Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹"I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from some other place [on the stone wall], that one is a thief and a robber.

²But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep [the protector and provider].

³The doorkeeper opens [the gate] for this man, and the sheep hear his voice and pay attention to it. And [knowing that they listen] he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out [to pasture].

⁴When he has brought all his own sheep outside, he walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice and recognize his call.

⁵They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."

⁶Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

⁷So Jesus said again, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I am the Door for the sheep [leading to life].

⁸All who came before Me [as false messiahs and self-appointed leaders] are thieves and robbers, but the [true] sheep did not hear them.

⁹I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out [freely], and find pasture (spiritual security).

¹⁰The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

¹¹ I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His [own] life for the sheep.

¹²But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.

¹³The man runs because he is a hired hand [who serves only for wages] and is not concerned about the [safety of the] sheep.

¹⁴I am the Good Shepherd, and I know [without any doubt those who are] My own and My own know Me [and have a deep, personal relationship with Me]—

¹⁵even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My [very own] life [sacrificing it] for the benefit of the sheep.

¹⁶I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they will listen to My voice and pay attention to My call, and they will become one flock with one Shepherd.

¹⁷For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life so that I may take it back.

¹⁸No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I am authorized and have power to lay it down and to give it up, and I am authorized and have power to take it back. This command I have received from My Father."

¹⁹A division [of opinion] occurred again among the Jews because of these words [of His].

²⁰Many of them said, "He has a demon and He is mad [insane—He raves and rambles]. Why listen to Him?"

²¹Others were saying, "These are not the words and thoughts of one possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

²²At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem.

²³It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple [area] in Solomon's portico.

²⁴So the Jews surrounded Him and began saying to Him, "How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are [really] the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), tell us so plainly and openly."

²⁵Jesus answered them, "I have told you so, yet you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name testify concerning Me [they are My credentials and the evidence declaring who I am].

²⁶But you do not believe Me [so you do not trust and follow Me] because you are not My sheep.

²⁷The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.

²⁸And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.

²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

³⁰I and the Father are One [in essence and nature]."

³¹Again the Jews picked up stones to stone Him.

³²Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works [and many acts of mercy] from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?"

³³The Jews answered Him, "We are not going to stone You for a good work, but for blasphemy, because You, a mere man, make Yourself out to be God."

³⁴Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods [human judges representing God, not divine beings]'?

³⁵If He called them gods, men to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be undone or annulled or broken),

³⁶[if that is true] then do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and set apart for Himself and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

³⁷If I do not do the works of My Father [that is, the miracles that only God could perform], then do not believe Me.

³⁸But if I am doing them, even if you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, [at least] believe the works [that I do—admit that they are the works of God], so that you may know and keep on knowing [clearly—without any doubt] that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father [that is, I am One with Him]."

³⁹So they tried again to seize Him, but He eluded their grasp.

⁴⁰He went back again across the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there.

⁴¹Many came to Him, and they were saying, "John did not perform a single sign (attesting miracle), but everything John said about this Man was true and accurate."

⁴²And many there believed and confidently trusted in Him [accepting Him as Savior, and following His teaching].

¹"You are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead,

²for you are a holy people [set apart] to the LORD your God; and the LORD has chosen you out of all the peoples who are on the earth to be a people for His own possession.

³"You shall not eat anything that is detestable [to the LORD and forbidden by Him].

⁴These are the animals that you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,

⁵the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep.

⁶Among the animals, you may eat any animal that has the divided hoof [that is, a hoof] split into two parts [especially at its distal extremity] and that chews the cud.

⁷However, you are not to eat any of these [animals] among those which chew the cud, or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel, the hare and the shaphan, for though they chew the cud, they do not split the hoof; they are unclean for you.

⁸The swine, because it has a divided hoof but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You shall not eat their meat nor touch their carcasses.

⁹"Of all [creatures] that are in the waters, you may eat these: anything that has fins and scales you may eat,

¹⁰but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.

¹¹"You may eat any clean bird.

¹²But these are the ones which you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, and the black buzzard,

¹³and the red kite, the falcon, and the birds of prey of any variety,

¹⁴and every raven of any variety,

¹⁵and the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, the hawk of any variety,

¹⁶the little owl, the great owl, the long-eared owl,

¹⁷the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant,

¹⁸the stork, and the heron of any variety, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

¹⁹And all flying insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.

²⁰You may eat any clean bird.

²¹"You shall not eat anything that dies on its own. You may give it to the stranger (resident alien, foreigner) who is in your [city] gates, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner [since they are not under God's law], but you are a people holy (set apart) to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat or a lamb in its mother's milk.

²²"Every year you shall certainly tithe [a tenth] of all the yield of your seed which is produced by your field.

²³You shall eat the tithe (tenth) of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock before the LORD your God in the place where He chooses to establish His Name (Presence), so that you may learn to fear [and worship] the LORD your God [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect] always.

²⁴If the place where the LORD your God chooses to set His Name (Presence) is a great distance from you and you are not able to carry your tithe, because the LORD your God has blessed you [with such an abundance],

²⁵then you shall exchange your tithe for money, and take the money in your hand and go to the place [of worship] which the LORD your God chooses.

²⁶You may spend the money for anything your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or [other] strong drink, or anything else you want. You shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.

²⁷Also you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your [city] gates, for he does not have a share [of land] or an inheritance among you.

²⁸"At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce for that year, and shall store it up within your [city] gates.

²⁹The Levite, because he has no share [of land] or an inheritance among you, and the stranger, and the orphan and the widow who are within your [city] gates, shall come and eat and be satisfied, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

¹I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

²God has not rejected His [chosen] people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

³"Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left [of the prophets], and they are seeking my life."

⁴But what is God's response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

⁵So too then, at the present time there has come to be a remnant [a small believing minority] according to God's gracious choice.

⁶But if it is by grace [God's unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace [it would not be a gift but a reward for works].

⁷What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking [that is, God's favor by obedience to the Law], but the elect [those chosen few] obtained it, while the rest of them became hardened and callously indifferent;

⁸just as it is written [in Scripture], "God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, [a spiritual apathy that has continued] to this very day."

⁹And David says, "Let their table (abundance) become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a retribution to them.

¹⁰"Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, And make their backs bend [under their burden] forever."

¹¹So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall [to spiritual ruin]? Certainly not! But by their transgression [their rejection of the Messiah] salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous [when they realize what they have forfeited].

¹²Now if Israel's transgression means riches for the world [at large] and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment and reinstatement be!

¹³But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

¹⁴in the hope of somehow making my fellow countrymen jealous [by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth] and perhaps save some of them.

¹⁵For if their [present] rejection [of salvation] is for the reconciliation of the world [to God], what will their acceptance [of salvation] be but [nothing less than] life from the dead?

¹⁶If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites).

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree,

¹⁸do not boast over the [broken] branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.

¹⁹You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by your faith [as believers understanding the truth of Christ's deity]. Do not be conceited, but [rather stand in great awe of God and] fear [Him];

²¹for if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], He will not spare you either.

²²Then appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: to those who fell [into spiritual ruin], severity, but to you, God's gracious kindness—if you continue in His kindness [by faith and obedience to Him]; otherwise you too will be cut off.

²³And even they [the unbelieving Jews], if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has the power to graft them in again.

²⁴For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these who are the natural branches back into [the original parent stock of] their own olive tree?

²⁵I do not want you, believers, to be unaware of this mystery [God's previously hidden plan]—so that you will not be wise in your own opinion—that a partial hardening has [temporarily] happened to Israel [to last] until the full number of the Gentiles has come in;

²⁶and so [at that time] all Israel [that is, all Jews who have a personal faith in Jesus as Messiah] will be saved; just as it is written [in Scripture], "The Deliverer (Messiah) will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."

²⁷"This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."

²⁸From the standpoint of the gospel, the Jews [at present] are enemies [of God] for your sake [which is for your benefit], but from the standpoint of God's choice [of the Jews as His people], they are still loved by Him for the sake of the fathers.

²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call].

³⁰Just as you once were disobedient and failed to listen to God, but have now obtained mercy because of their disobedience,

³¹so they too have now become disobedient so that they too may one day receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you.

³²For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all [Jew and Gentile alike].

³³Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways!

³⁴For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?

³⁵Or who has first given to Him that it would be paid back to him?

³⁶For from Him [all things originate] and through Him [all things live and exist] and to Him are all things [directed]. To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.

¹My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sin and violate God's law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father's will in every way—purpose, thought, and action].

²And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.

³And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings).

⁴Whoever says, "I have come to know Him," but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him.

⁵But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him:

⁶whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.

⁷Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the message which you have heard [before from us].

⁸On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true and realized in Christ and in you, because the darkness [of moral blindness] is clearing away and the true Light [the revelation of God in Christ] is already shining.

⁹The one who says he is in the Light [in consistent fellowship with Christ] and yethabitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in the darkness until now.

¹⁰The one who loves and unselfishly seeks the best for his [believing] brother lives in the Light, and in him there is no occasion for stumbling or offense [he does not hurt the cause of Christ or lead others to sin].

¹¹But the one who habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in [spiritual] darkness and is walking in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹²I am writing to you, little children (believers, dear ones), because your sins have been forgiven for His name's sake [you have been pardoned and released from spiritual debt through His name because you have confessed His name, believing in Him as Savior].

¹³I am writing to you, fathers [those believers who are spiritually mature], because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men [those believers who are growing in spiritual maturity], because you have been victorious and have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children [those who are new believers, those spiritually immature], because you have come to know the Father.

¹⁴I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the word of God remains [always] in you, and you have been victorious over the evil one [by accepting Jesus as Savior].

¹⁵Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

¹⁶For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one's resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world.

¹⁷The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever.

¹⁸Children, it is the last hour [the end of this age]; and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming [the one who will oppose Christ and attempt to replace Him], even now many antichrists (false teachers) have appeared, which confirms our belief that it is the last hour.

¹⁹They went out from us [seeming at first to be Christians], but they were not really of us [because they were not truly born again and spiritually transformed]; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out [teaching false doctrine], so that it would be clearly shown that none of them are of us.

²⁰But you have an anointing from the Holy One [you have been set apart, specially gifted and prepared by the Holy Spirit], and all of you know [the truth because He teaches us, illuminates our minds, and guards us from error].

²¹I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie [nothing false, no deception] is of the truth.

²²Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)? This is the antichrist [the enemy and antagonist of Christ], the one who denies and consistently refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son.

²³Whoever denies and repudiates the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses and acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

²⁴As for you, let that remain in you [keeping in your hearts that message of salvation] which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you too will remain in the Son and in the Father [forever].

²⁵This is the promise which He Himself promised us—eternal life.

²⁶These things I have written to you with reference to those who are trying to deceive you [seducing you and leading you away from the truth and sound doctrine].

²⁷As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].

²⁸Now, little children (believers, dear ones), remain in Him [with unwavering faith], so that when He appears [at His return], we may have [perfect] confidence and not be ashamed and shrink away from Him at His coming.

²⁹If you know that He is absolutely righteous, you know [for certain] that everyone who practices righteousness [doing what is right and conforming to God's will] has been born of Him.

¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

²"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God's guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind]."

³What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?

⁴One generation goes and another generation comes, But the earth remains forever.

⁵Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hurries to the place where it rises again.

⁶The wind blows toward the south, Then circles toward the north; The wind circles and swirls endlessly, And on its circular course the wind returns.

⁷All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.

⁸All things are wearisome and all words are frail; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

⁹That which has been is that which will be [again], And that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰Is there anything of which it can be said, "See this, it is new"? It has already existed for [the vast] ages [of time recorded or unrecorded] Which were before us.

¹¹There is no remembrance of earlier things, Nor also of the later things that are to come; There will be for them no remembrance By generations who will come after them.

¹²I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³And I set my mind to seek and explore by [man's] wisdom all [human activity] that has been done under heaven. It is a miserable business and a burdensome task which God has given the sons of men with which to be busy and distressed.

¹⁴I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶I spoke with my heart, saying, "Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge."

¹⁷And I set my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I realized that this too is a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

¹⁸For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow.

¹A Prayer of David. Hear the just (righteous) cause, O LORD; listen to my loud [piercing] cry; Listen to my prayer, that comes from guileless lips.

²Let my verdict of vindication come from Your presence; May Your eyes look with equity and behold things that are just.

³You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tested me and You find nothing [evil in me]; I intend that my mouth will not transgress.

⁴Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept away from the paths of the violent.

⁵My steps have held closely to Your paths; My feet have not staggered.

⁶I have called upon You, for You, O God, will answer me; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.

⁷Wondrously show Your [marvelous and amazing] lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up against them.

⁸Keep me [in Your affectionate care, protect me] as the apple of Your eye; Hide me in the [protective] shadow of Your wings

⁹From the wicked who despoil and deal violently with me, My deadly enemies who surround me.

¹⁰They have closed their unfeeling heart [to kindness and compassion]; With their mouths they speak proudly and make presumptuous claims.

¹¹They track us down and have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to force us to the ground,

¹²He is like a lion eager to tear [his prey], And like a young lion lurking in hiding places.

¹³Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; Save my soul from the wicked with Your sword,

¹⁴From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world [these moths of the night] whose portion [of enjoyment] is in this life—idle and vain, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And they leave what they have left [of wealth] to their children.

¹⁵As for me, I shall see Your face in righteousness; I will be [fully] satisfied when I awake [to find myself] seeing Your likeness.

¹Whoever loves instruction and discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof and correction is stupid.

²A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

³A man will not be established by wickedness, But the root of the [consistently] righteous will not be moved.

⁴A virtuous and excellent wife [worthy of honor] is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him [with her foolishness] is like rottenness in his bones.

⁵The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are just (honest, reliable), But the counsels and schemes of the wicked are deceitful.

⁶The [malevolent] words of the wicked lie in wait for [innocent] blood [to slander], But the mouth of the upright will rescue and protect them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown [by their evil] and are no more, But the house of the [consistently] righteous will stand [securely].

⁸A man will be commended according to his insight and sound judgment, But the one who is of a perverse mind will be despised.

⁹Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, Than he who [boastfully] honors himself [pretending to be what he is not] and lacks bread.

¹⁰A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

¹¹He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless things lacks common sense and good judgment.

¹²The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields richer fruit.

¹³An evil man is [dangerously] ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.

¹⁴A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man's hands will return to him [as a harvest].

¹⁵The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God's wisdom] is right in his own eyes, But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.

¹⁶The [arrogant] fool's anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense], But a prudent man ignores an insult.

¹⁷He who speaks truth [when he testifies] tells what is right, But a false witness utters deceit [in court].

¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is [credited] only for a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.

²¹No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with trouble.

²²Lying lips are extremely disgusting to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

²³A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time], But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.

²⁴The hand of the diligent will rule, But the negligent and lazy will be put to forced labor.

²⁵Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good (encouraging) word makes it glad.

²⁶The righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey, But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

²⁸In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality—eternal life].

¹So they brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.

²When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

³He distributed to everyone in Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a raisin cake.

⁴He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD and to profess [God's name] and to thank and praise the LORD, the God of Israel:

⁵Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel (Jaaziel), Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel with musical instruments, harps and lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals;

⁶and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷Then on that day David first entrusted to Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD [as their chief task].

⁸O give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; Make His deeds known among the peoples.

⁹Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.

¹⁰Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

¹¹Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence].

¹²Remember [with gratitude] His marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles and the judgments from His mouth,

¹³O seed of Israel His servant, Children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

¹⁴He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵Be mindful of His covenant forever, The promise which He commanded and established to a thousand generations,

¹⁶The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath (sworn promise) to Isaac.

¹⁷He confirmed it as a statute to Jacob, And to Israel as an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, As the portion of your possession and inheritance."

¹⁹When you were few in number, Even a very few, and strangers in it,

²⁰When they wandered from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people,

²¹He allowed no man to oppress or exploit them, And, He reproved and punished kings for their sakes, saying,

²²"Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."

²³Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

²⁴Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all peoples.

²⁵For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared [with awe-filled reverence] above all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the peoples are [lifeless] idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

²⁷Splendor and majesty are [found] in His presence; Strength and joy are [found] in His place (sanctuary).

²⁸Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and honor and strength.

²⁹Ascribe to the LORD the glory and honor due His name; Bring an offering [of thanksgiving], and come before Him; Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

³⁰Tremble [reverently] before Him, all the earth; The world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

³¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."

³²Let the sea roar, and all the things that fill it; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

³³Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; For He comes to judge and govern the earth.

³⁴O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.

³⁵Then say, "Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together and rescue us from the nations, That we may give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your praise."

³⁶Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, Forever and ever. And all the people said, "Amen," and praised the LORD.

³⁷So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as each day's work required;

³⁸and Obed-edom with his sixty-eight relatives; also Obed-edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, were to be gatekeepers.

³⁹David left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the dwelling place (tabernacle) of the LORD in the high place which was at Gibeon,

⁴⁰to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually, morning and evening, in accordance with all that is written in the Law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel.

⁴¹With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness endures forever.

⁴²With them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who were to sound aloud, and instruments for [accompanying] the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.

⁴³Then all the people departed, each to his house, and David returned [home] to bless his household.

¹Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut.

²Then the LORD said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.

³As for the prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the porch (portico) of the gate and shall go out the same way."

⁴Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the house; I looked, and behold, the glory and brilliance of the LORD filled the house of the LORD, and I fell face downward.

⁵The LORD said to me, "Son of man, pay careful attention, see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the LORD and all its laws; and pay careful attention to the entering of the house [by people], with all the departures from the sanctuary [of people, those who are allowed to enter the temple and all those who are excluded from the sanctuary].

⁶You shall say to the rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Enough of all your repulsive acts, O house of Israel!

⁷In that you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to pollute and profane it—My house—when you offered My bread, the fat, and the blood; and they made My covenant void —this in addition to all your other repulsive acts.

⁸And you have not kept charge of My holy things yourselves, but you have chosen foreigners [to please yourselves] and have set them in charge of My sanctuary."

⁹'Thus says the Lord GOD, "No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter My sanctuary.

¹⁰But the Levites who went far away from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, they shall bear the punishment for their sin and guilt.

¹¹Yet they shall minister in My sanctuary, having oversight [as guards] at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them.

¹²Because the priests ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of sin to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up My hand and have sworn [an oath] against them," says the Lord GOD, "that they shall bear the punishment for their sin and guilt.

¹³And they shall not come near to Me to serve as priests to Me, nor come near to any of My holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they shall bear their shame and their disgrace and [the consequences of] their repulsive acts which they have committed.

¹⁴Yet I will appoint them as caretakers of the temple, for all its service and for all that shall be done in it.

¹⁵"But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of My sanctuary when the children (descendants) of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood," declares the Lord GOD.

¹⁶They shall enter into My sanctuary; and they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and they shall perform [the priestly] duty to me.

¹⁷It shall be that when they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, they shall be clothed in linen garments; no wool shall be on them while they minister at the gates of the inner courtyard and within the temple (house).

¹⁸They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments on their loins; they shall not dress themselves with anything which makes them sweat.

¹⁹When they go out into the outer court, into the outer courtyard to the people, they shall take off the garments in which they have been ministering and leave them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other clothing so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their [ceremonial] garments.

²⁰Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall not allow their hair to grow long; they shall only cut short or trim their hair.

²¹Nor shall any priest drink wine when he enters the inner courtyard.

²²And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman; but they shall marry virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow who was previously married to a priest.

²³The priests shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and teach them to distinguish between the (ceremonially) unclean and the clean.

²⁴In a controversy they shall take their stand to act as judges; they shall judge it in accordance with My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My Sabbaths.

²⁵They shall not go to a dead person to defile themselves; except for father or for mother, for son or for daughter, for brother or for sister who has had no husband; they may defile themselves.

²⁶After he is cleansed [from the defilement of a corpse], seven days more shall elapse for him [before returning to the temple].

²⁷On the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner courtyard to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering," says the Lord GOD.

²⁸"It [their ministry to Me] shall be as an inheritance to them, for I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no property (land) in Israel, for I am their possession.

²⁹They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; and every devoted thing (offering) in Israel [dedicated by a solemn vow to God] shall be theirs.

³⁰The first of all the first fruits of every kind, and every contribution and offering of every kind, from all your contributions and offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priest the first of your coarse meal and bread dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house.

³¹The priests shall not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces.

¹Now when it was determined that we (including Luke) would sail for Italy, they turned Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion of the Augustan Regiment named Julius.

²And going aboard a ship from Adramyttian which was about to sail for the ports along the [west] coast [province] of Asia [Minor], we put out to sea; and Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, accompanied us.

³The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, treating Paul with [thoughtful] consideration, allowed him to go to his friends there and be cared for and refreshed.

⁴From there we put out to sea and sailed to the leeward (sheltered) side of Cyprus [for protection from weather] because the winds were against us.

⁵When we had sailed across the sea along the coasts of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia [on the south coast of Asia Minor].

⁶There the centurion [Julius] found an Alexandrian ship [a grain ship of the Roman fleet] sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it.

⁷For a number of days we sailed slowly and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus; then, because the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the leeward (sheltered) side of Crete, off Salmone;

⁸and hugging the shore with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea [on the south side of Crete].

⁹Now much time had been lost, and navigation was dangerous, because even [the time for] the fast (Day of Atonement) was already over, so Paul began to strongly warn them,

¹⁰saying, "Men, I sense [after careful thought and observation] that this voyage will certainly be a disaster and with great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives."

¹¹However, the centurion [Julius, ranking officer on board] was persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship rather than by what Paul said.

¹²Because the harbor was not well situated for wintering, the majority [of the sailors] decided to put to sea from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

¹³So when the south wind blew softly, thinking that they had obtained their goal, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, hugging the coast.

¹⁴But soon afterward a violent wind, called Euraquilo [a northeaster, a tempestuous windstorm like a typhoon], came rushing down from the island;

¹⁵and when the ship was caught in it and could not head against the wind [to gain stability], we gave up and [letting her drift] were driven along.

¹⁶We ran under the shelter of a small island [twenty-five miles south of Crete] called Clauda, and with great difficulty we were able to get the ship's skiff on the deck and secure it.

¹⁷After hoisting the skiff [on board], they used support lines [for frapping] to undergird and brace the ship's hull; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis [off the north coast of Africa], they let down the sea anchor and lowered the sails and were driven along [backwards with the bow into the wind].

¹⁸On the next day, as we were being violently tossed about by the storm [and taking on water], they began to jettison the cargo;

¹⁹and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle (spare lines, blocks, miscellaneous equipment) overboard with their own hands [to further reduce the weight].

²⁰Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm kept raging about us, from then on all hope of our being saved was [growing worse and worse and] gradually abandoned.

²¹After they had gone a long time without food [because of seasickness and stress], Paul stood up before them and said, "Men, you should have followed my advice and should not have set sail from Crete, and brought on this damage and loss.

²²But even now I urge you to keep up your courage and be in good spirits, because there will be no loss of life among you, but only loss of the ship.

²³For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,

²⁴and said, 'Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has given you [the lives of] all those who are sailing with you.'

²⁵So keep up your courage, men, for I believe God and have complete confidence in Him that it will turn out exactly as I have been told;

²⁶but we must run [the ship] aground on some island."

²⁷The fourteenth night had come and we were drifting and being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors began to suspect that they were approaching some land.

²⁸So they took soundings [using a weighted line] and found [the depth to be] twenty fathoms (120 feet); and a little farther on they sounded again and found [the depth to be] fifteen fathoms (90 feet).

²⁹Then fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern [to slow the ship] and kept wishing for daybreak to come.

³⁰But as the sailors were trying to escape [secretly] from the ship and had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow,

³¹Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men remain on the ship, you cannot be saved."

³²Then the soldiers cut away the ropes that held the skiff and let it fall and drift away.

³³While they waited for the day to dawn, Paul encouraged them all [and told them] to have some food, saying, "This is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly on watch and going without food, having eaten nothing.

³⁴So I urge you to eat some food, for this is for your survival; for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish."

³⁵Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all, and he broke it and began to eat.

³⁶Then all of them were encouraged and their spirits improved, and they also ate some food.

³⁷All told there were two hundred and seventy-six of us aboard the ship.

³⁸After they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the wheat [from Egypt] overboard into the sea.

³⁹When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, and they decided to run the ship ashore there if they could.

⁴⁰So they cut the cables and severed the anchors and left them in the sea while at the same time unlashing the ropes of the rudders; and after hoisting the foresail to the wind, they headed steadily for the beach.

⁴¹But striking a reef with waves breaking in on either side, they ran the ship aground. The prow (forward point) stuck fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up under the [violent] force of the waves.

⁴²The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would dive overboard and swim [to land] and escape;

⁴³but the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from [carrying out] their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to the shore;

⁴⁴and [he commanded] the rest to follow, some on [floating] planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it was that all of them were brought safely to land.