Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹At that time Herod [Antipas], the tetrarch [who governed a portion of Palestine including Galilee and Perea], heard the reports about Jesus,

²and said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and that is why the miraculous powers are at work in him."

³For Herod had John arrested and bound him and put him in prison [at the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Jordan, to keep him away] because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,

⁴for John had said to him, "It is not lawful (morally right) for you to have her [living with you as your wife]."

⁵Although Herod wished to have him put to death, he feared the people, for they regarded John as a prophet.

⁶But when Herod's birthday came, [his niece Salome], the daughter of Herodias danced [immodestly] before them and pleased and fascinated Herod,

⁷so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

⁸She, being coached by her mother [Herodias], said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."

⁹The king was distressed, but because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests, he ordered it to be given her.

¹⁰He sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

¹¹His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother [Herodias].

¹²And John's disciples came and took away the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

¹³When Jesus heard about John, He left there privately in a boat and went to a secluded place. But when the crowds heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

¹⁴When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt [profound] compassion for them and healed their sick.

¹⁵When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is an isolated place and the hour is already late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

¹⁶But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"

¹⁷They replied, "We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish."

¹⁸He said, "Bring them here to Me."

¹⁹Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people,

²⁰and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up twelve full baskets of the leftover broken pieces.

²¹There were about 5,000 men who ate, besides women and children.

²²Immediately He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while He sent the crowds away.

²³After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone.

²⁴But the boat [by this time] was already a long distance from land, tossed and battered by the waves; for the wind was against them.

²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

²⁶When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.

²⁷But immediately He spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!"

²⁸Peter replied to Him, "Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water."

²⁹He said, "Come!" So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

³⁰But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

³¹Immediately Jesus extended His hand and caught him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

³²And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³Then those in the boat worshiped Him [with awe-inspired reverence], saying, "Truly You are the Son of God!"

³⁴When they had crossed over [the sea], they went ashore at Gennesaret.

³⁵And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word throughout all the surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick;

³⁶and they begged Him to let them merely touch the fringe of His robe; and all who touched it were perfectly restored.

¹This is the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of [the descendants of] Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness].

²He created them male and female, and blessed them and named them Mankind at the time they were created.

³When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

⁴After he became the father of Seth, Adam lived eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters.

⁵So Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years in all, and he died.

⁶When Seth was a hundred and five years old, he became the father of Enosh.

⁷Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after the birth of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters.

⁸So Seth lived nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

⁹When Enosh was ninety years old, he became the father of Kenan.

¹⁰Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after the birth of Kenan and had other sons and daughters.

¹¹So Enosh lived nine hundred and five years, and he died.

¹²When Kenan was seventy years old, he became the father of Mahalalel.

¹³Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after the birth of Mahalalel and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁴So Kenan lived nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

¹⁵When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Jared.

¹⁶Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after the birth of Jared and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁷So Mahalalel lived eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

¹⁸When Jared was a hundred and sixty-two years old, he became the father of Enoch.

¹⁹Jared lived eight hundred years after the birth of Enoch and had other sons and daughters.

²⁰So Jared lived nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.

²¹When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Methuselah.

²²Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah and had other sons and daughters.

²³So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

²⁴And [in reverent fear and obedience] Enoch walked with God; and he was not [found among men], because God took him [away to be home with Him].

²⁵When Methuselah was a hundred and eighty-seven years old, he became the father of Lamech.

²⁶Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after the birth of Lamech and had other sons and daughters.

²⁷So Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

²⁸When Lamech was a hundred and eighty-two years old, he became the father of a son.

²⁹He named him Noah, saying, "This one shall bring us rest and comfort from our work and from the [dreadful] toil of our hands because of the ground which the LORD cursed."

³⁰Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after the birth of Noah and had other sons and daughters.

³¹So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

³²After Noah was five hundred years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy [from God, granting us salvation, opportunities, and blessings], we do not get discouraged nor lose our motivation.

²But we have renounced the disgraceful things hidden because of shame; not walking in trickery or adulterating the word of God, but by stating the truth [openly and plainly], we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

³But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing;

⁴among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.

⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ.

⁷But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.

⁸We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair;

⁹hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed;

¹⁰always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.

¹¹For we who live are constantly [experiencing the threat of] being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced in our mortal body [which is subject to death].

¹²So physical death is [actively] at work in us, but [spiritual] life [is actively at work] in you.

¹³Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had, who wrote in Scripture, "I believed, therefore I spoke." We also believe, therefore we also speak,

¹⁴knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and will present us [along] with you in His presence.

¹⁵For all [these] things are for your sake, so that as [God's remarkable, undeserved] grace reaches to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of [our great] God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!

¹⁸So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.

¹After these things I heard something like the great and mighty shout of a vast multitude in heaven, exclaiming, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory (splendor, majesty) and power (dominion, might) belong to our God;

²because His judgments are true and righteous. He has judged [convicted and pronounced sentence on] the great prostitute (idolatress) who was corrupting and ruining and poisoning the earth with her adultery (idolatry), and He has imposed the penalty for the blood of His bond-servantson her."

³And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke shall ascend forever and ever."

⁴Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures also fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah (praise the Lord)!"

⁵Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, "Praise our God, all you bond-servants of His, you who fear Him, the small (common) and the great (distinguished)."

⁶Then I heard something like the shout of a vast multitude, and like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] reigns.

⁷"Let us rejoice and shout for joy! Let us give Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [at last] and His bride (the redeemed) has prepared herself."

⁸She has been permitted to dress in fine linen, dazzling white and clean—for the fine linen signifies the righteous acts of the saints [the ethical conduct, personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character of believers].

⁹Then the angel said to me, "Write, ' Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me [further], "These are the true and exact words of God."

¹⁰Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he [stopped me and] said to me, "You must not do that; I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who have and hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God [alone]. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy [His life and teaching are the heart of prophecy]."

¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who was riding it is called Faithful and True (trustworthy, loyal, incorruptible, steady), and in righteousness He judges and wages war [on the rebellious nations].

¹²His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many royal crowns; and He has a name inscribed [on Him] which no one knows or understands except Himself.

¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

¹⁴And the armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, [dazzling] white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

¹⁵From His mouth comes a sharp sword (His word) with which He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He will tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty [in judgment of the rebellious world].

¹⁶And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name inscribed, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

¹⁷Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he shouted to all the birds that fly in midheaven, saying, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

¹⁸so that you may feast on the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all humanity, both free men and slaves, both small and great [in a complete conquest of evil]."

¹⁹Then I saw the beast and the kings and political leaders of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who is mounted on the [white] horse and against His army.

²⁰And the beast (Antichrist) was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who, in his presence, had performed [amazing] signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were hurled alive into the lake of fire which blazes with brimstone.

²¹And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds fed ravenously and gorged themselves with their flesh.

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!

³"For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; Therefore my words have been incoherent,

⁴Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me, My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

⁵"Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?

⁶"Can something that has no taste to it be eaten without salt? Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?

⁷"My soul refuses to touch them; Such things are like loathsome food to me [sickening and repugnant].

⁸"Oh that my request would come to pass, And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

⁹"I wish that it would please God to crush me, That He would let loose His hand and cut me off.

¹⁰"Then I would still have consolation, And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain, That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.

¹¹"What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]? And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?

¹²"Is my strength and endurance that of stones, Or is my flesh made of bronze?

¹³"Is it that I have no help within myself, And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?

¹⁴"For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon (turn away from) the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵"My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook, Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,

¹⁶Which are dull and dirty because of ice, And into which the snow melts and hides itself;

¹⁷When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their place.

¹⁸"The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish. [Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]

¹⁹"The caravans of Tema looked [for water], The caravans of Sheba waited for them [in vain].

²⁰"They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water]; They came there and were ashamed.

²¹"Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream, You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].

²²"Did I ever say, 'Give me something,' Or, 'Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,'

²³Or, 'Rescue me from the adversary's hand,' Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants'?

²⁴"Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred.

²⁵"How painful are words of honesty. But what does your argument prove?

²⁶"Do you intend to reprove my words [with a convincing argument], When the words of one in despair belong to the wind [and go ignored]?

²⁷"You would cast lots (gamble) over the fatherless And bargain away your friend.

²⁸"Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].

²⁹"Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice; Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.

³⁰"Is there injustice or malice on my tongue? Can my palate not discern what is destructive?

¹To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks, So my soul pants [longingly] for You, O God.

²My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see the face of God?

³My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

⁴These things I [vividly] remember as I pour out my soul; How I used to go along before the great crowd of people and lead them in procession to the house of God [like a choirmaster before his singers, timing the steps to the music and the chant of the song], With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a great crowd keeping a festival.

⁵Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.

⁶O my God, my soul is in despair within me [the burden more than I can bear]; Therefore I will [fervently] remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of [Mount] Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

⁷Deep calls to deep at the [thundering] sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.

⁸Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song will be with me, A prayer to the God of my life.

⁹I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"

¹⁰As a crushing of my bones [with a sword], my adversaries taunt me, While they say continually to me, "Where is your God?"

¹¹Why are you in despair, O my soul? Why have you become restless and disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

¹My son, if you have become surety (guaranteed a debt or obligation) for your neighbor, If you have given your pledge for [the debt of] a stranger or another [outside your family],

²If you have been snared with the words of your lips, If you have been trapped by the speech of your mouth,

³Do this now, my son, and release yourself [from the obligation]; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor [to pay his debt and release you].

⁴Give no [unnecessary] sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

⁵Tear yourself away like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, O lazy one; Observe her ways and be wise,

⁷Which, having no chief, Overseer or ruler,

⁸She prepares her food in the summer And brings in her provisions [of food for the winter] in the harvest.

⁹How long will you lie down, O lazy one? When will you arise from your sleep [and learn self-discipline]?

¹⁰"Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to lie down and rest"—

¹¹So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely] And your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless].

¹²A worthless person, a wicked man, Is one who walks with a perverse (corrupt, vulgar) mouth.

¹³Who winks with his eyes [in mockery], who shuffles his feet [to signal], Who points with his fingers [to give subversive instruction];

¹⁴Who perversely in his heart plots trouble and evil continually; Who spreads discord and strife.

¹⁵Therefore [the crushing weight of] his disaster will come suddenly upon him; Instantly he will be broken, and there will be no healing or remedy [because he has no heart for God].

¹⁶These six things the LORD hates; Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:

¹⁷A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸A heart that creates wicked plans, Feet that run swiftly to evil,

¹⁹A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths], And one who spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.

²⁰My son, be guided by your father's [God-given] commandment (instruction) And do not reject the teaching of your mother;

²¹Bind them continually upon your heart (in your thoughts), And tie them around your neck.

²²When you walk about, they (the godly teachings of your parents) will guide you; When you sleep, they will keep watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching [of the law] is light, And reproofs (rebukes) for discipline are the way of life,

²⁴To keep you from the evil woman, From [the flattery of] the smooth tongue of an immoral woman.

²⁵Do not desire (lust after) her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her eyelashes.

²⁶For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up], And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

²⁷Can a man take fire to his chest And his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her will not be found innocent or go unpunished.

³⁰People do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

³¹But when he is found, he must repay seven times [what he stole]; He must give all the property of his house [if necessary to meet his fine].

³²But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks common sense and sound judgment and an understanding [of moral principles]; He who would destroy his soul does it.

³³Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach (blame) will not be blotted out.

³⁴For jealousy enrages the [wronged] husband; He will not spare [the guilty one] on the day of vengeance.

³⁵He will not accept any ransom [offered to buy him off from demanding full punishment]; Nor will he be satisfied though you offer him many gifts (bribes).

¹When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD.

²And it came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem

³with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. The people who came with him from Egypt were beyond counting—the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

⁴Shishak took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the LORD: 'You have abandoned (turned away from) Me, so I have abandoned you into the hands of Shishak.'"

⁶Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous."

⁷When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of a remnant [that escapes]; and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.

⁸Nevertheless they will become his slaves, so that they may know [the difference between] My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."

⁹So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem; he took the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house (palace). He took everything. He even took the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

¹⁰In their place King Rehoboam made shields of bronze and entrusted them to the care of the officers of the guard who guarded the door of the king's house.

¹¹And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards came and carried the shields and then brought them back into the guards' room.

¹²When Rehoboam humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and also conditions were good in Judah.

¹³So King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His Name. And his mother was Naamah the Ammonitess.

¹⁴He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek and worship and honor the LORD.

¹⁵Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? There were wars between Rehoboam [of Judah] and Jeroboam [of Israel] continually.

¹⁶And Rehoboam slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried in the City of David; and Abijah his son became king in his place.

¹Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation as do the [pagan] peoples, For you have played the prostitute, turning away from your God. You have loved prostitutes' earnings on every threshing floor [attributing the harvest to the Baals instead of to God].

²The threshing floor and the wine press will no longer feed them, And the new wine will fail them [because they failed to honor the God who provides].

³They will not remain in the land of the LORD, But Ephraim will return to [another] Egypt [in bondage] And they will eat [ceremonially] unclean food in Assyria.

⁴They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the LORD; Their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners' bread [eaten at funerals]; All who eat it will be [ceremonially] unclean, For their bread will be for themselves; It will not enter the house of the LORD [to be consecrated].

⁵What will you do on the day of the appointed festival And on the day of the feast of the LORD [when you are in exile]?

⁶For behold, they will go away because of devastation and destruction; Egypt will gather them up, Memphis will bury them. Weeds will take over their treasures of silver; Thorns will grow in their tents.

⁷The days of punishment have come; The days of retribution are at hand; Let Israel know this! The prophet is [considered] a fool; The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented, Because of the abundance of your wickedness and guilt, And because your deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.

⁸Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a [true] prophet [to warn the nation]; But the snare of a bird catcher was laid in all his paths. And there is only deep hostility in the house of his God (the land of Israel).

⁹They have deeply corrupted (perverted) themselves As in the days of Gibeah. The LORD will remember their wickedness and guilt; He will punish their sins.

¹⁰I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness [an unexpected and refreshing delight]; I saw your fathers (ancestors) as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree in its first season, But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to shamefulness [the worship of Baal], And [because of their spiritual and physical adultery] they became as detestable and loathsome as the thing they loved.

¹¹As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird; No birth, no pregnancy, and [because of their impurity] no conception.

¹²Even though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them until not one is left. Indeed, woe (judgment is coming) to them when I look away and withdraw [My blessing] from them!

¹³Ephraim, as I have seen, Is planted in a pleasant [and prosperous] meadow like Tyre; But Ephraim will bring out his children to the executioner [for slaughter].

¹⁴Give them [the punishment they deserve], O LORD! What will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

¹⁵All their wickedness [says the LORD] is focused in Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their [idolatrous] practices I will drive them out of My house (the land of Israel)! I will love them no longer; All their princes are rebels.

¹⁶Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, They will bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will slay the precious children of their womb.

¹⁷My God will reject them and cast them away Because they did not listen to Him; And they will be wanderers (fugitives) among the nations.

¹Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down [from Jerusalem to Caesarea] with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus [acting as spokesman and counsel]. They presented to the governor their [formal] charges against Paul.

²After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began the complaint [against him], saying to the governor: "Since through you we have attained great peace, and since by your foresight reforms are being carried out for this nation,

³in every way and in every place, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude.

⁴But so that I do not weary you further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing.

⁵For we have found this man to be a public menace and one who instigates dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the [heretical] sect of the Nazarenes.

⁶He even tried to desecrate the temple, but we took him into custody[and we intended to judge him by our Law,

⁷but Lysias the commander came, and with great force took him out of our hands,

⁸and ordered his accusers to come before you.] By interrogating him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to determine [the truth about] these things with which we charge him."

⁹The Jews also joined in the attack, declaring and insisting that these things were so.

¹⁰When the governor nodded for him to speak, Paul answered, "Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I make my defense cheerfully and with good courage.

¹¹As you can easily verify, it has been no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

¹²Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor elsewhere in the city did they find me carrying on a discussion or disputing with anybody or causing a crowd to gather.

¹³Nor can they present evidence to you to prove what they now bring against me.

¹⁴But I confess this to you, that according to the Way, which they call a [divisive and heretical] sect, I do worship and serve the God of our fathers, [confidently] believing everything that is in accordance with the Law [of Moses] and that is written in the Prophets;

¹⁵having [the same] hope in God which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of [the dead], both of the righteous and of the wicked.

¹⁶In view of this, I also do my best and strive always to have a clear conscience before God and before men.

¹⁷Now after several years I came [to Jerusalem] to bring to my people charitable contributions and offerings.

¹⁸They found me in the temple presenting these offerings, after I had undergone [the rites of] purification, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor],

¹⁹who ought to have been here before you to present their charges, if they have anything against me.

²⁰Or else let these men tell what crime they found [me guilty of] when I stood before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court),

²¹other than for this one statement which I had shouted out as I stood among them, 'For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.'"

²²But Felix, having a rather accurate understanding about the Way, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case."

²³Then he ordered the centurion to keep Paul in custody, but to let him have some freedom, and [he told the centurion] not to stop any of his friends from providing for his needs.

²⁴Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him talk about faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁵But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control [honorable behavior, personal integrity], and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for now, and when I find [a convenient] time I will send for you."

²⁶At the same time he was also hoping to get money from Paul [as a bribe]; so he continued to send for him quite often and talked with him.

²⁷But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded [in office] by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.