Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities.

²Now when John [the Baptist] in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent word by his disciples

³and asked Him, "Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else [who will be the promised One]?"

⁴Jesus answered, "Go and report to John what you hear and see:

⁵the blind receive [their] sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed [by healing] and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

⁶And blessed [joyful, favored by God] is he who does not take offense at Me [accepting Me as the Messiah and trusting confidently in My message of salvation]."

⁷As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out in the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind [which is commonplace]?

⁸What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh desert]? Those who wear soft clothing are in the palaces of kings!

⁹But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one [more eminent, more remarkable, and] far more than a prophet [who foretells the future].

¹⁰This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi], 'Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.'

¹¹I assure you and most solemnly say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater [in privilege] than he.

¹²From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize].

¹³For all the prophets and the Law prophesied up until John.

¹⁴And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is [the fulfillment of] Elijah [as the messenger] who was to come [before the kingdom].

¹⁵He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.

¹⁶"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like little children sitting in the market places, who call to the others,

¹⁷and say 'We piped the flute for you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we wailed sad dirges [playing funeral], and you did not mourn and cry aloud.'

¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking [with others], and they say, 'He has a demon!'

¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking [with others], and they say, 'Look! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]!' Yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by her deeds [in the lives of those who respond to Me]."

²⁰Then He began to denounce [the people in] the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent [and change their hearts and lives].

²¹"Woe (judgment is coming) to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [cities of the Gentiles], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes [their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God].

²²Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the pagan cities of] Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

²³And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven [for your apathy and unresponsiveness]? You will descend to Hades (the realm of the dead); for if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

²⁴But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you."

²⁵At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God's will and purpose].

²⁶Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

²⁷All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him.

²⁸"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].

²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.

³⁰For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light."

¹So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants).

²And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

³So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.

⁴This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens—

⁵no shrub or plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground,

⁶but a mist (fog, dew, vapor) used to rise from the land and water the entire surface of the ground—

⁷then the LORD God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].

⁸And the LORD God planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.

⁹And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.

¹⁰Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers.

¹¹The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

¹²The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the onyx stone are found there.

¹³The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia].

¹⁴The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

¹⁵So the LORD God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.

¹⁶And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden;

¹⁷but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience]."

¹⁸Now the LORD God said, "It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him."

¹⁹So the LORD God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

²⁰And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper [that was] suitable (a companion) for him.

²¹So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.

²²And the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man He made (fashioned, formed) into a woman, and He brought her and presented her to the man.

²³Then Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."

²⁴For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

²⁵And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed or embarrassed.

¹Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah) by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, and to all the saints (God's people) throughout Achaia (southern Greece):

²Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,

⁴who comforts and encourages us in every trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage those who are in any kind of trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

⁵For just as Christ's sufferings are ours in abundance [as they overflow to His followers], so also our comfort [our reassurance, our encouragement, our consolation] is abundant through Christ [it is truly more than enough to endure what we must].

⁶But if we are troubled and distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted and encouraged, it is for your comfort, which works [in you] when you patiently endure the same sufferings which we experience.

⁷And our hope for you [our confident expectation of good for you] is firmly grounded [assured and unshaken], since we know that just as you share as partners in our sufferings, so also you share as partners in our comfort.

⁸For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about our trouble in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], how we were utterly weighed down, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life [itself].

⁹Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the sentence of death [and were convinced that we would die, but this happened] so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

¹⁰He rescued us from so great a threat of death, and will continue to rescue us. On Him we have set our hope. And He will again rescue us [from danger and draw us near],

¹¹while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then thanks will be given by many persons on our behalf for the gracious gift [of deliverance] granted to us through the prayers of many [believers].

¹²This is our [reason for] proud confidence: our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world [in general], and especially toward you, with pure motives and godly sincerity, not in human wisdom, but in the grace of God [that is, His gracious lovingkindness that leads people to Christ and spiritual maturity].

¹³For we write you nothing other than what you read and understand [there is no double meaning in what we say]. And I hope you will [accurately] understand [divine things] until the end;

¹⁴just as you have [already] partially understood us, [and one day will recognize] that you can be proud of us just as we are of you, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

¹⁵It was with this confidence that I planned at first to visit you, so that you might receive twice a token of grace;

¹⁶that is, [I wanted] to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and [then] to come back to you [on my return] from Macedonia, and have you send me on my way to Judea.

¹⁷So then, was I indecisive or capricious when I was [originally] planning this? Or the things I plan, do I plan in a self-serving way like a worldly man, ready to say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no" [at the same time]?

¹⁸But [as surely as] God is faithful and means what He says, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No" [at the same time].

¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but has proved to be "Yes" in Him [true and faithful, the divine "Yes" affirming God's promises].

²⁰For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] "Yes." So through Him we say our "Amen" to the glory of God.

²¹Now it is God who establishes and confirms us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ, and who has anointed us [empowering us with the gifts of the Spirit];

²²it is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life].

²³But I call on God as my soul's witness, that it was to spare you [pain and discouragement] that I did not come again to Corinth—

²⁴not that we rule [like dictators] over your faith, but rather we work with you for [the increase of] your joy; for in your faith you stand firm [in your strong conviction that Jesus of Nazareth—the Messiah—is the Son of God, through whom we obtain eternal salvation].

¹Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath and indignation of God."

²So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and loathsome and malignant sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

³The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse [foul and disgusting]; and every living thing in the sea died.

⁴Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water; and they turned into blood.

⁵And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous and just are You, Who are and Who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things;

⁶for they have poured out the blood of the saints (God's people) and the prophets, and You [in turn] have given them blood to drink. They deserve Your judgment."

⁷And I heard [another from] the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Your judgments are true and fair and righteous."

⁸Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch humanity with [raging] fire.

⁹People were [severely] burned by the great heat; and they reviled the name of God who has power over these plagues, but they did not repent [of their sin] and glorify Him.

¹⁰Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness; and people gnawed their tongues because of the pain [of their excruciating anguish and severe torment],

¹¹and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their anguish and their sores (abscesses, boils); and they did not repent of what they had done nor hate their wickedness.

¹²Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for [the coming of] the kings from the east.

¹³And I saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, leaping from the mouth of the dragon (Satan) and from the mouth of the beast (Antichrist, dictator) and from the mouth of the false prophet;

¹⁴for they are [actually] the spirits of demons, performing [miraculous] signs. And they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.

¹⁵("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is he who stays awake and who keeps his clothes [that is, stays spiritually ready for the Lord's return], so that he will not be naked—spiritually unprepared—and men will not see his shame.")

¹⁶And they (demons) gathered the kings and armies of the world together at the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon (Armageddon).

¹⁷Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne [of God], saying, "It is done. [It is all over, it is all accomplished, it has come.]"

¹⁸And there were flashes of lightning and loud rumblings and peals of thunder; and there was a massive earthquake—nothing like it has ever occurred since mankind originated on the earth, so severe and far-reaching was that earthquake.

¹⁹The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And God kept in mind Babylon the great, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce and furious wrath.

²⁰Then every island fled away, and no mountains could be found.

²¹And giant hailstones, as heavy as a talent, fell from the sky on the people; and people reviled and spoke abusively of God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so very great.

¹After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

²And Job said,

³"Let the day on which I was born perish, And the night which announced: 'There is a man-child conceived.'

⁴"May that day be darkness; Let God above not care about it, Nor light shine on it.

⁵"Let darkness and gloom claim it for their own; Let a cloud settle upon it; Let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born).

⁶"As for that night, let darkness seize it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not be counted in the number of the months.

⁷"Behold, let that night be barren [and empty]; Let no joyful voice enter it.

⁸"Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are skilled in rousing up Leviathan.

⁹"Let the stars of its early dawn be dark; Let the morning wait in vain for the light, Let it not see the eyelids of morning (the day's dawning),

¹⁰Because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹"Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire?

¹²"Why did the knees receive me? And why the breasts, that I would nurse?

¹³"For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest [in death],

¹⁴With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built up [now desolate] ruins for themselves;

¹⁵Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver.

¹⁶"Or like a miscarriage which is hidden and put away, I would not exist, Like infants who never saw light.

¹⁷"There [in death] the wicked cease from raging, And there the weary are at rest.

¹⁸"There the prisoners rest together; They do not hear the taskmaster's voice.

¹⁹"The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.

²⁰"Why is the light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,

²¹Who wait for death, but it does not come, And dig (search) for death more [diligently] than for hidden treasures,

²²Who rejoice exceedingly, And rejoice when they find the grave?

²³"Why is the light of day given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in?

²⁴"For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries [of despair] are poured out like water.

²⁵"For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me, And that of which I am afraid has come upon me.

²⁶"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, and yet trouble still comes [upon me]."

¹To the Chief Musician; for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, "I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will muzzle my mouth While the wicked are in my presence."

²I was mute and silent [before my enemies], I refrained even from good, And my distress grew worse.

³My heart was hot within me. While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴"LORD, let me know my [life's] end And [to appreciate] the extent of my days; Let me know how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].

⁵"Behold, You have made my days as [short as] hand widths, And my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight. Surely every man at his best is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]! Selah.

⁶"Surely every man walks around like a shadow [in a charade]; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; Each one builds up riches, not knowing who will receive them.

⁷"And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait? My hope [my confident expectation] is in You.

⁸"Save me from all my transgressions; Do not make me the scorn and reproach of the [self-righteous, arrogant] fool.

⁹"I am mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is You who has done it.

¹⁰"Remove Your plague from me; I am wasting away because of the conflict and opposition of Your hand.

¹¹"With rebukes You discipline man for sin; You consume like a moth what is precious to him; Surely every man is a mere breath [a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes]. Selah.

¹²"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and listen to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am Your temporary guest, A sojourner like all my fathers.

¹³"O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joy Before I depart and am no more."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She was accompanied by a very large number of attendants, with camels bearing spices (balsam oil) and a large amount of gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was on her mind.

²Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from him which he did not make clear to her.

³So when the queen of Sheba saw the [depth of] Solomon's wisdom, and the house which he had built,

⁴and the food of his table, the [vast] seating order of his officials, the attendance and service of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, she was breathless.

⁵She said to the king, "The report which I heard in my own land regarding your [accomplishments and your] words and your wisdom was true,

⁶but I did not believe the reports until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told to me; you have surpassed the report that I heard.

⁷Blessed and fortunate are your people, how blessed and fortunate are these servants of yours who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom!

⁸Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness."

⁹Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, a very large amount of spices (balsam oil) and precious stones; there was no such spice [anywhere] like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹⁰The servants of Huram and those of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought almug trees and precious stones.

¹¹From the almug timber the king made stairways for the house of the LORD and for the king's palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; none like that was seen before in the land of Judah.

¹²King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all [the things] she desired, whatever she asked, besides a return for what she had brought to the king. So she returned to her own land with her servants.

¹³Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents,

¹⁴besides what the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, using six hundred shekels of beaten gold on each large shield.

¹⁶And he made three hundred [smaller] shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield; and the king put them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

¹⁸There were six steps to the throne and a golden footstool attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, with two lions standing beside the arms.

¹⁹Also, twelve lions were standing there, one on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made for any [other] kingdom.

²⁰All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

²¹For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

²²So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.

²³And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put into his heart.

²⁴Each man brought his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.

²⁵Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities or with the king at Jerusalem.

²⁶He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt.

²⁷The king made silver in Jerusalem as common as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as the sycamore-fig trees that are in the lowland.

²⁸And they were importing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all [the other] countries.

²⁹Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

³⁰Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel.

³¹And Solomon slept with his fathers [in death]; he was buried in the city of his father David. Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

¹"Come and let us return [in repentance] to the LORD, For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

²"After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up That we may live before Him.

³"So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] LORD [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."

⁴O Ephraim, what shall I do with you? O Judah, what shall I do with you? For your [wavering] loyalty and kindness are [transient] like the morning cloud And like the dew that goes away early.

⁵Therefore, I have hewn them in pieces by [the words of] the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; My judgments [pronounced upon them by the prophets] are like the light that shines forth [obvious to all].

⁶For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

⁷But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; There they have dealt treacherously against Me.

⁸Gilead is a city of wrongdoers; It is tracked with bloody footprints.

⁹And as bands of robbers [lie in] wait for a man, So a band of priests murder on the road toward Shechem [covering their crimes in that city of refuge]; Certainly they have committed crimes and outrages.

¹⁰I have seen a horrible thing [sins of every kind] in the house of Israel! Ephraim's prostitution (idolatry) is there; Israel has defiled itself.

¹¹Also, O Judah, there is a harvest [of divine judgment] appointed for you, When I restore the fortunes of My people [who have been slaves to the misery of sin].

¹When we had torn ourselves away from them and set sail, we ran a straight course and came to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara;

²and after finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail.

³After we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on our left (port side), we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

⁴After looking up the disciples [in Tyre], we stayed there [with them] seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the [Holy] Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

⁵When our days there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey, while all of the disciples, with their wives and children, escorted us on our way until we were outside the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we told one another goodbye.

⁶Then we boarded the ship, and they returned to their homes.

⁷When we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we landed [twenty miles to the south] at Ptolemais, and after greeting the believers, we stayed with them for one day.

⁸On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven [deacons], and stayed with him.

⁹He had four virgin daughters who had the gift of prophecy.

¹⁰As we were staying there for some time, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

¹¹And coming to [see] us, he took Paul's [wide] band (belt, sash) and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this same way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this band, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles (pagans).'"

¹²Now when we had heard this, both we and the local residents began pleading with Paul trying to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul replied, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart [like this]? For I am ready not only to be bound and imprisoned, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

¹⁴And since he would not be dissuaded, we stopped pleading and fell silent, saying, "The Lord's will be done!"

¹⁵After this we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to [the house of] Mnason, a man from Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

¹⁷When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us gladly.

¹⁸On the next day Paul went with us to [see] James, and all the elders of the church were present.

¹⁹After greeting them, Paul began to give a detailed account of the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰And when they heard it, they began glorifying and praising God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all enthusiastic supporters of the Law [of Moses].

²¹Now they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are living among the Gentiles to turn away from [the Law of] Moses, advising them not to circumcise their children or to live according to the [Mosaic] customs.

²²What then should be done? They will certainly hear that you have arrived.

²³Therefore do just what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow;

²⁴take these men and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses [for the temple offerings] so that they may shave their heads. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to the things they have been told about you, but that you yourself also follow and keep the Law.

²⁵But with regard to the Gentiles who have believed [in Christ], we have sent them a letter with our decision that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from [consuming] blood and from [the meat of] what has been strangled and from sexual immorality."

²⁶Then Paul took the [four] men, and the next day he purified himself along with them [by submitting to the ritual]. He went into the temple to give notice of [the time] when the days of purification [ending each vow] would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of each one.

²⁷When the seven days [required to complete the ritual] were almost over, [some] Jews from [the province of] Asia [Minor], caught sight of him in the temple, and began to stir up the crowd, and they seized him,

²⁸shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."

²⁹For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul, and they assumed that he had brought the man into the temple [beyond the court of the Gentiles].

³⁰Then the whole city was provoked and confused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed.

³¹Now while they were trying to kill him, word came to the commander of the [Roman] garrison that all Jerusalem was in a state of upheaval.

³²So he immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down among them. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

³³Then the commander came up and arrested Paul, and ordered that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

³⁴But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others something else; and since he could not determine the facts because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken to the barracks [in the tower of Antonia].

³⁵When Paul got to the steps, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;

³⁶for the majority of the people kept following them, shouting, "Away with him! [Kill him!]"

³⁷Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" And the man replied, "Do you know Greek?

³⁸Then you are not [as I assumed] the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"

³⁹Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia (Mersin Province, Turkey), a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."

⁴⁰When the commander had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect (Jewish Aramaic), saying,