New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "Why are times not kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days?
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Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days?
2 The wicked remove landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them.
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The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers.
3 They drive away the donkey of the orphan; they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
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They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt.
4 They thrust the needy off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves.
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The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together.
5 Like wild asses in the desert they go out to their toil, scavenging in the wasteland food for their young.
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Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children.
6 They reap in a field not their own and they glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
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They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.
7 They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
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They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold.
8 They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and cling to the rock for want of shelter.
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They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover.
9 "There are those who snatch the orphan child from the breast, and take as a pledge the infant of the poor.
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The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.
10 They go about naked, without clothing; though hungry, they carry the sheaves;
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Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields.
11 between their terraces they press out oil; they tread the wine presses, but suffer thirst.
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Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes.
12 From the city the dying groan, and the throat of the wounded cries for help; yet God pays no attention to their prayer.
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From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer.
13 "There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths.
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Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them.
14 The murderer rises at dusk to kill the poor and needy, and in the night is like a thief.
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He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need.
15 The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, "No eye will see me'; and he disguises his face.
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And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about;
16 In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light.
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In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light.
17 For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.
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For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark.
18 "Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion in the land is cursed; no treader turns toward their vineyards.
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They go quickly on the face of the waters; their heritage is cursed in the earth; the steps of the crusher of grapes are not turned to their vine-garden.
19 Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned.
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Snow waters become dry with the heat: so do sinners go down into the underworld.
20 The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered; so wickedness is broken like a tree.
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The public place of his town has no more knowledge of him, and his name has gone from the memory of men: he is rooted up like a dead tree.
21 "They harm the childless woman, and do no good to the widow.
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He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child.
22 Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life.
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But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life.
23 He gives them security, and they are supported; his eyes are upon their ways.
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He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways.
24 They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they wither and fade like the mallow; they are cut off like the heads of grain.
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For a short time they are lifted up; then they are gone; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25 If it is not so, who will prove me a liar, and show that there is nothing in what I say?"
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And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?
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.