The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Give now a cry for help; is there anyone who will give you an answer? and to which of the holy ones will you make your prayer?
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Call out, Job. See if anyone answers. Is there any angel to whom you can turn?
2 For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.
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To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly the curse came on his house.
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I have seen fools who looked secure, but I called down a sudden curse on their homes.
4 Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.
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Their children can never find safety; no one stands up to defend them in court.
5 Their produce is taken by him who has no food, and their grain goes to the poor, and he who is in need of water gets it from their spring.
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Hungry people will eat the fool's crops - even the grain growing among thorns - and thirsty people will envy his wealth.
6 For evil does not come out of the dust, or trouble out of the earth;
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Evil does not grow in the soil, nor does trouble grow out of the ground.
7 But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.
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No indeed! We bring trouble on ourselves, as surely as sparks fly up from a fire.
8 But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:
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If I were you, I would turn to God and present my case to him.
9 Who does great things outside our knowledge, wonders without number:
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We cannot understand the great things he does, and to his miracles there is no end.
10 Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:
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He sends rain on the land and he waters the fields.
11 Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;
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Yes, it is God who raises the humble and gives joy to all who mourn.
12 Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.
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He upsets the plans of cunning people, and traps the wise in their own schemes, so that nothing they do succeeds;
13 He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.
14 In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.
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even at noon they grope in darkness.
15 But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.
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But God saves the poor from death; he saves the needy from oppression.
16 So the poor man has hope, and the mouth of the evil-doer is stopped.
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He gives hope to the poor and silences the wicked.
17 Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all.
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Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you.
18 For after his punishment he gives comfort, and after wounding, his hands make you well.
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God bandages the wounds he makes; his hand hurts you, and his hand heals.
19 He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.
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Time after time he will save you from harm;
20 When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
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when famine comes, he will keep you alive, and in war protect you from death.
21 He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.
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God will rescue you from slander; he will save you when destruction comes.
22 You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.
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You will laugh at violence and hunger and not be afraid of wild animals.
23 For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
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The fields you plow will be free of rocks; wild animals will never attack you.
24 And you will be certain that your tent is at peace, and after looking over your property you will see that nothing is gone.
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Then you will live at peace in your tent; when you look at your sheep, you will find them safe.
25 You will be certain that your seed will be great, and your offspring like the plants of the earth.
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You will have as many children as there are blades of grass in a pasture.
26 You will come to your last resting-place in full strength, as the grain is taken up to the crushing-floor in its time.
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Like wheat that ripens till harvest time, you will live to a ripe old age.
27 See, we have made search with care, and it is so; it has come to our ears; see that you take note of it for yourself.
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Job, we have learned this by long study. It is true, so now accept it.
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.