Basic English Version : Read the Bible in 1 Year

Exodus 36 / Basic English

1. So let Bezalel and Oholiab get to work, with every wise-hearted man to whom the Lord has given wisdom and knowledge, to do whatever is necessary for the ordering of the holy place, as the Lord has given orders.
2. Then Moses sent for Bezalel and Oholiab, and for all the wise-hearted men to whom the Lord had given wisdom, even everyone who was moved by the impulse of his heart to come and take part in the work:
3. And they took from Moses all the offerings which the children of Israel had given for the building of the holy place. And still they went on giving him more free offerings every morning.
4. Then the wise men, who were doing all the work of the holy place, came from their work;
5. And said to Moses, The people are giving much more than is needed for the work which the Lord has given us orders to do.
6. So Moses made an order and had it given out through all the tents, saying, Let no man or woman make any more offerings for the holy place. So the people were kept from giving more.
7. For the material they had was enough and more than enough for all the work which had to be done.
8. Then all the expert workmen among them made the House with its ten curtains; of the best linen, blue and purple and red, they made them, with winged ones worked by expert designers.
9. Every curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, all of the same measure.
10. And five curtains were joined together, and the other five curtains were joined together.
11. And they put twists of blue cord on the edge of the outside curtain of the first group, and in the same way on the outside curtain of the second group.
12. Fifty twists on the one curtain and fifty on the edge of the curtain of the other group; the twists being opposite to one another.
13. And they made fifty hooks of gold, joining the curtains one to another with the hooks; and so the House was made.
14. And they made curtains of goats' hair for the tent; eleven curtains were made.
15. Every curtain was thirty cubits long and four cubits wide, all of the same measure.
16. Five curtains were joined together to make one group, and six curtains were joined together to make the other group.
17. And they put fifty twists of cord on the edge of the outside curtain of the first group, and fifty twists on the edge of the outside curtain of the second group,
18. And fifty hooks of brass for joining them together to make the tent.
19. And they made a cover of sheepskins coloured red, to go over the tent, and a cover of leather over that.
20. And for the uprights of the House they made boards of hard wood.
21. The boards were ten cubits long and one cubit and a half wide.
22. Every board had two tongues fixed into it; all the boards were made in this way.
23. They made twenty boards for the south side of the House:
24. And for these twenty boards, forty silver bases, two bases under every board, to take its tongues.
25. And for the second side of the House, on the north, they made twenty boards,
26. With their forty silver bases, two bases for every board.
27. And for the west side of the House, at the back, they made six boards,
28. And two boards for the angles at the back.
29. These were joined together at the base and at the top to one ring, so forming the two angles.
30. So there were eight boards with sixteen bases of silver, two bases under every board.
31. And they made rods of hard wood; five for the boards on one side of the House,
32. And five for the boards on the other side of the House, and five for the boards at the back, on the west.
33. The middle rod was made to go right through the rings of all the boards from one end to the other.
34. All the boards were plated with gold, and the rings through which the rods went were of gold, and the rods were plated with gold.
35. And he made the veil of the best linen, blue and purple and red, worked with winged ones designed by expert workmen.
36. And they made four pillars for it of hard wood plated with gold: they had hooks of gold and four silver bases.
37. And they made a curtain for the door of the tent, of the best linen with needlework of blue and purple and red;
38. And five pillars for the curtain, with their hooks; the heads of the pillars were of gold and they were circled with bands of gold; and their five bases were of brass.

Exodus 37 / Basic English

1. And Bezalel made the ark of hard wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit and a half high;
2. Plating it inside and out with the best gold, and putting an edge of gold all round it.
3. And he made four gold rings for its four angles, two on one side and two on the other,
4. And rods of the same wood plated with gold.
5. These rods he put in the rings at the sides of the ark, for lifting it.
6. And he made the cover all of gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
7. And he made two winged ones, hammered out of one bit of gold, for the two ends of the cover;
8. Placing one at one end and one at the other; the winged ones were part of the cover.
9. And their wings were stretched out over the cover; the faces of the winged ones were opposite one another and facing the cover.
10. And he made the table of hard wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high;
11. Plating it with the best gold and putting a gold edge all round it.
12. And he made a frame all round it about as wide as a man's hand, edged with gold all round.
13. And he made four gold rings, and put the rings at the angles of its four feet.
14. The rings were fixed under the frame to take the rods with which the table was to be lifted.
15. The rods for lifting the table he made of hard wood plated with gold.
16. And all the table-vessels, the plates and spoons and basins and the cups for liquids, he made of the best gold.
17. Then he made the support for the lights, all of the best gold; its base and its pillar were of hammered gold; its cups and buds and flowers were all made out of the same metal:
18. It had six branches coming out from its sides, three from one side and three from the other;
19. Every branch having three cups made like almond flowers, every cup with a bud and a flower on all the branches;
20. And on its pillar, four cups like almond flowers, every one with its bud and its flower;
21. And under every two branches a bud, made with the branch, for all six branches of it.
22. The buds and the branches were made of the same metal, all together one complete work of the best hammered gold.
23. And he made the seven vessels for the lights, and all the necessary instruments for it, of gold.
24. A talent of the best gold was used for the making of it and its vessels.
25. And he made the altar for the burning of spices, using the same hard wood; it was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high; the horns made of the same.
26. The top and the sides and the horns were all plated with the best gold; and he put an edge of gold all round it.
27. And he made two gold rings, placing them on the two opposite sides under the edge, to take the rods for lifting it.
28. The rods he made of the same hard wood, plating them with gold.
29. And he made the holy oil and the perfume of sweet spices for burning, after the art of the perfume-maker.

Psalms 38 / Basic English

1. <A Psalm. Of David. To keep in memory.> O Lord, be not bitter with me in your wrath; let not your hand be on me in the heat of your passion.
2. For your arrows have gone into my flesh, and I am crushed under the weight of your hand.
3. My flesh is wasted because of your wrath; and there is no peace in my bones because of my sin.
4. For my crimes have gone over my head; they are like a great weight which is more than my strength.
5. My wounds are poisoned and evil-smelling, because of my foolish behaviour.
6. I am troubled, I am made low; I go weeping all the day.
7. For my body is full of burning; all my flesh is unhealthy.
8. I am feeble and crushed down; I gave a cry like a lion because of the grief in my heart.
9. Lord, all my desire is before you; my sorrow is not kept secret from you.
10. My heart goes out in pain, my strength is wasting away; as for the light of my eyes, it is gone from me.
11. My lovers and my friends keep away from my disease; my relations keep far away.
12. Those who have a desire to take my life put nets for me; those who are designing my destruction say evil things against me, all the day their minds are full of deceit.
13. But I kept my ears shut like a man without hearing; like a man without a voice, never opening his mouth.
14. So I was like a man whose ears are shut, and in whose mouth there are no sharp words.
15. In you, O Lord, is my hope: you will give me an answer, O Lord, my God.
16. I said, Let them not be glad over me; when my foot is moved, let them not be lifted up with pride against me.
17. My feet are near to falling, and my sorrow is ever before me.
18. I will make clear my wrongdoing, with sorrow in my heart for my sin.
19. But they are strong who have hate for me without cause: those who are against me falsely are increased in numbers.
20. They give me back evil for good; they are my haters because I go after the thing which is right.
21. Do not give me up, O Lord; O my God, be near to me.
22. Come quickly to give me help, O Lord, my salvation.