Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now in the fifteenth year of [Emperor] Tiberius Caesar's reign—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene—

²in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas [his son-in-law], the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

³And he went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin;

⁴as it is written and forever remains written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.

⁵'Every ravine shall be filled up, And every mountain and hill shall be leveled; And the crooked [places] shall be made straight, And the rough roads smooth;

⁶andall mankind shall see the salvation of God.'"

⁷So he began saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come?

⁸Therefore produce fruit that is worthy of [and consistent with your] repentance [that is, live changed lives, turn from sin and seek God and His righteousness]. And do not even begin to say to yourselves [as a defense], 'We have Abraham for our father [and so our heritage assures us of salvation]'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham [for God can replace the unrepentant, regardless of their heritage, with those who are obedient].

⁹Even now the axe [of God's judgment] is swinging toward the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire."

¹⁰The crowds asked him, "Then what are we to do?"

¹¹And John replied, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same."

¹²Even some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

¹³And he told them, "Collect no more than the fixed amount you have been ordered to [collect]."

¹⁴Some soldiers asked him, "And what about us, what are we to do?" And he replied to them, "Do not extort money from anyone or harass or blackmail anyone, and be satisfied with your wages."

¹⁵Now the people were in a state of expectation, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

¹⁶John answered them all by saying, "As for me, I baptize you [only] with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire.

¹⁷His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire."

¹⁸So with many other appeals and various admonitions John preached the good news (gospel) to the people.

¹⁹But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was repeatedly reprimanded [and convicted by John's disapproval] for having Herodias, his brother's wife [as his own], and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,

²⁰he also added this to them all: he locked up John in prison.

²¹Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, the [visible] heaven was opened,

²²and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "You are My Son, My Beloved, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!"

²³When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son [by marriage] of Eli,

²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,

²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

²⁹the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

³²the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

³⁴the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

³⁶the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

³⁸the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

¹Now at that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to [stay with] a certain Adullamite named Hirah.

²There Judah saw a daughter of Shua, a Canaanite, and he took her [as his wife] and lived with her.

³So she conceived and gave birth to a son and Judah named him Er.

⁴Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.

⁵Again she conceived and gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

⁶Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.

⁷But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him [in judgment].

⁸Then Judah told Onan, "Go in to your brother's widow, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law [under the levirate marriage custom]; [be her husband and] raise children for [the name of] your brother."

⁹Onan knew that the child (heir) would not be his [but his dead brother's]; so whenever he lay with his brother's widow, he spilled his seed on the ground [to prevent conception], so that he would not give a child to his brother.

¹⁰But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; therefore He killed him also [in judgment].

¹¹Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow at your father's house until Shelah my [youngest] son is grown"; [but he was deceiving her] for he thought that [if Shelah should marry her] he too might die like his brothers did. So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

¹²But quite a while later, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

¹³Tamar was told, "Listen, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

¹⁴So she removed her widow's clothes and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself up [in disguise], and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife [as Judah had promised].

¹⁵When Judah saw her, he thought she was a [temple] prostitute, for she had covered her face [as such women did].

¹⁶He turned to her by the road, and said, "Please come, let me lie with you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may lie with me?"

¹⁷He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "Will you give me a pledge [as a deposit] until you send it?"

¹⁸He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She said, "Your seal and your cord, and the staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and was intimate with her, and she conceived by him.

¹⁹Then she got up and left, and removed her veil and put on her widow's clothing.

²⁰When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to get his pledge [back] from the woman, he was unable to find her.

²¹He asked the men of that place, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the roadside at Enaim?" They said, "There was no prostitute here."

²²So he returned to Judah, and said, "I cannot find her; also the local men said, 'There was no prostitute around here.'"

²³Then Judah said, "Let her keep the things (pledge articles) for herself, otherwise we will be a laughingstock [searching everywhere for her]. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her."

²⁴About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the [role of a] prostitute, and she is with child because of her immorality." So Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned [to death as punishment]!"

²⁵While she was being brought out, she [took the things Judah had given her and] sent [them along with a message] to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whom these articles belong." And she added, "Please examine [them carefully] and see [clearly] to whom these things belong, the seal and the cord and staff."

²⁶Judah recognized the articles, and said, "She has been more righteous [in this matter] than I, because I did not give her to my son Shelah [as I had promised]." And Judah did not have [intimate] relations with her again.

²⁷Now when the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

²⁸And when she was in labor, one [baby] put out his hand, and the midwife took his hand and tied a scarlet thread on it, saying, "This one was born first."

²⁹But he pulled back his hand, and his brother was born first. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself [to be the firstborn]!" So he was named Perez (breach, break forth).

³⁰Afterward his brother who had the scarlet [thread] on his hand was born and was named Zerah (brightness).

¹Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late.

²For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard.

³For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power], just as He has said, "As I swore [an oath] in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest," [this He said] although His works were completed from the foundation of the world [waiting for all who would believe].

⁴For somewhere [in Scripture] He has said this about the seventh day: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";

⁵and again in this, "They shall not enter My rest."

⁶Therefore, since the promise remains for some to enter His rest, and those who formerly had the good news preached to them failed to [grasp it and did not] enter because of [their unbelief evidenced by] disobedience,

⁷He again sets a definite day, [a new] "Today," [providing another opportunity to enter that rest by] saying through David after so long a time, just as has been said before [in the words already quoted], "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."

⁸[This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak about another day [of opportunity] after that.

⁹So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God.

¹⁰For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own.

¹¹Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness].

¹²For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

¹³And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.

¹⁴Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior].

¹⁵For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.

¹⁶Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God's gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

¹In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate, not as inferior, but out of respect for the responsibilities entrusted to husbands and their accountability to God, and so partnering with them] so that even if some do not obey the word [of God], they may be won over [to Christ] without discussion by the godly lives of their wives,

²when they see your modest and respectful behavior [together with your devotion and appreciation—love your husband, encourage him, and enjoy him as a blessing from God].

³Your adornment must not be merely external—with interweaving and elaborate knotting of the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or [being superficially preoccupied with] dressing in expensive clothes;

⁴but let it be [the inner beauty of] the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, [one that is calm and self-controlled, not overanxious, but serene and spiritually mature] which is very precious in the sight of God.

⁵For in this way in former times the holy women, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands and adapting themselves to them;

⁶just as Sarah obeyed Abraham [following him and having regard for him as head of their house], calling him lord. And you have become her daughters if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear [that is, being respectful toward your husband but not giving in to intimidation, nor allowing yourself to be led into sin, nor to be harmed].

⁷In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective.

⁸Finally, all of you be like-minded [united in spirit], sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted [courteous and compassionate toward each other as members of one household], and humble in spirit;

⁹and never return evil for evil or insult for insult [avoid scolding, berating, and any kind of abuse], but on the contrary, give a blessing [pray for one another's well-being, contentment, and protection]; for you have been called for this very purpose, that you might inherit a blessing [from God that brings well-being, happiness, and protection].

¹⁰For, "The one who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good—whether apparent or not], Must keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from speaking guile (treachery, deceit).

¹¹"He must turn away from wickedness and do what is right. He must search for peace [with God, with self, with others] and pursue it eagerly [actively—not merely desiring it].

¹²"For the eyes of the Lord are [looking favorably] upon the righteous (the upright), And His ears are attentive to their prayer (eager to answer), But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil."

¹³Now who is there to hurt you if you become enthusiastic for what is good?

¹⁴But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness [though it is not certain that you will], you are still blessed [happy, to be admired and favored by God]. Do not be afraid of their intimidating threats, nor be troubled or disturbed [by their opposition].

¹⁵But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect.

¹⁶And see to it that your conscience is entirely clear, so that every time you are slandered or falsely accused, those who attack or disparage your good behavior in Christ will be shamed [by their own words].

¹⁷For it is better that you suffer [unjustly] for doing what is right, if that should be God's will, than [to suffer justly] for doing wrong.

¹⁸For indeed Christ died for sins once for all, the Just and Righteous for the unjust and unrighteous [the Innocent for the guilty] so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit;

¹⁹in which He also went and preached to the spirits now in prison,

²⁰who once were disobedient, when the great patience of God was waiting in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons [Noah's family], were brought safely through the water.

²¹Corresponding to that [rescue through the flood], baptism [which is an expression of a believer's new life in Christ] now saves you, not by removing dirt from the body, but by an appeal to God for a good (clear) conscience, [demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God [that is, the place of honor and authority], with [all] angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him.

¹"Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock give birth [to their young]? Do you observe the calving of the deer?

²"Can you count the months that they carry offspring, Or do you know the time when they give birth?

³"They kneel down, they bring forth their young, They cast out their labor pains.

⁴"Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; They leave and do not return to them.

⁵"Who sent out the wild donkey free [from dependence on man]? And who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey [to survive in the wild],

⁶To whom I gave the wilderness as his home And the salt land as his dwelling place?

⁷"He scorns the tumult of the city, And does not hear the shouting of the taskmaster.

⁸"He explores the mountains as his pasture And searches after every green thing.

⁹"Will the wild ox be willing to serve you, Or remain beside your manger at night?

¹⁰"Can you bind the wild ox with a harness [to the plow] in the furrow? Or will he plow the valleys for you?

¹¹"Will you trust him because his strength is great And leave your labor to him?

¹²"Will you have faith and depend on him to return your grain And gather it from your threshing floor?

¹³"The [flightless] wings of the ostrich wave joyously; With the pinion (shackles, fetters) and plumage of love,

¹⁴For she leaves her eggs on the ground And warms them in the dust,

¹⁵Forgetting that a foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them.

¹⁶"She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor is in vain because she is unconcerned [for the safety of her brood],

¹⁷For God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding.

¹⁸"Yet when she lifts herself on high, [So swift is she that] she laughs at the horse and his rider.

¹⁹"Have you given the horse his might? Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane?

²⁰"Have you [Job] made him leap like a locust? The majesty of his snorting [nostrils] is terrible.

²¹"He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men].

²²"He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword.

²³"The quiver rattles against him, [As do] the flashing spear and the lance [of his rider].

²⁴"With fierceness and rage he races to devour the ground, And he does not stand still at the sound of the [war] trumpet.

²⁵"As often as the trumpet sounds he says, 'Aha!' And he smells the battle from far away, And senses the thunder of the captains and the war cry.

²⁶"Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, Stretching his wings toward the south [as winter approaches]?

²⁷"Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up And makes his nest on high [in an inaccessible place]?

²⁸"On the cliff he dwells and remains [securely], Upon the point of the rock and the inaccessible stronghold.

²⁹"From there he spies out the prey; His eyes see it from far away.

³⁰"His young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is he."

¹To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] "Do Not Destroy." A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. We give thanks and praise to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your [wonderful works declare that Your] name is near; People declare Your wonders.

²"When I select an appointed time, I will judge with equity," [says the LORD].

³"The earth and all the inhabitants of it melt [in tumultuous times]. It is I who will steady its pillars. Selah.

⁴"I said to the arrogant, 'Do not boast;' And to the wicked, 'Do not lift up the horn [of self-glorification].

⁵'Do not lift up your [defiant and aggressive] horn on high, Do not speak with a stiff neck.'"

⁶For not from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the desert comes exaltation.

⁷But God is the Judge; He puts down one and lifts up another.

⁸For a cup [of His wrath] is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed and fully spiced, and He pours out from it; And all the wicked of the earth must drain it and drink down to its dregs.

⁹But as for me, I will declare it and rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰All the horns of the wicked He will cut off, But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

¹Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice?

²On the top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, wisdom takes her stand;

³Beside the gates, at the entrance to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

⁴"To you, O men, I call, And my voice is directed to the sons of men.

⁵"O you naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense; And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living].

⁶"Listen, for I will speak excellent and noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

⁷"For my mouth will utter truth, And wickedness is repulsive and loathsome to my lips.

⁸"All the words of my mouth are in righteousness (upright, in right standing with God); There is nothing contrary to truth or perverted (crooked) in them.

⁹"They are all straightforward to him who understands [with an open and willing mind], And right to those who find knowledge and live by it.

¹⁰"Take my instruction rather than [seeking] silver, And take knowledge rather than choicest gold,

¹¹"For wisdom is better than rubies; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

¹²"I, [godly] wisdom, reside with prudence [good judgment, moral courage and astute common sense], And I find knowledge and discretion.

¹³"The [reverent] fear and worshipful awe of the LORD includes the hatred of evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, And the perverted mouth, I hate.

¹⁴"Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power and strength are mine.

¹⁵"By me kings reign And rulers decide and decree justice.

¹⁶"By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge and govern rightly.

¹⁷"I love those who love me; And those who seek me early and diligently will find me.

¹⁸"Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness (right standing with God).

¹⁹"My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield is better than choicest silver.

²⁰"I, [Wisdom, continuously] walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

²¹That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth and true riches, And that I may fill their treasuries.

²²"The LORD created and possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old [were accomplished].

²³"From everlasting I was established and ordained, From the beginning, before the earth existed, [I, godly wisdom, existed].

²⁴"When there were no ocean depths I was born, When there were no fountains and springs overflowing with water.

²⁵"Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was born;

²⁶While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Or the first of the dust of the earth.

²⁷"When He established the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there; When He drew a circle upon the face of the deep,

²⁸When He made firm the skies above, When the fountains and springs of the deep became fixed and strong,

²⁹When He set for the sea its boundary So that the waters would not transgress [the boundaries set by] His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth—

³⁰Then I was beside Him, as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight; Rejoicing before Him always,

³¹Rejoicing in the world, His inhabited earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.

³²"Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] are they who keep my ways.

³³"Heed (pay attention to) instruction and be wise, And do not ignore or neglect it.

³⁴"Blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

³⁵"For whoever finds me (Wisdom) finds life And obtains favor and grace from the LORD.

³⁶"But he who fails to find me or sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love and court death."

¹When these things were completed, the officials came to me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, but have committed the repulsive acts of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

²For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands. Indeed, the officials and chief men have been foremost in this unfaithful act and direct violation [of God's will]."

³When I heard this, I tore my clothing and my robe [in grief], I pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled [at the shame of it].

⁴Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me as I sat appalled until the evening offering.

⁵At the evening offering I arose from my [time of] humiliation and penitence and having torn my clothing and my robe, I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God,

⁶and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongdoings have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has grown to the heavens.

⁷Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been exceedingly guilty; and on account of our wrongdoings we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to complete shame, as it is today.

⁸But now for a brief moment grace has been [shown to us] from the LORD our God, who has left us a surviving remnant and has given us a peg (secure hold) in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

⁹For we are slaves; yet our God has not abandoned us in our bondage, but has extended lovingkindness to us before the kings of Persia, to revive us to rebuild the house of our God, to repair the site of its ruins and to give us a wall [of protection] in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁰"Now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned (turned away from) Your commandments,

¹¹which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to possess is a defiled land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their repulsive acts which have filled it from one end to the other along with their impurity.

¹²So now do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons; and never seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.'

¹³And after everything that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our wrongdoings deserve, and have given us survivors like these,

¹⁴shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who practice these repulsive acts? Would You not be angry with us to the point of total destruction, so that there would be no remnant nor survivor?

¹⁵O LORD God of Israel, You are [uncompromisingly] just (righteous), for we have been left as survivors, as it is this day. Behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this."

¹The oracle (a burdensome message—a pronouncement from God) which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

²O LORD, how long will I call for help And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save.

³Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? For destruction and violence are before me; Strife continues and contention arises.

⁴Therefore, the law is ineffective and ignored And justice is never upheld, For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice becomes perverted.

⁵[The LORD replied,] "Look among the nations! See! Be astonished! Wonder! For I am doing something in your days— You would not believe it if you were told.

⁶"For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon], That fierce and impetuous nation Who march throughout the earth To take possession of dwelling places that do not belong to them.

⁷"The Chaldeans are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves and are defined only by their decree.

⁸"Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than [hungry] wolves in the evening, Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from far away; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

⁹"They all come for violence; Their horde of faces moves [eagerly] forward, They gather prisoners like sand.

¹⁰"They make fun of kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They ridicule every stronghold And heap up rubble [for earth mounds] and capture it.

¹¹"Then they will sweep by like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They [and all men] whose own power and strength is their god."

¹²Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, My Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon] to execute [Your] judgment, And You, O Rock, have established them to correct and chastise.

¹³Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look favorably on wickedness. Why then do You look favorably On those who act treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked (Chaldean oppressors) destroy Those more righteous than they?

¹⁴Why do You make men like the fish of the sea, Like reptiles and creeping things that have no ruler [and are helpless against their enemies]?

¹⁵The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, And drag them away with a net, And gather them together in their fishing net; So they rejoice and are glad.

¹⁶Therefore, they offer sacrifices to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large and they live luxuriously, And their food is plentiful.

¹⁷Will they continue to empty their net And [mercilessly] go on destroying nations without sparing?

¹The first account I made, Theophilus, was [a continuous report] about all the things that Jesus began to do and to teach

²until the day when He ascended to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given instruction to the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen.

³To these [men] He also showed Himself alive after His suffering [in Gethsemane and on the cross], by [a series of] many infallible proofs and unquestionable demonstrations, appearing to them over a period of forty days and talking to them about the things concerning the kingdom of God.

⁴While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Of which," He said, "you have heard Me speak.

⁵For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now."

⁶So when they had come together, they asked Him repeatedly, "Lord, are You at this time reestablishing the kingdom and restoring it to Israel?"

⁷He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.

⁸But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth."

⁹And after He said these things, He was caught up as they looked on, and a cloud took Him up out of their sight.

¹⁰While they were looking intently into the sky as He was going, two men in white clothing suddenly stood beside them,

¹¹who said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This [same] Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

¹²Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet (Olive Grove), which is near Jerusalem, [only] a Sabbath day's journey (less than one mile) away.

¹³When they had entered the city, they went upstairs to the upper room where they were staying [indefinitely]; that is, Peter, and John and [his brother] James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew (Nathanael) and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas (Thaddaeus) the son of James.

¹⁴All these with one mind and one purpose were continually devoting themselves to prayer, [waiting together] along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

¹⁵Now on one of these days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty believers was there) and he said,

¹⁶"Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the lips of David [king of Israel] about Judas [Iscariot], who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.

¹⁷For he (Judas) was counted among us and received his share [by divine allotment] in this ministry."

¹⁸(Now Judas Iscariot acquired a piece of land [indirectly] with the [money paid him as a] reward for his treachery, and falling headlong, his body burst open in the middle and all his intestines poured out.

¹⁹All the people in Jerusalem learned about this, so in their own dialect—Aramaic—they called the piece of land Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰"For in the book of Psalms it is written, 'Let his place of residence become desolate, And let there be no one to live in it'; and [again], 'Let another take his position as overseer.'

²¹So of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus spent with us,

²²beginning with the baptism by John [at the outset of Jesus' ministry] until the day when He was taken up from us—one of these men must become a witness with us [to testify] of His resurrection."

²³And they put forward two men, Joseph, the one called Barsabbas (who was surnamed Justus), and Matthias.

²⁴They prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know all hearts [their thoughts, motives, desires], show us which one of these two You have chosen

²⁵to occupy this ministry and apostleship which Judas left to go to his own place [of evil]."

²⁶And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.