New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now the Lord is about to lay waste the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter 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 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the 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 earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly despoiled; for the Lord has spoken this word.
3
The earth will be completely waste and without men; for this is the word of the Lord.
4 The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth.
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 earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, 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 devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled, and few people are left.
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 wine dries up, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh.
7
The new wine is thin, the vine is feeble, and all the glad-hearted make sounds of grief.
8 The mirth of the timbrels is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
8
The pleasing sound of all instruments of music has come to an end, and the voices of those who are glad.
9 No longer do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
9
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 broken down, every house is shut up so that no one can enter.
10
The town is waste and broken down: every house is shut up, so that no man may come in.
11 There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has reached its eventide; the gladness of the earth is banished.
11
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 Desolation is left in the city, the gates are battered into ruins.
12
In the town all is waste, and in the public place is destruction.
13 For thus it shall be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is ended.
13
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 up their voices, they sing for joy; they shout from the west over the majesty of the Lord.
14
But those will be making sounds of joy; they will be crying loudly from the sea for the glory of the Lord.
15 Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; in the coastlands of the sea glorify the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
15
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 ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. But I say, I pine away, I pine away. Woe is me! For the treacherous deal treacherously, the treacherous deal very treacherously.
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, and the pit, and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
17
Fear, and death, and the net, are come on you, O people of the earth.
18 Whoever flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit; and whoever climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.
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 is utterly broken, the earth is torn asunder, the earth is violently shaken.
19
The earth is completely broken, it is parted in two, it is violently moved.
20 The earth staggers like a drunkard, it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.
20
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 On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven in heaven, and on earth the kings of the earth.
21
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 gathered together like prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished.
22
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 abashed, and the sun ashamed; for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders he will manifest his glory.
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.
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.