Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Judges 18 / Basic English

1. In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the Danites were looking for a heritage for themselves, to be their living-place; for up to that time no distribution of land had been made to them among the tribes of Israel.
2. So the children of Dan sent five men from among their number, strong men, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to take a look at the land and make a search through it; and they said to them, Go and make a search through the land; and they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, where they made a stop for the night.
3. When they were near the house of Micah, hearing a voice which was not strange to them, that of the young Levite, they went out of their road to his place, and said to him, How did you come here? and what are you doing in this place? and why are you here?
4. And he said to them, This is what Micah did for me, and he gave me payment and I became his priest.
5. Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome.
6. And the priest said to them, Go in peace: your way is guided by the Lord.
7. Then the five men went on their way and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, living without thought of danger, like the Zidonians, quiet and safe; for they had everything on earth for their needs, and they were far from the Zidonians and had no business with Aram.
8. So they came back to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, What news have you?
9. And they said, Up! and let us go against Laish; for we have seen the land, and it is very good: why are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to go in and take the land for your heritage.
10. When you come there you will come to a people living without thought of danger; and the land is wide, and God has given it into your hands: a place where there is everything on earth for man's needs.
11. So six hundred men of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol went out armed with instruments of war.
12. And they went up and put up their tents in Kiriath-jearim in Judah: so that place is named Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is to the west of Kiriath-jearim.
13. From there they went on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14. Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the country of Laish, said to their brothers, Have you knowledge that in these houses there is an ephod and family gods and a pictured image and a metal image? So now you see what to do.
15. And turning from their road they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and said to him, Is it well with you?
16. And the six hundred armed men of the Danites took their places by the doorway.
17. Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.
18. And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?
19. And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?
20. Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.
21. So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.
22. When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,
23. Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?
24. And he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?
25. And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.
26. Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.
27. And they took that which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people living quietly and without thought of danger, and they put them to the sword without mercy, burning down their town.
28. And they had no saviour, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth-rehob. And building up the town again they took it for their living-place.
29. And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.
30. (And the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)
31. And they put up for themselves the image which Micah had made, and it was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

Judges 19 / Basic English

1. Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living in the inmost parts of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he got for himself a servant-wife from Beth-lehem-judah.
2. And his servant-wife was angry with him, and went away from him to her father's house at Beth-lehem-judah, and was there for four months.
3. Then her husband got up and went after her, with the purpose of talking kindly to her, and taking her back with him; he had with him his young man and two asses: and she took him into her father's house, and her father, when he saw him, came forward to him with joy.
4. And his father-in-law, the girl's father, kept him there for three days; and they had food and drink and took their rest there.
5. Now on the fourth day they got up early in the morning and he made ready to go away; but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, Take a little food to keep up your strength, and then go on your way.
6. So seating themselves they had food and drink, the two of them together; and the girl's father said to the man, If it is your pleasure, take your rest here tonight, and let your heart be glad.
7. And the man got up to go away, but his father-in-law would not let him go, so he took his rest there again for the night.
8. Then early on the morning of the fifth day he got up to go away; but the girl's father said, Keep up your strength; so the two of them had a meal, and the man and his woman and his servant did not go till after the middle of the day.
9. And when they got up to go away, his father-in-law, the girl's father, said to him, Now evening is coming on, so do not go tonight; see, the day is almost gone; take your rest here and let your heart be glad, and tomorrow early, go on your way back to your house.
10. But the man would not be kept there that night, and he got up and went away and came opposite to Jebus (which is Jerusalem); and he had with him the two asses, ready for travelling, and his woman.
11. When they got near Jebus the day was far gone; and the servant said to his master, Now let us go from our road into this town of the Jebusites and take our night's rest there.
12. But his master said to him, We will not go out of our way into a strange town, whose people are not of the children of Israel; but we will go on to Gibeah.
13. And he said to his servant, Come, let us go on to one of these places, stopping for the night in Gibeah or Ramah.
14. So they went on their way; and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.
15. And they went off the road there with the purpose of stopping for the night in Gibeah: and he went in, seating himself in the street of the town, for no one took them into his house for the night.
16. Now when it was evening they saw an old man coming back from his work in the fields; he was from the hill-country of Ephraim and was living in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
17. And when he saw the traveller in the street of the town, the old man said, Where are you going? and where do you come from?
18. And he said to him, We are on our way from Beth-lehem-judah to the inmost parts of the hill-country of Ephraim: I came from there and went to Beth-lehem-judah: now I am on my way back to my house, but no man will take me into his house.
19. But we have dry grass and food for our asses, as well as bread and wine for me, and for the woman, and for the young man with us: we have no need of anything.
20. And the old man said, Peace be with you; let all your needs be my care; only do not take your rest in the street.
21. So he took them into his house and gave the asses food; and after washing their feet they took food and drink.
22. While they were taking their pleasure at the meal, the good-for-nothing men of the town came round the house, giving blows on the door; and they said to the old man, the master of the house, Send out that man who came to your house, so that we may take our pleasure with him.
23. So the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said, No, my brothers, do not this evil thing; this man has come into my house, and you are not to do him this wrong.
24. See, here is my daughter, a virgin, and his servant-wife: I will send them out for you to take them and do with them whatever you will. But do no such thing of shame to this man.
25. But the men would not give ear to him: so the man took his woman and sent her out to them; and they took her by force, using her for their pleasure all night till the morning; and when dawn came they let her go.
26. Then at the dawn of day the woman came, and, falling down at the door of the man's house where her master was, was stretched there till it was light.
27. In the morning her master got up, and opening the door of the house went out to go on his way; and he saw his servant-wife stretched on the earth at the door of the house with her hands on the step.
28. And he said to her, Get up and let us be going; but there was no answer; so he took her up and put her on the ass, and went on his way and came to his house.
29. And when he had come to his house, he got his knife, and took the woman, cutting her up bone by bone into twelve parts, which he sent through all Israel.
30. And he gave orders to the men whom he sent, saying, This is what you are to say to all the men of Israel, Has ever an act like this been done from the day when the children of Israel came out of Egypt to this day? Give thought to it, turning it over in your minds, and give your opinion of it.

Psalms 103 / Basic English

1. <Of David.> Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let everything in me give praise to his holy name.
2. Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let not all his blessings go from your memory.
3. He has forgiveness for all your sins; he takes away all your diseases;
4. He keeps back your life from destruction, crowning you with mercy and grace.
5. He makes your mouth full of good things, so that your strength is made new again like the eagle's.
6. The Lord gives decisions in righteousness for all who are in trouble.
7. He gave knowledge of his way to Moses, and made his acts clear to the children of Israel.
8. The Lord is kind and full of pity, not quickly made angry, but ever ready to have mercy.
9. His feeling will no longer be bitter; he will not keep his wrath for ever.
10. He has not given us the punishment for our sins, or the reward of our wrongdoing.
11. For as the heaven is high over the earth, so great is his mercy to his worshippers.
12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our sins from us.
13. As a father has pity on his children, so the Lord has pity on his worshippers.
14. For he has knowledge of our feeble frame; he sees that we are only dust.
15. As for man, his days are as grass: his beautiful growth is like the flower of the field.
16. The wind goes over it and it is gone; and its place sees it no longer.
17. But the mercy of the Lord is eternal for his worshippers, and their children's children will see his righteousness;
18. If they keep his agreement, and have his laws in mind to do them.
19. The Lord has made ready his high seat in the heavens; his kingdom is ruling over all.
20. Give praise to the Lord, you his angels, who are great in strength, doing his orders, and waiting for his voice.
21. Give praise to the Lord, all you his armies; and you his servants who do his pleasure.
22. Give praise to the Lord, all his works, in all places under his rule: give praise to the Lord, O my soul.