The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Ho! you who make waste those who did not make you waste; acting falsely to those who were not false to you. When you have come to an end of wasting, you will be made waste, and after your false acts, they will do the same to you.
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Our enemies are doomed! They have robbed and betrayed, although no one has robbed them or betrayed them. But their time to rob and betray will end, and they themselves will become victims of robbery and treachery.
2 O Lord, have mercy on us; for we have been waiting for your help: be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble.
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Lord, have mercy on us. We have put our hope in you. Protect us day by day and save us in times of trouble.
3 At the loud noise the peoples have gone in flight; at your coming up the nations have gone in all directions.
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When you fight for us, nations run away from the noise of battle.
4 And the goods taken in war will be got together like the massing of young locusts; men will be rushing on them like the rushing of locusts.
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Their belongings are pounced upon and taken as loot.
5 The Lord is lifted up; his place is on high: he has made Zion full of righteousness and true religion.
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How great the Lord is! He rules over everything. He will fill Jerusalem with justice and integrity
6 And she will have no more fear of change, being full of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of the Lord is her wealth.
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and give stability to the nation. He always protects his people and gives them wisdom and knowledge. Their greatest treasure is their reverence for the Lord.
7 See, the men of war are sorrowing outside the town: those who came looking for peace are weeping bitterly.
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The brave are calling for help. The ambassadors who tried to bring about peace are crying bitterly.
8 The highways are waste, no man is journeying there: the agreement is broken, he has made sport of the towns, he has no thought for man.
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The highways are so dangerous that no one travels on them. Treaties are broken and agreements are violated. No one is respected any more.
9 The earth is sorrowing and wasting away; Lebanon is put to shame and has become waste; Sharon is like the Arabah; and in Bashan and Carmel the leaves are falling.
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The land lies idle and deserted. The forests of Lebanon have withered, the fertile valley of Sharon is like a desert, and in Bashan and on Mount Carmel the leaves are falling from the trees.
10 Now will I come forward, says the Lord; now will I be lifted up; now will my power be seen.
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The Lord says to the nations, "Now I will act. I will show how powerful I am.
11 Your designs will be without profit, and their effect will be nothing: you will be burned up by the fire of my breath.
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You make worthless plans and everything you do is useless. My spirit is like a fire that will destroy you.
12 And the peoples will be like the burning of chalk: as thorns cut down, which are burned in the fire.
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You will crumble like rocks burned to make lime, like thorns burned to ashes.
13 Give ear, you who are far off, to what I have done: see my power, you who are near.
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Let everyone near and far hear what I have done and acknowledge my power."
14 The sinners in Zion are full of fear; the haters of God are shaking with wonder. Who among us may keep his place before the burning fire? who among us may see the eternal burnings?
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The sinful people of Zion are trembling with fright. They say, "God's judgment is like a fire that burns forever. Can any of us survive a fire like that?"
15 He whose ways are true, and whose words are upright; he who gives no thought to the profits of false acts, whose hands have not taken rewards, who will have no part in putting men to death, and whose eyes are shut against evil;
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You can survive if you say and do what is right. Don't use your power to cheat the poor and don't accept bribes. Don't join with those who plan to commit murder or to do other evil things.
16 He will have a place on high: he will be safely shut in by the high rocks: his bread will be given to him; his waters will be certain.
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Then you will be safe; you will be as secure as if in a strong fortress. You will have food to eat and water to drink.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his glory: they will be looking on a far-stretching land.
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Once again you will see a king ruling in splendor over a land that stretches in all directions.
18 Your heart will give thought to the cause of your fear: where is the scribe, where is he who made a record of the payments, where is he by whom the towers were numbered?
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Your old fears of foreign tax collectors and spies will be only a memory.
19 Never again will you see the cruel people, a people whose tongue has no sense for you; whose language is strange to you.
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You will no longer see any arrogant foreigners who speak a language that you can't understand.
20 Let your eyes be resting on Zion, the town of our holy feasts: you will see Jerusalem, a quiet resting-place, a tent which will not be moved, whose tent-pins will never be pulled up, and whose cords will never be broken.
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Look at Zion, the city where we celebrate our religious festivals. Look at Jerusalem! What a safe place it will be to live in! It will be like a tent that is never moved, whose pegs are never pulled up and whose ropes never break.
21 But there the Lord will be with us in his glory, ... wide rivers and streams; where no boat will go with blades, and no fair ship will be sailing.
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The Lord will show us his glory. We will live beside broad rivers and streams, but hostile ships will not sail on them.
22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our king; he will be our saviour.
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All the rigging on those ships is useless; the sails cannot be spread! We will seize all the wealth of enemy armies, and there will be so much that even the lame can get a share. The Lord himself will be our king; he will rule over us and protect us.
23 Your cords have become loose; they were not able to make strong the support of their sails, the sail was not stretched out: then the blind will take much property, the feeble-footed will make division of the goods of war.
24 And the men of Zion will not say, I am ill: for its people will have forgiveness for their sin.
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No one who lives in our land will ever again complain of being sick, and all sins will be forgiven.
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.