The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Cursed are those who go down to Egypt for help, and who put their faith in horses; looking to war-carriages for salvation, because of their numbers; and to horsemen, because they are very strong; but they are not looking to the Holy One of Israel, or turning their hearts to the Lord;
1
Those who go to Egypt for help are doomed! They are relying on Egypt's vast military strength - horses, chariots, and soldiers. But they do not rely on the Lord, the holy God of Israel, or ask him for help.
2 Though he is wise, and able to send evil, and his purpose will not be changed; but he will go against the house of the evil-doers, and against those to whom they are looking for help.
2
He knows what he is doing! He sends disaster. He carries out his threats to punish evil people and those who protect them.
3 For the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses are flesh, and not spirit: and when the Lord's hand is stretched out, the helper and he who is helped will come down together.
3
The Egyptians are not gods - they are only human. Their horses are not supernatural. When the Lord acts, the strong nation will crumble, and the weak nation it helped will fall. Both of them will be destroyed.
4 For the Lord has said to me, As a lion, or a young lion, makes an angry noise over his food, and if a band of herdsmen come out against him, he will not be in fear of their voices, or give up his food for their noise: so the Lord of armies will come down to make war against Mount Zion and its hill.
4
The Lord said to me, "No matter how shepherds yell and shout, they can't scare away a lion from an animal that it has killed; in the same way, there is nothing that can keep me, the Lord Almighty, from protecting Mount Zion.
5 Like birds with outstretched wings, so will the Lord of armies be a cover to Jerusalem; he will be a cover and salvation for it, going over it he will keep it from danger.
5
Just as a bird hovers over its nest to protect its young, so I, the Lord Almighty, will protect Jerusalem and defend it."
6 Come back to him who has been so deeply sinned against by the children of Israel.
6
God said, "People of Israel, you have sinned against me and opposed me. But now, come back to me!
7 For in that day they will all give up their images of silver and of gold, the sin which they made for themselves.
7
A time is coming when all of you will throw away the sinful idols you made out of silver and gold.
8 Then the Assyrian will come down by the sword, but not of man; the sword, not of men, will be the cause of his destruction: and he will go in flight from the sword, and his young men will be put to forced work.
8
Assyria will be destroyed in war, but not by human power. The Assyrians will run from battle, and their young men will be made slaves.
9 And his rock will come to nothing because of fear, and his chiefs will go in flight from the flag, says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his altar in Jerusalem.
9
Their emperor will run away in terror, and the officers will be so frightened that they will abandon their battle flags." The Lord has spoken - the Lord who is worshiped in Jerusalem and whose fire burns there for sacrifices.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.