made me low, even to the earth, and I have become like dust.
20 You give no answer to my cry, and take no note of my prayer.
21 You have become cruel to me ; the strength of your hand is hard on me.
22 Lifting me up, you make me go on the wings of the wind ; I am broken up by the storm.
23 For I am certain that you will send me back to death, and to the meeting-place ordered for all living.
30:24 Has not my hand been stretched out in help to the poor ? have I not been a saviour to him in his trouble ?
25 Have I not been weeping for the crushed ? and was not my soul sad for him who was in need ?
26 For I was looking for good, and evil came ; I was waiting for light, and it became dark.
27 My feelings are strongly moved, and give me no rest ; days of trouble have overtaken me.
28 I go about in dark clothing, uncomforted ; I get up in the public place, crying out for help.
29 I have become a brother to the jackals, and go about in the company of ostriches.
30 My skin is black and dropping off me ; and my bones are burning with the heat of my disease.
31 And my music has been turned to sorrow, and the sound of my pipe into the noise of weeping.
JOB, 31
Job asserts his integrity
31:1 I made an agreement with my eyes ; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin ?
2 For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven ?
3 Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers ?
4 Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered ?
31:5 If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit ;
6 (Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness :)
7 If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands ;
8 Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.
31:9 If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door ;
10 Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.
11 For that would be a crime ; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges :
12 It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.
31:13 If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me ;
14 What then will I do when God comes as my judge ? and what answer may I give to his questions ?
15 Did not God make him as well as me ? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies ?
31:16 If I kept back the desire of the poor ; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose ;
17 If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father ;
18 (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days ; he was my guide from the body of my mother ;)
19 If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him ;
20 If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm ;
21 If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges ;
22 May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.
23 For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.
31:24 If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you ;
25 If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store ;
26 If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,
27 A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth ;
28 That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges ; for I would have been false to God on high.
31:29 If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him ;
30 (For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life ;)
31 If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat ?
32 The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey ;
33 If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,
34 For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door ;
(31:38) If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow ;
(39) If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners ;
(40) Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.
35 If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer ! or if what he has against me had been put in writing !
36 Truly I would take up the book in my hands ; it would be to me as a crown ;
37 I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince ! The words of Job are ended.
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