Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee].

²But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

³He told them many things in parables, saying, "Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field];

⁴and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it.

⁵Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil.

⁶But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

⁷Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out.

⁸Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.

⁹He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words."

¹⁰Then the disciples came to Him and asked, "Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?"

¹¹Jesus replied to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

¹²For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God's word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God's word], even what he has will be taken away from him.

¹³This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things].

¹⁴In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'You will hear and keep on hearing, but never understand; And you will look and keep on looking, but never comprehend;

¹⁵For this nation's heart has grown hard, And with their ears they hardly hear, And they have [tightly] closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, and turn [to Me] And I would heal them [spiritually].'

¹⁶But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

¹⁷I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

¹⁸"Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:

¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

²⁰The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy;

²¹yet he has no [substantial] root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation].

²²And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit.

²³And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty."

²⁴Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

²⁵But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away.

²⁶So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also.

²⁷The servants of the owner came to him and said, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?'

²⁸He replied to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants asked him, 'Then do you want us to go and pull them out?'

²⁹But he said, 'No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.

³⁰Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

³¹He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

³²and of all the seeds [planted in the region] it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air find shelter in its branches."

³³He told them another parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and worked into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

³⁴All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without [using] a parable.

³⁵This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things [unknown and unattainable] that have been hidden [from mankind] since the foundation of the world."

³⁶Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, "Explain [clearly] to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

³⁷He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

³⁸and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one;

³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

⁴⁰So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

⁴¹The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin],

⁴²and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

⁴³Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.

⁴⁴"The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].

⁴⁵"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,

⁴⁶and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind,

⁴⁸and when it was full, they dragged it up on the beach; and they sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away.

⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous

⁵⁰and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

⁵¹"Have you understood all these things [in the lessons of the parables]?" They said to Jesus, "Yes."

⁵²He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things that are new and fresh and things that are old and familiar."

⁵³When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there.

⁵⁴And after coming to [Nazareth] His hometown, He began teaching them in their synagogue, and they were astonished, and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [what is the source of His authority]?

⁵⁵Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

⁵⁶And His sisters, are they not [living here] among us? Where then did this Man get all this [wisdom and power]?"

⁵⁷And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."

⁵⁸And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.

¹So Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot [his nephew] with him, into the Negev (the South country of Judah).

²Now Abram was extremely rich in livestock and in silver and in gold.

³He journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

⁴where he had first built an altar; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD [in prayer].

⁵But Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

⁶Now the land was not able to support them [that is, sustain all their grazing and water needs] while they lived near one another, for their possessions were too great for them to stay together.

⁷And there was strife and quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were living in the land at that same time [making grazing of the livestock difficult].

⁸So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife and disagreement between you and me, nor between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, because we are relatives.

⁹Is not the entire land before you? Please separate [yourself] from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right, then I will go to the left."

¹⁰So Lot looked and saw that the valley of the Jordan was well watered everywhere—this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; [it was all] like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar [at the south end of the Dead Sea].

¹¹Then Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and he traveled east. So they separated from each other.

¹²Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled in the cities of the valley and camped as far as Sodom and lived there.

¹³But the men of Sodom were extremely wicked and sinful against the LORD [unashamed in their open sin before Him].

¹⁴The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had left him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are standing, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

¹⁵for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever.

¹⁶I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.

¹⁷Arise, walk (make a thorough reconnaissance) around in the land, through its length and its width, for I will give it to you."

¹⁸Then Abram broke camp and moved his tent, and came and settled by the [grove of the great] terebinths (oak trees) of Mamre [the Amorite], which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to [honor] the LORD.

¹Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God.

²Therefore whoever resists [governmental] authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who have resisted it will bring judgment (civil penalty) on themselves.

³For [civil] authorities are not a source of fear for [people of] good behavior, but for [those who do] evil. Do you want to be unafraid of authority? Do what is good and you will receive approval and commendation.

⁴For he is God's servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, [you should] be afraid; for he does not carry the [executioner's] sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an avenger who brings punishment on the wrongdoer.

⁵Therefore one must be subject [to civil authorities], not only to escape the punishment [that comes with wrongdoing], but also as a matter of principle [knowing what is right before God].

⁶For this same reason you pay taxes, for civil authorities are God's servants, devoting themselves to governance.

⁷Pay to all what is due: tax to whom tax is due, customs to whom customs, respect to whom respect, honor to whom honor.

⁸Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one's fellowman].

⁹The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and any other commandment are summed up in this statement: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law.

¹¹Do this, knowing that this is a critical time. It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ].

¹²The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ's return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light.

¹³Let us conduct ourselves properly and honorably as in the [light of] day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility, not in quarreling and jealousy.

¹⁴But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.

¹Do not sharply reprimand an older man, but appeal to him as [you would to] a father, to younger men as brothers,

²to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters, in all purity [being careful to maintain appropriate relationships].

³Honor and help those widows who are truly widowed [alone, and without support].

⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren [who are adults], see to it that these first learn to show great respect to their own family [as their religious duty and natural obligation], and to compensate their parents or grandparents [for their upbringing]; for this is acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God.

⁵Now a woman who is really a widow and has been left [entirely] alone [without adequate income] trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

⁶Whereas she who lives for pleasure and self-indulgence is spiritually dead even while she still lives.

⁷Keep instructing [the people to do] these things as well, so that they may be blameless and beyond reproach.

⁸If anyone fails to provide for his own, and especially for those of his own family, he has denied the faith [by disregarding its precepts] and is worse than an unbeliever [who fulfills his obligation in these matters].

⁹A widow is to be put on the list [to receive regular assistance] only if she is over sixty years of age, [having been] the wife of one man,

¹⁰and has a reputation for good deeds; [she is eligible] if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the saints (God's people), if she has assisted the distressed, and has devoted herself to doing good in every way.

¹¹But refuse [to enroll the] younger widows, for when they feel their natural desires in disregard of Christ, they wish to marry again,

¹²and so they incur condemnation for having set aside their previous pledge.

¹³Now at the same time, they also learn to be idle as they go from house to house; and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies [meddlers in things that do not concern them], talking about things they should not mention.

¹⁴So I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and not give opponents of the faith any occasion for slander.

¹⁵Some [widows] have already turned away [from the faith] to follow Satan.

¹⁶If any believing woman has [dependent] widows [in her household], she must assist them [according to her ability]; and the church must not be burdened [with them], so that it may assist those who are truly widows [those who are all alone and are dependent].

¹⁷The elders who perform their leadership duties well are to be considered worthy of double honor (financial support), especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching [the word of God concerning eternal salvation through Christ].

¹⁸For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain [to keep it from eating]," and, "The worker is worthy of his wages [he deserves fair compensation]."

¹⁹Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it is based on [the testimony of at least] two or three witnesses.

²⁰As for those [elders] who continue in sin, reprimand them in the presence of all [the congregation], so that the rest will be warned.

²¹I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels that you guard and keep these rules without bias, doing nothing out of favoritism.

²²Do not hurry to lay hands on anyone [ordaining and approving someone for ministry or an office in the church, or in reinstating expelled offenders], and thereby share in the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

²³No longer continue drinking [only] water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

²⁴The sins of some people are conspicuous, leading the way for them into judgment [so that they are clearly not qualified for ministry]; but the sins of others appear later [for they are hidden and follow behind them].

²⁵Likewise, good deeds are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be hidden [indefinitely].

¹[Job continued:] "Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

²"What you know I also know; I am not inferior to you.

³"But I wish to speak to the Almighty, And I desire to argue with God.

⁴"But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully]; You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.

⁵"Oh, that you would be completely silent, And that silence would be your wisdom!

⁶"Please hear my argument And listen to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷"Will you speak what is unjust for God, And speak what is deceitful for Him?

⁸"Will you show partiality for Him [and be unjust to me so that you may gain favor with Him]? Will you contend and plead for God?

⁹"Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

¹⁰"He will surely reprimand you If you secretly show partiality.

¹¹"Will not His majesty terrify you, And will not the dread of Him fall upon you?

¹²"Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes; Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.

¹³"Be silent before me so that I may speak; And let happen to me what may.

¹⁴"Why should I take my flesh in my teeth And put my life in my hands [incurring the wrath of God]?

¹⁵"Even though He kills me; I will hope in Him. Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.

¹⁶"This also will be my salvation, For a godless man may not come before Him.

¹⁷"Listen diligently to my speech, And let my declaration fill your ears.

¹⁸"Behold now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated.

¹⁹"Who will argue and contend with me? For then I would be silent and die.

²⁰"Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me, And then I will not hide myself from Your face:

²¹Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering, And let not the dread of You terrify me.

²²"Then [Lord,] call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and then reply to me.

²³"How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]? Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin.

²⁴"Why do You hide Your face [as if offended] And consider me Your enemy?

²⁵"Will You cause a windblown leaf to tremble? Will You pursue the chaff of the dry stubble?

²⁶"For You write bitter things against me [in Your indictment] And make me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷"You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment] And [critically] observe all my paths; You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],

²⁸While I waste away like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?

²How long must I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy exalt himself and triumph over me?

³Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Give light (life) to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

⁴And my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

⁵But I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and faithfulness; My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation.

⁶I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

¹A wise son heeds and accepts [and is the result of] his father's discipline and instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to reprimand and does not learn from his errors.

²From the fruit of his mouth a [wise] man enjoys good, But the desire of the treacherous is for violence.

³The one who guards his mouth [thinking before he speaks] protects his life; The one who opens his lips wide [and chatters without thinking] comes to ruin.

⁴The soul (appetite) of the lazy person craves and gets nothing [for lethargy overcomes ambition], But the soul (appetite) of the diligent [who works willingly] is rich and abundantly supplied.

⁵A righteous man hates lies, But a wicked man is loathsome, and he acts shamefully.

⁶Righteousness (being in right standing with God) guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness undermines and overthrows the sinner.

⁷There is one who pretends to be rich, yet has nothing at all; Another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

⁸The ransom for a man's life is his wealth, But the poor man does not even have to listen to a rebuke or threats [from the envious].

⁹The light of the righteous [within him—grows brighter and] rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked [is a temporary light and] goes out.

¹⁰Through pride and presumption come nothing but strife, But [skillful and godly] wisdom is with those who welcome [well-advised] counsel.

¹¹Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, But he who gathers gradually by [honest] labor will increase [his riches].

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

¹³Whoever despises the word and counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself, But he who [reverently] fears and respects the commandment [of God] will be rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a fountain and source of life, So that one may avoid the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding wins favor [from others], But the way of the unfaithful is hard [like barren, dry soil].

¹⁶Every prudent and self-disciplined man acts with knowledge, But a [closed-minded] fool [who refuses to learn] displays his foolishness [for all to see].

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into hardship, But a faithful ambassador brings healing.

¹⁸Poverty and shame will come to him who refuses instruction and discipline, But he who accepts and learns from reproof or censure is honored.

¹⁹Desire realized is sweet to the soul; But it is detestable to fools to turn away from evil [which they have planned].

²⁰He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise, But the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm.

²¹Adversity pursues sinners, But the [consistently] upright will be rewarded with prosperity.

²²A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for [the hands of] the righteous.

²³Abundant food is in the fallow (uncultivated) ground of the poor, But [without protection] it is swept away by injustice.

²⁴He who withholds the rod [of discipline] hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines and trains him diligently and appropriately [with wisdom and love].

²⁵The [consistently] righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of the wicked is in need [of bread].

¹Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, "You have grown old and advanced in years, and very substantial portions of the land remain to be possessed.

²This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites;

³from the Shihor [waterway] which is east of Egypt [at the southern end of Canaan], northward to the border of Ekron (all of it regarded as Canaanite); the five rulers of the Philistines: the Gazite, Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite

⁴in the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorite;

⁵and the land of the Gebalite, and all Lebanon, toward the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

⁶As for all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians, I will drive them out before Israel; only allot the land to Israel as an inheritance just as I have commanded you.

⁷So now, divide this land [west of the Jordan] as an inheritance for the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."

⁸With the other half-tribe [of Manasseh], the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan eastward, just as Moses the servant of the LORD gave to them;

⁹from Aroer on the edge of the valley of the [river] Arnon, and the city in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba, as far as Dibon;

¹⁰and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites;

¹¹and Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah;

¹²the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei—he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim [giants]—for Moses had struck them and dispossessed them.

¹³But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites; for Geshur and Maacath live among Israel to this day.

¹⁴It was only to the tribe of Levi that Moses gave no [territory as an] inheritance; the offerings by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as He told him.

¹⁵So Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families.

¹⁶Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the [river] Arnon, and the city which is in the middle of the valley and all the plain by Medeba;

¹⁷with Heshbon, and all its cities which are on the plain: Dibon and Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon,

¹⁸and Jahaz and Kedemoth and Mephaath,

¹⁹and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley,

²⁰and Beth-peor and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth,

²¹even all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck down along with the leaders of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.

²²The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner (soothsayer), with the sword among [the rest of] their slain.

²³The border of the sons of Reuben was the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families, with their cities and villages.

²⁴Moses also gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, according to their families.

²⁵Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer east of Rabbah;

²⁶and from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir;

²⁷and in the valley, Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as a border, as far as the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee) east of the Jordan.

²⁸This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their families, with their cities and their villages.

²⁹Moses also gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; and it was for the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh according to their families.

³⁰Their region extended from Mahanaim, all Bashan, the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities;

³¹also half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of Machir according to their families (clans).

³²These are the territories which Moses distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho to the east.

³³But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He told them.

¹The [mournful, inspired] oracle ( a burden to be carried) concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw [in a prophetic vision]:

²Lift up a signal banner on the bare mountain, Summon them [the Medes and Persians] with a loud voice, Wave the [beckoning] hand so that they may enter the doorways of the [Babylonian] nobles.

³I [the LORD] have commanded My consecrated ones, I have even called My great warriors, My proudly exulting ones [the Medes and the Persians who triumph for My honor]— To execute My anger.

⁴A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of the kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts is mustering an army for battle.

⁵They are coming from a distant country, From the end of heaven [the farthest horizon]— The LORD and the weapons of His indignation— To destroy the whole land.

⁶Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty (All Sufficient One—Invincible God)!

⁷Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man's heart will melt.

⁸They [of Babylon] will be shocked and terrified, Pains and anguish will grip them; They will be in pain like a woman in childbirth. They will stare aghast and horrified at one another, Their faces aflame [from the effects of the unprecedented warfare].

⁹Listen carefully, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with wrath and raging anger, To make the land a horror [of devastation]; And He shall exterminate its sinners from it.

¹⁰For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash with their light; The sun will be dark when it rises, And the moon will not shed its light.

¹¹In this way I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their wickedness [their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing]; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And will abase the arrogance of the tyrant.

¹²I will make mortal man more rare than fine gold, And mankind [scarcer] than the pure gold of Ophir.

¹³Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; And the earth will be shaken from its place At the wrath of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger.

¹⁴And like the hunted gazelle, Or like sheep that no man gathers, Each [foreign resident] will turn [and go back] to his own people, And each one flee to his own land.

¹⁵Anyone who is found will be pierced through, And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

¹⁶Their children also will be smashed to pieces Before their eyes; Their houses will be looted And their wives ravished.

¹⁷Listen carefully, I will put the Medes [in motion] against them, Who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold [and therefore cannot be bribed].

¹⁸Their bows will cut down the young men [of Babylon]; They will take no pity on the fruit of the womb, Their eyes will not look with compassion on the children.

¹⁹And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.

²⁰Babylon will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will the shepherds let their sheep lie down there.

²¹But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and wild goats will dance there.

²²Hyenas will howl in their castles, And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Babylon's time has nearly come, And her days will not be prolonged.

¹Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets [who spoke a new message of God to the people] and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch, and Saul.

²While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for the work to which I have called them."

³Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them [in approval and dedication] and sent them away [on their first journey].

⁴So then, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

⁵When Barnabas and Saul arrived at Salamis, they began to preach the word of God [proclaiming the message of eternal salvation through faith in Christ] in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John [Mark] as their assistant.

⁶When they had traveled through the entire island [of Cyprus] as far as Paphos, they found a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,

⁷who was [closely associated] with the proconsul [of the province], Sergius Paulus, an intelligent and sensible man. He called for Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is how his name is translated) opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from accepting the faith.

⁹But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and led by Him, looked steadily at Elymas,

¹⁰and said, " You [Elymas] who are full of every [kind of] deceit, and every [kind of] fraud, you son of the devil, enemy of everything that is right and good, will you never stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord?

¹¹Now, watch! The hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, [so blind that you will be] unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately a mist and darkness fell upon him, and he groped around, seeking people to lead him by the hand.

¹²The proconsul believed [the message of salvation] when he saw what had happened, being astonished at the teaching concerning the Lord.

¹³Now Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John [Mark] left them and went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁴Now they went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

¹⁵After the reading of the Law and the [writings of the] Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, "Brothers (kinsmen), if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it."

¹⁶So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand, he said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen!

¹⁷The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great and numerous during their stay [as foreigners] in the land of Egypt, and then with an uplifted arm He led them out of there.

¹⁸For a period of about forty years He put up with their behavior in the wilderness.

¹⁹When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave their land [to our ancestors] as an inheritance—this took about four hundred and fifty years.

²⁰After this, He gave them judges until the prophet Samuel.

²¹Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

²²And when He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king: of him He testified and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart [conforming to My will and purposes], who will do all My will.'

²³From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel a Savior, [in the person of] Jesus, according to His promise.

²⁴Before His coming John [the Baptist] had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

²⁵And as John was finishing his course [of ministry], he kept saying, 'What or who do you think that I am? I am not He [the Christ]; but be aware, One is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave]!'

²⁶"Brothers, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation [obtained through faith in Jesus Christ].

²⁷For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, who failed to recognize or understand both Jesus and the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled these [very prophecies] by condemning Him.

²⁸And though they found no cause or charge deserving death, they asked Pilate to have Him executed.

²⁹And when they had finished carrying out everything that was written [in Scripture] about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.

³⁰But God raised Him from the dead;

³¹and for many days (forty) He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.

³²And we are bringing you the good news of the promise made to our fathers (ancestors),

³³that God has completely fulfilled this promise to our children by raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'You are My Son; today I have begotten (fathered) You.'

³⁴And [as for the fact] that He raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay [in the grave], He has spoken in this way: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David [those blessings and mercies that were promised to him].'

³⁵For this reason He also says in another Psalm, 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay.'

³⁶For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was buried among his fathers and experienced decay [in the grave];

³⁷but He whom God raised [to life] did not experience decay [in the grave].

³⁸So let it be clearly known by you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you;

³⁹and through Him everyone who believes [who acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior and follows Him] is justified and declared free of guilt from all things, from which you could not be justified and freed of guilt through the Law of Moses.

⁴⁰Therefore be careful, so that the thing spoken of in the [writings of the] Prophets does not come upon you:

⁴¹'Look, you mockers, and marvel, and perish and vanish away; For I am doing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, even if someone describes it to you [telling you about it in detail].'"

⁴²As Paul and Barnabas were leaving [the synagogue], the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them on the next Sabbath.

⁴³When the congregation of the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and the devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, talking to them were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴On the next Sabbath almost the entire city gathered together to hear the word of the Lord [about salvation through faith in Christ].

⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things said by Paul, and were slandering him.

⁴⁶And [at the same time] Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and confidently, saying, "It was necessary that God's message [of salvation through faith in Christ] be spoken to you [Jews] first. Since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, now we turn to the Gentiles.

⁴⁷For that is what the Lord has commanded us, saying, 'I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, So that You may bring [the message of eternal] salvation to the end of the earth.'"

⁴⁸When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying [praising and giving thanks for] the word of the Lord; and all those who had been appointed (designated, ordained) to eternal life [by God] believed [in Jesus as the Christ and their Savior].

⁴⁹And so the word of the Lord [regarding salvation] was being spread through the entire region.

⁵⁰But the Jews incited the devout, prominent women and the leading men of the city, and instigated persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them forcibly out of their district.

⁵¹But they shook its dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

⁵²And the disciples were continually filled [throughout their hearts and souls] with joy and with the Holy Spirit.