Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ( Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

²He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God.

³All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being.

⁴In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.

⁵The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

⁶There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him.

⁸John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light.

⁹There it was—the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.

¹⁰He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

¹¹He came to that which was His own [that which belonged to Him—His world, His creation, His possession], and those who were His own [people—the Jewish nation] did not receive and welcome Him.

¹²But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—

¹³who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].

¹⁴And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).

¹⁵John testified [repeatedly] about Him and has cried out [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.'"

¹⁶For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].

¹⁷For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].

¹⁹This is the testimony of John [the Baptist] when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

²⁰And he confessed [truthfully] and did not deny [that he was only a man], but acknowledged, "I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!"

²¹They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the [promised] Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

²²Then they said to him, "Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

²³He said, "I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

²⁴Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

²⁵They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

²⁶John answered them, "I baptize [only] in water, but among you there stands One whom you do not recognize and of whom you know nothing.

²⁷It is He [the preeminent One] who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave]."

²⁸These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing], where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

³⁰This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.'

³¹I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah]; but I came baptizing in water so that He would be [publicly] revealed to Israel."

³²John gave [further] evidence [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.

³³I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah], but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this One is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

³⁴I myself have [actually] seen [that happen], and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!"

³⁵Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,

³⁶and he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"

³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

³⁸And Jesus turned and saw them following Him, and asked them, "What do you want?" They answered Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?"

³⁹He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they went [with Him] and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰One of the two who heard what John said and [as a result] followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

⁴¹He first looked for and found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means the Christ).

⁴²Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas (which is translated Peter)."

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go into Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher, and walking the same path of life that I walk]."

⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about—Jesus from Nazareth, the son of Joseph [according to public record]."

⁴⁶Nathanael answered him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip replied, "Come and see."

⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor duplicity!"

⁴⁸Nathanael said to Jesus, "How do You know [these things about] me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you."

⁴⁹Nathanael answered, "Rabbi (Teacher), You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel."

⁵⁰Jesus replied, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe [in Me]? You will see greater things than this."

⁵¹Then He said to him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man [the bridge between heaven and earth]."

¹Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments (legal decisions) which I am speaking today in your hearing, so that you may learn them and observe them carefully.

²The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

³The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, all of us who are alive here today.

⁴The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire.

⁵I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said,

⁶'I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

⁷'You shall have no other gods before Me.

⁸'You shall not make for yourself an idol [as an object to worship], or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

⁹You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

¹⁰but showing graciousness and lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

¹¹'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the LORD will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

¹²'Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy (set apart, dedicated to God), as the LORD your God commanded you.

¹³Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

¹⁴but the seventh day is a Sabbath [a day of rest dedicated] to the LORD your God; on that day you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock or the stranger who stays inside your [city] gates, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

¹⁵You shall remember [with thoughtful concern] that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

¹⁶'Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days [on the earth] may be prolonged and so that it may go well with you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

¹⁷'You shall not murder.

¹⁸'You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁹'You shall not steal.

²⁰'You shall not give false testimony [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).

²¹'You shall not covet [that is, desire and seek to acquire] your neighbor's wife, nor desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.'

²²"The LORD spoke these words with a great voice to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, and He added no more. He wrote these commandments on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

²³And when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me, all the leaders (heads) of your tribes and your elders;

²⁴and you said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he [still] lives.

²⁵Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we will die.

²⁶For who is there of all flesh (mankind) who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

²⁷You, Moses, go near and listen to everything that the LORD our God says; then speak to us everything that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will listen and do it.'

²⁸"The LORD heard your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.

²⁹Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear [and worship Me with awe-filled reverence and profound respect] and keep all My commandments always, so that it may go well with them and with their children forever!

³⁰Go and say to them, "Return to your tents."

³¹But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will tell you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, so that they may obey them in the land which I give them to possess.'

³²Therefore you shall pay attention and be careful to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left [deviating from My commandments].

³³You shall walk [that is, live each and every day] in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long in the land which you will possess.

¹Therefore you have no excuse or justification, everyone of you who [hypocritically] judges and condemns others; for in passing judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, because you who judge [from a position of arrogance or self-righteousness] are habitually practicing the very same things [which you denounce].

²And we know that the judgment of God falls justly and in accordance with truth on those who practice such things.

³But do you think this, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things, and yet do the same yourself, that you will escape God's judgment and elude His verdict?

⁴Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]?

⁵But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

⁶He will pay back to each person according to his deeds [justly, as his deeds deserve]:

⁷to those who by persistence in doing good seek [unseen but certain heavenly] glory, honor, and immortality, [He will give the gift of] eternal life.

⁸But for those who are selfishly ambitious and self-seeking and disobedient to the truth but responsive to wickedness, [there will be] wrath and indignation.

⁹There will be tribulation and anguish [torturing confinement] for every human soul who does [or permits] evil, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,

¹⁰but glory and honor and inner peace [will be given] to everyone who habitually does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

¹¹For God shows no partiality [no arbitrary favoritism; with Him one person is not more important than another].

¹²For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without [regard to] the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged and condemned by the Law.

¹³For it is not those who merely hear the Law [as it is read aloud] who are just or righteous before God, but it is those who [actually] obey the Law who will be justified [pronounced free of the guilt of sin and declared acceptable to Him].

¹⁴When Gentiles, who do not have the Law [since it was given only to Jews], do instinctively the things the Law requires [guided only by their conscience], they are a law to themselves, though they do not have the Law.

¹⁵They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts; and their conscience [their sense of right and wrong, their moral choices] bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or perhaps defending them

¹⁶on that day when, as my gospel proclaims, God will judge the secrets [all the hidden thoughts and concealed sins] of men through Christ Jesus.

¹⁷But if you bear the name "Jew" and rely on the Law [for your salvation] and boast in [your special relationship to] God,

¹⁸and [if you claim to] know His will and approve the things that are essential or have a sense of what is excellent, based on your instruction from the Law,

¹⁹and [if you] are confident that you are a [qualified] guide to the blind [those untaught in theology], a light to those who are in darkness,

²⁰and [that you are] a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the [spiritually] childish, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth—

²¹well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal [in ways that are discrete, but just as sinful]?

²²You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob [pagan] temples [of valuable idols and offerings]?

²³You who boast in the Law, do you [repeatedly] dishonor God by breaking the Law?

²⁴For, "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," just as it is written [in Scripture].

²⁵Circumcision [the sign of the covenant of Abraham] is indeed of value if you practice the Law; but if you habitually break the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision [it is meaningless in God's sight].

²⁶So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded [by God] as circumcision?

²⁷Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps [the spirit of] the Law will judge you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, break the Law.

²⁸For he is not a [real] Jew who is only one outwardly, nor is [true] circumcision something external and physical.

²⁹But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and [true] circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by [the fulfillment of] the letter [of the Law]. His praise is not from men, but from God.

¹Peter, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ, To those [elect—both Jewish and Gentile believers] who live as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia [Minor], and Bithynia, who are chosen

²according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be yours in increasing abundance [as you walk closely with God].

³Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴[born anew] into an inheritance which is imperishable [beyond the reach of change] and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

⁵who are being protected and shielded by the power of God through your faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

⁶In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

⁷so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

⁸Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not even see Him now, you believe and trust in Him and you greatly rejoice and delight with inexpressible and glorious joy,

⁹receiving as the result [the outcome, the consummation] of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰Regarding this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace [of God] that was intended for you, searched carefully and inquired [about this future way of salvation],

¹¹seeking to find out what person or what time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories [destined] to follow.

¹²It was revealed to them that their services [their prophecies regarding grace] were not [meant] for themselves and their time, but for you, in these things [the death, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ] which have now been told to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the [power of the] Holy Spirit [who was] sent from heaven. Into these things even the angels long to look.

¹³So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

¹⁴[Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation].

¹⁵But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage];

¹⁶because it is written, "You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy."

¹⁷If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth.

¹⁸For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold,

¹⁹but [you were actually purchased] with precious blood, like that of a [sacrificial] lamb unblemished and spotless, the priceless blood of Christ.

²⁰For He was foreordained (foreknown) before the foundation of the world, but has appeared [publicly] in these last times for your sake

²¹and through Him you believe [confidently] in God [the heavenly Father], who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God.

²²Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a sincere love of the believers, [see that you] love one another from the heart [always unselfishly seeking the best for one another],

²³for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God.

²⁴For, "All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers And the flower falls off,

²⁵But the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word [the good news of salvation] which was preached to you.

¹Elihu continued his discourse and said,

²"Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who have [so much] knowledge.

³"For the ear puts words to the test As the palate tastes food.

⁴"Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵"For Job has said, 'I am righteous [and innocent], But God has taken away my right;

⁶Although I am right, I am accounted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'

⁷"What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,

⁸Who goes in company with those who do evil And walks with wicked men?

⁹"For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing When he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.'

¹⁰"Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He would do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

¹¹"For God pays a man according to his work, And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.

¹²"Surely God will not act wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³"Who put God in charge over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?

¹⁴"If God should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,

¹⁵All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.

¹⁶"If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

¹⁷"Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern? And will you condemn Him who is just and mighty?

¹⁸"God who says to a king, 'You are worthless and vile,' Or to princes and nobles, 'You are wicked and evil'?

¹⁹"Who is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands.

²⁰"In a moment they die, even at midnight The people are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.

²¹"For God's eyes are on the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

²²"There is no darkness nor deep shadow Where the evildoers may hide themselves.

²³"For He sets no appointed time for a man, That he should appear before Him in judgment.

²⁴"He breaks mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.

²⁵"Therefore He knows of their works, And He overthrows them in the night, So that they are crushed and destroyed.

²⁶"He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,

²⁷Because they turned aside from following Him And would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,

²⁸So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And He heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹"When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him], Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—

³⁰So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares for the people.

³¹"For has anyone said to God, 'I have endured my chastisement; I will not offend anymore;

³²Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned]; If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness), I will not do it again'?

³³"Shall God's retribution [for your sins] be on your terms, because you refuse to accept it? For you must do the choosing, and not I; Therefore say what you [truthfully] know.

³⁴"Men of understanding will tell me, Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],

³⁵'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom and insight.

³⁶'Job ought to be tried to the limit Because he answers like wicked men!

³⁷'For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin; He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God], And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.'"

¹To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute [or perhaps to a particular Hittite tune]. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens.

²Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, That You might silence the enemy and make the revengeful cease.

³When I see and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have established,

⁴What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

⁵Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

⁷All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,

⁸The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

⁹O LORD, our Lord, How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth!

¹My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;

²For length of days and years of life [worth living] And tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life's blessings] they will add to you.

³Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in and rely confidently on the LORD with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

⁶In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

⁸It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts] And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your wealth And with the first fruits of all your crops (income);

¹⁰Then your barns will be abundantly filled And your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not reject or take lightly the discipline of the LORD [learn from your mistakes and the testing that comes from His correction through discipline]; Nor despise His rebuke,

¹²For those whom the LORD loves He corrects, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God's word and life's experiences],

¹⁴For wisdom's profit is better than the profit of silver, And her gain is better than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies; And nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value].

¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favor, And all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.

¹⁹The LORD by His wisdom has founded the earth; By His understanding He has established the heavens.

²⁰By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the clouds drip with dew.

²¹My son, let them not escape from your sight, But keep sound wisdom and discretion,

²²And they will be life to your soul (your inner self) And a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self).

²³Then you will walk on your way [of life] securely And your foot will not stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless];

²⁶For the LORD will be your confidence, firm and strong, And will keep your foot from being caught [in a trap].

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients], When it is in your power to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it," When you have it with you.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbor, Who lives securely beside you.

³⁰Do not quarrel with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

³²For the devious are repulsive to the LORD; But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

³³The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just and righteous.

³⁴Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance].

³⁵The wise will inherit honor and glory, But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

¹The sons of Issachar were: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four in all.

²The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Samuel, heads of their fathers' households. The sons of Tola were courageous men in their generations; their number in the days of David was 22,600.

³The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah; all five of them were chief men.

⁴With them by their generations according to their fathers' households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and children.

⁵Their relatives among all the families of Issachar, courageous men, registered by genealogies, were 87,000 in all.

⁶The sons of Benjamin were three: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

⁷The sons of Bela were five: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. They were heads of the households of their fathers, courageous men. By their genealogies they were 22,034.

⁸The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth, all these were sons of Becher.

⁹They were registered by their genealogies according to their generations, as heads of their fathers' households, courageous men, 20,200 in number.

¹⁰The son of Jediael: Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

¹¹All these were the sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their fathers' households, 17,200 courageous men of valor, fit for military service.

¹²Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, and Hushim the son of Aher.

¹³The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

¹⁴The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she gave birth to Machir the father of Gilead.

¹⁵Machir took as a wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim; her name was Maacah. The name of a second [ descendant, the first being Gilead], was Zelophehad; and Zelophehad had [only] daughters.

¹⁶Maacah the wife of Machir gave birth to a son; she named him Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh; his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

¹⁷The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

¹⁸His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod and Abiezer and Mahlah.

¹⁹The sons of Shemida were: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

²⁰The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath [I] his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath [II] his son,

²¹Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead were killed by men who were natives of Gath, because they came down to take their livestock.

²²Their father Ephraim mourned for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

²³Then he went in to his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Beriah (on misfortune), because tragedy had come on his house.

²⁴Beriah's daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and also Uzzen-sheerah.

²⁵Rephah was his son along with Resheph; Resheph's son was Telah, Tahan his son,

²⁶Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

²⁷Non (Nun) his son, and Joshua [Moses' successor] his son.

²⁸Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer, and Shechem, and as far as Ayyah with all their towns,

²⁹and along the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, with all their towns. In these [places] lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel (Jacob).

³⁰The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and Serah their sister.

³¹The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.

³²Heber became the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.

³³The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet.

³⁴The sons of Shemer (Shomer) [his brother]: Ahi and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

³⁵The sons of his brother Helem (Hotham): Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

³⁶The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

³⁷Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

³⁸The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

³⁹The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

⁴⁰All these were sons (descendants) of Asher, heads of their fathers' houses, choice men, courageous men, chiefs of the leaders. Their number, enrolled by genealogies for service in war, was 26,000 men.

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

²"Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir (Edom), and prophesy against it

³and say to it, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, Mount Seir, I am against you, And I will stretch out My hand against you And make you completely desolate.

⁴"I will destroy your cities And you will become a wasteland. Then you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD.

⁵Because you [descendants of Esau] have had an everlasting hatred [for Jacob (Israel)] and you handed over the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their tragedy, at the time of their final punishment [the Babylonian conquest],

⁶therefore, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will hand you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you since you have not hated bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.

⁷I will make Mount Seir (Edom) a ruin and a desolate wasteland and I will cut off from it the one who passes through it and the one who returns.

⁸I will fill its mountains with its slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills, and in your valleys, and in all your ravines.

⁹I will make you an everlasting desolation and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD.

¹⁰"Because you [descendants of Esau] have said, 'These two nations [Israel and Judah] and these two lands shall be mine, and we will take possession of them,' although the LORD was there,

¹¹therefore, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will deal with you in accordance with the anger and envy you showed because of your hatred for them; and I will make Myself known among them [as Judge] when I judge and punish you.

¹²Then you will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all your scornful speeches which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'They have been made a wasteland; they have been given to us as food.'

¹³So you have boasted and spoken arrogantly against Me, and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard it."

¹⁴'Thus says the Lord GOD, "While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you a wasteland.

¹⁵As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you; you will be a desolate waste, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD."'

¹After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

²There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla, because [the Roman Emperor] Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

³and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them; and they worked together for they were tent-makers.

⁴And he reasoned and debated in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks;

⁵but when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia (northern Greece), Paul began devoting himself completely to [preaching] the word, and solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

⁶But since the Jews kept resisting and opposing him, and blaspheming [God], he shook out his robe and said to them, "Your blood (damnation) be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

⁷Then he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.

⁸Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household [joyfully acknowledging Him as Messiah and Savior]; and many of the Corinthians who heard [Paul's message] were believing and being baptized.

⁹One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent;

¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will attack you in order to hurt you, because I have many people in this city."

¹¹So he settled there for a year and six months, teaching them the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

¹²But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (southern Greece), the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

¹³declaring, "This man is persuading people to worship God in violation of the law [of Moses]."

¹⁴But when Paul was about to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or serious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to put up with you;

¹⁵but since it is merely a question [of doctrine within your religion] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to judge these matters."

¹⁶And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

¹⁷Then the Greeks all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him right in front of the judgment seat; but Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

¹⁸Paul stayed for a while longer, and then told the brothers and sisters goodbye and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchrea [the southeastern port of Corinth] he had his hair cut, because he was keeping a [Nazirite] vow [of abstention].

¹⁹Then they arrived in Ephesus, and he left the others there; but he entered the synagogue and reasoned and debated with the Jews.

²⁰When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he refused;

²¹but after telling them goodbye and saying, "I will return again if God is willing," he set sail from Ephesus.

²²When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church [at Jerusalem], and then went down to Antioch.

²³After spending some time there, he left and traveled through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening and encouraging all the disciples.

²⁴Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent and cultured man, and well versed in the [Hebrew] Scriptures.

²⁵This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being spiritually impassioned, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John;

²⁶and he began to speak boldly and fearlessly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained more accurately to him the way of God [and the full story of the life of Christ].

²⁷And when Apollos wanted to go across to Achaia (southern Greece), the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples, [urging them] to welcome him gladly. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who, through grace, had believed and had followed Jesus as Lord and Savior,

²⁸for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public discussions, proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).