Erroll F. Rhodes, "A Concise History of the English Bible," American Bible Society: http://www.americanbible.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6145

The "Bible in Basic English," translated by a committee under the direction of Samuel H. Hooke (1874-1968). It uses a basic vocabulary of 850 words, devised by Charles K. Ogden (1889-1957), supplemented by 50 special Bible words.

"The Bible in Basic English," Bible Researcher.com : http://www.bible-researcher.com/basic.html

        S. H. Hooke, ed., The Basic Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments in Basic English. Cambridge: The University Press, 1949.
        The New Testament was published in 1941. The vocabulary is limited to C. K. Ogden's Basic English vocabulary of 850 words proposed as an international auxiliary language, with an additional 150 biblical words.
        The following is the Introduction as it appeared in a 1965 printing of the Bible in Basic English.

Introduction

         The form in which the Bible is given here is not simply another example of the Bible story put into present-day English. The language used is Basic English.
         Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute, is a simple form of the English language which, with 850 words, is able to give the sense of anything which may be said in English. By the addition of 50 Special Bible words and the use of 100 words listed as giving most help in the reading of English verse, this number has been increased to 1000 for the purpose of putting the Bible into Basic.
         Working with the Orthological Institute, a Committee under the direction of Professor S. H. Hooke, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Studies in the University of London, has been responsible for a new English form of the Bible made from the Hebrew and the Greek.
         In this undertaking, the latest ideas and discoveries in connection with the work of putting the Bible into other languages were taken into account, and when the Basic form was complete it was gone over in detail by a Committee formed by the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press.
        The Basic Bible, which in this way was watched over by two separate groups of experts through its different stages, is designed to be used wherever the English language has taken root.
         Frequently, the narrow limits of the word-list make it hard to keep the Basic completely parallel with the Hebrew and the Greek; but great trouble has been taken with every verse and every line to make certain that there are no errors of sense and no loose wording. It is only natural that, from time to time, some of the more delicate shades of sense have not been covered; on the other hand, it is well to keep in mind that in the Authorised Version the power and music of the language sometimes take so much of the reader's attention that these more delicate shades are overlooked.
         In fact, the Basic expert is forced, because of the limited material with which he is working, to give special care to the sense of the words before him. There is no question of the Basic work taking the place of the Authorised Version or coming into competition with it; but it may be said of this new English Bible that it is in a marked degree straightforward and simple and that these qualities give it an independent value.
         Signs Used in the Bible in Basic English
         ... are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic.
         *** are used as a sign that one or more Hebrew words, necessary to the sense, have been taken out at some time or other.
         [] are used for marking additions made by later writers.
         () are used for marking additions put in for the purpose of making the sense clear.
         The numbers used for divisions of books and for verses are the same as in the Authorised and Revised Versions of the English Bible.

"The Bible in Basic English," Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_in_Basic_English

The Bible In Basic English (also known as BBE) is a translation of the Bible into Basic English. The BBE was translated by Professor S. H. Hooke using the standard 850 Basic English words. 100 words that were helpful to understand poetry were added along with 50 "Bible" words. The New Testament was released in 1941 and the Old Testament was released in 1949.

"The Bible in Basic English," Olive Tree Bible Software: http://www.olivetree.com/store/catalog/Bible-in-Basic-English-p-16561.html

        The Bible In Basic English (also known as BBE) is a translation of the Bible into Basic English. The BBE was translated by Professor S. H. Hooke using the standard 850 Basic English words. 100 words that were helpful to understand poetry were added along with 50 "Bible" words. The New Testament was released in 1941 and the Old Testament was released in 1949.
        The form in which the Bible in Basic English is not simply another example of the Bible story put into present-day English. The language used is Basic English.
         Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute, is a simple form of the English language which, with 850 words, is able to give the sense of anything which may be said in English. By the addition of 50 Special Bible words and the use of 100 words listed as giving most help in the reading of English verse, this number has been increased to 1000 for the purpose of putting the Bible into Basic English.
        Working with the Orthological Institute, a Committee under the direction of Professor S. H. Hooke, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Studies in the University of London, has been responsible for a new English form of the Bible made from the Hebrew and the Greek.

"The Bible in Basic English," Christ Notes.com: http://www.christnotes.org/help.php?topic=BibleVersions

         This isn’t just another English translation; this version translates the Bible into Basic English, a simplified English language created by Charles Ogden, which, with only 850 words, is able to express most things that can be said in English. Working from Basic English, a translation committee added 150 Biblical words to the 850 initial words to create a 1000-word dictionary from which to work. Using just those 1000 words, the Bible in Basic English is an excellent resource for non-native English speakers. This text is Public Domain in the United States. [For more information about Basic English, see: ]

         Read the Bible In Basic English.

        1 From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God. 2 This Word was from the first in relation with God. 3 All things came into existence through him, and without him nothing was. 4 What came into existence in him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light goes on shining in the dark; it is not overcome by the dark.
        6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for witness, to give witness about the light, so that all men might have faith through him. 8 He himself was not the light: he was sent to give witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to every man, was then coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, the world which came into being through him, but the world had no knowledge of him. 11 He came to the things which were his and his people did not take him to their hearts. 12 To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God--that is, to those who had faith in his name: 13 Whose birth was from God and not from blood, or from an impulse of the flesh and man's desire. 14 And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory--such glory as is given to an only son by his father--saw it to be true and full of grace.
        15 John gave witness about him, crying, This is he of whom I said, He who is coming after me is put over me because he was in existence before me. 16 From his full measure we have all been given grace on grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and the true way of life are ours through Jesus Christ. 18 No man has seen God at any time; the only Son, who is on the breast of the Father, he has made clear what God is.

Introduction          The form in which the Bible is given here is not simply another example of the Bible story put into present-day English. The language used is Basic English.
         Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute, is a simple form of the English language which, with 850 words, is able to give the sense of anything which may be said in English. By the addition of 50 Special Bible words and the use of 100 words listed as giving most help in the reading of English verse, this number has been increased to 1000 for the purpose of putting the Bible into Basic.
         Working with the Orthological Institute, a Committee under the direction of Professor S. H. Hooke, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Studies in the University of London, has been responsible for a new English form of the Bible made from the Hebrew and the Greek.
         In this undertaking, the latest ideas and discoveries in connection with the work of putting the Bible into other languages were taken into account, and when the Basic form was complete it was gone over in detail by a Committee formed by the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press.
        The Basic Bible, which in this way was watched over by two separate groups of experts through its different stages, is designed to be used wherever the English language has taken root.
         Frequently, the narrow limits of the word-list make it hard to keep the Basic completely parallel with the Hebrew and the Greek; but great trouble has been taken with every verse and every line to make certain that there are no errors of sense and no loose wording. It is only natural that, from time to time, some of the more delicate shades of sense have not been covered; on the other hand, it is well to keep in mind that in the Authorised Version the power and music of the language sometimes take so much of the reader's attention that these more delicate shades are overlooked.
         In fact, the Basic expert is forced, because of the limited material with which he is working, to give special care to the sense of the words before him. There is no question of the Basic work taking the place of the Authorised Version or coming into competition with it; but it may be said of this new English Bible that it is in a marked degree straightforward and simple and that these qualities give it an independent value.
         Signs Used in the Bible in Basic English
         ... are used where it is no longer possible to be certain of the true sense of the Hebrew words, and for this reason no attempt has been made to put them into Basic.
         *** are used as a sign that one or more Hebrew words, necessary to the sense, have been taken out at some time or other.
         [] are used for marking additions made by later writers.
         () are used for marking additions put in for the purpose of making the sense clear.
         The numbers used for divisions of books and for verses are the same as in the Authorised and Revised Versions of the English Bible.

This translation grew out of an experiment with the English language that began in the 1930s. The Orthological Institute concluded that the English spoken at that time could be reduced down to about 850 basic words. This vocabulary would enable about 90% of the communication in English to still take place, only in a much clearer manner. The lasting quality of this work is in the study of English As a Second Language. Some foreign governments such as China continue to use this system for the teaching of English in their schools. The Bible translation based on this concept added some 150 words to the original list, but did produce a translation of the entire Bible limiting itself to a thousand English words. The value of such a project is apparent for missionaries and children's programs in parish churches.  The British orientation of this work has limited its use with American English.

Bibliography

Erroll F. Rhodes, "A Concise History of the English Bible," American Bible Society: http://www.americanbible.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6145

"The Bible in Basic English," Bible Researcher.com : http://www.bible-researcher.com/basic.html

"The Bible in Basic English," Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_in_Basic_English

"The Bible in Basic English," Olive Tree Bible Software: http://www.olivetree.com/store/catalog/Bible-in-Basic-English-p-16561.html

"The Bible in Basic English," Christ Notes.com: http://www.christnotes.org/help.php?topic=BibleVersions

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