Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Joshua 7 / Basic English

1. But the children of Israel did wrong about the cursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the family of Judah, took of the cursed thing, moving the Lord to wrath against the children of Israel.
2. Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is by the side of Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and said to them, Go up and make a search through the land. And the men went up and saw how Ai was placed.
3. Then they came back to Joshua and said to him, Do not send all the people up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and make an attack on Ai; there is no need for all the people to be tired with the journey there, for it is only a small town.
4. So about three thousand of the people went up, and were sent in flight by the men of Ai.
5. The men of Ai put to death about thirty-six of them, driving them from before the town as far as the stoneworks, and overcoming them on the way down: and the hearts of the people became like water.
6. Then Joshua, in great grief, went down on the earth before the ark of the Lord till the evening, and all the chiefs of Israel with him, and they put dust on their heads.
7. And Joshua said, O Lord God, why have you taken us over Jordan only to give us up into the hands of the Amorites for our destruction? If only it had been enough for us to keep on the other side of Jordan!
8. O Lord, what am I to say now that Israel have given way before their attackers?
9. For when the news comes to the Canaanites and all the people of the land, they will come up, shutting us in and cutting off our name from the earth: and what will you do for the honour of your great name?
10. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Get up; what are you doing with your face to the earth?
11. Israel has done wrong, sinning against the agreement which I made with them: they have even taken of the cursed thing; acting falsely like thieves they have put it among their goods.
12. For this reason the children of Israel have given way, turning their backs in flight before their attackers, because they are cursed: I will no longer be with you, if you do not put the cursed thing away from among you.
13. Up! make the people holy; say to them, Make yourselves holy before tomorrow, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, There is a cursed thing among you, O Israel, and you will give way before your attackers in the fight till the cursed thing has been taken away from among you.
14. So in the morning you are to come near, tribe by tribe; and the tribe marked out by the Lord is to come near, family by family; and the family marked out by the Lord is to come near, house by house; and the house marked out by the Lord is to come near, man by man.
15. Then the man who is taken with the cursed thing is to be burned, with everything which is his; because he has gone against the agreement of the Lord and has done an act of shame in Israel.
16. So Joshua got up early in the morning, and made Israel come before him by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken;
17. Then he made Judah come forward, and the family of the Zerahites was taken; and he made the family of the Zerahites come forward man by man; and Zabdi was taken;
18. Then the house of Zabdi came forward man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19. And Joshua said to Achan, My son, give glory and praise to the Lord, the God of Israel; give me word now of what you have done, and keep nothing back from me.
20. And Achan, answering, said to Joshua, Truly I have done wrong against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done:
21. When I saw among their goods a fair robe of Babylon and two hundred shekels of silver, and a mass of gold, fifty shekels in weight, I was overcome by desire and took them; and they are put away in the earth in my tent, and the silver is under it.
22. So Joshua sent men quickly, and looking in his tent, they saw where the robe had been put away secretly with the silver under it.
23. And they took them from the tent and came back with them to Joshua and the children of Israel, and put them before the Lord.
24. Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver and the robe and the mass of gold, and his sons and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tent and everything he had; and they took them up into the valley of Achor.
25. And Joshua said, Why have you been a cause of trouble to us? Today the Lord will send trouble on you. And all Israel took part in stoning him; they had him stoned to death and then burned with fire.
26. And over him they put a great mass of stones, which is there to this day; then the heat of the Lord's wrath was turned away. So that place was named, The Valley of Achor, to this day.

Joshua 8 / Basic English

1. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Have no fear and do not be troubled: take with you all the fighting-men and go up against Ai: for I have given into your hands the king of Ai and his people and his town and his land:
2. And you are to do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king: but their goods and their cattle you may take for yourselves: let a secret force be stationed to make a surprise attack on the town from the back.
3. So Joshua and the fighting-men got ready to go up against Ai; and Joshua took thirty thousand men of war, and sent them out by night.
4. And he gave them their orders, saying, Go and take up your position secretly at the back of the town: do not go very far away, and let all of you be ready:
5. And I and all the people with me will come near the town, and when they come out against us as they did before, we will go in flight from them;
6. And they will come out after us, till we have got them away from the town; for they will say, They have gone in flight from us as before; so we will go in flight before them;
7. Then you will get up from your secret position and take the town, for the Lord your God will give it up into your hands.
8. And when you have taken the town, put fire to it, as the Lord has said: see, I have given you your orders.
9. So Joshua sent them out: and they took up a secret position between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua kept with the people that night.
10. And early in the morning Joshua got up, and put the people in order, and he and the chiefs of Israel went up before the people to Ai.
11. And all the fighting-men who were with him went up and came near the town, and took up a position on the north side of Ai facing the town, with a valley between him and the town.
12. And taking about five thousand men, he put them in position for a surprise attack on the west side of Ai, between Beth-el and Ai.
13. So all the people were in their places, the army on the north side of the town and the secret force on the west; and that night Joshua went down into the valley.
14. Now when the king of Ai saw it, he got up quickly and went out to war against Israel, he and all his people, to the slope going down to the valley; but he had no idea that a secret force was waiting at the back of the town.
15. Then Joshua and all Israel, acting as if they were overcome before them, went in flight by way of the waste land.
16. And all the people in Ai came together to go after them; and they went after Joshua, moving away from the town.
17. There was not a man in Ai and Beth-el who did not go out after Israel; and the town was open and unwatched while they went after Israel.
18. And the Lord said to Joshua, Let your spear be stretched out against Ai; for I will give it into your hands. So Joshua took up his spear, stretching it out in the direction of the town.
19. Then the secret force came quickly from their place, and running forward when they saw his hand stretched out, went into the town and took it, and put fire to it straight away.
20. Then the men of Ai, looking back, saw the smoke of the town going up to heaven, and were unable to go this way or that: and the people who had gone in flight to the waste land were turned back on those who were coming after them.
21. And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the town had been taken by the surprise attack, and that the smoke of the town had gone up, turning round they overcame the men of Ai.
22. Then the other force came out of the town against them, so that they were being attacked on this side and on that: and Israel overcame them and let not one of them get away with his life.
23. But the king of Ai they made prisoner, and took him to Joshua.
24. Then, after the destruction of all the people of Ai in the field and in the waste land where they went after them, and when all the people had been put to death without mercy, all Israel went back to Ai, and put to death all who were in it without mercy.
25. On that day twelve thousand were put to death, men and women, all the people of Ai.
26. For Joshua did not take back his hand with the outstretched spear till the destruction of the people of Ai was complete.
27. But the cattle and the goods from that town, Israel took for themselves, as the Lord had given orders to Joshua.
28. So Joshua gave Ai to the flames, and made it a waste mass of stones for ever, as it is to this day.
29. And he put the king of Ai to death, hanging him on a tree till evening: and when the sun went down, Joshua gave them orders to take his body down from the tree, and put it in the public place of the town, covering it with a great mass of stones, which is there to this day.
30. Then Joshua put up an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal,
31. In the way ordered by Moses, the servant of the Lord, as it is recorded in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones, untouched by any iron instrument: and on it they made burned offerings and peace-offerings to the Lord.
32. And he made there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, writing it before the eyes of the children of Israel.
33. And all Israel, those who were Israelites by birth, as well as the men from other lands living with them, and their responsible men and their overseers and judges, took their places round the ark, in front of the priests, the Levites, whose work it was to take up the ark of the Lord's agreement; half of them were stationed in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, in agreement with the orders for the blessing of the children of Israel which Moses, the servant of the Lord, had given.
34. And after, he gave them all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, as it is all recorded in the book of the law;
35. Reading to all the meeting of Israel, with the women and the children and the men from other lands who were living among them, every word of the orders which Moses had given.

Luke 7 / Basic English

1. After he had come to the end of all his words in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum.
2. And a certain captain had a servant who was very dear to him; this servant was ill and near to death.
3. And when news of Jesus came to his ears, he sent to him rulers of the Jews, requesting that he would come and make his servant well.
4. And they, when they came to Jesus, made their request warmly, saying,
5. It is right for you to do this for him, because he is a friend to our nation, and himself has put up a Synagogue for us.
6. And Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the man sent friends to him, saying, Lord, do not give yourself trouble: for I am not important enough for you to come into my house:
7. And I had the feeling that I was not even good enough to come to you: but say the word only, and my servant will be well.
8. For I, myself, am a man under authority, having men under me; and I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
9. And when these things were said to Jesus, he was surprised, and, turning to the mass of people coming after him, said, I have not seen such great faith, no, not in Israel.
10. And when those who were sent came back to the house they saw that the servant was well.
11. And it came about, after a little time, that he went to a town named Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great number of people.
12. Now when he came near the door of the town, a dead man was being taken out, the only son of his mother, who was a widow: and a great number of people from the town were with her.
13. And when the Lord saw her, he had pity on her and said to her, Be not sad.
14. And he came near, and put his hand on the stretcher where the dead man was: and those who were moving it came to a stop. And he said, Young man, I say to you, Get up.
15. And the dead man got up, and words came from his lips. And he gave him to his mother.
16. And fear came on all, and they gave praise to God, saying, A great prophet is among us: and, God has given thought to his people.
17. And this story about him went through all Judaea and the places round about.
18. And the disciples of John gave him an account of all these things.
19. Then John sent two of his disciples to the Lord, saying, Are you he who is to come, or are we waiting for another?
20. And when the men came to him they said, John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, Are you he who is to come, or are we waiting for another?
21. At that time, he made a number of people free from their diseases and their pains, and from evil spirits; and to others who were blind he gave back the use of their eyes.
22. And answering them he said, Go back and give news to John of what you have seen, and the things which have come to your ears; the blind now see, those who had no power in their legs are walking, lepers are made clean, those who had no hearing now have their ears open, dead men come to life again, and the poor have the good news given to them.
23. And a blessing will be on him who has no doubts about me.
24. And when the men who were sent by John had gone away, he said to the people, about John, What did you go out into the waste land to see? a tall stem moving in the wind?
25. But what did you go out to see? a man in soft clothing? See now, those who have beautiful clothing and delicate food are in kings' houses.
26. But what did you go out to see? a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
27. This is he of whom it has been said, See, I send my servant before your face, who will make ready your way before you.
28. I say to you, Among all the sons of women, not one is greater than John: but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29. (And all the people, and the tax-farmers, to whom John had given baptism, when they had knowledge of these things, gave glory to God.
30. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were against the purpose of God for themselves, not having had his baptism.)
31. What comparison am I to make of the men of this generation? what are they like?
32. They are like children who are seated in the market-place, crying out to one another, and saying, We made music for you, but you did not take part in the dance; we gave cries of sorrow, but you were not sad.
33. For John the Baptist came, taking no food or drink, and you say, He has an evil spirit.
34. The Son of man came feasting, and you say, Here is a lover of food and wine, a friend of tax-farmers and sinners.
35. But wisdom is judged to be right by all her children.
36. And one of the Pharisees made a request that he would take a meal with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house and took his seat at the table.
37. And there was a woman in the town who was a sinner; and when she had news that he was a guest in the Pharisee's house, she took a bottle of perfume,
38. And went in and took her place at the back of him, near his feet, weeping, so that his feet were washed with the drops from her eyes, and with her hair she made them dry, and kissing his feet she put the perfume on them.
39. Now when the Pharisee in whose house he was saw it, he said to himself, This man, if he was a prophet, would be conscious what sort of woman this is who has put her hands on him, that she is a sinner.
40. And Jesus, answering, said, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he said, Master, say on.
41. And he said, Two men were in debt to a certain man of business: one had a debt of five hundred pence, and the other of fifty.
42. When they were unable to make payment, he made the two of them free of their debts. Which of them, now, will have the greater love for him?
43. Simon, in answer, said, It seems he whose debt was greater. And he said, Your decision is right.
44. And turning to the woman he said to Simon, You see this woman? I came into your house; you did not give me water for my feet: but she has been washing my feet with the drops from her eyes, and drying them with her hair.
45. You did not give me a kiss: but she, from the time when I came in, has gone on kissing my feet.
46. You put no oil on my head: but she has put perfume on my feet.
47. And so I say to you, She will have forgiveness for her sins which are great in number, because of her great love: but he who has small need of forgiveness gives little love.
48. And he said to her, You have forgiveness for your sins.
49. And those who were seated at table with him said to themselves, Who is this who even gives forgiveness of sins?
50. And he said to the woman, By your faith you have salvation; go in peace.