Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Then some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said,

²"Why do Your disciples violate the tradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat."

³He replied to them, "Why also do you violate the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]?

⁴For God said [through Moses], 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of or insults or treats improperly father or mother is to be put to death.'

⁵But you say, 'If anyone says to his father or mother, "Whatever [money or resource that] I have that would help you is [already dedicated and] given to God,"

⁶he is not to honor his father or his mother [by helping them with their need].' So by this you have invalidated the word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect] for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders].

⁷You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,

⁸'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.

⁹'But in vain do they worship Me, For they teach as doctrines the precepts of men.'"

¹⁰After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said, "Listen and understand this:

¹¹It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him."

¹²Then the disciples came and said to Jesus, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?"

¹³He answered, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots.

¹⁴Leave them alone; they are blind guides[leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

¹⁵Peter asked Him, "Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us."

¹⁶And He said, "Are you still so dull [and unable to put things together]?

¹⁷Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

¹⁸But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man.

¹⁹For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming).

²⁰These are the things which defile and dishonor the man; but eating with [ceremonially] unwashed hands does not defile the man."

²¹After leaving there, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

²²And a Canaanite woman from that district came out and began to cry out [urgently], saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (Messiah); my daughter is cruelly possessed by a demon."

²³But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], "Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us."

²⁴He answered, "I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

²⁵But she came and began to kneel down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

²⁶And He replied, "It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the children's bread and throw it to the pet dogs."

²⁷She said, "Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters' table."

²⁸Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that moment.

²⁹Jesus went on from there and passed along by [the eastern shore of] the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on the hillside and was sitting there.

³⁰And great crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He healed them.

³¹So the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they praised and glorified the God of Israel.

³²Then Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, because they might faint [from exhaustion] on the way [home]."

³³The disciples said to Him, "Where are we to get enough bread in this isolated place to feed so large a crowd?"

³⁴And Jesus asked them, "How many loaves [of bread] do you have?" They replied, "Seven, and a few small fish."

³⁵He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground,

³⁶and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and when He had given thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the people.

³⁷And they all ate and were satisfied, and they gathered up seven full baskets of the broken pieces that were left over.

³⁸[Among] those who ate were 4,000 men, not counting women and children.

³⁹Then Jesus sent the crowds away, got into the boat and went to the district of Magadan.

¹After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great."

²Abram said, "Lord GOD, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?"

³And Abram continued, "Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir."

⁴Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir."

⁵And the LORD brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, "Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them." Then He said to him, "So [numerous] shall your descendants be."

⁶Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the LORD; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man).

⁷And He said to him, "I am the [same] LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance."

⁸But Abram said, "Lord GOD, by what [proof] will I know that I will inherit it?"

⁹So God said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

¹⁰So Abram brought all these to Him and cut them down the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.

¹¹The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

¹²When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him.

¹³God said to Abram, "Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.

¹⁴But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.

¹⁵As for you, you shall [die and] go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.

¹⁶Then in the fourth generation your descendants shall return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the Amorites is not yet complete (finished)."

¹⁷When the sun had gone down and a [deep] darkness had come, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch which passed between the [divided] pieces [of the animals].

¹⁸On the same day the LORD made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates—

¹⁹[the land of] the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites

²⁰and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim,

²¹the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

¹Now we who are strong [in our convictions and faith] ought to [patiently] put up with the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not just please ourselves.

²Let each one of us [make it a practice to] please his neighbor for his good, to build him up spiritually.

³For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written [in Scripture], "The reproaches of those who reproached You (the Father) fell on Me (the Son)."

⁴For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.

⁵Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

⁶so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify and praise and honor the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷Therefore, [continue to] accept and welcome one another, just as Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of [our great] God.

⁸For I tell you that Christ has become a servant and a minister to the circumcision (Jews) on behalf of God's truth, to confirm and verify the promises made to the fathers,

⁹and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy [to them, since God had no covenant with them]. As it is written and forever remains written, "Therefore I praise You among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name."

¹⁰Again it says, "Rejoice and celebrate, O Gentiles, along with His people."

¹¹And again, "Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him!"

¹²Again Isaiah says, "There shall be a root ofJesse, He who arises to rule [as King] over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope."

¹³May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.

¹⁴Personally I am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge, and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another.

¹⁵Still, on some points I have written to you very boldly and without reservation to remind you [about them] again, because of the grace that was given to me from God,

¹⁶to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I minister as a priest the gospel of God, in order that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable [to Him], sanctified [made holy and set apart for His purpose] by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷In Christ Jesus, then, I have found [legitimate] reason for boasting in things related [to my service] to God.

¹⁸For I will not [even] presume to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me [as an instrument in His hands], resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles [to the gospel], by word and deed,

¹⁹with the power of signs and wonders, [and all of it] in the power of the Spirit. So [starting] from Jerusalem and as far away as Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel [faithfully preaching the good news] of Christ [where it had not before been preached].

²⁰Accordingly I set a goal to preach the gospel, not where Christ's name was already known, so that I would not build on another man's foundation;

²¹but [instead I would act on this goal] as it is written [in Scripture], "They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard [of Him] shall understand."

²²This [goal—my commitment to this principle] is the reason why I have often been prevented from coming to you [in Rome].

²³But now, with no further place for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you—

²⁴whenever I go [on my trip] to Spain—I hope to see you as I pass through [Rome], and to be helped on my journey there by you, after I have first enjoyed your company for a little while.

²⁵But for now, I am going to Jerusalem to serve the saints (Jewish believers).

²⁶For [Gentile believers in] Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints (Jewish believers) in Jerusalem.

²⁷They were pleased to do it, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual things, then they are indebted to serve them also in [tangible] material things.

²⁸Therefore, when I have finished this [mission] and have safely given to them what has been raised, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

²⁹I know that when I do come to you, I will come in the abundant blessing of Christ.

³⁰I urge you, believers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join together with me in your prayers to God in my behalf,

³¹[and pray] that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints (Jewish believers) there;

³²so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and find rest in your company.

³³May the God of peace be with you all! Amen.

¹Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed) by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

²to Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³I thank God, whom I worship and serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,

⁴and as I recall your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

⁵I remember your sincere and unqualified faith [the surrendering of your entire self to God in Christ with confident trust in His power, wisdom and goodness, a faith] which first lived in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am confident that it is in you as well.

⁶That is why I remind you to fan into flame the gracious gift of God, [that inner fire—the special endowment] which is in you through the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].

⁷For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

⁸So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or about me His prisoner, but with me take your share of suffering for the gospel [continue to preach regardless of the circumstances], in accordance with the power of God [for His power is invincible],

⁹for He delivered us and saved us and called us with a holy calling [a calling that leads to a consecrated life—a life set apart—a life of purpose], not because of our works [or because of any personal merit—we could do nothing to earn this], but because of His own purpose and grace [His amazing, undeserved favor] which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago],

¹⁰but now [that extraordinary purpose and grace] has been fully disclosed and realized by us through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who [through His incarnation and earthly ministry] abolished death [making it null and void] and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

¹¹for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher [of this good news regarding salvation].

¹²This is why I suffer as I do. Still, I am not ashamed; for I know Him [and I am personally acquainted with Him] whom I have believed [with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in the truth of His deity], and I am persuaded [beyond any doubt] that He is able to guard that which I have entrusted to Him until that day [when I stand before Him].

¹³Keep and follow the pattern of sound teaching (doctrine) which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴Guard [with greatest care] and keep unchanged, the treasure [that precious truth] which has been entrusted to you [that is, the good news about salvation through personal faith in Christ Jesus], through [the help of] the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

¹⁵You are aware of the fact that all who are in [the province of] Asia turned away and deserted me, Phygelus and Hermogenes among them.

¹⁶The Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and showed me kindness [comforting and reviving me like fresh air] and he was not ashamed of my chains [for Christ's sake];

¹⁷but [instead] when he reached Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—

¹⁸the Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord on that [great] day. You know very well how many things he did for me and what a help he was at Ephesus [you know better than I can tell you].

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,

²"Should a wise man [such as you] utter such windy and vain knowledge [as we have just heard] And fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]?

³"Should he rebuke and argue with useless talk? Or with words in which there is no benefit?

⁴"Indeed, you are doing away with fear, And you are diminishing meditation before God.

⁵"For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.

⁶"Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you.

⁷"Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man], Or were you created before the hills?

⁸"Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?

⁹"What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?

¹⁰"Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged, Older than your father.

¹¹"Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you, [Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?

¹²"Why does your heart carry you away [allowing you to be controlled by emotion]? And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt],

¹³That you should turn your spirit against God And let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?

¹⁴"What is man, that he should be pure and clean, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?

¹⁵"Behold, God puts no trust in His holy ones (angels); Indeed, the heavens are not pure in His sight—

¹⁶How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt, Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!

¹⁷"I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

¹⁸What wise men have [freely] told, And have not hidden [anything passed on to them] from their fathers,

¹⁹To whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].

²⁰"The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for him, the ruthless one.

²¹"A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears; While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].

²²"He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered], And he is destined for the sword [of God's vengeance].

²³"He wanders about for food, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.

²⁴"Distress and anxiety terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for battle.

²⁵"Because he has stretched out his hand against God And behaves arrogantly against the Almighty,

²⁶Running and charging headlong against Him With his ornamented and massive shield;

²⁷For he has covered his face with his fat, Adding layers of fat to his thighs [giving himself up to pleasures],

²⁸And he has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities, In houses which no one should inhabit, Which were destined to become heaps [of ruins];

²⁹He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.

³⁰"He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster]; The flame [of God's wrath] will wither his branch, And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.

³¹"Let him not trust in vanity (emptiness, futility) and be led astray; For emptiness will be his reward [for such living].

³²"It will be fulfilled while he still lives, And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].

³³"He will fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine, And will cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.

³⁴"For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).

³⁵"They conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness, And their inmost soul prepares deceit and fraud."

¹A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent? Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?

²He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, And speaks and holds truth in his heart.

³He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

⁴In his eyes an evil person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];

⁵He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite], And does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

¹A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.

²The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable, But the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly.

³The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good [in all their endeavors].

⁴A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.

⁵A [flippant, arrogant] fool rejects his father's instruction and correction, But he who [is willing to learn and] regards and keeps in mind a reprimand acquires good sense.

⁶Great and priceless treasure is in the house of the [consistently] righteous one [who seeks godly instruction and grows in wisdom], But trouble is in the income of the wicked one [who rejects the laws of God].

⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight!

⁹The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character].

¹⁰There is severe discipline for him who turns from the way [of righteousness]; And he who hates correction will die.

¹¹Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the place of eternal punishment) lie open before the LORD— How much more the hearts and inner motives of the children of men.

¹²A scoffer [unlike a wise man] resents one who rebukes him and tries to teach him; Nor will he go to the wise [for counsel and instruction].

¹³A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, But when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed.

¹⁴The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it, But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances].

¹⁶Better is a little with the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Than great treasure and trouble with it.

¹⁷Better is a dinner of vegetables and herbs where love is present Than a fattened ox served with hatred.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger and patient calms disputes.

¹⁹The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], But the way [of life] of the upright is smooth and open like a highway.

²⁰A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Foolishness is joy to him who is without heart and lacks [intelligent, common] sense, But a man of understanding walks uprightly [making his course straight].

²²Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they are established and succeed.

²³A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer, And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!

²⁴The [chosen] path of life leads upward for the wise, That he may keep away from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) below.

²⁵The LORD will tear down the house of the proud and arrogant (self-righteous), But He will establish and protect the boundaries [of the land] of the [godly] widow.

²⁶Evil plans and thoughts of the wicked are exceedingly vile and offensive to the LORD, But pure words are pleasant words to Him.

²⁷He who profits unlawfully brings suffering to his own house, But he who hates bribes [and does not receive nor pay them] will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous thinks carefully about how to answer [in a wise and appropriate and timely way], But the [babbling] mouth of the wicked pours out malevolent things.

²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked [and distances Himself from them], But He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous [that is, those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

³⁰The light of the eyes rejoices the hearts of others, And good news puts fat on the bones.

³¹The ear that listens to and learns from the life-giving rebuke (reprimand, censure) Will remain among the wise.

³²He who neglects and ignores instruction and discipline despises himself, But he who learns from rebuke acquires understanding [and grows in wisdom].

³³The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the instruction for wisdom [its starting point and its essence]; And before honor comes humility.

¹Now the lot (allotment) for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families reached [southward to] the border of Edom, southward to the wilderness of Zin at its most southern part.

²Their southern border was from the lower end of the Salt (Dead) Sea, from the bay that turns southward.

³Then it proceeded southward to the ascent of Akrabbim and continued along to Zin, and then went by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued along to Hezron, and went up to Addar and turned about to Karka.

⁴It continued along to Azmon and proceeded to the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-Arish), and the border ended at the [Mediterranean] sea. This was their southern border.

⁵The eastern border was the Salt (Dead) Sea, as far as the mouth of the Jordan. The northern border was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.

⁶Then the border went up to Beth-hoglah, and continued along north of Beth-arabah, and the border went up to the [landmark of the] stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

⁷The border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and turned northward toward Gilgal which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley; and the border continued on to the waters of En-shemesh and ended at En-rogel.

⁸Then the border went up by the Valley of Ben-hinnom (son of Hinnom) at the southern slope of the Jebusite [city] (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.

⁹Then the border extended from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron; then the border curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

¹⁰The border went around west from Baalah to Mount Seir, and passed along to the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and went down to Beth-shemesh and then continued on through Timnah.

¹¹The border proceeded to the slope [of the hill] of Ekron northward, then curved to Shikkeron and continued to Mount Baalah and proceeded to Jabneel. Then the border ended at the [Mediterranean] sea.

¹²The western border was at the Great Sea, with its coastline. This is the border around the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families.

¹³Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh Joshua gave a portion among the sons of Judah, as the LORD commanded him, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

¹⁴So Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak.

¹⁵Then he went up from there against the people of Debir; Debir was formerly named Kiriath-sepher.

¹⁶Caleb said, "I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it."

¹⁷And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife.

¹⁸Now it came about that when Achsah came to Othniel, she persuaded him [to allow her] to ask her father for a field. Then she [rode up to Caleb and] dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you want?"

¹⁹Achsah answered, "Give me a blessing; since you have given me the [dry] land of the Negev (South country), give me springs of water, too." So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

²⁰This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families (clans).

²¹The cities of the tribe of the sons of Judah in the extreme south toward the border of Edom were Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur,

²²and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah,

²³and Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan,

²⁴Ziph and Telem and Bealoth,

²⁵and Hazor-hadattah and Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),

²⁶Amam and Shema and Moladah,

²⁷and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Beth-pelet,

²⁸and Hazar-shual and Beersheba and Biziothiah,

²⁹Baalah and Iim and Ezem,

³⁰and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah,

³¹and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah,

³²and Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon; in all twenty-nine cities with their villages.

³³In the lowland: Eshtaol and Zorah and Ashnah,

³⁴and Zanoah and En-gannim, Tappuah and Enam,

³⁵Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and Azekah,

³⁶and Shaaraim and Adithaim and Gederah and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages.

³⁷Zenan and Hadashah and Migdal-gad,

³⁸and Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel,

³⁹Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon,

⁴⁰and Cabbon and Lahmas and Chitlish,

⁴¹and Gederoth, Beth-dagon and Naamah and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.

⁴²Libnah and Ether and Ashan,

⁴³and Iphtah and Ashnah and Nezib,

⁴⁴and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.

⁴⁵Ekron, with its towns and villages;

⁴⁶from Ekron even to the sea, all that were beside Ashdod, with their villages;

⁴⁷Ashdod, with its towns and its villages; Gaza, with its towns and its villages; as far as the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-Arish) and the Great [Mediterranean] Sea with its coastline.

⁴⁸In the hill country: Shamir and Jattir and Socoh,

⁴⁹and Dannah and Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),

⁵⁰and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim,

⁵¹and Goshen and Holon and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.

⁵²Arab and Dumah and Eshan,

⁵³and Janum and Beth-tappuah and Aphekah,

⁵⁴and Humtah and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.

⁵⁵Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah,

⁵⁶and Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah,

⁵⁷Kain, Gibeah and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.

⁵⁸Halhul, Beth-zur and Gedor,

⁵⁹and Maarath and Beth-anoth and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.

⁶⁰Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.

⁶¹In the wilderness [that slopes downward toward the Dead Sea]: Beth-arabah, Middin and Secacah,

⁶²and Nibshan and the City of Salt and Engedi; six cities with their villages.

⁶³But as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the [tribe of the] sons of Judah were not able to drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

¹The [mournful, inspired] oracle ( a burden to be carried) concerning Moab: Because in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined; Because in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.

²They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba; Everyone's head is shaved, and every beard is cut off [in mourning].

³In their streets they have wrapped themselves with sackcloth; On their [flat] housetops and in their open squares Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

⁴Heshbon and Elealeh [cities claimed by Moab] cry out; Their voice is heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out; Moab's soul trembles within him.

⁵My heart cries out for Moab; His fugitives are [fleeing] as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; For on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their destruction.

⁶For the waters of Nimrim are desolate. Indeed the grass is withered, the new growth dies; There is no green thing.

⁷Therefore the abundance which they have acquired and stored away They carry off over the Brook of the Willows.

⁸For the cry of distress has echoed around the territory of Moab; The wailing goes as far as Eglaim and the mournful cry to Beer-elim.

⁹For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; Yet I will bring even more woes on Dimon— A lion upon those of Moab who escape and upon the remnant of the land.

¹Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

²Paul and Barnabas disagreed greatly and debated with them, so it was determined that Paul and Barnabas and some of the others from their group would go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders [and confer with them] concerning this issue.

³So, after being supplied and sent on their way by the church, they went through both Phoenicia and Samaria telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the believers.

⁴When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received warmly by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported to them all the things that God had accomplished through them.

⁵But some from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed [in Jesus as the Messiah] stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise the Gentile converts and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."

⁶The apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter.

⁷After a long debate, Peter got up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

⁸And God, who knows and understands the heart, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

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

¹⁰Now then, why are you testing God by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to endure?

¹¹But we believe that we are saved through the [precious, undeserved] grace of the Lord Jesus [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life], in just the same way as they are."

¹²All the people remained silent, and they listened [attentively] to Barnabas and Paul as they described all the signs and wonders (attesting miracles) that God had done through them among the Gentiles.

¹³When they had finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.

¹⁴Simeon (Simon Peter) has described how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name [to honor Him and be identified with Him].

¹⁵The words of the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written [in Scripture],

¹⁶'After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tent of David which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it,

¹⁷So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been invoked,'

¹⁸Says the Lord, Who has been making these things known from long ago.

¹⁹Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble and make it difficult for those who are turning to God among the Gentiles [by putting obstacles in their way],

²⁰but that we write to them that they are to abstain from anything that has been contaminated by [being offered to] idols and from sexual impurity and from [eating the meat of] what has been strangled and from [the consumption of] blood.

²¹For from ancient generations [the writing of] Moses has been preached in every city, since he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath."

²²Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their men to go to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas [also called Silvanus, both], leading men among the brothers.

²³With them they sent the following letter: "The apostles and the brothers who are the elders, to the brothers and sisters who are from the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, Greetings.

²⁴Since we have heard that some of our men have troubled you with their teachings, causing distress and confusion—men to whom we gave no such orders or instructions—

²⁵it has been decided by us, having met together, to select men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

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

²⁷So we have sent Judas and Silas, who will report by word of mouth the same things [that we decided in our meeting].

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any greater burden than these essentials:

²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from [consuming] blood, and from [eating the meat of] things that have been strangled, and from sexual impurity. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell."

³⁰So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and after assembling the congregation, they delivered the letter.

³¹And when they had read it, the people rejoiced greatly at the encouragement and comfort [it brought them].

³²Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets (divinely inspired spokesmen), encouraged and strengthened the believers with many words.

³³After spending some time there, they were sent back by the brothers with [the greeting of] peace to those who had sent them.

³⁴[However, Silas decided to stay there.]

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and with many others also continued teaching and proclaiming the good news, the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

³⁶After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers and sisters (believers) in every city where we preached the message of the Lord, and see how they are doing."

³⁷Now Barnabas wanted to take [his cousin] John, who was called Mark, along with them.

³⁸But Paul kept insisting that they should not take along with them the one who had quit and deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

³⁹And it became such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took [John] Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas [who was again in Antioch] and set out [on his second journey], commended by the brothers to the grace and favor of the Lord.

⁴¹And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.