Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Ecclesiastes 11 / Basic English

1. Put out your bread on the face of the waters; for after a long time it will come back to you again.
2. Give a part to seven or even to eight, because you have no knowledge of the evil which will be on the earth.
3. If the clouds are full of rain, they send it down on the earth; and if a tree comes down to the south, or the north, in whatever place it comes down, there it will be.
4. He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain.
5. As you have no knowledge of the way of the wind, or of the growth of the bones in the body of her who is with child, even so you have no knowledge of the works of God who has made all.
6. In the morning put your seed into the earth, and till the evening let not your hand be at rest; because you are not certain which will do well, this or that--or if the two will be equally good.
7. Truly the light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
8. But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.
9. Have joy, O young man, while you are young; and let your heart be glad in the days of your strength, and go in the ways of your heart, and in the desire of your eyes; but be certain that for all these things God will be your judge.
10. So put away trouble from your heart, and sorrow from your flesh; because the early years and the best years are to no purpose.

Ecclesiastes 12 / Basic English

1. Let your mind be turned to your Maker in the days of your strength, while the evil days come not, and the years are far away when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
2. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;
3. In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;
4. When the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of the crushing is low, and the voice of the bird is soft, and the daughters of music will be made low;
5. And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;
6. Before ever the silver cord is cut, or the vessel of gold is broken, or the pot is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the water-hole;
7. And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
8. All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
9. And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.
10. The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.
11. The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.
12. And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.
13. This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
14. God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.

Song of Solomon (Canticles) 1 / Basic English

1. The song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
2. Let him give me the kisses of his mouth: for his love is better than wine.
3. Sweet is the smell of your perfumes; your name is as perfume running out; so the young girls give you their love.
4. Take me to you, and we will go after you: the king has taken me into his house. We will be glad and full of joy in you, we will give more thought to your love than to wine: rightly are they your lovers.
5. I am dark, but fair of form, O daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6. Let not your eyes be turned on me, because I am dark, because I was looked on by the sun; my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vine-gardens; but my vine-garden I have not kept.
7. Say, O love of my soul, where you give food to your flock, and where you make them take their rest in the heat of the day; why have I to be as one wandering by the flocks of your friends?
8. If you have not knowledge, O most beautiful among women, go on your way in the footsteps of the flock, and give your young goats food by the tents of the keepers.
9. I have made a comparison of you, O my love, to a horse in Pharaoh's carriages.
10. Your face is a delight with rings of hair, your neck with chains of jewels.
11. We will make you chains of gold with ornaments of silver.
12. While the king is seated at his table, my spices send out their perfume.
13. As a bag of myrrh is my well-loved one to me, when he is at rest all night between my breasts.
14. My love is to me as a branch of the cypress-tree in the vine-gardens of En-gedi.
15. See, you are fair, my love, you are fair; you have the eyes of a dove.
16. See, you are fair, my loved one, and a pleasure; our bed is green.
17. Cedar-trees are the pillars of our house; and our boards are made of fir-trees.

1 Corinthians 8 / Basic English

1. Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.
2. If anyone seems to himself to have knowledge, so far he has not the right sort of knowledge about anything;
3. But if anyone has love for God, God has knowledge of him.
4. So, then, as to the question of taking food offered to images, we are certain that an image is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.
5. For though there are those who have the name of gods, in heaven or on earth, as there are a number of gods and a number of lords,
6. There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him.
7. Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled.
8. But God's approval of us is not based on the food we take: if we do not take it we are no worse for it; and if we take it we are no better.
9. But take care that this power of yours does not give cause for trouble to the feeble.
10. For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images?
11. And so, through your knowledge, you are the cause of destruction to your brother, for whom Christ underwent death.
12. And in this way, doing evil to the brothers, and causing trouble to those whose faith is feeble, you are sinning against Christ.
13. For this reason, if food is a cause of trouble to my brother, I will give up taking meat for ever, so that I may not be a cause of trouble to my brother.