Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Jesus returned to Capernaum, and a few days later the news went out that He was at home.

²So many people gathered together that there was no longer room [for them], not even near the door; and Jesus was discussing with them the word [of God].

³Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men.

⁴When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug out an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying.

⁵When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

⁶But some of the scribes were sitting there debating in their hearts [the implication of what He had said],

⁷"Why does this man talk that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins [remove guilt, nullify sin's penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?"

⁸Immediately Jesus, being fully aware [of their hostility] and knowing in His spirit that they were thinking this, said to them, "Why are you debating and arguing about these things in your hearts?

⁹Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your mat and walk'?

¹⁰But so that you may know that the Son of Man has the authority and power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralyzed man,

¹¹"I say to you, get up, pick up your mat and go home."

¹²And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before them all, so that they all were astonished and they glorified and praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

¹³Jesus went out again along the [Galilean] seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

¹⁴As He was passing by, He saw Levi (Matthew) the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax collector's booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk]." And he got up and followed Him [becoming His disciple, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

¹⁵And it happened that Jesus was reclining at the table in Levi's house, and many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] were eating with Him and His disciples; for there were many of them and they were following Him.

¹⁶When the scribes [belonging to the sect] of the Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with the sinners [including non-observant Jews] and tax collectors, they asked His disciples, "Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹⁷When Jesus heard this, He said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but [only] those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners [who recognize their sin and humbly seek forgiveness]."

¹⁸Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting [as a ritual]; and they came and asked Jesus, "Why are John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not doing so?"

¹⁹Jesus answered, "The attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is [still] with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom is [forcefully] taken away from them, and they will fast at that time.

²¹"No one sews a patch of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse.

²²No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

²³One Sabbath He was walking along [with His disciples] through the grainfields, and as they went along, His disciples began picking the heads of grain.

²⁴The Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"

²⁵Jesus said to them, "Have you never read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and his companions;

²⁶how he went into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and how he also gave it to the men who were with him?"

²⁷Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath [and He has authority over it]."

¹The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

²"The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' households; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle), but at a distance.

³Those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, by their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall lead the sons of Judah,

⁴and his army as numbered totaled 74,600.

⁵Next to Judah [on the east side] the tribe of Issachar shall encamp; and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall lead the sons of Issachar,

⁶and his army as numbered totaled 54,400.

⁷Then [also on the east side] the tribe of Zebulun; and Eliab the son of Helon shall lead the sons of Zebulun,

⁸and his army as numbered totaled 57,400.

⁹The total of the numbered men [in the three tribes on the east side] in the camp of Judah was 186,400, by their armies. They shall move out first [on the march].

¹⁰"On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben, by their armies; and Elizur the son of Shedeur shall lead the sons of Reuben,

¹¹and his army as numbered totaled 46,500.

¹²Those who camp next to Reuben [on the south side] shall be the tribe of Simeon; and Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai shall lead the sons of Simeon,

¹³and his army as numbered totaled 59,300.

¹⁴Then [completing the south side] the tribe of Gad; and Eliasaph the son of Reuel (Deuel) shall lead the sons of Gad,

¹⁵and his army as numbered totaled 45,650.

¹⁶The total of the numbered men [in the three tribes on the south side] in the camp of Reuben was 151,450, by their armies. They shall move out second [on the march].

¹⁷"Then the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the [other] camps; just as they camp so shall they move out, every man in his place by their standards.

¹⁸"On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim, by their armies; and Elishama the son of Ammihud shall lead the sons of Ephraim,

¹⁹and his army as numbered totaled 40,500.

²⁰Beside Ephraim [on the west side] shall be the tribe of Manasseh; and Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur shall lead the sons of Manasseh,

²¹and his army as numbered totaled 32,200.

²²Then [completing the west side shall be] the tribe of Benjamin; and Abidan the son of Gideoni shall lead the sons of Benjamin,

²³and his army as numbered totaled 35,400.

²⁴The total of the numbered men [of the three tribes on the west side] in the camp of Ephraim was 108,100, by their armies. They shall move out in third place.

²⁵"On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan, by their armies; and Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai shall lead the sons of Dan,

²⁶and his army as numbered totaled 62,700.

²⁷Encamped next to Dan [on the north side] shall be the tribe of Asher; and Pagiel the son of Ochran shall lead the sons of Asher,

²⁸and his army as numbered totaled 41,500.

²⁹Then [completing the north side] comes the tribe of Naphtali; and Ahira the son of Enan shall lead the sons of Naphtali,

³⁰and his army as numbered totaled 53,400.

³¹The total of the numbered men [of the three tribes on the north side] in the camp of Dan was 157,600. They shall move out last, standard after standard."

³²These are the men of the Israelites [twenty years old and upward] as numbered by their fathers' households. The total of the numbered men of the camps by their armies, 603,550.

³³But the Levites were not numbered with the [other] Israelites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

³⁴Thus the Israelites did [as ordered]; according to everything the LORD had commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they moved out, everyone with his family (clan), according to his fathers' household.

¹Now it is unnecessary for me to write to you about the offering [that is to be made] for the saints [in Jerusalem];

²for I know your eagerness [to promote this cause], and I have [proudly] boasted to the people of Macedonia about it, telling them that Achaia has been prepared since last year [for this contribution], and your enthusiasm has inspired the majority of them [to respond].

³Still, I am sending the brothers [on to you], so that our pride in you may not be an empty boast in this case, and so that you may be prepared, just as I told them you would be;

⁴otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of yourselves—will be humiliated for being so confident.

⁵That is why I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you [before I come] and make arrangements in advance for this generous, previously promised gift of yours, so that it would be ready, not as something extorted [or wrung out of you], but as a [voluntary and] generous gift.

⁶Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed].

⁷Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].

⁸And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.

⁹As it is written and forever remains written, "He [the benevolent and generous person] scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever!"

¹⁰Now He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing [that is, your resources] and increase the harvest of your righteousness [which shows itself in active goodness, kindness, and love].

¹¹You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous, and this [generosity, administered] through us is producing thanksgiving to God [from those who benefit].

¹²For the ministry of this service (offering) is not only supplying the needs of the saints (God's people), but is also overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

¹³Because of this act of ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to the gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous participation [in this gift] for them and for all [the other believers in need],

¹⁴and they also long for you while they pray on your behalf, because of the surpassing measure of God's grace [His undeserved favor, mercy, and blessing which is revealed] in you.

¹⁵Now thanks be to God for His indescribable gift [which is precious beyond words]!

¹Then there was given to me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, " Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar [of incense], and [count] those who worship in it.

²But leave out the court [of the Gentiles] which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles (the nations); and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months (three and one-half years).

³And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days (forty-two months; three and one-half years), dressed in sackcloth."

⁴These [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth.

⁵And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.

⁶These [two witnesses] have the power [from God] to shut up the sky, so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophesying [regarding judgment and salvation]; and they have power over the waters (seas, rivers) to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every [kind of] plague, as often as they wish.

⁷When they have finished their testimony and given their evidence, the beast that comes up out of the abyss (bottomless pit) will wage war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

⁸And their dead bodies will lie exposed in the open street of the great city (Jerusalem), which in a spiritual sense is called [by the symbolic and allegorical names of] Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

⁹Those from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.

¹⁰And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth.

¹¹But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear and panic fell on those who were watching them.

¹²And the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." Then they ascended into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.

¹³And in that [very] hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell and was destroyed; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest [who survived] were overcome with terror, and they glorified the God of heaven [as they recognized His awesome power].

¹⁴The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

¹⁵Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

¹⁶And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell face downward and worshiped God,

¹⁷saying, "To You we give thanks, O Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Who are and Who were, because You have taken Your great power and the sovereignty [which is rightly Yours] and have [now] begun to reign.

¹⁸And the nations (Gentiles) became enraged, and Your wrath and indignation came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and [the time came] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints (God's people) and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and [the time came] to destroy the destroyers of the earth."

¹⁹And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

¹(The Shulammite Bride) "On my bed night after night [I dreamed that] I sought the one Whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him.

²"I said 'So I must arise now and go out into the city; Into the streets and into the squares [places I do not know] I must seek him whom my soul loves.' I sought him but I did not find him.

³"The watchmen who go around the city found me, And I said, 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'

⁴"Scarcely had I passed them When I found him whom my soul loves. I held on to him and would not let him go Until I had brought him to my mother's house, And into the chamber of her who conceived me."

⁵(The Bridegroom) "I command that you take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, That you do not rouse nor awaken my love Until she pleases."

⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "What is this coming up from the wilderness Like [stately] pillars of smoke Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the fragrant powders of the merchant?"

⁷(The Chorus) "Behold, it is the couch ( palanquin) of Solomon; Sixty mighty men around it, Of the mighty men of Israel.

⁸"All of them handle the sword, All expert in war; Each man has his sword at his thigh, Guarding against the terrors of the night.

⁹"King Solomon has made for himself a palanquin From the [cedar] wood of Lebanon.

¹⁰"He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold, Its seat of purple cloth, The interior lovingly and intricately wrought By the daughters of Jerusalem.

¹¹"Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And gaze on King Solomon wearing the crown With which his mother [Bathsheba] has crowned him On the day of his wedding, On the day of his gladness of heart."

¹Aleph. How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless], Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the LORD.

²Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies, And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart.

³They do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways.

⁴You have ordained Your precepts, That we should follow them with [careful] diligence.

⁵Oh, that my ways may be established To observe and keep Your statutes [obediently accepting and honoring them]!

⁶Then I will not be ashamed When I look [with respect] to all Your commandments [as my guide].

⁷I will give thanks to You with an upright heart, When I learn [through discipline] Your righteous judgments [for my transgressions].

⁸I shall keep Your statutes; Do not utterly abandon me [when I fail].

⁹Beth. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts].

¹⁰With all my heart I have sought You, [inquiring of You and longing for You]; Do not let me wander from Your commandments [neither through ignorance nor by willful disobedience].

¹¹Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

¹²Blessed and reverently praised are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.

¹³With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth.

¹⁴I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.

¹⁵I will meditate on Your precepts And [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts].

¹⁶I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

¹⁷Gimel. Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word [treasuring it and being guided by it day by day].

¹⁸Open my eyes [to spiritual truth] so that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.

¹⁹I am a stranger on the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.

²⁰My soul is crushed with longing For Your ordinances at all times.

²¹You rebuke the presumptuous and arrogant, the cursed ones, Who wander from Your commandments.

²²Take reproach and contempt away from me, For I observe Your testimonies.

²³Even though princes sit and talk to one another against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

²⁴Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

²⁵Daleth. My earthly life clings to the dust; Revive and refresh me according to Your word.

²⁶I have told of my ways, and You have answered me; Teach me Your statutes.

²⁷Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So that I will meditate (focus my thoughts) on Your wonderful works.

²⁸My soul dissolves because of grief; Renew and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.

²⁹Remove from me the way of falsehood and unfaithfulness, And graciously grant me Your law.

³⁰I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me.

³¹I cling tightly to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!

³²I will run the way of Your commandments [with purpose], For You will give me a heart that is willing.

³³He. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I will [steadfastly] observe it to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding [a teachable heart and the ability to learn], that I may keep Your law; And observe it with all my heart.

³⁵Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.

³⁶Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain and envy.

³⁷Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine], And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways.

³⁸Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant, As that which produces [awe-inspired] reverence for You.

³⁹Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good.

⁴⁰I long for Your precepts; Renew me through Your righteousness.

⁴¹Vav. May Your lovingkindness also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your promise;

⁴²So I will have an answer for the one who taunts me, For I trust [completely] in Your word [and its reliability].

⁴³And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances.

⁴⁴I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever [writing Your precepts on my heart].

⁴⁵And I will walk at liberty, For I seek and deeply long for Your precepts.

⁴⁶I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed.

⁴⁷For I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love.

⁴⁸And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.

⁴⁹Zayin. Remember [always] the word and promise to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me and given me life.

⁵¹The arrogant utterly ridicule me, Yet I do not turn away from Your law.

⁵²I have remembered [carefully] Your ancient ordinances, O LORD, And I have taken comfort.

⁵³Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who reject Your law.

⁵⁴Your statutes are my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.

⁵⁵O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law.

⁵⁶This has become mine [as the gift of Your grace], That I observe Your precepts [accepting them with loving obedience].

⁵⁷Heth. The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.

⁵⁸I sought Your favor with all my heart; Be merciful and gracious to me according to Your promise.

⁵⁹I considered my ways And turned my feet to [follow and obey] Your testimonies.

⁶⁰I hurried and did not delay To keep Your commandments.

⁶¹The cords of the wicked have encircled and ensnared me, But I have not forgotten Your law.

⁶²At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous ordinances.

⁶³I am a companion of all who [reverently] fear You, And of those who keep and honor Your precepts.

⁶⁴The earth, O LORD, is full of Your lovingkindness and goodness; Teach me Your statutes.

⁶⁵Teth. You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your promise.

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment (discernment) and knowledge, For I have believed and trusted and relied on Your commandments.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep and honor Your word [with loving obedience].

⁶⁸You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes.

⁶⁹The arrogant have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with all my heart.

⁷⁰Their heart is insensitive like fat [their minds are dull and brutal], But I delight in Your law.

⁷¹It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

⁷²The law from Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

⁷³Yodh. Your hands have made me and established me; Give me understanding and a teachable heart, that I may learn Your commandments.

⁷⁴May those who [reverently] fear You see me and be glad, Because I wait for Your word.

⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are fair, And that in faithfulness You have disciplined me.

⁷⁶O may Your lovingkindness and graciousness comfort me, According to Your word (promise) to Your servant.

⁷⁷Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, For Your law is my delight.

⁷⁸Let the arrogant be ashamed and humiliated, for they sabotage me with a lie; But I will meditate on Your precepts.

⁷⁹May those who fear You [with submissive wonder] turn to me, Even those who have known Your testimonies.

⁸⁰May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.

⁸¹Kaph. My soul languishes and grows weak for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.

⁸²My eyes fail [with longing, watching] for [the fulfillment of] Your promise, Saying, "When will You comfort me?"

⁸³For I have become like a wineskin [blackened and shriveled] in the smoke [in which it hangs], Yet I do not forget Your statutes.

⁸⁴How many are the days of Your servant [which he must endure]? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

⁸⁵The arrogant (godless) have dug pits for me, Men who do not conform to Your law.

⁸⁶All Your commandments are faithful and trustworthy. They have persecuted me with a lie; help me [LORD]!

⁸⁷They had almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not turn away from Your precepts.

⁸⁸According to Your steadfast love refresh me and give me life, So that I may keep and obey the testimony of Your mouth.

⁸⁹Lamedh. Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable].

⁹⁰Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands [securely].

⁹¹They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all things [all parts of the universe] are Your servants.

⁹²If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my time of trouble.

⁹³I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me and given me life.

⁹⁴I am Yours, save me [as Your own]; For I have [diligently] sought Your precepts and required them [as my greatest need].

⁹⁵The wicked wait for me to destroy me, But I will consider Your testimonies.

⁹⁶I have seen that all [human] perfection has its limits [no matter how grand and perfect and noble]; Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].

⁹⁷Mem. Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For Your words are always with me.

⁹⁹I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers [because of Your word], For Your testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged [who have not observed Your precepts], Because I have observed and kept Your precepts.

¹⁰¹I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.

¹⁰²I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.

¹⁰³How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵Nun. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶I have sworn [an oath] and have confirmed it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.

¹⁰⁷I am greatly afflicted; Renew and revive me [giving me life], O LORD, according to Your word.

¹⁰⁸Accept and take pleasure in the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your ordinances.

¹⁰⁹My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I do not wander from Your precepts.

¹¹¹I have taken Your testimonies as a heritage forever, For they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹²I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end.

¹¹³Samekh. I hate those who are double-minded, But I love and treasure Your law.

¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

¹¹⁵Leave me, you evildoers, That I may keep the commandments of my God [honoring and obeying them].

¹¹⁶Uphold me according to Your word [of promise], so that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope [in Your great goodness].

¹¹⁷Uphold me that I may be safe, That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.

¹¹⁸You have turned Your back on all those who wander from Your statutes, For their deceitfulness is useless.

¹¹⁹You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross [for they have no value]; Therefore I love Your testimonies.

¹²⁰My flesh trembles in [reverent] fear of You, And I am afraid and in awe of Your judgments.

¹²¹Ayin. I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to those who oppress me.

¹²²Be the guarantee for Your servant for good [as Judah was the guarantee for Benjamin]; Do not let the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³My eyes fail [with longing, watching] for [the fulfillment of] Your salvation, And for [the fulfillment of] Your righteous word.

¹²⁴Deal with Your servant according to Your [gracious] lovingkindness, And teach me Your statutes.

¹²⁵I am Your servant; give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] That I may know Your testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time for the LORD to act; They have broken Your law.

¹²⁷Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, Yes, more than refined gold.

¹²⁸Therefore I esteem as right all Your precepts concerning everything; I hate every false way.

¹²⁹Pe. Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them.

¹³⁰The unfolding of Your [glorious] words give light; Their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike).

¹³¹I opened my mouth and panted [with anticipation], Because I longed for Your commandments.

¹³²Turn to me and be gracious to me and show me favor, As is Your way to those who love Your name.

¹³³Establish my footsteps in [the way of] Your word; Do not let any human weakness have power over me [causing me to be separated from You].

¹³⁴Redeem me from the oppression of man; That I may keep Your precepts.

¹³⁵Make Your face shine [with pleasure] upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.

¹³⁶My eyes weep streams of water Because people do not keep Your law.

¹³⁷Tsadhe. Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments.

¹³⁸You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness And in great faithfulness.

¹³⁹My zeal has [completely] consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.

¹⁴⁰Your word is very pure (refined); Therefore Your servant loves it.

¹⁴¹I am small and despised, But I do not forget Your precepts.

¹⁴²Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.

¹⁴³Trouble and anguish have found me, Yet Your commandments are my delight and my joy.

¹⁴⁴Your righteous testimonies are everlasting; Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] that I may live.

¹⁴⁵Qoph. I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will observe Your statutes.

¹⁴⁶I cried to You; save me And I will keep Your testimonies.

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry [in prayer] for help; I wait for Your word.

¹⁴⁸My eyes anticipate the night watches and I awake before the call of the watchman, That I may meditate on Your word.

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according to Your [steadfast] lovingkindness; O LORD, renew and refresh me according to Your ordinances.

¹⁵⁰Those who follow after wickedness approach; They are far from Your law.

¹⁵¹You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.

¹⁵²Of old I have known from Your testimonies That You have founded them forever.

¹⁵³Resh. Look upon my agony and rescue me, For I do not forget Your law.

¹⁵⁴Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me and give me life according to [the promise of] Your word.

¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes.

¹⁵⁶Great are Your tender mercies and steadfast love, O LORD; Revive me and give me life according to Your ordinances.

¹⁵⁷Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, Yet I do not turn away from Your testimonies.

¹⁵⁸I see the treacherous and loathe them, Because they do not respect Your law.

¹⁵⁹Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me and give me life, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.

¹⁶⁰The sum of Your word is truth [the full meaning of all Your precepts], And every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever.

¹⁶¹Shin. Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart stands in [reverent] awe of Your words [so I can expect You to help me].

¹⁶²I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds great treasure.

¹⁶³I hate and detest falsehood, But I love Your law.

¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.

¹⁶⁵Those who love Your law have great peace; Nothing makes them stumble.

¹⁶⁶I hope and wait [with complete confidence] for Your salvation, O LORD, And I do Your commandments.

¹⁶⁷My soul keeps Your testimonies [hearing and accepting and obeying them]; I love them greatly.

¹⁶⁸I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are [fully known] before You.

¹⁶⁹Tav. Let my [mournful] cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] according to Your word [of promise].

¹⁷⁰Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.

¹⁷¹Let my lips speak praise [with thanksgiving], For You teach me Your statutes.

¹⁷²Let my tongue sing [praise for the fulfillment] of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteous.

¹⁷³Let Your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Your precepts.

¹⁷⁴I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let my soul live that it may praise You, And let Your ordinances help me.

¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.

¹Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a [shortsighted] fool.

²Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, So the curse without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving].

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the backs of fools [who refuse to learn].

⁴Do not answer [nor pretend to agree with the frivolous comments of] a [closed-minded] fool according to his folly, Otherwise you, even you, will be like him.

⁵Answer [and correct the erroneous concepts of] a fool according to his folly, Otherwise he will be wise in his own eyes [if he thinks you agree with him].

⁶He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet (sabotages himself) and drinks the violence [it brings on himself as a consequence].

⁷Like the legs which are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who cannot learn from its wisdom].

⁸Like one who [absurdly] binds a stone in a sling [making it impossible to throw], So is he who [absurdly] gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man, So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who remains unaffected by its wisdom].

¹⁰Like a [careless] archer who [shoots arrows wildly and] wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or those who [by chance just] pass by.

¹¹Like a dog that returns to his vomit Is a fool who repeats his foolishness.

¹²Do you see a man [who is unteachable and] wise in his own eyes and full of self-conceit? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The lazy person [who is self-indulgent and relies on lame excuses] says, "There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square [and if I go outside to work I will be killed]!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy person on his bed [never getting out of it].

¹⁵The lazy person buries his hand in the dish [losing opportunity after opportunity]; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes Than seven [sensible] men who can give a discreet answer.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog by the ears [and is likely to be bitten] Is he who, passing by, stops to meddle with a dispute that is none of his business.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹So is the man who deceives his neighbor (acquaintance, friend) And then says, "Was I not joking?"

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer [who gossips], contention quiets down.

²¹Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten]; They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].

²³Like a [common] clay vessel covered with the silver dross [making it appear silver when it has no real value] Are burning lips [murmuring manipulative words] and a wicked heart.

²⁴He who hates, disguises it with his lips, But he stores up deceit in his heart.

²⁵When he speaks graciously and kindly [to conceal his malice], do not trust him, For seven abominations are in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred covers itself with guile and deceit, His malevolence will be revealed openly before the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit [for another man's feet] will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone [up a hill to do mischief], it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

¹In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.

²He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah [grand]daughter of Abishalom ( Absalom).

³He walked in all the sins [of idol worship] that his father [Rehoboam] committed before him; and his heart was not entirely devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father (forefather) David.

⁴Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp (descendant on the throne) in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him and establishing Jerusalem,

⁵because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of [the betrayal of] Uriah the Hittite.

⁶There was war between Rehoboam [Abijam's father] and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam's life.

⁷Now as for the rest of the acts of Abijam and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

⁸Abijam slept with his fathers [in death] and they buried him in the City of David. Asa his son became king in his place.

⁹So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king over Judah.

¹⁰He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His [great-grand]mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).

¹¹Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father (forefather) David.

¹²He expelled the male cult prostitutes (sodomites) from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers [Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijam] had made.

¹³He also deposed his [great-grand]mother Maacah from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid (obscene, vulgar) image for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her horrid image, and burned it by the Brook Kidron.

¹⁴But the high places [of idol worship] were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa's heart was entirely devoted to the LORD all his days.

¹⁵He brought the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he had dedicated into the house of the LORD—silver, gold, and utensils and accessories.

¹⁶Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

¹⁷Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah [north of Jerusalem], in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the palace of the king and handed them over to his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram (Syria), who lived in Damascus, saying,

¹⁹"Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me."

²⁰So Ben-hadad listened to king Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth [the region of the Sea of Galilee], along with all the land of Naphtali.

²¹When Baasha heard about it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.

²²Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah—none was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built [the fortifications]. And King Asa built with them [border fortresses at] Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

²³Now as for the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, everything that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But during the time of his old age he had a foot disease.

²⁴Asa slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

²⁵Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.

²⁶He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father [Jeroboam] and in his sin [of idolatry], with which he made Israel sin.

²⁷Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house (tribe) of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

²⁸So Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.

²⁹As soon as he was king, Baasha struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave for Jeroboam anyone alive, but he destroyed them in accordance with the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite—

³⁰because of the sins committed by Jeroboam and which he made Israel commit, and because he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

³¹Now as for the rest of Nadab's acts and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

³²There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

³³In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah [the capital city], and reigned twenty-four years.

³⁴He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin [of idolatry] with which he made Israel sin.

¹Now the high priest asked [Stephen], "Are these charges true?"

²And he answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

³and He said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.'

⁴Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God sent him to this country in which you now live.

⁵But He did not give him inheritable property, not even enough ground to take a step on, yet He promised that He would give it to Him as a possession, and to his descendants after him.

⁶And this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That his descendants would be aliens (strangers) in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

⁷'And I will judge any nation to whom they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and serve Me [in worship] in this place.'

⁸And God gave Abraham a covenant [a formal agreement to be strictly observed] of [which] circumcision [was the sign]; and so [under these circumstances] Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father] of Jacob, and Jacob [became the father] of the twelve patriarchs.

⁹"The [ten elder] patriarchs, overwhelmed with jealousy, sold [their younger brother] Joseph into [slavery in] Egypt; but God was with him,

¹⁰and He rescued him from all his suffering, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made Joseph governor over Egypt and over his entire household.

¹¹"Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great distress and our fathers could not find food [for their households and livestock].

¹²But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

¹³And on the second visit Joseph identified himself to his brothers, and Joseph's family and background were revealed to Pharaoh.

¹⁴Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

¹⁵And Jacob (Israel) went down into Egypt, and there he died, as did our fathers;

¹⁶and [from Egypt] their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

¹⁷"But as the time [for the fulfillment] of the promise which God had made to Abraham was approaching, the [Hebrew] people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸until [the time when] there arose another king over egypt who did not know joseph [nor his history and the merit of his service to Egypt].

¹⁹He shrewdly exploited our race and mistreated our fathers, forcing them to expose their [male] babies so that they would die.

²⁰It was at this [critical] time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and for three months he was nourished in his father's house.

²¹Then when he was set outside [to die], Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and claimed him for herself, and cared for him as her own son.

²²So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.

²³But when he reached the age of forty, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.

²⁴And when he saw one [of them] being treated unfairly, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking and killing the Egyptian.

²⁵He expected his countrymen to understand that God was granting them freedom through him [assuming that they would accept him], but they did not understand.

²⁶Then on the next day he suddenly appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another?'

²⁷But the man who was injuring his neighbor pushed Moses away, saying, 'Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?

²⁸Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'

²⁹At this remark Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.

³⁰"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush.

³¹When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight; but as he went near to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came [to him, saying]:

³²'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

³³Then the Lord said to him, 'Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground [worthy of reverence and respect].

³⁴I have most certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Now come, and I will send you to Egypt [as My messenger].'

³⁵"This Moses whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the very one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

³⁶This man led them out [of Egypt] after performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

³⁷This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophetlike me from your countrymen.'

³⁸This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles [divine words that still live] to be handed down to you.

³⁹Our fathers were unwilling to be subject to him [and refused to listen to him]. They rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

⁴⁰They said to Aaron, 'Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.'

⁴¹In those days they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced and celebrated over the works of their hands.

⁴²But God turned away [from them] and handed them over to serve the host of heaven. As it is written and forever remains written in the book of the prophets, 'It was not [really] to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel?

⁴³You also took along the tabernacle (portable temple) of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship; and I will remove you beyond Babylon [carrying you away into exile].'

⁴⁴"Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as God directed Moses to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

⁴⁵Our fathers also brought it in [with them into the land] with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, [and so it remained here] until the time of David,

⁴⁶who found favor (grace, spiritual blessing) in the sight of God and asked that he might [be allowed to] find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

⁴⁷But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

⁴⁸However, the Most High [the One infinitely exalted above humanity] does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet [Isaiah] says,

⁴⁹'Heaven is My throne, And the earth is the footstool for My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?' says the Lord, 'Or what place is there for My rest?

⁵⁰'Was it not My hand that made all these things?'

⁵¹"You stiff-necked and stubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did.

⁵²Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

⁵³you who received the law as ordained and delivered to you by angels, and yet you did not obey it!"

⁵⁴Now when they heard this [accusation and understood its implication], they were cut to the heart, and they began grinding their teeth [in rage] at him.

⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Spirit and led by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory [the great splendor and majesty] of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

⁵⁶and he said, "Look! I see the heavens opened up [in welcome] and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

⁵⁷But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and together rushed at him [considering him guilty of blasphemy].

⁵⁸Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him; and the witnesses placed their outer robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!"

⁶⁰Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!" When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].