Bible in Basic English (1949)

The Holy Bible

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The Bible in Basic English was translated by Professor S. H. Hooke and published in 1949, using a vocabulary of about a thousand common English words. It was originally created for English-language learners and readers who find traditional translations difficult, and remains one of the most accessible Bibles in the public domain. Choose a book below to begin reading.

Old Testament

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• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy

• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• 1 Samuel
• 2 Samuel
• 1 Kings
• 2 Kings
• 1 Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Esther

• Job
• Psalms
• Proverbs
• Ecclesiastes
• Song of Solomon

• Isaiah
• Jeremiah
• Lamentations
• Ezekiel
• Daniel

• Hosea
• Joel
• Amos
• Obadiah
• Jonah
• Micah
• Nahum
• Habakkuk
• Zephaniah
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Malachi

New Testament

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• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• John

• Acts

• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• Titus
• Philemon

• Hebrews
• James
• 1 Peter
• 2 Peter
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Jude

• Revelation