Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹The beginning of the [facts regarding the] good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

²As it is written and forever remains in the [writings of the] prophet Isaiah: "Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way—

³A voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!'"

⁴John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins [that is, requiring a change of one's old way of thinking, turning away from sin and seeking God and His righteousness].

⁵And all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem were continually going out to him; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

⁶John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a [wide] leather band around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷And he was preaching, saying, "After me comes He who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the straps of His sandals [even as His slave].

⁸As for me, I baptized you [who came to me] with water [only]; but He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit."

⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁰Immediately coming up out of the water, he (John) saw the heavens torn open, and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him (Jesus);

¹¹and a voice came out of heaven saying: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!"

¹²Immediately the [Holy] Spirit forced Him out into the wilderness.

¹³He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted [to do evil] by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered continually to Him.

¹⁴Now after John [the Baptist] was arrested and taken into custody, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good news of [the kingdom of] God,

¹⁵and saying, "The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God's purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation]."

¹⁶As Jesus was walking by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon [Peter] and Simon's brother, Andrew, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.

¹⁷And Jesus said to them, " Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men."

¹⁸Immediately they left their nets and followed Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

¹⁹Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who were also in the boat mending and cleaning the nets.

²⁰Immediately Jesus called to them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers, and went away to follow Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

²¹They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

²²They were completely amazed at His teaching; because He was teaching them as one having [God-given] authority, and not as the scribes.

²³Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out [terribly from the depths of his throat],

²⁴saying, " What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!"

²⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet (muzzled, silenced), and come out of him!"

²⁶The unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions, and screeching with a loud voice, came out of him.

²⁷They were all so amazed that they debated and questioned each other, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits (demons), and they obey Him."

²⁸Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere throughout the district surrounding Galilee.

²⁹And immediately they left the synagogue and went into the house of Simon [Peter] and Andrew, accompanied by James and John.

³⁰Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they told Him about her.

³¹Jesus went to her, and taking her by the hand, raised her up; and the fever left her, and she began to serve them [as her guests].

³²Now when evening came, after the sun had set [and the Sabbath Day had ended, in a steady stream] they were bringing to Him all who were sick and those who were under the power of demons,

³³until [it seemed as though] the whole city had gathered together at the door.

³⁴And Jesus healed many who were suffering with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him [recognizing Him as the Son of God].

³⁵Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left [the house], and went out to a secluded place, and was praying there.

³⁶Simon [Peter] and his companions searched [everywhere, looking anxiously] for Him,

³⁷and they found Him and said, "Everybody is looking for You!"

³⁸He replied, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so I may preach there also; that is why I came [from the Father]."

³⁹So He went throughout Galilee, preaching [the gospel] in their synagogues and casting out demons.

⁴⁰And a leper came to Him, begging Him and falling on his knees before Him, saying, "If You are willing, You are able to make me clean."

⁴¹Moved with compassion [for his suffering], Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

⁴²The leprosy left him immediately and he was cleansed [completely healed and restored to health].

⁴³And Jesus [deeply moved] admonished him sternly and sent him away immediately,

⁴⁴saying to him, "See that you tell no one anything [about this]; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your purification what Moses commanded, as proof to them [that you are really healed]."

⁴⁵But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news [of his healing], to such an extent that Jesus could no longer openly enter a city [where He was known], but stayed out in the unpopulated places; yet people were still coming to Him from everywhere.

¹The LORD spoke [by special revelation] to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) on the first day of the second month in the second year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, saying,

²"Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head

³from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go out to war. You and Aaron shall number them, army by army.

⁴And with you there shall be a man [to assist you] from each tribe, each being the head of his father's household.

⁵These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from [the tribe of] Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;

⁶from [the tribe of] Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

⁷from [the tribe of] Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

⁸from [the tribe of] Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;

⁹from [the tribe of] Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

¹⁰from the sons (descendants) of Joseph: from [the tribe of] Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from [the tribe of] Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;

¹¹from [the tribe of] Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

¹²from [the tribe of] Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

¹³from [the tribe of] Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;

¹⁴from [the tribe of] Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

¹⁵from [the tribe of] Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

¹⁶These men were the ones called from the congregation, the leaders of their fathers' (ancestors') tribes; they were the heads of thousands [the highest ranking officers] in Israel."

¹⁷So Moses and Aaron took these men who were designated by name,

¹⁸and assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they registered by ancestry in their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,

¹⁹just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

²⁰The sons of Reuben, Israel's (Jacob's) firstborn, their generations, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²¹those of the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

²²Of the sons of Simeon, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, their numbered men according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²³those of the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

²⁴Of the sons of Gad, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²⁵those of the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

²⁶Of the sons of Judah, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²⁷those of the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

²⁸Of the sons of Issachar, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²⁹those of the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

³⁰Of the sons of Zebulun, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³¹those of the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

³²Of the sons of Joseph: the sons (descendants) of Ephraim, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³³those of the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

³⁴Of the sons of Manasseh, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³⁵those of the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

³⁶Of the sons of Benjamin, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³⁷those of the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

³⁸Of the sons of Dan, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³⁹those of the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

⁴⁰Of the sons of Asher, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

⁴¹those of the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

⁴²Of the sons of Naphtali, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

⁴³those of the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

⁴⁴These were the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers' household.

⁴⁵So all those numbered of the sons of Israel, by their fathers' households, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war in Israel,

⁴⁶all who were numbered were 603,550.

⁴⁷The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers' tribe.

⁴⁸For the LORD had said to Moses,

⁴⁹"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel [since they are unavailable to go to war].

⁵⁰But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle (sanctuary) of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings and all things that belong to it. They shall carry the tabernacle [when traveling] and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and camp around it.

⁵¹When the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to [be set up for] camp, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman (non-Levite) who approaches the tabernacle shall be put to death.

⁵²The Israelites shall camp according to their armies, every man by his own camp and every man by his own [tribal] standard (banner).

⁵³But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, so that there will be no wrath against the congregation of the Israelites. The Levites shall be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony."

⁵⁴Thus the sons of Israel did these things; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so they did.

¹Now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you about the grace of God which has been evident in the churches of Macedonia [awakening in them a longing to contribute];

²for during an ordeal of severe distress, their abundant joy and their deep poverty [together] overflowed in the wealth of their lavish generosity.

³For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily,

⁴begging us insistently for the privilege of participating in the service for [the support of] the saints [in Jerusalem].

⁵Not only [did they give materially] as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His representatives] by the will of God [disregarding their personal interests and giving as much as they possibly could].

⁶So we urged Titus that, as he began it, he should also complete this gracious work among you as well.

⁷But just as you excel in everything, [and lead the way] in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in genuine concern, and in your love for us, see that you excel in this gracious work [of giving] also.

⁸I am not saying this as a command [to dictate to you], but to prove, by [pointing out] the enthusiasm of others, the sincerity of your love as well.

⁹For you are recognizing [more clearly] the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).

¹⁰I give you my opinion in this matter: this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to take action [to help the believers in Jerusalem], but also [the first] to desire to do it.

¹¹So now finish this, so that your eagerness in desiring it may be equaled by your completion of it, according to your ability.

¹²For if the eagerness [to give] is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

¹³For it is not [intended] that others be relieved [of their responsibility] and that you be burdened [unfairly], but that there be equality [in sharing the burden]—

¹⁴at this present time your surplus [over necessities] is going to supply their need, so that [at some other time] their surplus may be given to supply your need, that there may be equality;

¹⁵as it is written [in Scripture], "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not lack."

¹⁶But thanks be to God who puts the same genuine concern for you in the heart of Titus.

¹⁷For Titus not only accepted our appeal, but was so very interested in you that he has gone to visit you of his own accord.

¹⁸And we have sent along with him the brother who is praised in the gospel [ministry] throughout all the churches;

¹⁹and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in regard to this gracious offering which we are administering for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our eagerness [as believers to help one another].

²⁰We are taking precaution so that no one will [find anything with which to] discredit us in our administration of this generous gift.

²¹For we have regard for what is honorable [and above suspicion], not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²²We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found to be diligent in many things, but who is now even more diligent [than ever] because of his great confidence in you.

²³As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker in your service; and as for the [other two] brothers, they are [special] messengers of the churches, a glory and credit to Christ.

²⁴Therefore, show these men, in the sight of the churches, the proof of your love and our reason for being proud of you.

¹Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow (halo) over his head; and his face was like the sun, and his feet (legs) were like columns of fire;

²and he had a little book (scroll) open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land;

³and he shouted with a loud voice, like the roaring of a lion [compelling attention and inspiring awe]; and when he had shouted out, the seven peals of thunder spoke with their own voices [uttering their message in distinct words].

⁴And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them down."

⁵Then the angel whom I had seen standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand [to swear an oath] to heaven,

⁶and swore [an oath] by [the name of] Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer,

⁷but when it is time for the trumpet call of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God [that is, His hidden purpose and plan] is finished, as He announced the gospel to His servants the prophets.

⁸Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking to me, and saying, "Go, take the book (scroll) which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."

⁹So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."

¹⁰So I took the little book from the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey; but once I had swallowed it, my stomach was bitter.

¹¹Then they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and languages and kings."

¹"I am the rose [of the plain] of Sharon, The lily of the valleys [that grows in deep places]."

²(The Bridegroom) "Like the lily among the thorns, So are you, my darling, among the maidens."

³(The Shulammite Bride) "Like an apple tree [rare and welcome] among the trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the young men! In his shade I took great delight and sat down, And his fruit was sweet and delicious to my palate.

⁴"He has brought me to his banqueting place, And his banner over me is love [waving overhead to protect and comfort me].

⁵"Sustain me with raisin cakes, Refresh me with apples, Because I am sick with love.

⁶"Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me."

⁷(The Bridegroom) "I command that you take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field [which run free], That you do not rouse nor awaken my love Until she pleases."

⁸(The Shulammite Bride) "Listen! My beloved! Behold, he comes, Climbing on the mountains, Leaping and running on the hills!

⁹"My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, He is looking through the windows, He is gazing through the lattice.

¹⁰"My beloved speaks and says to me, 'Arise, my love, my fair one, And come away.

¹¹'For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone.

¹²'The flowers appear on the earth once again; The time for singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

¹³'The fig tree has budded and ripens her figs, And the vines are in blossom and give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, And come away [to climb the rocky steps of the hillside].'"

¹⁴(The Bridegroom) "O my dove, [here] in the clefts in the rock, In the sheltered and secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely."

¹⁵(The Chorus) "Catch the foxes for us, The little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards [of love], While our vineyards are in blossom."

¹⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "My beloved is mine and I am his; He pastures his flock among the lilies.

¹⁷"Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Return quickly, my beloved, and be like a gazelle Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether [which separate us]."

¹O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.

²Oh let Israel say, "His lovingkindness endures forever."

³Oh let the house of Aaron say, "His lovingkindness endures forever."

⁴Oh let those who [reverently] fear the LORD, say, "His lovingkindness endures forever."

⁵Out of my distress I called on the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me free.

⁶The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can [mere] man do to me?

⁷The LORD is on my side, He is among those who help me; Therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes.

¹⁰All nations encompassed me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off.

¹¹They encompassed me, yes, they surrounded me [on every side]; In the name of the LORD I will cut them off.

¹²They swarmed around me like bees; They flare up and are extinguished like a fire of thorns; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off.

¹³You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling, But the LORD helped me.

¹⁴The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

¹⁵The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

¹⁶The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

¹⁷I will not die, but live, And declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the LORD.

¹⁸The LORD has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous will enter through it.

²¹I will give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me; And You have become my salvation [my Rescuer, my Savior].

²²The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.

²³This is from the LORD and is His doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵O LORD, save now, we beseech You; O LORD, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success!

²⁶Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD; We have blessed you from the house of the LORD [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship].

²⁷The LORD is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy]. Bind the festival sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I give thanks to You; [You are] my God, I extol You.

²⁹O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.

¹These are also the proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

³As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the hearts and minds of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out [the pure metal for] a vessel for the silversmith [to shape].

⁵Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not be boastfully ambitious and claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men;

⁷For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

⁸Do not rush out to argue your case [before magistrates or judges]; Otherwise what will you do in the end [when your case is lost and] When your neighbor (opponent) humiliates you?

⁹Argue your case with your neighbor himself [before you go to court]; And do not reveal another's secret,

¹⁰Or he who hears it will shame you And the rumor about you [and your action in court] will have no end.

¹¹Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken at the right time.

¹²Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise reprover to an ear that listens and learns.

¹³Like the cold of snow [brought from the mountains] in the time of harvest, So is a faithful messenger to those who send him; For he refreshes the life of his masters.

¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain Is a man who boasts falsely of gifts [he does not give].

¹⁵By patience and a calm spirit a ruler may be persuaded, And a soft and gentle tongue breaks the bone [of resistance].

¹⁶Have you found [pleasure sweet like] honey? Eat only as much as you need, Otherwise, being filled excessively, you vomit it.

¹⁷Let your foot seldom be in your neighbor's house, Or he will become tired of you and hate you.

¹⁸Like a club and a sword and a piercing arrow Is a man who testifies falsely against his neighbor (acquaintance).

¹⁹Like a broken tooth or an unsteady foot Is confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble.

²⁰Like one who takes off a garment in cold weather, or like [a reactive, useless mixture of] vinegar on soda, Is he who [thoughtlessly] sings [joyful] songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

²²For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head, And the LORD will reward you.

²³The north wind brings forth rain; And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.

²⁴It is better to live in a corner of the housetop [on the flat roof, exposed to the weather] Than in a house shared with a quarrelsome (contentious) woman.

²⁵Like cold water to a thirsty soul, So is good news from a distant land.

²⁶Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring Is a righteous man who yields and compromises his integrity before the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey, Nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.

²⁸Like a city that is broken down and without walls [leaving it unprotected] Is a man who has no self-control over his spirit [and sets himself up for trouble].

¹At that time Abijah the son [and crown prince, heir] of Jeroboam became sick.

²Jeroboam said to his wife, "Please get up and disguise yourself, so that people will not know that you are Jeroboam's wife, and go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there, the one who told me that I would be king over this people.

³Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a bottle of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy."

⁴Jeroboam's wife did so. She got up and went [twenty miles] to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, because his eyes were dim from old age.

⁵And the LORD said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you about her son, because he is sick. You shall say such and such to her, for when she arrives, she will pretend to be another woman."

⁶So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in the doorway, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another woman? For I have been sent to you [by God] with a harsh message.

⁷Go, tell Jeroboam, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel,

⁸and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—but you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes,

⁹but have done more evil than all [the kings] who were before you; for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back—

¹⁰therefore behold, I am bringing evil on the house (royal line) of Jeroboam, and I will cut off (destroy) from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free, in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.

¹¹The dogs will eat [the carcass of] anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat [the carcass of] anyone who dies in the field, for the LORD has spoken it."'

¹²Now as for you (Jeroboam's wife), arise, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child [Abijah] will die.

¹³All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam's family will come to [be placed in] the grave, because in him there was found something good and pleasing toward the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.

¹⁴Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house (royal line) of Jeroboam this day and from now on.

¹⁵"The LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger.

¹⁶He will give up Israel because of the sins of Jeroboam which he has committed, and with which he has made Israel sin [by leading them into idolatry]."

¹⁷So Jeroboam's wife arose and left and came to Tirzah [the king's residence]. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child [Abijah] died.

¹⁸And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

¹⁹Now as for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

²⁰The time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years, and he slept with his fathers [in death]; and Nadab his son reigned in his place.

²¹Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name (Presence). His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

²²And [the people of] Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD. They provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with their sins which they had committed.

²³For they also built for themselves high places [to worship idols] and sacred pillars and Asherim [for the goddess Asherah]. These were on every high hill and under every luxuriant tree.

²⁴There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They committed all the repulsive acts of the nations which the LORD dispossessed before the Israelites.

²⁵Now in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt [Jeroboam's brother-in-law] came up against Jerusalem.

²⁶He took away the treasures of the house (temple) of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house; he took away everything, he even took all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

²⁷So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and handed them over to the captains of the palace guard who guarded the doorway of the king's house.

²⁸And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guards would carry them and bring them back into the guardroom.

²⁹Now as for the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

³⁰There was also war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

³¹And Rehoboam slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam (Abijah) his son became king in his place.

¹Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

²He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD like all that Jehoiakim had done.

³For all this came about in Jerusalem and Judah because of the anger of the LORD, and [in the end] He cast them from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

⁴Now it came about in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem; and they camped against it and built moveable towers and siege mounds all around it.

⁵So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

⁶In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

⁷Then the city was broken into, and all the soldiers fled. They left the city at night [as Ezekiel prophesied] passing through the gate between the two walls by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. They fled by way of the Arabah (the Jordan Valley).

⁸But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and his entire army was scattered from him.

⁹Then they seized the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the [Syrian] land of Hamath [on the northern border of Israel], where he pronounced sentence on him.

¹⁰The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the princes of Judah at Riblah.

¹¹Then the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon and there he put him in prison[in a mill] until the day of his death.

¹²Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.

¹³He burned down the house of the LORD and the king's palace and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house or important structure he set on fire.

¹⁴So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

¹⁵Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took away into exile some of the poorest of the people, those who were left in the city [at the time it was captured], along with those who deserted to join the king of Babylon [during the siege] and the rest of the artisans.

¹⁶But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

¹⁷Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the pillars of bronze which belonged to the house of the LORD, and the bronze pedestals [which supported the ten basins] and the [enormous] bronze Sea, which were in the house of the LORD, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.

¹⁸They also took away the pots [for carrying away ashes] and the shovels and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.

¹⁹The captain of the guard also took away the [small] bowls and the firepans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the incense cups and the bowls for the drink offerings—whatever was made of fine gold and whatever was made of fine silver.

²⁰The two pillars, the one [enormous] Sea (basin), and the twelve bronze bulls under the Sea, and the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD—the bronze of all these things was beyond weighing.

²¹Concerning the pillars, the height of each pillar was eighteen cubits (twenty-seven feet), and a line [an ornamental molding] of twelve cubits (eighteen feet) went around its circumference; it was four fingers thick, and [the pillar was] hollow.

²²A capital of bronze was on [top of] it. The height of each capital was five cubits (seven and one-half feet), with a lattice-work and pomegranates around it, all of bronze. The second pillar also, with its pomegranates, was similar to these.

²³There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; and a hundred pomegranates were on the lattice-work all around.

²⁴Then the captain of the guard took [as prisoners] Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three doorkeepers.

²⁵He also took out of the city one official who was overseer of the soldiers, and seven of the king's advisers who were found in the city, and the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men who were still in the city.

²⁶Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

²⁷Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its own land.

²⁸This is the number of people whom Nebuchadnezzar took captive and exiled: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;

²⁹in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, [he took captive] 832 persons from Jerusalem;

³⁰in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the [Babylonian] guard took captive 745 Jewish people; there were 4,600 persons in all.

³¹Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin [also called Coniah and Jeconiah] king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.

³²He spoke kindly to him and gave him a throne above the thrones of the kings who were [captives] with him in Babylon.

³³Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly at the king's table all the days of his life.

³⁴And his allowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king of Babylon, a daily portion [according to his needs] until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

¹Now about this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint was made by the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the [ native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

²So the Twelve called the disciples together and said, "It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food.

³Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

⁴But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

⁵The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch.

⁶They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].

⁷And the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].

⁸Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people.

⁹However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen.

¹⁰But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

¹¹Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, "We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God."

¹²And they provoked and incited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court).

¹³They presented false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses];

¹⁴for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us."

¹⁵Then all those who were sitting in the Council, stared [intently] at him, and they saw that Stephen's face was like the face of an angel.