Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Esther 2 / Basic English

1. After these things, when the king's feelings were calmer, the thought of Vashti and what she had done and the order he had made against her, came back to his mind.
2. Then the servants who were waiting on the king said to him, Let search be made for some fair young virgins for the king:
3. Let the king give authority to certain men in all the divisions of his kingdom, to get together all the fair young virgins and send them to Shushan, the king's town, to the women's house, under the care of Hegai, the king's servant, the keeper of the women: and let the things needed for making them clean be given to them;
4. And let the girl who is pleasing to the king be queen in place of Vashti. And the king was pleased with this suggestion; and he did so.
5. Now there was a certain Jew in Shushan named Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6. Who had been taken away from Jerusalem among those who had been made prisoner with Jeconiah, king of Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken him away.
7. And he had been a father to Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his father's brother: for she had no father or mother, and she was very beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his daughter.
8. So when the order made by the king was publicly given out, and a number of girls had been placed in the care of Hegai in the king's house in Shushan, Esther was taken into the king's house and put in the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women.
9. And he was pleased with the girl and was kind to her; and he quickly gave her what was needed for making her clean, and the things which were hers by right, and seven servant-girls who were to be hers from the king's house: and he had her and her servant-girls moved to the best place in the women's part of the house.
10. Esther had not said what family or people she came from, for Mordecai had given her orders not to do so.
11. And every day Mordecai took his walk before the square of the women's house, to see how Esther was and what would be done to her.
12. Now every girl, when her turn came, had to go in to King Ahasuerus, after undergoing, for a space of twelve months, what was ordered by the law for the women (for this was the time necessary for making them clean, that is, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet perfumes and such things as are needed for making women clean):
13. And in this way the girl went in to the king; whatever she had a desire for was given to her to take with her from the women's house into the house of the king.
14. In the evening she went, and on the day after she came back to the second house of the women, into the keeping of Shaashgaz, one of the king's unsexed servants who had the care of the king's wives: only if the king had delight in her and sent for her by name did she go in to him again.
15. Now when the time came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, his father's brother, whom Mordecai had taken as his daughter, to go in to the king, she made request for nothing but what Hegai, the king's servant and keeper of the women, had given her. And Esther was looked on kindly by all who saw her.
16. So Esther was taken in to King Ahasuerus in his house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his rule.
17. And Esther was more pleasing to the king than all the women, and to his eyes she was fairer and more full of grace than all the other virgins: so he put his crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
18. Then the king gave a great feast for all his captains and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he gave orders through all the divisions of his kingdom for a day of rest from work, and gave wealth from his store.
19. And when the virgins came together in the second house of the women, Mordecai took his seat in the doorway of the king's house.
20. Esther had still said nothing of her family or her people, as Mordecai had given her orders; for Esther did what Mordecai said, as when she was living with him.
21. In those days, while Mordecai was seated at the king's doorway, two of the king's servants, Bigthan and Teresh, keepers of the door, being angry, were looking for a chance to make an attack on King Ahasuerus.
22. And Mordecai, having knowledge of their purpose, sent word of it to Esther the queen; and Esther gave the news to the king in Mordecai's name.
23. And when the thing had been looked into, it was seen to be true, and the two of them were put to death by hanging on a tree: and it was put down in the records before the king.

Esther 3 / Basic English

1. After these things, by the order of the king, Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, was lifted up and given a position of honour and a higher place than all the other captains who were with him.
2. And all the king's servants who were in the king's house went down to the earth before Haman and gave him honour: for so the king had given orders. But Mordecai did not go down before him or give him honour.
3. Then the king's servants who were in the king's house said to Mordecai, Why do you go against the king's order?
4. Now when they had said this to him day after day and he gave no attention, they let Haman have news of it, to see if Mordecai's behaviour would be overlooked: for he had said to them that he was a Jew.
5. And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not go down before him and give him honour, Haman was full of wrath.
6. But it was not enough for him to make an attack on Mordecai only; for they had made clear to him who Mordecai's people were; so Haman made it his purpose to put an end to all the Jews, even Mordecai's people, through all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7. In the first month, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, from day to day and from month to month they went on looking for a sign given by Pur (that is chance) before Haman, till the sign came out for the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar.
8. And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, There is a certain nation living here and there in small groups among the people in all the divisions of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of any other nation, and they do not keep the king's laws: for this reason it is not right for the king to let them be.
9. If it is the king's pleasure, let a statement ordering their destruction be put in writing: and I will give to those responsible for the king's business, ten thousand talents of silver for the king's store-house.
10. And the king took his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the hater of the Jews.
11. And the king said to Haman, The money is yours, and the people, to do with them whatever seems right to you.
12. Then on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king's scribes were sent for, and they put in writing Haman's orders to all the king's captains and the rulers of every division of his kingdom and the chiefs of every people: for every division of the kingdom in the writing commonly used there, and to every people in the language which was theirs; it was signed in the name of King Ahasuerus and stamped with the king's ring.
13. And letters were sent by the runners into every division of the kingdom ordering the death and destruction of all Jews, young and old, little children and women, on the same day, even the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and the taking of all their goods by force.
14. A copy of the writing, to be made public in every part of the kingdom, was sent out to all the peoples, so that they might be ready when that day came.
15. The runners went out quickly by the king's order, and a public statement was made in Shushan: and the king and Haman took wine together: but the town of Shushan was troubled.

Acts 24 / Basic English

1. And after five days, the high priest, Ananias, came with certain of the rulers, and an expert talker, one Tertullus; and they made a statement to Felix against Paul.
2. And when he had been sent for, Tertullus, starting his statement, said, Because by you we are living in peace, and through your wisdom wrongs are put right for this nation,
3. In all things and in all places we are conscious of our great debt to you, most noble Felix.
4. But, so that I may not make you tired, I make a request to you of your mercy, to give hearing to a short statement.
5. For this man, in our opinion, is a cause of trouble, a maker of attacks on the government among Jews through all the empire, and a chief mover in the society of the Nazarenes:
6. Who, in addition, was attempting to make the Temple unclean: whom we took,
7. []
8. And from whom you will be able, by questioning him yourself, to get knowledge of all the things which we say against him.
9. And the Jews were in agreement with his statement, saying that these things were so.
10. Then when the ruler had given him a sign to make his answer, Paul said, Because I have knowledge that you have been a judge over this nation for a number of years, I am glad to make my answer:
11. Seeing that you are able to make certain of the fact that it is not more than twelve days from the time when I came up to Jerusalem for worship;
12. And they have not seen me in argument with any man in the Temple, or working up the feelings of the people, in the Synagogues or in the town:
13. And they are not able to give facts in support of the things which they say against me now.
14. But this I will say openly to you, that I do give worship to the God of our fathers after that Way, which to them is not the true religion: but I have belief in all the things which are in the law and in the books of the prophets:
15. Hoping in God for that which they themselves are looking for, that there will be a coming back from the dead for upright men and wrongdoers.
16. And in this, I do my best at all times to have no reason for shame before God or men.
17. Now after a number of years I came to give help and offerings to my nation:
18. And having been made clean, I was in the Temple, but not with a great number of people, and not with noise: but there were certain Jews from Asia,
19. And it would have been better if they had come here to make a statement, if they have anything against me.
20. Or let these men here present say what wrongdoing was seen in me when I was before the Sanhedrin,
21. But only this one thing which I said among them in a loud voice, I am this day being judged on the question of the coming back from the dead.
22. But Felix, who had a more detailed knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, When Lysias, the chief captain, comes down, I will give attention to your business.
23. And he gave orders to the captain to keep Paul under his control, and to let him have everything he had need of; and not to keep his friends from coming to see him.
24. But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, who was of the Jews by birth, and sent for Paul, and gave hearing to him about faith in Christ Jesus.
25. And while he was talking about righteousness and self-control and the judging which was to come, Felix had great fear and said, Go away for the present, and when the right time comes I will send for you.
26. For he was hoping that Paul would give him money: so he sent for him more frequently and had talk with him.
27. But after two years Porcius Festus took the place of Felix, who, desiring to have the approval of the Jews, kept Paul in chains.