The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Give ear to the word which the Lord says to you, O people of Israel:
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0 Hear ye the Davar which Hashem speaketh unto you, O Bais Yisroel.
2 This is what the Lord has said: Do not go in the way of the nations; have no fear of the signs of heaven, for the nations go in fear of them.
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Thus saith Hashem, Learn not the Derech HaGoyim, and be not in awe of the otot HaShomayim; though the Goyim are in awe of them.
3 For that which is feared by the people is foolish: it is the work of the hands of the workman; for a tree is cut down by him out of the woods with his axe.
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For the [religious] chukkot (customs, statutes) of the nations are vain delusions; for one cutteth etz out of the ya’ar (forest), the ma’aseh (handiwork) of the hands of the charash (workman, artisan), with the axe.
4 They make it beautiful with silver and gold; they make it strong with nails and hammers, so that it may not be moved.
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They deck it with kesef and with zahav; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it topple not.
5 It is like a pillar in a garden of plants, and has no voice: it has to be lifted, for it has no power of walking. Have no fear of it; for it has no power of doing evil and it is not able to do any good.
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They [the idols] are upright as the tomer (palm tree], but speak not; they must needs be carried, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do rah, neither also is it in them to do tov.
6 There is no one like you, O Lord; you are great and your name is great in power.
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Forasmuch as there is none like unto Thee, Hashem; Thou art gadol, and Thy Shem is gadol in gevurah.
7 Who would not have fear of you, O King of the nations? for it is your right: for among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.
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Who would not fear thee, O Melech HaGoyim? For this is Thy due; forasmuch as among all the chachamim of the Goyim, and in kol malchut of them, there is none like unto Thee.
8 But they are together like beasts and foolish: the teaching of false gods is wood.
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But they are altogether stupid and foolish; the etz is a musar havalim (discipline of delusions).
9 Silver hammered into plates is sent from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the expert workman and of the hands of the gold-worker; blue and purple is their clothing, all the work of expert men.
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Hammered kesef is brought from Tarshish, and zahav from Uphaz, the ma’aseh (work, handiwork) of the charash (workman, artisan), and of the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple is their [the idols’] clothing; they are all the ma’aseh (work) of cunning men.
10 But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and an eternal king: when he is angry, the earth is shaking with fear, and the nations give way before his wrath.
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But Hashem is the Elohim Emes, He is the Elohim Chayyim, and the Melech Olam; at His wrath ha’aretz shall tremble, and the Goyim shall not be able to endure His indignation.
11 This is what you are to say to them: The gods who have not made the heavens and the earth will be cut off from the earth and from under the heavens.
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Thus shall ye say unto them, The g-ds that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and min techot (from under) these heavens.
12 He has made the earth by his power, he has made the world strong in its place by his wisdom, and by his wise design the heavens have been stretched out.
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He hath made eretz by His ko’ach, He hath established the tevel (world) by His chochmah, and hath stretched out Shomayim by His understanding.
13 At the sound of his voice there is a massing of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes the thunder-flames for the rain, and sends out the wind from his store-houses.
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When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of mayim in Shomayim, and He causeth the clouds to ascend from the ends of ha’aretz; He maketh lightnings with matar (rain), and bringeth forth the ruach (wind) out of His Otzerot.
14 Then every man becomes like a beast without knowledge; every gold-worker is put to shame by the image he has made: for his metal image is deceit, and there is no breath in them.
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Kol Adam is stupid in his da’as; every goldsmith is shamed by the pesel (idol); for his nesekh (molten image) is sheker, and there is no ruach in them.
15 They are nothing, a work of error: in the time of their punishment, destruction will overtake them.
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They are hevel (vanity, delusion), and the ma’aseh (work) of delusion; in the time of their pekudat (visitation, punishment) they shall perish.
16 The heritage of Jacob is not like these; for the maker of all things is his heritage: the Lord of armies is his name.
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The chelek of Ya’akov is not like them; for the Yotzer HaKol (Maker of All, Creator of All) is He; and Yisroel is the shevet (rod) of His nachalah; Hashem Tzva’os Shmo.
17 Get your goods together and go out of the land, O you who are shut up in the walled town.
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Gather up thy gear [for Exile] meEretz (from the Land), O besieged inhabitant.
18 For the Lord has said, I will send the people in flight like a stone from the land at this time, troubling them so that they will be conscious of it.
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For thus saith Hashem, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of HaAretz at this time, and will bring distress upon them, so that find they may [i.e., what they deserve].
19 Sorrow is mine for I am wounded! my wound may not be made well; and I said, Cruel is my disease, I may not be free from it.
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Oy li! (woe is me) for my disaster! My wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is a sickness, and I must bear it.
20 My tent is pulled down and all my cords are broken: my children have gone from me, and they are not: no longer is there anyone to give help in stretching out my tent and hanging up my curtains.
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My ohel is destroyed, and all my tent cords are broken; my banim are gone forth of me, and are no more; there is none to pitch any more my ohel, and to hang up my tent curtains.
21 For the keepers of the sheep have become like beasts, not looking to the Lord for directions: so they have not done wisely and all their flocks have been put to flight.
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For the ro’im (shepherds, pastors) are become stupid, and inquire not of Hashem; therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flock shall be scattered.
22 News is going about, see, it is coming, a great shaking is coming from the north country, so that the towns of Judah may be made waste and become the living-place of jackals.
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Hinei, the noise! The report is come, and a great commotion out of Eretz Tzafon, to make the towns of Yehudah desolate, and a haunt of jackals.
23 O Lord, I am conscious that a man's way is not in himself: man has no power of guiding his steps.
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Hashem, I know that the derech of adam (man) is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
24 O Lord, put me right, but with wise purpose; not in your wrath, or you will make me small.
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Hashem, correct me, but with mishpat; not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing.
25 Let your wrath be let loose on the nations which have no knowledge of you, and on the families who give no worship to your name: for they have made a meal of Jacob, truly they have made a meal of him and put an end to him and made his fields a waste.
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Pour out Thy fury upon the Goyim that know Thee not, and upon the mishpekhot that call not on Shimecha (Thy Name) [See Joel 2:32(3:5); Ac 2:21; Ro 10:13]; for they have eaten up Ya’akov, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.