Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹At that time Herod [Antipas], the tetrarch [who governed a portion of Palestine including Galilee and Perea], heard the reports about Jesus,

²and said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and that is why the miraculous powers are at work in him."

³For Herod had John arrested and bound him and put him in prison [at the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Jordan, to keep him away] because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,

⁴for John had said to him, "It is not lawful (morally right) for you to have her [living with you as your wife]."

⁵Although Herod wished to have him put to death, he feared the people, for they regarded John as a prophet.

⁶But when Herod's birthday came, [his niece Salome], the daughter of Herodias danced [immodestly] before them and pleased and fascinated Herod,

⁷so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

⁸She, being coached by her mother [Herodias], said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."

⁹The king was distressed, but because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests, he ordered it to be given her.

¹⁰He sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

¹¹His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother [Herodias].

¹²And John's disciples came and took away the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

¹³When Jesus heard about John, He left there privately in a boat and went to a secluded place. But when the crowds heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

¹⁴When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt [profound] compassion for them and healed their sick.

¹⁵When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is an isolated place and the hour is already late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

¹⁶But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"

¹⁷They replied, "We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish."

¹⁸He said, "Bring them here to Me."

¹⁹Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people,

²⁰and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up twelve full baskets of the leftover broken pieces.

²¹There were about 5,000 men who ate, besides women and children.

²²Immediately He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while He sent the crowds away.

²³After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone.

²⁴But the boat [by this time] was already a long distance from land, tossed and battered by the waves; for the wind was against them.

²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

²⁶When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.

²⁷But immediately He spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!"

²⁸Peter replied to Him, "Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water."

²⁹He said, "Come!" So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

³⁰But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

³¹Immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

³²And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³Then those in the boat worshiped Him [with awe-inspired reverence], saying, "Truly You are the Son of God!"

³⁴When they had crossed over [the sea], they went ashore at Gennesaret.

³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word throughout all the surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick;

³⁶and they begged Him to let them merely touch the fringe of His robe; and all who touched it were perfectly restored.

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

²"When a man has a swelling on the skin of his body, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes the infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests.

³The priest shall look at the diseased spot on the skin of his body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him [ceremonially] unclean.

⁴If the bright spot is white on the skin of his body and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the person who has the infection for seven days.

⁵The priest shall examine it on the seventh day, and if in his estimation the infection has not changed and has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days.

⁶The priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the infection has a more normal color and the spot has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab; and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

⁷"But if the scab spreads farther on the skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his [ceremonial] cleansing, he shall show himself to the priest again.

⁸The priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then he shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

⁹"When a leprous infection is on a person, he shall be brought to the priest.

¹⁰The priest shall examine him, and if there is a white swelling on the skin and it has turned the hair white and there is new raw flesh in the swelling,

¹¹it is a chronic leprosy on the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not isolate him because he is [clearly] unclean.

¹²But if the [suspected] leprosy breaks out farther on the skin, and it covers all of the skin of the one who has the outbreak—from his head to his foot—wherever the priest looks,

¹³the priest shall examine him. If the [suspected] leprosy has covered his entire body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned white, and he is clean.

¹⁴But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.

¹⁵The priest shall examine the raw flesh, and he shall pronounce him unclean; the raw flesh is unclean, it is leprosy.

¹⁶But if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest,

¹⁷and the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased part is changed to white, then the priest shall pronounce him who had the disease to be clean; he is clean.

¹⁸"And when there is on the skin of the body [the scar of] a boil that is healed,

¹⁹and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish white, then it shall be shown to the priest;

²⁰and the priest shall look, and if it looks deeper than the skin and the hair on it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the disease of leprosy; it has broken out in the boil.

²¹But if the priest examines it and finds no white hair in it and it is not deeper than the skin and is dull in color, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days.

²²If it spreads farther on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a disease.

²³But if the bright spot remains where it is and does not spread, it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

²⁴"Or if the body has on its skin a burn from fire and the new flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish white or white,

²⁵then the priest shall examine it, and if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, then leprosy has broken out in the burn. So the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the disease of leprosy.

²⁶But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is not deeper than [the rest of] the skin but is dull in color, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days.

²⁷And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; if it is spreading farther on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

²⁸But if the bright spot remains in its place and has not spread in the skin, but is dull in color, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; for it is the scar of the burn.

²⁹"When a man or woman has a disease on the head or in the beard (face),

³⁰the priest shall examine the diseased place; if it appears to be deeper than the skin, with yellow, thin hair in it, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a scale, it is leprosy of the head or beard.

³¹But if the priest examines the spot infected by the scale, and it does not appear deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest shall isolate the person with the scaly infection for seven days.

³²On the seventh day the priest shall examine the diseased spot; if the scale has not spread and has no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not look deeper than the skin,

³³then he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the scale; and the priest shall isolate the person with the scale for seven more days.

³⁴Then on the seventh day the priest shall look at the scale; if the scale has not spread on the skin and appears to be no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

³⁵But if the scale spreads farther on the skin after his cleansing,

³⁶then the priest shall examine him, and if the scale has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for the yellowish hair; he is unclean.

³⁷If, in the priest's estimation, the scale has remained [without spreading], and black hair has grown in it, the scale is healed; he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

³⁸"When a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, even white bright spots,

³⁹then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies is a dull white, it is [only] a rash that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

⁴⁰"If a man loses the hair on his head, he is bald, but he is clean.

⁴¹And if he loses the hair on front of his head, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean.

⁴²But if there is a reddish-white infection on the bald head or forehead, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or forehead.

⁴³Then the priest shall examine him, and if the diseased swelling is reddish-white on his bald head or forehead like the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body,

⁴⁴he is a leprous man; he is unclean; the priest shall most certainly pronounce him unclean; his disease is on his head.

⁴⁵"As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered (disheveled), and he shall cover his mustache and call out, 'Unclean! Unclean!'

⁴⁶He shall remain [ceremonially] unclean as long as the disease is on him; he is unclean. He shall live alone; he shall live outside the camp.

⁴⁷"When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment,

⁴⁸whether in woven or knitted material or in the warp (lengthwise strands) or woof (crosswise strands) of linen or of wool, or in a skin or on anything made of leather,

⁴⁹if the mark is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather or in the warp or woof or in any article made of leather, it is an infestation of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest.

⁵⁰The priest shall examine the mark and shall quarantine the article with the mark for seven days.

⁵¹He shall examine the mark on the seventh day; if it has spread in the garment, whether in the warp or the woof, or in the leather, whatever the leather's purpose, the mark is a malignant leprosy; it is unclean.

⁵²So he shall burn the garment, whether the warp or woof, in wool or linen, or on anything made of leather in which the mark occurs; for it is a malignant leprosy; it shall be burned in the fire.

⁵³"But if the priest sees that the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or the woof, or on anything made of leather,

⁵⁴then the priest shall order that they wash the thing in which the mark occurs, and he shall quarantine it for seven more days.

⁵⁵The priest shall examine the article with the mark after it has been washed, and if the mark has not changed color, even though the mark has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire; it is a corroding mildew, whether on the top or on the front of it.

⁵⁶"If the priest looks and the mark has faded after it is washed, he shall tear it out of the garment, or the leather, or out of the warp or woof.

⁵⁷If it still appears in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or on anything made of leather, it is an outbreak; you shall burn the marked part in the fire.

⁵⁸The garment, whether the warp or the woof, or anything made of leather from which the mildew has departed after washing, shall then be washed a second time and it will be [ceremonially] clean."

⁵⁹This is the law for a leprous disease in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or on anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or unclean.

¹Am I not free [unrestrained and exempt from any obligation]? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our [risen] Lord [in person]? Are you not [the result and proof of] my work in the Lord?

²If I am not [considered] an apostle to others, at least I am one to you; for you are the seal and the certificate and the living evidence of my apostleship in the Lord [confirming and authenticating it].

³This is my defense to those who would put me on trial and interrogate me [concerning my authority as an apostle]:

⁴Have we not the right to our food and drink [at the expense of the churches]?

⁵Have we not the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the rest of the apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas (Peter)?

⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to stop doing manual labor [in order to support our ministry]?

⁷[Consider this:] Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?

⁸Do I say these things only from a man's perspective? Does the Law not endorse the same principles?

⁹For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain [to keep it from eating the grain]." Is it [only] for oxen that God cares?

¹⁰Or does He speak entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake: The plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the harvest.

¹¹If we have sown [the good seed of] spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

¹²If others share in this rightful claim over you, do not we even more? However, we did not exercise this right, but we put up with everything so that we will not hinder [the spread of] the good news of Christ.

¹³Do you not know that those who officiate in the sacred services of the temple eat from the temple [offerings of meat and bread] and those who regularly attend the altar have their share from the [offerings brought to the] altar?

¹⁴So also [on the same principle] the Lord directed those who preach the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

¹⁵But I have used none of these privileges, nor am I writing this [to suggest] that any such provision be made for me now. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone deprive me of my boast [in this matter of financial support].

¹⁶For if I [merely] preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am compelled [that is, absolutely obligated to do it]. Woe to me if I do not preach the good news [of salvation]!

¹⁷For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have a reward; but if it is not of my will [but by God's choosing], I have been entrusted with a [sacred] stewardship.

¹⁸What then is my reward? [Just this:] that, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge [to everyone], so as not to take advantage of my rights [as a preacher and apostle] in [preaching] the gospel.

¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ].

²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews [for Christ]; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might win those who are under the Law.

²¹To those who are without (outside) the Law, [I became] as one without the Law, though [I am] not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

²²To the weak I became [as the] weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means [in any and every way] save some [by leading them to faith in Jesus Christ].

²³And I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings along with you.

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!

²⁵Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].

²⁶Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing].

²⁷But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].

¹See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

²Beloved, we are [even here and] now children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory].

³And everyone who has this hope [confidently placed] in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (holy, undefiled, guiltless).

⁴Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness [ignoring God's law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing—being unrestrained by His commands and His will].

⁵You know that He appeared [in visible form as a man] in order to take away sins; and in Him there is [absolutely] no sin [for He has neither the sin nature nor has He committed sin or acts worthy of blame].

⁶No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him.

⁷Little children (believers, dear ones), do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who practices righteousness [the one who strives to live a consistently honorable life—in private as well as in public—and to conform to God's precepts] is righteous, just as He is righteous.

⁸The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God's law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

⁹No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because God's seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him.

¹⁰By this the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly identified: anyone who does not practice righteousness [who does not seek God's will in thought, action, and purpose] is not of God, nor is the one who does not [unselfishly] love his [believing] brother.

¹¹For this is the message which you [believers] have heard from the beginning [of your relationship with Christ], that we should [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another;

¹²and not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother [Abel]. And why did he murder him? Because Cain's deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.

¹³Do not be surprised, believers, if the world hates you.

¹⁴We know that we have passed out of death into Life, because we love the brothers and sisters. He who does not love remains in [spiritual] death.

¹⁵Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God's standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

¹⁶By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.

¹⁷But whoever has the world's goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him?

¹⁸Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words].

¹⁹By this we will know [without any doubt] that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart and quiet our conscience before Him

²⁰whenever our heart convicts us [in guilt]; for God is greater than our heart and He knows all things [nothing is hidden from Him because we are in His hands].

²¹Beloved, if our heart does not convict us [of guilt], we have confidence [complete assurance and boldness] before God;

²²and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us].

²³This is His commandment, that we believe [with personal faith and confident trust] in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and [that we unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, just as He commanded us.

²⁴The one who habitually keeps His commandments [obeying His word and following His precepts, abides and] remains in Him, and He in him. By this we know and have the proof that He [really] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us [as a gift].

¹" Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

²"Can you put a rope [made] of rushes into his nose Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

³"Will he make many supplications to you [begging to be spared]? Or will he speak soft words to you [to coax you to treat him kindly]?

⁴"Will he make a covenant or an arrangement with you? Will you take him for your servant forever?

⁵"Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him [and put him on a leash] for your maidens?

⁶"Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?

⁷"Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

⁸"Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!

⁹" Behold, his [assailant's] hope and expectation [of defeating Leviathan] is false; Will not one be overwhelmed even at the sight of him?

¹⁰"No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up Leviathan; Who then is he who can stand before Me [or dares to contend with Me, the beast's creator]?

¹¹"Who has first given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. [Who can have a claim against Me who made the unmastered beast?]

¹²"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his orderly frame.

¹³"Who can penetrate or strip off his outer armor? Who can come to his jaws with a double bridle?

¹⁴"Who can open the doors (jaws) of his face? Around his [open jaws and] teeth there is terror.

¹⁵"His strong scales are his pride, Bound together as with a tight seal.

¹⁶"One is so near to another That no air can come between them.

¹⁷"They are joined one to another; They stick together and cannot be separated.

¹⁸"His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the [reddish] eyelids of the dawn.

¹⁹"Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap out.

²⁰"Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and [as from] burning rushes.

²¹"His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.

²²"In Leviathan's neck resides strength, And dismay and terror dance before him.

²³"The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immobile [when he moves].

²⁴"His heart is as hard as a stone, Indeed, as solid as a lower millstone.

²⁵"When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

²⁶"The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor [does] the spear, the dart, or the javelin.

²⁷"He considers iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood.

²⁸"The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are treated as stubble by him.

²⁹"Clubs [also] are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rushing and the rattling of the javelin.

³⁰"His underparts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery; He moves across and spreads out [grooves] like a threshing sledge on the mire (muddy river banks).

³¹"He makes the deep water boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a [foaming] pot of ointment.

³²"Behind him he makes a shining wake; One would think the deep to be gray-haired [with foam].

³³"Upon earth there is nothing like him—no equal exists, A creature made without fear.

³⁴"He looks on everything that is high [without terror]; He is monarch over all the sons of pride. [And now, Job, who are you who does not dare to disturb the beast, yet who dares resist Me, the beast's creator? Everything under the heavens is Mine; therefore, who can have a claim against God?]"

¹A Psalm of David. Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul, And all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name.

²Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits;

³Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases;

⁴Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy;

⁵Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.

⁶The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all the oppressed.

⁷He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in compassion and lovingkindness.

⁹He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.

¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins [as we deserve], Nor rewarded us [with punishment] according to our wickedness.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].

¹²As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

¹³Just as a father loves his children, So the LORD loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].

¹⁴For He knows our [mortal] frame; He remembers that we are [merely] dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass; Like a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

¹⁶For the wind passes over it and it is no more, And its place knows it no longer.

¹⁷But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [reverently] fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children,

¹⁸To those who honor and keep His covenant, And remember to do His commandments [imprinting His word on their hearts].

¹⁹The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all [the universe].

²⁰Bless the LORD, you His angels, You mighty ones who do His commandments, Obeying the voice of His word!

²¹Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him and do His will.

²²Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul!

¹The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

²Treasures of wickedness and ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness and moral integrity in daily life rescues from death.

³The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger [God will meet all his needs], But He will reject and cast away the craving of the wicked.

⁴Poor is he who works with a negligent and idle hand, But the hand of the diligent makes him rich.

⁵He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully.

⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God], But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

⁷The memory of the righteous [person] is a [source of] blessing, But the name of the wicked will [be forgotten and] rot [like a corpse].

⁸The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction), But the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

⁹He who walks in integrity and with moral character walks securely, But he who takes a crooked way will be discovered and punished.

¹⁰He who [maliciously] winks the eye [of evil intent] causes trouble; And the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

¹²Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another's faults].

¹³On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found, But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.

¹⁴Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart], But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

¹⁵The rich man's wealth is his fortress; The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life, The income of the wicked, punishment.

¹⁷He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing], But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin].

¹⁸He who hides hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable, But he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver (greatly valued); The heart of the wicked is worth little.

²¹The lips of the righteous feed and guide many, But fools [who reject God and His wisdom] die for lack of understanding.

²²The blessing of the LORD brings [true] riches, And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God].

²³Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin], But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

²⁴What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted.

²⁵When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him to work.

²⁷The [reverent] fear of the LORD [worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect] prolongs one's life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

²⁸The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy, But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing.

²⁹The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But it is ruin to those who do evil.

³⁰The [consistently] righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

³¹The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

³²The lips of the righteous know (speak) what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked knows (speaks) what is perverted (twisted).

¹Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel,

²"The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.

³"The God of Israel, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, 'He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God,

⁴Is like the morning light when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, When the fresh grass springs out of the earth Through sunshine after rain.'

⁵"Truly is not my house so [blessed] with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured. For will He not cause to grow and prosper All my salvation and my every wish? Will He not make it grow and prosper?

⁶"But the wicked and worthless are all to be thrown away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken with the hand;

⁷"But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they are utterly burned and consumed by fire in their place."

⁸These are the names of the mighty men (warriors) whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, also called Adino the Eznite (spear) because of the eight hundred men killed [by him] at one time.

⁹Next to him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three mighty men with David when they taunted and defied the Philistines assembled there for battle, and the men of Israel had gone.

¹⁰Eleazar stood up and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; the people returned after him only to take the spoil [of the slain].

¹¹Next to Eleazar was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines were gathered into an army where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people [of Israel] fled from the Philistines.

¹²But he took his stand in the center of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.

¹³Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David at harvest time in the cave of Adullam, while an army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁴David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

¹⁵And David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"

¹⁶So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out [in worship] to the LORD.

¹⁷And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should drink this. [Is it not the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

¹⁸Now Abishai the brother of Joab the son of Zeruiah was chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and gained a reputation beside the three.

¹⁹He was the most honored of the thirty, so he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the [greatness of the] three.

²⁰Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many notable acts, killed two [famous] warriors of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.

²¹And he killed an Egyptian, an impressive and handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed the man with his own spear.

²²These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and gained a reputation beside the three mighty men.

²³He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the [greatness of the] three. David appointed him over his guard.

²⁴Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; then Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁵Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod,

²⁶Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa,

²⁷Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah,

²⁹Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjamites,

³⁰Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

³¹Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³²Eliahba of Shaalbon, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

³³Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,

³⁴Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai the son of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Giloh,

³⁵Hezro (Hezrai) of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

³⁷Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

³⁸Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

³⁹Uriah the Hittite—thirty-seven in all.

¹Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah the son of Josiah king in the land of Judah so he reigned as king instead of Coniah (also called Jeconiah and Jehoiachin) the son of Jehoiakim.

²But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD which He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah.

³Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah [along] with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Please pray [now] to the LORD our God for us."

⁴Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not [yet] put him in prison.

⁵Meanwhile, Pharaoh's army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

⁶Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah:

⁷"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'This is what you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt, to their own land.

⁸And the Chaldeans [of Babylon] will come again and fight against this city, and they will capture it and set it on fire."'

⁹Thus says the LORD, 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will certainly stay away from us," for they will not stay away.

¹⁰For even if you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only the wounded men among them, yet they would rise up, every man confined in his tent, and burn down this city with fire.'"

¹¹Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans departed from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's [approaching] army,

¹²that Jeremiah left Jerusalem [during the withdrawal of the Chaldean invaders] to go to [Anathoth, his hometown, in] the land of Benjamin to take possession of [the title to] the land [which he had purchased] there among the people.

¹³When he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he seized and arrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are deserting to join the Chaldeans [of Babylon]!"

¹⁴But Jeremiah said, "That is a lie! I am not deserting to join the Chaldeans." But the guard would not listen to him. So Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the princes (court officials).

¹⁵The princes were enraged with Jeremiah and beat him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe—for they had made that the prison.

¹⁶When Jeremiah had come into the vaulted cell in the dungeon and had remained there many days,

¹⁷Zedekiah the king sent and brought him out; and in his palace the king secretly asked him, "Is there any word from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is!" Then he said, "You will be handed over to the king of Babylon."

¹⁸Moreover, Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "In what way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

¹⁹Where then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land?'

²⁰Therefore now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my petition come before you and be acceptable and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there."

²¹Then King Zedekiah commanded, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse, and a [round] loaf of bread from the bakers' street was given to him daily, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained [imprisoned] in the court of the guardhouse.

¹It happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper [inland] districts and came down to Ephesus, and found some disciples.

²He asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [in Jesus as the Christ]?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

³And he asked, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."

⁴Paul said, "John performed a baptism of repentance, continually telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, [to confidently accept and joyfully believe] in Jesus [the Messiah and Savior]."

⁵After hearing this, they were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus.

⁶And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and prophesying.

⁷There were about twelve men in all.

⁸And he went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

⁹But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient [to the word of God], discrediting and speaking evil of the Way (Jesus, Christianity) before the congregation, Paul left them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus [instead of in the synagogue].

¹⁰This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], Jews as well as Greeks, heard the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

¹¹God was doing extraordinary and unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

¹²so that even handkerchiefs or face-towels or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out [of them].

¹³Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists also attempted to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I implore you and solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!"

¹⁴Seven sons of one [named] Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

¹⁵But the evil spirit retorted, "I know and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, but as for you, who are you?"

¹⁶Then the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they ran out of that house [in terror, stripped] naked and wounded.

¹⁷This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and exalted.

¹⁸Many of those who had become believers were coming, confessing and disclosing their [former sinful] practices.

¹⁹And many of those who had practiced magical arts collected their books and [throwing book after book on the pile] began burning them in front of everyone. They calculated their value and found it to be50,000 pieces of silver.

²⁰So the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] was growing greatly and prevailing.

²¹Now after these events, Paul determined in the Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of the Greek mainland), and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome [and preach the good news of salvation]."

²²And after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia [ahead of him], he stayed on in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor] for a while.

²³About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way (Jesus, Christianity).

²⁴Now a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [the goddess] Artemis (Diana), was bringing no small profit to the craftsmen.

²⁵These [craftsmen] he called together, along with the workmen of similar trades, and said, "Men, you are well aware that we make a good living from this business.

²⁶You see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but almost all over [the province of] Asia, this Paul has persuaded [people to believe his teaching] and has misled a large number of people, claiming that gods made by [human] hands are not really gods at all.

²⁷Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will be discredited, but also that the [magnificent] temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and that she whom all Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned and lose her glorious magnificence."

²⁸When they heard this, they were filled with rage, and they began shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

²⁹Then the city was filled with confusion; and people rushed together [as a group] into the amphitheater, dragging along with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions.

³⁰Paul wanted to go into the [pagan] assembly, but the disciples would not let him.

³¹Even some of the Asiarchs (officials) who were his friends sent word to him and repeatedly warned him not to venture into the amphitheater.

³²Now some shouted one thing and some another, for the gathering was in confusion and most of the people did not know why they had come together.

³³Some of the crowd advised Alexander [to speak], since the Jews had pushed him forward; and Alexander motioned with his hand [for attention] and intended to make a defense to the people.

³⁴But when they realized that he was a Jew, a single outcry went up from the crowd as they shouted for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

³⁵After the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of that [ sacred stone image of her] which fell from the sky?

³⁶So, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and stay calm and not do anything rash.

³⁷For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.

³⁸So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another there.

³⁹But if you want anything beyond this, it will be settled in the lawful assembly.

⁴⁰For we are running the risk of being accused of rioting in regard to today's events, and since there is no reason for it, we will be unable to give an account and justify this disorderly gathering."

⁴¹And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.