« | Genesis 6 | » |
1 And after a time, when men were increasing on the earth, and had daughters,
2 The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took wives for themselves from those who were pleasing to them.
3 And the Lord said, My spirit will not be in man for ever, for he is only flesh; so the days of his life will be a hundred and twenty years.
4 There were men of great strength and size on the earth in those days; and after that, when the sons of God had connection with the daughters of men, they gave birth to children: these were the great men of old days, the men of great name.
5 And the Lord saw that the sin of man was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts of his heart were evil.
6 And the Lord had sorrow because he had made man on the earth, and grief was in his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will take away man, whom I have made, from the face of the earth, even man and beast and that which goes on the earth and every bird of the air; for I have sorrow for having made them.
8 But Noah had grace in the eyes of God.
9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was an upright man and without sin in his generation: he went in the ways of God.
10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 And the earth was evil in God's eyes and full of violent ways.
12 And God, looking on the earth, saw that it was evil: for the way of all flesh had become evil on the earth.
13 And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come; the earth is full of their violent doings, and now I will put an end to them with the earth.
14 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood with rooms in it, and make it safe from the water inside and out.
15 And this is the way you are to make it: it is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.
16 You are to put a window in the ark, a cubit from the roof, and a door in the side of it, and you are to make it with a lower and second and third floors.
17 For truly, I will send a great flow of waters over the earth, for the destruction from under the heaven of all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything on the earth will come to an end.
18 But with you I will make an agreement; and you will come into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.
19 And you will take with you into the ark two of every sort of living thing, and keep them safe with you; they will be male and female.
20 Two of every sort of bird and cattle and of every sort of living thing which goes on the earth will you take with you to keep them from destruction.
21 And make a store of every sort of food for yourself and them.
22 And all these things Noah did; as God said, so he did.
The Bible in Basic English (BBE)
The Bible in Basic English (BBE) is a translation of the Bible that aims to make the scriptures accessible to people with limited English proficiency. Completed in 1941 by Professor Samuel Henry Hooke and a team of scholars, the BBE utilizes a simplified vocabulary of approximately 1,000 basic English words, along with additional words necessary to maintain the integrity of the biblical text. This approach ensures that the translation is easily understandable while still conveying the core messages and teachings of the Bible.
One of the defining features of the BBE is its commitment to simplicity and clarity. By using a restricted vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures, the BBE makes it easier for readers to grasp the fundamental ideas of the scriptures without being hindered by complex language. This makes the BBE particularly valuable for non-native English speakers, children, and individuals with limited literacy skills. The translation aims to break down language barriers, allowing a broader audience to engage with Bible teachings.
Despite its simplified language, the BBE strives to remain faithful to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. The translators worked carefully to ensure that the essential meanings and theological concepts were preserved, even as they adapted the language to be more accessible. This balance of simplicity and fidelity to the original texts helps maintain the Bible’ s depth and spiritual richness while making it more approachable. The BBE’ s emphasis on clarity without sacrificing essential meaning has made it a useful tool for teaching and evangelism.
However, the BBE has faced some criticism, particularly from scholars and theologians who argue that the simplification process may lead to the loss of some nuances and deeper meanings present in the original languages. Some feel that the restricted vocabulary can oversimplify complex theological concepts, potentially limiting the reader’ s understanding of the full depth of the scriptures. Despite these criticisms, the Bible in Basic English remains a valuable resource for those seeking an easily understandable version of the Bible, providing a bridge for many to access the timeless messages contained within the holy scriptures.