diff --git a/cli/js/deno.ts b/cli/js/deno.ts
index 355000ac55..2efb6920ad 100644
--- a/cli/js/deno.ts
+++ b/cli/js/deno.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ export { kill } from "./ops/process.ts";
 export { run, RunOptions, Process, ProcessStatus } from "./process.ts";
 export { DirEntry, readdirSync, readdir } from "./ops/fs/read_dir.ts";
 export { readFileSync, readFile } from "./read_file.ts";
+export { readTextFileSync, readTextFile } from "./read_text_file.ts";
 export { readlinkSync, readlink } from "./ops/fs/read_link.ts";
 export { realpathSync, realpath } from "./ops/fs/realpath.ts";
 export { removeSync, remove, RemoveOptions } from "./ops/fs/remove.ts";
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ export { umask } from "./ops/fs/umask.ts";
 export { utimeSync, utime } from "./ops/fs/utime.ts";
 export { version } from "./version.ts";
 export { writeFileSync, writeFile, WriteFileOptions } from "./write_file.ts";
+export { writeTextFileSync, writeTextFile } from "./write_text_file.ts";
 export const args: string[] = [];
 export { TestDefinition, test } from "./testing.ts";
 
diff --git a/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts b/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
index d33fde8449..6d354d0342 100644
--- a/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
+++ b/cli/js/lib.deno.ns.d.ts
@@ -1276,6 +1276,25 @@ declare namespace Deno {
    * Requires `allow-read` and `allow-write` permission. */
   export function rename(oldpath: string, newpath: string): Promise<void>;
 
+  /** Synchronously reads and returns the entire contents of a file as utf8 encoded string
+   *  encoded string. Reading a directory returns an empty string.
+   *
+   *       const data = Deno.readTextFileSync("hello.txt");
+   *       console.log(data);
+   *
+   * Requires `allow-read` permission. */
+  export function readTextFileSync(path: string): string;
+
+  /** Asynchronously reads and returns the entire contents of a file as a utf8
+   *  encoded string. Reading a directory returns an empty data array.
+   *
+   *       const decoder = new TextDecoder("utf-8");
+   *       const data = Deno.readFileSync("hello.txt");
+   *       console.log(decoder.decode(data));
+   *
+   * Requires `allow-read` permission. */
+  export function readTextFile(path: string): Promise<string>;
+
   /** Synchronously reads and returns the entire contents of a file as an array
    * of bytes. `TextDecoder` can be used to transform the bytes to string if
    * required.  Reading a directory returns an empty data array.
@@ -1598,6 +1617,24 @@ declare namespace Deno {
     options?: WriteFileOptions
   ): Promise<void>;
 
+  /** Synchronously write string `data` to the given `path`, by default creating a new file if needed,
+   * else overwriting.
+   *
+   *       await Deno.writeTextFileSync("hello1.txt", "Hello world\n");  // overwrite "hello1.txt" or create it
+   *
+   * Requires `allow-write` permission, and `allow-read` if `options.create` is `false`.
+   */
+  export function writeTextFileSync(path: string, data: string): void;
+
+  /** Asynchronously write string `data` to the given `path`, by default creating a new file if needed,
+   * else overwriting.
+   *
+   *       await Deno.writeTextFile("hello1.txt", "Hello world\n");  // overwrite "hello1.txt" or create it
+   *
+   * Requires `allow-write` permission, and `allow-read` if `options.create` is `false`.
+   */
+  export function writeTextFile(path: string, data: string): Promise<void>;
+
   /** **UNSTABLE**: Should not have same name as `window.location` type. */
   interface Location {
     /** The full url for the module, e.g. `file://some/file.ts` or
diff --git a/cli/js/read_text_file.ts b/cli/js/read_text_file.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3423b26b88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/js/read_text_file.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { open, openSync } from "./files.ts";
+import { readAll, readAllSync } from "./buffer.ts";
+
+export function readTextFileSync(path: string): string {
+  const decoder = new TextDecoder();
+  const file = openSync(path);
+  const content = readAllSync(file);
+  file.close();
+  return decoder.decode(content);
+}
+
+export async function readTextFile(path: string): Promise<string> {
+  const decoder = new TextDecoder();
+  const file = await open(path);
+  const content = await readAll(file);
+  file.close();
+  return decoder.decode(content);
+}
diff --git a/cli/js/tests/read_text_file_test.ts b/cli/js/tests/read_text_file_test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e7493e4a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/js/tests/read_text_file_test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import { unitTest, assert, assertEquals } from "./test_util.ts";
+
+unitTest({ perms: { read: true } }, function readTextFileSyncSuccess(): void {
+  const data = Deno.readTextFileSync("cli/tests/fixture.json");
+  assert(data.length > 0);
+  const pkg = JSON.parse(data);
+  assertEquals(pkg.name, "deno");
+});
+
+unitTest({ perms: { read: false } }, function readTextFileSyncPerm(): void {
+  let caughtError = false;
+  try {
+    Deno.readTextFileSync("cli/tests/fixture.json");
+  } catch (e) {
+    caughtError = true;
+    assert(e instanceof Deno.errors.PermissionDenied);
+  }
+  assert(caughtError);
+});
+
+unitTest({ perms: { read: true } }, function readTextFileSyncNotFound(): void {
+  let caughtError = false;
+  let data;
+  try {
+    data = Deno.readTextFileSync("bad_filename");
+  } catch (e) {
+    caughtError = true;
+    assert(e instanceof Deno.errors.NotFound);
+  }
+  assert(caughtError);
+  assert(data === undefined);
+});
+
+unitTest(
+  { perms: { read: true } },
+  async function readTextFileSuccess(): Promise<void> {
+    const data = await Deno.readTextFile("cli/tests/fixture.json");
+    assert(data.length > 0);
+    const pkg = JSON.parse(data);
+    assertEquals(pkg.name, "deno");
+  }
+);
+
+unitTest({ perms: { read: false } }, async function readTextFilePerm(): Promise<
+  void
+> {
+  let caughtError = false;
+  try {
+    await Deno.readTextFile("cli/tests/fixture.json");
+  } catch (e) {
+    caughtError = true;
+    assert(e instanceof Deno.errors.PermissionDenied);
+  }
+  assert(caughtError);
+});
+
+unitTest({ perms: { read: true } }, function readTextFileSyncLoop(): void {
+  for (let i = 0; i < 256; i++) {
+    Deno.readTextFileSync("cli/tests/fixture.json");
+  }
+});
diff --git a/cli/js/tests/unit_tests.ts b/cli/js/tests/unit_tests.ts
index 627832ca9d..dd4abf1164 100644
--- a/cli/js/tests/unit_tests.ts
+++ b/cli/js/tests/unit_tests.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import "./permissions_test.ts";
 import "./process_test.ts";
 import "./realpath_test.ts";
 import "./read_dir_test.ts";
+import "./read_text_file_test.ts";
 import "./read_file_test.ts";
 import "./read_link_test.ts";
 import "./remove_test.ts";
@@ -64,5 +65,6 @@ import "./url_test.ts";
 import "./url_search_params_test.ts";
 import "./utime_test.ts";
 import "./write_file_test.ts";
+import "./write_text_file_test.ts";
 import "./performance_test.ts";
 import "./version_test.ts";
diff --git a/cli/js/tests/write_text_file_test.ts b/cli/js/tests/write_text_file_test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..321189b0e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/js/tests/write_text_file_test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { unitTest, assert, assertEquals } from "./test_util.ts";
+
+unitTest(
+  { perms: { read: true, write: true } },
+  function writeTextFileSyncSuccess(): void {
+    const filename = Deno.makeTempDirSync() + "/test.txt";
+    Deno.writeTextFileSync(filename, "Hello");
+    const dataRead = Deno.readTextFileSync(filename);
+    assertEquals("Hello", dataRead);
+  }
+);
+
+unitTest({ perms: { write: true } }, function writeTextFileSyncFail(): void {
+  const filename = "/baddir/test.txt";
+  // The following should fail because /baddir doesn't exist (hopefully).
+  let caughtError = false;
+  try {
+    Deno.writeTextFileSync(filename, "hello");
+  } catch (e) {
+    caughtError = true;
+    assert(e instanceof Deno.errors.NotFound);
+  }
+  assert(caughtError);
+});
+
+unitTest({ perms: { write: false } }, function writeTextFileSyncPerm(): void {
+  const filename = "/baddir/test.txt";
+  // The following should fail due to no write permission
+  let caughtError = false;
+  try {
+    Deno.writeTextFileSync(filename, "Hello");
+  } catch (e) {
+    caughtError = true;
+    assert(e instanceof Deno.errors.PermissionDenied);
+  }
+  assert(caughtError);
+});
+
+unitTest(
+  { perms: { read: true, write: true } },
+  async function writeTextFileSuccess(): Promise<void> {
+    const filename = Deno.makeTempDirSync() + "/test.txt";
+    await Deno.writeTextFile(filename, "Hello");
+    const dataRead = Deno.readTextFileSync(filename);
+    assertEquals("Hello", dataRead);
+  }
+);
+
+unitTest(
+  { perms: { read: true, write: true } },
+  async function writeTextFileNotFound(): Promise<void> {
+    const filename = "/baddir/test.txt";
+    // The following should fail because /baddir doesn't exist (hopefully).
+    let caughtError = false;
+    try {
+      await Deno.writeTextFile(filename, "Hello");
+    } catch (e) {
+      caughtError = true;
+      assert(e instanceof Deno.errors.NotFound);
+    }
+    assert(caughtError);
+  }
+);
+
+unitTest(
+  { perms: { write: false } },
+  async function writeTextFilePerm(): Promise<void> {
+    const filename = "/baddir/test.txt";
+    // The following should fail due to no write permission
+    let caughtError = false;
+    try {
+      await Deno.writeTextFile(filename, "Hello");
+    } catch (e) {
+      caughtError = true;
+      assert(e instanceof Deno.errors.PermissionDenied);
+    }
+    assert(caughtError);
+  }
+);
diff --git a/cli/js/write_text_file.ts b/cli/js/write_text_file.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d2a6575d7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/js/write_text_file.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { open, openSync } from "./files.ts";
+import { writeAll, writeAllSync } from "./buffer.ts";
+
+export function writeTextFileSync(path: string, data: string): void {
+  const file = openSync(path, { write: true, create: true, truncate: true });
+  const enc = new TextEncoder();
+  const contents = enc.encode(data);
+  writeAllSync(file, contents);
+  file.close();
+}
+
+export async function writeTextFile(path: string, data: string): Promise<void> {
+  const file = await open(path, { write: true, create: true, truncate: true });
+  const enc = new TextEncoder();
+  const contents = enc.encode(data);
+  await writeAll(file, contents);
+  file.close();
+}