Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus [to get something to use against Him], they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven [which would support His divine authority].

²But He replied to them, " When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'

³And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a threatening look.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but cannot interpret the signs of the times?

⁴An evil and [morally] unfaithful generation craves a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of [the prophet] Jonah." Then He left them and went away.

⁵When the disciples reached the other side of the sea, they realized that they had forgotten to bring bread.

⁶Jesus said to them, "Watch out and be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

⁷They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, "He said that because we did not bring bread."

⁸But Jesus, aware of this, said, "You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you have no bread?

⁹Do you still not understand or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up?

¹⁰Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up?

¹¹How is it that you fail to understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

¹²Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [false] teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

¹³Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

¹⁴And they answered, "Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets."

¹⁵He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

¹⁶Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God."

¹⁷Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

¹⁸And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].

¹⁹I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven."

²⁰Then He gave the disciples strict orders to tell no one that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

²¹From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples [clearly] that He must go to Jerusalem, and endure many things at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be killed, and be raised [from death to life] on the third day.

²²Peter took Him aside [to speak to Him privately] and began to reprimand Him, saying, "May God forbid it! This will never happen to You."

²³But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man."

²⁴Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

²⁵For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].

²⁶For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.

²⁸"I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

¹The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

²"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When any man has a bodily discharge, his discharge is unclean.

³This shall be [the law concerning] his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body allows its discharge to flow or obstructs its flow; it is uncleanness in him.

⁴Every bed on which the one who has the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean.

⁵Whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening;

⁶and whoever sits on anything on which the man with the discharge has been sitting shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

⁷Also whoever touches the man with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

⁸And if he who has the discharge spits on one who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

⁹Any saddle on which the man with the discharge rides becomes unclean.

¹⁰Whoever touches anything that has been under him shall be unclean until evening; and whoever carries those things shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

¹¹Whomever the one with the discharge touches without rinsing his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

¹²An earthenware container that the one with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden container shall be rinsed in water.

¹³'When the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, he shall count off seven days for his purification; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean.

¹⁴On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest;

¹⁵and the priest shall offer them, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for the man before the LORD because of his discharge.

¹⁶'Now if any man has a seminal emission, he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening.

¹⁷Every garment and every leather on which there is semen shall be washed with water, and shall be unclean until evening.

¹⁸If a man lies with a woman so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

¹⁹'When a woman has a discharge, if her bodily discharge is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.

²⁰Everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean; and everything on which she sits shall be unclean.

²¹Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

²²Whoever touches anything on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

²³And if it is on her bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening.

²⁴If a man actually lies with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean for seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

²⁵'Now if a woman has a flow of blood for many days, not during the time of her menstruation, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, as long as the impure discharge continues she shall be as she is in the days of her [normal] menstrual impurity; she is unclean.

²⁶Every bed on which she lies during the time of her discharge shall be to her like the bed of her menstrual impurity, and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, like the uncleanness of her monthly period.

²⁷And whoever touches those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

²⁸When she is cleansed from her discharge, then she shall count off for herself seven days, and after that she will be clean.

²⁹Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting;

³⁰and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering; and he shall make atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge.'

³¹"Thus you shall separate the Israelites from their uncleanness, so that they do not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them."

³²This is the law for the one who has a discharge and for the one who has a seminal emission, so that he is unclean by it;

³³and for the woman who is ill because of her monthly period, and for the one who has a discharge, whether man or woman, or for a man who lies with a woman who is [ceremonially] unclean.

¹Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

²I praise and appreciate you because you remember me in everything and you firmly hold to the traditions [the substance of my instructions], just as I have passed them on to you.

³But I want you to understand that Christ is the head (authority over) of every man, and man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ.

⁴Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head [and the One who is his head].

⁵And every woman who prays or prophesies when she has her head uncovered disgraces her head; for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved [in disgrace].

⁶If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.

⁷A man ought not have his head covered [during worship], since he is the image and [reflected] glory of God; but the woman is [the expression of] man's glory.

⁸For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;

⁹for indeed man was not created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man.

¹⁰Therefore the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, for the sake of the angels [so as not to offend them].

¹¹Nevertheless, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

¹²For as the woman originates from the man, so also man is born through the woman; and all things [whether male or female] originate from God [as their Creator].

¹³Judge for yourselves; is it proper for a woman to offer prayer to God [publicly] with her head uncovered?

¹⁴Does not common sense itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him,

¹⁵but if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament and glory? For her long hair is given to her as a covering.

¹⁶Now if anyone is inclined to be contentious [about this], we have no other practice [in worship than this], nor do the churches of God [in general].

¹⁷But in giving this next instruction, I do not praise you, because when you meet together it is not for the better but for the worse.

¹⁸For, in the first place, when you meet together in church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and in part I believe it,

¹⁹for [doubtless] there have to be factions among you, so that those who are of approved character may be clearly recognized among you.

²⁰So when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper,

²¹for when you eat, each one hurries to get his own supper first [not waiting for others or the poor]. So one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

²²What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those [impoverished believers] who have nothing? What will I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? In this I will not praise you!

²³For I received from the Lord Himself that [instruction] which I passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

²⁴and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in [affectionate] remembrance of Me."

²⁵In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in [affectionate] remembrance of Me."

²⁶For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord's death until He comes [again].

²⁷So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord.

²⁸But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not recognize the body [of Christ].

³⁰That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason why many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [in death].

³¹But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged.

³²But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined [by undergoing His correction] so that we will not be condemned [to eternal punishment] along with the world.

³³So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat [the Lord's Supper], wait for one another [and see to it that no one is left out].

³⁴If anyone is too hungry [to wait], let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment [on yourselves]. About the remaining matters [of which I was informed], I will take care of them when I come.

¹Everyone who believes [with a deep, abiding trust in the fact] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is born of God [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], and everyone who loves the Father also loves the child born of Him.

²By this we know [without any doubt] that we love the children of God: [expressing that love] when we love God and obey His commandments.

³For the [true] love of God is this: that we habitually keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And His commandments and His precepts are not difficult [to obey].

⁴For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].

⁵Who is the one who is victorious and overcomes the world? It is the one who believes and recognizes the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

⁶This is He who came through water and blood [His baptism and death], Jesus Christ—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is the [Holy] Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. [He is the essence and origin of truth itself.]

⁷For there are three witnesses:

⁸the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement [their testimony is perfectly consistent].

⁹If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [that is, if we are willing to take the sworn statements of fallible humans as evidence], the testimony of God is greater [far more authoritative]; for this is the testimony of God, that He has testified regarding His Son.

¹⁰The one who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies confidently on Him as Savior] has the testimony within himself [because he can speak authoritatively about Christ from his own personal experience]. The one who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him [out to be] a liar, because he has not believed in the evidence that God has given regarding His Son.

¹¹And the testimony is this: God has given us eternal life [we already possess it], and this life is in His Son [resulting in our spiritual completeness, and eternal companionship with Him].

¹²He who has the Son [by accepting Him as Lord and Savior] has the life [that is eternal]; he who does not have the Son of God [by personal faith] does not have the life.

¹³These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [which represents all that Jesus Christ is and does], so that you will know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have eternal life.

¹⁴This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.

¹⁵And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him.

¹⁶If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, he will pray and ask [on the believer's behalf] and God will for him give life to those whose sin is not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for this [kind of sin].

¹⁷All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death [one can repent of it and be forgiven].

¹⁸We know [with confidence] that anyone born of God does not habitually sin; but He (Jesus) who was born of God [carefully] keeps and protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

¹⁹We know [for a fact] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] lies in the power of the evil one [opposing God and His precepts].

²⁰And we [have seen and] know [by personal experience] that the Son of God has [actually] come [to this world], and has given us understanding and insight so that we may [progressively and personally] know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

²¹Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God's place in your heart].

¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

²"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God's guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind]."

³What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?

⁴One generation goes and another generation comes, But the earth remains forever.

⁵Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hurries to the place where it rises again.

⁶The wind blows toward the south, Then circles toward the north; The wind circles and swirls endlessly, And on its circular course the wind returns.

⁷All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.

⁸All things are wearisome and all words are frail; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

⁹That which has been is that which will be [again], And that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰Is there anything of which it can be said, "See this, it is new"? It has already existed for [the vast] ages [of time recorded or unrecorded] Which were before us.

¹¹There is no remembrance of earlier things, Nor also of the later things that are to come; There will be for them no remembrance By generations who will come after them.

¹²I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³And I set my mind to seek and explore by [man's] wisdom all [human activity] that has been done under heaven. It is a miserable business and a burdensome task which God has given the sons of men with which to be busy and distressed.

¹⁴I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶I spoke with my heart, saying, "Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge."

¹⁷And I set my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I realized that this too is a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

¹⁸For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow.

¹O give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the people.

²Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonderful acts and devoutly praise them.

³Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those who seek and require the LORD [as their most essential need] rejoice.

⁴Seek and deeply long for the LORD and His strength [His power, His might]; Seek and deeply long for His face and His presence continually.

⁵Remember [with awe and gratitude] the wonderful things which He has done, His amazing deeds and the judgments uttered by His mouth [on His enemies, as in Egypt],

⁶O you offspring of Abraham, His servant, O you sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

⁷He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

⁸He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded and established to a thousand generations,

⁹The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His sworn oath to Isaac,

¹⁰Which He confirmed to Jacob as a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant,

¹¹Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the measured portion of your inheritance."

¹²When there were only a few men in number, Very few [in fact], and strangers in it;

¹³And they wandered from one nation to another, From one kingdom to another people,

¹⁴He allowed no man to oppress them; He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying,

¹⁵"Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."

¹⁶And He called for a famine upon the land [of Egypt]; He cut off every source of bread.

¹⁷He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

¹⁸His feet they hurt with shackles; He was put in chains of iron,

¹⁹Until the time that his word [of prophecy regarding his brothers] came true, The word of the LORD tested and refined him.

²⁰The king sent and released him, The ruler of the peoples [of Egypt], and set him free.

²¹He made Joseph lord of his house And ruler of all his possessions,

²²To imprison his princes at his will, That he might teach his elders wisdom.

²³Israel also came into Egypt; Thus Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

²⁴There the LORD greatly increased [the number of] His people, And made them more powerful than their enemies.

²⁵He turned the heart [of the Egyptians] to hate His people, To deal craftily with His servants.

²⁶He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron, whom He had chosen.

²⁷They exhibited His wondrous signs among them, Great miracles in the land of Ham (Egypt).

²⁸He sent [thick, oppressive] darkness and made the land dark; And Moses and Aaron did not rebel against His words.

²⁹He turned Egypt's waters into blood And caused their fish to die.

³⁰Their land swarmed with frogs, Even in the chambers of their kings.

³¹He spoke, and there came swarms of flies And gnats in all their territory.

³²He gave them hail for rain, With flaming fire in their land.

³³He struck their vines also and their fig trees, And shattered the [ice-laden] trees of their territory.

³⁴He spoke, and the [migratory] locusts came, And the young locusts, even without number,

³⁵And ate up all the vegetation in their land, And devoured the fruit of their ground.

³⁶He also struck down all the firstborn in their land, The first fruits and chief substance of all their strength.

³⁷He brought the sons of Israel out [of Egypt] with silver and gold, And among their tribes there was not one who stumbled.

³⁸Egypt was glad when they departed, For the dread and fear of them had fallen on the Egyptians.

³⁹The LORD spread a cloud as a covering [by day], And a fire to illumine the night.

⁴⁰The Israelites asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

⁴¹He opened the rock and water flowed out; It ran in the dry places like a river.

⁴²For He remembered His holy word To Abraham His servant;

⁴³He brought out His people with joy, And His chosen ones with a joyful shout,

⁴⁴He gave them the lands of the nations [of Canaan], So that they would possess the fruits of those peoples' labor,

⁴⁵So that they might observe His precepts And keep His laws [obediently accepting and honoring and valuing them]. Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

¹Whoever loves instruction and discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof and correction is stupid.

²A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

³A man will not be established by wickedness, But the root of the [consistently] righteous will not be moved.

⁴A virtuous and excellent wife [worthy of honor] is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him [with her foolishness] is like rottenness in his bones.

⁵The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are just (honest, reliable), But the counsels and schemes of the wicked are deceitful.

⁶The [malevolent] words of the wicked lie in wait for [innocent] blood [to slander], But the mouth of the upright will rescue and protect them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown [by their evil] and are no more, But the house of the [consistently] righteous will stand [securely].

⁸A man will be commended according to his insight and sound judgment, But the one who is of a perverse mind will be despised.

⁹Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, Than he who [boastfully] honors himself [pretending to be what he is not] and lacks bread.

¹⁰A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

¹¹He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless things lacks common sense and good judgment.

¹²The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields richer fruit.

¹³An evil man is [dangerously] ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.

¹⁴A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man's hands will return to him [as a harvest].

¹⁵The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God's wisdom] is right in his own eyes, But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.

¹⁶The [arrogant] fool's anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense], But a prudent man ignores an insult.

¹⁷He who speaks truth [when he testifies] tells what is right, But a false witness utters deceit [in court].

¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is [credited] only for a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.

²¹No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with trouble.

²²Lying lips are extremely disgusting to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

²³A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time], But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.

²⁴The hand of the diligent will rule, But the negligent and lazy will be put to forced labor.

²⁵Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good (encouraging) word makes it glad.

²⁶The righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey, But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

²⁸In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality—eternal life].

¹Now King David was old, advanced in years; they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm.

²So his servants said to him, "Let a young virgin be found for my lord the king and let her attend him and become his nurse; let her lie against your chest, so that my lord the king may feel warm."

³So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king was not intimate with her.

⁵Then Adonijah the son of [David's wife] Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I [the eldest living son] will be king." So [following Absalom's example] he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

⁶His father [David] had never rebuked him at any time by asking, "Why have you done this?" Adonijah was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.

⁷He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah [David's half sister] and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and helped him.

⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's most formidable warriors did not side with Adonijah [in his desire to become king].

⁹Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened steers by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside [the well] En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants [to this feast].

¹⁰But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the most formidable warriors, or his brother Solomon.

¹¹Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know about it?

¹²Come now, please let me advise you and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

¹³Go at once to King David and say to him, 'Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, "Solomon your son shall certainly be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?'

¹⁴Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words."

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Now the king was very old and weak, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending the king.

¹⁶So Bathsheba bowed down and paid respect to the king. And the king said, " What do you wish?"

¹⁷She said to him, "My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, saying, 'Solomon your son shall certainly be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.'

¹⁸But now, behold, Adonijah is [acting as] king; and now [as things stand], my lord the king, you do not know it.

¹⁹He has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army [to a feast], but he did not invite your servant Solomon.

²⁰Now as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you [waiting for you] to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹Otherwise it will come about when my lord the king lies down [in death] with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered political enemies."

²²While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

²³The king was told, "Here is Nathan the prophet." And when he came before the king, he bowed before the king with his face to the ground.

²⁴Then Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne'?

²⁵Because he has gone down today [to En-Rogel] and has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest [to this feast]; and [right now] they are eating and drinking in his presence; and they say, 'Long live King Adonijah!'

²⁶But he has not invited me, your servant, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.

²⁷If this thing has been done by my lord the king, why have you not shown your servants who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

²⁸King David answered, "Call Bathsheba to me." And she came into the king's presence and stood before him.

²⁹Then the king swore an oath and said, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul from all distress,

³⁰even as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, 'Solomon your son shall certainly be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place'; I will indeed do so this very day."

³¹Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, and laid herself face down before the king and said, "May my lord King David live forever!"

³²Then King David said, "Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada to me." And they came before the king.

³³The king told them, "Take the servants of your lord with you and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to [the spring at] Gihon [in the Kidron Valley].

³⁴Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, 'Long live King Solomon!'

³⁵Then you shall come up [to Jerusalem] after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and he shall reign as king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah."

³⁶Benaiah [the overseer of the king's bodyguards], the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, "Amen! (So be it!) May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so too.

³⁷Just as the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!"

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites [the king's bodyguards] went down [from Jerusalem] and had Solomon ride on King David's mule, and brought him to [the spring at] Gihon.

³⁹Zadok the priest took a horn of [olive] oil from the [sacred] tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!"

⁴⁰All the people went up after him, and they were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook and seemed to burst open with their [joyful] sound.

⁴¹Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the trumpet sound, he said, " Why is the city in such an uproar?"

⁴²While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. And Adonijah said, "Come in, for you are a valiant and trustworthy man and you bring good news."

⁴³But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, "No, on the contrary, our lord King David has made Solomon king!

⁴⁴The king has sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have had him ride on the king's [own royal] mule.

⁴⁵Also, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there celebrating, so the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard.

⁴⁶Besides, Solomon has taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom.

⁴⁷Moreover, the king's servants came to bless (congratulate) our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon better (more famous) than your name and make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed himself [before God] upon the bed.

⁴⁸The king has also said this: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one [of my descendants] to sit on my throne today and allowed my eyes to see it.'"

⁴⁹Then all Adonijah's guests were terrified [of being branded as traitors] and stood up and left the feast, and each one went on his way.

⁵⁰And Adonijah feared Solomon, and he got up and went [to the tabernacle on Mt. Zion] and took hold of the horns of the altar [seeking asylum].

⁵¹Now Solomon was told, "Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and behold, he has grasped the horns of the altar [seeking God's protection], saying, 'King Solomon must swear to me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.'"

⁵²Solomon said, "If he [proves he] is a worthy man, not even one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die."

⁵³So King Solomon sent [soldiers], and they brought Adonijah down from the altar [that was in front of the tabernacle]. And he came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house."

¹Now regarding the capture of Jerusalem: In the ninth year of [the reign of] Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it;

²and in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, they breached the wall and broke into the city.

³Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate [establishing both military control of the city and their authority to judge the captives]: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris (chief of the eunuchs), and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag (chief of the magicians), with all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.

⁴When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and escaped from the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls; and the king went out toward the Arabah (Jordan Valley).

⁵But the Chaldean (Babylonian) army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. When they had seized him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the [Aramean] land of Hamath, where he passed sentence on him.

⁶Then at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah.

⁷Moreover, he blinded Zedekiah and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

⁸The Chaldeans also burned down the king's palace and the houses of the people, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem.

⁹Then Nebuzaradan the [chief executioner and] captain of the bodyguard took the rest of the people who remained in the city, along with those who had deserted and surrendered to him, and the rest of the [so-called better class of] people who were left and carried them into exile in Babylon.

¹⁰But Nebuzaradan the [Babylonian] captain of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at that time.

¹¹Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying,

¹²"Take him and look after him; do nothing to harm him, but rather deal with him just as he asks of you."

¹³So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the Rab-saris (chief of the high officials), and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag (chief of the magicians), and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon;

¹⁴they even sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted him to Gedaliah [a prominent citizen], the son of Ahikam [who had once saved Jeremiah's life], the son of Shaphan, to take him home [with him to Mizpah]. So Jeremiah [was released and] lived among the people.

¹⁵Now the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was [still] confined in the court of the guardhouse, saying,

¹⁶"Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to bring My words [of judgment] against this city through disaster and not for good; and they will take place before you on that day.

¹⁷But I will protect you [Ebed-melech] on that day," says the LORD, "and you will not be handed over to the men of whom you are afraid.

¹⁸For I will certainly rescue you; and you will not fall by the sword, but you will have your [own] life as a reward of battle, because you have placed your trust in Me," says the LORD.'"

¹When we had torn ourselves away from them and set sail, we ran a straight course and came to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara;

²and after finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail.

³After we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on our left (port side), we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

⁴After looking up the disciples [in Tyre], we stayed there [with them] seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the [Holy] Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

⁵When our days there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey, while all of the disciples, with their wives and children, escorted us on our way until we were outside the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we told one another goodbye.

⁶Then we boarded the ship, and they returned to their homes.

⁷When we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we landed [twenty miles to the south] at Ptolemais, and after greeting the believers, we stayed with them for one day.

⁸On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven [deacons], and stayed with him.

⁹He had four virgin daughters who had the gift of prophecy.

¹⁰As we were staying there for some time, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

¹¹And coming to [see] us, he took Paul's [wide] band (belt, sash) and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this same way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this band, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles (pagans).'"

¹²Now when we had heard this, both we and the local residents began pleading with Paul trying to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul replied, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart [like this]? For I am ready not only to be bound and imprisoned, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

¹⁴And since he would not be dissuaded, we stopped pleading and fell silent, saying, "The Lord's will be done!"

¹⁵After this we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to [the house of] Mnason, a man from Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

¹⁷When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us gladly.

¹⁸On the next day Paul went with us to [see] James, and all the elders of the church were present.

¹⁹After greeting them, Paul began to give a detailed account of the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰And when they heard it, they began glorifying and praising God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all enthusiastic supporters of the Law [of Moses].

²¹Now they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are living among the Gentiles to turn away from [the Law of] Moses, advising them not to circumcise their children or to live according to the [Mosaic] customs.

²²What then should be done? They will certainly hear that you have arrived.

²³Therefore do just what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow;

²⁴take these men and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses [for the temple offerings] so that they may shave their heads. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to the things they have been told about you, but that you yourself also follow and keep the Law.

²⁵But with regard to the Gentiles who have believed [in Christ], we have sent them a letter with our decision that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from [consuming] blood and from [the meat of] what has been strangled and from sexual immorality."

²⁶Then Paul took the [four] men, and the next day he purified himself along with them [by submitting to the ritual]. He went into the temple to give notice of [the time] when the days of purification [ending each vow] would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of each one.

²⁷When the seven days [required to complete the ritual] were almost over, [some] Jews from [the province of] Asia [Minor], caught sight of him in the temple, and began to stir up the crowd, and they seized him,

²⁸shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."

²⁹For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul, and they assumed that he had brought the man into the temple [beyond the court of the Gentiles].

³⁰Then the whole city was provoked and confused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed.

³¹Now while they were trying to kill him, word came to the commander of the [Roman] garrison that all Jerusalem was in a state of upheaval.

³²So he immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down among them. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

³³Then the commander came up and arrested Paul, and ordered that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

³⁴But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others something else; and since he could not determine the facts because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken to the barracks [in the tower of Antonia].

³⁵When Paul got to the steps, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;

³⁶for the majority of the people kept following them, shouting, "Away with him! [Kill him!]"

³⁷Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" And the man replied, "Do you know Greek?

³⁸Then you are not [as I assumed] the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"

³⁹Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia (Mersin Province, Turkey), a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."

⁴⁰When the commander had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect (Jewish Aramaic), saying,