Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware of theleaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

²But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

³Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you havewhispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

⁴“Now I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

⁵But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person intohell; yes, I tell you, fearHim!

⁶Are five sparrows not sold for twoassaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God.

⁷But even the hairs of your head are all counted.Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

⁸“Now I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God;

⁹but the one who denies Me before people will be denied before the angels of God.

¹⁰And everyone whospeaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

¹¹Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;

¹²for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

¹³Now someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”

¹⁴But He said to him, “You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?”

¹⁵But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.”

¹⁶And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.

¹⁷And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

¹⁸And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there.

¹⁹And I will say tomyself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!” ’

²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very nightyour soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’

²¹Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”

²²And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I tell you,do not worry about yourlife, as to what you are to eat; nor for your body, as to what you are to wear.

²³For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

²⁴Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!

²⁵And which of you by worrying can add aday to hislife’s span?

²⁶Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things?

²⁷Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor norspin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

²⁸Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You of little faith!

²⁹And do notseek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying.

³⁰Forall these things are what the nations of the worldeagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things.

³¹Butseek His kingdom, and these things will beprovided to you.

³²Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

³³“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy.

³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

³⁵“ Be prepared, and keep your lamps lit.

³⁶You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks.

³⁷Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he willprepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them.

³⁸Whether he comes in thesecond watch, or even in thethird, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

³⁹“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

⁴⁰You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”

⁴¹Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”

⁴²And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

⁴³Blessed is that slave whom hismaster finds so doing when he comes.

⁴⁴Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

⁴⁵But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;

⁴⁶then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and willcut him in two, and assignhim a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows,

⁴⁸but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving ofa beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

⁴⁹“I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!

⁵⁰But I have a baptismto undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

⁵¹Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division;

⁵²for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

⁵³They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

⁵⁴And He was also saying to the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud risingin the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out.

⁵⁵And whenever you feel asouth wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way.

⁵⁶You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?

⁵⁷“And why do you not even judge by yourselves what is right?

⁵⁸For when you are going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate, on the way, make an effort tosettle with him, so that he does not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

⁵⁹I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid upthe very lastlepton.”

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²“Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present to Me My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.’

³And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs one year old without defect as a continual burnt offering every day.

⁴You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;

⁵also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of pure oil.

⁶It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained on Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

⁷Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb; in the Holy Place pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD.

⁸The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

⁹‘Then on the Sabbath day two male lambs one year old without defect, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering:

¹⁰This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

¹¹‘Then at the beginning of each of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect;

¹²and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, for the one ram;

¹³and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

¹⁴Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull and a third of a hin for the ram and a fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.

¹⁵And one male goat as a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.

¹⁶‘The LORD’S Passover shall be on the fourteenth day of the first month.

¹⁷On the fifteenth day of this month there shall be a feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.

¹⁸On the first day there shall be a holy assembly; you shall do no laborious work.

¹⁹But you shall present an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, that you have without defect.

²⁰For their grain offering, you shall offer fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for a bull, and two-tenths for the ram.

²¹A tenth of an ephah you shall offer for each of the seven lambs;

²²and one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.

²³You shall present these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.

²⁴In this way you shall present daily, for seven days, the food of the offering by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD; it shall be presented with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.

²⁵On the seventh day you shall have a holy assembly; you shall do no laborious work.

²⁶‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you present a new grain offering to the LORD in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy assembly; you shall do no laborious work.

²⁷But you shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD: two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old;

²⁸and as their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

²⁹and a tenth for each of the seven lambs;

³⁰also one male goat to make atonement for you.

³¹Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present them with their drink offerings. They shall be without defect.

¹For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.

²For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every violation and act of disobedience received a just punishment,

³how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

⁴God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

⁵For He did not subject to angels the world to come, about which we are speaking.

⁶But someone has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU THINK OF HIM? OR A SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

⁷YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR;

⁸YOU HAVE PUT EVERYTHING IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

⁹But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

¹⁰For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.

¹¹For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

¹²saying, “I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BROTHERS, IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”

¹³And again, “I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.” And again, “BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME.”

¹⁴Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

¹⁵and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

¹⁶For clearly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham.

¹⁷Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brothers so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

¹⁸For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

²To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,

⁴longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.

⁵For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelled in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.

⁶For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

⁷For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

⁸Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

⁹who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

¹⁰but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

¹¹for which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.

¹²For this reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

¹³Hold on to the example of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴Protect, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

¹⁵You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

¹⁶The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;

¹⁷but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—

¹⁸the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.

¹Then Job responded,

²“Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be your way of consolation.

³Bear with me that I may speak; Then after I have spoken, you may mock me.

⁴As for me, is my complaint to a mortal? Or why should I not be impatient?

⁵Look at me, and be astonished, And put your hand over your mouth.

⁶Even when I remember, I am disturbed, And horror takes hold of my flesh.

⁷Why do the wicked still live, Grow old, and also become very powerful?

⁸Their descendants endure with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes,

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of God is not on them.

¹⁰His ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not miscarry.

¹¹They send out their boys like the flock, And their children dance.

¹²They sing with the tambourine and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the flute.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity, And suddenly they go down to Sheol.

¹⁴Yet they say to God, ‘Go away from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.

¹⁵Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we plead with Him?’

¹⁶Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand; The advice of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out, Or does their disaster fall on them? Does God apportion destruction in His anger?

¹⁸Are they as straw before the wind, And like chaff which the storm carries away?

¹⁹You say, ‘God saves up a person’s wrongdoing for his sons.’ Let God repay him so that he may know it.

²⁰Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what does he care about his household after him, When the number of his months is at an end?

²²Can anyone teach God knowledge, In that He judges those on high?

²³One dies in his full strength, Being wholly undisturbed and at ease;

²⁴His sides are filled with fat, And the marrow of his bones is wet,

²⁵While another dies with a bitter soul, Never even tasting anything good.

²⁶Together they lie down in the dust, And maggots cover them.

²⁷“Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plots you devise against me.

²⁸For you say, ‘Where is the house of the nobleman, And where is the tent, the dwelling places of the wicked?’

²⁹Have you not asked travelers, And do you not examine their evidence?

³⁰For the wicked person is spared a day of disaster; They are led away from a day of fury.

³¹Who confronts him with his actions, And who repays him for what he has done?

³²When he is carried to the grave, People will keep watch over his tomb.

³³The clods of the valley will gently cover him; Moreover, all mankind will follow after him, While countless others go before him.

³⁴So how dare you give me empty comfort? For your answers remain nothing but falsehood!”

¹I will exalt You, my God, the King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

²Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

³Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation will praise Your works to another, And will declare Your mighty acts.

⁵On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

⁶People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness.

⁷They will burst forth in speaking of Your abundant goodness, And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

⁸The LORD is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in mercy.

⁹The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.

¹⁰All Your works will give thanks to You, LORD, And Your godly ones will bless You.

¹¹They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your might,

¹²To make known to the sons of mankind Your mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in His words, And holy in all His works.

¹⁴The LORD supports all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all look to You, And You give them their food in due time.

¹⁶You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The LORD is righteous in all His ways, And kind in all His works.

¹⁸The LORD is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth.

¹⁹He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry for help and save them.

²⁰The LORD watches over all who love Him, But He will destroy all the wicked.

²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

¹The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He pleases.

²Every person’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD examines the hearts.

³To do righteousness and justice Is preferred by the LORD more than sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent certainly lead to advantage, But everyone who is in a hurry certainly comes to poverty.

⁶The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death.

⁷The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, Because they refuse to act with justice.

⁸The way of a guilty person is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

⁹It is better to live on a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor is shown no compassion in his eyes.

¹¹When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹²The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Bringing the wicked to ruin.

¹³One who shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor Will also call out himself, and not be answered.

¹⁴A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe in an inside pocket, strong wrath.

¹⁵The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, But terror to those who practice injustice.

¹⁶A person who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷One who loves pleasure will become a poor person; One who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous is in the place of the upright.

¹⁹It is better to live in a desert land Than with a contentious and irritating woman.

²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the home of the wise, But a foolish person swallows it up.

²¹One who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise person scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³One who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.

²⁴“Proud,” “Arrogant,” “Scoffer,” are his names, One who acts with insolent pride.

²⁵The desire of the lazy one puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work;

²⁶All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent!

²⁸A false witness will perish, But a person who listens will speak forever.

²⁹A wicked person displays a bold face, But as for the upright, he makes his way sure.

³⁰There is no wisdom, no understanding, And no plan against the LORD.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But the victory belongs to the LORD.

¹Now when King Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.

²Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

³And they said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and humiliation; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.

⁴Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt the living God, and will avenge the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

⁵So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

⁶And Isaiah said to them, “This is what you shall say to your master: ‘The LORD says this: “Do not be fearful because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

⁷Behold, I am going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear news and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.” ’ ”

⁸Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish.

⁹When he heard them say about Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,

¹⁰“This is what you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”

¹¹Behold, you yourself have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be saved?

¹²Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed save them: Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

¹³Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’ ”

¹⁴Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.

¹⁵Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “LORD, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

¹⁶Incline Your ear, LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt the living God.

¹⁷It is true, LORD; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,

¹⁸and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

¹⁹But now, LORD our God, please, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.”

²⁰Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.’

²¹This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: ‘She, the virgin daughter of Zion, has shown contempt for you and mocked you; She, the daughter of Jerusalem, has shaken her head behind you!

²²Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice, And haughtily raised your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel!

²³Through your messengers you have taunted the Lord, And you have said, “With my many chariots I went up to the heights of the mountains, To the remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut down its tall cedars and its choicest junipers. And I entered its farthest resting place, its thickest forest.

²⁴I dug wells and drank foreign waters, And with the soles of my feet I dried up All the streams of Egypt.”

²⁵‘Have you not heard? Long ago I did it; From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it about, That you would turn fortified cities into ruined heaps.

²⁶Therefore their inhabitants were powerless, They were shattered and put to shame. They were like the vegetation of the field and the green grass, Like grass on the housetops that is scorched before it has grown.

²⁷But I know your sitting down, Your going out, your coming in, And your raging against Me.

²⁸Because of your raging against Me, And because your complacency has come up to My ears, I will put My hook in your nose, And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back by the way by which you came.

²⁹‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what grows by itself, and in the third year sow, harvest, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.

³⁰The survivors that are left of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

³¹For out of Jerusalem will go a remnant, and survivors out of Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD will perform this.

³²‘Therefore this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: “He will not come to this city nor shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield nor heap up an assault ramp against it.

³³By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,” ’ declares the LORD.

³⁴‘For I will protect this city to save it for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.’ ”

³⁵Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the rest got up early in the morning, behold, all of the 185,000 were dead.

³⁶So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh.

³⁷Then it came about, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon became king in his place.

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

²“And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then inform her of all her abominations.

³And you shall say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “A city shedding blood in her midst, so that her time is coming; and a city that makes idols, contrary to her own good, for defilement!

⁴You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and you have become defiled by your idols which you have made. So you have brought your days closer and have come to your years; therefore I have made you a disgrace to the nations, and an object of mocking to all the lands.

⁵Those who are near and those who are far from you will make fun of you, you of ill repute, full of turmoil.

⁶“Behold, the rulers of Israel, each according to his power, have been among you for the purpose of shedding blood.

⁷They have treated father and mother with contempt among you. They have oppressed the stranger in your midst; they have oppressed the orphan and the widow among you.

⁸You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.

⁹Slanderous men have been among you for the purpose of shedding blood, and among you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have committed outrageous sin.

¹⁰Among you they have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; among you they have abused her who was unclean in her menstruation.

¹¹And one has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife, another has outrageously defiled his daughter-in-law, and another among you has sexually abused his sister, his father’s daughter.

¹²Among you they have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest, you have injured your neighbors by oppression, and you have forgotten Me,” declares the Lord GOD.

¹³“Behold, then, I strike with My hand your profit which you have made and the bloodshed which is among you.

¹⁴Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong for the days that I will deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken and will act.

¹⁵And I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you among the lands, and I will eliminate your uncleanness from you.

¹⁶Then you will defile yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”

¹⁷And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

¹⁸“Son of man, the house of Israel has become waste metal to Me; all of them are bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the smelting furnace; they are the waste metal of silver.

¹⁹Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because all of you have become waste metal, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

²⁰As they gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the smelting furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will place you there and melt you.

²¹And I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it.

²²As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you.’ ”

²³And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

²⁴“Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not clean or rained on in the day of indignation.’

²⁵There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.

²⁶Her priests have done violence to My Law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have closed their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am defiled among them.

²⁷Her leaders within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to make dishonest profit.

²⁸And her prophets have coated with whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.

²⁹The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery, and they have oppressed the poor and needy, and have oppressed the stranger without justice.

³⁰I searched for a man among them who would build up a wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.

³¹So I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; I have brought their way upon their heads,” declares the Lord GOD.

¹But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

²and kept back some of the proceeds for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.

³But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the proceeds of the land?

⁴While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.”

⁵And as he heard these words, Ananias collapsed and died; and great fear came over all who heard about it.

⁶The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

⁷Now an interval of about three hours elapsed, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

⁸And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for this price?” And she said, “Yes, for that price.”

⁹Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”

¹⁰And immediately she collapsed at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

¹¹And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard about these things.

¹²At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all together in Solomon’s portico.

¹³But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.

¹⁴And increasingly believers in the Lord, large numbers of men and women, were being added to their number,

¹⁵to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any of them.

¹⁶The people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together as well, bringing people who were sick or tormented with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

¹⁷But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.

¹⁸They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public prison.

¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and leading them out, he said,

²⁰“Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple area the whole message of this Life.”

²¹Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple area about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, that is, all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison for them to be brought.

²²But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported,

²³saying, “We found the prison locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

²⁴Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this.

²⁵But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple area and teaching the people!”

²⁶Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

²⁷When they had brought them, they had them stand before the Council. The high priest interrogated them,

²⁸saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this Man’s blood upon us.”

²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging Him on a cross.

³¹He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

³²And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

³³But when they heard this, they became infuriated and nearly decided to execute them.

³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time.

³⁵And he said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful as to what you are about to do with these men.

³⁶For, some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

³⁷After this man, Judas of Galilee appeared in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he also perished, and all those who followed him were scattered.

³⁸And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, for if the source of this plan or movement is men, it will be overthrown;

³⁹but if the source is God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

⁴⁰They followed his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.

⁴¹So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

⁴²And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and preaching the good news of Jesus as the Christ.