Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Exodus 19 / Basic English

1. In the third month after the children of Israel went out from Egypt, on the same day, they came into the waste land of Sinai.
2. And when they had gone away from Rephidim and had come into the waste land of Sinai, they put up their tents in the waste land before the mountain: there Israel put up its tents.
3. And Moses went up to God, and the voice of the Lord came to him from the mountain, saying, Say to the family of Jacob, and give word to the children of Israel:
4. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I took you, as on eagles' wings, guiding you to myself.
5. If now you will truly give ear to my voice and keep my agreement, you will be my special property out of all the peoples: for all the earth is mine:
6. And you will be a kingdom of priests to me, and a holy nation. These are the words which you are to say to the children of Israel.
7. And Moses came and sent for the chiefs of the people and put before them all these words which the Lord had given him orders to say.
8. And all the people, answering together, said, Whatever the Lord has said we will do. And Moses took back to the Lord the words of the people.
9. And the Lord said to Moses, See, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that what I say to you may come to the ears of the people and they may have belief in you for ever. And Moses gave the Lord word of what the people had said.
10. And the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and make them holy today and tomorrow, and let their clothing be washed.
11. And by the third day let them be ready: for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai, before the eyes of all the people.
12. And let limits be marked out for the people round the mountain, and say to them, Take care not to go up the mountain or near the sides of it: whoever puts his foot on the mountain will certainly come to his death:
13. He is not to be touched by a hand, but is to be stoned or have an arrow put through him; man or beast, he is to be put to death: at the long sounding of a horn they may come up to the mountain.
14. Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and made the people holy; and their clothing was washed.
15. And he said to the people, Be ready by the third day: do not come near a woman.
16. And when morning came on the third day, there were thunders and flames and a thick cloud on the mountain, and a horn sounding very loud; and all the people in the tents were shaking with fear.
17. And Moses made the people come out of their tents and take their places before God; and they came to the foot of the mountain,
18. And all the mountain of Sinai was smoking, for the Lord had come down on it in fire: and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a great burning; and all the mountain was shaking.
19. And when the sound of the horn became louder and louder, Moses' words were answered by the voice of God.
20. Then the Lord came down on to Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and the Lord sent for Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21. And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and give the people orders to keep back, for fear that a great number of them, forcing their way through to see the Lord, may come to destruction.
22. And let the priests who come near to the Lord make themselves holy, for fear that the Lord may come on them suddenly.
23. And Moses said to the Lord, The people will not be able to come up the mountain, for you gave us orders to put limits round the mountain, marking it out and making it holy.
24. And the Lord said to him, Go down, and you and Aaron may come up; but let not the priests and the people make their way through to the Lord, or he will come on them suddenly.
25. So Moses went down to the people and said this to them.

Exodus 20 / Basic English

1. And God said all these words:
2. I am the Lord your God who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the prison-house.
3. You are to have no other gods but me.
4. You are not to make an image or picture of anything in heaven or on the earth or in the waters under the earth:
5. You may not go down on your faces before them or give them worship: for I, the Lord your God, am a God who will not give his honour to another; and I will send punishment on the children for the wrongdoing of their fathers, to the third and fourth generation of my haters;
6. And I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws.
7. You are not to make use of the name of the Lord your God for an evil purpose; whoever takes the Lord's name on his lips for an evil purpose will be judged a sinner by the Lord
8. Keep in memory the Sabbath and let it be a holy day.
9. On six days do all your work:
10. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on that day you are to do no work, you or your son or your daughter, your man-servant or your woman-servant, your cattle or the man from a strange country who is living among you:
11. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and everything in them, and he took his rest on the seventh day: for this reason the Lord has given his blessing to the seventh day and made it holy.
12. Give honour to your father and to your mother, so that your life may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
13. Do not put anyone to death without cause.
14. Do not be false to the married relation.
15. Do not take the property of another.
16. Do not give false witness against your neighbour.
17. Let not your desire be turned to your neighbour's house, or his wife or his man-servant or his woman-servant or his ox or his ass or anything which is his.
18. And all the people were watching the thunderings and the flames and the sound of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when they saw it, they kept far off, shaking with fear.
19. And they said to Moses, To your words we will give ear, but let not the voice of God come to our ears, for fear death may come on us.
20. And Moses said to the people, Have no fear: for God has come to put you to the test, so that fearing him you may be kept from sin.
21. And the people kept their places far off, but Moses went near to the dark cloud where God was.
22. And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, You yourselves have seen that my voice has come to you from heaven
23. Gods of silver and gods of gold you are not to make for yourselves.
24. Make for me an altar of earth, offering on it your burned offerings and your peace-offerings, your sheep and your oxen: in every place where I have put the memory of my name, I will come to you and give you my blessing.
25. And if you make me an altar of stone do not make it of cut stones: for the touch of an instrument will make it unclean.
26. And do not go up by steps to my altar, for fear that your bodies may be seen uncovered.

Psalms 21 / Basic English

1. <To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David.> The king will be glad in your strength, O Lord; how great will be his delight in your salvation!
2. You have given him his heart's desire, and have not kept back the request of his lips. (Selah.)
3. For you go before him with the blessings of good things: you put a crown of fair gold on his head.
4. He made request to you for life, and you gave it to him, long life for ever and ever.
5. His glory is great in your salvation: honour and authority have you put on him.
6. For you have made him a blessing for ever: you have given him joy in the light of your face.
7. For the king has faith in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he will not be moved.
8. Your hand will make a search for all your haters; your right hand will be hard on all those who are against you.
9. You will make them like a flaming oven before you; the Lord in his wrath will put an end to them, and they will be burned up in the fire.
10. Their fruit will be cut off from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
11. For their thoughts were bitter against you: they had an evil design in their minds, which they were not able to put into effect.
12. Their backs will be turned when you make ready the cords of your bow against their faces.
13. Be lifted up, O Lord, in your strength; so will we make songs in praise of your power.

Psalms 22 / Basic English

1. <To the chief music-maker on Aijeleth-hash-shahar. A Psalm. Of David.> My God, my God, why are you turned away from me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my crying?
2. O my God, I make my cry in the day, and you give no answer; and in the night, and have no rest.
3. But you are holy, O you who are seated among the praises of Israel.
4. Our fathers had faith in you: they had faith and you were their saviour.
5. They sent up their cry to you and were made free: they put their faith in you and were not put to shame.
6. But I am a worm and not a man; cursed by men, and looked down on by the people.
7. I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out their lips and shaking their heads they say,
8. He put his faith in the Lord; let the Lord be his saviour now: let the Lord be his saviour, because he had delight in him.
9. But it was you who took care of me from the day of my birth: you gave me faith even from my mother's breasts.
10. I was in your hands even before my birth; you are my God from the time when I was in my mother's body.
11. Be not far from me, for trouble is near; there is no one to give help.
12. A great herd of oxen is round me: I am shut in by the strong oxen of Bashan.
13. I saw their mouths wide open, like lions crying after food.
14. I am flowing away like water, and all my bones are out of place: my heart is like wax, it has become soft in my body.
15. My throat is dry like a broken vessel; my tongue is fixed to the roof of my mouth, and the dust of death is on my lips.
16. Dogs have come round me: I am shut in by the band of evil-doers; they made wounds in my hands and feet.
17. I am able to see all my bones; their looks are fixed on me:
18. They make a division of my robes among them, by the decision of chance they take my clothing.
19. Do not be far from me, O Lord: O my strength, come quickly to my help.
20. Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.
21. Be my saviour from the lion's mouth; let me go free from the horns of the cruel oxen.
22. I will give the knowledge of your name to my brothers: I will give you praise among the people.
23. You who have fear of the Lord, give him praise; all you seed of Jacob, give him glory; go in fear of him, all you seed of Israel.
24. For he has not been unmoved by the pain of him who is troubled; or kept his face covered from him; but he has given an answer to his cry.
25. My praise will be of you in the great meeting: I will make my offerings before his worshippers.
26. The poor will have a feast of good things: those who make search for the Lord will give him praise: your heart will have life for ever.
27. All the ends of the earth will keep it in mind and be turned to the Lord: all the families of the nations will give him worship.
28. For the kingdom is the Lord's; he is the ruler among the nations.
29. All the fat ones of the earth will give him worship; all those who go down to the dust will make themselves low before him, even he who has not enough for the life of his soul.
30. A seed will be his servant; the doings of the Lord will be made clear to the generation which comes after.
31. They will come and make his righteousness clear to a people of the future because he has done this.