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Professor Horner’s Reading Plan
Matthew 26; Leviticus 25; 2 Corinthians 5; Revelation 7; Ecclesiastes 11; Psalms 115; Proverbs 22; 1 Kings 11; Jeremiah 49; Acts 3
Matthew 26
1When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,
2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”
3At that time the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest named Caiaphas;
4and they plotted together to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.
5But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the Leper,
7a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume, and she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.
8But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?
9For this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? For she has done a good deed for Me.
11For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.
12For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.
13Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
16And from then on he looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.
17Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
19The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve.
21And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”
22Being deeply grieved, they began saying to Him, each one: “Surely it is not I, Lord?”
23And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.
24The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been goodfor that man if he had not been born.”
25And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
26Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
29But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”
30And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31Then Jesus *said to them, “You will allfall away because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED.’
32But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33But Peter replied to Him, “Even if they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away!”
34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” All the disciples said the same thing as well.
36Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed.
38Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
40And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and He *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?
41Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit iswilling, but the flesh is weak.”
42He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.”
43Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
45Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the houris at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!”
47And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign previously, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; arrest Him.”
49And immediately Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.
51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.
53Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelvelegions of angels?
54How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a man inciting a revolt? Every day I used to sit within the temple grounds teaching, and you did not arrest Me.
56But all this has taken place so that the Scriptures of the prophets will be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
57Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
58But Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and he came inside and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.
59Now the chief priests and the entire Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.
60They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,
61and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’ ”
62The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You offer no answer for what these men are testifying against You?”
63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I place You under oath by the living God, to tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See, you have now heard the blasphemy;
66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
67Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
68and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”
69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a slave woman came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
71When he had gone out to the gateway, another slave woman saw him and *said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
73A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “You really are one of them as well, since even the way you talk gives you away.”
74Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
75And Peter remembered the statement that Jesus had made: “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Leviticus 25
1The LORD then spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying,
2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I am going to give you, then the land shall have a Sabbath to the LORD.
3For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its produce,
4but during the seventh year the land shall have a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.
5You shall not reap your harvest’s aftergrowth, and you shall not gather your grapes of untrimmed vines; the land shall have a sabbatical year.
6All of you shall have the Sabbath produce of the land as food; for yourself, your male and female slaves, and your hired worker and your foreign resident, those who live as strangers among you.
7Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its produce to eat.
8‘You are also to count off seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven Sabbaths of years, that is, forty-nine years.
9You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land.
10So you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.
11You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor harvest its aftergrowth, nor gather grapes from its untrimmed vines.
12For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its produce from the field.
13‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.
14Furthermore, if you make a sale to your friend, or buy from your friend’s hand, you shall not wrong one another.
15Corresponding to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to you according to the number of years of crops.
16In proportion to a greater number of years you shall increase its price, and in proportion to fewer years you shall decrease its price, because it is the number of crops that he is selling to you.
17So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.
18‘You shall therefore follow My statutes and keep My judgments so as to carry them out, so that you may live securely on the land.
19Then the land will yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it.
20But if you say, “What are we going to eat in the seventh year if we do not sow nor gather in our produce?”
21then I will so order My blessing for you in the sixth year that it will bring forth the produce for three years.
22When you are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the produce, eating the old until the ninth year when its produce comes in.
23‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine; for you are only strangers and residents with Me.
24So for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land.
25‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor that he sells part of his property, then his closest redeemer is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.
26Or in case someone has no redeemer, but recovers to find sufficient means for its redemption,
27then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property.
28But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, so that he may return to his property.
29‘Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then his redemption right remains valid until a full year after its sale; his right of redemption lasts a full year.
30But if it is not bought back for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee.
31The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall, shall be regarded as open fields; they have redemption rights and revert in the jubilee.
32As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession.
33What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed, and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel.
34But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their permanent possession.
35‘Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means among you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a resident, so that he may live with you.
36Do not take any kind of interest from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may live with you.
37You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for profit.
38I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
39‘Now if a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service.
40He shall be with you as a hired worker, as if he were a foreign resident; he shall serve with you up to the year of jubilee.
41He shall then leave you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, so that he may return to the property of his forefathers.
42For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale.
43You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.
44As for your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you.
45You may also acquire them from the sons of the foreign residents who reside among you, and from their families who are with you, whom they will have produced in your land; they also may become your possession.
46You may also pass them on as an inheritance to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one another.
47‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a foreign resident with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes poor in relation to him and sells himself to a stranger who is residing with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family,
48then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him,
49or his uncle, or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.
50He then, with his purchaser, shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years calculated. It is like the days of a hired worker that he will be with him.
51If there are still many years remaining, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption;
52but if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption.
53He shall be with him like a worker hired year by year; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight.
54Even if he is not redeemed by these means, he shall still leave in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him.
55For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
2 Corinthians 5
1For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens.
2For indeed, in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
3since in fact after putting it on, we will not be found naked.
4For indeed, we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.
5Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a pledge.
6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—
7for we walk by faith, not by sight—
8but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
9Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.
11Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but we are well known to God; and I hope that we are also well known in your consciences.
12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.
13For if we have lost our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
14For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
15and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.
16Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Revelation 7
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.
2And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
3saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
6from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
7from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
8from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;
10and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
13Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?”
14I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
16They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat;
17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Ecclesiastes 11
1Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.
2Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
3If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.
4One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest.
5Just as you do not know the path of the wind, and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes everything.
6Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
7The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
8Indeed, if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
9Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.
10So remove sorrow from your heart and keep pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
Psalms 115
1Not to us, LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.
2Why should the nations say, “Where, then, is their God?”
3But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
4Their idols are silver and gold, The work of human hands.
5They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see;
6They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell;
7They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat.
8Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.
9Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
10House of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
11You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
12The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
13He will bless those who fear the LORD, The small together with the great.
14May the LORD increase you, You and your children.
15May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth.
16The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to the sons of mankind.
17The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence;
18But as for us, we will bless the LORD From this time and forever. Praise the LORD!
Proverbs 22
1A good name is to be more desired than great wealth; Favor is better than silver and gold.
2The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the Maker of them all.
3A prudent person sees evil and hides himself, But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
4The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor, and life.
5Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; One who guards himself will be far from them.
6Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
7The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
8One who sows injustice will reap disaster, And the rod of his fury will perish.
9One who is generous will be blessed, Because he gives some of his food to the poor.
10Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave, Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.
11One who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
12The eyes of the LORD protect knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous person.
13The lazy one says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!”
14The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the LORD will fall into it.
15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16One who oppresses the poor to make more for himself, Or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
17Extend your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge;
18For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, So that they may be ready on your lips.
19So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, you indeed.
20Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,
21To make you know the certainty of the words of truth, So that you may correctly answer him who sent you?
22Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor crush the needy at the gate;
23For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.
24Do not make friends with a person given to anger, Or go with a hot-tempered person,
25Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.
26Do not be among those who shake hands, Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27If you have nothing with which to repay, Why should he take your bed from under you?
28Do not move the ancient boundary Which your fathers have set.
29Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure people.
1 Kings 11
1Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,
2from the nations of which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you; they will certainly turn your heart away to follow their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.
3He had seven hundred wives, who were princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away.
4For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of his father David had been.
5For Solomon became a follower of Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and of Milcom the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites.
6So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as his father David had done.
7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab, on the mountain that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abhorrent idol of the sons of Ammon.
8He also did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
10and had commanded him regarding this thing, that he was not to follow other gods; but he did not comply with what the LORD had commanded.
11So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will certainly tear the kingdom away from you, and will give it to your servant.
12However, I will not do it in your days, only for the sake of your father David; but I will tear it away from the hand of your son.
13Yet I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
14Then the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the royal line in Edom.
15For it came about, when David was in Edom and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury those killed in battle, and had struck and killed every male in Edom
16(for Joab and all Israel stayed there for six months, until he had eliminated every male in Edom),
17that Hadad fled to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, while Hadad was a young boy.
18They set out from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him food and gave him land.
19Now Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
20And the sister of Tahpenes gave birth to his son Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh.
21But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David lay down with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, so that I may go to my own country.”
22However, Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me that you are here, requesting to go to your own country?” And he answered, “Nothing; nevertheless you must let me go.”
23God also raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer, king of Zobah.
24And he gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David killed those of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and stayed there, and reigned in Damascus.
25So he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, along with the harm that Hadad inflicted; and he felt disgust for Israel and reigned over Aram.
26Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.
27Now this was the reason why he rebelled against the king: Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of his father David.
28Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.
29And it came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field.
30Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces.
31And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am going to tear the kingdom away from the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes
32(but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel),
33because they have abandoned Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and keeping My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.
34Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who kept My commandments and My statutes;
35but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you; that is, ten tribes.
36But to his son I will give one tribe, so that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name.
37However I will take you, and you shall reign over all that you desire, and you shall be king over Israel.
38Then it shall be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by keeping My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.
39So I will oppress the descendants of David for this, but not always.’ ”
40Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam set out and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon?
42So the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43Then Solomon lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
Jeremiah 49
1Concerning the sons of Ammon. This is what the LORD says: “Does Israel have no sons? Or has he no heirs? Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad, And his people settled in its cities?
2Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will cause an alarm of war to be heard Against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; And it will become a desolate heap, And her towns will be set on fire. Then Israel will take possession of his possessors,” Says the LORD.
3“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed! Cry out, daughters of Rabbah, Put on sackcloth and mourn, And move about inside the walls; For Malcam will go into exile Together with his priests and his leaders.
4How you boast about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, You backsliding daughter Who trusts in her treasures, saying, ‘Who can come against me?’
5Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you,” Declares the Lord GOD of armies, “From all directions around you; And you will be driven away one after another, With no one to gather the fugitives together.
6But afterward I will restore The fortunes of the sons of Ammon,” Declares the LORD.
7Concerning Edom. This is what the LORD of armies says: “Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good advice been lost by the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
8Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths, You inhabitants of Dedan, For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him At the time I punish him.
9If grape pickers came to you, Would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, They would destroy only what was sufficient for them.
10But I have stripped Esau bare, I have uncovered his hiding places So that he will not be able to conceal himself; His offspring have been destroyed along with his brothers And his neighbors, and he no longer exists.
11Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive; And let your widows trust in Me.”
12For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, so are you the one who will be held completely blameless? You will not be held blameless, but you will certainly drink it.
13For I have sworn by Myself,” declares the LORD, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a disgrace, a wasteland, and a curse; and all its cities will become permanent ruins.”
14I have heard a message from the LORD, And a messenger is being sent among the nations, saying, “Gather yourselves together and come against her, And rise up for battle!”
15“For behold, I have made you small among the nations, Despised among people.
16As for the terror you cause, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” declares the LORD.
17“Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be appalled and will hiss at all its wounds.
18Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the LORD, “no one will live there, nor will anyone of mankind reside in it.
19Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will chase him away from it, and I will appoint over it whoever is chosen. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?”
20Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has in mind against the inhabitants of Teman: they will certainly drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; He will certainly make their pasture desolate because of them.
21The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea.
22Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle, and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the warriors of Edom on that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
23Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They despair. There is anxiety at the sea, It cannot be calmed.
24Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and labor pains have seized her Like a woman in childbirth.
25How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy!
26Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will perish on that day,” declares the LORD of armies.
27“I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified palace of Ben-hadad.”
28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. This is what the LORD says: “Arise, go up to Kedar And devastate the people of the east.
29They will take away their tents and their flocks; They will carry off for themselves Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, And they will call out to one another, ‘Horror on every side!’
30Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, You inhabitants of Hazor,” declares the LORD; “For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you And devised a scheme against you.
31Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, Which lives securely,” declares the LORD. “It has no gates or bars; They dwell alone.
32Their camels will become plunder, And their many livestock for spoils, And I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair; And I will bring their disaster from every side,” declares the LORD.
33“Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, A desolation forever; No one will live there, Nor will anyone of mankind reside in it.”
34The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying:
35“This is what the LORD of armies says: ‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, The finest of their might.
36I will bring upon Elam the four winds From the four ends of heaven, And will scatter them to all these winds; And there will be no nation To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37So I will shatter Elam before their enemies And before those who seek their lives; And I will bring disaster upon them, Even My fierce anger,’ declares the LORD, ‘And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.
38Then I will set My throne in Elam, And eliminate from there the king and officials,’ Declares the LORD.
39‘But it will come about in the last days That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’ ” Declares the LORD.
Acts 3
1Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
2And a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order for him to beg for charitable gifts from those entering the temple grounds.
3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple grounds, he began asking to receive a charitable gift.
4But Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us!”
5And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”
7And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.
8And leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
10and they recognized him as being the very one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg for charitable gifts, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
11While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the portico named Solomon’s, completely astonished.
12But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why are you staring at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?
13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
14But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15but put to death the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.
16And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers also did.
18But the things which God previously announced by the mouths of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has fulfilled in this way.
19Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
20and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
21whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things, about which God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets from ancient times.
22Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR COUNTRYMEN; TO HIM YOU SHALL LISTEN regarding everything He says to you.
23And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
24And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and his successors onward, have also announced these days.
25It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’
26God raised up His Servant for you first, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”