New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Job again took up his discourse and said:
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And Job again took up the word and said,
2 "As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
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By the life of God, who has taken away my right; and of the Ruler of all, who has made my soul bitter;
3 as long as my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
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(For all my breath is still in me, and the spirit of God is my life;)
4 my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit.
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Truly, there is no deceit in my lips, and my tongue does not say what is false.
5 Far be it from me to say that you are right; until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
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Let it be far from me! I will certainly not say that you are right! I will come to death before I give up my righteousness.
6 I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
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I will keep it safe, and will not let it go: my heart has nothing to say against any part of my life.
7 "May my enemy be like the wicked, and may my opponent be like the unrighteous.
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Let my hater be like the evil man, and let him who comes against me be as the sinner.
8 For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off, when God takes away their lives?
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For what is the hope of the sinner when he is cut off, when God takes back his soul?
9 Will God hear their cry when trouble comes upon them?
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Will his cry come to the ears of God when he is in trouble?
10 Will they take delight in the Almighty? Will they call upon God at all times?
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Will he take delight in the Ruler of all, and make his prayer to God at all times?
11 I will teach you concerning the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
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I will give you teaching about the hand of God; I will not keep secret from you what is in the mind of the Ruler of all.
12 All of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?
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Truly, you have all seen it yourselves; why then have you become completely foolish?
13 "This is the portion of the wicked with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty:
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This is the punishment of the evil-doer from God, and the heritage given to the cruel by the Ruler of all.
14 If their children are multiplied, it is for the sword; and their offspring have not enough to eat.
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If his children are increased, it is for the sword; and his offspring have not enough bread.
15 Those who survive them the pestilence buries, and their widows make no lamentation.
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When those of his house who are still living come to their end by disease, they are not put into the earth, and their widows are not weeping for them.
16 Though they heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay—
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Though he may get silver together like dust, and make ready great stores of clothing;
17 they may pile it up, but the just will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver.
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He may get them ready, but the upright will put them on, and he who is free from sin will take the silver for a heritage.
18 They build their houses like nests, like booths made by sentinels of the vineyard.
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His house has no more strength than a spider's thread, or a watchman's tent.
19 They go to bed with wealth, but will do so no more; they open their eyes, and it is gone.
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He goes to rest full of wealth, but does so for the last time: on opening his eyes, he sees it there no longer.
20 Terrors overtake them like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries them off.
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Fears overtake him like rushing waters; in the night the storm-wind takes him away.
21 The east wind lifts them up and they are gone; it sweeps them out of their place.
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The east wind takes him up and he is gone; he is forced violently out of his place.
22 It hurls at them without pity; they flee from its power in headlong flight.
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God sends his arrows against him without mercy; he goes in flight before his hand.
23 It claps its hands at them, and hisses at them from its place.
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Men make signs of joy because of him, driving him from his place with sounds of hissing.
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.