Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹It was now two days before the Passover and [the festival of] Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were searching for a deceitful way to arrest Jesus and kill Him;

²but they were saying, "Not during the festival, for the people might riot."

³While He was in Bethany [as a guest] at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster vial of very costly and precious perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head.

⁴But there were some who were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted?

⁵For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii [a laborer's wages for almost a year], and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her.

⁶But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why are you bothering her and causing trouble? She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me.

⁷For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do something good to them; but you will not always have Me.

⁸She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

⁹I assure you and most solemnly say to you, wherever the good news [regarding salvation] is proclaimed throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve [disciples], went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

¹¹When they heard this they were delighted, and promised to give him money. And he began looking for an opportune time to betray Jesus.

¹²On the first day [of the festival] of Unleavened Bread, when [as was customary] they sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples asked Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

¹³And He sent two of His disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him;

¹⁴and say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

¹⁵He will show you a large upstairs room, furnished and ready [with carpets and dining couches]; prepare [the supper] for us there."

¹⁶The disciples left and went to the city and found everything just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷When it was evening, He came with the twelve [disciples].

¹⁸While they were reclining at the table, Jesus said, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me."

¹⁹They began to be grieved and deeply distressed and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?"

²⁰And He replied, "It is one of the twelve [disciples], one who is dipping bread in the bowl with Me.

²¹For the Son of Man goes [to the cross] just as it is written [in Scripture] of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."

²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it [giving thanks and praise], and He broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take it. This is My body."

²³And when He had taken a cup [of wine] and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

²⁴And He said to them, "This is My blood of the [new] covenant, [My blood] which is being poured out for many [for the forgiveness of sins].

²⁵I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

²⁶After they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

²⁷Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away [and be ashamed and be afraid to be associated with Me as disciples], because it is written, 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'

²⁸But after I have been raised [from the dead], I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

²⁹But Peter said to Him, "Even if they all fall away [and desert You, ashamed and afraid of being associated with You], yet I will not [do so]!"

³⁰Jesus said to him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you will deny [that you even know] Me three times."

³¹But Peter kept saying insistently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing as well.

³²Then they went to a place called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to His disciples, "Sit down here until I have prayed."

³³He took Peter and James and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled [extremely anguished at the prospect of what was to come].

³⁴And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch."

³⁵After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] and began to pray that if it were possible [in the Father's will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him.

³⁶He was saying, " Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup [of judgment] away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will."

³⁷And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Were you unable to keep watch for one hour?

³⁸Keep [actively] watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

³⁹He went away again and prayed, saying the same words.

⁴⁰And again He came back and found them sleeping, because their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know how to answer Him.

⁴¹He came back a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough [of that]! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴²Get up, let us go. Look, my betrayer is near!"

⁴³And at once, while He was still speaking, Judas [Iscariot], one of the twelve [disciples], came up, and with him a crowd of men with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders [of the Sanhedrin].

⁴⁴Now the betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away safely [under guard]."

⁴⁵When Judas came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Rabbi (Master)!" and he kissed Him [forcefully].

⁴⁶They laid hands on Him and seized Him.

⁴⁷But one of the bystanders [Simon Peter] drew his sword and struck [Malchus] the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber?

⁴⁹Day after day I was with you, teaching in the [courts and porches of the] temple, and you did not seize Me; but this has happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled."

⁵⁰Then all of His disciples abandoned Him and fled.

⁵¹A young man was following Him, wearing [only] a linen sheet over his naked body; and some men seized him.

⁵²But pulling free of the linen sheet, he escaped [from them] naked.

⁵³They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) gathered together.

⁵⁴Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers [guards and servants] and warming himself at the fire.

⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the entire Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) were trying to obtain testimony against Jesus [which they could use] to have Him [condemned and] executed, but they were not finding any.

⁵⁶For many [people] were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimonies were not consistent.

⁵⁷Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying,

⁵⁸"We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple (sanctuary) that was made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'"

⁵⁹Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

⁶⁰The high priest stood up and came forward and asked Jesus, "Have You no answer to give [in response] to what these men are testifying against You?"

⁶¹But Jesus kept silent and gave no answer at all. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the Blessed One?"

⁶²Jesus said, "I am; and you will [all] see the Son of Man seated [with authority] at the right hand of Power (the Father), and coming with the clouds of heaven."

⁶³Then tearing his robe [to express his indignation], the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?

⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy [that is, His claim to be the Son of God]. What is your decision?" And they all condemned Him to be [guilty and] deserving of death.

⁶⁵And some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, "Prophesy [by telling us who hit you]!" Then the officers took custody of Him and struck him in the face.

⁶⁶While Peter was down below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came,

⁶⁷and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, "You were with Jesus the Nazarene, too."

⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." Then he went out [of the courtyard] to the porch,[and a rooster crowed.]

⁶⁹The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to tell the bystanders, "This [man] is one of them."

⁷⁰But again he denied it. After a little while, the bystanders again said to Peter, "You are in fact one of them, for [it is clear from your accent, that] you are a Galilean, too."

⁷¹But he began to invoke a curse [on himself] and to swear [an oath], "I do not know this man you are talking about!"

⁷²Immediately a rooster crowed the second time. And Peter remembered what Jesus said to him: "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And thinking of this, he began weeping [in anguish].

¹Then Jacob looked up, and saw Esau coming with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids.

²He put the maids and their children in front, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last of all.

³Then Jacob crossed over [the stream] ahead of them and bowed himself to the ground seven times [bowing and moving forward each time], until he approached his brother.

⁴But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and hugged his neck and kissed him, and they wept [for joy].

⁵Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So Jacob replied, "They are the children whom God has graciously given your servant."

⁶Then the maids approached with their children, and they bowed down.

⁷Leah also approached with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel approached, and they bowed down.

⁸Esau asked, "What do you mean by all this company which I have met?" And he answered, "[These are] to find favor in the sight of my lord."

⁹But Esau said, "I have plenty, my brother; keep what you have for yourself."

¹⁰Jacob replied, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then accept my gift [as a blessing] from my hand, for I see your face as if I had seen the face of God, and you have received me favorably.

¹¹Please accept my blessing (gift) which has been brought to you, for God has dealt graciously with me and I have everything [that I could possibly want]." So Jacob kept urging him and Esau accepted it.

¹²Then Esau said, "Let us get started on our journey and I will go in front of you [to lead the way]."

¹³But Jacob replied, "You know, my lord, that the children are frail and need gentle care, and the nursing flocks and herds [with young] are of concern to me; for if the men should drive them hard for a single day, all the flocks will die.

¹⁴Please let my lord go on ahead of his servant, and I will move on slowly, governed by the pace of the livestock that are in front of me and according to the endurance of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir [in Edom]."

¹⁵Then Esau said, "Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But Jacob said, " What need is there [for it]? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord."

¹⁶So Esau turned back [toward the south] that day on his way to Seir.

¹⁷But Jacob journeyed [north] to Succoth, and built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock; so the name of the place is Succoth (huts, shelters).

¹⁸When Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely and in peace at the city of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, and camped in front of the [walled] city.

¹⁹Then he bought the piece of land on which he had pitched his tents from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money.

²⁰There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

¹Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

²Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].

³For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

⁴When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

⁵So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God].

⁶Because of these [sinful] things the [divine] wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience [those who fail to listen and who routinely and obstinately disregard God's precepts],

⁷and in these [sinful things] you also once walked, when you were habitually living in them [without the knowledge of Christ].

⁸But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.

⁹Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices,

¹⁰and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self—

¹¹a renewal in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [nor between nations whether] barbarian or Scythian, [nor in status whether] slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all [so believers are equal in Christ, without distinction].

¹²So, as God's own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper];

¹³bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.

¹⁴Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others].

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].

¹⁶Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

¹⁷Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

¹⁸Wives, be subject to your husbands [out of respect for their position as protector, and their accountability to God], as is proper and fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage].

²⁰Children, obey your parents [as God's representatives] in all things, for this [attitude of respect and obedience] is well-pleasing to the Lord [and will bring you God's promised blessings].

²¹Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken].

²²Servants, in everything obey those who are your masters on earth, not only with external service, as those who merely please people, but with sincerity of heart because of your fear of the Lord.

²³Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,

²⁴knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.

²⁵For he who does wrong will be punished for his wrongdoing, and [with God] there is no partiality [no special treatment based on a person's position in life].

¹Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

²For we all stumble and sin in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses].

³Now if we put bits into the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well.

⁴And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines.

⁵In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark!

⁶And the tongue is [in a sense] a fire, the very world of injustice and unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life [the cycle of man's existence], and is itself set on fire by hell (Gehenna).

⁷For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.

⁸But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison.

⁹With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.

¹⁰Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].

¹¹Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?

¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

¹³Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom.

¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth.

¹⁵This [superficial] wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly (secular), natural (unspiritual), even demonic.

¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].

¹⁸And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].

¹Elihu continued his discourse and said,

²"Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who have [so much] knowledge.

³"For the ear puts words to the test As the palate tastes food.

⁴"Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵"For Job has said, 'I am righteous [and innocent], But God has taken away my right;

⁶Although I am right, I am accounted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'

⁷"What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,

⁸Who goes in company with those who do evil And walks with wicked men?

⁹"For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing When he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.'

¹⁰"Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He would do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

¹¹"For God pays a man according to his work, And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.

¹²"Surely God will not act wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³"Who put God in charge over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?

¹⁴"If God should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,

¹⁵All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.

¹⁶"If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

¹⁷"Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern? And will you condemn Him who is just and mighty?

¹⁸"God who says to a king, 'You are worthless and vile,' Or to princes and nobles, 'You are wicked and evil'?

¹⁹"Who is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands.

²⁰"In a moment they die, even at midnight The people are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.

²¹"For God's eyes are on the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

²²"There is no darkness nor deep shadow Where the evildoers may hide themselves.

²³"For He sets no appointed time for a man, That he should appear before Him in judgment.

²⁴"He breaks mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.

²⁵"Therefore He knows of their works, And He overthrows them in the night, So that they are crushed and destroyed.

²⁶"He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,

²⁷Because they turned aside from following Him And would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,

²⁸So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And He heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹"When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him], Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—

³⁰So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares for the people.

³¹"For has anyone said to God, 'I have endured my chastisement; I will not offend anymore;

³²Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned]; If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness), I will not do it again'?

³³"Shall God's retribution [for your sins] be on your terms, because you refuse to accept it? For you must do the choosing, and not I; Therefore say what you [truthfully] know.

³⁴"Men of understanding will tell me, Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],

³⁵'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom and insight.

³⁶'Job ought to be tried to the limit Because he answers like wicked men!

³⁷'For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin; He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God], And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.'"

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. O God, come quickly to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me!

²Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life; Let them be turned back and humiliated Who delight in my hurt.

³Let them be turned back because of their shame and disgrace Who say, "Aha, aha!"

⁴May all those who seek You [as life's first priority] rejoice and be glad in You; May those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified!"

⁵But I am afflicted and needy; Come quickly to me, O God! You are my help and my rescuer; O LORD, do not delay.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;

²For length of days and years of life [worth living] And tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life's blessings] they will add to you.

³Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in and rely confidently on the LORD with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

⁶In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

⁸It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts] And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your wealth And with the first fruits of all your crops (income);

¹⁰Then your barns will be abundantly filled And your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not reject or take lightly the discipline of the LORD [learn from your mistakes and the testing that comes from His correction through discipline]; Nor despise His rebuke,

¹²For those whom the LORD loves He corrects, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God's word and life's experiences],

¹⁴For wisdom's profit is better than the profit of silver, And her gain is better than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies; And nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value].

¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favor, And all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.

¹⁹The LORD by His wisdom has founded the earth; By His understanding He has established the heavens.

²⁰By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the clouds drip with dew.

²¹My son, let them not escape from your sight, But keep sound wisdom and discretion,

²²And they will be life to your soul (your inner self) And a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self).

²³Then you will walk on your way [of life] securely And your foot will not stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless];

²⁶For the LORD will be your confidence, firm and strong, And will keep your foot from being caught [in a trap].

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients], When it is in your power to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it," When you have it with you.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbor, Who lives securely beside you.

³⁰Do not quarrel with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

³²For the devious are repulsive to the LORD; But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

³³The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just and righteous.

³⁴Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance].

³⁵The wise will inherit honor and glory, But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

¹Now when [the Samaritans] the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles from the captivity were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel,

²they came to Zerubbabel [who was now governor] and to the heads of the fathers' households and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God [and worship] just as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

³But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel said to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us."

⁴Then [the Samaritans and others of] the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them [to deter them] from building,

⁵and hired advisers [to work] against them to frustrate their plans during the entire time that Cyrus king of Persia reigned, [and this lasted] even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

⁶Now in the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), in the beginning of his reign, the Samaritans wrote [to him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem [who had returned from exile].

⁷Later, in the days of [King] Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.

⁸Rehum the [Persian] commander [of the Samaritans] and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows—

⁹then wrote Rehum the [Persian] commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,

¹⁰and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region west of the [Euphrates] River. Now

¹¹this is a copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men in the region west of the [Euphrates] River; and now:

¹²Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.

¹³Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, then they will not pay tax, custom, or toll, and the revenue of the kings will be diminished.

¹⁴Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not proper for us to witness the king's dishonor, for that reason we have sent word and informed the king,

¹⁵in order that a search may be made in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that this is a rebellious city, damaging to kings and provinces, and that in the past they have incited rebellion within it. That is why that city was laid waste (destroyed).

¹⁶We are informing the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls finished, it will mean that you will have no possession in the province west of the [Euphrates] River."

¹⁷Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the [Persian] commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces west of the River: "Peace (Greetings). And now,

¹⁸The document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me.

¹⁹I have issued a command and a search has been made, and it has been discovered that this city [Jerusalem] in earlier times has revolted against the kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been perpetrated in it.

²⁰There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the provinces west of the [Euphrates] River, and tax, custom, and toll were paid to them.

²¹So, now issue a decree to make these men stop [work], so that this city is not rebuilt until a [new] command is issued by me.

²²Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter. Why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?"

²³Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes' document was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they went up hurriedly to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them stop [work] by force of arms.

²⁴Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It was suspended until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

¹Hear now what the LORD is saying, "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills [as witnesses] hear your voice.

²"Hear, O mountains, the indictment of the LORD, And you enduring foundations of the earth, For the LORD has a case (a legal complaint) against His people, And He will dispute (challenge) Israel.

³"O My people, what have I done to you [since you have turned away from Me]? And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.

⁴"For I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses [to lead you], Aaron [the high priest], and Miriam [the prophetess].

⁵"My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab devised [with his evil plan against Israel] And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him [turning the curse into blessing for Israel], [Remember what the LORD did for you] from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you may know the righteous and saving acts [displaying the power] of the LORD."

⁶With what shall I come before the LORD [to honor Him] And bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

⁷Will the LORD be delighted with thousands of rams, Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my acts of rebellion, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

⁸He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

⁹The voice of the LORD shall call to the city [of Jerusalem]— And it is sound wisdom to heed [solemnly] and fear Your name [with awe-filled reverence]; "Hear, O tribe [the rod of punishment]. Who has appointed its time?

¹⁰"Are there not still treasures gained by wickedness In the house of the wicked, And a short (inaccurate) measure [for grain] that is cursed?

¹¹"Can I [be guiltless and] justify deceptive scales And a bag of dishonest weights?

¹²"For the rich men of the city are full of violence [of every kind]; Her inhabitants speak lies And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

¹³"So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Desolating and devastating you, because of your sins.

¹⁴"You shall eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your emptiness shall be among you; You will [try to] remove [your goods and those you love] for safekeeping But you will fail to save anything, And what you do save I shall give to the sword.

¹⁵"You shall sow but you shall not reap; You shall tread olives, but shall not anoint yourself with oil, And [you will extract juice from] the grapes, but you shall not drink the wine.

¹⁶"For [you have kept] the statutes of Omri [the idolatrous king], And all the works of the [wicked] house (dynasty) of Ahab; And you walk in their counsels and policies. Therefore, I shall hand you over for destruction and horror And your [city's] inhabitants for ridicule, And you shall bear the rebuke and scorn of My people."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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