The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Look! ADONAI is stripping and destroying the land, turning it upside down and scattering its inhabitants
1
See, the Lord is making the earth waste and unpeopled, he is turning it upside down, and sending the people in all directions.
2 cohen and commoner, slave and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.
2
And it will be the same for the people as for the priest; for the servant as for his master; and for the woman-servant as for her owner; the same for the one offering goods for a price as for him who takes them; the same for him who gives money at interest and for him who takes it; the same for him who lets others have the use of his property as for those who make use of it.
3 The land will be completely stripped, completely plundered, for ADONAI has spoken this word.
3
The earth will be completely waste and without men; for this is the word of the Lord.
4 The land fades and withers, the world wilts and withers, the exalted of the land languish.
4
The earth is sorrowing and wasting away, the world is full of grief and wasting away, the high ones of the earth come to nothing.
5 The land lies defiled under its inhabitants; because they have transgressed the teachings, changed the law and broken the everlasting covenant.
5
The earth has been made unclean by those living in it; because the laws have not been kept by them, the orders have been changed, and the eternal agreement has been broken.
6 Therefore a curse is devouring the land, and its inhabitants are punished for their guilt. It is why those living there waste away, and the people left are few.
6
For this cause the earth is given up to the curse, and those in it are judged as sinners: for this cause those living on the earth are burned up, and the rest are small in number.
7 The new wine fails, the vines wilt, all the revelers sigh,
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The new wine is thin, the vine is feeble, and all the glad-hearted make sounds of grief.
8 the happy sound of tambourines ceases, the shouts of merrymakers are stilled, the joy of the lyre ends.
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The pleasing sound of all instruments of music has come to an end, and the voices of those who are glad.
9 They no longer sing as they drink their wine, strong liquor tastes bitter to those drinking it.
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There is no more drinking of wine with a song; strong drink will be bitter to those who take it.
10 The city of chaos is shattered, every house closed up; no one can enter.
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The town is waste and broken down: every house is shut up, so that no man may come in.
11 In the streets they are crying over the wine; all joy has faded, cheer has left the land.
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There is a crying in the streets because of the wine; there is an end of all delight, the joy of the land is gone.
12 In the city, only desolation, its gates are battered beyond repair.
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In the town all is waste, and in the public place is destruction.
13 Around the earth, among the peoples, it will be as when beating an olive tree, as when gleaning the grapes at the end of the harvest.
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For it will be in the heart of the earth among the peoples, like the shaking of an olive-tree, as the last of the grapes after the getting-in is done.
14 They lift their voices, singing for joy, shouting from the west to honor ADONAI.
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But those will be making sounds of joy; they will be crying loudly from the sea for the glory of the Lord.
15 So in the east, honor ADONAI ; in the coastlands, honor the name of ADONAI, the God of Isra'el.
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Give praise to the Lord in the east, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the sea-lands.
16 From the farthest part of the earth we have heard them sing, "Glory to the Righteous One!" But, I say, I'm wasting away, I am wasting away! Woe to me! Traitors betray! Oh, how the traitors betray and betray!
16
From the farthest part of the earth comes the sound of songs, glory to the upright. But I said, I am wasting away, wasting away, the curse is on me! The false ones go on in their false way, yes, they go on acting falsely.
17 Terror, pit and trap are upon you, you who are living on earth.
17
Fear, and death, and the net, are come on you, O people of the earth.
18 He who flees at the sound of terror will fall into the pit. He who climbs up out of the pit will be caught in the trap. For the windows above have been opened, and the earth's foundations shake.
18
And it will be that he who goes in flight from the sound of fear will be overtaken by death; and he who gets free from death will be taken in the net: for the windows on high are open, and the bases of the earth are shaking.
19 The earth cracks and breaks open, the earth crumbles to pieces, the earth trembles and totters.
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The earth is completely broken, it is parted in two, it is violently moved.
20 The earth staggers to and fro like a drunk, sways back and forth like a watchman's shelter; its transgression weighs heavy upon it; it will fall and not rise again.
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The earth will be moving uncertainly, like a man overcome by drink; it will be shaking like a tent; and the weight of its sin will be on it, crushing it down so that it will not get up again.
21 When that day comes, ADONAI will punish the armies of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth here on earth.
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And in that day the Lord will send punishment on the army of the high ones on high, and on the kings of the earth on the earth.
22 They will be assembled like prisoners in a dungeon and shut up in prison to be punished many years.
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And they will be got together, like prisoners in the prison-house; and after a long time they will have their punishment.
23 Then the moon will be confused and the sun ashamed, for ADONAI-Tzva'ot will rule on Mount Tziyon and in Yerushalayim, with his glory manifest to the rulers of his people.
23
Then the moon will be veiled, and the sun put to shame; for the Lord of armies will be ruling in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his judges he will let his glory be seen.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.