Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,

²just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,

³it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

⁴that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

⁷But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

⁸So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

⁹according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

¹¹Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

¹⁴And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

¹⁶And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

¹⁷He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

¹⁹And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.

²⁰But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.

²²But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

²³So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.

²⁴Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,

²⁵“Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

²⁶Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

²⁸And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

²⁹But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

³⁰Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

³³And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

³⁴Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

³⁵And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

³⁶Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

³⁷For with God nothing will be impossible.”

³⁸Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

³⁹Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,

⁴⁰and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

⁴¹And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁴²Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

⁴³But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴⁴For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

⁴⁵Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

⁴⁶And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,

⁴⁷And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

⁴⁸For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

⁴⁹For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

⁵⁰And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.

⁵¹He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

⁵²He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,

⁵⁵As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

⁵⁶And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

⁵⁷Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.

⁵⁸When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.

⁶⁰His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

⁶¹But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

⁶²So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.

⁶³And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.

⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.

⁶⁵Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

⁶⁸“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,

⁶⁹And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David,

⁷⁰As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,

⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,

⁷²To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,

⁷³The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

⁷⁴To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,

⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

⁷⁶“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,

⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

⁷⁹To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

⁸⁰So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

¹Now this is the genealogy of Esau, who is Edom.

²Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

³and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

⁴Now Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel.

⁵And Aholibamah bore Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

⁶Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob.

⁷For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock.

⁸So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.

⁹And this is the genealogy of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.

¹⁰These were the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, and Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau.

¹¹And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

¹²Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.

¹³These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.

¹⁴These were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau’s wife, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon. And she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.

¹⁵These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,

¹⁶Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. They were the sons of Adah.

¹⁷These were the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.

¹⁸And these were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau’s wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, and Chief Korah. These were the chiefs who descended from Aholibamah, Esau’s wife, the daughter of Anah.

¹⁹These were the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these were their chiefs.

²⁰These were the sons of Seir the Horite who inhabited the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,

²¹Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.

²²And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Lotan’s sister was Timna.

²³These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

²⁴These were the sons of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah. This was the Anah who found the water in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon.

²⁵These were the children of Anah: Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.

²⁶These were the sons of Dishon:Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

²⁷These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

²⁸These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

²⁹These were the chiefs of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah,

³⁰Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.

³¹Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel:

³²Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

³³And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.

³⁴When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.

³⁵And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith.

³⁶When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.

³⁷And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place.

³⁸When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.

³⁹And when Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

⁴⁰And these were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families and their places, by their names: Chief Timnah, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth,

⁴¹Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,

⁴²Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,

⁴³Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites.

¹Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

²For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

³how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

⁴God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

⁵For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

⁶But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?

⁷You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands.

⁸You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

⁹But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

¹⁰For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

¹¹For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

¹²saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

¹³And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

¹⁴Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

¹⁵and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

¹⁶For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

¹⁷Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

¹⁸For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

²elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

⁵who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

⁷that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

⁸whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

⁹receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

¹¹searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

¹²To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

¹³Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

¹⁴as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

¹⁵but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

¹⁶because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

¹⁸knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

²⁰He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

²¹who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

²²Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

²³having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

²⁴because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,

²⁵But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

¹“At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place.

²Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.

³He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth.

⁴After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.

⁵God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

⁶For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength.

⁷He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work.

⁸The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs.

⁹From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north.

¹⁰By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen.

¹¹Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds.

¹²And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth.

¹³He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy.

¹⁴“Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

¹⁵Do you know when God dispatches them, And causes the light of His cloud to shine?

¹⁶Do you know how the clouds are balanced, Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷Why are your garments hot, When He quiets the earth by the south wind?

¹⁸With Him, have you spread out the skies, Strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹“Teach us what we should say to Him, For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.

²⁰Should He be told that I wish to speak? If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.

²¹Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies, When the wind has passed and cleared them.

²²He comes from the north as golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty.

²³As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress.

²⁴Therefore men fear Him; He shows no partiality to any who are wise of heart.”

¹A Psalm of Asaph. [1] Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart.

²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.

³For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm.

⁵They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men.

⁶Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment.

⁷Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.

⁸They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.

⁹They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth.

¹⁰Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them.

¹¹And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

¹²Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.

¹³Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

¹⁶When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me—

¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.

¹⁸Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.

¹⁹Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.

²¹Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind.

²²I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.

²³Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.

²⁴You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

²⁶My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.

²⁸But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

¹My son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

²You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.

³So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend: Go and humble yourself; Plead with your friend.

⁴Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids.

⁵Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,

⁷Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,

⁸Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.

⁹How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep—

¹¹So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

¹²A worthless person, a wicked man, Walks with a perverse mouth;

¹³He winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers;

¹⁴Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord.

¹⁵Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

¹⁶These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

¹⁷A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,

¹⁹A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

²⁰My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother.

²¹Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck.

²²When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

²⁴To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress.

²⁵Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.

²⁶For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

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

²⁸Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared?

²⁹So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.

³⁰People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.

³¹Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house.

³²Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.

³³Wounds and dishonor he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵He will accept no recompense, Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

¹Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

²the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

³the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

⁴the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

⁵the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—

⁶this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

⁷Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

⁸And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

⁹On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

¹⁰For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

¹¹This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel:

¹²Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth.

¹³I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.

¹⁴And whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand;

¹⁵and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem;

¹⁶and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem—

¹⁷now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

¹⁸And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God.

¹⁹Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

²⁰And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king’s treasury.

²¹And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently,

²²up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit.

²³Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

²⁴Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God.

²⁵And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.

²⁶Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it be death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.

²⁷Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem,

²⁸and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.

¹And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment.

²So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

³And the next day we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care.

⁴When we had put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

⁵And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

⁶There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board.

⁷When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone.

⁸Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

⁹Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,

¹⁰saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”

¹¹Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.

¹²And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there.

¹³When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.

¹⁴But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.

¹⁵So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.

¹⁶And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.

¹⁷When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.

¹⁸And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.

¹⁹On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.

²⁰Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

²¹But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

²²And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

²³For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,

²⁴saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

²⁵Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

²⁶However, we must run aground on a certain island.”

²⁷Now when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land.

²⁸And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

²⁹Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.

³⁰And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow,

³¹Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”

³²Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.

³³And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing.

³⁴Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.”

³⁵And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.

³⁶Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.

³⁷And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship.

³⁸So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.

³⁹When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible.

⁴⁰And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore.

⁴¹But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.

⁴²And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.

⁴³But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land,

⁴⁴and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.