Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.

²The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.

³And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

⁴They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

⁵And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

⁶But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’

⁷‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

⁸and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.

¹¹So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.

¹²And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

¹⁵Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

¹⁶And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

¹⁷Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

²¹Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

²²But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

²⁸Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

²⁹So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,

³⁰who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

³²Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:

³³“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles;

³⁴and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³⁷They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

³⁹They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

⁴⁰but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

⁴¹And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.

⁴²But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

⁴³Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

⁴⁴And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

⁴⁶Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.

⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

⁵⁰And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

⁵¹So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

¹And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

²“Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.

³When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

⁴But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you.

⁵When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey.

⁶When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys.

⁷And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance.

⁸The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations.

⁹“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.

¹⁰Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”

¹¹Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony.

¹²And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran.

¹³So they started out for the first time according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

¹⁴The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

¹⁵Over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar.

¹⁶And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

¹⁷Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

¹⁸And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

¹⁹Over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

²⁰And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

²¹Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. (The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival.)

²²And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

²³Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

²⁴And over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

²⁵Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

²⁶Over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.

²⁷And over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.

²⁸Thus was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey.

²⁹Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”

³⁰And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.”

³¹So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

³²And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.”

³³So they departed from the mountain of the LORD on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.

³⁴And the cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they went out from the camp.

³⁵So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.”

³⁶And when it rested, he said: “Return, O LORD, To the many thousands of Israel.”

¹Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,

²but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

³Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

⁴But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

⁵to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

⁶And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

⁷Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

⁸But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.

⁹But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

¹⁰You observe days and months and seasons and years.

¹¹I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

¹²Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all.

¹³You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.

¹⁴And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.

¹⁶Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

¹⁸But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

¹⁹My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

²⁰I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

²¹Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

²³But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

²⁴which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—

²⁵for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—

²⁶but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

²⁷For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”

²⁸Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

²⁹But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

³⁰Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

³¹So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

¹After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!

²For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”

³Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”

⁴And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”

⁵Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”

⁶And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

⁷Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

⁸And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

⁹Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

¹⁰And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

¹¹Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

¹²His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

¹³He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

¹⁴And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

¹⁵Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

¹⁶And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

¹⁷Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,

¹⁸that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

¹⁹And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

²⁰Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

²¹And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

¹After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

²And Job spoke, and said:

³“May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, ‘A male child is conceived.’

⁴May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it, Nor the light shine upon it.

⁵May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May the blackness of the day terrify it.

⁶As for that night, may darkness seize it; May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it not come into the number of the months.

⁷Oh, may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into it!

⁸May those curse it who curse the day, Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan.

⁹May the stars of its morning be dark; May it look for light, but have none, And not see the dawning of the day;

¹⁰Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.

¹¹“Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?

¹²Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?

¹³For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been at rest

¹⁴With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built ruins for themselves,

¹⁵Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver;

¹⁶Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light?

¹⁷There the wicked cease from troubling, And there the weary are at rest.

¹⁸There the prisoners rest together; They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

¹⁹The small and great are there, And the servant is free from his master.

²⁰“Why is light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter of soul,

²¹Who long for death, but it does not come, And search for it more than hidden treasures;

²²Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad when they can find the grave?

²³Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in?

²⁴For my sighing comes before I eat, And my groanings pour out like water.

²⁵For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.

²⁶I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes.”

¹A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. [1] Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

²It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.

³Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.

⁵Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

¹My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;

²For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.

³Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,

⁴And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

⁸It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

¹⁰So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction;

¹²For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;

¹⁴For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.

¹⁹The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens;

²⁰By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, let them not depart from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion;

²²So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.

²³Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

²⁶For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbor, For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.

³⁰Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;

³²For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright.

³³The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just.

³⁴Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

³⁵The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

¹Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

²Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.”

³But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’

⁴Now therefore, thus says the LORD: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed.

⁵And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?”

⁶So they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” ’ ”

⁷Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?”

⁸So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ”

¹⁰So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹¹Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ”

¹²So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹³Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.

¹⁴Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.”

¹⁵And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ”

¹⁷So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

¹⁸Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹“You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem.

²Lay siege against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around.

³Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

⁴“Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.

⁵For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

⁶And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

⁷“Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it.

⁸And surely I will restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.

⁹“Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it.

¹⁰And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it.

¹¹You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; from time to time you shall drink.

¹²And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”

¹³Then the LORD said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”

¹⁴So I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has abominable flesh ever come into my mouth.”

¹⁵Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”

¹⁶Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall drink water by measure and with dread,

¹⁷that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and waste away because of their iniquity.

¹And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

²Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.

³So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

⁴And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

⁵But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.

⁷And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

⁸So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,

⁹and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

¹¹But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

¹²Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

¹³And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me:

¹⁴Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.

¹⁵And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

¹⁶‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;

¹⁷So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.’

¹⁸“Known to God from eternity are all His works.

¹⁹Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,

²⁰but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

²¹For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²²Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

²³They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

²⁴Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment—

²⁵it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

²⁹that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

³⁰So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.

³¹When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.

³²Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.

³³And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles.

³⁴However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.

³⁵Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

³⁶Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”

³⁷Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.

³⁸But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.

³⁹Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;

⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.

⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.