Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.

²But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."

³He said to them, "Have you not read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him—

⁴how he went into the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only?

⁵Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

⁶But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.

⁷And if you had only known what this statement means, 'I desire compassion [for those in distress],and not [animal] sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

⁸For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

⁹Leaving there, He went into their synagogue.

¹⁰A man was there whose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, "Is it lawful and permissible to heal on the Sabbath?"—they asked this so that they might accuse Him and bring charges into court.

¹¹But He said to them, "What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

¹²How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath."

¹³Then He said to the man, "Reach out your hand!" The man reached out and it was restored, as normal and healthy as the other.

¹⁴But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, discussing how they could destroy Him.

¹⁵Being aware of this, Jesus left there. Many followed Him, and He healed all of them [who were sick],

¹⁶and warned them not to tell [publicly] who He was.

¹⁷This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸"Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will proclaim justice to the nations.

¹⁹"He will not quarrel, nor cry out loudly; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

²⁰"A battered reed He will not break, And a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, Until He leads justice to victory.

²¹"And in His name the Gentiles (all the nations of the world) will hope [with confidence]."

²²Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw.

²³All the people wondered in amazement, and said, "Could this be the Son of David (the Messiah)?"

²⁴But the Pharisees heard it and said, "This man casts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons."

²⁵Knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will [continue to] stand.

²⁶If Satan casts out Satan [that is, his demons], he has become divided against himself and disunited; how then will his kingdom stand?

²⁷If I cast out the demons by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan), by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

²⁸But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [before you expected it].

²⁹Or how can anyone go into a strong man's house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man? Then he will ransack and rob his house.

³⁰He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters.

³¹"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven.

³²Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

³³"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit.

³⁴You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

³⁵The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things.

³⁶But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak.

³⁷For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced."

³⁸Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be]."

³⁹But He replied and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation [that is morally unfaithful to God] craves and demands a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah;

⁴⁰for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

⁴¹The men of Nineveh will stand up [as witnesses] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here.

⁴²The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up [as a witness] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here.

⁴³"Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it.

⁴⁴Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order.

⁴⁵Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation."

⁴⁶While He was still talking to the crowds, it happened that His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him.

⁴⁷Someone said to Him, "Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You."

⁴⁸But Jesus replied to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"

⁴⁹And stretching out His hand toward His disciples [and all His other followers], He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!

⁵⁰For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven [by believing in Me, and following Me] is My brother and sister and mother."

¹Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, "Can it really be that God has said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

²And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,

³except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, 'You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.'"

⁴But the serpent said to the woman, "You certainly will not die!

⁵For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil."

⁶And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.

⁷Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

⁸And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

⁹But the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, "Where are you?"

¹⁰He said, "I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

¹¹God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

¹²And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it."

¹³Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree]."

¹⁴The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the cattle, And more than any animal of the field; On your belly you shall go, And dust you shall eat All the days of your life.

¹⁵"And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel."

¹⁶To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth; In pain you will give birth to children; Yet your desire and longing will be for your husband, And he will rule [with authority] over you and be responsible for you."

¹⁷Then to Adam the LORD God said, "Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it'; The ground is [now] under a curse because of you; In sorrow and toil you shall eat [the fruit] of it All the days of your life.

¹⁸"Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you shall eat the plants of the field.

¹⁹"By the sweat of your face You will eat bread Until you return to the ground, For from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

²⁰The man named his wife Eve (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living.

²¹The LORD God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

²²And the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), knowing [how to distinguish between] good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take from the tree of life as well, and eat [its fruit], and live [in this fallen, sinful condition] forever"—

²³therefore the LORD God sent Adam away from the Garden of Eden, to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

²⁴So God drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He [permanently] stationed the cherubim and the sword with the flashing blade which turned round and round [in every direction] to protect and guard the way (entrance, access) to the tree of life.

¹But I made up my mind not to grieve you with another painful visit.

²For if I cause you grief [by a well-deserved rebuke], who then provides me enjoyment but the very one whom I have made sad?

³And I wrote this same thing to you, so that when I came, I would not be filled with sorrow by those who ought to make me glad, for I trusted in you and felt confident that my joy would be shared by all of you.

⁴For I wrote to you out of great distress and with an anguished heart, and with many tears, not to cause you sorrow but to make you realize the [overflowing] love which I have especially for you.

⁵But if someone has caused [all this] sorrow, he has caused it not to me, but in some degree—not to put it too severely—[he has distressed and grieved] all of you.

⁶For such a one this punishment by the majority is sufficient,

⁷so instead [of further rebuke, now] you should rather [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage him, to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

⁸Therefore I urge you to reinstate him in your affections and reaffirm your love for him.

⁹For this was my purpose in writing, to see if you would stand the test, whether you are obedient and committed to following my instruction in all things.

¹⁰If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive [that one]; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of [and with the approval of] Christ,

¹¹to keep Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

¹²Now when I arrived at Troas to preach the good news of Christ, even though a door [of opportunity] opened for me in the Lord,

¹³my spirit could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there; so saying goodbye to them, I left for Macedonia.

¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

¹⁵For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

¹⁶to the latter one an aroma from death to death [a fatal, offensive odor], but to the other an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is adequate and sufficiently qualified for these things?

¹⁷For we are not like many, [acting like merchants] peddling God's word [shortchanging and adulterating God's message]; but from pure [uncompromised] motives, as [commissioned and sent] from God, we speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God.

¹Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment and doom of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters [influencing nations],

²she with whom the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality, and the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated with the wine of her immorality."

³And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was entirely covered with blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a gold cup full of the abominations and the filth of her [sexual] immorality.

⁵And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES (false religions, heresies) AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

⁶I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints (God's people), and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus [who were martyred]. When I saw her, I wondered in amazement.

⁷But the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

⁸"The beast that you saw was [once], but [now] is not, and he is about to come up out of the abyss (the bottomless pit, the dwelling place of demons) and go to destruction (perdition). And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is yet to come [to earth].

⁹Here is the mind which has wisdom [and this is what it knows about the vision]. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits;

¹⁰and they are seven kings: five of whom have fallen, one exists and is reigning; the other [the seventh] has not yet come, and when he does come, he must remain a little while.

¹¹And the beast that [once] was but is not, is himself also an eighth king and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction (perdition).

¹²The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but [together] they receive authority as kings for a single hour [for a common purpose] along with the beast.

¹³These [kings] have one purpose [one mind, one common goal], and they give their power and authority to the beast.

¹⁴They will wage war against the Lamb (Christ), and the Lamb will triumph and conquer them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him and on His side are the called and chosen (elect) and faithful."

¹⁵Then the angel said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.

¹⁶And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked [stripped of her power and influence], and will eat her flesh and completely consume her with fire.

¹⁷For God has put it in their hearts to carry out His purpose by agreeing together to surrender their kingdom to the beast, until the [prophetic] words of God will be fulfilled.

¹⁸The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over and dominates and controls the kings and the political leaders of the earth."

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²"If we dare to converse with you, will you be impatient [or offended]? But who can restrain himself from speaking?

³"Behold, you have admonished and instructed many, And you have strengthened weak hands.

⁴"Your words have helped the one who was stumbling to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.

⁵"But now adversity comes upon you, and you are impatient and intolerant; It touches you, and you are horrified.

⁶"Is not your fear of God your confidence, And [is not] the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?

⁷"Remember now, who, being innocent, ever perished? Or where [and in what circumstances] were those upright and in right standing with God destroyed?

⁸"As I have seen, those who plow wickedness And those who sow trouble and harm harvest it.

⁹"By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

¹⁰"The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹"The lion perishes for lack of prey, And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹²"Now a word was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it.

¹³"Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men,

¹⁴Dread and trembling came upon me, Which made all my bones shake.

¹⁵"Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair on my skin stood on end!

¹⁶"The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, and then I heard a voice, saying:

¹⁷'Can [mortal] man be just before God or be more righteous than He? Can a man be pure before his Maker or be more cleansed than He?

¹⁸'God puts no trust or confidence, even in His [heavenly] servants, And He charges His angels with error.

¹⁹'How much more [will He blame and charge] those who dwell in houses (bodies) of clay, Whose foundations are in the dust, Who are crushed like a moth.

²⁰'Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces and destroyed; Unobserved and unnoticed, they perish forever.

²¹'Is not their tent-cord drawn up within them [so that the tent collapses]? Do they not die, and yet without [acquiring] wisdom?'

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently and expectantly for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

²He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.

³He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear [with great reverence] And will trust confidently in the LORD.

⁴Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.

⁵Many, O LORD my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of your wonders, They would be too many to count.

⁶Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them; You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word]; Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.

⁷Then I said, "Behold, I come [to the throne]; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

⁸"I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart."

⁹I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly; Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness], As You know, O LORD.

¹⁰I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart; I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation. I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.

¹¹Do not withhold Your compassion and tender mercy from me, O LORD; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

¹²For innumerable evils have encompassed me; My sins have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see. They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me.

¹³Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, make haste to help me.

¹⁴Let those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back [in defeat] and dishonored Who delight in my hurt.

¹⁵Let those be appalled and desolate because of their shame Who say to me, "Aha, aha [rejoicing in my misfortune]!"

¹⁶Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!"

¹⁷Even though I am afflicted and needy, Still the Lord takes thought and is mindful of me. You are my help and my rescuer. O my God, do not delay.

¹Hear, O children, the instruction of a father, And pay attention [and be willing to learn] so that you may gain understanding and intelligent discernment.

²For I give you good doctrine; Do not turn away from my instruction.

³When I was a son with my father (David), Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother (Bathsheba),

⁴He taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live.

⁵"Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

⁶"Do not turn away from her (Wisdom) and she will guard and protect you; Love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷"The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].

⁸"Prize wisdom [and exalt her], and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her.

⁹"She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty and glory."

¹⁰Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have instructed you in the way of [skillful and godly] wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.

¹²When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open]; And when you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take hold of instruction; [actively seek it, grip it firmly and] do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not go the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.

¹⁶For the wicked cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are deprived of sleep unless they make someone stumble and fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like [deep] darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, pay attention to my words and be willing to learn; Open your ears to my sayings.

²¹Do not let them escape from your sight; Keep them in the center of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, And healing and health to all their flesh.

²³Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

²⁴Put away from you a deceitful (lying, misleading) mouth, And put devious lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look directly ahead [toward the path of moral courage] And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you [toward the path of integrity].

²⁶Consider well and watch carefully the path of your feet, And all your ways will be steadfast and sure.

²⁷Do not turn away to the right nor to the left [where evil may lurk]; Turn your foot from [the path of] evil.

¹Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

²When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about the new king (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

³And the people sent messengers and summoned him. So when Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

⁴"Your father [King Solomon] made our yoke hard (heavy, difficult); so now lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you."

⁵Rehoboam replied, "Come back to me again in three days." So the people departed.

⁶Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon [as advisers] while he was alive, asking, "What advice do you give me in answer to these people?"

⁷They answered him, saying, "If you are kind to these people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever."

⁸But the king rejected the advice which the elders gave him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him [as advisers].

⁹He asked them, "What advice do you give to us regarding the answer to these people, who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?"

¹⁰The young men who grew up with him told him, "Tell the people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us': 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!

¹¹Now my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, but I will add [more weight] to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions (extremely painful scourges).'"

¹²So on the third day Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam just as the king had directed, saying, "Return to me on the third day."

¹³The king answered them harshly, for King Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the elders.

¹⁴He spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."

¹⁵So the king did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from God that the LORD might fulfill His word, which He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶When all Israel saw that the king did not listen and pay attention to them, the people answered him, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel; Now, [Rehoboam, descendant of] David, see to your own house." So all Israel went to their tents.

¹⁷But as for the Israelites who lived in Judah's cities, Rehoboam ruled over them.

¹⁸Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the Israelites stoned him and he died. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his [royal] chariot to escape to Jerusalem.

¹⁹And Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day.

¹When I would heal Israel, The sin (guilt) of Ephraim is uncovered, And the wickedness of Samaria, Because they practice false dealing; The thief enters, Bandits ravage and raid outside.

²But they do not consider in their hearts (minds) That I remember [always] all their wickedness. Now their deeds surround and entangle them; They are before My face.

³They make the king glad with their wickedness, And the princes with their lies.

⁴They are all adulterers; Like the heat of an oven When the baker ceases to stir the fire, [their passion smolders] From the kneading of the dough until it is leavened.

⁵On the [special] day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; The king stretched out his hand [in association] with scoffers (lawless people).

⁶As they approach their plotting, Their mind burns [with intrigue] like an oven [while they lie in wait]. Their anger smolders all night; In the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

⁷They are all hot like an oven And they consume their judges (rulers); All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to Me.

⁸Ephraim mixes himself with the [Gentile] nations [seeking favor with one country, then another]; Ephraim is a cake not turned [worthless; ready to be thrown away].

⁹Strangers have devoured his strength, Yet he does not know it; Gray hairs are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know.

¹⁰Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, Yet they do not return [in repentance] to the LORD their God, Nor seek nor search for nor desire Him [as essential] in spite of all this.

¹¹Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without heart or good sense; They call to Egypt [for help], they go to Assyria.

¹²When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens [into Assyrian captivity]. I will chastise them in accordance with the proclamation (prophecy) to their congregation.

¹³Woe (judgment is coming) to them, for they have wandered away from Me! Devastation is theirs, because they have rebelled and trespassed against Me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.

¹⁴They do not cry out to Me from their heart When they wail on their beds [in unbelieving despair]; For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves [as if worshiping Baal]; They rebel against Me.

¹⁵Although I trained and strengthened their arms [for victory over their enemies], Yet they devise evil against Me.

¹⁶They turn, but they do not turn upward to the Most High. They are like a poorly crafted bow [that misses the mark]; Their princes shall fall by the sword Because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be cause for their mockery and disdain in the land of Egypt.

¹"Brethren and fathers (kinsmen), hear my defense which I now offer to you."

²When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet. And he continued,

³"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of the law of our fathers, being ardent and passionate for God just as all of you are today.

⁴I persecuted and pursued the followers of this Way to the death, binding them with chains and putting [followers of Jesus] both men and women into prisons,

⁵as the high priest and all the Council of the elders (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) can testify; because from them I received letters to the brothers, and I was on my way to Damascus in order to bring those [believers] who were there to Jerusalem in chains to be punished.

⁶"But as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a great blaze of light suddenly flashed from heaven and shone around me.

⁷And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'

⁸And I replied, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.'

⁹Now those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

¹⁰And I asked, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord answered me, 'Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that is appointed and destined for you to do.'

¹¹But since I could not see because of the [glorious intensity and dazzling] brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.

¹²"And one Ananias, a devout man according to the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

¹³came to [see] me, and standing near, he said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I [recovered my sight and] looked up at him.

¹⁴And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, [and to progressively understand His plan with clarity and power] and to see the Righteous One [Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and to hear a message from His [own] mouth.

¹⁵For you will be His witness to all men testifying of what you have seen and heard.

¹⁶Now, why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name [for salvation].'

¹⁷"Then it happened when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple [enclosure], that I fell into a trance (vision);

¹⁸and I saw Him saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'

¹⁹And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know [without any doubt] that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You [and Your message of salvation].

²⁰And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing nearby approving and consenting [to his death], and guarding the coats of those who were killing him.'

²¹And the Lord said to me, 'Go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

²²They listened to Paul until [he made] this [last] statement, but now they raised their voices and shouted, "Away with such a man from the earth! He is not fit to live!"

²³And as they were shouting and throwing off their coats [getting ready to stone Paul] and tossing dust into the air [expressing their anger],

²⁴the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he was to be interrogated with a whip in order to learn why the people were shouting against him that way.

²⁵But when they had stretched him out with the leather straps [in preparation for the whip], Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it legal for you to whip a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned [without a trial]?"

²⁶When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and said to him, "What are you about to do? This man is a Roman!"

²⁷So the commander came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes."

²⁸The commander replied, "I purchased this citizenship [of mine] for a large sum of money [so how did you acquire yours?]." Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen."

²⁹So those who were about to interrogate him by torture immediately let him go; and the commander was also afraid when he realized that Paul was a Roman and he had put him in chains.

³⁰But on the next day, wanting to know the real reason why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) to assemble; and brought Paul down and presented him before them.