Bible in Basic English
Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you?
Why is your heart uncontrolled, and why are your eyes lifted up;
So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?
What is man, that he may be clean? and how may the son of woman be upright?
Truly, he puts no faith in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes;
How much less one who is disgusting and unclean, a man who takes in evil like water!
Take note and give ear to my words; and I will say what I have seen:
(The things which wise men have got from their fathers, and have not kept secret from us;
For only to them was the land given, and no strange people were among them:)
The evil man is in pain all his days, and the number of the years stored up for the cruel is small.
A sound of fear is in his ears; in time of peace destruction will come on him:
He has no hope of coming safe out of the dark, and his fate will be the sword;
He is wandering about in search of bread, saying, Where is it? and he is certain that the day of trouble is ready for him:
He is greatly in fear of the dark day, trouble and pain overcome him:
Because his hand is stretched out against God, and his heart is lifted up against the Ruler of all,
Running against him like a man of war, covered by his thick breastplate; even like a king ready for the fight,
Because his face is covered with fat, and his body has become thick;
And he has made his resting-place in the towns which have been pulled down, in houses where no man had a right to be, whose fate was to become masses of broken walls.
He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.
He does not come out of the dark; his branches are burned by the flame, and the wind takes away his bud.
Let him not put his hope in what is false, falling into error: for he will get deceit as his reward.
His branch is cut off before its time, and his leaf is no longer green.
He is like a vine whose grapes do not come to full growth, or an olive-tree dropping its flowers.
For the band of the evil-doers gives no fruit, and the tents of those who give wrong decisions for reward are burned with fire.
Evil has made them with child, and they give birth to trouble; and the fruit of their body is shame for themselves.
— Job 15:11-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare; Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it: Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them. The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers: Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks. And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence. It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green. He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. ”
Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself?
What knowledge have you which we have not? is there anything in your mind which is not in ours?
With us are men who are grey-haired and full of years, much older than your father.
Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you?
Why is your heart uncontrolled, and why are your eyes lifted up;
So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth?
What is man, that he may be clean? and how may the son of woman be upright?
Truly, he puts no faith in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes;
How much less one who is disgusting and unclean, a man who takes in evil like water!
Take note and give ear to my words; and I will say what I have seen:
(The things which wise men have got from their fathers, and have not kept secret from us;
For only to them was the land given, and no strange people were among them:)
The evil man is in pain all his days, and the number of the years stored up for the cruel is small.
A sound of fear is in his ears; in time of peace destruction will come on him:
He has no hope of coming safe out of the dark, and his fate will be the sword;
He is wandering about in search of bread, saying, Where is it? and he is certain that the day of trouble is ready for him:
He is greatly in fear of the dark day, trouble and pain overcome him:
Because his hand is stretched out against God, and his heart is lifted up against the Ruler of all,
Running against him like a man of war, covered by his thick breastplate; even like a king ready for the fight,
Because his face is covered with fat, and his body has become thick;
And he has made his resting-place in the towns which have been pulled down, in houses where no man had a right to be, whose fate was to become masses of broken walls.
He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.
He does not come out of the dark; his branches are burned by the flame, and the wind takes away his bud.
Let him not put his hope in what is false, falling into error: for he will get deceit as his reward.
His branch is cut off before its time, and his leaf is no longer green.
He is like a vine whose grapes do not come to full growth, or an olive-tree dropping its flowers.
For the band of the evil-doers gives no fruit, and the tents of those who give wrong decisions for reward are burned with fire.
Evil has made them with child, and they give birth to trouble; and the fruit of their body is shame for themselves.