Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.

²When Jesus got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,

³and the man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with chains.

⁴For he had often been bound with shackles [for the feet] and with chains, and he tore apart the chains and broke the shackles into pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue and tame him.

⁵Night and day he was constantly screaming and shrieking among the tombs and on the mountains, and cutting himself with [sharp] stones.

⁶Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him [in homage];

⁷and screaming with a loud voice, he said, " What business do we have in common with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God [swear to me], do not torment me!"

⁸For Jesus had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

⁹He was asking him, "What is your name?" And he replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many."

¹⁰And he began begging Him repeatedly not to send them out of the region.

¹¹Now there was a large herd of pigs grazing there on the mountain.

¹²And the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the pigs so that we may go into them!"

¹³Jesus gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out [of the man] and entered the pigs. The herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea; and they were drowned [one after the other] in the sea.

¹⁴The herdsmen [tending the pigs] ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what had happened.

¹⁵They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had [previously] had the "legion" [of demons]; and they were frightened.

¹⁶Those who had seen it described [in detail] to the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man, and [told them all] about the pigs.

¹⁷So the people began to beg with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸As He was stepping into the boat, the [Gentile] man who had been demon-possessed was begging with Him [asking] that he might go with Him [as a disciple].

¹⁹Jesus did not let him [come], but [instead] He said to him, "Go home to your family and tell them all the great things that the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you."

²⁰So he [obeyed and] went away and began to publicly proclaim in Decapolis [the region of the ten Hellenistic cities] all the great things that Jesus had done for him; and all the people were astonished.

²¹When Jesus had again crossed over in the boat to the other side [of the sea], a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore.

²²One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up; and seeing Him, fell at His feet

²³and begged anxiously with Him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death; [please] come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live."

²⁴And Jesus went with him; and a large crowd followed Him and pressed in around Him [from all sides].

²⁵A woman [in the crowd] had [suffered from] a hemorrhage for twelve years,

²⁶and had endured much [suffering] at the hands of many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but instead had become worse.

²⁷She had heard [reports] about Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His outer robe.

²⁸For she thought, "If I just touch His clothing, I will get well."

²⁹Immediately her flow of blood was dried up; and she felt in her body [and knew without any doubt] that she was healed of her suffering.

³⁰Immediately Jesus, recognizing in Himself that power had gone out from Him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched My clothes?"

³¹His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in around You [from all sides], and You ask, 'Who touched Me?'"

³²Still He kept looking around to see the woman who had done it.

³³And the woman, though she was afraid and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

³⁴Then He said to her, "Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has restored you to health; go in peace and be [permanently] healed from your suffering."

³⁵While He was still speaking, some people came from the synagogue official's house, saying [to Jairus], "Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher any longer?"

³⁶Overhearing what was being said, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; only keep on believing [in Me and my power]."

³⁷And He allowed no one to go with Him [as witnesses], except Peter and James and John the brother of James.

³⁸They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He looked [with understanding] at the uproar and commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing [in mourning].

³⁹When He had gone in, He said to them, "Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is sleeping."

⁴⁰They began laughing [scornfully] at Him [because they knew the child was dead]. But He made them all go outside, and took along the child's father and mother and His own [three] companions, and entered the room where the child was.

⁴¹Taking the child's hand, He said [tenderly] to her, "Talitha kum!"—which translated [from Aramaic] means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"

⁴²The little girl immediately got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they [who witnessed the child's resurrection] were overcome with great wonder and utter amazement.

⁴³He gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He told them to give her something to eat.

¹The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Command the Israelites to send away from the camp every leper and everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is defiled [that is, ceremonially unclean] by [coming in contact with] the dead.

³You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst."

⁴The Israelites did so, and sent them outside the camp; just as the LORD had said to Moses, so the Israelites did.

⁵And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

⁶"Say to the Israelites, 'When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind [against other people], thus breaking faith with the LORD, and that person is guilty,

⁷then he shall confess the sin which he has committed, and he shall make restitution for his wrong in full, and add a fifth to it, and give it to [the person] whom he has wronged.

⁸But if the man [who was wronged] has no redeemer (relative) to whom the restitution may be made, it is to be given to the LORD for the priest, besides the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for the offender.

⁹Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy gifts of the Israelites which they offer to the priest, shall be his.

¹⁰And every man's holy gifts shall be the priest's; whatever any man gives the priest, it becomes his.'"

¹¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

¹²"Speak to the Israelites and say to them, 'If any man's wife goes astray (deviates) and is unfaithful to him,

¹³and a man is intimate with her, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and it is kept secret, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act,

¹⁴and if a spirit (sense, attitude) of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous and angry at his wife who has defiled herself—or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself—

¹⁵then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and he shall bring as an offering for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it [the symbols of favor and joy], because it is a grain offering of jealousy, a memorial grain offering, a reminder of [the consequences of] wickedness.

¹⁶'Then the priest shall have her approach and have her stand before the LORD,

¹⁷and the priest shall take holy water [from the sacred basin] in an earthenware vessel; and he shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water.

¹⁸The priest shall then have the woman stand before the LORD, and let the hair of the woman's head hang loose, and put the memorial grain offering in her hands, which is the jealousy offering, and in the hand of the priest is to be the water of bitterness that brings a curse.

¹⁹Then the priest shall have her take an oath and say to the woman, "If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray into uncleanness [while married], then be immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse;

²⁰but if you have gone astray [while married] and you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has been intimate with you"

²¹(then the priest shall have the woman swear the oath of the curse, and say to the woman), "The LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people when the LORD makes your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell;

²²and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away." And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen (so let it be)."

²³'The priest shall then write these curses on a scroll and shall wash them off into the water of bitterness;

²⁴and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse will go into her and cause bitterness.

²⁵Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman's hand, and he shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and offer it on the altar.

²⁶Then the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering as the memorial portion of it and offer it up in smoke on the altar, and afterward he shall make the woman drink the water.

²⁷When he has made her drink the water, then it shall come about, that if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, the curse water will go into her and cause bitterness and cause her abdomen to swell and her thigh to waste away, and the woman will become a curse among her people.

²⁸But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she will be free and conceive children.

²⁹'This is the law of jealousy: when a wife goes astray [while married] and defiles herself,

³⁰or when a spirit (sense, attitude) of jealousy and suspicion comes on a man and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall have the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest shall apply this law to her.

³¹Further, the husband will be free from guilt, but that woman [if guilty] shall bear her guilt.'"

¹It is necessary to boast, though nothing is gained by it; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

²I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.

³And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows—

⁴was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which man is not permitted to speak [words too sacred to tell].

⁵On behalf of such a man [and his experiences] I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.

⁶If I wish to boast, I will not be foolish, because I will be speaking the truth. But I abstain [from it], so that no one will credit me with more than [is justified by what] he sees in me or hears from me.

⁷Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations [which I received from God], for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself!

⁸Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me;

⁹but He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness." Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.

¹⁰So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God's strength].

¹¹Now I have become foolish; you have forced me [by questioning my apostleship]. Actually I should have been commended by you [instead of being treated disdainfully], for I was not inferior to those super-apostles, even if I am nobody.

¹²The signs that indicate a genuine apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently—signs and wonders and miracles.

¹³For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except [for the fact] that I did not burden you [with my financial support]? Forgive me [for doing you] this injustice!

¹⁴Now for the third time I am ready to visit you. I will not burden you [financially], because I do not want what is yours [not your money or your possessions], but you. For children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

¹⁵But I will very gladly spend [my own resources] and be utterly spent for your souls. If I love you greatly, am I to be loved less [by you]?

¹⁶But be that as it may, I did not burden you [with my support]. But [some say that] I was sly and took you by trickery.

¹⁷Did I take advantage of you or make any money off you through any of the messengers I sent you? [Certainly not!]

¹⁸I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? [No!] Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps? [Of course!]

¹⁹All this time you have been thinking that we are [merely] defending ourselves to you. It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking [as one] in Christ; and everything, dearly beloved, is to strengthen you [spiritually].

²⁰For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not to be as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder;

²¹I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality and decadence which they formerly practiced.

¹Then I looked, and this is what I saw: the Lamb stood [firmly established] on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had His name and His Father's name inscribed on their foreheads [signifying God's own possession].

²And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of great waters and like the rumbling of mighty thunder; and the voice that I heard [seemed like music and] was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

³And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased (ransomed, redeemed) from the earth.

⁴These are the ones who have not been defiled [by relations] with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased and redeemed from among men [of Israel] as the first fruits [sanctified and set apart for special service] for God and the Lamb.

⁵No lie was found in their mouth, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, beyond reproach).

⁶Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people;

⁷and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God [with awe and reverence], and give Him glory [and honor and praise in worship], because the hour of His judgment has come; [with all your heart] worship Him who created the heaven and the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

⁸Then another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality [corrupting them with idolatry]."

⁹Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives the mark [of the beast] on his forehead or on his hand,

¹⁰he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ).

¹¹And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night—those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

¹²Here is [encouragement for] the steadfast endurance of the saints (God's people), those who habitually keep God's commandments and their faith in Jesus.

¹³Then I heard [the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, ' Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes, [blessed indeed]," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest and have relief from their labors, for their deeds do follow them."

¹⁴Again I looked, and this is what I saw: a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle [of swift judgment] in His hand.

¹⁵And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who was sitting upon the cloud, "Put in Your sickle and reap [at once], for the hour to reap [in judgment] has arrived, because the earth's harvest is fully ripened."

¹⁶So He who was sitting on the cloud cast His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped (judged).

¹⁷Then another angel came out of the temple (sanctuary) in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

¹⁸And another angel came from the altar, the one who has power over fire; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and reap the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe [for judgment]."

¹⁹So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and harvested the grapevine of the earth, and threw the grapes into the great wine press of the wrath and indignation of God [as judgment of the rebellious world].

²⁰And the grapes in the wine press were trampled and crushed outside the city, and blood poured from the wine press, reaching up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of sixteen hundred stadia.

¹(The Chorus) "Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where is your beloved hiding himself, That we may seek him with you?"

²(The Shulammite Bride) "My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of balsam, To feed his flock in the gardens And gather lilies.

³"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, He who feeds his flock among the lilies."

⁴(The Bridegroom) "You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, As lovely as Jerusalem, As majestic as an army with banners!

⁵"Turn your [flashing] eyes away from me, For they have confused and overcome me; Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goats That have descended from Mount Gilead.

⁶"Your teeth are like a flock of ewes Which have come up from their washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young.

⁷"Your temples are like a slice of the pomegranate Behind your veil.

⁸"There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, And maidens without number;

⁹But my dove, my perfect one, stands alone [above them all]; She is her mother's only daughter; She is the pure child of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed and happy, The queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,

¹⁰'Who is this that looks down like the dawn, Fair and beautiful as the full moon, Clear and pure as the sun, As majestic as an army with banners?'

¹¹"I went down to the orchard of nut trees To see the flowers of the valley, To see whether the grapevine had budded And the pomegranates were in flower.

¹²"Before I was aware [of what was happening], my desire had brought me Into the area of the princes of my people [the king's retinue]."

¹³(The Chorus) "Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may gaze at you." (The Bridegroom) "Why should you gaze at the Shulammite, As at the dance of the two armies?

¹A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

²Our feet are standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem,

³Jerusalem, that is built As a city that is firmly joined together;

⁴To which the [twelve] tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD, [As was decreed as] an ordinance for Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

⁵For there the thrones of judgment were set, The thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you [holy city].

⁷"May peace be within your walls And prosperity within your palaces."

⁸For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you."

⁹For the sake of the house of the LORD our God [which is Jerusalem], I will seek your (the city's) good.

¹He who hardens his neck and refuses instruction after being often reproved (corrected, criticized), Will suddenly be broken beyond repair.

²When the righteous are in authority and become great, the people rejoice; But when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh.

³A man who loves [skillful and godly] wisdom makes his father joyful, But he who associates with prostitutes wastes his wealth.

⁴The king establishes (stabilizes) the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor [with smooth words intending to do harm] Is spreading a net for his own feet.

⁶By his wicked plan an evil man is trapped, But the righteous man sings and rejoices [for his plan brings good things to him].

⁷The righteous man cares for the rights of the poor, But the wicked man has no interest in such knowledge.

⁸Scoffers set a city afire [by stirring up trouble], But wise men turn away anger [and restore order with their good judgment].

⁹If a wise man has a controversy with a foolish and arrogant man, The foolish man [ignores logic and fairness and] only rages or laughs, and there is no peace (rest, agreement).

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate the blameless [because of his integrity], But the upright are concerned for his life.

¹¹A [shortsighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger, But a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back.

¹²If a ruler pays attention to lies [and encourages corruption], All his officials will become wicked.

¹³The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.

¹⁴If a king faithfully and truthfully judges the poor, His throne shall be established forever.

¹⁵The rod and reproof (godly instruction) give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, But the righteous will see the downfall of the wicked.

¹⁷Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; Yes, he will delight your soul.

¹⁸Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].

¹⁹A servant will not be corrected by words alone; For though he understands, he will not respond [nor pay attention].

²⁰Do you see a [conceited] man who speaks quickly [offering his opinions or answering without thinking]? There is more hope for a [thickheaded] fool than for him.

²¹He who pampers his slave from childhood Will find him to be a son in the end.

²²An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered and undisciplined man commits many transgressions.

²³A man's pride and sense of self-importance will bring him down, But he who has a humble spirit will obtain honor.

²⁴Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the curse [when swearing an oath to testify], but discloses nothing [and commits perjury by omission].

²⁵The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in and puts his confidence in the LORD will be exalted and safe.

²⁶Many seek the ruler's favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD.

²⁷An unjust man is repulsive to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way [of the LORD] is repulsive to the wicked.

¹Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth."

²So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

³Ahab called Obadiah who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly;

⁴for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)

⁵Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go into the land to all the sources of water and to all the streams; perhaps we may find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle."

⁶So they divided the land between them to survey it. Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

⁷As Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. He recognized him and fell face downward [out of respect] and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"

⁸He answered him, "It is I. Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'"

⁹But he said, "What sin have I committed, that you would hand over your servant to Ahab to put me to death?

¹⁰As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent messengers to seek you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' Ahab made the kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.

¹¹And now you are saying, 'Go, tell your master, "Behold, Elijah [is here]."'

¹²And as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I come to tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. Yet your servant has [reverently] feared the LORD from my youth.

¹³Has it not been told to my lord [Elijah] what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?

¹⁴And now you are saying, 'Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here"'; and he will kill me."

¹⁵Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts (armies) lives, before whom I stand, I will certainly show myself to Ahab today."

¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Are you the one who is bringing disaster on Israel?"

¹⁸Elijah said, "I have not brought disaster on Israel, but you and your father's household have, by abandoning (rejecting) the commandments of the LORD and by following the Baals.

¹⁹Now then, send word and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of [the goddess] Asherah, who eat at [Queen] Jezebel's table."

²⁰So Ahab sent word to all the Israelites and assembled the [pagan] prophets together at Mount Carmel.

²¹Elijah approached all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people [of Israel] did not answer him [so much as] a word.

²²Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone remain a prophet of the LORD, while Baal's prophets are 450 men.

²³Now let them give us two oxen, and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it.

²⁴Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the god who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken."

²⁵Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, since there are many of you; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."

²⁶So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, hear and answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they had made.

²⁷At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied, or he is out [at the moment], or he is on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened!"

²⁸So they cried out with a loud voice [to get Baal's attention] and cut themselves with swords and lances in accordance with their custom, until the blood flowed out on them.

²⁹As midday passed, they played the part of prophets and raved dramatically until the time for offering the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

³⁰Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people approached him. And he repaired and rebuilt the [old] altar of the LORD that had been torn down [by Jezebel].

³¹Then Elijah took twelve stones in accordance with the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name."

³²So with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. He made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two measures of seed.

³³Then he laid out the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.

³⁴And he said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and the wood." And he said, "Do it the second time." And they did it the second time. And he said, "Do it the third time." And they did it a third time.

³⁵The water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

³⁶At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached [the altar] and said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word.

³⁷Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back [to You]."

³⁸Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood, and even the stones and the dust; it also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹When all the people saw it, they fell face downward; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"

⁴⁰Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and [as God's law required] killed them there.

⁴¹Now Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roar of an abundance of rain."

⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down to the earth and put his face between his knees,

⁴³and he said to his servant, "Go up, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked and said, "There is nothing." Elijah said, "Go back" seven times.

⁴⁴And at the seventh time the servant said, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is coming up from the sea." And Elijah said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the rain shower does not stop you.'"

⁴⁵In a little while the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there were heavy showers. And Ahab mounted and rode [his chariot] and went [inland] to Jezreel.

⁴⁶Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah [giving him supernatural strength]. He girded up his loins and outran Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel [nearly twenty miles].

¹Now at Caesarea [Maritima] there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Regiment,

²a devout man and one who, along with all his household, feared God. He made many charitable donations to the Jewish people, and prayed to God always.

³About the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had come to him and said, "Cornelius!"

⁴Cornelius was frightened and stared intently at him and said, "What is it, lord (sir)?" And the angel said to him, "Your prayers and gifts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God [an offering made in remembrance of His past blessings].

⁵Now send men to Joppa and have them call for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter [and invite him here];

⁶he is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

⁷When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his own personal attendants;

⁸and after explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹The next day, as they were on their way and were approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof of the house about the sixth hour (noon) to pray,

¹⁰but he became hungry and wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared he fell into a trance;

¹¹and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet descending, lowered by its four corners to the earth,

¹²and it contained all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

¹³A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!"

¹⁴But Peter said, "Not at all, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common (unholy) and [ceremonially] unclean."

¹⁵And the voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy)."

¹⁶This happened three times, and then immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

¹⁷Now Peter was still perplexed and completely at a loss as to what his vision could mean when the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon's house, arrived at the gate.

¹⁸And they called out to ask whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

¹⁹While Peter was thoughtfully considering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Now listen, three men are looking for you.

²⁰Get up, go downstairs and go with them without hesitating or doubting, because I have sent them Myself."

²¹Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. For what reason have you come?"

²²They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man well spoken of by all the Jewish people, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear what you have to say."

²³So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging [for the night]. The next day Peter got up and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

²⁴On the following day he [and the others] entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵When Peter arrived, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am only a man."

²⁷As Peter talked with him, he entered [the house] and found a large group of people assembled.

²⁸He said to them, "You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with or befriend a Gentile, or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call anyone common or [ceremonially] unclean.

²⁹Therefore when I was sent for, I came without raising an objection. So I ask for what reason have you sent for me?"

³⁰Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour (3:00-4:00 p.m.); and a man [dressed] in bright, dazzling clothing suddenly stood before me,

³¹and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered before God [so that He is about to help you].

³²Therefore send word to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you. He is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.'

³³So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to listen to everything that you have been instructed by the Lord [to say]."

³⁴Opening his mouth, Peter said: "Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God's blessing],

³⁵but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him.

³⁶You know the message which He sent to the sons of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all—

³⁷you know the things that have taken place throughout Judea, starting in Galilee after the baptism preached by John—

³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

³⁹We are [personally] eyewitnesses of everything that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem [in particular]. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross;

⁴⁰God raised Him [to life] on the third day and caused Him to be plainly seen,

⁴¹not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen and designated beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank together with Him after He rose from the dead.

⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people [both Jew and Gentile], and to solemnly testify that He is the One who has been appointed and ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴³All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him [whoever trusts in and relies on Him, accepting Him as Savior and Messiah] receives forgiveness of sins."

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening to the message [confirming God's acceptance of Gentiles].

⁴⁵All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

⁴⁶For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and exalting and magnifying and praising God. Then Peter said,

⁴⁷"Can anyone refuse water for these people to be baptized, since they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

⁴⁸And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay there for a few days.