Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Obadiah 1 / Basic English

1. The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Lord has said about Edom: We have had word from the Lord, and a representative has been sent among the nations, saying, Up! and let us make war against her.
2. See, I have made you small among the nations: you are much looked down on.
3. You have been tricked by the pride of your heart, O you whose living-place is in the cracks of the rock, whose house is high up; who has said in his heart, Who will make me come down to earth?
4. Though you go up on high like an eagle, though your house is placed among the stars, I will make you come down from there, says the Lord.
5. If thieves came, attacking you by night, (how are you cut off!) would they not go on taking till they had enough? if men came cutting your grapes would they take them all?
6. How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his secret stores looked for!
7. All the men who were united with you have been false to you, driving you out to the edge of the land: the men who were at peace with you have overcome you; they have taken their heritage in your place.
8. Will I not, in that day, says the Lord, take away the wise men out of Edom, and wisdom out of the mountain of Esau?
9. And your men of war, O Teman, will be overcome with fear, so that every one of them may be cut off from the mountain of Esau.
10. Because you were the cause of violent death and because of your cruel behaviour to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame and will be cut off for ever.
11. Because you were there watching when men from other lands took away his goods, and strange men came into his doors, and put the fate of Jerusalem to the decision of chance; you were like one of them.
12. Do not see with pleasure your brother's evil day, the day of his fate, and do not be glad over the children of Judah on the day of their destruction, or make wide your mouth on the day of trouble.
13. Do not go into the doors of my people on the day of their downfall; do not be looking on their trouble with pleasure on the day of their downfall, or put your hands on their goods on the day of their downfall.
14. And do not take your place at the cross-roads, cutting off those of his people who get away; and do not give up to their haters those who are still there in the day of trouble.
15. For the day of the Lord is coming quickly on all nations: as you have done it will be done to you; the reward of your acts will come on your head.
16. For as you have been drinking on my holy mountain, so will all the nations go on drinking without end; they will go on drinking and the wine will go down their throats, and they will be as if they had never been.
17. But in Mount Zion some will be kept safe, and it will be holy; and the children of Jacob will take their heritage.
18. And the children of Jacob will be a fire and those of Joseph a flame, and the children of Esau dry stems of grass, burned up by them till all is gone: and there will be no people living in Esau; for the Lord has said it.
19. And they will take the South, and the lowland, and the country of Ephraim, and Gilead, as their heritage.
20. And those of the children of Israel who were the first to be taken away as prisoners, will have their heritage among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and those who were taken away from Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad, will have the towns of the South.
21. And those who have been kept safe will come up from Mount Zion to be judges of the mountain of Esau; and the kingdom will be the Lord's.

Jonah 1 / Basic English

1. And the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,
2. Up! go to Nineveh, that great town, and let your voice come to it; for their evil-doing has come up before me.
3. And Jonah got up to go in flight to Tarshish, away from the Lord; and he went down to Joppa, and saw there a ship going to Tarshish: so he gave them the price of the journey and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the Lord.
4. And the Lord sent out a great wind on to the sea and there was a violent storm in the sea, so that the ship seemed in danger of being broken.
5. Then the sailors were full of fear, every man crying to his god; and the goods in the ship were dropped out into the sea to make the weight less. But Jonah had gone down into the inmost part of the ship where he was stretched out in a deep sleep.
6. And the ship's captain came to him and said to him, What are you doing sleeping? Up! say a prayer to your God, if by chance God will give a thought to us, so that we may not come to destruction.
7. And they said to one another, Come, let us put this to the decision of chance and see on whose account this evil has come on us. So they did so, and Jonah was seen to be the man.
8. Then they said to him, Now make clear to us what is your work, and where you come from? what is your country, and who are your people?
9. And he said to them, I am a Hebrew, a worshipper of the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.
10. And the men were in great fear, and they said to him, What is this you have done? For the men had knowledge of his flight from the Lord because he had not kept it from them.
11. And they said to him, What are we to do to you so that the sea may become calm for us? For the sea was getting rougher and rougher.
12. And he said to them, Take me up and put me into the sea, and the sea will become calm for you: for I am certain that because of me this great storm has come on you.
13. And the men were working hard to get back to the land, but they were not able to do so: for the sea got rougher and rougher against them.
14. So, crying to the Lord, they said, Give ear to our prayer, O Lord, give ear, and do not let destruction overtake us because of this man's life; do not put on us the sin of taking life without cause: for you, O Lord, have done what seemed good to you.
15. So they took Jonah up and put him into the sea: and the sea was no longer angry.
16. Then great was the men's fear of the Lord; and they made an offering to the Lord and took oaths to him.
17. And the Lord made ready a great fish to take Jonah into its mouth; and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Revelation 3 / Basic English

1. And to the angel of the church in Sardis say: These things says he who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I have knowledge of your works, that you seem to be living but are dead.
2. Be on the watch, and make strong the rest of the things which are near to death; because as judged by me your works have not come up to God's measure.
3. Keep in mind, then, the teaching which was given to you, and be ruled by it and have a change of heart. If then you do not keep watch, I will come like a thief, and you will have no knowledge of the hour when I will come on you.
4. But you have some names in Sardis who have kept clean their robes; and as a reward they will go in white with me.
5. He who overcomes will be dressed in white, and I will not take his name from the book of life, and I will give witness to his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6. He who has ears, let him give ear to what the Spirit says to the churches.
7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia say: These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, opening the door so that it may be shut by no one, and shutting it so that it may be open to no one.
8. I have knowledge of your works (see, I have put before you an open door which may be shut by no one), and that you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have been true to my name.
9. See, I will make those of the Synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, and are not, but say what is false; I will make them come and give worship before your feet, and see my love for you.
10. Because you have kept my word in quiet strength, I will keep you from the hour of testing which is coming on all the world, to put to the test those who are on earth.
11. I come quickly: keep that which you have, so that no one may take your crown.
12. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the house of my God, and he will go out no more: and I will put on him the name of my God, and the name of the town of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.
13. He who has ears, let him give ear to what the Spirit says to the churches.
14. And to the angel of the church in Laodicea say: These things says the true and certain witness, the head of God's new order:
15. I have knowledge of your works, that you are not cold or warm: it would be better if you were cold or warm.
16. So because you are not one thing or the other, I will have no more to do with you.
17. For you say, I have wealth, and have got together goods and land, and have need of nothing; and you are not conscious of your sad and unhappy condition, that you are poor and blind and without clothing.
18. If you are wise you will get from me gold tested by fire, so that you may have true wealth; and white robes to put on, so that your shame may not be seen; and oil for your eyes, so that you may see.
19. To all those who are dear to me, I give sharp words and punishment: then with all your heart have sorrow for your evil ways.
20. See, I am waiting at the door and giving the sign; if my voice comes to any man's ears and he makes the door open, I will come in to him, and will take food with him and he with me.
21. To him who overcomes I will give a place with me on my high seat, even as I overcame, and am seated with my Father on his high seat.
22. He who has ears, let him give ear to what the Spirit says to the churches.