Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

²saying: "The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses' chair [of authority as teachers of the Law];

³so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them.

⁴The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].

⁵They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long.

⁶They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation],

⁷and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi.

⁸But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers.

⁹Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

¹⁰Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ.

¹¹But the greatest among you will be your servant.

¹²Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.

¹³"But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.

¹⁴[Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you swallow up widows' houses, and to cover it up you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.]

¹⁵"Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert to Judaism), and when he becomes a convert, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

¹⁶"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swears [an oath] by the gold of the temple is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].'

¹⁷You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?

¹⁸And [you scribes and Pharisees say], 'Whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, that is nothing (non-binding), but whoever swears [an oath] by the offering on it, he is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].'

¹⁹You [spiritually] blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?

²⁰Therefore, whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, swears both by it and by everything [offered] on it.

²¹And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.

²²And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

²³"Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.

²⁴You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God's precepts]!

²⁵"Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed).

²⁶You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God's precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.

²⁷"Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.

²⁸So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹"Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

³⁰and you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

³¹So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

³²Fill up, then, the [allotted] measure of the guilt of your fathers' sins.

³³You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?

³⁴"Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city,

³⁵so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

³⁶I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [the judgment for] all these things [these vile and murderous deeds] will come on this generation.

³⁷" O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

³⁸Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!

³⁹For I say to you, you will not see Me again [ministering to you publicly] until you say, 'Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

¹In the days of the [Eastern] kings Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,

²they [invaded the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, and] made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela(that is, Zoar).

³All of these [kings] joined together [as allies] in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Sea of Salt).

⁴Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer [the most powerful king in the invading confederacy], but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

⁵In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the [three] kings who were with him attacked and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

⁶and the Horites in their mountainous country of Seir, as far as El-paran, which is on the border of the wilderness.

⁷Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

⁸Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they joined together for battle with the invading kings in the Valley of Siddim,

⁹against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.

¹⁰Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar (bitumen) pits; and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them. But the remainder [of the kings] who survived fled to the hill country.

¹¹Then the victors took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and provisions and left.

¹²And they also took [captive] Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and left, for he was living in Sodom.

¹³Then a survivor who had escaped [from the invading forces on the other side of the Jordan] came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the terebinths (oaks) of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner—they were allies of Abram.

¹⁴When Abram heard that his nephew [Lot] had been captured, he armed and led out his trained men, born in his own house, [numbering] three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far [north] as Dan.

¹⁵He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

¹⁶And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

¹⁷Then after Abram's return from the defeat (slaughter) of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).

¹⁸Melchizedek king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) brought out bread and wine [for them]; he was the priest of God Most High.

¹⁹And Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, "Blessed (joyful, favored) be Abram by God Most High, Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth;

²⁰And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your enemies into your hand." And Abram gave him a tenth of all [the treasure he had taken in battle].

²¹The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods (spoils of battle) for yourself."

²²But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand and sworn an oath to the LORD God Most High, the Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth,

²³that I would not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a sandal strap, so you could not say, 'I [the King of Sodom] have made Abram rich.'

²⁴I will take nothing except what my young men have eaten, and the share of the spoils belonging to the men [my allies] who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share of the spoils."

¹This is the third time that I am visiting you. Every fact shall be sustained and confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

²I have already warned those who have sinned in the past and all the rest as well, and I warn them now even though I am absent [from you] as I did when I was with you the second time, that if I come back I will not spare anyone,

³since you seek [forensic] proof that Christ is speaking in and through me. He is not weak or ineffective in dealing with you, but powerful within you.

⁴For even though He was crucified in weakness [yielding Himself], yet He lives [resurrected] by the power of God [His Father]. For we too are weak in Him [as He was humanly weak], yet we are alive and well [in fellowship] with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.

⁵Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?

⁶But I hope you will acknowledge that we do not fail the test nor are we to be rejected.

⁷But I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong. Not so that we [and our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing what is right, even though we [by comparison] may seem to have failed.

⁸For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth [and the gospel—the good news of salvation].

⁹We are glad when we are weak [since God's power comes freely through us], but you [by comparison] are strong. We also pray for this, that you be made complete [fully restored, growing and maturing in godly character and spirit—pleasing your heavenly Father by the life you live].

¹⁰For this reason I am writing these things while absent from you, so that when I come, I will not need to deal severely [with you], in my use of the authority which the Lord has given me [to be used] for building you up and not for tearing you down.

¹¹Finally, believers, rejoice! Be made complete [be what you should be], be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace [enjoy the spiritual well-being experienced by believers who walk closely with God]; and the God of love and peace [the source of lovingkindness] will be with you.

¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³All God's people greet you.

¹⁴The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,

²"Should a wise man [such as you] utter such windy and vain knowledge [as we have just heard] And fill himself with the east wind [of withering, parching, and violent accusations]?

³"Should he rebuke and argue with useless talk? Or with words in which there is no benefit?

⁴"Indeed, you are doing away with fear, And you are diminishing meditation before God.

⁵"For your guilt teaches your mouth, And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.

⁶"Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you.

⁷"Were you the first man to be born [the original wise man], Or were you created before the hills?

⁸"Do you hear the secret counsel of God, And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?

⁹"What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not equally clear to us?

¹⁰"Among us are both the gray-haired and the aged, Older than your father.

¹¹"Are the consolations of God [as we have interpreted them to you] too trivial for you, [Or] were we too gentle toward you [in our first speech] to be effective?

¹²"Why does your heart carry you away [allowing you to be controlled by emotion]? And why do your eyes flash [in anger or contempt],

¹³That you should turn your spirit against God And let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?

¹⁴"What is man, that he should be pure and clean, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous and just?

¹⁵"Behold, God puts no trust in His holy ones (angels); Indeed, the heavens are not pure in His sight—

¹⁶How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt, Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!

¹⁷"I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare;

¹⁸What wise men have [freely] told, And have not hidden [anything passed on to them] from their fathers,

¹⁹To whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].

²⁰"The wicked man writhes with pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for him, the ruthless one.

²¹"A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears; While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].

²²"He does not believe that he will return out of the darkness [for fear of being murdered], And he is destined for the sword [of God's vengeance].

²³"He wanders about for food, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness and destruction is already at hand.

²⁴"Distress and anxiety terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for battle.

²⁵"Because he has stretched out his hand against God And behaves arrogantly against the Almighty,

²⁶Running and charging headlong against Him With his ornamented and massive shield;

²⁷For he has covered his face with his fat, Adding layers of fat to his thighs [giving himself up to pleasures],

²⁸And he has lived in desolate [God-forsaken] cities, In houses which no one should inhabit, Which were destined to become heaps [of ruins];

²⁹He will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure; And his grain will not bend to the earth nor his possessions be extended on the earth.

³⁰"He will not escape from darkness [fleeing disaster]; The flame [of God's wrath] will wither his branch, And by the blast of His mouth he will go away.

³¹"Let him not trust in vanity (emptiness, futility) and be led astray; For emptiness will be his reward [for such living].

³²"It will be fulfilled while he still lives, And his branch will not be green [but shall wither away].

³³"He will fail to bring his grapes to maturity [leaving them to wither unnourished] on the vine, And will cast off blossoms [and fail to bring forth fruit] like the olive tree.

³⁴"For the company of the godless is barren, And fire consumes the tents of bribery (wrong and injustice).

³⁵"They conceive mischief and bring forth wickedness, And their inmost soul prepares deceit and fraud."

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt And cleanse me from my sin.

³For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; My sin is always before me.

⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned And done that which is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence] And faultless in Your judgment.

⁵I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness; In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].

⁶Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

⁹Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted and return to You.

¹⁴Rescue me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousness and Your justice.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

¹⁶For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.

¹⁷My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

¹⁸By Your favor do good to Zion; May You rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

¹A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.

²The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable, But the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly.

³The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good [in all their endeavors].

⁴A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.

⁵A [flippant, arrogant] fool rejects his father's instruction and correction, But he who [is willing to learn and] regards and keeps in mind a reprimand acquires good sense.

⁶Great and priceless treasure is in the house of the [consistently] righteous one [who seeks godly instruction and grows in wisdom], But trouble is in the income of the wicked one [who rejects the laws of God].

⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight!

⁹The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character].

¹⁰There is severe discipline for him who turns from the way [of righteousness]; And he who hates correction will die.

¹¹Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the place of eternal punishment) lie open before the LORD— How much more the hearts and inner motives of the children of men.

¹²A scoffer [unlike a wise man] resents one who rebukes him and tries to teach him; Nor will he go to the wise [for counsel and instruction].

¹³A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, But when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed.

¹⁴The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it, But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances].

¹⁶Better is a little with the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Than great treasure and trouble with it.

¹⁷Better is a dinner of vegetables and herbs where love is present Than a fattened ox served with hatred.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger and patient calms disputes.

¹⁹The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], But the way [of life] of the upright is smooth and open like a highway.

²⁰A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Foolishness is joy to him who is without heart and lacks [intelligent, common] sense, But a man of understanding walks uprightly [making his course straight].

²²Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they are established and succeed.

²³A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer, And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!

²⁴The [chosen] path of life leads upward for the wise, That he may keep away from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) below.

²⁵The LORD will tear down the house of the proud and arrogant (self-righteous), But He will establish and protect the boundaries [of the land] of the [godly] widow.

²⁶Evil plans and thoughts of the wicked are exceedingly vile and offensive to the LORD, But pure words are pleasant words to Him.

²⁷He who profits unlawfully brings suffering to his own house, But he who hates bribes [and does not receive nor pay them] will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous thinks carefully about how to answer [in a wise and appropriate and timely way], But the [babbling] mouth of the wicked pours out malevolent things.

²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked [and distances Himself from them], But He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous [that is, those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

³⁰The light of the eyes rejoices the hearts of others, And good news puts fat on the bones.

³¹The ear that listens to and learns from the life-giving rebuke (reprimand, censure) Will remain among the wise.

³²He who neglects and ignores instruction and discipline despises himself, But he who learns from rebuke acquires understanding [and grows in wisdom].

³³The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the instruction for wisdom [its starting point and its essence]; And before honor comes humility.

¹Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers [in death] and was buried with them in the City of David; and his son Jehoram became king in his place.

²He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

³Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, in addition to fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

⁴When Jehoram had ascended over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword [to eliminate any rivals], and some of the leaders of Israel as well.

⁵Jehoram was thirty-two years of age when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

⁶He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done (for he married the daughter of Ahab), and he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

⁷Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and because He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.

⁸In the days of Jehoram Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves.

⁹Then Jehoram crossed over [the Jordan River] with his commanders and all his chariots, and rose up by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots.

¹⁰So Edom revolted against the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time against Jehoram's rule, because he had abandoned (turned away from) the LORD God of his fathers.

¹¹Moreover, he made [idolatrous] high places in the hill country of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful [to God], and he led Judah astray [compelling the people's cooperation].

¹²Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, saying, "Thus says the LORD God of David your father (ancestor): 'Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

¹³but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful [to God] as the house of Ahab was unfaithful, and you have also murdered your brothers, your father's house (your own family), who were better than you,

¹⁴behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great disaster;

¹⁵and you will suffer a severe illness, an intestinal disease, until your intestines come out because of the sickness, day after day.'"

¹⁶Then the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit (anger) of the Philistines and of the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians.

¹⁷They came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king's house (palace), together with his sons and his wives; so there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

¹⁸After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease.

¹⁹Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his disease and he died in excruciating pain. And his people did not make a funeral fire to honor him, like the fire for his fathers.

²⁰Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one's regret (sorrow). They buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

¹The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa, which he saw [in a divine revelation] concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

²And he said, "The LORD thunders and roars from Zion [in judgment] And utters His voice from Jerusalem; Then the pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the summit of [Mount] Carmel dries up [because of God's judgment]."

³Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Damascus and for four (multiplied delinquencies) I shall not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it, Because they have threshed Gilead [east of the Jordan River] with sharp iron sledges [having spikes that crushed and shredded].

⁴"So I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] upon the house of Hazael, And it shall devour the palaces and strongholds of Ben-hadad (Hazael's son).

⁵"I also will break the bar [of the gate] of Damascus, And cut off and destroy the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven (Wickedness), And the ruler who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden (Damascus); And the people of Aram [conquered by the Assyrians] will go into exile to Kir," Says the LORD.

⁶Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Gaza [in Philistia] and for four (multiplied delinquencies) I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it, Because [as slave traders] they took captive the entire [Jewish] population [of defenseless Judean border villages, of which none was spared] And deported them to Edom [for the slave trade].

⁷"So I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] on the wall of Gaza And it shall consume her citadels.

⁸"And I will cut off and destroy the inhabitants from Ashdod, And the ruler who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon; And I will unleash My power and turn My hand [in judgment] against Ekron, And the rest of the Philistines [in Gath and the towns dependent on these four Philistine cities] shall die," Says the Lord GOD.

⁹Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Tyre and for four (multiplied delinquencies) I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it, Because they [as middlemen] deported an entire [Jewish] population to Edom And did not [seriously] remember their covenant of brotherhood.

¹⁰"So I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] on the wall of Tyre, And it shall consume her citadels."

¹¹Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Edom [the descendants of Esau] and for four (multiplied delinquencies) I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it, Because he pursued his brother Jacob (Israel) with the sword, Corrupting and stifling his compassions and casting off all mercy; His destructive anger raged continually, And he maintained [and nurtured] his wrath forever.

¹²"So I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] upon Teman, And it shall consume the citadels of Bozrah [in Edom]."

¹³Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for four (multiplied delinquencies) I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it, Because the Ammonites have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, That they might enlarge their border.

¹⁴"So I will kindle a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] on the wall of Rabbah [in Ammon] And it shall devour its strongholds Amid war cries and shouts of alarm on the day of battle, And a tempest on the day of the whirlwind [when the enemy captures the city].

¹⁵"Their king shall go into exile, He and his princes together," says the LORD.

¹Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

²and with his wife's full knowledge [and complicity] he kept back some of the proceeds, bringing only a portion of it, and set it at the apostles' feet.

³But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?

⁴As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God."

⁵And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fear and awe gripped those who heard of it.

⁶And the young men [in the congregation] got up and wrapped up the body, and carried it out and buried it.

⁷Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

⁸Peter asked her, "Tell me whether you sold your land for so much?" And she said, "Yes, for so much."

⁹Then Peter said to her, "How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."

¹⁰And at once she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

¹¹And great fear and awe gripped the whole church, and all who heard about these things.

¹²At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders (attesting miracles) were continually taking place among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in [the covered porch called] Solomon's portico.

¹³But none of the rest [of the people, the non-believers] dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteem and were speaking highly of them.

¹⁴More and more believers in the Lord, crowds of men and women, were constantly being added to their number,

¹⁵to such an extent that they even carried their sick out into the streets and put them on cots and sleeping pads, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on one of them [with healing power].

¹⁶And the people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

¹⁷But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy and resentment.

¹⁸They arrested the apostles and put them in a public jail.

¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and leading them out, he said,

²⁰"Go, stand and continue to tell the people in the temple [courtyards] the whole message of this Life [the eternal life revealed by Christ and found through faith in Him]."

²¹When they heard this, they went into the temple [courtyards] about daybreak and began teaching. Now when the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), even all the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent word to the prison for the apostles to be brought [before them].

²²But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison; and they came back and reported,

²³"We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened [the doors], we found no one inside."

²⁴Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these things, they were greatly perplexed, wondering what would come of this.

²⁵But someone came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing [right here] in the temple [area], teaching the people!"

²⁶Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).

²⁷So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them,

²⁸saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this Man's blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers]."

²⁹Then Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice].

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross [and you are responsible].

³¹God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins.

³²And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him."

³³Now when they heard this, they were infuriated and they intended to kill the apostles.

³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.

³⁵Then he said to the Council, "Men of Israel, be careful in regard to what you propose to do to these men.

³⁶For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody [of importance], and a group of about four hundred men allied themselves with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.

³⁷After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up, [and led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew people after him; he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered.

³⁸So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men [merely human in origin], it will fail and be destroyed;

³⁹but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!"

⁴⁰The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

⁴¹So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.

⁴²And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).