Bible in Basic English
For they are a nation without wisdom; there is no sense in them.
If only they were wise, if only this was clear to them, and they would give thought to their future!
How would it be possible for one to overcome a thousand, and two to send ten thousand in flight, if their rock had not let them go, if the Lord had not given them up?
For their rock is not like our Rock, even our haters themselves being judges.
For their vine is the vine of Sodom, from the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are the grapes of evil, and the berries are bitter:
Their wine is the poison of dragons, the cruel poison of snakes.
Is not this among my secrets, kept safe in my store-house?
Punishment is mine and reward, at the time of the slipping of their feet: for the day of their downfall is near, sudden will be their fate.
For the Lord will be judge of his people, he will have pity for his servants; when he sees that their power is gone, there is no one, shut up or free.
And he will say, Where are their gods, the rock in which they put their faith?
Who took the fat of their offerings, and the wine of their drink offering? Let them now come to your help, let them be your salvation.
See now, I myself am he; there is no other god but me: giver of death and life, wounding and making well: and no one has power to make you free from my hand.
For lifting up my hand to heaven I say, By my unending life,
If I make sharp my shining sword, and my hand is outstretched for judging, I will give punishment to those who are against me, and their right reward to my haters.
I will make my arrows red with blood, my sword will be feasting on flesh, with the blood of the dead and the prisoners, of the long-haired heads of my haters.
Be glad, O you his people, over the nations; for he will take payment for the blood of his servants, and will give punishment to his haters, and take away the sin of his land, for his people.
So Moses said all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Hoshea, the son of Nun.
And after saying all this to the people,
Moses said to them, Let the words which I have said to you today go deep into your hearts, and give orders to your children to do every word of this law.
And this is no small thing for you, but it is your life, and through this you may make your days long in the land which you are going over Jordan to take for your heritage.
That same day the Lord said to Moses,
Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo in the land of Moab opposite Jericho; there you may see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel for their heritage:
And let death come to you on the mountain where you are going, and be put to rest with your people; as death came to Aaron, your brother, on Mount Hor, where he was put to rest with his people:
Because of your sin against me before the children of Israel at the waters of Meribath Kadesh in the waste land of Zin; because you did not keep my name holy among the children of Israel.
So you will see the land before you, but you will not go into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.
— Deuteronomy 32:28-1964, Bible in Basic English
“For they are a nation void of counsel. There is no understanding in them. Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and Yahweh had delivered them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall, Their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of serpents, The cruel venom of asps. "Isn't this laid up in store with me, sealed up among my treasures? Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. The things that are to come on them shall make haste." For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that [their] power is gone, There is none [remaining], shut up or left at large. He will say, "Where are their gods, The rock in which they took refuge; Which ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection. "See now that I, even I, am he, There is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive. I wound, and I heal. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, And say, As I live forever, if I whet my glittering sword, My hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to my adversaries, and will recompense those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy." Rejoice, you nations, [with] his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will render vengeance to his adversaries, And will make expiation for his land, for his people. Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel; He said to them, "Set your heart to all the words which I testify to you this day, which you shall command your children to observe to do, [even] all the words of this law. For it is no vain thing for you; because it is your life, and through this thing you shall prolong your days in the land, where you go over the Jordan to possess it." Yahweh spoke to Moses that same day, saying, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession; and die on the mountain where you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor, and was gathered to his people: because you trespassed against me in the midst of the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you didn't sanctify me in the midst of the children of Israel. For you shall see the land before you; but you shall not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel."”
Outside they will be cut off by the sword, and in the inner rooms by fear; death will take the young man and the virgin, the baby at the breast and the grey-haired man.
I said I would send them wandering far away, I would make all memory of them go from the minds of men:
But for the fear that their haters, uplifted in their pride, might say, Our hand is strong, the Lord has not done all this.
For they are a nation without wisdom; there is no sense in them.
If only they were wise, if only this was clear to them, and they would give thought to their future!
How would it be possible for one to overcome a thousand, and two to send ten thousand in flight, if their rock had not let them go, if the Lord had not given them up?
For their rock is not like our Rock, even our haters themselves being judges.
For their vine is the vine of Sodom, from the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are the grapes of evil, and the berries are bitter:
Their wine is the poison of dragons, the cruel poison of snakes.
Is not this among my secrets, kept safe in my store-house?
Punishment is mine and reward, at the time of the slipping of their feet: for the day of their downfall is near, sudden will be their fate.
For the Lord will be judge of his people, he will have pity for his servants; when he sees that their power is gone, there is no one, shut up or free.
And he will say, Where are their gods, the rock in which they put their faith?
Who took the fat of their offerings, and the wine of their drink offering? Let them now come to your help, let them be your salvation.
See now, I myself am he; there is no other god but me: giver of death and life, wounding and making well: and no one has power to make you free from my hand.
For lifting up my hand to heaven I say, By my unending life,
If I make sharp my shining sword, and my hand is outstretched for judging, I will give punishment to those who are against me, and their right reward to my haters.
I will make my arrows red with blood, my sword will be feasting on flesh, with the blood of the dead and the prisoners, of the long-haired heads of my haters.
Be glad, O you his people, over the nations; for he will take payment for the blood of his servants, and will give punishment to his haters, and take away the sin of his land, for his people.
So Moses said all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Hoshea, the son of Nun.
And after saying all this to the people,
Moses said to them, Let the words which I have said to you today go deep into your hearts, and give orders to your children to do every word of this law.
And this is no small thing for you, but it is your life, and through this you may make your days long in the land which you are going over Jordan to take for your heritage.
That same day the Lord said to Moses,
Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo in the land of Moab opposite Jericho; there you may see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel for their heritage:
And let death come to you on the mountain where you are going, and be put to rest with your people; as death came to Aaron, your brother, on Mount Hor, where he was put to rest with his people:
Because of your sin against me before the children of Israel at the waters of Meribath Kadesh in the waste land of Zin; because you did not keep my name holy among the children of Israel.
So you will see the land before you, but you will not go into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.