Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now Jesus called together the twelve [disciples] and gave them [the right to exercise] power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.

²Then He sent them out [on a brief journey] to preach the kingdom of God and to perform healing.

³And He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey [that might encumber you]—neither a walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece.

⁴Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city [to go to another].

⁵And as for all those who do not welcome you, when you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet [breaking all ties with them] as a testimony against them [that they rejected My message]."

⁶So they began going from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing the sick everywhere.

⁷Now Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch [who governed a portion of Palestine including Galilee and Perea] heard about all that was being done [by Jesus], and he was thoroughly perplexed, because it was said by some that John [the Baptist whom he had ordered beheaded] had been raised from the dead,

⁸and by others that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the [other] prophets of old had been resurrected.

⁹Herod said, "I personally had John beheaded. Who is this man about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see Jesus.

¹⁰When the apostles returned, they told Him all that they had done. He took them with Him and He privately withdrew [across the Jordan] to a city called Bethsaida.

¹¹But when the crowds learned of it, they followed Him; and He welcomed them and He began talking to them about the kingdom of God, and healing those who needed to be healed.

¹²Now the day was ending, and the twelve [disciples] came and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging, and get provisions; because here we are in an isolated place."

¹³But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people."

¹⁴(For there were about 5,000 men.) And He said to His disciples, "Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each."

¹⁵They did so, and had them all sit down.

¹⁶Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and He looked up to heaven [and gave thanks] and blessed them, and broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

¹⁷They all ate and were [completely] satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were [abundant and were] picked up—twelve baskets full.

¹⁸Now it happened that as Jesus was praying privately, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

¹⁹They answered, "John the Baptist, and some say, Elijah; but others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life."

²⁰And He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter replied, "The Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God!"

²¹But He strictly warned and admonished them not to tell this to anyone,

²²saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected [as the Messiah] by the elders and chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and be put to death, and on the third day be raised up [from death to life]."

²³And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

²⁴For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].

²⁵For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself?

²⁶For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels.

²⁷But I tell you truthfully, there are some among those standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

²⁸Now about eight days after these teachings, He took along Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

²⁹As He was praying, the appearance of His face became different [actually transformed], and His clothing became white and flashing with the brilliance of lightning.

³⁰And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah,

³¹who appeared in glory, and were speaking of His departure [from earthly life], which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

³²Now Peter and those who were with him had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and splendor and majesty, and the two men who were standing with Him.

³³And as these [men, Moses and Elijah] were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is delightful and good for us to be here; we should make three [sacred] tents; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"—not realizing what he was saying.

³⁴But even as he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were [greatly] afraid as they entered the cloud.

³⁵Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!"

³⁶When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found there alone. And they kept silent, and told no one at that time any of the things which they had seen [concerning the divine manifestation].

³⁷On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him.

³⁸And a man from the crowd shouted for help, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only child;

³⁹and a spirit seizes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it throws him into a convulsion so that he foams at the mouth; and only with [great] difficulty does it leave him, mauling and bruising him as it leaves.

⁴⁰I begged Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."

⁴¹Jesus answered, "You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here [to Me]."

⁴²Even while the boy was coming, the demon slammed him down and threw him into a [violent] convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

⁴³They were all amazed [practically overwhelmed] at the [evidence of the] greatness of God and His majesty and His wondrous work. But while they were still awed by everything Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples,

⁴⁴"Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is going to be betrayed and handed over to men [who are His enemies]."

⁴⁵However, they did not understand this statement. Its meaning was kept hidden from them so that they would not grasp it; and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

⁴⁶An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest [surpassing the others in esteem and authority].

⁴⁷But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and had him stand beside Him,

⁴⁸and He told them, "Whoever welcomes this child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me [also] welcomes Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you [that is, the one who is genuinely humble—the one with a realistic self-view]—he is the one who is [truly] great."

⁴⁹John replied, "Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name; and we tried to stop him because he does not follow along with us."

⁵⁰But Jesus told him, "Do not stop him; for he who is not against you is for you."

⁵¹Now when the time was approaching for Him to be taken up [to heaven], He was determined to go to Jerusalem [to fulfill His purpose].

⁵²He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went into a Samaritan village to make arrangements for Him;

⁵³but the people would not welcome Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem.

⁵⁴When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?"

⁵⁵But He turned and rebuked them[and He said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are;

⁵⁶for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."] And they journeyed on to another village.

⁵⁷As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go."

⁵⁸And Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."

⁵⁹He said to another, "Follow Me [accepting Me as Master and Teacher]." But he said, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."

⁶⁰But He said to him, "Allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and spread the news about the kingdom of God."

⁶¹Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord [as Your disciple]; but first let me say goodbye to those at my home."

⁶²But Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God."

¹And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's [grain] money in the mouth of the sack.

²Put my [personal] cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his grain money." And the steward did as Joseph had told him.

³As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

⁴When they had left the city, and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, "Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil [to us] for good [paid to you]?

⁵Is this not my lord's drinking cup and the one which he uses for divination? You have done [a great and unforgivable] wrong in doing this.'"

⁶So the steward overtook them and he said these words to them.

⁷They said to him, "Why does my lord speak these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

⁸Please remember, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal silver or gold from your master's house?

⁹With whomever of your servants your master's cup is found, let him die, and the rest of us will be my lord's slaves."

¹⁰And the steward said, "Now let it be as you say; he with whom the cup is found will be my slave, but the rest of you shall be blameless."

¹¹Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and each man opened his sack [confident the cup would not be found among them].

¹²The steward searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

¹³Then they tore their clothes [in grief]; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

¹⁴When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him.

¹⁵Joseph spoke harshly to them, "What is this thing that you have done? Do you not realize that such a man as I can indeed practice divination and foretell [everything you do without outside knowledge of it]?"

¹⁶So Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we reply? Or how can we clear ourselves, since God has exposed the sin and guilt of your servants? Behold, we are my lord's slaves, the rest of us as well as he with whom the cup is found."

¹⁷But Joseph said, "Far be it from me that I should do that; but the man in whose hand the cup has been found, he will be my servant; and as for [the rest of] you, get up and go in peace to your father."

¹⁸Then Judah approached him, and said, "O my lord, please let your servant say a word to you in private, and do not let your anger blaze against your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh [so I speak as if directly to him].

¹⁹My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father or a brother?'

²⁰We said to my lord, 'We have an old father and a young [brother, Benjamin, the] child of his old age. Now his brother [Joseph] is dead, and he alone is left of [the two sons born of] his mother, and his father loves him.'

²¹Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me that I may actually see him.'

²²But we said to my lord, 'The young man cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

²³You said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you shall not see my face again.'

²⁴So when we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

²⁵Our father said, 'Go back [to Egypt], and buy us a little food.'

²⁶But we said, 'We cannot go down [to Egypt]. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down [there]; for we [were sternly told that we] cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

²⁷Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife [Rachel] bore me [only] two sons.

²⁸And one [son] went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn to pieces," and I have not seen him since.

²⁹If you take this one also from me, and harm or an accident happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.'

³⁰Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the young man is not with us, since his life is bound up in the young man's life,

³¹when he sees that the young man is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in [great] sorrow.

³²For your servant became security for the young man to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.'

³³Now, therefore, please let your servant (Judah) remain here instead of the youth [to be] a slave to my lord, and let the young man go home with his brothers.

³⁴How can I go up to my father if the young man is not with me—for fear that I would see the tragedy that would overtake my [elderly] father [if Benjamin does not return]?"

¹For since the Law has only a shadow [just a pale representation] of the good things to come—not the very image of those things—it can never, by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year, make perfect those who approach [its altars].

²For if it were otherwise, would not these sacrifices have stopped being offered? For the worshipers, having once [for all time] been cleansed, would no longer have a consciousness of sin.

³But [as it is] these [continual] sacrifices bring a fresh reminder of sins [to be atoned for] year after year,

⁴for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵Therefore, when Christ enters into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But [instead] You have prepared a body for Me [to offer];

⁶In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no delight.

⁷"Then I said, 'Behold, I have come To do Your will, O GOD— [To fulfill] what is written of Me in the scroll of the book.'"

⁸After saying [in the citation] above, "You have neither desired, nor have You taken delight in sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin" (which are offered according to the Law)

⁹then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will." [And so] He does away with the first [covenant as a means of atoning for sin based on animal sacrifices] so that He may inaugurate and establish the second [covenant by means of obedience].

¹⁰And in accordance with this will [of God] we [who believe in the message of salvation] have been sanctified [that is, set apart as holy for God and His purposes] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) once for all.

¹¹Every priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over, which are never able to strip away sins [that envelop and cover us];

¹²whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time, sat down [signifying the completion of atonement for sin] at the right hand of God [the position of honor],

¹³waiting from that time onward until his enemies are made a footstool for His feet.

¹⁴For by the one offering He has perfected forever and completely cleansed those who are being sanctified [bringing each believer to spiritual completion and maturity].

¹⁵And the Holy Spirit also adds His testimony to us [in confirmation of this]; for after having said,

¹⁶"This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will inscribe them [producing an inward change]," He then says,

¹⁷"And their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more [no longer holding their sins against them]."

¹⁸Now where there is [absolute] forgiveness and complete cancellation of the penalty of these things, there is no longer any offering [to be made to atone] for sin.

¹⁹Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus,

²⁰by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh,

²¹and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God,

²²let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

²³Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word];

²⁴and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds,

²⁵not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ's return] approaching.

²⁶For if we go on willfully and deliberately sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice [to atone] for our sins [that is, no further offering to anticipate],

²⁷but a kind of awful and terrifying expectation of [divine] judgment and the fury of a fire and burning wrath which will consume the adversaries [those who put themselves in opposition to God].

²⁸Anyone who has ignored and set aside the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

²⁹How much greater punishment do you think he will deserve who has rejected and trampled under foot the Son of God, and has considered unclean and common the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and has insulted the Spirit of grace [who imparts the unmerited favor and blessing of God]?

³⁰For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine [retribution and the deliverance of justice rest with Me], I will repay [the wrongdoer]." And again, "The Lord will judge His people."

³¹It is a fearful and terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God [incurring His judgment and wrath].

³²But remember the earlier days, when, after being [spiritually] enlightened, you [patiently] endured a great conflict of sufferings,

³³sometimes by being made a spectacle, publicly exposed to insults and distress, and sometimes by becoming companions with those who were so treated.

³⁴For you showed sympathy and deep concern for those who were imprisoned, and you joyfully accepted the [unjust] seizure of your belongings and the confiscation of your property, conscious of the fact that you have a better possession and a lasting one [prepared for you in heaven].

³⁵Do not, therefore, fling away your [fearless] confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward.

³⁶For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.

³⁷For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.

³⁸But My righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith [respecting man's relationship to God and trusting Him]; And if he draws back [shrinking in fear], My soul has no delight in him.

³⁹But our way is not that of those who shrink back to destruction, but [we are] of those who believe [relying on God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by this confident faith preserve the soul.

¹[I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]—

²and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]—

³what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

⁴We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].

⁵This is the message [of God's promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].

⁶If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness [of sin], we lie and do not practice the truth;

⁷but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

⁸If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.]

⁹If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.

¹There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven—

²A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

³A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

⁴A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

⁵A time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.

⁶A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

⁷A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to keep silent and a time to speak.

⁸A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

⁹What profit is there for the worker from that in which he labors?

¹⁰I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

¹¹He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live;

¹³and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

¹⁴I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor can anything be taken from it, for God does it so that men will fear and worship Him [with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is God].

¹⁵That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself].

¹⁶Moreover, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

¹⁷I said to myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked," for there is a time [appointed] for every matter and for every deed.

¹⁸I said to myself regarding the sons of men, "God is surely testing them in order for them to see that [by themselves, without God] they are [only] animals."

¹⁹For the [earthly] fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no preeminence or advantage for man [in and of himself] over an animal, for all is vanity.

²⁰All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

²¹Who knows if the spirit of man ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth?

²²So I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should be happy in his own works and activities, for that is his portion (share). For who will bring him [back] to see what will happen after he is gone?

¹To the Chief Musician; set to the Philistine lute. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; Shout for joy to the God of Jacob (Israel).

²Raise a song, sound the timbrel, The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.

³Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, At the full moon, on our feast day.

⁴For this is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

⁵He established it for a testimony in Joseph When He went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard the language [of One whom] I did not know, saying,

⁶"I removed the burden from his shoulder; His hands were freed from the basket.

⁷"You called in [the time of] trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

⁸"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you— O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

⁹"Let there be no strange god among you, Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

¹⁰"I am the LORD your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

¹¹"But My people would not listen to My voice, And Israel did not [consent to] obey Me.

¹²"So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in [the path of] their own counsel.

¹³"Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!

¹⁴"Then I would quickly subdue and humble their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries;

¹⁵Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him and cringe before Him, And their time of punishment would be forever.

¹⁶"But I would feed Israel with the finest of the wheat; And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

¹The wise woman builds her house [on a foundation of godly precepts, and her household thrives], But the foolish one [who lacks spiritual insight] tears it down with her own hands [by ignoring godly principles].

²He who walks in uprightness [reverently] fears the LORD [and obeys and worships Him with profound respect], But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

³In the mouth of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God] is a rod for his back, But the lips of the wise [when they speak with godly wisdom] will protect them.

⁴Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, But much revenue [because of good crops] comes by the strength of the ox.

⁵A faithful and trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness speaks lies.

⁶A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none [for his ears are closed to wisdom], But knowledge is easy for one who understands [because he is willing to learn].

⁷Leave the presence of a [shortsighted] fool, For you will not find knowledge or hear godly wisdom from his lips.

⁸The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of [shortsighted] fools is deceit.

⁹Fools mock sin [but sin mocks the fools], But among the upright there is good will and the favor and blessing of God.

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness, And no stranger shares its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will thrive.

¹²There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief.

¹⁴The backslider in heart will have his fill with his own [rotten] ways, But a good man will be satisfied with his ways [the godly thought and action which his heart pursues and in which he delights].

¹⁵The naive or inexperienced person [is easily misled and] believes every word he hears, But the prudent man [is discreet and astute and] considers well where he is going.

¹⁶A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil, But the fool is arrogant and careless.

¹⁷A quick-tempered man acts foolishly and without self-control, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.

¹⁸The naive [are unsophisticated and easy to exploit and] inherit foolishness, But the sensible [are thoughtful and far-sighted and] are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹The evil will bow down before the good, And the wicked [will bow down] at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, But those who love the rich are many.

²¹He who despises his neighbor sins [against God and his fellow man], But happy [blessed and favored by God] is he who is gracious and merciful to the poor.

²²Do they not go astray who devise evil and wander from the way of righteousness? But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

²³In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴The crown of the wise is their wealth [of wisdom], But the foolishness of [closed-minded] fools is [nothing but] folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives, But he who speaks lies is treacherous.

²⁶In the [reverent] fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will [always] have a place of refuge.

²⁷The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life, So that one may avoid the snares of death.

²⁸In a multitude of people is a king's glory, But in a lack of people is a [pretentious] prince's ruin.

²⁹He who is slow to anger has great understanding [and profits from his self-control], But he who is quick-tempered exposes and exalts his foolishness [for all to see].

³⁰A calm and peaceful and tranquil heart is life and health to the body, But passion and envy are like rottenness to the bones.

³¹He who oppresses the poor taunts and insults his Maker, But he who is kind and merciful and gracious to the needy honors Him.

³²The wicked is overthrown through his wrongdoing, But the righteous has hope and confidence and a refuge [with God] even in death.

³³Wisdom rests [silently] in the heart of one who has understanding, But what is in the heart of [shortsighted] fools is made known.

³⁴Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵The king's favor and good will are toward a servant who acts wisely and discreetly, But his anger and wrath are toward him who acts shamefully.

¹Now there was a great outcry of the [poorer] people and their wives against their Jewish brothers [to whom they were deeply in debt].

²For there were some who were saying, "We, along with our sons and our daughters, are many; therefore allow us to get grain, so that we may eat and survive."

³There were others who were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to buy grain because of the famine."

⁴There were also others who were saying, "We have borrowed money on our fields and vineyards for the [Persian] king's [heavy] tax.

⁵Now our flesh (skin) is the same as that of our brothers (relatives), and our children are like their children, yet here we are forcing (selling) our sons and our daughters to be slaves; and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are powerless [to redeem them] because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

⁶Then I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words [of accusation].

⁷I thought it over and then challenged the nobles and the rulers. I said to them, "You are exacting usury (excessive interest) from your own brother (relative)." So I held a great assembly to confront them.

⁸I said to them, "According to our ability we have redeemed (purchased back) our Jewish brothers who were sold to the [Gentile] nations; now would you even sell your brothers, that they might be sold to us?" Then they were silent and could not find a [single] word to say.

⁹So I said, "What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunting by the [pagan] nations, our enemies?

¹⁰And likewise I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop [charging] this interest.

¹¹Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, and also a hundredth part of the money, the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are lending them."

¹²Then they said, "We will give it back and not require anything from them. We will do exactly as you say." Then I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would act in accordance with this promise.

¹³I also shook out the front of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this promise; like this may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said, "Amen!" And they praised the LORD. Then the people acted in accordance with this promise.

¹⁴Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my relatives have eaten the governor's food allowance.

¹⁵But the former governors who were [in office] before me put heavy burdens on the people and took food and wine from them in addition to forty shekels of silver [as an excessive monthly salary]; even their servants assumed authority over the people. But I did not do so because of the [reverent] fear of God.

¹⁶I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered together there for the work.

¹⁷Moreover, there were at my table a hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

¹⁸Now the following were prepared for each day: one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls (poultry) were prepared for me; and in intervals of ten days all sorts of wine was provided in abundance. Yet for all this, I did not demand the governor's food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people.

¹⁹Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all I have done for this people.

¹In the second year of Darius the king [of Persia], on the first day of the sixth month (Aug 29, 520 b.c.), the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

²"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'These people say, "The time has not come that the Lord's house (temple) should be rebuilt."'"

³Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

⁴"Is it time for you yourselves to live in your [expensive] paneled houses while this house [of the LORD] lies in ruins?"

⁵Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways and thoughtfully reflect on your conduct!

⁶You have planted much, but you harvest little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have enough to be intoxicated; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns wages earns them just to put them in a bag with holes in it [because God has withheld His blessing]."

⁷Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways and thoughtfully reflect on your conduct!

⁸Go up to the hill country, bring lumber and rebuild My house (temple), that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD [accepting it as done for My glory].

⁹You look for much [harvest], but it comes to little; and even when you bring that home, I blow it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house, which lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house [eager to enjoy it].

¹⁰Therefore, because of you [that is, your sin and disobedience] the heavens withhold the dew and the earth withholds its produce.

¹¹I called for a drought on the land and the hill country, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands."

¹²Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people [who had returned from exile], listened carefully and obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, since the LORD their God had sent him. And the people [reverently] feared the LORD.

¹³Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, spoke the Lord's message to the people saying, " 'I am with you,' declares the LORD."

¹⁴So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

¹⁵on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month (Sept 21, 520 b.c.) in the second year of Darius the king.

¹Now the high priest asked [Stephen], "Are these charges true?"

²And he answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

³and He said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.'

⁴Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God sent him to this country in which you now live.

⁵But He did not give him inheritable property, not even enough ground to take a step on, yet He promised that He would give it to Him as a possession, and to his descendants after him.

⁶And this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That his descendants would be aliens (strangers) in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

⁷'And I will judge any nation to whom they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and serve Me [in worship] in this place.'

⁸And God gave Abraham a covenant [a formal agreement to be strictly observed] of [which] circumcision [was the sign]; and so [under these circumstances] Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father] of Jacob, and Jacob [became the father] of the twelve patriarchs.

⁹"The [ten elder] patriarchs, overwhelmed with jealousy, sold [their younger brother] Joseph into [slavery in] Egypt; but God was with him,

¹⁰and He rescued him from all his suffering, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made Joseph governor over Egypt and over his entire household.

¹¹"Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great distress and our fathers could not find food [for their households and livestock].

¹²But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

¹³And on the second visit Joseph identified himself to his brothers, and Joseph's family and background were revealed to Pharaoh.

¹⁴Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

¹⁵And Jacob (Israel) went down into Egypt, and there he died, as did our fathers;

¹⁶and [from Egypt] their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

¹⁷"But as the time [for the fulfillment] of the promise which God had made to Abraham was approaching, the [Hebrew] people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸until [the time when] there arose another king over egypt who did not know joseph [nor his history and the merit of his service to Egypt].

¹⁹He shrewdly exploited our race and mistreated our fathers, forcing them to expose their [male] babies so that they would die.

²⁰It was at this [critical] time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and for three months he was nourished in his father's house.

²¹Then when he was set outside [to die], Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and claimed him for herself, and cared for him as her own son.

²²So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.

²³But when he reached the age of forty, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.

²⁴And when he saw one [of them] being treated unfairly, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking and killing the Egyptian.

²⁵He expected his countrymen to understand that God was granting them freedom through him [assuming that they would accept him], but they did not understand.

²⁶Then on the next day he suddenly appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another?'

²⁷But the man who was injuring his neighbor pushed Moses away, saying, 'Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?

²⁸Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'

²⁹At this remark Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.

³⁰"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush.

³¹When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight; but as he went near to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came [to him, saying]:

³²'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

³³Then the Lord said to him, 'Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground [worthy of reverence and respect].

³⁴I have most certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Now come, and I will send you to Egypt [as My messenger].'

³⁵"This Moses whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the very one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

³⁶This man led them out [of Egypt] after performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

³⁷This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophetlike me from your countrymen.'

³⁸This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles [divine words that still live] to be handed down to you.

³⁹Our fathers were unwilling to be subject to him [and refused to listen to him]. They rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

⁴⁰They said to Aaron, 'Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.'

⁴¹In those days they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced and celebrated over the works of their hands.

⁴²But God turned away [from them] and handed them over to serve the host of heaven. As it is written and forever remains written in the book of the prophets, 'It was not [really] to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel?

⁴³You also took along the tabernacle (portable temple) of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship; and I will remove you beyond Babylon [carrying you away into exile].'

⁴⁴"Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as God directed Moses to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

⁴⁵Our fathers also brought it in [with them into the land] with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, [and so it remained here] until the time of David,

⁴⁶who found favor (grace, spiritual blessing) in the sight of God and asked that he might [be allowed to] find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

⁴⁷But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

⁴⁸However, the Most High [the One infinitely exalted above humanity] does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet [Isaiah] says,

⁴⁹'Heaven is My throne, And the earth is the footstool for My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?' says the Lord, 'Or what place is there for My rest?

⁵⁰'Was it not My hand that made all these things?'

⁵¹"You stiff-necked and stubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did.

⁵²Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

⁵³you who received the law as ordained and delivered to you by angels, and yet you did not obey it!"

⁵⁴Now when they heard this [accusation and understood its implication], they were cut to the heart, and they began grinding their teeth [in rage] at him.

⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Spirit and led by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory [the great splendor and majesty] of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

⁵⁶and he said, "Look! I see the heavens opened up [in welcome] and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

⁵⁷But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and together rushed at him [considering him guilty of blasphemy].

⁵⁸Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him; and the witnesses placed their outer robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!"

⁶⁰Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!" When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].