Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them.

²But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”

³Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

⁴He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat.

⁵And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath?

⁶I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!

⁷But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’

⁸For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

⁹Then Jesus went over to their synagogue,

¹⁰where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)

¹¹And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would.

¹²And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

¹³Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one!

¹⁴Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

¹⁵But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,

¹⁶but he warned them not to reveal who he was.

¹⁷This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:

¹⁸“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

¹⁹He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public.

²⁰He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.

²¹And his name will be the hope of all the world.”

²²Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see.

²³The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”

²⁴But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.”

²⁵Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

²⁶And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive.

²⁷And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.

²⁸But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.

²⁹For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger — someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

³⁰“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

³¹“So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven — except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.

³²Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.

³³“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.

³⁴You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.

³⁵A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.

³⁶And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.

³⁷The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

³⁸One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”

³⁹But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

⁴⁰For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

⁴¹“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here — but you refuse to repent.

⁴²The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here — but you refuse to listen.

⁴³“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.

⁴⁴Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.

⁴⁵Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

⁴⁶As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.

⁴⁷Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”

⁴⁸Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

⁴⁹Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.

⁵⁰Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

¹The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

²I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

³I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

⁴So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

⁵He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth — his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran — and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,

⁶Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

⁷Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants. ” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

⁸After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the LORD, and he worshiped the LORD.

⁹Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.

¹⁰At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.

¹¹As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.

¹²When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’

¹³So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

¹⁴And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty.

¹⁵When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace.

¹⁶Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her — sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

¹⁷But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

¹⁸So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?

¹⁹Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!”

²⁰Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

¹And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

²Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

³Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

⁴Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,

⁵so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

⁶In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

⁷If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.

⁸If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

⁹Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

¹⁰Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

¹¹Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

¹²Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

¹³When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.

¹⁵Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

¹⁶Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

¹⁷Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.

¹⁸Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

¹⁹Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.

²⁰Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

²¹Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

¹Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

²These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

³They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.

⁴Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.

⁵For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

⁶If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed.

⁷Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

⁸“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

⁹This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.

¹⁰This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

¹¹Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them.

¹²Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

¹³Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.

¹⁴Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.

¹⁵Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress.

¹⁶Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

¹Then Job spoke again:

²“You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you!

³Well, I know a few things myself — and you’re no better than I am. Who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying?

⁴Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer. I am a just and blameless man, yet they laugh at me.

⁵People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling.

⁶But robbers are left in peace, and those who provoke God live in safety — though God keeps them in his power.

⁷“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.

⁸Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish in the sea speak to you.

⁹For they all know that my disaster has come from the hand of the LORD.

¹⁰For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.

¹¹The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.

¹²Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.

¹³“But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his.

¹⁴What he destroys cannot be rebuilt. When he puts someone in prison, there is no escape.

¹⁵If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert. If he releases the waters, they flood the earth.

¹⁶Yes, strength and wisdom are his; deceivers and deceived are both in his power.

¹⁷He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment; wise judges become fools.

¹⁸He removes the royal robe of kings. They are led away with ropes around their waist.

¹⁹He leads priests away, stripped of status; he overthrows those with long years in power.

²⁰He silences the trusted adviser and removes the insight of the elders.

²¹He pours disgrace upon princes and disarms the strong.

²²“He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom.

²³He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them.

²⁴He strips kings of understanding and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland.

²⁵They grope in the darkness without a light. He makes them stagger like drunkards.

¹Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!

²Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.

³May the LORD cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues.

⁴They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own — who can stop us?”

⁵The LORD replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”

⁶The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.

⁷Therefore, LORD, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation,

⁸even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.

¹To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

²The LORD approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness.

³Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.

⁴A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

⁵The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

⁶The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives.

⁷The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm.

⁸A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.

⁹Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.

¹⁰The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.

¹¹A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.

¹²Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.

¹³The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble.

¹⁴Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards.

¹⁵Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

¹⁶A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.

¹⁷An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies.

¹⁸Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.

¹⁹Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.

²⁰Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!

²¹No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²²The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.

²³The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.

²⁴Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.

²⁵Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

²⁶The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.

²⁷Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.

²⁸The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.

¹These are the kings east of the Jordan River who had been killed by the Israelites and whose land was taken. Their territory extended from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon and included all the land east of the Jordan Valley.

²King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, was defeated. His kingdom included Aroer, on the edge of the Arnon Gorge, and extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge to the Jabbok River, which serves as a border for the Ammonites. This territory included the southern half of the territory of Gilead.

³Sihon also controlled the Jordan Valley and regions to the east — from as far north as the Sea of Galilee to as far south as the Dead Sea, including the road to Beth-jeshimoth and southward to the slopes of Pisgah.

⁴King Og of Bashan, the last of the Rephaites, lived at Ashtaroth and Edrei.

⁵He ruled a territory stretching from Mount Hermon to Salecah in the north and to all of Bashan in the east, and westward to the borders of the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. This territory included the northern half of Gilead, as far as the boundary of King Sihon of Heshbon.

⁶Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites had destroyed the people of King Sihon and King Og. And Moses gave their land as a possession to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁷The following is a list of the kings that Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir. (Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as their possession,

⁸including the hill country, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountain slopes, the Judean wilderness, and the Negev. The people who lived in this region were the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.) These are the kings Israel defeated:

⁹The king of Jericho The king of Ai, near Bethel

¹⁰The king of Jerusalem The king of Hebron

¹¹The king of Jarmuth The king of Lachish

¹²The king of Eglon The king of Gezer

¹³The king of Debir The king of Geder

¹⁴The king of Hormah The king of Arad

¹⁵The king of Libnah The king of Adullam

¹⁶The king of Makkedah The king of Bethel

¹⁷The king of Tappuah The king of Hepher

¹⁸The king of Aphek The king of Lasharon

¹⁹The king of Madon The king of Hazor

²⁰The king of Shimron-meron The king of Acshaph

²¹The king of Taanach The king of Megiddo

²²The king of Kedesh The king of Jokneam in Carmel

²³The king of Dor in the town of Naphoth-dor The king of Goyim in Gilgal

²⁴The king of Tirzah. In all, thirty-one kings were defeated.

¹In that day you will sing: “I will praise you, O LORD! You were angry with me, but not any more. Now you comfort me.

²See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

³With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!

⁴In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the LORD! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is!

⁵Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world.

⁶Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

¹About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.

²He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword.

³When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration. )

⁴Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.

⁵But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

⁶The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.

⁷Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.

⁸Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

⁹So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.

¹⁰They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

¹¹Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”

¹²When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

¹³He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.

¹⁴When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

¹⁵“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

¹⁶Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

¹⁷He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.

¹⁸At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.

¹⁹Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.

²⁰Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant,

²¹and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.

²²The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”

²³Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.

²⁴Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.

²⁵When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.