Bible in Basic English
For the foolish man will say foolish things, having evil thoughts in his heart, working what is unclean, and talking falsely about the Lord, to keep food from him who is in need of it, and water from him whose soul is desiring it.
The designs of the false are evil, purposing the destruction of the poor man by false words, even when he is in the right.
But the noble-hearted man has noble purposes, and by these he will be guided.
Give ear to my voice, you women who are living in comfort; give attention to my words, you daughters who have no fear of danger.
In not much more than a year, you, who are not looking for evil, will be troubled: for the produce of the vine-gardens will be cut off, and there will be no getting in of the grapes.
Be shaking with fear, you women who are living in comfort; be troubled, you who have no fear of danger: take off your robes and put on clothing of grief.
Have sorrow for the fields, the pleasing fields, the fertile vine;
And for the land of my people, where thorns will come up; even for all the houses of joy in the glad town.
For the fair houses will have no man living in them; the town which was full of noise will become a waste; the hill and the watchtower will be unpeopled for ever, a joy for the asses of the woods, a place of food for the flocks;
Till the spirit comes on us from on high, and the waste land becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is changed into a wood.
Then in the waste land there will be an upright rule, and righteousness will have its place in the fertile field.
And the work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of an upright rule will be to take away fear for ever.
And my people will be living in peace, in houses where there is no fear, and in quiet resting-places.
But the tall trees will come down with a great fall, and the town will be low in a low place.
Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.
— Isaiah 32:6-1964, Bible in Basic English
“For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come. Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins. They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city: Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. ”
“For a fool speaks disgraceful things; his mind plans out sinful deeds. He commits godless deeds and says misleading things about the LORD; he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. A deceiver’s methods are evil; he dreams up evil plans to ruin the poor with lies, even when the needy are in the right. An honorable man makes honorable plans; his honorable character gives him security. The Lord Will Give True Security You complacent women, get up and listen to me! You carefree daughters, pay attention to what I say! In a year’s time you carefree ones will shake with fear, for the grape harvest will fail, and the fruit harvest will not arrive. Tremble, you complacent ones! Shake with fear, you carefree ones! Strip off your clothes and expose yourselves– put sackcloth on your waist! Mourn over the field, over the delightful fields and the fruitful vine! Mourn over the land of my people, which is overgrown with thorns and briers, and over all the once-happy houses in the city filled with revelry. For the fortress is neglected; the once-crowded city is abandoned. Hill and watchtower are permanently uninhabited. Wild donkeys love to go there, and flocks graze there. This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become an orchard and the orchard will be considered a forest. Justice will settle down in the wilderness and fairness will live in the orchard. Fairness will produce peace and result in lasting security. My people will live in peaceful settlements, in secure homes, and in safe, quiet places. Even if the forest is destroyed and the city is annihilated, you will be blessed, you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, you who let your ox and donkey graze.”
“For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come. Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins. They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city: Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. ”
And the eyes of those who see will not be shut, and those who have hearing will give ear to the word.
The man of sudden impulses will become wise in heart, and he whose tongue is slow will get the power of talking clearly.
The foolish man will no longer be named noble, and they will not say of the false man that he is a man of honour.
For the foolish man will say foolish things, having evil thoughts in his heart, working what is unclean, and talking falsely about the Lord, to keep food from him who is in need of it, and water from him whose soul is desiring it.
The designs of the false are evil, purposing the destruction of the poor man by false words, even when he is in the right.
But the noble-hearted man has noble purposes, and by these he will be guided.
Give ear to my voice, you women who are living in comfort; give attention to my words, you daughters who have no fear of danger.
In not much more than a year, you, who are not looking for evil, will be troubled: for the produce of the vine-gardens will be cut off, and there will be no getting in of the grapes.
Be shaking with fear, you women who are living in comfort; be troubled, you who have no fear of danger: take off your robes and put on clothing of grief.
Have sorrow for the fields, the pleasing fields, the fertile vine;
And for the land of my people, where thorns will come up; even for all the houses of joy in the glad town.
For the fair houses will have no man living in them; the town which was full of noise will become a waste; the hill and the watchtower will be unpeopled for ever, a joy for the asses of the woods, a place of food for the flocks;
Till the spirit comes on us from on high, and the waste land becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is changed into a wood.
Then in the waste land there will be an upright rule, and righteousness will have its place in the fertile field.
And the work of righteousness will be peace; and the effect of an upright rule will be to take away fear for ever.
And my people will be living in peace, in houses where there is no fear, and in quiet resting-places.
But the tall trees will come down with a great fall, and the town will be low in a low place.
Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.