The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now after these things, the Lord made selection of seventy others and sent them before him, two together, into every town and place where he himself was about to come.
1
After this the Lord chose another seventy-two men and sent them out two by two, to go ahead of him to every town and place where he himself was about to go.
2 And he said to them, There is much grain ready to be cut, but not enough workers: so make prayer to the Lord of the grain-fields that he will send workers to get in the grain.
2
He said to them, "There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest.
3 Go on your way: see, I send you out like lambs among wolves.
3
Go! I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
4 Take no bag for money or for food, and no shoes; say no word to any man on the way.
4
Don't take a purse or a beggar's bag or shoes; don't stop to greet anyone on the road.
5 And whenever you go into a house, first say, Peace be to this house.
5
Whenever you go into a house, first say, "Peace be with this house.'
6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will be with him: but if not, it will come back to you again.
6
If someone who is peace-loving lives there, let your greeting of peace remain on that person; if not, take back your greeting of peace.
7 And keep in that same house, taking what food and drink they give you: for the worker has a right to his reward. Do not go from house to house.
7
Stay in that same house, eating and drinking whatever they offer you, for workers should be given their pay. Don't move around from one house to another.
8 And into whatever town you go, if they take you in, take whatever food is given to you:
8
Whenever you go into a town and are made welcome, eat what is set before you,
9 And make well those in it who are ill and say to them, The kingdom of God is near to you.
9
heal the sick in that town, and say to the people there, "The Kingdom of God has come near you.'
10 But if you go into a town where they will not have you, go out into the streets of it and say,
10
But whenever you go into a town and are not welcomed, go out in the streets and say,
11 Even the dust of your town, which is on our feet, we put off as a witness against you; but be certain of this, that the kingdom of God is near.
11
"Even the dust from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the Kingdom of God has come near you!'
12 I say to you, It will be better in that day for Sodom than for that town.
12
I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to that town!
13 A curse is on you, Chorazin! A curse is on you, Beth-saida! For if such works of power had been done in Tyre and Sidon as have been done in you, they would have been turned from their sins, in days gone by, seated in the dust.
13
"How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you too, Bethsaida! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have long ago sat down, put on sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes on themselves, to show that they had turned from their sins!
14 But it will be better for Tyre and Sidon, in the day of judging, than for you.
14
God will show more mercy on the Judgment Day to Tyre and Sidon than to you.
15 And you, Capernaum, were you not lifted up to heaven? you will go down to hell.
15
And as for you, Capernaum! Did you want to lift yourself up to heaven? You will be thrown down to hell!"
16 Whoever gives ear to you, gives ear to me; and whoever is against you, is against me; and whoever is against me, is against him who sent me.
16
Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
17 And the seventy came back with joy, saying, Lord, even the evil spirits are under our power in your name.
17
The seventy-two men came back in great joy. "Lord," they said, "even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!"
18 And he said, I was watching for Satan, falling from heaven like a star.
18
Jesus answered them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 See, I have given you power to put your feet on snakes and evil beasts, and over all the strength of him who is against you: and nothing will do you damage.
19
Listen! I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the Enemy, and nothing will hurt you.
20 Do not be glad, however, because you have power over spirits, but because your names are recorded in heaven.
20
But don't be glad because the evil spirits obey you; rather be glad because your names are written in heaven."
21 In that same hour he was full of joy in the Holy Spirit and said, I give praise to you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have kept these things secret from the wise and the men of learning, and have made them clear to little children: for so, O Father, it was pleasing in your eyes.
21
At that time Jesus was filled with joy by the Holy Spirit and said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth! I thank you because you have shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned. Yes, Father, this was how you were pleased to have it happen.
22 All things have been given to me by my Father: and no one has knowledge of the Son, but only the Father: and of the Father, but only the Son, and he to whom the Son will make it clear.
22
"My Father has given me all things. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
23 And, turning to the disciples, he said privately, Happy are the eyes which see the things you see:
23
Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said to them privately, "How fortunate you are to see the things you see!
24 For I say to you that numbers of prophets and kings have had a desire to see the things which you see, and have not seen them, and to have knowledge of the things which have come to your ears, and they had it not.
24
I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, but they could not, and to hear what you hear, but they did not."
25 And a certain teacher of the law got up and put him to the test, saying, Master, what have I to do so that I may have eternal life?
25
A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to receive eternal life?"
26 And he said to him, What does the law say, in your reading of it?
26
Jesus answered him, "What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?"
27 And he, answering, said, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and for your neighbour as for yourself.
27
The man answered, " "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind'; and "Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' "
28 And he said, You have given the right answer: do this and you will have life.
28
"You are right," Jesus replied; "do this and you will live."
29 But he, desiring to put himself in the right, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
29
But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"
30 And Jesus, answering him, said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he got into the hands of thieves, who took his clothing and gave him cruel blows, and when they went away, he was half dead.
30
Jesus answered, "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he went by on the other side.
31
It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side.
32 And in the same way, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, went by on the other side.
32
In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.
33 But a certain man of Samaria, journeying that way, came where he was, and when he saw him, he was moved with pity for him,
33
But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity.
34 And came to him and put clean linen round his wounds, with oil and wine; and he put him on his beast and took him to a house and took care of him.
34
He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.
35 And the day after he took two pennies and gave them to the owner of the house and said, Take care of him; and if this money is not enough, when I come again I will give you whatever more is needed.
35
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. "Take care of him,' he told the innkeeper, "and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.' "
36 Which of these three men, in your opinion, was neighbour to the man who came into the hands of thieves?
36
And Jesus concluded, "In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?"
37 And he said, The one who had mercy on him. And Jesus said, Go and do the same.
37
The teacher of the Law answered, "The one who was kind to him." Jesus replied, "You go, then, and do the same."
38 Now, while they were on their way, he came to a certain town; and a woman named Martha took him into her house.
38
As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him in her home.
39 And she had a sister, by name Mary, who took her seat at the Lord's feet and gave attention to his words.
39
She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching.
40 But Martha had her hands full of the work of the house, and she came to him and said, Lord, is it nothing to you that my sister has let me do all the work? Say to her that she is to give me some help.
40
Martha was upset over all the work she had to do, so she came and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!"
41 But the Lord, answering, said to her, Martha, Martha, you are full of care and troubled about such a number of things:
41
The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things,
42 Little is needed, or even one thing only: for Mary has taken that good part, which will not be taken away from her.
42
but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her."
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.