Bible in Basic EnglishBerean Standard Bible

1. Israel’s Great Misery

   (Matthew 10:34–39; Luke 12:49–53)

2. 1BBESorrow is mine! for I am as when they have got in the summer fruits, like the last of the grapes: there is nothing for food, not even an early fig for my desire.BSBBSB: Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.
3. 2BBEThe good man is gone from the earth, there is no one upright among men: they are all waiting secretly for blood, every man is going after his brother with a net.BSBBSB: The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.
4. 3BBETheir hands are made ready to do evil; the ruler makes requests for money, and the judge is looking for a reward; and the great man gives decisions at his pleasure, and the right is twisted.BSBBSB: Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
5. 4BBEThe best of them is like a waste plant, and their upright ones are like a wall of thorns. Sorrow! the day of their fate has come; now will trouble come on them.BSBBSB: The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion.
6. 5BBEPut no faith in a friend, do not let your hope be placed in a relation: keep watch on the doors of your mouth against her who is resting on your breast.BSBBSB: Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
7. 6BBEFor the son puts shame on his father, the daughter goes against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's haters are those of his family.BSBBSB: For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

8. Israel’s Confession and Comfort

9. 7BBEBut as for me, I am looking to the Lord; I am waiting for the God of my salvation: the ears of my God will be open to me.BSBBSB: But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
10. 8BBEDo not be glad because of my sorrow, O my hater: after my fall I will be lifted up; when I am seated in the dark, the Lord will be a light to me.BSBBSB: Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
11. 9BBEI will undergo the wrath of the Lord, because of my sin against him; till he takes up my cause and does what is right for me: when he makes me come out into the light, I will see his righteousness;BSBBSB: Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the rage of the LORD, until He argues my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness.
12. 10BBEAnd my hater will see it and be covered with shame; she who said to me, Where is the Lord your God? my eyes will see their desire effected on her, now she will be crushed under foot like the dust of the streets.BSBBSB: Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.
13. 11BBEA day for building your walls! in that day will your limits be stretched far and wide.BSBBSB: The day for rebuilding your walls will come—the day for extending your boundary.
14. 12BBEIn that day they will come to you from Assyria and the towns of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.BSBBSB: On that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates, from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
15. 13BBEBut the land will become a waste because of its people, as the fruit of their works.BSBBSB: Then the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the fruit of their deeds.

16. God’s Compassion on Israel

17. 14BBEKeep your people safe with your rod, the flock of your heritage, living by themselves in the woods in the middle of Carmel: let them get their food in Bashan and Gilead as in the past.BSBBSB: Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
18. 15BBEAs in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, let us see things of wonder.BSBBSB: As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show My wonders.
19. 16BBEThe nations will see and be shamed because of all their strength; they will put their hands on their mouths, their ears will be stopped.BSBBSB: Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might. They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf.
20. 17BBEThey will take dust as their food like a snake, like the things which go flat on the earth; they will come shaking with fear out of their secret places: they will come with fear to the Lord our God, full of fear because of you.BSBBSB: They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.
21. 18BBEWho is a God like you, offering forgiveness for evil-doing and overlooking the sins of the rest of his heritage? he does not keep his wrath for ever, because his delight is in mercy.BSBBSB: Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
22. 19BBEHe will again have pity on us; he will put our sins under his feet: and you will send all our sins down into the heart of the sea.BSBBSB: He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.
23. 20BBEYou will make clear your good faith to Jacob and your mercy to Abraham, as you gave your oath to our fathers from times long past.BSBBSB: You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.