Bible in Basic English
Like keepers of a field they are against her on every side; because she has been fighting against me, says the Lord.
Your ways and your doings have made these things come on you; this is your sin; truly it is bitter, going deep into your heart.
My soul, my soul! I am pained to my inmost heart; my heart is troubled in me; I am not able to be quiet, because the sound of the horn, the note of war, has come to my ears.
News is given of destruction on destruction; all the land is made waste: suddenly my tents, straight away my curtains, are made waste.
How long will I go on seeing the flag and hearing the sound of the war-horn?
For my people are foolish, they have no knowledge of me; they are evil-minded children, without sense, all of them: they are wise in evil-doing, but have no knowledge of doing good.
Looking at the earth, I saw that it was waste and without form; and to the heavens, that they had no light.
Looking at the mountains, I saw them shaking, and all the hills were moved about.
Looking, I saw that there was no man, and all the birds of heaven had gone in flight.
Looking, I saw that the fertile field was a waste, and all its towns were broken down before the Lord and before his burning wrath.
For this is what the Lord has said: All the land will become a waste; I will make destruction complete.
The earth will be weeping for this, and the heavens on high will be black: because I have said it, and I will not go back from it; it is my purpose, and it will not be changed.
All the land is in flight because of the noise of the horsemen and the bowmen; they have taken cover in the woodland and up on the rocks: every town has been given up, not a man is living in them.
And you, when you are made waste, what will you do? Though you are clothed in red, though you make yourself beautiful with ornaments of gold, though you make your eyes wide with paint, it is for nothing that you make yourself fair; your lovers have no more desire for you, they have designs on your life.
A voice has come to my ears like the voice of a woman in birth-pains, the pain of one giving birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, fighting for breath, stretching out her hands, saying, Now sorrow is mine! for my strength is gone from me before the takers of life.
— Jeremiah 4:17-1964, Bible in Basic English
“They are set round about her, as keepers of fields: because she hath provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord. Thy ways, and thy devices have brought these things upon thee: this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it hath touched thy heart. My bowels, my bowels are in part, the senses of my heart are troubled within me, I will not hold my peace, for my soul hath heard the sound of the trumpet, the cry of battle. Destruction upon destruction is called for, and all the earth is laid waste: my tents are destroyed on a sudden, and my pavilions in a moment. How long shall I see men fleeing away, how long shall I hear the sound of the trumpet? For my foolish people have not known me: they are foolish and senseless children: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and lo it was void, and nothing: and the heavens, and there was no light in them. I looked upon the mountains, and behold they trembled: and all the hills were troubled. I beheld, and lo there was no man: and all the birds of the air were gone. I looked, and behold Carmel was a wilderness: and all its cities were destroyed at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of the wrath of his indignation. For thus saith the Lord: All the land shall be desolate, but yet I will not utterly destroy. The Earth shall mourn, and the heavens shall lament from above: because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I have not repented, neither am I turned away from it. At the voice of the horsemen, and the archers, all the city is fled away: they have entered into thickets and climbed up the rocks: all the cities are forsaken, and there dwelleth not a man in them. But when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do? though thou clothest thyself with scarlet, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, and paintest thy eyes with stibic stone, thou shalt dress thyself out in vain: thy lovers have despised thee, they will seek thy life. For I have heard the voice as of a woman in travail, anguishes as of a woman in labour of a child. The voice of the daughter of Sion, dying away, spreading her hands: Woe is me, for my soul hath fainted because of them that are slain. ”
O Jerusalem, make your heart clean from evil, so that you may have salvation. How long are evil purposes to have a resting-place in you?
For a voice is sounding from Dan, giving out evil from the hills of Ephraim:
Make this come to the minds of the nations, make a statement openly against Jerusalem, that attackers are coming from a far country and their voices will be loud against the towns of Judah.
Like keepers of a field they are against her on every side; because she has been fighting against me, says the Lord.
Your ways and your doings have made these things come on you; this is your sin; truly it is bitter, going deep into your heart.
My soul, my soul! I am pained to my inmost heart; my heart is troubled in me; I am not able to be quiet, because the sound of the horn, the note of war, has come to my ears.
News is given of destruction on destruction; all the land is made waste: suddenly my tents, straight away my curtains, are made waste.
How long will I go on seeing the flag and hearing the sound of the war-horn?
For my people are foolish, they have no knowledge of me; they are evil-minded children, without sense, all of them: they are wise in evil-doing, but have no knowledge of doing good.
Looking at the earth, I saw that it was waste and without form; and to the heavens, that they had no light.
Looking at the mountains, I saw them shaking, and all the hills were moved about.
Looking, I saw that there was no man, and all the birds of heaven had gone in flight.
Looking, I saw that the fertile field was a waste, and all its towns were broken down before the Lord and before his burning wrath.
For this is what the Lord has said: All the land will become a waste; I will make destruction complete.
The earth will be weeping for this, and the heavens on high will be black: because I have said it, and I will not go back from it; it is my purpose, and it will not be changed.
All the land is in flight because of the noise of the horsemen and the bowmen; they have taken cover in the woodland and up on the rocks: every town has been given up, not a man is living in them.
And you, when you are made waste, what will you do? Though you are clothed in red, though you make yourself beautiful with ornaments of gold, though you make your eyes wide with paint, it is for nothing that you make yourself fair; your lovers have no more desire for you, they have designs on your life.
A voice has come to my ears like the voice of a woman in birth-pains, the pain of one giving birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, fighting for breath, stretching out her hands, saying, Now sorrow is mine! for my strength is gone from me before the takers of life.