Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.

²“Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.

³If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

⁴This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

⁵“Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey — riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

⁶The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.

⁷They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

⁸Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

⁹Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!”

¹⁰The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

¹¹And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

¹²Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.

¹³He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

¹⁴The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.

¹⁵The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant.

¹⁶They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’ ”

¹⁷Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.

¹⁸In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry,

¹⁹and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.

²⁰The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

²¹Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.

²²You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

²³When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

²⁴“I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied.

²⁵“Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John.

²⁶But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.”

²⁷So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁸“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’

²⁹The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway.

³⁰Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

³¹“Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.

³²For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

³³“Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.

³⁴At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.

³⁵But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

³⁶So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.

³⁷“Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

³⁸“But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

³⁹So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.

⁴⁰“When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”

⁴¹The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”

⁴²Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’

⁴³I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.

⁴⁴Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on. ”

⁴⁵When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them — they were the wicked farmers.

⁴⁶They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

¹The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

²I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

³I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

⁴So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

⁵He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth — his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran — and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,

⁶Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

⁷Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants. ” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

⁸After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the LORD, and he worshiped the LORD.

⁹Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.

¹⁰At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.

¹¹As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.

¹²When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’

¹³So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

¹⁴And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty.

¹⁵When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace.

¹⁶Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her — sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

¹⁷But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

¹⁸So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?

¹⁹Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!”

²⁰Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

¹I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me.

²For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband — Christ.

³But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.

⁴You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

⁵But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things.

⁶I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way.

⁷Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return?

⁸I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost.

⁹And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.

¹⁰As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this.

¹¹Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.

¹²But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours.

¹³These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

¹⁴But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

¹⁵So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.

¹⁶Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little.

¹⁷Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool.

¹⁸And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too.

¹⁹After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools!

²⁰You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.

²¹I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about — I’m talking like a fool again — I dare to boast about it, too.

²²Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

²³Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.

²⁴Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

²⁶I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.

²⁷I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

²⁸Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.

²⁹Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

³⁰If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.

³¹God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

³²When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.

³³I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

¹“Look, I have seen all this with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, and now I understand.

²I know as much as you do. You are no better than I am.

³As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself.

⁴As for you, you smear me with lies. As physicians, you are worthless quacks.

⁵If only you could be silent! That’s the wisest thing you could do.

⁶Listen to my charge; pay attention to my arguments.

⁷“Are you defending God with lies? Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake?

⁸Will you slant your testimony in his favor? Will you argue God’s case for him?

⁹What will happen when he finds out what you are doing? Can you fool him as easily as you fool people?

¹⁰No, you will be in trouble with him if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor.

¹¹Doesn’t his majesty terrify you? Doesn’t your fear of him overwhelm you?

¹²Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot.

¹³“Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak, and I will face the consequences.

¹⁴Why should I put myself in mortal danger and take my life in my own hands?

¹⁵God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with him.

¹⁶But this is what will save me — I am not godless. If I were, I could not stand before him.

¹⁷“Listen closely to what I am about to say. Hear me out.

¹⁸I have prepared my case; I will be proved innocent.

¹⁹Who can argue with me over this? And if you prove me wrong, I will remain silent and die.

²⁰“O God, grant me these two things, and then I will be able to face you.

²¹Remove your heavy hand from me, and don’t terrify me with your awesome presence.

²²Now summon me, and I will answer! Or let me speak to you, and you reply.

²³Tell me, what have I done wrong? Show me my rebellion and my sin.

²⁴Why do you turn away from me? Why do you treat me as your enemy?

²⁵Would you terrify a leaf blown by the wind? Would you chase dry straw?

²⁶“You write bitter accusations against me and bring up all the sins of my youth.

²⁷You put my feet in stocks. You examine all my paths. You trace all my footprints.

²⁸I waste away like rotting wood, like a moth-eaten coat.

¹Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world!

²High and low, rich and poor — listen!

³For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.

⁴I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

⁵Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?

⁶They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.

⁷Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.

⁸Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough

⁹to live forever and never see the grave.

¹⁰Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.

¹¹The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves,

¹²but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.

¹³This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude

¹⁴Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates.

¹⁵But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude

¹⁶So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.

¹⁷For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

¹⁸In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.

¹⁹But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.

²⁰People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.

¹A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline; a mocker refuses to listen to correction.

²Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.

³Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.

⁴Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

⁵The godly hate lies; the wicked cause shame and disgrace.

⁶Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil are misled by sin.

⁷Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.

⁸The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened.

⁹The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

¹⁰Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.

¹¹Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed.

¹⁴The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.

¹⁵A person with good sense is respected; a treacherous person is headed for destruction.

¹⁶Wise people think before they act; fools don’t — and even brag about their foolishness.

¹⁷An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing.

¹⁸If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.

¹⁹It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.

²⁰Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

²¹Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous.

²²Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.

²³A poor person’s farm may produce much food, but injustice sweeps it all away.

²⁴Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

²⁵The godly eat to their hearts’ content, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.

¹When King Jehoshaphat of Judah arrived safely home in Jerusalem,

²Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. “Why should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?” he asked the king. “Because of what you have done, the LORD is very angry with you.

³Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God.”

⁴Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people, traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, encouraging the people to return to the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

⁵He appointed judges throughout the nation in all the fortified towns,

⁶and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the LORD. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case.

⁷Fear the LORD and judge with integrity, for the LORD our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”

⁸In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests and clan leaders in Israel to serve as judges for cases involving the LORD’s regulations and for civil disputes.

⁹These were his instructions to them: “You must always act in the fear of the LORD, with faithfulness and an undivided heart.

¹⁰Whenever a case comes to you from fellow citizens in an outlying town, whether a murder case or some other violation of God’s laws, commands, decrees, or regulations, you must warn them not to sin against the LORD, so that he will not be angry with you and them. Do this and you will not be guilty.

¹¹“Amariah the high priest will have final say in all cases involving the LORD. Zebadiah son of Ishmael, a leader from the tribe of Judah, will have final say in all civil cases. The Levites will assist you in making sure that justice is served. Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the LORD be with those who do what is right.”

¹Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem ! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the LORD is upon us.

²It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again.

³Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden. Behind them is nothing but desolation; not one thing escapes.

⁴They look like horses; they charge forward like warhorses.

⁵Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops. Listen to the noise they make — like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like a mighty army moving into battle.

⁶Fear grips all the people; every face grows pale with terror.

⁷The attackers march like warriors and scale city walls like soldiers. Straight forward they march, never breaking rank.

⁸They never jostle each other; each moves in exactly the right position. They break through defenses without missing a step.

⁹They swarm over the city and run along its walls. They enter all the houses, climbing like thieves through the windows.

¹⁰The earth quakes as they advance, and the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars no longer shine.

¹¹The LORD is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive?

¹²That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

¹³Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.

¹⁴Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the LORD your God as before.

¹⁵Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting.

¹⁶Gather all the people — the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.

¹⁷Let the priests, who minister in the LORD’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, “Spare your people, LORD! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”

¹⁸Then the LORD will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land.

¹⁹The LORD will reply, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations.

²⁰I will drive away these armies from the north. I will send them into the parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea, and those at the rear into the Mediterranean. The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land.” Surely the LORD has done great things!

²¹Don’t be afraid, O land. Be glad now and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.

²²Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field, for the wilderness pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit; fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more.

²³Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring.

²⁴The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil.

²⁵The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.

²⁶Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced.

²⁷Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.

²⁸“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

²⁹In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants — men and women alike.

³⁰And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth — blood and fire and columns of smoke.

³¹The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives.

³²But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.

¹Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service.

²As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple.

³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

⁴Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!”

⁵The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money.

⁶But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

⁷Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.

⁸He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

⁹All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God.

¹⁰When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded!

¹¹They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.

¹²Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?

¹³For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the God of all our ancestors — who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him.

¹⁴You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.

¹⁵You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

¹⁶“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed — and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.

¹⁷“Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance.

¹⁸But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah — that he must suffer these things.

¹⁹Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

²⁰Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.

²¹For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.

²²Moses said, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’

²³Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’

²⁴“Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today.

²⁵You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’

²⁶When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”