Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now it happened that while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee), with the people crowding all around Him and listening to the word of God;

²that He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.

³He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little distance from the shore. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat.

⁴When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon [Peter], "Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish]."

⁵Simon replied, "Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again]."

⁶When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were [at the point of] breaking;

⁷so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats [with fish], so that they began to sink.

⁸But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

⁹For he and all his companions were completely astounded at the catch of fish which they had taken;

¹⁰and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon [Peter]. Jesus said to Simon, "Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men!"

¹¹After they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

¹²While Jesus was in one of the cities, there came a man covered with [an advanced case of] leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean and well."

¹³And Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴Jesus ordered him to tell no one [that he might happen to meet], "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony (witness) to them [that this is a work of Messiah]."

¹⁵But the news about Him was spreading farther, and large crowds kept gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their illnesses.

¹⁶But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

¹⁷One day as He was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present with Him to heal.

¹⁸Some men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to bring him in and lay him down in front of Jesus.

¹⁹But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof [and removed some tiles to make an opening] and lowered him through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.

²⁰When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said, "Man, your sins are forgiven."

²¹The scribes and the Pharisees began to consider and question [the implications of what He had said], saying, "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]? Who can forgive sins [that is, remove guilt, nullify sin's penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?"

²²But Jesus, knowing their [hostile] thoughts, answered them, "Why are you questioning [these things] in your hearts?

²³Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

²⁴But, in order that you may know that the Son of Man (the Messiah) has authority and power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralyzed man, "I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher and go home."

²⁵He immediately stood up before them, picked up his stretcher, and went home glorifying and praising God.

²⁶They were all astonished, and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with [reverential] fear and kept saying, "We have seen wonderful and incredible things today!"

²⁷After this Jesus went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi (Matthew) sitting at the tax booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk]."

²⁸And he left everything behind and got up and began to follow Jesus [as His disciple].

²⁹Levi (Matthew) gave a great banquet for Him at his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table with them.

³⁰The Pharisees and their scribes [seeing those with whom He was associating] began murmuring in discontent to His disciples, asking, "Why are you eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]?"

³¹And Jesus replied to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but [only] those who are sick.

³²I did not come to call the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to repent], but sinners to repentance [to change their old way of thinking, to turn from sin and to seek God and His righteousness]."

³³Then they said to Him, "The disciples of John [the Baptist] often practice fasting and offer prayers [of special petition], and so do the disciples of the Pharisees; but Yours eat and drink."

³⁴Jesus said to them, "Can you make the wedding guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?

³⁵But days [for mourning] will come when the bridegroom is [forcefully] taken away from them. They will fast in those days."

³⁶He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old one; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

³⁷And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.

³⁸But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

³⁹And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is fine.'"

¹Now some time later, the cupbearer (butler) and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, Egypt's king.

²Pharaoh ( Sesostris II) was extremely angry with his two officials, the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers.

³He put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.

⁴The captain of the guard put Joseph in charge of them, and he served them; and they continued to be in custody for some time.

⁵Then the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, both dreamed a dream in the same night, each man with his [own significant] dream and each dream with its [personal] interpretation.

⁶When Joseph came to them in the morning and looked at them, [he saw that] they were sad and depressed.

⁷So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in confinement with him in his master's house, "Why do you look so down-hearted today?"

⁸And they said to him, "We have [each] dreamed [distinct] dreams and there is no one to interpret them." So Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell me [your dreams]."

⁹So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream there was a grapevine in front of me;

¹⁰and on the vine were three branches. Then as soon as it budded, its blossoms burst open, and its clusters produced ripe grapes [in rapid succession].

¹¹Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup; then I placed the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

¹²Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches represent three days;

¹³within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head (present you in public) and restore you to your position; and you will [again] put Pharaoh's cup into his hand just as [you did] when you were his cupbearer.

¹⁴Only think of me when it goes well with you, and please show me kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.

¹⁵For in fact I was taken (stolen) from the land of the Hebrews by [unlawful] force, and even here I have done nothing for which they should put me in the dungeon."

¹⁶When the chief baker saw that the interpretation [of the dream] was good, he said to Joseph, "I also dreamed, and [in my dream] there were three cake baskets on my head;

¹⁷and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds [of prey] were eating [these foods] out of the basket on my head."

¹⁸Joseph answered, "This is the interpretation of it: the three baskets represent three days;

¹⁹within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will hang you on a tree (gallows, pole), and [you will not so much as be given a burial, but] the birds will eat your flesh."

²⁰Now on the third day, [which was] the Pharaoh's birthday, he [released the two men from prison and] made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker [that is, presented them in public] among his servants.

²¹He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and the cupbearer [once again] put the cup into Pharaoh's hand;

²²but Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted [the meaning of the dreams] to them.

²³Yet [even after all that] the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot [all about] him.

¹Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

²of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.]

³And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.

⁴For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

⁵and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come,

⁶and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.

⁷For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God;

⁸but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

⁹But, beloved, even though we speak to you in this way, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and of things that accompany salvation.

¹⁰For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God's people), as you do.

¹¹And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realize and enjoy the full assurance of hope until the end,

¹²so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.

¹³For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear,

¹⁴saying, "I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you."

¹⁵And so, having patiently waited, he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God].

¹⁶Indeed men swear [an oath] by one greater than themselves, and with them [in all disputes] the oath serves as confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute.

¹⁷In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervened and guaranteed it with an oath,

¹⁸so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us.

¹⁹This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]—a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells],

²⁰where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

¹Therefore, I strongly urge the elders among you [pastors, spiritual leaders of the church], as a fellow elder and as an eyewitness [called to testify] of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory that is to be revealed:

²shepherd and guide and protect the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not [motivated] for shameful gain, but with wholehearted enthusiasm;

³not lording it over those assigned to your care [do not be arrogant or overbearing], but be examples [of Christian living] to the flock [set a pattern of integrity for your congregation].

⁴And when the Chief Shepherd (Christ) appears, you will receive the [conqueror's] unfading crown of glory.

⁵Likewise, you younger men [of lesser rank and experience], be subject to your elders [seek their counsel]; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another [tie on the servant's apron], for God is opposed to the proud [the disdainful, the presumptuous, and He defeats them], but He gives grace to the humble.

⁶Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time,

⁷casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

⁸Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

⁹But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]

¹⁰After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].

¹¹To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.

¹²By Silvanus, our faithful brother (as I consider him), I have written to you briefly, to counsel and testify that this is the true grace [the undeserved favor] of God. Stand firm in it!

¹³She [the church] who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son [in the faith], Mark.

¹⁴Greet one another with a kiss of love. To all of you who are in Christ, may there be peace.

¹" Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

²"Can you put a rope [made] of rushes into his nose Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?

³"Will he make many supplications to you [begging to be spared]? Or will he speak soft words to you [to coax you to treat him kindly]?

⁴"Will he make a covenant or an arrangement with you? Will you take him for your servant forever?

⁵"Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him [and put him on a leash] for your maidens?

⁶"Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?

⁷"Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

⁸"Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!

⁹" Behold, his [assailant's] hope and expectation [of defeating Leviathan] is false; Will not one be overwhelmed even at the sight of him?

¹⁰"No one is so fierce [and foolhardy] that he dares to stir up Leviathan; Who then is he who can stand before Me [or dares to contend with Me, the beast's creator]?

¹¹"Who has first given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. [Who can have a claim against Me who made the unmastered beast?]

¹²"I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his orderly frame.

¹³"Who can penetrate or strip off his outer armor? Who can come to his jaws with a double bridle?

¹⁴"Who can open the doors (jaws) of his face? Around his [open jaws and] teeth there is terror.

¹⁵"His strong scales are his pride, Bound together as with a tight seal.

¹⁶"One is so near to another That no air can come between them.

¹⁷"They are joined one to another; They stick together and cannot be separated.

¹⁸"His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the [reddish] eyelids of the dawn.

¹⁹"Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap out.

²⁰"Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and [as from] burning rushes.

²¹"His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.

²²"In Leviathan's neck resides strength, And dismay and terror dance before him.

²³"The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immobile [when he moves].

²⁴"His heart is as hard as a stone, Indeed, as solid as a lower millstone.

²⁵"When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

²⁶"The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor [does] the spear, the dart, or the javelin.

²⁷"He considers iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood.

²⁸"The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones are treated as stubble by him.

²⁹"Clubs [also] are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rushing and the rattling of the javelin.

³⁰"His underparts are like sharp pieces of broken pottery; He moves across and spreads out [grooves] like a threshing sledge on the mire (muddy river banks).

³¹"He makes the deep water boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a [foaming] pot of ointment.

³²"Behind him he makes a shining wake; One would think the deep to be gray-haired [with foam].

³³"Upon earth there is nothing like him—no equal exists, A creature made without fear.

³⁴"He looks on everything that is high [without terror]; He is monarch over all the sons of pride. [And now, Job, who are you who does not dare to disturb the beast, yet who dares resist Me, the beast's creator? Everything under the heavens is Mine; therefore, who can have a claim against God?]"

¹To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun [one of David's three chief musicians, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of Asaph. My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud; My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.

²In the day of my trouble I [desperately] sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out [in prayer] without weariness; My soul refused to be comforted.

³I remember God; then I am disquieted and I groan; I sigh [in prayer], and my spirit grows faint. Selah.

⁴You have held my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

⁵I have considered the ancient days, The years [of prosperity] of long, long ago.

⁶I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, And my spirit searches:

⁷Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again?

⁸Has His lovingkindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time?

⁹Has God forgotten to be gracious? Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.

¹⁰And I said, "This is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed [and His lovingkindness is withheld]."

¹¹I will [solemnly] remember the deeds of the LORD; Yes, I will [wholeheartedly] remember Your wonders of old.

¹²I will meditate on all Your works And thoughtfully consider all Your [great and wondrous] deeds.

¹³Your way, O God, is holy [far from sin and guilt]. What god is great like our God?

¹⁴You are the [awesome] God who works [powerful] wonders; You have demonstrated Your power among the people.

¹⁵You have with Your [great] arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

¹⁶The waters [of the Red Sea] saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were in anguish; The deeps also trembled.

¹⁷The clouds poured down water; The skies sent out a sound [of rumbling thunder]; Your arrows (lightning) flashed here and there.

¹⁸The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings illumined the world; The earth trembled and shook.

¹⁹Your way [of escape for Your people] was through the sea, And Your paths through the great waters, And Your footprints were not traceable.

²⁰You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron [to the promised goal].

¹The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

²Treasures of wickedness and ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness and moral integrity in daily life rescues from death.

³The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger [God will meet all his needs], But He will reject and cast away the craving of the wicked.

⁴Poor is he who works with a negligent and idle hand, But the hand of the diligent makes him rich.

⁵He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully.

⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God], But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

⁷The memory of the righteous [person] is a [source of] blessing, But the name of the wicked will [be forgotten and] rot [like a corpse].

⁸The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction), But the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

⁹He who walks in integrity and with moral character walks securely, But he who takes a crooked way will be discovered and punished.

¹⁰He who [maliciously] winks the eye [of evil intent] causes trouble; And the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

¹²Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another's faults].

¹³On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found, But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.

¹⁴Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart], But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

¹⁵The rich man's wealth is his fortress; The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life, The income of the wicked, punishment.

¹⁷He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing], But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin].

¹⁸He who hides hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable, But he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver (greatly valued); The heart of the wicked is worth little.

²¹The lips of the righteous feed and guide many, But fools [who reject God and His wisdom] die for lack of understanding.

²²The blessing of the LORD brings [true] riches, And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God].

²³Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin], But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

²⁴What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted.

²⁵When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him to work.

²⁷The [reverent] fear of the LORD [worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect] prolongs one's life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

²⁸The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy, But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing.

²⁹The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But it is ruin to those who do evil.

³⁰The [consistently] righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

³¹The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

³²The lips of the righteous know (speak) what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked knows (speaks) what is perverted (twisted).

¹The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year [of the Persian king], as I was in the capitol of Susa,

²Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them about the surviving Jews who had escaped and survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

³They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its [fortified] gates have been burned (destroyed) by fire."

⁴Now it came about when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying [constantly] before the God of heaven.

⁵And I said, "Please, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,

⁶please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You, day and night, on behalf of Your servants, the sons (descendants) of Israel (Jacob), confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against You; I and my father's house have sinned.

⁷We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

⁸Please remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful and violate your obligations to Me I will scatter you [abroad] among the peoples;

⁹but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered are in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen for My Name to dwell.'

¹⁰Now they are Your servants and Your people whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.

¹¹Please, O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to [reverently] fear Your Name [Your essence, Your nature, Your attributes, with awe]; and make Your servant successful this day and grant him compassion in the sight of this man [the king]." For I was cupbearer to the king [of Persia].

¹A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to wild and enthusiastic music.

²O LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath [earnestly] remember compassion and love.

³God [approaching from Sinai] comes from Teman (Edom), And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah ( pause, and calmly think of that). His splendor and majesty covers the heavens And the earth is full of His praise.

⁴His brightness is like the sunlight; He has [bright] rays flashing from His hand, And there [in the sunlike splendor] is the hiding place of His power.

⁵Before Him goes the pestilence [of judgment as in Egypt], And [the burning] plague [of condemnation] follows at His feet [as in Sennacherib's army].

⁶He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations, Yes, the eternal mountains were shattered, The ancient hills bowed low and collapsed. His ways are eternal.

⁷I [Habakkuk, in my vision] saw the tents of Cushan under distress; The tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling.

⁸Did the LORD rage against the rivers, Or was Your anger against the rivers, Or was Your wrath against the [Red] Sea, That You rode on Your horses, On Your chariots of salvation?

⁹Your bow was made bare; The rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah (pause, calmly think of that). You split the earth with rivers [bringing waters to dry places].

¹⁰The mountains saw You and [they] trembled and writhed [as if in pain]; The downpour of waters swept by [as a deluge]. The deep uttered its voice and raged, It lifted its hands high.

¹¹The sun and moon stood in their places [as before Joshua]; They went away at the light of Your [swift] arrows, At the radiance and gleam of Your glittering spear.

¹²In indignation You marched through the earth; In anger You trampled and threshed the nations.

¹³You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For the salvation and rescue of Your anointed [people Israel]. You struck the head from the house of the wicked To lay him open from the thigh to the neck. Selah (pause, and calmly think of that).

¹⁴With the enemy's own spears, You pierced The head of his hordes. They stormed out to scatter us, Rejoicing like those Who secretly devour the oppressed [of Israel].

¹⁵You have trampled on the sea with Your horses, On the surge of many waters.

¹⁶I heard and my whole inner self trembled; My lips quivered at the sound. Decay and rottenness enter my bones, And I tremble in my place. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade and attack us.

¹⁷Though the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fails And the fields produce no food, Though the flock is cut off from the fold And there are no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the LORD; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

¹⁹The Lord GOD is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds' feet And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility]. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

¹Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.),

²and a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, so that he could beg alms from those entering the temple.

³So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking [them] for coins.

⁴But Peter, along with John, stared at him intently and said, "Look at us!"

⁵And the man began to pay attention to them, eagerly expecting to receive something from them.

⁶But Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give to you: In the name (authority, power) of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—[begin now to] walk and go on walking!"

⁷Then he seized the man's right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankles became strong and steady,

⁸and with a leap he stood up and began to walk; and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

⁹All the people saw him walking and praising God;

¹⁰and they recognized him as the very man who usually sat begging for coins at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement and were mystified at what had happened to him.

¹¹Now while he was still holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly amazed, ran together and crowded around them at the covered porch called Solomon's portico.

¹²And Peter, seeing this, said to the people, "You men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant and Son Jesus [doing Him this honor], the One whom you handed over and disowned and rejected before Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

¹⁴But you disowned and denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for [the pardon of] a murderer to be granted to you.

¹⁵But you killed the Prince (Author, Originator, Source) of life, whom God raised [bodily] from the dead. To this [fact] we are witnesses [for we have seen the risen Christ].

¹⁶And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health and complete wholeness in your presence.

¹⁷"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance [not fully aware of what you were doing], just as your rulers did also.

¹⁸And so God has fulfilled what He foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ (Messiah, Anointed) would suffer.

¹⁹So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day];

²⁰and that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you,

²¹whom heaven must keep until the time for the [complete] restoration of all things about which God promised through the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

²²Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a Prophetlike me from your countrymen; you shall listen to Him and obey everything He tells you.

²³And it will be that every person that does not listen to and heed that Prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

²⁴Indeed, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also announced these days.

²⁵You are the sons (descendants) of the prophets and [heirs] of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed (descendant) all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'

²⁶It was for you first of all that God raised up His Servant and Son [Jesus], and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."