Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Genesis 30 / Basic English

1. Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living.
2. But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?
3. Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.
4. So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5. And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son.
6. Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan.
7. And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son.
8. And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.
9. When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.
10. And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son.
11. And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad.
12. And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son.
13. And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher.
14. Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits.
15. But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits.
16. In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.
17. And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son.
18. Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar.
19. And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son.
20. And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun.
21. After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah.
22. Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile.
23. And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame.
24. And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.
25. Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.
26. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you.
27. And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you.
28. Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it.
29. Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care.
30. For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family?
31. And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me:
32. Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment.
33. And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief.
34. And Laban said, Let it be as you say.
35. So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;
36. And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.
37. Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands.
38. And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water.
39. And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.
40. These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.
41. And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks.
42. But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's.
43. So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.

Matthew 17 / Basic English

1. And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, his brother, and makes them go up with him into a high mountain by themselves.
2. And he was changed in form before them; and his face was shining like the sun, and his clothing became white as light.
3. And Moses and Elijah came before their eyes, talking with him.
4. And Peter made answer and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you will let me, I will make here three tents, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
5. While he was still talking, a bright cloud came over them: and a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased; give ear to him.
6. And at these words the disciples went down on their faces in great fear.
7. And Jesus came and put his hand on them and said, Get up and have no fear.
8. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, but Jesus only.
9. And when they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus gave them orders, saying, Let no man have word of what you have seen, till the Son of man has come again from the dead.
10. And his disciples, questioning him, said, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?
11. And in answer he said, Elijah truly has to come and put all things right:
12. But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they had no knowledge of him, but did to him whatever they were pleased to do; the same will the Son of man undergo at their hands.
13. Then the disciples saw that he was talking to them of John the Baptist.
14. And when they came to the people, a man went down on his knees to him, saying,
15. Lord have mercy on my son: for he is off his head, and is in great pain; and frequently he goes falling into the fire, and frequently into the water.
16. And I took him to your disciples, and they were not able to make him well.
17. And Jesus, answering, said, O false and foolish generation, how long will I be with you? how long will I put up with you? let him come here to me.
18. And Jesus gave orders to the unclean spirit, and it went out of him: and the boy was made well from that hour.
19. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, Why were we not able to send it out?
20. And he says to them, Because of your little faith: for truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Be moved from this place to that; and it will be moved; and nothing will be impossible to you.
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22. And while they were going about in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of man will be given up into the hands of men;
23. And they will put him to death, and the third day he will come again from the dead. And they were very sad.
24. And when they had come to Capernaum, those who took the Temple tax came to Peter and said, Does not your master make payment of the Temple tax?
25. He says, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus said to him, What is your opinion, Simon? from whom do the kings of the earth get payment or tax? from their sons or from other people?
26. And when he said, From other people, Jesus said to him, Then are the sons free.
27. But, so that we may not be a cause of trouble to them, go to the sea, and let down a hook, and take the first fish which comes up; and in his mouth you will see a bit of money: take that, and give it to them for me and you.