Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.

²Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.

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

⁴And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

⁵When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

⁶And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

⁷“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

⁸But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?

⁹Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?

¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,

¹¹“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

¹²Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

¹³Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.

¹⁴As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

¹⁵Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

¹⁶And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

¹⁸The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁹And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

²¹No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.

²²And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

²³Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.

²⁴And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

²⁵But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:

²⁶how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

²⁷And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

²⁸Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

¹And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

²“Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.

³On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.”

⁴And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred.

⁵“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.”

⁶And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred.

⁷“Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.”

⁸And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

⁹“All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred— these shall break camp first.

¹⁰“On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.”

¹¹And his army was numbered at forty-six thousand five hundred.

¹²“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.”

¹³And his army was numbered at fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

¹⁴“Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.”

¹⁵And his army was numbered at forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

¹⁶“All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty— they shall be the second to break camp.

¹⁷“And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.

¹⁸“On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.”

¹⁹And his army was numbered at forty thousand five hundred.

²⁰“Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.”

²¹And his army was numbered at thirty-two thousand two hundred.

²²“Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.”

²³And his army was numbered at thirty-five thousand four hundred.

²⁴“All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Ephraim, one hundred and eight thousand one hundred— they shall be the third to break camp.

²⁵“The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.”

²⁶And his army was numbered at sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

²⁷“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.”

²⁸And his army was numbered at forty-one thousand five hundred.

²⁹“Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.”

³⁰And his army was numbered at fifty-three thousand four hundred.

³¹“All who were numbered of the forces with Dan, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred— they shall break camp last, with their standards.”

³²These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

³³But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

³⁴Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.

¹Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you;

²for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

³Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready;

⁴lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting.

⁵Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

⁶But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

⁷So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

⁹As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”

¹⁰Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

¹¹while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

¹²For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

¹³while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,

¹⁴and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

¹⁵Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

¹Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.

²But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.

³And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

⁴These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.

⁵And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.

⁶These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

⁷When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.

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

⁹Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.

¹⁰And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

¹¹Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

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

¹³In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

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

¹⁵Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

¹⁶And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,

¹⁷saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.

¹⁸The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

¹By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him.

²“I will rise now,” I said, “And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.” I sought him, but I did not find him.

³The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, “Have you seen the one I love?”

⁴Scarcely had I passed by them, When I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, Until I had brought him to the house of my mother, And into the chamber of her who conceived me.

⁵I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.

⁶Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant’s fragrant powders?

⁷Behold, it is Solomon’s couch, With sixty valiant men around it, Of the valiant of Israel.

⁸They all hold swords, Being expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh Because of fear in the night.

⁹Of the wood of Lebanon Solomon the King Made himself a palanquin:

¹⁰He made its pillars of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple, Its interior paved with love By the daughters of Jerusalem.

¹¹Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And see King Solomon with the crown With which his mother crowned him On the day of his wedding, The day of the gladness of his heart.

¹Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!

²Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!

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

⁴You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.

⁵Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!

⁶Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.

⁷I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.

⁸I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

⁹How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

¹⁰With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

¹¹Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

¹²Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes.

¹³With my lips I have declared All the judgments 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 contemplate Your ways.

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

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

¹⁸Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.

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

²⁰My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.

²¹You rebuke the proud—the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.

²²Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies.

²³Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

²⁴Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

²⁵My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.

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

²⁷Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.

²⁸My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.

²⁹Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.

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

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

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

³⁴Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

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

³⁶Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.

³⁷Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.

³⁸Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.

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

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

⁴¹Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD— Your salvation according to Your word.

⁴²So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.

⁴³And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.

⁴⁴So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever.

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

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

⁴⁷And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.

⁴⁸My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.

⁴⁹Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

⁵¹The proud have me in great derision, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.

⁵²I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, And have comforted myself.

⁵³Indignation has taken hold of me Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law.

⁵⁴Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.

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

⁵⁶This has become mine, Because I kept Your precepts.

⁵⁷You are my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Your words.

⁵⁸I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.

⁵⁹I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

⁶⁰I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.

⁶¹The cords of the wicked have bound 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 of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁷⁰Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law.

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

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

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

⁷⁴Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.

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

⁷⁶Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant.

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

⁷⁸Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; But I will meditate on Your precepts.

⁷⁹Let those who fear You turn to me, Those who know Your testimonies.

⁸⁰Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.

⁸¹My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.

⁸²My eyes fail from searching Your word, Saying, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, Yet 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 proud have dug pits for me, Which is not according to Your law.

⁸⁶All Your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me!

⁸⁷They almost made an end of me on earth, But I did not forsake Your precepts.

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

⁸⁹Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.

⁹⁰Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.

⁹¹They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all are Your servants.

⁹²Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.

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

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

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

⁹⁶I have seen the consummation of all perfection, But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

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

⁹⁸You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.

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

¹⁰⁰I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.

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

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

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

¹⁰⁴Through 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 confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.

¹⁰⁸Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your judgments.

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

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

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

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

¹¹³I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law.

¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.

¹¹⁵Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God!

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

¹¹⁷Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.

¹¹⁸You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.

¹¹⁹You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.

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

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

¹²²Be surety for Your servant for good; Do not let the proud oppress me.

¹²³My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word.

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

¹²⁵I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time for You to act, O LORD, For they have regarded Your law as void.

¹²⁷Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold!

¹²⁸Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.

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

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

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

¹³²Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.

¹³³Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.

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

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

¹³⁶Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.

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

¹³⁸Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful.

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 overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.

¹⁴⁴The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live.

¹⁴⁵I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes.

¹⁴⁶I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.

¹⁴⁷I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.

¹⁴⁸My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.

¹⁵⁰They draw near who follow after wickedness; They are far from Your law.

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

¹⁵²Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

¹⁵³Consider my affliction and deliver me, For I do not forget 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 tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments.

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

¹⁵⁸I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word.

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

¹⁶⁰The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

¹⁶¹Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.

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

¹⁶³I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law.

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

¹⁶⁵Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.

¹⁶⁶LORD, I hope for Your salvation, And I 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, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word.

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

¹⁷¹My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes.

¹⁷²My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

¹⁷³Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts.

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

¹⁷⁵Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me.

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

¹As snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.

³A whip for the horse, A bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the fool’s back.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

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

⁷Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

⁸Like one who binds a stone in a sling Is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰The great God who formed everything Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.

¹¹As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.

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

¹³The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!”

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

¹⁵The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

¹⁷He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

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

¹⁹Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

²¹As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.

²³Fervent lips with a wicked heart Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

²⁴He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself;

²⁵When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart;

²⁶Though his hatred is covered by deceit, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, 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’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom.

³And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

⁴Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by 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 Uriah the Hittite.

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

⁷Now 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.

⁸So Abijam rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place.

⁹In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah.

¹⁰And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom.

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

¹²And he banished the perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

¹³Also he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook Kidron.

¹⁴But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s heart was loyal to the LORD all his days.

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

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

¹⁷And Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸Then Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying,

¹⁹“Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a present of silver and gold. Come and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

²⁰So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maachah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

²¹Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah, and remained in Tirzah.

²²Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted. And they took away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

²³The rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, 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.

²⁴So Asa rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Jehoshaphat his son 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 two years.

²⁶And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.

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

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

²⁹And it was so, when he became king, that he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

³⁰because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

³¹Now 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 in Tirzah, 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 by which he had made Israel sin.

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

²And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

³and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’

⁴Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.

⁵And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.

⁶But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years.

⁷‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’

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

⁹“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him

¹⁰and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

¹¹Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.

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

¹³And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh.

¹⁴Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people.

¹⁵So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.

¹⁶And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

¹⁷“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt

¹⁸till another king arose who did not know Joseph.

¹⁹This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.

²⁰At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months.

²¹But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.

²²And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.

²³“Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

²⁴And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian.

²⁵For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.

²⁶And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’

²⁷But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

²⁸Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’

²⁹Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

³⁰“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.

³¹When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him,

³²saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look.

³³‘Then the LORD said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

³⁴I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” ’

³⁵“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.

³⁶He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

³⁷“This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’

³⁸“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,

³⁹whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,

⁴⁰saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’

⁴¹And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

⁴²Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

⁴³You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

⁴⁴“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen,

⁴⁵which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David,

⁴⁶who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.

⁴⁷But Solomon built Him a house.

⁴⁸“However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

⁴⁹‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest?

⁵⁰Has My hand not made all these things?’

⁵¹“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

⁵²Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,

⁵³who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

⁵⁴When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

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

⁵⁶and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

⁵⁷Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

⁵⁸and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.