Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Just at that time some people came who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate [the governor] had mixed with their sacrifices.

²Jesus replied to them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they have suffered in this way?

³I tell you, no; but unless you repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways and live changed lives], you will all likewise perish.

⁴Or do you assume that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed were worse sinners than all the others who live in Jerusalem?

⁵I tell you, no; but unless you repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways and live changed lives], you will all likewise perish."

⁶Then He began telling them this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, but did not find any;

⁷so he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and have found none. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground [depleting the soil and blocking the sunlight]?'

⁸But he replied to him, 'Let it alone, sir, [just] one more year until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;

⁹and if it bears fruit after this, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

¹⁰Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

¹¹And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had an illness caused by a spirit (demon). She was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.

¹²When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are released from your illness."

¹³Then He laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood erect again and she began glorifying and praising God.

¹⁴But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work ought to be done; so come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

¹⁵But the Lord replied to him, "You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it?

¹⁶And this woman, a daughter (descendant) of Abraham whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

¹⁷As He was saying this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.

¹⁸So this led Him to say, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

¹⁹It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky found shelter and nested in its branches."

²⁰And again He said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

²¹It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three peck measures of flour until it was all leavened."

²²Jesus journeyed on through cities and villages, teaching and making His way toward Jerusalem.

²³And someone asked Him, "Lord, will only a few be saved [from the penalties of the last judgment]?" And He said to them,

²⁴"Strive to enter through the narrow door [force aside unbelief and the attractions of sin]; for many, I tell you, will try to enter [by their own works] and will not be able.

²⁵Once the head of the house gets up and closes the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door [again and again], saying, 'Lord, open to us!' then He will answer you, 'I do not know where you are from [for you are not of My household].'

²⁶Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets';

²⁷but He will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers!'

²⁸In that place there will be weeping [in sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [in distress and anger] when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out and driven away.

²⁹And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and they will sit down [and feast at the table] in the kingdom of God.

³⁰And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

³¹At that very hour some Pharisees came up and said to Him, "Leave and go away from here, because Herod [Antipas] wants to kill You."

³²And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox [that sly, cowardly man], 'Listen carefully: I cast out demons and perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I reach My goal.'

³³Nevertheless I must travel on today and tomorrow and the day after that—for it cannot be that a prophet would die outside of Jerusalem.

³⁴ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I have wanted to gather your children together [around Me], just as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were not willing!

³⁵Listen carefully: your house is left to you desolate [abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

¹'On the first day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work. It will be for you a day of blowing the trumpets (the shophar, ram's horn).

²You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

³also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,

⁴and one-tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven lambs,

⁵and one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.

⁶These are in addition to the burnt offering of the New Moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the ordinance for them, as a sweet and soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

⁷'Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly [for the Day of Atonement]; and you shall humble yourselves; you shall not do any work.

⁸You shall present a burnt offering to the LORD as a sweet and soothing aroma: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, which are without blemish;

⁹and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

¹⁰a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven lambs,

¹¹one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

¹²'Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a Feast [of Booths] to the LORD for seven days.

¹³You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD: thirteen bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, which are without blemish;

¹⁴and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams,

¹⁵and a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the fourteen lambs;

¹⁶also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

¹⁷'Then on the second day [of the Feast of Booths]: twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

¹⁸with their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

¹⁹also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

²⁰'Then on the third day [of the Feast of Booths]: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

²¹with their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

²²and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²³'Then on the fourth day [of the Feast of Booths]: ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;

²⁴their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

²⁵and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²⁶'Then on the fifth day [of the Feast of Booths]: nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

²⁷and their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;

²⁸and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²⁹'Then on the sixth day [of the Feast of Booths]: eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;

³⁰and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

³¹and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.

³²'Then on the seventh day [of the Feast of Booths]: seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

³³and their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;

³⁴and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³⁵'On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly [to mark the end of the feast]; you shall do no laborious work.

³⁶You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

³⁷their grain offering and drink offerings for the bull, the ram, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

³⁸and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³⁹'You shall present these to the LORD at your appointed times, in addition the offerings you have vowed and your freewill offerings, as your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and as your peace offerings.'"

⁴⁰So Moses spoke to the Israelites in accordance with everything that the LORD had commanded him.

¹Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider the Apostle and High Priest whom we confessed [as ours when we accepted Him as Savior], namely, Jesus;

²He was faithful to Him who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses also was faithful in all God's house.

³Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater glory and honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house.

⁴For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

⁵Now Moses was faithful in [the administration of] all God's house, [but only] as a ministering servant, [his ministry serving] as a testimony of the things which were to be spoken afterward [the revelation to come in Christ];

⁶but Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father's] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

⁷Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you hear His voice,

⁸Do not harden your hearts as [your fathers did] in the rebellion [of Israel at Meribah], On the day of testing in the wilderness,

⁹Where your fathers tried Me by testing [My forbearance and tolerance], And saw My works for forty years [And found I stood their test].

¹⁰"Therefore I was angered with this generation, And I said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways [nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]';

¹¹So I swore [an oath] in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest [the promised land].'"

¹²Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.

¹³But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called "Today" [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication].

¹⁴For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end,

¹⁵while it is said, "Today [while there is still opportunity] if you hear His voice, Do not harden your heart, as when they provoked Me [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah]."

¹⁶For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him [with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

¹⁷And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert?

¹⁸And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]?

¹⁹So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God.

¹So you, my son, be strong [constantly strengthened] and empowered in the grace that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus.

²The things [the doctrine, the precepts, the admonitions, the sum of my ministry] which you have heard me teach in the presence of many witnesses, entrust [as a treasure] to reliable and faithful men who will also be capable and qualified to teach others.

³Take with me your share of hardship [passing through the difficulties which you are called to endure], like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

⁴No soldier in active service gets entangled in the [ordinary business] affairs of civilian life; [he avoids them] so that he may please the one who enlisted him to serve.

⁵And if anyone competes as an athlete [in competitive games], he is not crowned [with the wreath of victory] unless he competes according to the rules.

⁶The hard-working farmer [who labors to produce crops] ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

⁷Think over the things I am saying [grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you insight and understanding in everything.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ [the ever-living Lord who has] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David [king of Israel], according to my gospel [the good news that I preach],

⁹for that [gospel] I am suffering even to [the point of] wearing chains like a criminal; but the word of God is not chained or imprisoned!

¹⁰For this reason I [am ready to] patiently endure all things for the sake of those who are the elect (God's chosen ones), so that they too may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it the reward of eternal glory.

¹¹This is a faithful and trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

¹²If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He will also deny us;

¹³If we are faithless, He remains faithful [true to His word and His righteous character], for He cannot deny Himself.

¹⁴Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen.

¹⁵Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.

¹⁶But avoid all irreverent babble and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], for it will lead to further ungodliness,

¹⁷and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus,

¹⁸who have deviated from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they undermine the faith of some.

¹⁹Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God [which He has laid] stands [sure and unshaken despite attacks], bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord stand apart from wickedness and withdraw from wrongdoing."

²⁰Now in a large house there are not only vessels and objects of gold and silver, but also vessels and objects of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honorable (noble, good) use and some for dishonorable (ignoble, common).

²¹Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonorable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

²²Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

²³But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels.

²⁴The servant of the Lord must not participate in quarrels, but must be kind to everyone [even-tempered, preserving peace, and he must be], skilled in teaching, patient and tolerant when wronged.

²⁵He must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it],

²⁶and that they may come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?

³"Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?

⁴"Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, That He enters into judgment against you?

⁵"Is not your wickedness great, And your sins without end?

⁶"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

⁷"You have not given water to the weary to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸"But the land is possessed by the man with power, And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.

⁹"You have sent widows away empty-handed, And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰"Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies and overwhelms you;

¹¹Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And a flood of water covers you.

¹²"Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the distant stars, how high they are!

¹³"You say, 'What does God know [about me]? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴'Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.'

¹⁵"Will you keep to the ancient path That wicked men walked [in the time of Noah],

¹⁶Men who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were poured out like a river?

¹⁷"They said to God, 'Depart from us! What can the Almighty do for us or to us?'

¹⁸"Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.

¹⁹"The righteous see it and are glad; And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,

²⁰'Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed, And fire has consumed their abundance.'

²¹"Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.

²²"Please receive the law and instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart and keep them.

²³"If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored]; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,

²⁴And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],

²⁵And make the Almighty your gold And your precious silver,

²⁶Then you will have delight in the Almighty, And you will lift up your face to God.

²⁷"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.

²⁸"You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God's favor] will shine upon your ways.

²⁹"When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will lift up and save.

³⁰"He will even rescue the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent; And he will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands."

¹Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!) Praise the LORD, O my soul!

²While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.

³Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation (help).

⁴When his spirit leaves him, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts and plans perish.

⁵How blessed and graciously favored is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Israel), Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

⁶Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,

⁷Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets free the prisoners.

⁸The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous [the upright in heart].

⁹The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; But He makes crooked the way of the wicked.

¹⁰The LORD shall reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

¹A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and poor have a common bond; The LORD is the Maker of them all.

³A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it], But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

⁴The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one's importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Is riches, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate [for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them]; He who guards himself [with godly wisdom] will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God's wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows injustice will reap [a harvest of] trouble, And the rod of his wrath [with which he oppresses others] will fail.

⁹He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go away; Even strife and dishonor will cease.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious will have the king as his friend.

¹²The eyes of the LORD keep guard over knowledge and the one who has it, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous.

¹³The lazy one [manufactures excuses and] says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets [if I go out to work]!"

¹⁴The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit [deep and inescapable]; He who is cursed by the LORD [because of his adulterous sin] will fall into it.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself Or who gives to the rich [to gain influence and favor], will only come to poverty.

¹⁷Listen carefully and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge;

¹⁸For it will be pleasant if you keep them in mind [incorporating them as guiding principles]; Let them be ready on your lips [to guide and strengthen yourself and others].

¹⁹So that your trust and reliance and confidence may be in the LORD, I have taught these things to you today, even to you.

²⁰Have I not written to you excellent things In counsels and knowledge,

²¹To let you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may give a correct answer to him who sent you?

²²Do not rob the poor because he is poor [and defenseless], Nor crush the afflicted [by legal proceedings] at the gate [where the city court is held],

²³For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.

²⁴Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts; Or go [along] with a hot-tempered man,

²⁵Or you will learn his [undisciplined] ways And get yourself trapped [in a situation from which it is hard to escape].

²⁶Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others' finances], Or among those who become guarantors for others' debts.

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay [another's debt when he defaults], Why should his creditor take your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient landmark [at the boundary of the property] Which your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honor] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.

¹In those days [when Sennacherib first invaded Judah] Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not recover.'"

²Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying,

³"Please, O LORD, remember now [with compassion] how I have walked before You in faithfulness and truth and with a whole heart [entirely devoted to You], and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

⁴Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle courtyard, the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

⁵"Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father (ancestor): "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I am healing you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.

⁶I will add fifteen years to your life and save you and this city [Jerusalem] from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city for My own sake and for My servant David's sake."'"

⁷Then Isaiah said, "Bring a cake of figs. And they brought it and placed it on the [painful] inflammation, and he recovered."

⁸Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What will be the sign that the LORD will [completely] heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?"

⁹Isaiah said, "This will be the sign to you from the LORD, that He will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow [indicating the time of day] go forward ten steps, or go backward ten steps?"

¹⁰Hezekiah answered, "It is easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten steps."

¹¹So Isaiah the prophet called out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the steps ten steps backward by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

¹²At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

¹³Hezekiah listened to and welcomed them and [ foolishly] showed them all his treasure house—the silver and gold and spices and precious oil and his armory and everything that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house (palace) nor in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.

¹⁴Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, "What did these men say [that would cause you to do this for them]? From where have they come to you?" Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon."

¹⁵Isaiah said, "What have they seen in your house?" Hezekiah answered, "They have seen everything that is in my house (palace). There is nothing in my treasuries that I have not shown them."

¹⁶Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD.

¹⁷Behold, the time is coming when everything that is in your house, and that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,' says the LORD.

¹⁸And some of your sons (descendants) who will be born to you will be taken away [as captives]; and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"

¹⁹Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Is it not good, if [at least] there will be peace and security in my lifetime?"

²⁰The rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might, and how he made the [Siloam] pool and the aqueduct and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

²¹Hezekiah slept with his fathers [in death], and Manasseh his son became king in his place.

¹The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,

²"Son of man, there were two women (Israel and Judah), the daughters of one mother (the united kingdom);

³and they prostituted themselves in Egypt. From their youth they were grossly immoral; in that place their breasts were embraced and their virgin bosom was grasped.

⁴Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister, and they became Mine and they gave birth to sons and daughters. And as for [the identity of] their names, Oholah is Samaria (capital city of Israel) and Oholibah is Jerusalem (capital city of Judah).

⁵"Oholah played the prostitute while she was Mine; and she adored and lusted after her lovers (allies), the Assyrians, her neighbors,

⁶who were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them attractive young men, horsemen riding on horses.

⁷She bestowed [freely] her immoralities on them, the choicest men of Assyria, all of them; and with all whom she adored and lusted after, she defiled herself with their idols.

⁸She did not give up the acts of prostitution that originated during her time in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their depravity on her.

⁹Therefore, I placed her in the hand of her lovers (allies), into the hand of the Assyrians whom she adored.

¹⁰They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters and they killed her with the sword. So she became notorious among women, and they executed judgments on her.

¹¹"Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her acts of prostitution were more [wanton] than the immoralities of her sister.

¹²She lusted after the Assyrians—governors and officials, her neighbors, magnificently clothed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

¹³I saw that she had defiled herself; they both behaved the same way.

¹⁴But Oholibah carried her depravity further, for she saw men pictured on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) sketched and portrayed in vermilion (bright red pigment),

¹⁵girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, like the Babylonian men whose native land was Chaldea.

¹⁶When she saw [the sketches of] them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

¹⁷The Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and they defiled her with their evil desire; and when she had been defiled by them, she (Jerusalem) broke the relationship and pushed them away from her in disgust.

¹⁸So she flaunted her acts of prostitution and exposed her nakedness; then I became disgusted with her [and turned away], as I had become disgusted with her sister [and turned away].

¹⁹Yet she multiplied her depravities, remembering the days of her youth, when she was actively immoral in the land of Egypt.

²⁰For she lusted after her lovers [there], whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses.

²¹Thus you longed for the lewdness and vulgarity of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom on account of the breasts of your youth.

²²"Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will stir up your lovers (allies) against you, from whom you turned away in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side:

²³the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, princes, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.

²⁴They will come against you with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of people (infantry) who will array themselves against you on every side with large shield and small, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment and the punishment to them, and they will judge and punish you in accordance with their [pagan] customs.

²⁵I will set My jealous indignation against you [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], and they will deal with you in fury. They will remove your nose and your ears, and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and the survivors will be devoured by the fire.

²⁶They will also strip you (Judah) of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.

²⁷Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your prostitution brought from the land of Egypt, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt [with longing] anymore.'

²⁸For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will place you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned away in disgust.

²⁹They will deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your depravity will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your obscene practices.

³⁰These things will be done to you because you have prostituted yourself with the [Gentile] nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols.

³¹You have walked in the way of your sister (Samaria); therefore I will give her cup [of judgment] into your hand.'

³²Thus says the Lord GOD, 'You will drink your sister's cup, Which is deep and wide [and filled to the brim]. You shall be laughed at and derided; It contains much [too much to endure].

³³'You shall be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, With the cup of horror and desolation, With the cup of your sister Samaria.

³⁴'You will drink it and drain it, Then you will gnaw its fragments And tear your breasts; for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD.

³⁵Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore bear now [the consequences of] your lewdness and prostitution.'"

³⁶Moreover, the LORD said to me, "Son of man, will you judge Oholah (Samaria, capital of Israel) and Oholibah (Jerusalem, capital of Judah)? Then inform them of their atrocities [the detestable and vile things they do].

³⁷For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery [against Me] with their idols and have even forced their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire as [an offering of] food to them (idols).

³⁸Moreover, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day [of their idolatries] and have profaned My Sabbaths.

³⁹For when they had killed their children [as offerings] to their idols, then they came the same day to My sanctuary to profane it [by daring to offer a sacrifice there also]. And behold, this they did within My house.

⁴⁰"Furthermore, you have even sent a messenger for men to come from far away; and behold, they came—those for whom you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with ornaments;

⁴¹and you sat on a splendid couch with a table arranged before it on which you had set My incense and My oil.

⁴²The sound of a carefree crowd was with her; and drunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of a common sort, who put bracelets on the hands of the women (both sisters) and beautiful crowns on their heads.

⁴³"Then I said concerning the one (Oholah) worn out by adulteries, 'Will they now commit adultery with her when she is like this?'

⁴⁴But they committed adultery with her as they would with a prostitute. So they went in to Oholah (Israel) and to Oholibah (Judah), the lewd women.

⁴⁵And they, righteous men, will judge and condemn them with the judgment (punishment) of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

⁴⁶"For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Bring up a horde (mob) against them and hand them over to terror and plunder.

⁴⁷And the horde will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and their daughters and burn down their houses with fire.

⁴⁸Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be admonished and taught not to commit immoral acts as you have done.

⁴⁹Thus your lewdness will be repaid to you, and you will suffer the penalty for your [sinful] idolatry; and you will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord GOD.'"

¹Now about this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint was made by the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the [ native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

²So the Twelve called the disciples together and said, "It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food.

³Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

⁴But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

⁵The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch.

⁶They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].

⁷And the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].

⁸Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people.

⁹However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen.

¹⁰But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

¹¹Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, "We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God."

¹²And they provoked and incited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court).

¹³They presented false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses];

¹⁴for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us."

¹⁵Then all those who were sitting in the Council, stared [intently] at him, and they saw that Stephen's face was like the face of an angel.