Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

2 Samuel (2 Kings) 18 / Basic English

1. And David had the people who were with him numbered, and he put over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
2. And David sent the people out, a third of them under the orders of Joab, and a third under the orders of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, And I myself will certainly go out with you.
3. But the people said, It is better for you not to go out: for if we are put to flight, they will not give a thought to us, and if death overtakes half of us, it will be nothing to them: but you are of more value than ten thousand of us: so it is better for you to be ready to come to our help from this town.
4. And the king said to them, I will do whatever seems best to you. So the king took his place by the door of the town, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5. And the king gave orders to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Because of me, be gentle to the young man Absalom. And this order about Absalom was given in the hearing of all the people.
6. So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the fight took place in the woods of Ephraim.
7. And the people of Israel were overcome there by the servants of David, and there was a great destruction that day, and twenty thousand men were put to the sword.
8. And the fighting went on over all the face of the country: and the woods were responsible for more deaths than the sword.
9. And Absalom came across some of David's men. And Absalom was seated on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great tree, and his head became fixed in the tree and he was lifted up between earth and heaven, and the beast under him went on.
10. And a certain man saw it and said to Joab, I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.
11. And Joab said to the man who had given him the news, If you saw this, why did you not put your sword through him, and I would have given you ten bits of silver and a band for your robe?
12. And the man said to Joab, Even if you gave me a thousand bits of silver, I would not put out my hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king gave orders to you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care that the young man Absalom is not touched.
13. And if I had falsely put him to death (and nothing may be kept secret from the king), you would have had nothing to do with me.
14. Then Joab said, I would have made it safe for you. And he took three spears in his hand, and put them through Absalom's heart, while he was still living, in the branches of the tree.
15. And ten young men, servants of Joab, came round Absalom and put an end to him.
16. And Joab had the horn sounded, and the people came back from going after Israel, for Joab kept them back.
17. And they took Absalom's body and put it into a great hole in the wood, and put a great mass of stones over it: and every man of Israel went in flight to his tent.
18. Now Absalom, before his death, had put up for himself a pillar in the king's valley, naming it after himself; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in memory: and to this day it is named Absalom's pillar.
19. Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me go and give the king news of how the Lord has done right in his cause against those who took up arms against him.
20. And Joab said, You will take no news today; another day you may give him the news, but you will take no news today, because the king's son is dead.
21. Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go and give the king word of what you have seen. And the Cushite, making a sign of respect to Joab, went off running.
22. Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab again, Whatever may come of it, let me go after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why have you a desire to go, my son, seeing that you will get no reward for your news?
23. Whatever may come of it, he said, I will go. Then he said to him, Go. So Ahimaaz went running by the lowland road and overtook the Cushite.
24. Now David was seated between the two town doors; and the watchman went up to the roof of the doorways, on the wall, and, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running by himself.
25. And the watchman gave news of it to the king. And the king said, If he is coming by himself, then he has news. And the man was travelling quickly, and came near.
26. Then the watchman saw another man running: and crying out in the direction of the door he said, Here is another man running by himself. And the king said, He, like the other, comes with news.
27. And the watchman said, It seems to me that the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and his news will be good.
28. And Ahimaaz, crying out to the king, said, It is well. And falling down before the king, with his face to the earth, he said, May the Lord your God be praised, who has given up the men who took up arms against my lord the king!
29. And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said in answer, When Joab sent me, your servant, I saw a great outcry going on, but I had no knowledge of what it was.
30. And the king said, Get back and take your place here. So turning to one side, he took his place there.
31. And then the Cushite came and said, I have news for my lord the king: today the Lord has done right in your cause against all those who took up arms against you.
32. And the king said to the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? And the Cushite said in answer, May all the king's haters and those who do evil against the king, be as that young man is!
33. Then the king was much moved, and went up into the room over the door, weeping, and saying, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! if only my life might have been given for yours, O Absalom, my son, my son!

2 Samuel (2 Kings) 19 / Basic English

1. And word was given to Joab that the king was weeping and sorrowing for Absalom.
2. And the salvation of that day was changed to sorrow for all the people: for it was said to the people, The king is in bitter grief for his son.
3. And the people made their way back to the town quietly and secretly, as those who are shamed go secretly when they go in flight from the war.
4. But the king, covering his face, gave a great cry, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
5. And Joab came into the house to the king and said, Today you have put to shame the faces of all your servants who even now have kept you and your sons and your daughters and your wives and all your women safe from death;
6. For your haters, it seems, are dear to you, and your friends are hated. For you have made it clear that captains and servants are nothing to you: and now I see that if Absalom was living and we had all been dead today, it would have been right in your eyes.
7. So get up now, and go out and say some kind words to your servants; for, by the Lord, I give you my oath, that if you do not go out, not one of them will keep with you tonight; and that will be worse for you than all the evil which has overtaken you from your earliest years.
8. Then the king got up and took his seat near the town-door. And word was given to all the people that the king was in the public place: and all the people came before the king. Now all the men of Israel had gone back in flight to their tents.
9. And through all the tribes of Israel the people were having arguments, saying, The king made us safe from the hands of those who were against us and made us free from the hands of the Philistines; and now he has gone in flight from the land, because of Absalom.
10. And Absalom, whom we made a ruler over us, is dead in the fight. So now why do you say nothing about getting the king back? And word of what all Israel was saying came to the king.
11. And King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, Say to the responsible men of Judah, Why are you the last to take steps to get the king back to his house?
12. You are my brothers, my bone and my flesh; why are you the last to get the king back again?
13. And say to Amasa, Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God's punishment be on me, if I do not make you chief of the army before me at all times in place of Joab!
14. And the hearts of the men of Judah were moved like one man; so that they sent to the king, saying, Come back, with all your servants.
15. So the king came back, and came as far as Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, meeting the king there, to take him back with them over Jordan.
16. And Shimei, the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, got up quickly and went down with the men of Judah for the purpose of meeting King David;
17. And with him a thousand men of Benjamin, and Ziba, the servant of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, came rushing to Jordan before the king,
18. And kept going across the river to take the people of the king's house over, and to do whatever was desired by the king. And Shimei, the son of Gera, went down on his face in the dust before the king, when he was about to go over Jordan,
19. And said to him, Let me not be judged as a sinner in your eyes, O my lord, and do not keep in mind the wrong I did on the day when my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, or take it to heart.
20. For your servant is conscious of his sin: and so, as you see, I have come today, the first of all the sons of Joseph, for the purpose of meeting my lord the king.
21. But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said, Is not death the right fate for Shimei, because he has been cursing the one marked by the holy oil?
22. And David said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you put yourselves against me today? is it right for any man in Israel to be put to death today? for I am certain today that I am king in Israel.
23. So the king said to Shimei, You will not be put to death. And the king gave him his oath.
24. And Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son, came down for the purpose of meeting the king; his feet had not been cared for or his hair cut or his clothing washed from the day when the king went away till the day when he came back in peace.
25. Now when he had come from Jerusalem to see the king, the king said to him, Why did you not come with me, Mephibosheth?
26. And he said in answer, Because of the deceit of my servant, my lord king: for I, your servant, said to him, You are to make ready an ass and on it I will go with the king, for your servant has not the use of his feet.
27. He has given you a false account of me: but my lord the king is like the angel of God: do then whatever seems good to you.
28. For all my father's family were only dead men before my lord the king: and still you put your servant among those whose place is at the king's table. What right then have I to say anything more to the king?
29. And the king said, Say nothing more about these things. I say, Let there be a division of the land between Ziba and you.
30. And Mephibosheth said, Let him take it all, now that my lord the king has come back to his house in peace!
31. And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went on as far as Jordan with the king to take him across Jordan.
32. Now Barzillai was a very old man, as much as eighty years old: and he had given the king everything he had need of, while he was at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.
33. And the king said to Barzillai, Come over with me, and I will take care of you in Jerusalem.
34. And Barzillai said to the king, How much of my life is still before me, for me to go up to Jerusalem with the king?
35. I am now eighty years old: good and bad are the same to me; have meat and drink any taste for me now? am I able to take pleasure in the voices of men or women in song? why then am I to be a trouble to my lord the king?
36. Your servant's desire was only to take the king over Jordan; why is the king to give me such a reward?
37. Let your servant now go back again, so that when death comes to me, it may be in my town and by the resting-place of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham: let him go with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.
38. And the king said in answer, Let Chimham go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you: and whatever your desire is, I will do it for you.
39. Then all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over: and the king gave Barzillai a kiss, with his blessing; and he went back to his place.
40. So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him: and all the people of Judah, as well as half the people of Israel, took the king on his way.
41. Then the men of Israel came to the king and said, Why have our countrymen of Judah taken you away in secret and come over Jordan with the king and all his family, because all his people are David's men?
42. And all the men of Judah gave this answer to the men of Israel, Because the king is our near relation: why then are you angry about this? have we taken any of the king's food, or has he given us any offering?
43. And in answer to the men of Judah, the men of Israel said, We have ten parts in the king, and we are the first in order of birth: why did you make nothing of us? and were we not the first to make suggestions for getting the king back? And the words of the men of Judah were more violent than the words of the men of Israel.

Psalms 150 / Basic English

1. Let the Lord be praised. Give praise to God in his holy place: give him praise in the heaven of his power.
2. Give him praise for his acts of power: give him praise in the measure of his great strength.
3. Give him praise with the sound of the horn: give him praise with corded instruments of music.
4. Give him praise with instruments of brass and in the dance: give him praise with horns and corded instruments.
5. Give him praise with the loud brass: give him praise with the high-sounding brass.
6. Let everything which has breath give praise to the Lord. Let the Lord be praised.

John 1 / Basic English

1. From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God.
2. This Word was from the first in relation with God.
3. All things came into existence through him, and without him nothing was.
4. What came into existence in him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5. And the light goes on shining in the dark; it is not overcome by the dark.
6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7. He came for witness, to give witness about the light, so that all men might have faith through him.
8. He himself was not the light: he was sent to give witness about the light.
9. The true light, which gives light to every man, was then coming into the world.
10. He was in the world, the world which came into being through him, but the world had no knowledge of him.
11. He came to the things which were his and his people did not take him to their hearts.
12. To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God--that is, to those who had faith in his name:
13. Whose birth was from God and not from blood, or from an impulse of the flesh and man's desire.
14. And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory--such glory as is given to an only son by his father--saw it to be true and full of grace.
15. John gave witness about him, crying, This is he of whom I said, He who is coming after me is put over me because he was in existence before me.
16. From his full measure we have all been given grace on grace.
17. For the law was given through Moses; grace and the true way of life are ours through Jesus Christ.
18. No man has seen God at any time; the only Son, who is on the breast of the Father, he has made clear what God is.
19. And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him with the question, Who are you?
20. He said quite openly and straightforwardly, I am not the Christ.
21. And they said to him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And his answer was, I am not.
22. So they said to him, Who are you then? We have to give some answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?
23. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the waste land, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.
24. Those who had been sent came from the Pharisees.
25. And they put this question to him, saying, Why then are you giving baptism if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet?
26. John's answer was: I give baptism with water; but there is one among you of whom you have no knowledge;
27. It is he who is coming after me; I am not good enough to undo his shoes.
28. These things took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was giving baptism.
29. The day after, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, See, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30. This is he of whom I said, One is coming after me who is put over me because he was in existence before me.
31. I myself had no knowledge of him, but I came giving baptism with water so that he might be seen openly by Israel.
32. And John gave this witness, saying, I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting on him.
33. I had no knowledge who he was, but he who sent me to give baptism with water said to me, The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting, it is he who gives baptism with the Holy Spirit.
34. This I saw myself and my witness is that he is the Son of God.
35. The day after, John was there again with two of his disciples;
36. And looking at Jesus while he was walking he said, See, there is the Lamb of God!
37. Hearing what he said, the two disciples went after Jesus.
38. And Jesus, turning round, saw them coming after him and said to them, What are you looking for? They said to him, Rabbi (which is to say, Master), where are you living?
39. He said to them, Come and see. They went with him then and saw where he was living; and they were with him all that day: it was then about the tenth hour of the day.
40. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two men who, hearing what John said, went after Jesus.
41. Early in the morning he came across his brother and said to him, We have made discovery! It is the Messiah! (which is to say, the Christ).
42. And he took him to Jesus. Looking at him fixedly Jesus said, You are Simon, the son of John; your name will be Cephas (which is to say, Peter).
43. The day after this, Jesus had a desire to go into Galilee. He came across Philip and said to him, Come and be my disciple.
44. Now Philip's town was Beth-saida, where Andrew and Peter came from.
45. Philip came across Nathanael and said to him, We have made a discovery! It is he of whom Moses, in the law, and the prophets were writing, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46. Nazareth! said Nathanael, Is it possible for any good to come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.
47. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, See, here is a true son of Israel in whom there is nothing false.
48. Nathanael said to him, Where did you get knowledge of me? In answer Jesus said, Before Philip was talking with you, while you were still under the fig-tree, I saw you.
49. Nathanael said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel!
50. In answer Jesus said to him, You have faith because I said to you, I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than these.
51. And he said to him, Truly I say to you all, You will see heaven opening and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of man.