The Daily Audio Bible
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12 Forsooth, Lord, thou art just; if I dispute with thee, nevertheless I shall speak (about) just things to thee. Why hath the way of wicked men prosperity? It is well to all men that break the law, and do wickedly? (But, Lord, thou art just; and if I dispute with thee, nevertheless I shall speak about just things with thee. Why hath the ways of the wicked prospered? Why is it well with all those who break the law, and who do wickedly?)
2 Thou hast planted them, and they sent (out) root; they increase, and make fruit; thou art nigh to the mouth of them, and far from the reins of them.
3 And thou, Lord, hast known me, thou hast seen me, and hast proved mine heart with thee. Gather thou them together as a flock to slain sacrifice, and hallow thou them in the day of slaying.
4 How long shall the earth mourn, and each herb of the field shall be dried, for the malice of them that dwell therein? A beast is wasted, and a bird, for they said, The Lord shall not see our last things. (How long shall the land mourn, and the grass on each field shall be dried up, because of the malice of those who live there? Yea, a beast is destroyed, and also a bird, because those people said, The Lord shall not see what we do.)
5 If thou travailest running with footmen, how shalt thou be able to strive with horses? but when thou art secure in the land of peace, what shalt thou do in the pride of Jordan? (what shalt thou do in the thickets of the Jordan River?)
6 For why both thy brethren and the house of thy father, yea, they fought against thee, and cried with full voice after thee; believe thou not to them, when they speak goods to thee (do not thou believe them, when they say their fine words to thee).
7 I have left mine house, I have forsaken mine heritage; I gave my loved soul into the hands of enemies thereof. (I have left my house, I have abandoned my inheritance; I gave the beloved of my soul into the hands of their enemies.)
8 Mine heritage is made as a lion in the wood to me; it gave voice against me, therefore I hated it. (My inheritance is made like a lion in the woods to me; they gave voice against me, and so I hated them.)
9 Whether mine heritage is (like) a bird of diverse colours to me? whether it is (like) a bird dyed throughout? All beasts of the field, come ye, be ye gathered together; haste ye for to devour. (Is my inheritance like but a bird of diverse colours to me? is it like but a bird dyed throughout? All the beasts of the field, come ye, be ye gathered together; hasten ye to devour!/hasten ye to the feast!)
10 Many shepherds destroyed my vinery, defouled my part, gave my desirable portion into desert of wilderness; (Many shepherds destroyed my vineyard, and defiled my portion, yea, they turned my desirable portion into a desert of wilderness;)
11 they setted it into scattering, and it mourned on me (and it mourned for me); all the land is desolate by desolation, for none is that again-thinketh (on it) in (his) heart.
12 All (the) destroyers of the land came on all the ways of (the) desert, for the sword of the Lord shall devour from the last part of the land unto the last part thereof; no peace is to all flesh (no flesh shall have any peace).
13 They sowed wheat, and reaped thorns; they took heritage, and it shall not profit to them. Ye shall be shamed of your fruits, for the wrath of the strong vengeance of the Lord. (They sowed wheat, and reaped thorns; they took hold of their inheritance, but it shall not profit them. Ye shall be shamed by your fruits/Ye shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the anger of the strong vengeance of the Lord.)
14 The Lord saith these things against all my worst neighbours, that touch the heritage which I parted to my people Israel (who touch the inheritance which I gave to my people Israel), Lo! I shall draw them out of their land, and I shall draw the house of Judah out of the midst of them.
15 And when I shall draw out those Jews, I shall turn again, and have mercy on them; and I shall lead them again, a man to his heritage, and a man into his land. (But after I shall draw out those Jews, I shall return, and have mercy on them; and I shall lead them again, each person to his own inheritance, and to his own land.)
16 And it shall be, if they that be taught learn the ways of my people, that they swear in my name, The Lord liveth, as they taught my people to swear in Baal, they shall be builded in the midst of my people. (And it shall be, if they who be taught learn the ways of my people, that they swear in my name, As the Lord liveth, like they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up, or shall flourish and prosper, in the midst of my people.)
17 That if they hear not, I shall draw out that folk by drawing out and perdition, saith the Lord. (But if they will not listen, or obey, then I shall draw out that nation, or that people, by drawing out and perdition, saith the Lord.)
13 The Lord saith these things to me, Go, and take in possession to thee a linen breech-girdle; and thou shalt put it on thy loins, and thou shalt not bear it into water.
2 And I took in possession a breech-girdle, by the word of the Lord; and I putted about my loins (and I put it about my loins).
3 And the word of the Lord was made to me in the second time, and said,
4 Take the breech-girdle, which thou haddest in possession, which is about thy loins; and rise thou, and go to Euphrates (and rise thou, and go to the Euphrates River), and hide thou it there, in the hole of a stone.
5 And I went, and hid it in Euphrates (and hid it by the Euphrates River), as the Lord commanded to me.
6 And it was done after full many days, the Lord said to me, Rise thou, and go to Euphrates (Rise thou, and go to the Euphrates River), and take from thence the breech-girdle, which I commanded to thee, that thou shouldest hide it there.
7 And I went to Euphrates, and digged out, and I took the breech-girdle from the place, where I had hid it; and lo! the breech-girdle was rotten, so that it was not able to any use. (And I went to the Euphrates River, and dug it out, and I took the breech-girdle from the place, where I had hidden it; and lo! the breech-girdle was rotten, so that now it was good for nothing.)
8 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and said,
9 The Lord saith these things, So I shall make rotten the pride of Judah, and the much pride of Jerusalem,
10 and this worst people, that will not hear my words, and go in the shrewdness of their heart; and they went after alien gods, to serve them, and to worship them; and they shall be as this breech-girdle, which is not able to any use. (and this worst people, who will not listen to, or obey, my words, and who go in the depravity of their hearts; and they went after strange, or foreign, gods, to serve them, and to worship them; and they shall be like this breech-girdle, which now is good for nothing.)
11 For as a breech-girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so I joined fast to me all the house of Israel, and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, that they should be to me into a people, and into name, and into praising, and into glory; and they heard not. (For like a breech-girdle cleaveth to a man’s loins, so I securely joined to me all the house of Israel, and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, so that they would be my people, and they would bring praises, and glory, to my name; but they would not listen to, or obey, me.)
12 Therefore thou shalt say to them this word, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Each pottle shall be filled of wine. And they shall say to thee, Whether we know not, that each pottle shall be filled of wine? (And so thou shalt say this word to them, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Each bottle, or each wine jar, shall be filled with wine. And they shall say to thee, Do we not know, that each bottle, or each wine jar, shall be filled with wine?)
13 And thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall fill with drunkenness all the dwellers of this land, and the kings of the generation of David, that sit on his throne, and the priests, and prophets, and all the dwellers of Jerusalem. (And thou shalt say to them, The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings who be descended from David, who sit on his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.)
14 And I shall scatter them, a man from his brother, and the fathers and sons together, saith the Lord; I shall not spare, and I shall not grant, neither I shall do mercy, that I lose not them. (And then I shall destroy them, a man and his brother, and the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord; I shall not spare anyone, and I shall not grant anyone a reprieve, nor shall I have any mercy, so that I do not destroy them.)
15 Hear ye, and perceive with ears (Hear ye, and listen); do not ye be raised [up], for the Lord spake.
16 Give ye glory to your Lord God, before that it wax dark, and before that your feet hurt at [the] dark hills; ye shall abide light, and he shall set it into the shadow of death, and into darkness. (Give ye glory to the Lord your God, before that it grow dark, and before that your feet stumble on the dark hills; ye shall wait for the light, but he shall turn it into the shadow of death, and into darkness.)
17 That if ye hear not this, my soul shall weep in hid place for the face of pride; it weeping shall weep, and mine eye shall cast out a tear, for the flock of the Lord is taken. (And if ye do not listen to this, my soul shall weep in a hidden place because of thy pride; it weeping shall weep, and my eyes shall cast out tears, for the flock of the Lord is carried away captive.)
18 Say thou to the king, and to the lady, Be ye meeked, sit ye, for the crown of your glory shall go down from your head. (Say thou to the king, and to the queen, Be ye humbled, sit ye, for your glorious crowns shall go down from off your heads.)
19 The cities of the south be closed, and none is that openeth; all Judah is translated by perfect passing over, either going out of their land. (The cities of the south be besieged, and there is no one who can help them; all the people of Judah have been carried away captive.)
20 Raise ye (up) your eyes, and see ye, what men come from the north; where is the flock which is given to thee, thy noble sheep?
21 What shalt thou say, when he shall visit thee? for thou hast taught them against thee, and thou hast taught against thine head. Whether sorrows have not taken thee, as a woman travailing of child? (What shalt thou say, when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be thy leaders, but now they be against thee. Shall sorrows not take hold of thee, like a woman in labour?)
22 That if thou sayest in thine heart, Why came these things to me? for the multitude of thy wickedness thy shamefuller things be showed, thy feet be defouled. (And if thou sayest in thy heart, Why did these things come to me? I shall answer, Because of the multitude of thy wickedness, thy shameful things be shown, and thy feet be defiled.)
23 If a man of Ethiopia may change his skin (colour), either a leopard may change his diversities, and ye may do well, when ye have learned evil. (Only if a man of Ethiopia can change his skin colour, or if a leopard can change his spots, then can ye still do good, after all the evil that ye have learned.)
24 And I shall sow them abroad, as stubble which is ravished, or taken away, of the wind in desert. (And so I shall sow them abroad, like stubble which is robbed, or is taken away, by the wind in the desert.)
25 This is thy lot, and the part of thy measure of me, saith the Lord; for thou forgettedest me, and trustedest in a leasing. (This is thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord; for thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in lies.)
26 Wherefore and I made naked thine hips against thy face, and thy shame appeared, (And so I made thy hips naked before thy face, and thy shameful things appeared,)
27 thine adulteries, and thine neighing, and the felony of thy fornication on (the) little hills in the field; (yea,) I saw thine abominations. Jerusalem, woe to thee, thou shalt not be cleansed after me till yet (Jerusalem, woe to thee, if thou shalt not be cleansed by now, then when shall it be?).
14 The word of the Lord, that was made to Jeremy, of the words of dryness. (The word of the Lord, that was made to Jeremiah, about the drought.)
2 Judah wailed, and the gates thereof fell down (and its cities fell down), and be made dark in [the] earth, and the cry of Jerusalem went up.
3 Greater men sent their less(er) men to (the) water; they came to draw water, and they found no water, (and) they brought again their vessels void; they were shamed and tormented, and they covered their heads,
4 for [the] destroying of the land, for rain came not in the land. (The) Earth-tillers were shamed, (and) they covered their heads.
5 For why and an hind calved in the field, and left her calves, for none herb was (for there was no grass);
6 and wild asses stood in rocks, and drew wind as dragons; their eyes failed, for none herb was. (and the wild donkeys stood on the high rocks, and drew up the wind like jackals; and their eyes failed, for there was no grass.)
7 If our wickednesses answer to us, Lord, do thou for thy name, for our turnings away be many; we have sinned against thee. (Our wickednesses witness against us, Lord, but do thou it for the sake of thy name, even though our turnings away, that is, our sins, be many; yea, we have sinned against thee.)
8 Thou abiding of Israel, the saviour thereof in the time of tribulation, why shalt thou be as a comeling in the land, and as a waygoer bowing [down] to dwell? (O hope of Israel, its Saviour in the time of trouble, why shalt thou be like a newcomer in the land, and like a waygoer bowing down to rest?)
9 why shalt thou be as a man of unstable dwelling, as a strong man that may not save? Forsooth, Lord, thou art in us, and thine holy name is called to help on us; forsake thou not us. (why shalt thou be like a person of unstable dwelling, like a strong man who cannot save? For Lord, thou art in the midst of us, and thy holy name is called on to help us/and we be called by thy name; do not thou abandon us.)
10 The Lord saith these things to this people, that loved to stir his feet, and rested not, and pleased not the Lord; now he shall have mind on the wickednesses of them, and he shall visit the sins of them. (The Lord saith these things to this people, who loved to stir their feet, that is, to go astray, and did not rest, and did not please the Lord; now he shall remember their wickednesses, and he shall punish them for their sins.)
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of Thessalonians, in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace and peace to you [grace to you, and peace].
2 We do thankings to God evermore for all you, and we make mind of you in our prayers without ceasing [making mind of you in our prayers without ceasing];
3 having mind of the work of your faith, and travail, and charity, and abiding of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ [mindful of your work of faith, and travail, and charity, and sustaining of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ], before God and our Father.
4 Ye beloved brethren of God, we witting your choosing, [We witting, ye loved brethren of God, your choosing,]
5 for our gospel was not at you in word only, but also in virtue, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much plenty; as ye know, which we were among you for you [as ye know, what manner men we were in you for you];
6 and ye be made followers of us, and of the Lord, receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost;
7 so that ye be made ensample to all men that believe [so that ye be made form, or example, to all men believing], in Macedonia and in Achaia.
8 For of you the word of the Lord is published, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith that is to God, in each place is gone forth[a]; so that it is not need to us to speak any thing.
9 For they show of you, what manner entry we had to you, and how ye be converted to God from maumets [and how ye be converted to God from simulacra], to serve to the living God and very;
10 and to abide his Son from heavens, whom he raised from death, the Lord Jesus, that delivered us from wrath to coming. [and for to abide his son from heavens, whom he raised from dead, Jesus, that delivered us from wrath to come.]
2 For, brethren, ye know our entry to you, for it was not vain;
2 but first we suffered, and were punished with wrongs, as ye know in Philippi, and had trust in our Lord [we had trust in the Lord], to speak to you the gospel of God in much busyness.
3 And our exhortation is not of error [Soothly our exhortation, or teaching, was not of error], neither of uncleanness, neither in guile,
4 but as we be approved of God, that the gospel of God should be taken to us [but as we be proved of God, that the gospel should be taken to us], so we speak; not as pleasing to men, but to God that proveth our hearts.
5 For neither we were any time in word of glossing [Forsooth neither we were any time in word of flattering], as ye know, neither in occasion of avarice; God is witness;
6 neither seeking glory of men, neither of you, neither of others, when we, as Christ's apostles, might have been in charge to you [when we might have been chargeous to you, as Christ's apostles].
7 But we were made little in the middle of you, as if a nurse foster her sons;
8 so we desiring you with great love, would have betaken to you, not only the gospel of God, but also our lives [so we desiring you covetingly, or with great love, would betake to you, not only the gospel of God, but also our souls, or lives], for ye be made most dear-worthy to us.
79 The psalm of Asaph. God, heathen men came into thine heritage; they defouled thine holy temple, they setted Jerusalem into the keeping of apples. (The song of Asaph. God, the heathen came to thy inheritance; they defiled thy holy Temple, and they laid Jerusalem in ruins.)
2 They setted the slain bodies of thy servants to be meats to the volatiles of heavens; the fleshes of thy saints to the beasts of the earth. (They left the dead bodies of thy servants to be food for the birds of the air; yea, the flesh of thy saints for the beasts of the earth.)
3 They shedded out the blood of them, as water in the compass of Jerusalem; and none there was that buried (them). (They poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem; and there was no one left to bury them.)
4 We be made (a) shame to our neighbours; mocking and scorning to them, that be in our compass. (We were made a reproach to our neighbours; mocked and scorned by those who be all around us.)
5 Lord, how long shalt thou be wroth into the end? shall thy vengeance be kindled as fire? (Lord, how long shalt thou be angry, forever? shall thy anger burn like fire?)
6 Pour out thine ire into heathen men, that know not thee; and into realms, that called not thy name. (Pour out thy anger upon the heathen, who know thee not; and upon the kingdoms, that have not called upon thy name.)
7 For they ate Jacob; and made desolate his place. (For they have devoured, or destroyed, the people of Jacob; and made their place desolate.)
8 Have thou not mind on our eld wickednesses; thy mercies before take us soon, for we be made poor greatly. (Remember not our past wickednesses; let thy constant love come soon to us, for we be made so very low.)
9 God, our health, help thou us, and, Lord, for the glory of thy name, deliver thou us; and be thou merciful to our sins, for thy name. (God, our salvation/God, our deliverance, help thou us, and, Lord, for the glory of thy name, save thou us; and have thou mercy on our sins, for the sake of thy name.)
10 Lest peradventure they say among heathen men, Where is the God of them? and be he known among nations before our eyes. The vengeance of the blood of thy servants, which is shed out; (Lest perhaps they say among the heathen, Where is their God? Let thyself be known among the nations around us, by the vengeance which is poured out upon them; for the blood of thy servants.)
11 the wailing of fettered men enter into thy sight. After the greatness of thine arm; wield thou the sons of slain men. (Let the wailing of the fettered come before thee. And by the greatness of thy power, free thou those who be condemned to die.)
12 And yield thou to our neighbours sevenfold in(to) the bosom of them; the shame of them (the same rebuke), which they did shamefully to thee, thou Lord.
13 But we that be thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture; shall acknowledge to thee into the world. In generation and into generation, we shall tell thy praising. (Then we who be thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, shall give thanks to thee forever. Yea, in all generations, we shall tell out thy praises.)
30 I passed by the field of a slow man, and by the vinery of a fond man; (I passed by a lazy man’s field, and by a foolish person’s vineyard;)
31 and lo! nettles had filled all, thorns had covered the higher part thereof, and the wall of stones without mortar was destroyed.
32 And when I had seen this thing, I setted (it) in mine heart, and by ensample, I learned (the) teaching. (And when I had seen this, I put it in my heart, and by example, I learned the lesson.)
33 How long sleepest thou, slow man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Soothly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, thou shalt join together the hands a little, to take rest; (How long sleepest thou, O lazy man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Truly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, and then thou shalt join together thy hands a little, and take rest again;)
34 and then thy neediness as a courier shall come to thee, and thy beggary as an armed man.
2001 by Terence P. Noble