Bible in Basic English
Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.
For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.
Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;
Still, at the smell of water, it will make buds, and put out branches like a young plant.
But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?
The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;
So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.
If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again!
If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.
At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for the work of your hands.
For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.
My wrongdoing is corded up in a bag, and my sin is shut up safe.
But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;
The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.
You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.
His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.
Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.
— Job 14:6-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity. And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man. Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn. ”
“Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day. For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? Asthe waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up; So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep. Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he liveagain? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come. Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands. But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin? My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity. But the mountain falling cometh to nought; And the rock is removed out of its place; The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: So thou destroyest the hope of man. Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. But his flesh upon him hath pain, And his soul within him mourneth. ”
“Look away from him and let him desist, until he fulfills his time like a hired man. The Inevitability of Death“But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant. But man dies and is powerless; he expires– and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, or a river drains away and dries up, so man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor arise from their sleep. The Possibility of Another Life“O that you would hide me in Sheol, and conceal me till your anger has passed! O that you would set me a time and then remember me! If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my release comes. You will call and I– I will answer you; you will long for the creature you have made. The Present Condition“Surely now you count my steps; then you would not mark my sin. My offenses would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sin. But as a mountain falls away and crumbles, and as a rock will be removed from its place, as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man’s hope. You overpower him once for all, and he departs; you change his appearance and send him away. If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it. His flesh only has pain for him, and he mourns for himself.””
Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?
If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.
If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;
Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.
For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.
Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;
Still, at the smell of water, it will make buds, and put out branches like a young plant.
But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?
The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;
So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.
If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again!
If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.
At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for the work of your hands.
For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.
My wrongdoing is corded up in a bag, and my sin is shut up safe.
But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;
The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.
You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.
His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.
Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.