Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Job 29 / Basic English

1. And Job again took up the word and said,
2. If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!
3. When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.
4. As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;
5. While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;
6. When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.
7. When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,
8. The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;
9. The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;
10. The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
11. For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;
12. For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.
13. The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.
14. I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.
15. I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.
16. I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
17. By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.
18. Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;
19. My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,
20. My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
21. Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.
22. After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;
23. They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.
24. I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.
25. I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...

Job 30 / Basic English

1. But now those who are younger than I make sport of me; those whose fathers I would not have put with the dogs of my flocks.
2. Of what use is the strength of their hands to me? all force is gone from them.
3. They are wasted for need of food, biting the dry earth; their only hope of life is in the waste land.
4. They are pulling off the salt leaves from the brushwood, and making a meal of roots.
5. They are sent out from among their townsmen, men are crying after them as thieves
6. They have to get a resting-place in the hollows of the valleys, in holes of the earth and rocks.
7. They make noises like asses among the brushwood; they get together under the thorns.
8. They are sons of shame, and of men without a name, who have been forced out of the land.
9. And now I have become their song, and I am a word of shame to them.
10. I am disgusting to them; they keep away from me, and put marks of shame on me.
11. For he has made loose the cord of my bow, and put me to shame; he has sent down my flag to the earth before me.
12. The lines of his men of war put themselves in order, and make high their ways of destruction against me:
13. They have made waste my roads, with a view to my destruction; his bowmen come round about me;
14. As through a wide broken place in the wall they come on, I am overturned by the shock of their attack.
15. Fears have come on me; my hope is gone like the wind, and my well-being like a cloud.
16. But now my soul is turned to water in me, days of trouble overtake me:
17. The flesh is gone from my bones, and they give me no rest; there is no end to my pains.
18. With great force he takes a grip of my clothing, pulling me by the neck of my coat.
19. Truly God has made me low, even to the earth, and I have become like dust.
20. You give no answer to my cry, and take no note of my prayer.
21. You have become cruel to me; the strength of your hand is hard on me.
22. Lifting me up, you make me go on the wings of the wind; I am broken up by the storm.
23. For I am certain that you will send me back to death, and to the meeting-place ordered for all living.
24. Has not my hand been stretched out in help to the poor? have I not been a saviour to him in his trouble?
25. Have I not been weeping for the crushed? and was not my soul sad for him who was in need?
26. For I was looking for good, and evil came; I was waiting for light, and it became dark.
27. My feelings are strongly moved, and give me no rest; days of trouble have overtaken me.
28. I go about in dark clothing, uncomforted; I get up in the public place, crying out for help.
29. I have become a brother to the jackals, and go about in the company of ostriches.
30. My skin is black and dropping off me; and my bones are burning with the heat of my disease.
31. And my music has been turned to sorrow, and the sound of my pipe into the noise of weeping.

Romans 12 / Basic English

1. For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies as a living offering, holy, pleasing to God, which is the worship it is right for you to give him.
2. And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.
3. But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith.
4. For, as we have a number of parts in one body, but all the parts have not the same use,
5. So we, though we are a number of persons, are one body in Christ, and are dependent on one another;
6. And having different qualities by reason of the grace given to us, such as the quality of a prophet, let it be made use of in relation to the measure of our faith;
7. Or the position of a Deacon of the church, let a man give himself to it; or he who has the power of teaching, let him make use of it;
8. He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.
9. Let love be without deceit. Be haters of what is evil; keep your minds fixed on what is good.
10. Be kind to one another with a brother's love, putting others before yourselves in honour;
11. Be not slow in your work, but be quick in spirit, as the Lord's servants;
12. Being glad in hope, quiet in trouble, at all times given to prayer,
13. Giving to the needs of the saints, ready to take people into your houses.
14. Give blessing and not curses to those who are cruel to you.
15. Take part in the joy of those who are glad, and in the grief of those who are sorrowing.
16. Be in harmony with one another. Do not have a high opinion of yourselves, but be in agreement with common people. Do not give yourselves an air of wisdom.
17. Do not give evil for evil to any man. Let all your business be well ordered in the eyes of all men.
18. As far as it is possible for you be at peace with all men.
19. Do not give punishment for wrongs done to you, dear brothers, but give way to the wrath of God; for it is said in the holy Writings, Punishment is mine, I will give reward, says the Lord.
20. But if one who has hate for you is in need of food or of drink, give it to him, for in so doing you will put coals of fire on his head.
21. Do not let evil overcome you, but overcome evil by good.