Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

2 Samuel (2 Kings) 12 / Basic English

1. And the Lord sent Nathan to David. And Nathan came to him and said, There were two men in the same town: one a man of great wealth, and the other a poor man.
2. The man of wealth had great numbers of flocks and herds;
3. But the poor man had only one little she-lamb, which he had got and taken care of: from its birth it had been with him like one of his children; his meat was its food, and from his cup it took its drink, resting in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.
4. Now a traveller came to the house of the man of wealth, but he would not take anything from his flock or his herd to make a meal for the traveller who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and made it ready for the man who had come.
5. And David was full of wrath against that man; and he said to Nathan, By the living Lord, death is the right punishment for the man who has done this:
6. And he will have to give back four times the value of the lamb, because he has done this and because he had no pity.
7. And Nathan said to David, You are that man. The Lord God of Israel says, I made you king over Israel, putting holy oil on you, and I kept you safe from the hands of Saul;
8. I gave you your master's daughter and your master's wives for yourself, and I gave you the daughters of Israel and Judah; and if that had not been enough, I would have given you such and such things.
9. Why then have you had no respect for the word of the Lord, doing what is evil in his eyes? You have put Uriah the Hittite to death with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife; you have put him to death with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10. So now the sword will never be turned away from your family; because you have had no respect for me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
11. The Lord says, From those of your family I will send evil against you, and before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he will take your wives to his bed by the light of this sun.
12. You did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and in the light of the sun.
13. And David said to Nathan, Great is my sin against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord has put away your sin; death will not come on you.
14. But still, because you have had no respect for the Lord, death will certainly overtake the child who has newly come to birth.
15. Then Nathan went back to his house. And the hand of the Lord was on David's son, the child of Uriah's wife, and it became very ill.
16. So David made prayer to God for the child; and he took no food day after day, and went in and, stretching himself out on the earth, was there all night.
17. And the chief men of his house got up and went to his side to make him get up from the earth, but he would not; and he would not take food with them.
18. And then on the seventh day the child's death took place. And David's servants were in fear of giving him the news of the child's death: for they said, Truly, while the child was still living he gave no attention when we said anything to him: what will he do to himself if we give him word that the child is dead?
19. But when David saw that his servants were talking together quietly, he was certain that the child was dead: and he said to his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is.
20. Then David got up from the earth, and after washing and rubbing himself with oil and changing his clothing, he went into the house of the Lord and gave worship: then he went back to his house, and at his order they put food before him and he had a meal.
21. Then his servants said to him, Why have you been acting in this way? you were weeping and going without food while the child was still living; but when the child was dead, you got up and had a meal.
22. And he said, While the child was still living I went without food and gave myself up to weeping: for I said, Who is able to say that the Lord will not have mercy on me and give the child life?
23. But now that the child is dead there is no reason for me to go without food; am I able to make him come back to life? I will go to him, but he will never come back to me.
24. And David gave comfort to his wife Bath-sheba, and he went in to her and had connection with her: and she had a son to whom she gave the name Solomon. And he was dear to the Lord.
25. And he sent word by Nathan the prophet, who gave him the name Jedidiah, by the word of the Lord.
26. Now Joab was fighting against Rabbah, in the land of the children of Ammon, and he took the water-town.
27. And Joab sent men to David, saying, I have made war against Rabbah and have taken the water-town.
28. So now, get the rest of the people together, and put them in position against the town and take it, for if I take it, it will be named after my name.
29. Then David got all the people together and went to Rabbah and made war on it and took it.
30. And he took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were stones of great price; and it was put on David's head. And he took a great store of goods from the town.
31. And he took the people out of the town and put them to work with wood-cutting instruments, and iron grain-crushers, and iron axes, and at brick-making: this he did to all the towns of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people went back to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel (2 Kings) 13 / Basic English

1. Now after this, it came about that Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and David's son Amnon was in love with her.
2. And he was so deeply in love that he became ill because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin, and so it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.
3. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother: and Jonadab was a very wise man.
4. And he said to him, O son of the king, why are you getting thinner day by day? will you not say what your trouble is? And Amnon said to him, I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
5. Then Jonadab said to him, Go to your bed, and let it seem that you are ill: and when your father comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread, and get the food ready before my eyes, so that I may see it and take it from her hand.
6. So Amnon went to bed and made himself seem ill: and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come and make me one or two cakes before my eyes, so that I may take food from her hand.
7. Then David sent to the house for Tamar and said, Go now to your brother Amnon's house and get a meal for him.
8. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was in bed. And she took paste and made cakes before his eyes, cooking them over the fire.
9. And she took the cooking-pot, and put the cakes before him, but he would not take them. And Amnon said, Let everyone go away from me. So they all went out.
10. Then Amnon said to Tamar, Take the food and come into my bedroom, so that I may take it from your hand. So Tamar took the cakes she had made and went with them into her brother Amnon's bedroom.
11. And when she took them to give them to him, he put his arms round her and said, Come to bed, my sister.
12. And answering him, she said, O my brother, do not put shame on me; it is not right for such a thing to be done in Israel: do not this evil thing.
13. What will become of me in my shame? and as for you, you will be looked down on with disgust by all Israel. Now then, go and make your request to the king, for he will not keep me from you.
14. But he would not give attention to what she said: but being stronger than she, he took her by force, and had connection with her.
15. Then Amnon was full of hate for her, hating her with a hate greater than his earlier love for her. And he said to her, Get up and be gone.
16. And she said to him, Not so, my brother, for this great wrong in sending me away is worse than what you did to me before. But he gave no attention to her.
17. Then he gave a cry to the servant who was waiting on him and said, Put this woman out, and let the door be locked after her.
18. Now she had on a long robe, such as in past times the king's virgin daughters were dressed in. Then the servant put her out, locking the door after her.
19. And Tamar, in her grief, put dust on her head; and she put her hand on her head and went away crying loudly.
20. And her brother Absalom said to her, Has your brother Amnon been with you? but now, let there be an end to your crying, my sister: he is your brother, do not take this thing to heart. So Tamar went on living uncomforted in her brother's house.
21. But when King David had news of all these things he was very angry; but he did not make trouble for Amnon his son, for he was dear to David, being his oldest son.
22. But Absalom said nothing to his brother Amnon, good or bad: for he was full of hate for him, because he had taken his sister Tamar by force.
23. Now after two full years, Absalom had men cutting the wool of his sheep in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim: and he sent for all the king's sons to come to his feast.
24. And Absalom came to the king and said, See now, your servant is cutting the wool of his sheep; will the king and his servants be pleased to come?
25. And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, or the number will be over-great for you. And he made his request again, but he would not go, but he gave him his blessing.
26. Then Absalom said, If you will not go, then let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Is there any reason for him to go with you?
27. But Absalom went on requesting him till he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom made a great feast like a feast for a king.
28. Now Absalom had given orders to his servants, saying, Now take note when Amnon's heart is glad with wine; and when I say to you, Make an attack on Amnon, then put him to death without fear: have I not given you orders? be strong and without fear.
29. So Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom had given them orders. Then all the king's sons got up, and every man got on his beast and went in flight.
30. Now while they were on their way, news was given to David that Absalom had put to death all the sons of the king and that not one of them was still living.
31. Then the king got up in great grief, stretching himself out on the earth: and all his servants were by his side, with their clothing parted.
32. And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, Let not my lord have the idea that all the sons of the king have been put to death; for only Amnon is dead: this has been purposed by Absalom from the day when he took his sister Tamar by force.
33. So now, let not my lord the king take this thing to heart, with the idea that all the king's sons are dead: for only Amnon is dead.
34. But Absalom went in flight. And the young man who kept the watch, lifting up his eyes, saw that a great band of people was coming down the slope by the way of the Horons; and the watchman came and gave word to the king, saying, I saw men coming down by the way of the Horons, from the hillside.
35. And Jonadab said to the king, See, the king's sons are coming; as your servant said, so it is.
36. And while he was talking, the king's sons came, with weeping and loud cries: and the king and all his servants were weeping bitterly.
37. So Absalom went in flight and came to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur, where he was for three years.
38. And the king was sorrowing for his son all the time.
39. And the heart of David was wasted with desire for Absalom: for he was comforted for the death of Amnon.

Psalms 145 / Basic English

1. <A Song of praise. Of David.> Let me give glory to you, O God, my King; and blessing to your name for ever and ever.
2. Every day will I give you blessing, praising your name for ever and ever.
3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his power may never be searched out.
4. One generation after another will give praise to your great acts, and make clear the operation of your strength.
5. My thoughts will be of the honour and glory of your rule, and of the wonder of your works.
6. Men will be talking of the power and fear of your acts; I will give word of your glory.
7. Their sayings will be full of the memory of all your mercy, and they will make songs of your righteousness.
8. The Lord is full of grace and pity; not quickly angry, but great in mercy.
9. The Lord is good to all men; and his mercies are over all his works.
10. All the works of your hands give praise to you, O Lord; and your saints give you blessing.
11. Their words will be of the glory of your kingdom, and their talk of your strength;
12. So that the sons of men may have knowledge of his acts of power, and of the great glory of his kingdom.
13. Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and your rule is through all generations.
14. The Lord is the support of all who are crushed, and the lifter up of all who are bent down.
15. The eyes of all men are waiting for you; and you give them their food in its time.
16. By the opening of your hand, every living thing has its desire in full measure.
17. The Lord is upright in all his ways, and kind in all his works.
18. The Lord is near all those who give honour to his name; even to all who give honour to him with true hearts.
19. To his worshippers, he will give their desire; their cry comes to his ears, and he gives them salvation.
20. The Lord will keep all his worshippers from danger; but he will send destruction on all sinners.
21. My mouth will give praise to the Lord; let all flesh be blessing his holy name for ever and ever.