The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 <To the chief music-maker; put to the Gittith. Of Asaph.> Make a song to God our strength: make a glad cry to the God of Jacob.
1
Shout for joy to God our defender; sing praise to the God of Jacob!
2 Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.
2
Start the music and beat the tambourines; play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres.
3 Let the horn be sounded in the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our holy feast-day:
3
Blow the trumpet for the festival, when the moon is new and when the moon is full.
4 For this is a rule for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
4
This is the law in Israel, an order from the God of Jacob.
5 He gave it to Joseph as a witness, when he went out over the land of Egypt; then the words of a strange tongue were sounding in my ears.
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He gave it to the people of Israel when he attacked the land of Egypt. I hear an unknown voice saying,
6 I took the weight from his back; his hands were made free from the baskets.
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"I took the burdens off your backs; I let you put down your loads of bricks.
7 You gave a cry in your trouble, and I made you free; I gave you an answer in the secret place of the thunder; I put you to the test at the waters of Meribah. (Selah.)
7
When you were in trouble, you called to me, and I saved you. From my hiding place in the storm, I answered you. I put you to the test at the springs of Meribah.
8 Give ear, O my people, and I will give you my word, O Israel, if you will only do as I say!
8
Listen, my people, to my warning; Israel, how I wish you would listen to me!
9 There is to be no strange god among you; you are not to give worship to any other god.
9
You must never worship another god.
10 I am the Lord your God, who took you up from the land of Egypt: let your mouth be open wide, so that I may give you food.
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I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will feed you.
11 But my people did not give ear to my voice; Israel would have nothing to do with me.
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"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not obey me.
12 So I gave them up to the desires of their hearts; that they might go after their evil purposes.
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So I let them go their stubborn ways and do whatever they wanted.
13 If only my people would give ear to me, walking in my ways!
13
How I wish my people would listen to me; how I wish they would obey me!
14 I would quickly overcome their haters: my hand would be turned against those who make war on them.
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I would quickly defeat their enemies and conquer all their foes.
15 The haters of the Lord would be broken, and their destruction would be eternal.
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Those who hate me would bow in fear before me; their punishment would last forever.
16 I would give them the best grain for food; you would be full of honey from the rock.
16
But I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with wild honey."
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.