Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus.

²“This is John the Baptist,” he told his servants. “He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

³For Herod had arrested John, chained him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,

⁴since John had been telling him, “It’s not lawful for you to have her.”

⁵Though Herod wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd since they regarded John as a prophet.

⁶When Herod’s birthday celebration came, Herodias’s daughter danced before them and pleased Herod.

⁷So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

⁸Prompted by her mother, she answered, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

⁹Although the king regretted it, he commanded that it be granted because of his oaths and his guests.

¹⁰So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison.

¹¹His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

¹²Then his disciples came, removed the corpse, buried it, and went and reported to Jesus.

¹³When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns.

¹⁴When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.

¹⁵When evening came, the disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

¹⁶“They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷“But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him.

¹⁸“Bring them here to me,” he said.

¹⁹Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

²⁰Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of leftover pieces.

²¹Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

²²Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

²³After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone.

²⁴Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.

²⁵Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning.

²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear.

²⁷Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹He said, “Come.” And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus.

³⁰But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

³²When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

³⁴When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret.

³⁵When the men of that place recognized him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to him all who were sick.

³⁶They begged him that they might only touch the end of his robe, and as many as touched it were healed.

¹In those days King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim

²waged war against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, and King Shemeber of Zeboiim, as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar ).

³All of these came as allies to the Siddim Valley (that is, the Dead Sea ).

⁴They were subject to Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

⁵In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

⁶and the Horites in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran by the wilderness.

⁷Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh ), and they defeated the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

⁸Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Siddim Valley

⁹against King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar — four kings against five.

¹⁰Now the Siddim Valley contained many asphalt pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, but the rest fled to the mountains.

¹¹The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on.

¹²They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom, and they went on.

¹³One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with Abram.

¹⁴When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled his 318 trained men, born in his household, and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.

¹⁵And he and his servants deployed against them by night, defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus.

¹⁶He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

¹⁷After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley ).

¹⁸Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.

¹⁹He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

²⁰and blessed be God Most High who has handed over your enemies to you. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

²¹Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.”

²²But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

²³that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.’

²⁴I will take nothing except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me — Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre — they can take their share.”

¹Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters.

²One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables.

³One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him.

⁴Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.

⁶Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God.

⁷For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.

⁸If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

⁹Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.

¹⁰But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

¹¹For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.

¹²So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

¹³Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister.

¹⁴I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.

¹⁵For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.

¹⁶Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,

¹⁷for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.

¹⁹So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.

²⁰Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats.

²¹It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.

²²Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.

²³But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.

¹All who are under the yoke as slaves should regard their own masters as worthy of all respect, so that God’s name and his teaching will not be blasphemed.

²Let those who have believing masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but serve them even better, since those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Teach and encourage these things.

³If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness,

⁴he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions,

⁵and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.

⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain.

⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out.

⁸If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

⁹But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.

¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹¹But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

¹³In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good confession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you

¹⁴to keep this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵God will bring this about in his own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords,

¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

¹⁷Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.

¹⁸Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share,

¹⁹storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.

²⁰Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent and empty speech and contradictions from what is falsely called knowledge.

²¹By professing it, some people have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all.

¹Anyone born of woman is short of days and full of trouble.

²He blossoms like a flower, then withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last.

³Do you really take notice of one like this? Will you bring me into judgment against you?

⁴Who can produce something pure from what is impure? No one!

⁵Since a person’s days are determined and the number of his months depends on you, and since you have set limits he cannot pass,

⁶look away from him and let him rest so that he can enjoy his day like a hired worker.

⁷There is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its shoots will not die.

⁸If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump starts to die in the soil,

⁹the scent of water makes it thrive and produce twigs like a sapling.

¹⁰But a person dies and fades away; he breathes his last — where is he?

¹¹As water disappears from a lake and a river becomes parched and dry,

¹²so people lie down never to rise again. They will not wake up until the heavens are no more; they will not stir from their sleep.

¹³If only you would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until your anger passes. If only you would appoint a time for me and then remember me.

¹⁴When a person dies, will he come back to life? If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes.

¹⁵You would call, and I would answer you. You would long for the work of your hands.

¹⁶For then you would count my steps but would not take note of my sin.

¹⁷My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity.

¹⁸But as a mountain collapses and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place,

¹⁹as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil from the land, so you destroy a man’s hope.

²⁰You completely overpower him, and he passes on; you change his appearance and send him away.

²¹If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.

²²He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.

¹For the choir director. Of David. [1] The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.” They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.

²The LORD looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God.

³All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.

⁴Will evildoers never understand? They consume my people as they consume bread; they do not call on the LORD.

⁵Then they will be filled with dread, for God is with those who are righteous.

⁶You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the LORD is his refuge.

⁷Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

¹Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

²Whoever lives with integrity fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises him.

³The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline, but the lips of the wise protect them.

⁴Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of an ox.

⁵An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness utters lies.

⁶A mocker seeks wisdom and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to the perceptive.

⁷Stay away from a foolish person; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.

⁸The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.

⁹Fools mock at making reparation, but there is goodwill among the upright.

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness, and no outsider shares in its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.

¹³Even in laughter a heart may be sad, and joy may end in grief.

¹⁴The disloyal one will get what his conduct deserves, and a good one, what his deeds deserve.

¹⁵The inexperienced one believes anything, but the sensible one watches his steps.

¹⁶A wise person is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool is easily angered and is careless.

¹⁷A quick-tempered person acts foolishly, and one who schemes is hated.

¹⁸The inexperienced inherit foolishness, but the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹The evil bow before those who are good, and the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰A poor person is hated even by his neighbor, but there are many who love the rich.

²¹The one who despises his neighbor sins, but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.

²²Don’t those who plan evil go astray? But those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness.

²³There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the foolishness of fools produces foolishness.

²⁵A truthful witness rescues lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful.

²⁶In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence and his children have a refuge.

²⁷The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.

²⁸A large population is a king’s splendor, but a shortage of people is a ruler’s devastation.

²⁹A patient person shows great understanding, but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.

³⁰A tranquil heart is life to the body, but jealousy is rottenness to the bones.

³¹The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker, but one who is kind to the needy honors him.

³²The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.

³³Wisdom resides in the heart of the discerning; she is known even among fools.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵A king favors a prudent servant, but his anger falls on a disgraceful one.

¹The Israelites received these portions that the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes gave them in the land of Canaan.

²Their inheritance was by lot as the LORD commanded through Moses for the nine and a half tribes,

³because Moses had given the inheritance to the two and a half tribes beyond the Jordan. But he gave no inheritance among them to the Levites.

⁴The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. No portion of the land was given to the Levites except cities to live in, along with pasturelands for their cattle and livestock.

⁵So the Israelites did as the LORD commanded Moses, and they divided the land.

⁶The descendants of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD promised Moses the man of God at Kadesh-barnea about you and me.

⁷I was forty years old when Moses the LORD’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report.

⁸My brothers who went with me caused the people to lose heart, but I followed the LORD my God completely.

⁹On that day Moses swore to me: ‘The land where you have set foot will be an inheritance for you and your descendants forever, because you have followed the LORD my God completely.’

¹⁰“As you see, the LORD has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised, since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old.

¹¹I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then.

¹²Now give me this hill country the LORD promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the LORD will be with me and I will drive them out as the LORD promised.”

¹³Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as an inheritance.

¹⁴Therefore, Hebron still belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance today because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, completely.

¹⁵Hebron’s name used to be Kiriath-arba; Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. After this, the land had rest from war.

¹For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will choose Israel again. He will settle them on their own land. The resident alien will join them and be united with the house of Jacob.

²The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess them as male and female slaves in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and will rule over their oppressors.

³When the LORD gives you rest from your pain, torment, and the hard labor you were forced to do,

⁴you will sing this song of contempt about the king of Babylon and say: How the oppressor has quieted down, and how the raging has become quiet!

⁵The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers.

⁶It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows. It subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.

⁷The whole earth is calm and at rest; people shout with a ringing cry.

⁸Even the cypresses and the cedars of Lebanon rejoice over you: “Since you have been laid low, no lumberjack has come against us.”

⁹Sheol below is eager to greet your coming, stirring up the spirits of the departed for you — all the rulers of the earth — making all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones.

¹⁰They all respond to you, saying, “You too have become as weak as we are; you have become like us!

¹¹Your splendor has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you.”

¹²Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground.

¹³You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North.

¹⁴I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

¹⁵But you will be brought down to Sheol into the deepest regions of the Pit.

¹⁶Those who see you will stare at you; they will look closely at you: “Is this the man who caused the earth to tremble, who shook the kingdoms,

¹⁷who turned the world into a wilderness, who destroyed its cities and would not release the prisoners to return home?”

¹⁸All the kings of the nations lie in splendor, each in his own tomb.

¹⁹But you are thrown out without a grave, like a worthless branch, covered by those slain with the sword and dumped into a rocky pit like a trampled corpse.

²⁰You will not join them in burial, because you destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of evildoers will never be mentioned again.

²¹Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons, because of the iniquity of their fathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or fill the surface of the earth with cities.

²²“I will rise up against them” — this is the declaration of the LORD of Armies — “and I will cut off from Babylon her reputation, remnant, offspring, and posterity” — this is the LORD’s declaration.

²³“I will make her a swampland and a region for herons, and I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.” This is the declaration of the LORD of Armies.

²⁴The LORD of Armies has sworn: As I have purposed, so it will be; as I have planned it, so it will happen.

²⁵I will break Assyria in my land; I will tread him down on my mountain. Then his yoke will be taken from them, and his burden will be removed from their shoulders.

²⁶This is the plan prepared for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out against all the nations.

²⁷The LORD of Armies himself has planned it; therefore, who can stand in its way? It is his hand that is outstretched, so who can turn it back?

²⁸In the year that King Ahaz died, this pronouncement came:

²⁹Don’t rejoice, all of you in Philistia, because the rod of the one who struck you is broken. For a viper will come from the root of a snake, and from its egg comes a flying serpent.

³⁰Then the firstborn of the poor will be well fed, and the impoverished will lie down in safety, but I will kill your root with hunger, and your remnant will be slain.

³¹Wail, you gates! Cry out, city! Tremble with fear, all Philistia! For a cloud of dust is coming from the north, and there is no one missing from the invader’s ranks.

³²What answer will be given to the messengers from that nation? The LORD has founded Zion, and his oppressed people find refuge in her.

¹In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue, as usual, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

²But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

³So they stayed there a long time and spoke boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace by enabling them to do signs and wonders.

⁴But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and others with the apostles.

⁵When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them,

⁶they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside.

⁷There they continued preaching the gospel.

⁸In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth.

⁹He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

¹⁰Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around.

¹¹When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

¹²Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

¹³The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice.

¹⁴The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting:

¹⁵“People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.

¹⁶In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way,

¹⁷although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.”

¹⁸Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.

²⁰After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

²¹After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,

²²strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

²³When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

²⁵After they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

²⁷After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

²⁸And they spent a considerable time with the disciples.