Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹When Jesus came back to Capernaum a few days later, it was heard that He was at home.

²And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer space, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.

³And some people *came, bringing to Him a man who was paralyzed, carried by four men.

⁴And when they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and after digging an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralyzed man was lying.

⁵And Jesus, seeing their faith, *said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

⁶But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking it over in their hearts,

⁷“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God alone?”

⁸Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you thinking 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 pallet and walk’?

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

¹¹“I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.”

¹²And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

¹³And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

¹⁴As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

¹⁵And it *happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.

¹⁶When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

¹⁸John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹And Jesus said to them, “While the groom is with them,the attendants of the groom cannot fast, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.

²⁰But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast, on that day.

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

²²And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”

²³And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.

²⁴The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

²⁵And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;

²⁶how he entered the house of God in thetime of Abiathar the high priest, and ate theconsecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?”

²⁷Jesus said to them, “The Sabbathwas madefor man, and not manfor the Sabbath.

²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”

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

²“The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own flag, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.

³Now those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the flag of the camp of Judah, by their armies; and the leader of the sons of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab,

⁴and his army, their numbered men: 74,600.

⁵Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar; and the leader of the sons of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar,

⁶and his army, their numbered men: 54,400.

⁷Then follows the tribe of Zebulun; and the leader of the sons of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon,

⁸and his army, his numbered men: 57,400.

⁹The total of the numbered men of the camp of Judah: 186,400, by their armies. They shall set out first.

¹⁰“On the south side shall be the flag of the camp of Reuben by their armies; and the leader of the sons of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur,

¹¹and his army, their numbered men: 46,500.

¹²And those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon; and the leader of the sons of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai,

¹³and his army, their numbered men: 59,300.

¹⁴Then follows the tribe of Gad; and the leader of the sons of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel,

¹⁵and his army, their numbered men: 45,650.

¹⁶The total of the numbered men of the camp of Reuben: 151,450 by their armies. And they shall set out second.

¹⁷“Then the tent of meeting shall set out with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; just as they camp, so they shall set out, every man in his place by their flags.

¹⁸“On the west side shall be the flag of the camp of Ephraim by their armies; and the leader of the sons of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud,

¹⁹and his army, their numbered men: 40,500.

²⁰Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh; and the leader of the sons of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur,

²¹and his army, their numbered men, 32,200.

²²Then follows the tribe of Benjamin; and the leader of the sons of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni,

²³and his army, their numbered men, 35,400.

²⁴The total of the numbered men of the camp of Ephraim: 108,100, by their armies. And they shall set out third.

²⁵“On the north side shall be the flag of the camp of Dan by their armies; and the leader of the sons of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai,

²⁶and his army, their numbered men: 62,700.

²⁷Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher; and the leader of the sons of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran,

²⁸and his army, their numbered men: 41,500.

²⁹Then follows the tribe of Naphtali; and the leader of the sons of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan,

³⁰and his army, their numbered men: 53,400.

³¹The total of the numbered men of the camp of Dan was 157,600. They shall set out last by their flags.”

³²These are the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households; the total of the numbered men of the camps by their armies, 603,550.

³³The Levites, however, were not counted among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

³⁴So the sons of Israel did all this; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their flags, and so they set out, everyone by his family according to his father’s household.

¹For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints;

²for I know your willingness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

³But I have sent the brothers, in order that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you will be prepared;

⁴otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame by this confidence.

⁵So I considered it necessary to urge the brothers that they go on ahead to you and arrange in advance your previously promised generous gift, that the same would be ready as a generous gift, and not as one grudgingly given due to greediness.

⁶Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.

⁷Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

⁹as it is written: “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

¹⁰Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

¹¹you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

¹²For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

¹³Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

¹⁴while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

¹⁵Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

¹Then there was given to me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.

²Leave out the courtyard which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations; and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

³And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

⁴These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

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

⁶These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

⁷When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

⁸And their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

⁹Those from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will 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 who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.

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

¹²And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.

¹³And at that time there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

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

¹⁵Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom 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 on their faces and worshiped God,

¹⁷saying, “We give You thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

¹⁸And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy 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 and sounds and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

¹“On my bed night after night I sought him Whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him.

²‘I must arise now and go around in the city; In the streets and in the public squares I must seek him whom my soul loves.’ I sought him but did not find him.

³The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’

⁴Hardly had I left 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 room of her who conceived me.”

⁵“Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, That you will not disturb or awaken my love Until she pleases.”

⁶“What is this coming up from the wilderness Like columns of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the scented powders of the merchant?

⁷Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon; Sixty warriors around it, Of the warriors of Israel.

⁸All of them are wielders of the sword, Expert in war; Each man has his sword at his side, Guarding against the terrors of the night.

⁹King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair From the timber of Lebanon.

¹⁰He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold And its seat of purple fabric, With its interior lovingly inlaid By the daughters of Jerusalem.

¹¹Go out, you daughters of Zion, And look at King Solomon with the crown With which his mother has crowned him On the day of his wedding, And on the day of the joy of his heart.”

¹Blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the Law of the LORD.

²Blessed are those who comply with His testimonies, And seek Him with all their heart.

³They also do no injustice; They walk in His ways.

⁴You have ordained Your precepts, That we are to keep them diligently.

⁵Oh that my ways may be established To keep Your statutes!

⁶Then I will not be ashamed When I look at all Your commandments.

⁷I will give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.

⁸I will keep Your statutes; Do not utterly abandon me!

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.

¹⁰With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments.

¹¹I have treasured Your word in my heart, So that I may not sin against You.

¹²Blessed are You, 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 regard Your ways.

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

¹⁷Deal generously with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes, 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 arrogant, the cursed, Who wander from Your commandments.

²²Take disgrace and contempt away from me, For I comply with Your testimonies.

²³Even though rulers sit and speak against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

²⁴Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my advisers.

²⁵My soul clings to the dust; Revive 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, And I will meditate on Your wonders.

²⁸My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word.

²⁹Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your Law.

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

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

³²I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart.

³³Teach me, the way of Your statutes, LORD, And I shall comply with it to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding, so that I may comply with Your Law And keep 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.

³⁷Turn my eyes away from looking at what is worthless, And revive me in Your ways.

³⁸Establish Your word to Your servant As that which produces reverence for You.

³⁹Take away my disgrace which I dread, For Your judgments are good.

⁴⁰Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me through Your righteousness.

⁴¹May Your favor also come to me, LORD, Your salvation according to Your word;

⁴²So that I will have an answer for one who taunts me, For I trust in Your word.

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

⁴⁴So I will keep Your Law continually, Forever and ever.

⁴⁵And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

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

⁴⁷I will 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.

⁴⁹Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my misery, That Your word has revived me.

⁵¹The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I do not turn aside from Your Law.

⁵²I have remembered Your judgments from of old, LORD, And comfort myself.

⁵³Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who abandon Your Law.

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

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

⁵⁶This has become mine, That I comply with Your precepts.

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

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

⁵⁹I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

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

⁶¹The snares of the wicked have surrounded me, But I have not forgotten Your Law.

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

⁶³I am a companion to all those who fear You, And to those who keep Your precepts.

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

⁶⁵You have treated Your servant well, LORD, according to Your word.

⁶⁶Teach me good discernment and knowledge, For I believe in Your commandments.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

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

⁶⁹The arrogant have forged a lie against me; With all my heart I will comply with Your precepts.

⁷⁰Their heart is insensitive, like fat, But I delight in Your Law.

⁷¹It is good for me that I was afflicted, So that I may learn Your statutes.

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

⁷³Your hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, so that I may learn Your commandments.

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

⁷⁵I know, LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that You have afflicted me in faithfulness.

⁷⁶May Your favor comfort me, According to Your word to Your servant.

⁷⁷May Your compassion come to me so that I may live, For Your Law is my delight.

⁷⁸May the arrogant be put to shame, because they lead me astray with a lie; But I shall meditate on Your precepts.

⁷⁹May those who fear You turn to me, And those who know Your testimonies.

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

⁸¹My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.

⁸²My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.

⁸⁴How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

⁸⁵The arrogant have dug pits for me, People who are not in accord with Your Law.

⁸⁶All Your commandments are faithful; They have persecuted me with a lie; help me!

⁸⁷They almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not abandon Your precepts.

⁸⁸Revive me according to Your faithfulness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

⁸⁹Forever, LORD, Your word stands in heaven.

⁹⁰Your faithfulness continues throughout generations; You established the earth, and it stands.

⁹¹They stand this day by Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants.

⁹²If Your Law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my misery.

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

⁹⁴I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts.

⁹⁵The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I will diligently consider Your testimonies.

⁹⁶I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

⁹⁷How I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine.

⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰I understand more than those who are old, Because I have complied with Your precepts.

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁰⁶I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, LORD, according to Your word.

¹⁰⁸Be pleased to accept the voluntary offerings of my mouth, LORD, And teach me Your judgments.

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

¹¹⁰The wicked have set a trap for me, Yet I have not wandered from Your precepts.

¹¹¹I have inherited Your testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart.

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

¹¹³I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Your Law.

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

¹¹⁵Leave me, you evildoers, So that I may comply with the commandments of my God.

¹¹⁶Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

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

¹¹⁸You have rejected all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceitfulness is useless.

¹¹⁹You have removed all the wicked of the earth like impurities; Therefore I love Your testimonies.

¹²⁰My flesh trembles from the fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.

¹²¹I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²²Be a guarantor for Your servant for good; Do not let the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation, And for Your righteous word.

¹²⁴Deal with Your servant according to Your graciousness, And teach me Your statutes.

¹²⁵I am Your servant; give me understanding, So that I may know Your testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time for the LORD to act, For they have broken Your Law.

¹²⁷Therefore I love Your commandments Above gold, yes, above pure gold.

¹²⁸Therefore I carefully follow all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.

¹²⁹Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul complies with them.

¹³⁰The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

¹³¹I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.

¹³²Turn to me and be gracious to me, As is right for those who love Your name.

¹³³Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any wrongdoing have power over me.

¹³⁴Redeem me from oppression by man, So that I may keep Your precepts.

¹³⁵Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.

¹³⁶My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Your Law.

¹³⁷You are righteous, LORD, And Your judgments are right.

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

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

¹⁴⁰Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it.

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

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

¹⁴³Trouble and anguish have come upon me, Yet Your commandments are my delight.

¹⁴⁴Your testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live.

¹⁴⁵I cried out with all my heart; answer me, LORD! I will comply with Your statutes.

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

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words.

¹⁴⁸My eyes anticipate the night watches, So that I may meditate on Your word.

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according to Your faithfulness; Revive me, LORD, according to Your judgments.

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

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

¹⁵²From long ago I have known from Your testimonies That You have founded them forever.

¹⁵³Look at my affliction and rescue me, For I have not forgotten Your Law.

¹⁵⁴Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word.

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

¹⁵⁶Great are Your mercies, LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments.

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

¹⁵⁸I see the treacherous and loathe them, Because they do not keep Your word.

¹⁵⁹Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, LORD, according to Your faithfulness.

¹⁶⁰The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments is everlasting.

¹⁶¹Rulers persecute me without cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your words.

¹⁶²I rejoice at Your word, Like one who finds great plunder.

¹⁶³I hate and loathe falsehood, But I love Your Law.

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

¹⁶⁵Those who love Your Law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.

¹⁶⁶I hope for Your salvation, LORD, And do Your commandments.

¹⁶⁷My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly.

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

¹⁶⁹Let my cry come before You, LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word.

¹⁷⁰Let my pleading come before You; Save me according to Your word.

¹⁷¹Let my lips pour out praise, For You teach me Your statutes.

¹⁷²Let my tongue sing about Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

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

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

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

¹⁷⁶I have wandered about like a lost sheep; search for 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 fool.

²Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not come to rest.

³A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness, Or you will also be like him.

⁵Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves, So that he will not be wise in his own eyes.

⁶One who sends a message by the hand of a fool Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.

⁷Like useless legs to one who cannot walk, So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.

⁸Like one who binds a stone in a sling, So is one who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker, So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.

¹¹Like a dog that returns to its vomit, So is a fool who repeats his foolishness.

¹²Do you see a person wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³A lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road! A lion is in the public square!”

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, So does a lazy one on his bed.

¹⁵A lazy one buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.

¹⁶A lazy one is wiser in his own eyes Than seven people who can give a discreet answer.

¹⁷Like one who takes a dog by the ears, So is one who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.

¹⁸Like a maniac who shoots Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,

¹⁹So is a person who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?”

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no gossiper, quarreling quiets down.

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

²²The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

²³Like an earthenware vessel overlaid with silver impurities Are burning lips and a wicked heart.

²⁴One who hates disguises it with his lips, But he harbors deceit in his heart.

²⁵When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, Because there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred covers itself with deception, His wickedness will be revealed in the assembly.

²⁷One who digs a pit will fall into it, And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

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

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

²He reigned for three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

³He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father David.

⁴But for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem,

⁵because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and did not deviate from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

⁶And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

⁷Now as for the rest of the acts of Abijam and all 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.

⁸And Abijam lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Asa became king in his place.

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

¹⁰He reigned for forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹Now Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD, like his father David.

¹²He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made.

¹³And even his mother Maacah, he also removed her from the position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her abominable image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

¹⁴But the high places were not eliminated; nevertheless Asa’s heart was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days.

¹⁵And he brought into the house of the LORD the holy gifts of his father and his own holy gifts: silver, gold, and valuable utensils.

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

¹⁷Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

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

¹⁹“Let’s make a treaty between you and me, 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, besides all the land of Naphtali.

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

²²Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built fortifications. And King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

²³Now as for the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might, and all 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 in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

²⁴And Asa lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David; and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

²⁵Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king 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 and in his sin into which he misled Israel.

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

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

²⁹And as soon as he was king, he struck and killed all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave Jeroboam any persons alive, but kept killing until he had eliminated them, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

³⁰and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he committed, and into which he misled Israel, because of his provocation with which he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

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

³²And there 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 at Tirzah, and he reigned for twenty-four years.

³⁴And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin into which he misled Israel.

¹Now the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

²And Stephen said, “Listen to me, brothers and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

³and He said to him, ‘GO FROM YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME TO THE LAND WHICH I WILL SHOW YOU.’

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

⁵But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child.

⁶But God spoke to this effect, that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE STRANGERS IN A LAND THAT WAS NOT THEIRS, AND THEY WOULD ENSLAVE AND MISTREAT them for four hundred years.

⁷‘AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY ARE ENSLAVED I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,’ said God, ‘AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.’

⁸And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham fathered Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.

⁹“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him,

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

¹¹“Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food.

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

¹³And on the second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh.

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

¹⁵And Jacob went down to Egypt, and he and our fathers died there.

¹⁶And they were brought back from there to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

¹⁷“But as the time of the promise which God had assured to Abraham was approaching, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸until ANOTHER KING AROSE OVER EGYPT WHO DID NOT KNOW JOSEPH.

¹⁹It was he who shrewdly took advantage of our nation and mistreated our fathers in order that they would abandon their infants in the Nile, so that they would not survive.

²⁰At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful to God. He was nurtured for three months in his father’s home.

²¹And after he had been put outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son.

²²Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was proficient in speaking and action.

²³But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel.

²⁴And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended and took vengeance for the oppressed man by fatally striking the Egyptian.

²⁵And he thought that his brothers understood that God was granting them deliverance through him; but they did not understand.

²⁶And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting each other, and he tried to reconcile them to peace, by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you injuring each other?’

²⁷But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US?

²⁸YOU DO NOT INTEND TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?’

²⁹At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME A STRANGER 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; and as he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came:

³²‘I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND ISAAC, AND JACOB.’ Moses shook with fear and did not dare to look closely.

³³But the LORD said to him, ‘REMOVE YOUR SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND.

³⁴I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN EGYPT, AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANING, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; AND NOW COME, I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.’

³⁵“This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

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

³⁷This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR COUNTRYMEN.’

³⁸This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to you.

³⁹Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts,

⁴⁰saying to Aaron, ‘MAKE US A GOD WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT—WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.’

⁴¹At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.

⁴²But God turned away and gave them over to serve the heavenly lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘YOU DID NOT OFFER ME VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FOR FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, DID YOU, HOUSE OF ISRAEL?

⁴³YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF YOUR GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL DEPORT YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’

⁴⁴“Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

⁴⁵Our fathers in turn received it, and they also brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David.

⁴⁶David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.

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

⁴⁸However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:

⁴⁹‘HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND THE EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord, ‘OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REST?

⁵⁰WAS IT NOT MY HAND THAT MADE ALL THESE THINGS?’

⁵¹“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always 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 had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, and you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him;

⁵³you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

⁵⁴Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.

⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

⁵⁶and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind.

⁵⁸When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

⁶⁰Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.