Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Jesus said to His disciples, "Stumbling blocks [temptations and traps set to lure one to sin] are sure to come, but woe (judgment is coming) to him through whom they come!

²It would be better for him if a millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble [in sin and lose faith].

³Pay attention and always be on guard [looking out for one another]! If your brother sins and disregards God's precepts, solemnly warn him; and if he repents and changes, forgive him.

⁴Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him [that is, give up resentment and consider the offense recalled and annulled]."

⁵The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith [our ability to confidently trust in God and in His power]."

⁶And the Lord said, "If you have [confident, abiding] faith in God [even as small] as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree [which has very strong roots], 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea'; and [if the request was in agreement with the will of God] it would have obeyed you.

⁷"Which of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat?'

⁸Will he not instead say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and appropriately clothe yourself [for service] and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you may eat and drink?'

⁹He does not thank the servant just because he did what he was ordered to do, does he?

¹⁰So you too, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.'"

¹¹While Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee.

¹²As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance;

¹³and they raised their voices and called out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

¹⁴When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean.

¹⁵One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice;

¹⁶and he lay face downward at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a Samaritan.

¹⁷Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine?

¹⁸Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?"

¹⁹Jesus said to him, "Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God's power] has restored you to health."

²⁰Now having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed or with a visible display;

²¹nor will people say, 'Look! Here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For the kingdom of God is among you [because of My presence]."

²²Then He said to the disciples, "The time will come when you will long to see [even] one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

²³They will say to you, 'Look [the Messiah is] there!' or 'Look [He is] here!' Do not go away [to see Him], and do not run after them.

²⁴For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, gives light to the other part of the sky, so [visible] will the Son of Man be in His day.

²⁵But first He must suffer many things and be repudiated and rejected and considered unfit [to be the Messiah] by this [unbelieving] generation.

²⁶And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the time of [the second coming of] the Son of Man:

²⁷the people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, [they were indifferent to God] until the day that Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸It was the same as it was in the days of Lot. People were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building [carrying on business as usual, without regard for their sins];

²⁹but on the [very] day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) from heaven and destroyed them all.

³⁰It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹On that day, whoever is on the housetop, with his belongings in the house, must not come down [and go inside] to take them out; and likewise whoever is in the field must not turn back.

³²Remember [what happened to] Lot's wife [when she looked back]!

³³Whoever seeks to save his life will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] will keep it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].

³⁴I tell you, on that night [when Messiah comes again] there will be two [sleeping] in one bed; the one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the other (the believer) will be left.

³⁵There will be two women grinding [at the mill] together; the one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the other (the believer) will be left.

³⁶["Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left."]

³⁷And they asked Him, "Where, Lord?" He answered, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will be gathered."

¹These are the stages of the journeys of the Israelites, by which they came out of the land of Egypt by their [tribal] armies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

²Moses recorded their points of departure, as the LORD commanded, stage by stage; and these are their journeys according to their points of departure:

³They set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the Israelites moved out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians,

⁴while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the LORD had struck down among them. Upon their gods the LORD also executed judgments.

⁵Then the Israelites moved out from Rameses [where they had all joined together], and camped in Succoth.

⁶They moved out from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.

⁷They moved out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.

⁸They moved out from before Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the [Red] Sea into the wilderness; and they went a three days' journey in the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.

⁹They moved out from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

¹⁰They moved out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds).

¹¹They moved out from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.

¹²They moved out from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

¹³They moved out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.

¹⁴They moved out from Alush and camped at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink.

¹⁵They moved out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai [where they remained for about a year].

¹⁶They moved out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

¹⁷They moved out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

¹⁸They moved out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah [near Kadesh, the place from which the twelve spies were sent to spy out the land of Canaan].

¹⁹They moved out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.

²⁰They moved out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.

²¹They moved out from Libnah and camped at Rissah.

²²They moved out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

²³They moved out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

²⁴They moved out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

²⁵They moved out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

²⁶They moved out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

²⁷They moved out from Tahath and camped at Terah.

²⁸They moved out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.

²⁹They moved out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

³⁰They moved out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

³¹They moved out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.

³²They moved out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.

³³They moved out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

³⁴They moved out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

³⁵They moved out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber [or Elath on the gulf of Aqabah].

³⁶They moved out from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

³⁷They moved out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

³⁸Aaron the priest went up on Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.

³⁹Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev (the South country) in the land of Canaan, heard that the sons of Israel were coming.

⁴¹They moved out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

⁴²Then they moved out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

⁴³They moved out from Punon and camped at Oboth.

⁴⁴They moved out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab.

⁴⁵They moved out from Iyim (Iye-abarim) and camped at Dibon-gad.

⁴⁶They moved out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.

⁴⁷They moved out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before [Mount] Nebo.

⁴⁸They moved out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho [their last stop on the journey to Canaan].

⁴⁹They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

⁵⁰Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying,

⁵¹"Say to the children of Israel, 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

⁵²then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you and destroy all their sculpted images, and destroy all their cast idols and completely eliminate all their [idolatrous] high places,

⁵³and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess.

⁵⁴You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be [the location of] his [inheritance]. According to the tribes of your fathers (ancestors) you shall inherit.

⁵⁵But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and like thorns in your sides, and they will attack you in the land in which you live.

⁵⁶And as I [the LORD] planned to do to them, so I will do to you.'"

¹For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

²and Abraham gave him a tenth of all [the spoil]. He is, first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace.

³Without [ any record of] father or mother, nor ancestral line, without [any record of] beginning of days (birth) nor ending of life (death), but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest without interruption and without successor.

⁴Now pause and consider how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils.

⁵It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people—which means, from their kinsmen—though these have descended from Abraham.

⁶But this person [Melchizedek] who is not from their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God].

⁷Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one.

⁸Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives on [perpetually].

⁹A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham [the father of all Israel and of all who believe],

¹⁰for Levi was still in the loins (unborn) of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him (Abraham).

¹¹Now if perfection [a perfect fellowship between God and the worshiper] had been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people were given the Law) what further need was there for another and different kind of priest to arise, one in the manner of Melchizedek, rather than one appointed to the order of Aaron?

¹²For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is of necessity a change of the law [concerning the priesthood] as well.

¹³For the One of whom these things are said belonged [not to the priestly line of Levi but] to another tribe, from which no one has officiated or served at the altar.

¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord descended from [the tribe of] Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

¹⁵And this becomes even more evident if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,

¹⁶who has become a priest, not on the basis of a physical and legal requirement in the Law [concerning his ancestry as a descendant of Levi], but on the basis of the power of an indestructible and endless life.

¹⁷For it is attested [by God] of Him, "You (Christ) are a Priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."

¹⁸For, on the one hand, a former commandment is cancelled because of its weakness and uselessness [because of its inability to justify the sinner before God]

¹⁹(for the Law never made anything perfect); while on the other hand a better hope is introduced through which we now continually draw near to God.

²⁰And indeed it was not without the taking of an oath [that Christ was made priest]

²¹(for those Levites who formerly became priests [received their office] without [its being confirmed by the taking of] an oath, but this One [was designated] with an oath through the One who said to Him, "The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind or regret it, 'You (Christ) are a Priest forever'").

²²And so [because of the oath's greater strength and force] Jesus has become the certain guarantee of a better covenant [a more excellent and more advantageous agreement; one that will never be replaced or annulled].

²³The [former successive line of] priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were each prevented by death from continuing [perpetually in office];

²⁴but, on the other hand, Jesus holds His priesthood permanently and without change, because He lives on forever.

²⁵Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].

²⁶It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest [perfectly adapted to our needs], holy, blameless, unstained [by sin], separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens;

²⁷who has no day by day need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices, first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice].

²⁸For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak [frail, sinful, dying men], but the word of the oath [of God], which came after [the institution of] the Law, permanently appoints [as priest] a Son who has been made perfect forever.

¹But as for you, teach the things which are in agreement with sound doctrine [which produces men and women of good character whose lifestyle identifies them as true Christians].

²Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in steadfastness [Christlike in character].

³Older women similarly are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor addicted to much wine, teaching what is right and good,

⁴so that they may encourage the young women to tenderly love their husbands and their children,

⁵to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

⁶In a similar way urge the young men to be sensible and self-controlled and to behave wisely [taking life seriously].

⁷And in all things show yourself to be an example of good works, with purity in doctrine [having the strictest regard for integrity and truth], dignified,

⁸sound and beyond reproach in instruction, so that the opponent [of the faith] will be shamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

⁹Urge bond-servants to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing and not talk back,

¹⁰not stealing [things, regardless of value], but proving themselves trustworthy, so that in every respect they will adorn and do credit to the teaching of God our Savior.

¹¹For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

¹²It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age,

¹³awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

¹⁴who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.

¹⁵Tell them these things. Encourage and rebuke with full authority. Let no one disregard or despise you [conduct yourself and your teaching so as to command respect].

¹But Job answered and said,

²"What a help you are to the weak (powerless)! How you have saved the arm that is without strength!

³"How you have counseled the one who has no wisdom! And how abundantly you have provided sound wisdom and helpful insight!

⁴"To whom have you uttered [these] words? And whose spirit [inspired what] came forth from you?

⁵"The spirits of the dead tremble Underneath the waters and their inhabitants.

⁶"Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) is naked before God, And Abaddon (the place of destruction) has no covering [from His eyes].

⁷"It is He who spreads out the north over emptiness And hangs the earth on nothing.

⁸"He wraps the waters in His clouds [which otherwise would spill on earth all at once], And the cloud does not burst under them.

⁹"He covers the face of the full moon And spreads His cloud over it.

¹⁰"He has inscribed a circular limit (the horizon) on the face of the waters At the boundary between light and darkness.

¹¹"The pillars of the heavens tremble And are terrified at His rebuke.

¹²"He stirred up the sea by His power, And by His understanding He smashed [proud] Rahab.

¹³"By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the [swiftly] fleeing serpent.

¹⁴"Yet these are just the fringes of His ways [mere samples of His power], The faintest whisper of His voice! Who can contemplate the thunder of His [full] mighty power?"

¹Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty heavens.

²Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to [the abundance of] His greatness.

³Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.

⁴Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.

⁵Praise Him with resounding cymbals; Praise Him with loud cymbals.

⁶Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

¹Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a [shortsighted] fool.

²Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, So the curse without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving].

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the backs of fools [who refuse to learn].

⁴Do not answer [nor pretend to agree with the frivolous comments of] a [closed-minded] fool according to his folly, Otherwise you, even you, will be like him.

⁵Answer [and correct the erroneous concepts of] a fool according to his folly, Otherwise he will be wise in his own eyes [if he thinks you agree with him].

⁶He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet (sabotages himself) and drinks the violence [it brings on himself as a consequence].

⁷Like the legs which are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who cannot learn from its wisdom].

⁸Like one who [absurdly] binds a stone in a sling [making it impossible to throw], So is he who [absurdly] gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man, So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who remains unaffected by its wisdom].

¹⁰Like a [careless] archer who [shoots arrows wildly and] wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or those who [by chance just] pass by.

¹¹Like a dog that returns to his vomit Is a fool who repeats his foolishness.

¹²Do you see a man [who is unteachable and] wise in his own eyes and full of self-conceit? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The lazy person [who is self-indulgent and relies on lame excuses] says, "There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square [and if I go outside to work I will be killed]!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy person on his bed [never getting out of it].

¹⁵The lazy person buries his hand in the dish [losing opportunity after opportunity]; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes Than seven [sensible] men who can give a discreet answer.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog by the ears [and is likely to be bitten] Is he who, passing by, stops to meddle with a dispute that is none of his business.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹So is the man who deceives his neighbor (acquaintance, friend) And then says, "Was I not joking?"

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer [who gossips], contention quiets down.

²¹Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten]; They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].

²³Like a [common] clay vessel covered with the silver dross [making it appear silver when it has no real value] Are burning lips [murmuring manipulative words] and a wicked heart.

²⁴He who hates, disguises it with his lips, But he stores up deceit in his heart.

²⁵When he speaks graciously and kindly [to conceal his malice], do not trust him, For seven abominations are in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred covers itself with guile and deceit, His malevolence will be revealed openly before the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit [for another man's feet] will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone [up a hill to do mischief], it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

¹In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him.

²The LORD sent marauding bands of Chaldeans, Arameans (Syrians), Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim. And He sent them against Judah to destroy it, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servants the prophets.

³Surely this came on Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of [King] Manasseh, in accordance with everything that he had done,

⁴and also for the innocent blood that he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not pardon it.

⁵Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

⁶So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers [in death], and his son Jehoiachin became king in his place.

⁷The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, because the king of Babylon had taken everything that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

⁸Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned [only] three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

⁹He did evil in the sight of the LORD, in accordance with everything that his father had done.

¹⁰At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.

¹¹Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it.

¹²Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his [palace] officials. So the king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his [own] reign.

¹³He carried out of there (Jerusalem) all the treasures of the house (temple) of the LORD, and the treasures of the house (palace) of the king, and cut in pieces all the articles of gold in the temple of the LORD, which Solomon king of Israel had made, just as the LORD had said.

¹⁴He led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the brave men, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.

¹⁵Nebuchadnezzar led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also he took the king's mother and the king's wives and his officials and the leading men of the land [including Ezekiel] as exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon.

¹⁶And the king of Babylon brought as exiles to Babylon all the brave men, seven thousand [of them], and the craftsmen and the smiths, a thousand [of them], all strong and fit for war.

¹⁷Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

¹⁸Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

¹⁹He did evil in the sight of the LORD, in accordance with everything that Jehoiakim had done.

²⁰Because of the anger of the LORD these things happened in Jerusalem and Judah, and it [finally] came to the point that He cast them from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

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

²"Now you, son of man, take up a dirge (funeral poem to be sung) for Tyre,

³and say to Tyre, who lives at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.'

⁴"Your borders are in the heart of the seas; Your builders have perfected your beauty.

⁵"They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

⁶"Of the oaks of Bashan they have made your oars; They have made your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory.

⁷"Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt So that it became your distinguishing mark (insignia); Your [ship's] awning [which covered you] was blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah [of Asia Minor].

⁸"The inhabitants of Sidon and [the island] of Arvad were your oarsmen; Your skilled and wise men, O Tyre, were with you; they were your pilots.

⁹"The elders of Gebal and its skilled and wise men were with you, repairing your leaks; All the ships of the sea with their mariners were with you to deal in your merchandise.

¹⁰"Persia and Lud and Put (Libya) were in your army as your men of war. They hung the shield and the helmet on you; they gave you splendor.

¹¹The men of Arvad with your army were upon your walls, all around, and the Gammadim (men of valor) were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls, all around; they perfected your beauty.

¹²"Tarshish [in Spain] was your customer and traded with you because of the abundance of your riches of all kinds; with silver, iron, tin, and lead they paid for your wares.

¹³Javan (Greece), Tubal and Meshech (Asia Minor) traded with you; with the lives of men [taken as slaves] and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise.

¹⁴Those from Beth-togarmah (Armenia) traded for your wares with [chariot] horses, war horses, and mules.

¹⁵The men of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your markets; ivory tusks and ebony they brought to you in payment or as gifts.

¹⁶Aram traded with you because of the abundance of the goods you made. They paid for your merchandise with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies.

¹⁷Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith [in Ammon], cakes, honey, oil, and balm they paid for your goods.

¹⁸Damascus traded with you because of the abundance of your handiworks and the immense wealth of every kind, with the wine of Helbon [Aleppo] and the white wool [of Sachar in Syria].

¹⁹Vedan and Javan traded with yarn from Uzal [in Arabia] for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise.

²⁰Dedan traded with you in saddle blankets for riding.

²¹Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for lambs, rams, and goats [favored by you]; for these they were your customers.

²²The merchants of Sheba and Raamah [in Arabia], they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the choicest of all kinds of spices and all kinds of precious stones and gold.

²³Haran and Canneh and Eden [in Mesopotamia], the merchants of Sheba [on the Euphrates], Asshur and Chilmad traded with you.

²⁴They traded with you in choice fabrics and garments, in clothes of blue or violet and embroidered work, and in [treasures of] multi-colored damask and knotted carpets bound with tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise.

²⁵The ships of Tarshish were the caravans for your merchandise, And you [Tyre] were replenished and very glorious [heavily laden with an imposing fleet] In the heart of the seas.

²⁶"Your rowers have brought you Into great and deep waters; The east wind has broken and shipwrecked you In the heart of the seas.

²⁷"Your riches, your wares, your merchandise Your oarsmen and your pilots, Your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise, And all your men of war who are with you, With all your company that is in your midst, Will sink in the heart of the seas On the day of your ruin.

²⁸"The pasture lands and the countryside will shake At the [piercing] sound of the [hopeless, wailing] cry of your pilots.

²⁹"All who handle the oar, The mariners and all the pilots of the sea Will come down from their ships; They will stand on the shore,

³⁰And they will make their voice heard [as they wail loudly] over you And they will cry bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads; They will wallow in ashes.

³¹"And they will make themselves [completely] bald for you And wrap themselves in sackcloth; And in bitterness of soul they will weep for you With bitter mourning and wailing.

³²"In their wailing they will take up a dirge (funeral poem to be sung) for you And sing a dirge for you: 'Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent [destroyed] in the midst of the sea?

³³'When your wares went out to the sea, You met the desire, and the demand, and the necessities of many people; You enriched the kings of the earth With your abundant wealth and merchandise.

³⁴'Now you are shattered by the seas In the depths of the waters; Your merchandise and all your crew Have gone down with you.

³⁵'All the inhabitants of the coastlands Are aghast and appalled at you, And their kings are horribly frightened and shudder; Their faces twitch and pale.

³⁶'The merchants among the people hiss at you [with malicious joy]; You have become a horror and a source of terrors. You will cease to be forever.'"'"

¹Now at Caesarea [Maritima] there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Regiment,

²a devout man and one who, along with all his household, feared God. He made many charitable donations to the Jewish people, and prayed to God always.

³About the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had come to him and said, "Cornelius!"

⁴Cornelius was frightened and stared intently at him and said, "What is it, lord (sir)?" And the angel said to him, "Your prayers and gifts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God [an offering made in remembrance of His past blessings].

⁵Now send men to Joppa and have them call for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter [and invite him here];

⁶he is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

⁷When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his own personal attendants;

⁸and after explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹The next day, as they were on their way and were approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof of the house about the sixth hour (noon) to pray,

¹⁰but he became hungry and wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared he fell into a trance;

¹¹and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet descending, lowered by its four corners to the earth,

¹²and it contained all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

¹³A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!"

¹⁴But Peter said, "Not at all, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common (unholy) and [ceremonially] unclean."

¹⁵And the voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy)."

¹⁶This happened three times, and then immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

¹⁷Now Peter was still perplexed and completely at a loss as to what his vision could mean when the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon's house, arrived at the gate.

¹⁸And they called out to ask whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

¹⁹While Peter was thoughtfully considering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Now listen, three men are looking for you.

²⁰Get up, go downstairs and go with them without hesitating or doubting, because I have sent them Myself."

²¹Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. For what reason have you come?"

²²They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man well spoken of by all the Jewish people, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear what you have to say."

²³So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging [for the night]. The next day Peter got up and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

²⁴On the following day he [and the others] entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵When Peter arrived, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am only a man."

²⁷As Peter talked with him, he entered [the house] and found a large group of people assembled.

²⁸He said to them, "You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with or befriend a Gentile, or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call anyone common or [ceremonially] unclean.

²⁹Therefore when I was sent for, I came without raising an objection. So I ask for what reason have you sent for me?"

³⁰Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour (3:00-4:00 p.m.); and a man [dressed] in bright, dazzling clothing suddenly stood before me,

³¹and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered before God [so that He is about to help you].

³²Therefore send word to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you. He is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.'

³³So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to listen to everything that you have been instructed by the Lord [to say]."

³⁴Opening his mouth, Peter said: "Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God's blessing],

³⁵but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him.

³⁶You know the message which He sent to the sons of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all—

³⁷you know the things that have taken place throughout Judea, starting in Galilee after the baptism preached by John—

³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

³⁹We are [personally] eyewitnesses of everything that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem [in particular]. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross;

⁴⁰God raised Him [to life] on the third day and caused Him to be plainly seen,

⁴¹not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen and designated beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank together with Him after He rose from the dead.

⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people [both Jew and Gentile], and to solemnly testify that He is the One who has been appointed and ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴³All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him [whoever trusts in and relies on Him, accepting Him as Savior and Messiah] receives forgiveness of sins."

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening to the message [confirming God's acceptance of Gentiles].

⁴⁵All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

⁴⁶For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and exalting and magnifying and praising God. Then Peter said,

⁴⁷"Can anyone refuse water for these people to be baptized, since they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

⁴⁸And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay there for a few days.