Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now in the fifteenth year of [Emperor] Tiberius Caesar's reign—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene—

²in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas [his son-in-law], the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

³And he went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin;

⁴as it is written and forever remains written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.

⁵'Every ravine shall be filled up, And every mountain and hill shall be leveled; And the crooked [places] shall be made straight, And the rough roads smooth;

⁶andall mankind shall see the salvation of God.'"

⁷So he began saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come?

⁸Therefore produce fruit that is worthy of [and consistent with your] repentance [that is, live changed lives, turn from sin and seek God and His righteousness]. And do not even begin to say to yourselves [as a defense], 'We have Abraham for our father [and so our heritage assures us of salvation]'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham [for God can replace the unrepentant, regardless of their heritage, with those who are obedient].

⁹Even now the axe [of God's judgment] is swinging toward the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire."

¹⁰The crowds asked him, "Then what are we to do?"

¹¹And John replied, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same."

¹²Even some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

¹³And he told them, "Collect no more than the fixed amount you have been ordered to [collect]."

¹⁴Some soldiers asked him, "And what about us, what are we to do?" And he replied to them, "Do not extort money from anyone or harass or blackmail anyone, and be satisfied with your wages."

¹⁵Now the people were in a state of expectation, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

¹⁶John answered them all by saying, "As for me, I baptize you [only] with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire.

¹⁷His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire."

¹⁸So with many other appeals and various admonitions John preached the good news (gospel) to the people.

¹⁹But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was repeatedly reprimanded [and convicted by John's disapproval] for having Herodias, his brother's wife [as his own], and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,

²⁰he also added this to them all: he locked up John in prison.

²¹Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, the [visible] heaven was opened,

²²and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "You are My Son, My Beloved, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!"

²³When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son [by marriage] of Eli,

²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,

²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

²⁹the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

³²the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

³⁴the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

³⁶the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

³⁸the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

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

²"This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded: 'Tell the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red heifer in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed.

³You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence.

⁴Next Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of it toward the front of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) seven times.

⁵Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its skin, its flesh, its blood, and its waste, shall be burned (reduced to ash).

⁶The priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet [material] and cast them into the midst of the burning heifer.

⁷Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; and afterward come into the camp, but he shall be [ceremonially] unclean until evening.

⁸The one who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening.

⁹Now a man who is [ceremonially] clean shall collect the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the Israelites shall keep it for water to remove impurity; it is [to be used for] purification from sin.

¹⁰The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. This shall be a perpetual statute to the Israelites and to the stranger who lives as a resident alien among them.

¹¹'The one who touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean for seven days.

¹²That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water [made with the ashes of the burned heifer] on the third day and on the seventh day, and then he will be clean; but if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.

¹³Whoever touches a corpse, the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from Israel [that is, excluded from the atonement made for them]. Because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.

¹⁴'This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be [ceremonially] unclean for seven days.

¹⁵Every open container [in the tent], which has no covering tied down on it, is unclean.

¹⁶Also, anyone in the open field who touches one who has been killed with a sword or who has died [of natural causes], or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean for seven days.

¹⁷Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for the purification from sin, and running water shall be added to them in a container.

¹⁸A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the people who were there, and on the one who touched the bone or the one who was killed or the one who died [naturally] or the grave.

¹⁹Then the clean person shall sprinkle [the water for purification] on the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day, and on the seventh day the unclean man shall purify himself, and wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be [ceremonially] clean at evening.

²⁰'But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water for purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

²¹So it shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity [on another] shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

²²Furthermore, anything the unclean person touches shall be unclean, and anyone who touches it shall be [ceremonially] unclean until evening.'"

¹Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed), To all the saints (God's people) in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

²Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³I thank my God in every remembrance of you,

⁴always offering every prayer of mine with joy [and with specific requests] for all of you,

⁵[thanking God] for your participation and partnership [both your comforting fellowship and gracious contributions] in [advancing] the good news [regarding salvation] from the first day [you heard it] until now.

⁶I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about you, because [you have me in your heart as] I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the good news [regarding salvation], all of you share in [His matchless] grace with me.

⁸For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus [whose great love fills me].

⁹And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight,

¹⁰so that you may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent [identifying the best, and distinguishing moral differences], and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [actually living lives that lead others away from sin];

¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God [so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized].

¹²Now I want you to know, believers, that what has happened to me [this imprisonment that was meant to stop me] has actually served to advance [the spread of] the good news [regarding salvation].

¹³My imprisonment in [the cause of] Christ has become common knowledge throughout the whole praetorian (imperial) guard and to everyone else.

¹⁴Because of my chains [seeing that I am doing well and that God is accomplishing great things], most of the brothers have renewed confidence in the Lord, and have far more courage to speak the word of God [concerning salvation] without fear [of the consequences, seeing that God can work His good in all circumstances].

¹⁵Some, it is true, are [actually] preaching Christ out of envy and rivalry [toward me—for no better reason than a competitive spirit or misguided ambition], but others out of goodwill and a loyal spirit [toward me].

¹⁶The latter [preach Christ] out of love, because they know that I have been put here [by God on purpose] for the defense of the gospel;

¹⁷but the former preach Christ [insincerely] out of selfish ambition [just self-promotion], thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment.

¹⁸What then [does it matter]? So long as in every way, whether in pretense [for self-promotion] or in all honesty [to spread the truth], Christ is being preached; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice [later as well],

¹⁹for I know [with confidence] that this will turn out for my deliverance and spiritual well-being, through your prayers and the [superabundant] supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ [which upholds me].

²⁰It is my own eager expectation and hope, that [looking toward the future] I will not disgrace myself nor be ashamed in anything, but that with courage and the utmost freedom of speech, even now as always, Christ will be magnified and exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

²¹For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].

²²If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know which to choose [if I am given that choice].

²³But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better;

²⁴yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for your sake.

²⁵Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

²⁶so that your rejoicing for me may overflow in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

²⁷Only [be sure to] lead your lives in a manner [that will be] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I do come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one mind striving side by side [as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel.

²⁸And in no way be alarmed or intimidated [in anything] by your opponents, for such [constancy and fearlessness on your part] is a [clear] sign [a proof and a seal] for them of [their impending] destruction, but [a clear sign] for you of deliverance and salvation, and that too, from God.

²⁹For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ's sake, not only to believe and confidently trust in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

³⁰[and so you are] experiencing the same [kind of] conflict which you saw me endure, and which you hear to be mine now.

¹Then Job responded,

²"No doubt you are the [only wise] people [in the world], And wisdom will die with you!

³"But I have intelligence and understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these [of God's wisdom and might]?

⁴"I am a joke to my friends; I, one whom God answered when he called upon Him— A just and blameless man is a joke [and laughed to scorn].

⁵"He who is at ease has contempt for misfortune, But misfortune is ready [and anxiously waiting] for those whose feet slip.

⁶"The tents of the destroyers prosper; And those who provoke God are [apparently] secure, Whom God brings into their power.

⁷"Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character]; And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you;

⁸Or speak to the earth [with its many forms of life], and it will teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare [this truth] to you.

⁹"Who among all these does not recognize [in all these things that good and evil are randomly scattered throughout nature and human life] That the hand of the LORD has done this,

¹⁰In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

¹¹"Does the ear not put words to the test, Just as the palate tastes its food [distinguishing between the desirable and the undesirable]?

¹²"With the aged [you say] is wisdom, And with long life is understanding.

¹³"But [only] with Him are [perfect] wisdom and might; He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding.

¹⁴"Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt; He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

¹⁵"Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up; Again, He sends the waters out, and they overwhelm and devastate the earth.

¹⁶"With Him are might and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader are His [and in His power].

¹⁷"He makes [great and scheming] counselors walk barefoot And makes fools of judges.

¹⁸"He loosens the bond of kings And binds their loins with a loincloth.

¹⁹"He makes priests walk barefoot, And He overturns men firmly seated and secure.

²⁰"He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.

²¹"He pours contempt on princes and nobles And loosens the belt of the strong [disabling them].

²²"He uncovers mysteries [that are difficult to grasp and understand] out of the darkness And brings black gloom and the shadow of death into light.

²³"He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away [captive].

²⁴"He removes intelligence and understanding from the leaders of the people of the earth And makes them wander and move blindly in a pathless waste.

²⁵"They grope in darkness without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man."

¹Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.

²Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness endures forever.

³Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness endures forever.

⁴To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

⁵To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

⁶To Him who stretched out the earth upon the waters, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

⁷To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

⁸The sun to rule over the day, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

⁹The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹⁰To Him who struck the firstborn of Egypt, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹¹And brought Israel out from among them, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹²With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹³To Him who divided the Red Sea into parts, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹⁴And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹⁵But tossed Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹⁶To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹⁷To Him who struck down great kings, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹⁸And killed mighty kings, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

¹⁹Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

²⁰And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

²¹And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

²²Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

²³Who [faithfully] remembered us in our lowly condition, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

²⁴And has rescued us from our enemies, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

²⁵Who gives food to all flesh, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

²⁶Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.

¹Whoever loves instruction and discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof and correction is stupid.

²A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

³A man will not be established by wickedness, But the root of the [consistently] righteous will not be moved.

⁴A virtuous and excellent wife [worthy of honor] is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him [with her foolishness] is like rottenness in his bones.

⁵The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are just (honest, reliable), But the counsels and schemes of the wicked are deceitful.

⁶The [malevolent] words of the wicked lie in wait for [innocent] blood [to slander], But the mouth of the upright will rescue and protect them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown [by their evil] and are no more, But the house of the [consistently] righteous will stand [securely].

⁸A man will be commended according to his insight and sound judgment, But the one who is of a perverse mind will be despised.

⁹Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, Than he who [boastfully] honors himself [pretending to be what he is not] and lacks bread.

¹⁰A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

¹¹He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless things lacks common sense and good judgment.

¹²The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields richer fruit.

¹³An evil man is [dangerously] ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.

¹⁴A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man's hands will return to him [as a harvest].

¹⁵The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God's wisdom] is right in his own eyes, But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.

¹⁶The [arrogant] fool's anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense], But a prudent man ignores an insult.

¹⁷He who speaks truth [when he testifies] tells what is right, But a false witness utters deceit [in court].

¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is [credited] only for a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.

²¹No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with trouble.

²²Lying lips are extremely disgusting to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

²³A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time], But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.

²⁴The hand of the diligent will rule, But the negligent and lazy will be put to forced labor.

²⁵Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good (encouraging) word makes it glad.

²⁶The righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey, But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

²⁸In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality—eternal life].

¹Ahab had seventy sons [and grandsons] in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying,

²"Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master's sons (male descendants) are with you, as well as chariots and horses and a fortified city and weapons,

³select the best and most capable of your master's sons, and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's [royal] house."

⁴But they were extremely afraid and said, "Look, the two kings did not stand before Jehu; so how can we stand?"

⁵And the one who was in charge of the household, and the one who was overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians [of the children] sent word to Jehu, saying, "We are your servants and we will do whatever you tell us, but we will not make any man king; do what is good in your eyes."

⁶Then Jehu wrote a second letter to them, saying, "If you are with me and will obey me, take the heads of your master's sons, and come to me at Jezreel tomorrow about this time." Now the [dead] king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them.

⁷When the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

⁸When a messenger came and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," he said, "Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate until morning."

⁹The next morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, "You are just and innocent; behold, I conspired against [Joram] my master and killed him, but who killed all these?

¹⁰Know then [without any doubt] that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD has done what He said through His servant Elijah."

¹¹So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his familiar friends and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

¹²And he set out and went to Samaria. On the way as he was at the place of the sand heaps [meeting place] for the shepherds,

¹³Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are the relatives of Ahaziah; and we came down to greet the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother [Jezebel]."

¹⁴Then Jehu said, "Take them alive." So they took them alive and [later] slaughtered them at the well by the place of the sand heaps, forty-two men; he left none of them [alive].

¹⁵When Jehu went on from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and said to him, "Is your heart right, as my heart is with yours?" Jehonadab answered, "It is." Jehu said "If it is, give me your hand." He gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot.

¹⁶And he said, "Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD." So he had Jehonadab in his chariot.

¹⁷When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed everyone who remained of Ahab's family in Samaria, until he had destroyed all of them, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah.

¹⁸Jehu assembled all the people and said [in pretense] to them, "Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much [more].

¹⁹Now, summon unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live." But Jehu did it with trickery, in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

²⁰Jehu said, "Consecrate a festive assembly (celebration) for Baal." And they proclaimed it.

²¹Then Jehu sent throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; there was no one left who did not come. They went to the house (temple) of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other.

²²He said to the man in charge of the wardrobe, "Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal." And he brought the garments out to them.

²³Then Jehu with Jehonadab the son of Rechab went into the house of Baal; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search carefully and see that there are no servants of the LORD here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal."

²⁴Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside for himself and said, "If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, the one who lets him go shall forfeit his own life for that man's life."

²⁵Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guards and to the royal officers, "Go in and kill them; let no one come out." And they killed them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the royal officers threw their bodies out, and went to the inner room of the house of Baal.

²⁶They brought out the sacred pillars (obelisks) of the house of Baal and burned them.

²⁷They also tore down the sacred pillar of Baal and tore down the house of Baal, and made it into a latrine [forever unclean] to this day.

²⁸Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel.

²⁹However, Jehu did not turn from the [idolatrous] sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, that is, [led them to worship] the golden calves which were at Bethel and Dan.

³⁰The LORD said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab in accordance with everything that was in My heart, your sons (descendants) shall sit on Israel's throne to the fourth generation."

³¹But Jehu did not take care to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin.

³²So in those days the LORD began to cut off portions of Israel; Hazael [of Aram] defeated them throughout the territory of Israel:

³³from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites and the Reubenites and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Arnon River, even Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and everything that he did and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

³⁵Jehu slept with his fathers [in death], and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son became king in his place.

³⁶The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

¹And the word of the LORD came to me saying,

²"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, 'Hear the word of the LORD!

³Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe (judgment is coming) to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit [claiming to have seen things] but have [in fact] seen nothing.

⁴O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among the ruins.

⁵You have not gone up into the gaps or breaches, nor built the wall around the house of Israel that it might stand in the battle on the day of the LORD.

⁶They have seen falsehood and lying divination, saying, 'The LORD says,' but the LORD has not sent them. Yet they hope and make men to hope for the confirmation of their word.

⁷Did you not see (make up) a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, 'The LORD declares,' but it is not I who have spoken?"'"

⁸Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have spoken empty and delusive words and have seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you," says the Lord God.

⁹"So My hand will be against the [counterfeit] prophets who see (make up) empty and delusive visions and who give lying prophecies. They will have no place in the [secret] council of My people, nor will they be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter into the land of Israel, that you may know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord GOD.

¹⁰It is definitely because they have seduced My people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because when one builds a [flimsy] wall, behold, these [lying] prophets plaster it over with whitewash;

¹¹so tell those who plaster it with whitewash, that it will fall! A flooding rain [of judgment] will come, and you, O [great] hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will tear the wall apart.

¹²Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, 'Where is the coating with which you [prophets] plastered it?'"

¹³Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath, and there will be in My anger an overwhelming rain and great hailstones to destroy [that wall] in wrath.

¹⁴So I will tear down the wall which you have plastered with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundations will be exposed; when it falls, you will perish in its midst. And you shall know and understand fully that I am the LORD.

¹⁵Thus I will expend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with whitewash and I will say to you, 'The wall is gone and its plasterers are gone,

¹⁶along with the [false] prophets of Israel who prophesy [deceitfully] to Jerusalem, and who see [false] visions of peace for her when there is no peace,' says the Lord GOD.

¹⁷"Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying out of [the wishful thinking of] their own mind (inspiration). Prophesy against them

¹⁸and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the women who fasten magic (protective) charms on all wrists and make veils for the heads of those of every stature to capture [human] lives! Will you capture the lives of My people but keep your own?

¹⁹You have profaned Me among My people [in payment] for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die and giving [a guarantee of] life to those who should not live, because of your lies to My people who pay attention to lies."'"

²⁰Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against your magic bands [and veils] by which you hunt [human] lives as birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the lives you hunt go free, even those lives whom you hunt as birds.

²¹I will also tear off your [pagan] veils and rescue My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your grip to be hunted and trapped. Then you will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD.

²²Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life,

²³therefore, you women will no longer see false visions or practice divinations, and I will rescue My people from your hand. Then you will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD."

¹Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down [from Jerusalem to Caesarea] with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus [acting as spokesman and counsel]. They presented to the governor their [formal] charges against Paul.

²After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began the complaint [against him], saying to the governor: "Since through you we have attained great peace, and since by your foresight reforms are being carried out for this nation,

³in every way and in every place, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude.

⁴But so that I do not weary you further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing.

⁵For we have found this man to be a public menace and one who instigates dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the [heretical] sect of the Nazarenes.

⁶He even tried to desecrate the temple, but we took him into custody[and we intended to judge him by our Law,

⁷but Lysias the commander came, and with great force took him out of our hands,

⁸and ordered his accusers to come before you.] By interrogating him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to determine [the truth about] these things with which we charge him."

⁹The Jews also joined in the attack, declaring and insisting that these things were so.

¹⁰When the governor nodded for him to speak, Paul answered, "Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I make my defense cheerfully and with good courage.

¹¹As you can easily verify, it has been no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

¹²Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor elsewhere in the city did they find me carrying on a discussion or disputing with anybody or causing a crowd to gather.

¹³Nor can they present evidence to you to prove what they now bring against me.

¹⁴But I confess this to you, that according to the Way, which they call a [divisive and heretical] sect, I do worship and serve the God of our fathers, [confidently] believing everything that is in accordance with the Law [of Moses] and that is written in the Prophets;

¹⁵having [the same] hope in God which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of [the dead], both of the righteous and of the wicked.

¹⁶In view of this, I also do my best and strive always to have a clear conscience before God and before men.

¹⁷Now after several years I came [to Jerusalem] to bring to my people charitable contributions and offerings.

¹⁸They found me in the temple presenting these offerings, after I had undergone [the rites of] purification, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor],

¹⁹who ought to have been here before you to present their charges, if they have anything against me.

²⁰Or else let these men tell what crime they found [me guilty of] when I stood before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court),

²¹other than for this one statement which I had shouted out as I stood among them, 'For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.'"

²²But Felix, having a rather accurate understanding about the Way, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case."

²³Then he ordered the centurion to keep Paul in custody, but to let him have some freedom, and [he told the centurion] not to stop any of his friends from providing for his needs.

²⁴Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him talk about faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁵But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control [honorable behavior, personal integrity], and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for now, and when I find [a convenient] time I will send for you."

²⁶At the same time he was also hoping to get money from Paul [as a bribe]; so he continued to send for him quite often and talked with him.

²⁷But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded [in office] by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.