Bible in Basic English
Say this openly in Jacob and give it out in Judah, saying,
Give ear now to this, O foolish people without sense; who have eyes but see nothing, and ears without the power of hearing:
Have you no fear of me? says the Lord; will you not be shaking with fear before me, who have put the sand as a limit for the sea, by an eternal order, so that it may not go past it? and though it is ever in motion, it is not able to have its way; though the sound of its waves is loud, they are not able to go past it.
But the heart of this people is uncontrolled and turned away from me; they are broken loose and gone.
And they do not say in their hearts, Now let us give worship to our God, who gives the rain, the winter and the spring rain, at the right time; who keeps for us the ordered weeks of the grain-cutting.
Through your evil-doing these things have been turned away, and your sins have kept back good from you.
For there are sinners among my people: they keep watch, like men watching for birds; they put a net and take men in it.
As the fowl-house is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: for this reason they have become great and have got wealth.
They have become fat and strong: they have gone far in works of evil: they give no support to the cause of the child without a father, so that they may do well; they do not see that the poor man gets his rights.
Am I not to give punishment for these things? says the Lord: will not my soul take payment from such a nation as this?
A thing of wonder and fear has come about in the land;
The prophets give false words and the priests give decisions by their direction; and my people are glad to have it so: and what will you do in the end?
— Jeremiah 5:20-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? ”
““Proclaim this message among the descendants of Jacob. Make it known throughout Judah. Tell them:‘Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding, who have eyes but do not discern, who have ears but do not perceive: “You should fear me!” says the LORD.“You should tremble in awe before me! I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it can never cross. Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail. They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary.” But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone their own way. They do not say to themselves,“Let us revere the LORD our God. It is he who gives us the autumn rains and the spring rains at the proper time. It is he who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.” Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’ “Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people. They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush. They set deadly traps to catch people. Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught, their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit. That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful. That is how they have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to the evil things they do. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor. I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the LORD.“I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this! “Something horrible and shocking is going on in the land of Judah: The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!”
They will take all the produce of your fields, which would have been food for your sons and your daughters: they will take your flocks and your herds: they will take all your vines and your fig-trees: and with the sword they will make waste your walled towns in which you put your faith.
But even in those days, says the Lord, I will not let your destruction be complete.
And it will come about, when you say, Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us? that you will say to them, As you gave me up, making yourselves servants to strange gods in your land, so will you be servants to strange men in a land which is not yours.
Say this openly in Jacob and give it out in Judah, saying,
Give ear now to this, O foolish people without sense; who have eyes but see nothing, and ears without the power of hearing:
Have you no fear of me? says the Lord; will you not be shaking with fear before me, who have put the sand as a limit for the sea, by an eternal order, so that it may not go past it? and though it is ever in motion, it is not able to have its way; though the sound of its waves is loud, they are not able to go past it.
But the heart of this people is uncontrolled and turned away from me; they are broken loose and gone.
And they do not say in their hearts, Now let us give worship to our God, who gives the rain, the winter and the spring rain, at the right time; who keeps for us the ordered weeks of the grain-cutting.
Through your evil-doing these things have been turned away, and your sins have kept back good from you.
For there are sinners among my people: they keep watch, like men watching for birds; they put a net and take men in it.
As the fowl-house is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: for this reason they have become great and have got wealth.
They have become fat and strong: they have gone far in works of evil: they give no support to the cause of the child without a father, so that they may do well; they do not see that the poor man gets his rights.
Am I not to give punishment for these things? says the Lord: will not my soul take payment from such a nation as this?
A thing of wonder and fear has come about in the land;
The prophets give false words and the priests give decisions by their direction; and my people are glad to have it so: and what will you do in the end?