Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Jesus began to speak to them [the chief priests, scribes and elders who were questioning Him] in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and put awall around it, and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower; and he rented it out to tenant farmers and left the country.

²When the harvest season came he sent a servant to the tenants, in order to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.

³They took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

⁴Again he sent them another servant, and they [threw stones and] wounded him in the head, and treated him disgracefully.

⁵And he sent another, and that one they killed; then many others—some they beat and some they killed.

⁶He still had one man left to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

⁷But those tenants said to each other, 'This man is the heir! Come on, let us kill him [and destroy the evidence], and his inheritance will be ours!'

⁸So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard.

⁹What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders regarded as unworthy and rejected, This [very stone] has become the chief Cornerstone

¹¹This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous and wonderful in our eyes'?"

¹²And they were looking for a way to seize Him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they knew that He spoke this parable in reference to [and as a charge against] them. And so they left Him and went away.

¹³Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus in order to trap Him into making a statement [that they could use against Him].

¹⁴They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and have no personal bias toward anyone; for You are not influenced by outward appearances or social status, but in truth You teach the way of God. Is it lawful [according to Jewish law and tradition] to pay the poll-tax to [ Tiberius] Caesar, or not?

¹⁵Should we pay [the tax] or should we not pay?" But knowing their hypocrisy, He asked them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a coin (denarius) to look at."

¹⁶So they brought one. Then He asked them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's."

¹⁷Jesus said to them, "Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were greatly amazed at Him.

¹⁸Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him, and began questioning Him, saying,

¹⁹"Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law] that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but leaves no child, his brother is tomarry the widow and raise up children for his brother.

²⁰There were seven brothers; the first [one] took a wife, and died leaving no children.

²¹The second brother married her, and died leaving no children; and the third likewise;

²²and so all seven [married her and died, and] left no children. Last of all the woman died also.

²³In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven [brothers] were married to her."

²⁴Jesus said to them, "Is this not why you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures [that teach the resurrection] nor the power of God [who is able to raise the dead]?

²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they do not marry nor are they given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

²⁶But concerning the raising of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken and you are deceiving yourselves!"

²⁸Then one of the scribes [an expert in Mosaic Law] came up and listened to them arguing [with one another], and noticing that Jesus answered them well, asked Him, "Which commandment is first and most important of all?"

²⁹Jesus answered, "The first and most important one is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord;

³⁰and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.'

³¹This is the second: 'You shall [unselfishly]love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

³²The scribe said to Him, "Admirably answered, Teacher; You truthfully stated that He is One, and there is no other but Him;

³³and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to [unselfishly] love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴When Jesus saw that he answered thoughtfully and intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions.

³⁵Jesus began to say, as He taught in [a portico or court of] the temple, " How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

³⁶David himself said [when inspired] by the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord (the Father) said to my Lord (the Son, the Messiah), "Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies under Your feet."'

³⁷David himself calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) 'Lord'; so how can it be that He is David's Son?" The large crowd enjoyed hearing Jesus and listened to Him with delight.

³⁸In [the course of] His teaching He was saying, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes [displaying their prominence], and like to receive respectful greetings in the market places,

³⁹and [they love] the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of distinction and honor at banquets,

⁴⁰[these scribes] who devour (confiscate) widows' houses, and offer long prayers for appearance's sake [to impress others]. These men will receive greater condemnation."

⁴¹And He sat down opposite the [temple] treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury. And many rich people were putting in large sums.

⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a mite.

⁴³Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this poor widow put in [proportionally] more than all the contributors to the treasury.

⁴⁴For they all contributed from their surplus, but she, from her poverty, put in all she had, all she had to live on."

¹Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying: "Jacob has taken away everything that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has acquired all this wealth and honor."

²Jacob noticed [a change in] the attitude of Laban, and saw that it was not friendly toward him as before.

³Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your people, and I will be with you."

⁴So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,

⁵and he said to them, "I see [a change in] your father's attitude, that he is not friendly toward me as [he was] before; but the God of my father [Isaac] has been with me.

⁶You know that I have served your father with all my strength.

⁷Yet your father has cheated me [as often as possible] and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to hurt me.

⁸If he said, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then the entire flock gave birth to speckled [young]; and if he said, 'The streaked shall be your wages,' then the entire flock gave birth to streaked [young].

⁹Thus God has taken away the flocks of your father and given them to me.

¹⁰And it happened at the time when the flock conceived that I looked up and saw in a dream that the rams which mated [with the female goats] were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

¹¹And the Angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' And I said, 'Here I am.'

¹²He said, 'Look up and see, all the rams which are mating [with the flock] are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

¹³I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you made a vow to Me; now stand up, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.'"

¹⁴Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

¹⁵Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For he sold us [to you in marriage], and has also entirely used up our purchase price.

¹⁶Surely all the riches which God has taken from our father are ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has told you to do, do it."

¹⁷Then Jacob stood [and took action] and put his children and his wives on camels;

¹⁸and he drove away all his livestock and [took along] all his property which he had acquired, the livestock he had obtained and accumulated in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

¹⁹When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel [went inside the house and] stole her father's household gods.

²⁰And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean (Syrian) by not telling him that he intended to leave and he slipped away secretly.

²¹So he fled with everything that he had, and got up and crossed the river [Euphrates], and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead [east of the Jordan River].

²²On the third day [after his departure] Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

²³So he took his relatives with him and pursued him for seven days, and they overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

²⁴God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob, either good or bad."

²⁵Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the hill, and Laban with his relatives camped on the same hill of Gilead.

²⁶Then Laban said to Jacob, "What do you mean by deceiving me and leaving without my knowledge, and carrying off my daughters as if [they were] captives of the sword?

²⁷Why did you run away secretly and deceive me and not tell me, so that [otherwise] I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with [music on the] tambourine and lyre?

²⁸And why did you not allow me to kiss my grandchildren and my daughters [goodbye]? Now you have done a foolish thing [in behaving like this].

²⁹It is in my power to harm you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to speak to Jacob, either good or bad.'

³⁰Now [I suppose] you felt you must go because you were homesick for your father's house and family; but why did you steal my [household] gods?"

³¹Jacob answered Laban, "[I left secretly] because I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.

³²The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our relatives [search my possessions and] point out whatever you find that belongs to you and take it." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

³³So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he came out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

³⁴Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddlebag and sat on them. Laban searched through all her tent, but did not find them.

³⁵So Rachel said to her father, "Do not be displeased, my lord, that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is on me and I am unwell." He searched [further] but did not find the household idols.

³⁶Then Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. And he said to Laban, "What is my fault? What is my sin that you pursued me like this?

³⁷Although you have searched through all my possessions, what have you found of your household goods? Put it here before my relatives and your relatives, so that they may decide [who has done right] between the two of us.

³⁸These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not lost their young, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

³⁹I did not bring you the torn carcasses [of the animals attacked by predators]; I [personally] took the loss. You required of me [to make good] everything that was stolen, whether it occurred by day or night.

⁴⁰This was my situation: by day the heat consumed me and by night the cold, and I could not sleep.

⁴¹These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for [my share of] your flocks, and you have changed my wages ten times.

⁴²If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and [the Feared One] of Isaac, had not been with me, most certainly you would have sent me away now empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and humiliation and the [exhausting] labor of my hands, so He rendered judgment and rebuked you last night."

⁴³Laban answered Jacob, "These women [that you married] are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, these flocks are [from] my flocks, and all that you see [here] is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children to whom they have given birth?

⁴⁴So come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me."

⁴⁵So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a [memorial] pillar.

⁴⁶Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." And they took stones and made a mound [of stones], and they ate [a ceremonial meal together] there on the mound [of stones].

⁴⁷Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha (stone monument of testimony in Aramaic), but Jacob called it Galeed.

⁴⁸Laban said, "This mound [of stones] is a witness [a reminder of the oath taken] today between you and me." Therefore he [also] called the name Galeed,

⁴⁹and Mizpah ( watchtower), for Laban said, "May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent from one another.

⁵⁰If you should mistreat (humiliate, oppress) my daughters, or if you should take other wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us [as a witness], see and remember, God is witness between you and me."

⁵¹Laban said to Jacob, "Look at this mound [of stones] and look at this pillar which I have set up between you and me.

⁵²This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this mound to harm you, and that you will not pass by this mound and this pillar to harm me.

⁵³The God of Abraham [your father] and the God of Nahor [my father], and the god [the image of worship] of their father [Terah, an idolater], judge between us." But Jacob swore [only] by [the one true God] the Fear of his father Isaac.

⁵⁴Then Jacob offered a sacrifice [to the LORD] on the mountain, and called his relatives to the meal; and they ate food and spent the night on the mountain.

⁵⁵Early in the morning Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters [goodbye] and pronounced a blessing [asking God's favor] on them. Then Laban left and returned home.

¹Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed) by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

²To the saints and faithful believers in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father.

³We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you,

⁴for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] love which you have for all the saints (God's people);

⁵because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation]

⁶which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God's power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it].

⁷You learned it from [our representative] Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf

⁸and he also has told us of your love [well-grounded and nurtured] in the [Holy] Spirit.

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things],

¹⁰so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts];

¹¹[we pray that you may be] strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy;

¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints (God's people) in the Light.

¹³For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

¹⁴in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins' penalty].

¹⁵He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.

¹⁶For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him.

¹⁷And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]

¹⁸He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything.

¹⁹For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son),

²⁰and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.

²¹And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things,

²²yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in His physical body through death, in order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

²³[and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.

²⁴Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf. And with my own body I supplement whatever is lacking [on our part] of Christ's afflictions, on behalf of His body, which is the church.

²⁵In this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship which God entrusted to me for your sake, so that I might make the word of God fully known [among you]—

²⁶that is, the mystery which was hidden [from angels and mankind] for ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His saints (God's people).

²⁷God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory.

²⁸We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God], so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and perfect in Him—the Anointed].

²⁹For this I labor [often to the point of exhaustion], striving with His power and energy, which so greatly works within me.

¹James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve [Hebrew] tribes [scattered abroad among the Gentiles] in the dispersion: Greetings (rejoice)!

²Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials.

³Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].

⁴And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.

⁵If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.

⁶But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God's willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind.

⁷For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord,

⁸being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

⁹Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position [as a born-again believer, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God];

¹⁰and the rich man is to glory in being humbled [by trials revealing human frailty, knowing true riches are found in the grace of God], for like the flower of the grass he will pass away.

¹¹For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away; so too will the rich man, in the midst of his pursuits, fade away.

¹²Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor's] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God" [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one.

¹⁴But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion).

¹⁵Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.

¹⁶Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters.

¹⁷Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].

¹⁸It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].

¹⁹Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];

²⁰for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].

²¹So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls.

²²But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God's precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].

²³For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror;

²⁴for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like.

²⁵But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].

²⁶If anyone thinks himself to be religious [scrupulously observant of the rituals of his faith], and does not control his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religion is worthless (futile, barren).

²⁷Pure and unblemished religion [as it is expressed in outward acts] in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit and look after the fatherless and the widows in their distress, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the [secular] world.

¹So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

²But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God's character].

³Elihu's anger burned against Job's three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job's error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he.

⁵And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he burned with anger.

⁶Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite said, "I am young, and you are aged; For that reason I was anxious and dared not tell you what I think.

⁷"I thought age should speak, And a multitude of years should teach wisdom.

⁸"But there is [a vital force and] a spirit [of intelligence] in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

⁹"Those [who are] abundant in years may not [always] be wise, Nor may the elders [always] understand justice.

¹⁰"Therefore I say, 'Listen to me; I also will give you my opinion [about Job's situation] and tell you plainly what I think.'

¹¹"You see, I waited for your words, I listened to your [wise] reasons, While you pondered and searched out what to say.

¹²"I even paid close attention to [what] you [said], Indeed, not one of you convinced Job [nor could you refute him], Not one of you supplied [satisfactory] answers to his words.

¹³"Beware if you say, 'We have found wisdom; God thrusts Job down [justly], not man [for God alone is dealing with him].'

¹⁴"Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended], Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]

¹⁵"They (Job's friends) are dismayed and embarrassed, they no longer answer; The words have moved away and failed them," [says Elihu].

¹⁶"And shall I wait, because they say nothing, But stand still and say no more?

¹⁷"I too will give my share of answers; I too will express my opinion and share my knowledge.

¹⁸"For I am full of words; The spirit within me constrains me.

¹⁹"My belly is like unvented wine; Like new wineskins it is about to burst.

²⁰"I must speak so that I may get relief; I will open my lips and answer.

²¹"I will not [I warn you] be partial to any man [that is, let my respect for you mitigate what I say]; Nor flatter any man.

²²"For I do not know how to flatter, [in an appropriate way, and I fear that], My Maker would soon take me away.

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered; Let those who hate Him flee before Him.

²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked and guilty perish before [the presence of] God.

³But let the righteous be glad; let them be in good spirits before God, Yes, let them rejoice with delight.

⁴Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the desert— His name is the LORD—be in good spirits before Him.

⁵A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

⁶God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land.

⁷O God, when You went out before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah.

⁸The earth trembled; The heavens also poured down rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹You, O God, sent abroad plentiful rain; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched and weary.

¹⁰Your flock found a dwelling place in it; O God, in Your goodness You provided for the poor.

¹¹The Lord gives the command [to take Canaan]; The women who proclaim the good news are a great host (army);

¹²"The kings of the [enemies'] armies flee, they flee, And the beautiful woman who remains at home divides the spoil [left behind]."

¹³When you lie down [to rest] among the sheepfolds, You [Israel] are like the wings of a dove [of victory] overlaid with silver, Its feathers glistening with gold [trophies taken from the enemy].

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered [the Canaanite] kings in the land of Canaan, It was snowing on Zalmon.

¹⁵A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A [high] mountain of many summits is Mount Bashan [rising east of the Jordan].

¹⁶Why do you look with envy, mountains with many peaks, At the mountain [of the city of Zion] which God has desired for His dwelling place? Yes, the LORD will dwell there forever.

¹⁷The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as He was at Sinai, in holiness.

¹⁸You have ascended on high, You have led away captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there.

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden day by day, The God who is our salvation! Selah.

²⁰God is to us a God of acts of salvation; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death [setting us free].

²¹Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of one who goes on in his guilty ways.

²²The Lord said, "I will bring your enemies back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the [Red] Sea,

²³That your foot may crush them in blood, That the tongue of your dogs may have its share from your enemies."

²⁴They have seen Your [solemn] procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary [in holiness].

²⁵The singers go in front, the players of instruments last; Between them the maidens playing on tambourines.

²⁶Bless God in the congregations, [give thanks, gratefully praise Him], The LORD, you who are from [Jacob] the fountain of Israel.

²⁷The youngest is there, Benjamin, ruling them, The princes of Judah and their company [the southern tribes], The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali [the northern tribes].

²⁸Your God has commanded your strength [your power in His service and your resistance to temptation]; Show Yourself strong, O God, who acted on our behalf.

²⁹Because of Your temple at Jerusalem [Pagan] kings will bring gifts to You [out of respect].

³⁰Rebuke the beasts [living] among the reeds [in Egypt], The herd of bulls (the leaders) with the calves of the peoples; Trampling underfoot the pieces of silver; He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.

³¹Princes and envoys shall come from Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands [with the offerings of submission] to God.

³²Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord! Selah.

³³To Him who rides in the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, Behold, He sends out His voice, a mighty and majestic voice.

³⁴Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies.

³⁵O God, You are awesome and profoundly majestic from Your sanctuary; The God of Israel gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

¹The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

²To know [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction; To discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

³To receive instruction in wise behavior and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, Righteousness, justice, and integrity;

⁴That prudence (good judgment, astute common sense) may be given to the naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], And knowledge and discretion (intelligent discernment) to the youth,

⁵The wise will hear and increase their learning, And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

⁶To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation, And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

⁷The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

⁸My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not reject the teaching of your mother.

⁹For they are a garland of grace on your head, And chains and ornaments [of gold] around your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us; Let us lie in wait to shed blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

¹²Let us swallow them alive like Sheol (the place of the dead), Even whole, as those who go down to the pit [of death];

¹³We will find and take all kinds of precious possessions, We will fill our houses with spoil;

¹⁴Throw in your lot with us [they insist]; We will all have one money bag [in common],"

¹⁵My son, do not walk on the road with them; Keep your foot [far] away from their path,

¹⁶For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird;

¹⁸But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood; They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; Greed takes away the lives of its possessors.

²⁰Wisdom shouts in the street, She raises her voice in the markets;

²¹She calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather]; At the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words:

²²"How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning? How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing, How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?

²³"If you will turn and pay attention to my rebuke, Behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

²⁴"Because I called and you refused [to answer], I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer];

²⁵And you treated all my counsel as nothing And would not accept my reprimand,

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread and panic come,

²⁷When your dread and panic come like a storm, And your disaster comes like a whirlwind, When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution].

²⁸"Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer; They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,

²⁹Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect],

³⁰They would not accept my counsel, And they spurned all my rebuke.

³¹"Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.

³²"For the turning away of the naive will kill them, And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.

³³"But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil."

¹Now these are the people of the province [of Judah] who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had deported to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city.

²These came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

³the sons (descendants) of Parosh, 2,172;

⁴the sons of Shephatiah, 372;

⁵the sons of Arah, 775;

⁶the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812;

⁷the sons of Elam, 1,254;

⁸the sons of Zattu, 945;

⁹the sons of Zaccai, 760;

¹⁰the sons of Bani, 642;

¹¹the sons of Bebai, 623;

¹²the sons of Azgad, 1,222;

¹³the sons of Adonikam, 666;

¹⁴the sons of Bigvai, 2,056;

¹⁵the sons of Adin, 454;

¹⁶the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98;

¹⁷the sons of Bezai, 323;

¹⁸the sons of Jorah, 112;

¹⁹the sons of Hashum, 223;

²⁰the sons of Gibbar, 95;

²¹the men of Bethlehem, 123;

²²the men of Netophah, 56;

²³the men of Anathoth, 128;

²⁴the sons of Azmaveth, 42;

²⁵the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743;

²⁶the sons of Ramah and Geba, 621;

²⁷the men of Michmas, 122;

²⁸the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;

²⁹the sons of Nebo, 52;

³⁰the sons of Magbish, 156;

³¹the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;

³²the sons of Harim, 320;

³³the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725;

³⁴the men of Jericho, 345;

³⁵the sons of Senaah, 3,630.

³⁶The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;

³⁷the sons of Immer, 1,052;

³⁸the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;

³⁹the sons of Harim, 1,017.

⁴⁰The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74.

⁴¹The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128.

⁴²The sons of the gatekeepers: of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, in all 139.

⁴³The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

⁴⁴the sons of Keros, Siaha, Padon,

⁴⁵the sons of Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

⁴⁶the sons of Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

⁴⁷the sons of Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

⁴⁸the sons of Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

⁴⁹the sons of Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

⁵⁰the sons of Asnah, Meunim, Nephisim,

⁵¹the sons of Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

⁵²the sons of Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

⁵³the sons of Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

⁵⁴the sons of Neziah, Hatipha.

⁵⁵The sons of [King] Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, Hassophereth (Sophereth), Peruda,

⁵⁶the sons of Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

⁵⁷the sons of Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, Ami.

⁵⁸All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants totaled 392.

⁵⁹Now these are the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not provide evidence of their fathers' households and their descendants, whether they were of Israel:

⁶⁰the sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652.

⁶¹Of the sons of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, of Hakkoz, and of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was known by their name.

⁶²These searched [for their names] among those registered in the genealogies, but they were not found; so they were excluded from the priesthood as [ceremonially] unclean.

⁶³The governor told them that they should not eat of the most holy things [the priests' food] until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim [who by consulting these articles in his breastplate could determine God's will in the matter].

⁶⁴The whole assembly totaled 42,360,

⁶⁵besides their male and female servants who numbered 7,337; and [among them] they had 200 male and female singers.

⁶⁶Their horses totaled 736; their mules, 245;

⁶⁷their camels totaled 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

⁶⁸Some of the heads of the fathers' households (extended families), when they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, made voluntary contributions for the house of God to rebuild it on its [old] foundation.

⁶⁹They gave according to their ability to the treasury for the work, 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly [linen] garments.

⁷⁰So the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants settled in their [own] cities, and all Israel [gradually settled] into their cities.

¹But it shall come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Shall be established as the highest and chief of the mountains; It shall be above the hills, And peoples shall flow [like a river] to it.

²And many nations shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law shall go forward from Zion, And the word of the LORD [the revelation about Him and His truth] from Jerusalem.

³And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for strong and distant nations. Then they shall hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks [so that the implements of war may become the tools of agriculture]; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Nor shall they ever again train for war.

⁴Each of them shall sit [in security and peace] under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid, For the mouth of the [omnipotent] LORD of hosts has spoken it.

⁵For all the peoples [now] walk Each in the name of his god [in a transient relationship], As for us, we shall walk [securely] In the name of the LORD our [true] God forever and ever.

⁶"In that day," says the LORD, "I shall assemble the lame, And gather the outcasts [from foreign captivity], Even those whom I have caused pain.

⁷"I shall make the lame a [godly] remnant And the outcasts a strong nation; And the LORD shall reign over them in Mount Zion From this time on and forever.

⁸"As for you [Jerusalem], tower of the flock [of Israel], Hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem's inhabitants), To you the former dominion shall come, The kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem [when the Messiah reigns in Jerusalem, and the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled].

⁹"Now, why do you cry out loudly? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished? For agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth.

¹⁰"Writhe in pain and labor to give birth, O Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth; For now you shall go out of the city, Live in the field, And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; There the LORD shall redeem you From the hand of your enemies.

¹¹"Now many [conquering] nations are assembled against you, Who say, 'Let her be profaned [through Gentile presence and the temple's destruction], And let our eyes gaze on and gloat over Zion.'

¹²"But they (Gentile nations) do not know the thoughts of the LORD, Nor do they understand His purpose and plan; For He has gathered them (Gentiles) like sheaves to the threshing floor [for destruction].

¹³"Arise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion! For I will make your horn iron And I will make your hoofs bronze; That you may beat many peoples in pieces [trampling down your enemies], That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain (pagan possessions) And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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