Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

2 Samuel (2 Kings) 4 / Basic English

1. And when Saul's son Ish-bosheth had news that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
2. And Saul's son had two men, captains of bands, one named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the tribe of Benjamin; (for Beeroth was at one time taken to be part of Benjamin:
3. But the people of Beeroth had gone in flight to Gittaim, where they have been living to this day.)
4. Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son whose feet were damaged. He was five years old when news of the death of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and the woman who took care of him took him up and went in flight: and while she was getting him away as quickly as she was able, he had a fall and his feet were damaged. His name was Mephibosheth.
5. And Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, went out and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, when he was resting in the middle of the day. Now the woman who kept the door was cleaning grain, and sleep overcame her.
6. And Rechab and his brother Baanah got in without being seen.
7. And when they came into the house, Ish-bosheth was stretched on his bed in his bedroom; and they made an attack on him and put him to death, and, cutting off his head, they took it with them and went by the road through the Arabah all night.
8. And they took the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul your hater, who would have taken your life; the Lord has taken payment for the wrongs of my lord the king from Saul and his seed today.
9. And David made answer to Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, By the living Lord, who has kept me safe from all my trouble,
10. When one came to me with the news of Saul's death, in the belief that it would be good news, I took him and put him to death in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news:
11. How much more, when evil men have put an upright person to death, in his house, sleeping on his bed, will I take payment from you for his blood, and have you cut off from the earth?
12. And David gave orders to his young men and they put them to death, cutting off their hands and their feet and hanging them up by the side of the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and put it in its last resting-place with Abner's body in Hebron.

2 Samuel (2 Kings) 5 / Basic English

1. Then all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said, Truly, we are your bone and your flesh.
2. In the past when Saul was king over us, it was you who went at the head of Israel when they went out or came in: and the Lord said to you, You are to be the keeper of my people Israel and their ruler.
3. So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel.
4. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he was king for forty years,
5. Ruling over Judah in Hebron for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem, over all Israel and Judah, for thirty-three years.
6. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the people of the land: and they said to David, You will not come in here, but the blind and the feeble-footed will keep you out; for they said, David will not be able to come in here.
7. But David took the strong place of Zion, which is the town of David.
8. And that day David said, Whoever makes an attack on the Jebusites, let him go up by the water-pipe, and put to death all the blind and feeble-footed who are hated by David. And this is why they say, The blind and feeble-footed may not come into the house.
9. So David took the strong tower for his living-place, naming it the town of David. And David took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo.
10. And David became greater and greater; for the Lord, the God of armies, was with him.
11. And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent men to David, with cedar-trees and woodworkers and stoneworkers: and they made David a house.
12. And David saw that the Lord had made his position safe as king over Israel, and that he had made his kingdom great because of his people Israel.
13. And David took more women and wives in Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron: and he had more sons and daughters.
14. These are the names of those whose birth took place in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab and Nathan and Solomon
15. And Ibhar and Elishua and Nepheg and Japhia
16. And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet.
17. And when the Philistines had news that David had been made king over Israel, they all went up in search of David; and David, hearing of it, went down to the strong place.
18. And when the Philistines came, they went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim.
19. And David, desiring directions from the Lord, said, Am I to go up against the Philistines? will you give them up into my hands? And the Lord said, Go up, for I will certainly give up the Philistines into your hands.
20. And David went to Baal-perazim, and overcame them there; and he said, The Lord has let the forces fighting against me be broken before me as a wall is broken by rushing waters. So that place was named Baal-perazim.
21. And the Philistines, when they went in flight, did not take their images with them, and David and his men took them away.
22. And the Philistines came up again, and went in every direction in the valley of Rephaim.
23. And when David went for directions to the Lord, he said, You are not to go up against them in front; but make a circle round them from the back and come on them opposite the spice-trees.
24. Then at the sound of footsteps in the tops of the trees, go forward quickly, for the Lord has gone out before you to overcome the army of the Philistines.
25. And David did as the Lord had said; and he overcame the Philistines, attacking them from Gibeon to near Gezer.

2 Samuel (2 Kings) 6 / Basic English

1. And David got together all the fighting-men of Israel to the number of thirty thousand;
2. And David, and all the people who were with him, went to Baal of Judah to get the ark of God, over which the holy name is named, the name of the Lord of armies, whose place is between the winged ones.
3. And they put the ark of God on a new cart and took it out of the house of Abinadab which was on the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were the drivers of the cart.
4. And Uzzah went by the side of the ark, while Ahio went before it.
5. And David and all the men of Israel made melody before the Lord with all their power, with songs and with corded instruments and instruments of brass.
6. And when they came to Nacon's grain-floor, Uzzah put his hand on the ark of God to keep it safe in its place, for the oxen were out of control.
7. And the wrath of the Lord, burning against Uzzah, sent destruction on him because he had put his hand on the ark, and death came to him there by the ark of God.
8. And David was angry because of the Lord's outburst of wrath against Uzzah: and he gave that place the name Perez-uzzah, which is its name to this day.
9. And such was David's fear of the Lord that day, that he said, How may I let the ark of God come to me?
10. So David did not let the ark of the Lord come back to him to the town of David: but had it turned away and put into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11. And the ark of the Lord was in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months: and the Lord sent a blessing on Obed-edom and all his family.
12. And they said to King David, The blessing of the Lord is on the family of Obed-edom and on all he has, because of the ark of God. And David went and took the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the town of David with joy.
13. And when those who were lifting the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he made an offering of an ox and a fat young beast.
14. And David, clothed in a linen ephod, was dancing before the Lord with all his strength.
15. So David and all the men of Israel took up the ark of the Lord with cries of joy and sounding of horns.
16. And when the ark of the Lord came into the town of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looking out of the window, saw King David dancing and jumping before the Lord; and to her mind he seemed foolish.
17. And they took in the ark of the Lord, and put it in its place inside the tent which David had put up for it: and David made burned offerings and peace-offerings to the Lord.
18. And after David had made the burned offerings and the peace-offerings, he gave the people a blessing in the name of the Lord of armies.
19. And he gave to every man and woman among all the people, among all the masses of Israel, a cake of bread and a measure of wine and a cake of dry grapes. Then all the people went away, every man to his house.
20. Then David came back to give a blessing to his family. And Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to him and said, How full of glory was the king of Israel today, who let himself be seen uncovered by his servant-girls like a foolish person uncovering himself without shame!
21. And David said to Michal, I was dancing before the Lord, who put me over your father and all his sons, to make me a ruler over the people of the Lord, over his people Israel: and I will go on playing before the Lord;
22. And I will do even worse than this, and make myself even lower in your eyes: but the servant-girls of whom you were talking will give me honour.
23. And Michal, Saul's daughter, had no child till the day of her death.

Psalms 140 / Basic English

1. <To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David.> O Lord, take me out of the power of the evil man; keep me safe from the violent man:
2. For their hearts are full of evil designs; and they are ever making ready causes of war.
3. Their tongues are sharp like the tongue of a snake; the poison of snakes is under their lips. (Selah.)
4. O Lord, take me out of the hands of sinners; keep me safe from the violent man: for they are designing my downfall.
5. The men of pride have put secret cords for my feet; stretching nets in my way, so that they may take me with their tricks. (Selah.)
6. I have said to the Lord, You are my God: give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my prayer.
7. O Lord God, the strength of my salvation, you have been a cover over my head in the day of the fight.
8. O Lord, give not the wrongdoer his desire; give him no help in his evil designs, or he may be uplifted in pride. (Selah.)
9. As for those who come round me, let their heads be covered by the evil of their lips.
10. Let burning flames come down on them: let them be put into the fire, and into deep waters, so that they may not get up again.
11. Let not a man of evil tongue be safe on earth: let destruction overtake the violent man with blow on blow.
12. I am certain that the Lord will take care of the cause of the poor, and of the rights of those who are troubled.
13. Truly, the upright will give praise to your name: the holy will have a place in your house.

Psalms 141 / Basic English

1. <A Psalm. Of David.> Lord, I have made my cry to you; come to me quickly; give ear to my voice, when it goes up to you.
2. Let my prayer be ordered before you like a sweet smell; and let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening offering.
3. O Lord, keep a watch over my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4. Keep my heart from desiring any evil thing, or from taking part in the sins of the evil-doers with men who do wrong: and let me have no part in their good things.
5. Let the upright give me punishment; and let the god-fearing man put me in the right way; but I will not let the oil of sinners come on my head: when they do evil I will give myself to prayer.
6. When destruction comes to their judges by the side of the rock, they will give ear to my words, for they are sweet.
7. Our bones are broken up at the mouth of the underworld, as the earth is broken by the plough.
8. But my eyes are turned to you, O Lord God: my hope is in you; let not my soul be given up to death.
9. Keep me from the net which they have put down for me, and from the designs of the workers of evil.
10. Let the sinners be taken in the nets which they themselves have put down, while I go free.