Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹And Jesus, getting into a boat, crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to [Capernaum] His own city.

²They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, "Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God]."

³And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man blasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!"

⁴But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

⁵For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven and the penalty paid,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? [Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.]

⁶But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority and the power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home."

⁷And he got up and went home [healed and forgiven].

⁸When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God and praised Him, who had given such authority and power to men.

⁹As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He 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]." And Matthew got up and followed Him.

¹⁰Then as Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples.

¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹²But when Jesus heard this, He said, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick.

¹³Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: 'I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,' for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness]."

¹⁴Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Jesus, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?"

¹⁵And Jesus replied to them, "Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

¹⁷Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved."

¹⁸While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled down and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live."

¹⁹Jesus got up and began to accompany the ruler, with His disciples.

²⁰Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe;

²¹for she had been saying to herself, "If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed."

²²But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well." And at once the woman was [completely] healed.

²³When Jesus came to the ruler's house, and saw the flute players [who were professional, hired mourners] and the [grieving] crowd making an uproar,

²⁴He said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping." And they laughed and jeered at Him.

²⁵But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

²⁶And the news about this spread throughout all that district.

²⁷As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, screaming loudly, "Have mercy and compassion on us, Son of David (Messiah)!"

²⁸When He went into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

²⁹Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you."

³⁰And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no one knows this!"

³¹But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole district.

³²While they were going away, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus.

³³And when the demon was driven out [by Jesus], the mute man spoke; and the crowds wondered in amazement, saying, "Never before has anything like this [miracle] been seen in Israel."

³⁴But the Pharisees were saying, "He casts out the demons by [the power of] the ruler of demons."

³⁵Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].

³⁶When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.

³⁷Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few.

³⁸So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

¹Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, from Gilead to Dan,

²and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah to the western sea (Mediterranean Sea),

³and the Negev (South country) and the plain in the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

⁴Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there."

⁵So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

⁶And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows where his burial place is to this day.

⁷Although Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eyesight was not dim, nor his natural strength abated.

⁸So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

⁹Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

¹⁰Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

¹¹[none equal to him] in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land,

¹²and in all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

¹Now brothers and sisters, let me remind you [once again] of the good news [of salvation] which I preached to you, which you welcomed and accepted and on which you stand [by faith].

²By this faith you are saved [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain [just superficially and without complete commitment].

³For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold],

⁴and that He was buried, and that He was [bodily] raised on the third day according to [that which] the Scriptures [foretold],

⁵and that He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the Twelve.

⁶After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep [in death].

⁷Then He was seen by James, then by all the apostles,

⁸and last of all, as to one untimely (prematurely, traumatically) born, He appeared to me also.

⁹For I am the least [worthy] of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I [at one time] fiercely oppressed and violently persecuted the church of God.

¹⁰But by the [remarkable] grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me.

¹¹So whether it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed and trusted in and relied on with confidence.

¹²Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised;

¹⁴and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain [useless, amounting to nothing], and your faith is also vain [imaginary, unfounded, devoid of value and benefit—not based on truth].

¹⁵We are even discovered to be false witnesses [misrepresenting] God, because we testified concerning Him that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.

¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised, either;

¹⁷and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and powerless [mere delusion]; you are still in your sins [and under the control and penalty of sin].

¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

¹⁹If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.

²⁰But now [as things really are] Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, [and He became] the first fruits [that is, the first to be resurrected with an incorruptible, immortal body, foreshadowing the resurrection] of those who have fallen asleep [in death].

²¹For since [it was] by a man that death came [into the world], it is also by a Man that the resurrection of the dead has come.

²²For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

²³But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ's [own will be resurrected with incorruptible, immortal bodies] at His coming.

²⁴After that comes the end (completion), when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after He has made inoperative and abolished every ruler and every authority and power.

²⁵For Christ must reign [as King] until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

²⁶The last enemy to be abolished and put to an end is death.

²⁷For He (the Father) has put all things in subjection under His (Christ's) feet. But when He says, "All things have been put in subjection [under Christ]," it is clear that He (the Father) who put all things in subjection to Him (Christ) is excepted [since the Father is not in subjection to His own Son].

²⁸However, when all things are subjected to Him (Christ), then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One (the Father) who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all [manifesting His glory without any opposition, the supreme indwelling and controlling factor of life].

²⁹Otherwise, what will those do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people even baptized for them?

³⁰[For that matter] why are we [running such risks and putting ourselves] in danger [nearly] every hour [if there is no resurrection]?

³¹I assure you, believers, by the pride which I have in you in [your union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily [I face death and die to self].

³²What good has it done me if, [merely] from a human point of view, I fought with wild animals at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised [at all], let us eat and drink [enjoying ourselves now], for tomorrow we die.

³³Do not be deceived:"Bad company corrupts good morals."

³⁴Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor] as you ought, and stop sinning; for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths]. I say this to your shame.

³⁵But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body will they come?"

³⁶You fool! Every time you plant seed you sow something that does not come to life [germinating, springing up and growing] unless it first dies.

³⁷The seed you sow is not the body (the plant) which it is going to become, but it is a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or some other grain.

³⁸But God gives it a body just as He planned, and to each kind of seed a body of its own [is given].

³⁹All flesh is not the same. There is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

⁴⁰There are also heavenly bodies [sun, moon and stars] and earthly bodies [humans, animals, and plants], but the glory and beauty of the heavenly is one kind, and the glory of the earthly is another.

⁴¹There is a glory and beauty of the sun, another glory of the moon, and yet another [distinctive] glory of the stars; and one star differs from another in glory and brilliance.

⁴²So it is with the resurrection of the dead. The [human] body that is sown is perishable and mortal, it is raised imperishable and immortal.

⁴³It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength;

⁴⁴it is sown a natural body [mortal, suited to earth], it is raised a spiritual body [immortal, suited to heaven]. As surely as there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.

⁴⁵So it is written [in Scripture], "The first man, Adam, became a living soul (an individual);" the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving spirit [restoring the dead to life].

⁴⁶However, the spiritual [the immortal life] is not first, but the physical [the mortal life]; then the spiritual.

⁴⁷The first man [Adam] is from the earth, earthy [made of dust]; the second Man [Christ, the Lord] is from heaven.

⁴⁸As is the earthly man [the man of dust], so are those who are of earth; and as is the heavenly [Man], so are those who are of heaven.

⁴⁹Just as we have borne the image of the earthly [the man of dust], we will also bear the image of the heavenly [the Man of heaven].

⁵⁰Now I say this, believers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit nor be part of the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (mortal) inherit the imperishable (immortal).

⁵¹Listen very carefully, I tell you a mystery [a secret truth decreed by God and previously hidden, but now revealed]; we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed],

⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believed in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed].

⁵³For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us that is capable of dying] must put on immortality [which is freedom from death].

⁵⁴And when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the Scripture will be fulfilled that says, "Death is swallowed up in victory (vanquished forever).

⁵⁵O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin [by which it brings death] is the law;

⁵⁷but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory [as conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

¹Then I looked, and this is what I saw: the Lamb stood [firmly established] on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had His name and His Father's name inscribed on their foreheads [signifying God's own possession].

²And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of great waters and like the rumbling of mighty thunder; and the voice that I heard [seemed like music and] was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

³And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased (ransomed, redeemed) from the earth.

⁴These are the ones who have not been defiled [by relations] with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased and redeemed from among men [of Israel] as the first fruits [sanctified and set apart for special service] for God and the Lamb.

⁵No lie was found in their mouth, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, beyond reproach).

⁶Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people;

⁷and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God [with awe and reverence], and give Him glory [and honor and praise in worship], because the hour of His judgment has come; [with all your heart] worship Him who created the heaven and the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

⁸Then another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality [corrupting them with idolatry]."

⁹Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives the mark [of the beast] on his forehead or on his hand,

¹⁰he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ).

¹¹And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night—those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

¹²Here is [encouragement for] the steadfast endurance of the saints (God's people), those who habitually keep God's commandments and their faith in Jesus.

¹³Then I heard [the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, ' Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes, [blessed indeed]," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest and have relief from their labors, for their deeds do follow them."

¹⁴Again I looked, and this is what I saw: a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle [of swift judgment] in His hand.

¹⁵And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who was sitting upon the cloud, "Put in Your sickle and reap [at once], for the hour to reap [in judgment] has arrived, because the earth's harvest is fully ripened."

¹⁶So He who was sitting on the cloud cast His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped (judged).

¹⁷Then another angel came out of the temple (sanctuary) in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

¹⁸And another angel came from the altar, the one who has power over fire; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and reap the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe [for judgment]."

¹⁹So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and harvested the grapevine of the earth, and threw the grapes into the great wine press of the wrath and indignation of God [as judgment of the rebellious world].

²⁰And the grapes in the wine press were trampled and crushed outside the city, and blood poured from the wine press, reaching up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of sixteen hundred stadia.

¹There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God [with reverence] and abstained from and turned away from evil [because he honored God].

²Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

³He also possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke (pairs) of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great number of servants, so that this man was the greatest [and wealthiest and most respected] of all the men of the east (northern Arabia).

⁴His sons used to go [in turn] and feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

⁵When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Job did this at all [such] times.

⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them.

⁷The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it."

⁸The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]."

⁹Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

¹⁰Have You not put a hedge [of protection] around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands [and conferred prosperity and happiness upon him], and his possessions have increased in the land.

¹¹But put forth Your hand now and touch (destroy) all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face."

¹²Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that Job has is in your power, only do not put your hand on the man himself." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

¹³Now there was a day when Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

¹⁴and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them,

¹⁵and the Sabeans attacked and swooped down on them and took away the animals. They also killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁶While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, "The fire of God (lightning) has fallen from the heavens and has burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁷While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and have taken them away and have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

¹⁸While he was still speaking, another [messenger] also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

¹⁹and suddenly, a great wind came from across the desert, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

²⁰Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God].

²¹He said, "Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother's womb, And naked I will return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."

²²Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

¹A Psalm of David. Do not worry because of evildoers, Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;

²For they will wither quickly like the grass, And fade like the green herb.

³Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.

⁴Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the LORD; Trust in Him also and He will do it.

⁶He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light, And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun].

⁷Be still before the LORD; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

⁸Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evil.

⁹For those who do evil will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

¹⁰For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever]; Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found].

¹¹But the humble will [at last] inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace.

¹²The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth.

¹³The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous], For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming.

¹⁴The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].

¹⁵The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart, And their bow will be broken.

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God] Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless).

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him].

¹⁸The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will continue forever.

¹⁹They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.

²⁰But the wicked (ungodly) will perish, And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke], They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

²¹The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and kind and gives.

²²For those blessed by God will [at last] inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

²³The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].

²⁴When he falls, he will not be hurled down, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.

²⁵I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned Or his descendants pleading for bread.

²⁶All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing.

²⁷Depart from evil and do good; And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever.

²⁸For the LORD delights in justice And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones); They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off.

²⁹The righteous will inherit the land And live in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice and truth.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; Not one of his steps will slip.

³²The wicked lies in wait for the righteous And seeks to kill him.

³³The LORD will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

³⁴Wait for and expect the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; [In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power] Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil,

³⁶Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity]; There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one's descendants].

³⁸As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed; The future of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰The LORD helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.

¹The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

²To know [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction; To discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

³To receive instruction in wise behavior and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, Righteousness, justice, and integrity;

⁴That prudence (good judgment, astute common sense) may be given to the naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], And knowledge and discretion (intelligent discernment) to the youth,

⁵The wise will hear and increase their learning, And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

⁶To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation, And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

⁷The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

⁸My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not reject the teaching of your mother.

⁹For they are a garland of grace on your head, And chains and ornaments [of gold] around your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us; Let us lie in wait to shed blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

¹²Let us swallow them alive like Sheol (the place of the dead), Even whole, as those who go down to the pit [of death];

¹³We will find and take all kinds of precious possessions, We will fill our houses with spoil;

¹⁴Throw in your lot with us [they insist]; We will all have one money bag [in common],"

¹⁵My son, do not walk on the road with them; Keep your foot [far] away from their path,

¹⁶For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird;

¹⁸But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood; They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; Greed takes away the lives of its possessors.

²⁰Wisdom shouts in the street, She raises her voice in the markets;

²¹She calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather]; At the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words:

²²"How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning? How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing, How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?

²³"If you will turn and pay attention to my rebuke, Behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

²⁴"Because I called and you refused [to answer], I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer];

²⁵And you treated all my counsel as nothing And would not accept my reprimand,

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread and panic come,

²⁷When your dread and panic come like a storm, And your disaster comes like a whirlwind, When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution].

²⁸"Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer; They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,

²⁹Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect],

³⁰They would not accept my counsel, And they spurned all my rebuke.

³¹"Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.

³²"For the turning away of the naive will kill them, And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.

³³"But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil."

¹When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the [ Shekinah] glory and brilliance of the LORD filled the house.

²The priests could not enter the house of the LORD because the glory and brilliance of the LORD had filled the Lord's house.

³When all the people of Israel saw how the fire came down and saw the glory and brilliance of the LORD upon the house, they bowed down on the stone pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever."

⁴Then the king and all the people offered a sacrifice before the LORD.

⁵King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. In this way the king and all the people dedicated God's house.

⁶The priests stood at their posts [ready for service], and the Levites also, with the musical instruments of the LORD which King David had made to praise the LORD, saying, "For His lovingkindness and mercy endure forever," whenever David offered praise through their ministry. The priests were opposite the Levites blowing the trumpets and all Israel was standing.

⁷Moreover, Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the LORD, for it was there that he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar which he had made was not sufficient to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat [all together].

⁸At that time Solomon observed the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very large assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.

⁹On the eighth day they held a celebration, for they had observed the dedication of the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days.

¹⁰And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the LORD had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

¹¹And so Solomon finished the house (temple) of the LORD and the palace of the king. He successfully accomplished all that he had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his palace.

¹²Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

¹³If I shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence and plague among My people,

¹⁴and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.

¹⁵Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.

¹⁶For now I have chosen and sanctified and set apart for My purpose this house that My Name may be here forever, and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually.

¹⁷As for you [Solomon], if you will walk before me as your father David walked, and do everything that I have commanded you, and observe My statutes and My ordinances,

¹⁸then I will establish your royal throne just as I covenanted with your father David, saying, 'You will not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.'

¹⁹"But if you [people] turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and you go and serve other gods and worship them,

²⁰then I will uproot Israel from My land which I have given them; and I will cast this house, which I have consecrated for My Name, out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and an object of scorn among all nations.

²¹And as for this house, which was so exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?'

²²Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity and evil on them.'"

¹Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, For the LORD has a [legal] case with the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness [no steadfast love, no dependability] or loyalty or kindness Or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.

²There is [false] swearing of oaths, deception (broken faith), murder, stealing, and adultery; They employ violence, so that one [act of] bloodshed follows closely on another.

³Therefore the land [continually] mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes [in tragic suffering] Together with the animals of the open country and the birds of the heavens; Even the fish of the sea disappear.

⁴Yet let no one find fault, nor let any rebuke [others]; For your people are like those who contend with the priest.

⁵So you will stumble in the daytime, And the [false] prophet will also stumble with you in the night; And I will destroy your mother (Israel).

⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of My law, where I reveal My will]. Because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

⁷The more they multiplied [in numbers and increased in power], the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.

⁸They (the priests) feed on the sin offering of My people And set their heart on their wickedness.

⁹And it shall be: like people, like priest [both are wicked and both will be judged]; So I will punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds.

¹⁰They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the prostitute, but not increase [their descendants], Because they have stopped giving heed to the LORD.

¹¹Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away the mind and the [spiritual] understanding.

¹²My people consult their [lifeless] wooden idol, and their [diviner's] wand gives them oracles. For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray [morally and spiritually], And they have played the prostitute, withdrawing themselves from their God.

¹³They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because the shade is pleasant there. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute And your brides commit adultery.

¹⁴I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute Or your brides when they commit adultery, For the men themselves slip away with prostitutes, And they offer sacrifices with temple prostitutes [who give their bodies in honor of the idol]. So the people without understanding [stumble and fall and] come to ruin.

¹⁵Though you, Israel, play the prostitute [by worshiping idols], Do not let Judah become guilty [of the same thing]; And do not go to Gilgal [where idols are worshiped], Or go up to Beth-aven (House of Wickedness), Nor swear [oaths in idolatrous worship, saying], "As the LORD lives!"

¹⁶For Israel is stubborn, Like a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now pasture them Like a lamb in a large field?

¹⁷Ephraim is joined to idols, So let him alone [to suffer the consequences].

¹⁸When their liquor is gone [and their drinking parties are over], They habitually go to play the prostitute; Ephraim's rulers continue to dearly love shame [more than her glory which is the LORD, Israel's God].

¹⁹The wind [of God's relentless wrath] has wrapped up Israel in its wings, And [in captivity] they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices [to calves, to sun, to moon, to stars, and to pagan gods].

¹It happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper [inland] districts and came down to Ephesus, and found some disciples.

²He asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [in Jesus as the Christ]?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

³And he asked, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."

⁴Paul said, "John performed a baptism of repentance, continually telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, [to confidently accept and joyfully believe] in Jesus [the Messiah and Savior]."

⁵After hearing this, they were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus.

⁶And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and prophesying.

⁷There were about twelve men in all.

⁸And he went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

⁹But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient [to the word of God], discrediting and speaking evil of the Way (Jesus, Christianity) before the congregation, Paul left them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus [instead of in the synagogue].

¹⁰This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], Jews as well as Greeks, heard the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

¹¹God was doing extraordinary and unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

¹²so that even handkerchiefs or face-towels or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out [of them].

¹³Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists also attempted to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I implore you and solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!"

¹⁴Seven sons of one [named] Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

¹⁵But the evil spirit retorted, "I know and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, but as for you, who are you?"

¹⁶Then the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they ran out of that house [in terror, stripped] naked and wounded.

¹⁷This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and exalted.

¹⁸Many of those who had become believers were coming, confessing and disclosing their [former sinful] practices.

¹⁹And many of those who had practiced magical arts collected their books and [throwing book after book on the pile] began burning them in front of everyone. They calculated their value and found it to be50,000 pieces of silver.

²⁰So the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] was growing greatly and prevailing.

²¹Now after these events, Paul determined in the Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of the Greek mainland), and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome [and preach the good news of salvation]."

²²And after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia [ahead of him], he stayed on in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor] for a while.

²³About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way (Jesus, Christianity).

²⁴Now a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [the goddess] Artemis (Diana), was bringing no small profit to the craftsmen.

²⁵These [craftsmen] he called together, along with the workmen of similar trades, and said, "Men, you are well aware that we make a good living from this business.

²⁶You see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but almost all over [the province of] Asia, this Paul has persuaded [people to believe his teaching] and has misled a large number of people, claiming that gods made by [human] hands are not really gods at all.

²⁷Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will be discredited, but also that the [magnificent] temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and that she whom all Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned and lose her glorious magnificence."

²⁸When they heard this, they were filled with rage, and they began shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

²⁹Then the city was filled with confusion; and people rushed together [as a group] into the amphitheater, dragging along with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions.

³⁰Paul wanted to go into the [pagan] assembly, but the disciples would not let him.

³¹Even some of the Asiarchs (officials) who were his friends sent word to him and repeatedly warned him not to venture into the amphitheater.

³²Now some shouted one thing and some another, for the gathering was in confusion and most of the people did not know why they had come together.

³³Some of the crowd advised Alexander [to speak], since the Jews had pushed him forward; and Alexander motioned with his hand [for attention] and intended to make a defense to the people.

³⁴But when they realized that he was a Jew, a single outcry went up from the crowd as they shouted for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

³⁵After the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of that [ sacred stone image of her] which fell from the sky?

³⁶So, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and stay calm and not do anything rash.

³⁷For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.

³⁸So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another there.

³⁹But if you want anything beyond this, it will be settled in the lawful assembly.

⁴⁰For we are running the risk of being accused of rioting in regard to today's events, and since there is no reason for it, we will be unable to give an account and justify this disorderly gathering."

⁴¹And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.