New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
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I will take my position and be on watch, placing myself on my tower, looking out to see what he will say to me, and what answer he will give to my protest.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.
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And the Lord gave me an answer, and said, Put the vision in writing and make it clear on stones, so that the reader may go quickly.
3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
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For the vision is still for the fixed time, and it is moving quickly to the end, and it will not be false: even if it is slow in coming, go on waiting for it; because it will certainly come, it will not be kept back.
4 Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.
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As for the man of pride, my soul has no pleasure in him; but the upright man will have life through his good faith.
5 Moreover, wealth is treacherous; the arrogant do not endure. They open their throats wide as Sheol; like Death they never have enough. They gather all nations for themselves, and collect all peoples as their own.
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A curse on the cruel and false one! the man full of pride, who never has enough; who makes his desires wide as the underworld! he is like death; he is never full, but he makes all nations come to him, getting all peoples together to himself.
6 Shall not everyone taunt such people and, with mocking riddles, say about them, "Alas for you who heap up what is not your own!" How long will you load yourselves with goods taken in pledge?
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Will not all these take up a word of shame against him and a bitter saying against him, and say, A curse on him who goes on taking what is not his and is weighted down with the property of debtors!
7 Will not your own creditors suddenly rise, and those who make you tremble wake up? Then you will be booty for them.
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Will not your creditors suddenly be moved against you, and your troublers get up from their sleep, and you will be to them like goods taken in war?
8 Because you have plundered many nations, all that survive of the peoples shall plunder you— because of human bloodshed, and violence to the earth, to cities and all who live in them.
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Because you have taken their goods from great nations, all the rest of the peoples will take your goods from you; because of men's blood and violent acts against the land and the town and all who are living in it.
9 "Alas for you who get evil gain for your houses, setting your nest on high to be safe from the reach of harm!"
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A curse on him who gets evil profits for his family, so that he may put his resting-place on high and be safe from the hand of the wrongdoer!
10 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life.
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You have been a cause of shame to your house by cutting off a number of peoples, and sinning against your soul.
11 The very stones will cry out from the wall, and the plaster will respond from the woodwork.
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For the stone will give a cry out of the wall, and it will be answered by the board out of the woodwork.
12 "Alas for you who build a town by bloodshed, and found a city on iniquity!"
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A curse on him who is building a place with blood, and basing a town on evil-doing!
13 Is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor only to feed the flames, and nations weary themselves for nothing?
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See, is it not the pleasure of the Lord of armies that the peoples are working for the fire and using themselves up for nothing?
14 But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
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For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the sea is covered by the waters.
15 "Alas for you who make your neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath until they are drunk, in order to gaze on their nakedness!"
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A curse on him who gives his neighbour the wine of his wrath, making him overcome with strong drink from the cup of his passion, so that you may be a witness of their shame!
16 You will be sated with contempt instead of glory. Drink, you yourself, and stagger! The cup in the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and shame will come upon your glory!
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You are full of shame in place of glory: take your part in the drinking, and let your shame be uncovered: the cup of the Lord's right hand will come round to you and your glory will be covered with shame.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you; the destruction of the animals will terrify you— because of human bloodshed and violence to the earth, to cities and all who live in them.
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For the violent acts against Lebanon will come on you, and the destruction of the cattle will be a cause of fear to you, because of men's blood and the violent acts against the land and the town and all who are living in it.
18 What use is an idol once its maker has shaped it— a cast image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in what has been made, though the product is only an idol that cannot speak!
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What profit is the pictured image to its maker? and as for the metal image, the false teacher, why does its maker put his faith in it, making false gods without a voice?
19 Alas for you who say to the wood, "Wake up!" to silent stone, "Rouse yourself!" Can it teach? See, it is gold and silver plated, and there is no breath in it at all.
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A curse on him who says to the wood, Awake! to the unbreathing stone, Up! let it be a teacher! See, it is plated with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!
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But the Lord is in his holy Temple: let all the earth be quiet before him.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.