Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was approaching.

²The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the people.

³Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve.

⁴He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand him over to them.

⁵They were glad and agreed to give him silver.

⁶So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was not present.

⁷Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

⁸Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

⁹“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

¹⁰“Listen,” he said to them, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters.

¹¹Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?”’

¹²Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there.”

¹³So they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁴When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him.

¹⁵Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

¹⁶For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.

¹⁸For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

²¹But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me.

²²For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

²³So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.

²⁴Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest.

²⁵But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called ‘Benefactors.’

²⁶It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving.

²⁷For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸You are those who stood by me in my trials.

²⁹I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me,

³⁰so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹“Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.

³²But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

³³“Lord,” he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

³⁴“I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”

³⁵He also said to them, “When I sent you out without money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Not a thing,” they said.

³⁶Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.

³⁷For I tell you, what is written must be fulfilled in me: And he was counted among the lawless. Yes, what is written about me is coming to its fulfillment.”

³⁸“Lord,” they said, “look, here are two swords.” “That is enough!” he told them.

³⁹He went out and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.

⁴⁰When he reached the place, he told them, “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.”

⁴¹Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray,

⁴²“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me — nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

⁴³Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him.

⁴⁴Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

⁴⁵When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief.

⁴⁶“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t fall into temptation.”

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, suddenly a mob came, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss him,

⁴⁸but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹When those around him saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?”

⁵⁰Then one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹But Jesus responded, “No more of this!” And touching his ear, he healed him.

⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal?

⁵³Every day while I was with you in the temple, you never laid a hand on me. But this is your hour — and the dominion of darkness.”

⁵⁴They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance.

⁵⁵They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them.

⁵⁶When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.”

⁵⁷But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.”

⁵⁸After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.” “Man, I am not!” Peter said.

⁵⁹About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.”

⁶⁰But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

⁶¹Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”

⁶²And he went outside and wept bitterly.

⁶³The men who were holding Jesus started mocking and beating him.

⁶⁴After blindfolding him, they kept asking, “Prophesy! Who was it that hit you?”

⁶⁵And they were saying many other blasphemous things to him.

⁶⁶When daylight came, the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes, convened and brought him before their Sanhedrin.

⁶⁷They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I do tell you, you will not believe.

⁶⁸And if I ask you, you will not answer.

⁶⁹But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

⁷⁰They all asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.”

⁷¹“Why do we need any more testimony,” they said, “since we’ve heard it ourselves from his mouth?”

¹“Then we turned back and headed for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, as the LORD had told me, and we traveled around the hill country of Seir for many days.

²The LORD then said to me,

³‘You’ve been traveling around this hill country long enough; turn north.

⁴Command the people: You are about to travel through the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so be very careful.

⁵Don’t provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a foot of it, because I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his possession.

⁶You may purchase food from them, so that you may eat, and buy water from them to drink.

⁷For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you this past forty years, and you have lacked nothing.’

⁸“So we bypassed our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road and from Elath and Ezion-geber. We traveled along the road to the Wilderness of Moab.

⁹The LORD said to me, ‘Show no hostility toward Moab, and do not provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’”

¹⁰The Emim, a great and numerous people as tall as the Anakim, had previously lived there.

¹¹They were also regarded as Rephaim, like the Anakim, though the Moabites called them Emim.

¹²The Horites had previously lived in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out, destroying them completely and settling in their place, just as Israel did in the land of its possession the LORD gave them.

¹³“The LORD said, ‘Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.’ So we crossed the Zered Valley.

¹⁴The time we spent traveling from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley was thirty-eight years until the entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them.

¹⁵Indeed, the LORD’s hand was against them, to eliminate them from the camp until they had all perished.

¹⁶“When all the fighting men had died among the people,

¹⁷the LORD spoke to me,

¹⁸‘Today you are going to cross the border of Moab at Ar.

¹⁹When you get close to the Ammonites, don’t show any hostility to them or provoke them, for I will not give you any of the Ammonites’ land as a possession; I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’”

²⁰This too used to be regarded as the land of the Rephaim. The Rephaim lived there previously, though the Ammonites called them Zamzummim,

²¹a great and numerous people, tall as the Anakim. The LORD destroyed the Rephaim at the advance of the Ammonites, so that they drove them out and settled in their place.

²²This was just as he had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them; they drove them out and have lived in their place until now.

²³The Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed the Avvites, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, and settled in their place.

²⁴“The LORD also said, ‘Get up, move out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have handed the Amorites’ King Sihon of Heshbon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession of it; engage him in battle.

²⁵Today I will begin to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples everywhere under heaven. They will hear the report about you, tremble, and be in anguish because of you.’

²⁶“So I sent messengers with an offer of peace to King Sihon of Heshbon from the Wilderness of Kedemoth, saying,

²⁷‘Let us travel through your land; we will keep strictly to the highway. We will not turn to the right or the left.

²⁸You can sell us food in exchange for silver so we may eat, and give us water for silver so we may drink. Only let us travel through on foot,

²⁹just as the descendants of Esau who live in Seir did for us, and the Moabites who live in Ar, until we cross the Jordan into the land the LORD our God is giving us.’

³⁰But King Sihon of Heshbon would not let us travel through his land, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to hand him over to you, as has now taken place.

³¹“Then the LORD said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you. Begin to take possession of it.’

³²So Sihon and his whole army came out against us for battle at Jahaz.

³³The LORD our God handed him over to us, and we defeated him, his sons, and his whole army.

³⁴At that time we captured all his cities and completely destroyed the people of every city, including the women and children. We left no survivors.

³⁵We took only the livestock and the spoil from the cities we captured as plunder for ourselves.

³⁶There was no city that was inaccessible to us, from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead. The LORD our God gave everything to us.

³⁷But you did not go near the Ammonites’ land, all along the bank of the Jabbok River, the cities of the hill country, or any place that the LORD our God had forbidden.

¹Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,

²keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.

⁴In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him,

⁶for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives.

⁷Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?

⁸But if you are without discipline — which all receive  — then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

⁹Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?

¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness.

¹¹No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

¹²Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees,

¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

¹⁴Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness  — without it no one will see the Lord.

¹⁵Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.

¹⁶And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for a single meal.

¹⁷For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, even though he sought it with tears, because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance.

¹⁸For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm,

¹⁹to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them,

²⁰for they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.

²¹The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with fear.

²²Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering,

²³to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,

²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.

²⁵See to it that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven.

²⁶His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.

²⁷This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken  — that is, created things — so that what is not shaken might remain.

²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,

²⁹for our God is a consuming fire.

¹Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.

²For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.

³Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies.

⁴And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

⁵So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest.

⁶And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁷Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind,

⁸but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness.

¹⁰Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.

¹¹Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?

¹²Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

¹³Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.

¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.

¹⁵Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

¹⁶For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.

¹⁸And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

¹I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I look at a young woman?

²For what portion would I have from God above, or what inheritance from the Almighty on high?

³Doesn’t disaster come to the unjust and misfortune to evildoers?

⁴Does he not see my ways and number all my steps?

⁵If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,

⁶let God weigh me on accurate scales, and he will recognize my integrity.

⁷If my step has turned from the way, my heart has followed my eyes, or impurity has stained my hands,

⁸let someone else eat what I have sown, and let my crops be uprooted.

⁹If my heart has gone astray over a woman or I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

¹⁰let my own wife grind grain for another man, and let other men sleep with her.

¹¹For that would be a disgrace; it would be an iniquity deserving punishment.

¹²For it is a fire that consumes down to Abaddon; it would destroy my entire harvest.

¹³If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants when they made a complaint against me,

¹⁴what could I do when God stands up to judge? How should I answer him when he calls me to account?

¹⁵Did not the one who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same God form us both in the womb?

¹⁶If I have refused the wishes of the poor or let the widow’s eyes go blind,

¹⁷if I have eaten my few crumbs alone without letting the fatherless eat any of it —

¹⁸for from my youth, I raised him as his father, and since the day I was born I guided the widow —

¹⁹if I have seen anyone dying for lack of clothing or a needy person without a cloak,

²⁰if he did not bless me while warming himself with the fleece from my sheep,

²¹if I ever cast my vote against a fatherless child when I saw that I had support in the city gate,

²²then let my shoulder blade fall from my back, and my arm be pulled from its socket.

²³For disaster from God terrifies me, and because of his majesty I could not do these things.

²⁴If I placed my confidence in gold or called fine gold my trust,

²⁵if I have rejoiced because my wealth is great or because my own hand has acquired so much,

²⁶if I have gazed at the sun when it was shining or at the moon moving in splendor,

²⁷so that my heart was secretly enticed and I threw them a kiss,

²⁸this would also be an iniquity deserving punishment, for I would have denied God above.

²⁹Have I rejoiced over my enemy’s distress, or become excited when trouble came his way?

³⁰I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.

³¹Haven’t the members of my household said, “Who is there who has not had enough to eat at Job’s table?”

³²No stranger had to spend the night on the street, for I opened my door to the traveler.

³³Have I covered my transgressions as others do by hiding my iniquity in my heart

³⁴because I greatly feared the crowds and because the contempt of the clans terrified me, so I grew silent and would not go outside?

³⁵If only I had someone to hear my case! Here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me. Let my Opponent compose his indictment.

³⁶I would surely carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.

³⁷I would give him an account of all my steps; I would approach him like a prince.

³⁸If my land cries out against me and its furrows join in weeping,

³⁹if I have consumed its produce without payment or shown contempt for its tenants,

⁴⁰then let thorns grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley. The words of Job are concluded.

¹For the choir director: with the flutes. A psalm of David. [1] Listen to my words, LORD; consider my sighing.

²Pay attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for I pray to you.

³In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly.

⁴For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil cannot dwell with you.

⁵The boastful cannot stand in your sight; you hate all evildoers.

⁶You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors violent and treacherous people.

⁷But I enter your house by the abundance of your faithful love; I bow down toward your holy temple in reverential awe of you.

⁸LORD, lead me in your righteousness because of my adversaries; make your way straight before me.

⁹For there is nothing reliable in what they say; destruction is within them; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongues.

¹⁰Punish them, God; let them fall by their own schemes. Drive them out because of their many crimes, for they rebel against you.

¹¹But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May you shelter them, and may those who love your name boast about you.

¹²For you, LORD, bless the righteous one; you surround him with favor like a shield.

¹The words of King Lemuel, a pronouncement that his mother taught him:

²What should I say, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?

³Don’t spend your energy on women or your efforts on those who destroy kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire beer.

⁵Otherwise, he will drink, forget what is decreed, and pervert justice for all the oppressed.

⁶Give beer to one who is dying and wine to one whose life is bitter.

⁷Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.

⁸Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed.

⁹Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.

¹⁰Who can find a wife of noble character? She is far more precious than jewels.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good.

¹²She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.

¹³She selects wool and flax and works with willing hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from far away.

¹⁵She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and portions for her female servants.

¹⁶She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings.

¹⁷She draws on her strength and reveals that her arms are strong.

¹⁸She sees that her profits are good, and her lamp never goes out at night.

¹⁹She extends her hands to the spinning staff, and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰Her hands reach out to the poor, and she extends her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed.

²²She makes her own bed coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes and sells linen garments; she delivers belts to the merchants.

²⁵Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come.

²⁶Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her:

²⁹“Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!”

³⁰Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised.

³¹Give her the reward of her labor, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

¹Judah’s sons: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

²Reaiah son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.

³These were Etam’s sons: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and their sister was named Hazzelelponi.

⁴Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn and the father of Bethlehem:

⁵Ashhur fathered Tekoa and had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

⁶Naarah bore Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari to him. These were Naarah’s sons.

⁷Helah’s sons: Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan.

⁸Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel son of Harum.

⁹Jabez was more honored than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez and said, “I gave birth to him in pain.”

¹⁰Jabez called out to the God of Israel: “If only you would bless me, extend my border, let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not experience pain.” And God granted his request.

¹¹Chelub brother of Shuhah fathered Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

¹²Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These were the men of Recah.

¹³Kenaz’s sons: Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s sons: Hathath and Meonothai.

¹⁴Meonothai fathered Ophrah, and Seraiah fathered Joab, the ancestor of those in the Craftsmen’s Valley, for they were craftsmen.

¹⁵The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah’s son: Kenaz.

¹⁶Jehallelel’s sons: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

¹⁷Ezrah’s sons: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

¹⁸These were the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah; Mered had married her. His Judean wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.

¹⁹The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite and the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

²⁰Shimon’s sons: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. Ishi’s sons: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

²¹The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the families of the guild of linen workers at Beth-ashbea,

²²Jokim, the men of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who married Moabites and returned to Lehem. These names are from ancient records.

²³They were the potters and residents of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king.

²⁴Simeon’s sons: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul;

²⁵Shaul’s sons: his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.

²⁶Mishma’s sons: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.

²⁷Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole family did not become as numerous as the Judeans.

²⁸They lived in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual,

²⁹Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

³⁰Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

³¹Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David became king.

³²Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan — five cities,

³³and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record for themselves.

³⁴Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,

³⁵Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel,

³⁶Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

³⁷and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah —

³⁸these mentioned by name were leaders in their families. Their ancestral houses increased greatly.

³⁹They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley to seek pasture for their flocks.

⁴⁰They found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, peaceful, and quiet, for some Hamites had lived there previously.

⁴¹These who were recorded by name came in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, attacked the Hamites’ tents and the Meunites who were found there, and set them apart for destruction, as they are today. Then they settled in their place because there was pasture for their flocks.

⁴²Now five hundred men from these sons of Simeon went with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the descendants of Ishi, as their leaders to Mount Seir.

⁴³They struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they still live there today.

¹In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, ‘You compare yourself to a lion of the nations, but you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churn up the waters with your feet, and muddy the rivers.

³“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I will spread my net over you with an assembly of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my net.

⁴I will abandon you on the land and throw you onto the open field. I will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you and let the wild creatures of the entire earth eat their fill of you.

⁵I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass.

⁶I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains; the ravines will be filled with your gore.

⁷“‘When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

⁸I will darken all the shining lights in the heavens over you, and will bring darkness on your land. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

⁹“‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, in countries you have not known.

¹⁰I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with fear because of you when I brandish my sword in front of them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.

¹¹“‘For this is what the Lord GOD says: The sword of Babylon’s king will come against you!

¹²I will make your hordes fall by the swords of warriors, all of them ruthless men from the nations. They will ravage Egypt’s pride, and all its hordes will be destroyed.

¹³I will slaughter all its cattle that are beside many waters. No human foot will churn them again, and no cattle hooves will disturb them.

¹⁴Then I will let their waters settle and will make their rivers flow like oil. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹⁵When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, so that it is emptied of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.

¹⁶“‘The daughters of the nations will chant that lament. They will chant it over Egypt and all its hordes. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”

¹⁷In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

¹⁸“Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld, to be with those who descend to the Pit:

¹⁹Who do you surpass in loveliness? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!

²⁰They will fall among those slain by the sword. A sword is appointed! They drag her and all her hordes away.

²¹Warrior leaders will speak from the middle of Sheol about him and his allies: ‘They have come down; the uncircumcised lie slain by the sword.’

²²“Assyria is there with her whole assembly; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.

²³Her graves are set in the deepest regions of the Pit, and her assembly is all around her burial place. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword — those who once spread terror in the land of the living.

²⁴“Elam is there with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword — those who went down to the underworld uncircumcised, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.

²⁵Among the slain they prepare a bed for Elam with all her hordes. Her graves are all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the slain.

²⁶“Meshech and Tubal are there, with all their hordes. Their graves are all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living.

²⁷They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads and their shields rested on their bones, although the terror of these warriors was once in the land of the living.

²⁸But you will be shattered and will lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.

²⁹“Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who, despite their strength, have been placed among those slain by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.

³⁰All the leaders of the north and all the Sidonians are there. They went down in shame with the slain, despite the terror their strength inspired. They lie down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.

³¹“Pharaoh will see them and be comforted over all his hordes — Pharaoh and his whole army, slain by the sword.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

³²“For I will spread my terror in the land of the living, so Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

²After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.

³When they had been sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.

⁴When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

⁵But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter.

⁷After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers and sisters, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe.

⁸And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.

⁹He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?

¹¹On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”

¹²The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

¹³After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers and sisters, listen to me.

¹⁴Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.

¹⁵And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

¹⁶After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again,

¹⁷so the rest of humanity may seek the Lord — even all the Gentiles who are called by my name — declares the Lord who makes these things

¹⁸known from long ago.

¹⁹Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God,

²⁰but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood.

²¹For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”

²²Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.

²³They wrote: “From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

²⁴Since we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,

²⁵we have unanimously decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.

²⁸For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision — and ours — not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:

²⁹that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things. Farewell.”

³⁰So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter.

³¹When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

³²Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message.

³³After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them.

³⁴

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.

³⁶After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.”

³⁷Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark.

³⁸But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

³⁹They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.

⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord.

⁴¹He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.