The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "Call if you like, but will anyone answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
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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?
2 For anger kills the fool, and envy slays the silly.
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For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.
3 I watch as a fool establishes roots, but I curse his home with sudden [destruction] -
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I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly the curse came on his house.
4 his children are far from help, publicly humiliated, with no one to rescue;
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Now his children have no safe place, and they are crushed before the judges, for no one takes up their cause.
5 the hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, while the thirsty are panting, eager to swallow his wealth.
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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.
6 For misery does not come from the dust or trouble spring from the ground.
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For evil does not come out of the dust, or trouble out of the earth;
7 No, people are born for trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
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But trouble is man's fate from birth, as the flames go up from the fire.
8 "If I were you, I would seek God; I would make my plea to him.
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But as for me, I would make my prayer to God, and I would put my cause before him:
9 For God does great deeds beyond investigation, wonders beyond all reckoning.
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Who does great things outside our knowledge, wonders without number:
10 He gives rain to the earth, pours water down on the fields.
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Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:
11 He raises the lowly on high and lifts mourners to safety.
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Lifting up those who are low, and putting the sad in a safe place;
12 He frustrates the schemes of the cunning, so that they achieve no success;
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Who makes the designs of the wise go wrong, so that they are unable to give effect to their purposes.
13 trapping the crafty in their own tricks and foiling quickly the plans of the false.
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He takes the wise in their secret designs, and the purposes of the twisted are cut off suddenly.
14 They meet with darkness during the day, groping at noon like at night.
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In the daytime it becomes dark for them, and in the sunlight they go feeling about as if it was night.
15 But he saves the poor from the sword, their mouth, and from the clutches of the strong;
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But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.
16 so the poor can hope again; and injustice shuts its mouth.
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So the poor man has hope, and the mouth of the evil-doer is stopped.
17 "How happy the person whom God corrects! So don't despise Shaddai's discipline.
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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.
18 For he wounds, but he bandages the sore; his hands may strike, but they also heal.
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For after his punishment he gives comfort, and after wounding, his hands make you well.
19 He will rescue you from six disasters; yes, in seven no harm will touch you.
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He will keep you safe from six troubles, and in seven no evil will come near you.
20 In famine, he will save you from death, and in war, from the power of the sword.
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When there is need of food he will keep you from death, and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You will be shielded from the lash of the tongue, and you won't have to fear destruction when it comes -
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He will keep you safe from the evil tongue; and you will have no fear of wasting when it comes.
22 you'll be able to laugh at destruction and famine. Also you won't have to fear wild animals,
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You will make sport of destruction and need, and will have no fear of the beasts of the earth.
23 for you will be in league with the stones in the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
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For you will be in agreement with the stones of the earth, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is safe; you will look round your home and miss nothing.
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And you will be certain that your tent is at peace, and after looking over your property you will see that nothing is gone.
25 You will know that your descendants are many, your offspring like grass [growing thick] in the fields.
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You will be certain that your seed will be great, and your offspring like the plants of the earth.
26 You will come to your grave at a ripe old age, like a pile of grain that arrives in season.
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You will come to your last resting-place in full strength, as the grain is taken up to the crushing-floor in its time.
27 "We've looked into this, and that's how it is; listen, and know that it's for your own good."
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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.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.