Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.

²The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people [who listened devotedly to His teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom].

³Then Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve [disciples].

⁴And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him and hand Him over to them.

⁵They were delighted and agreed with him to give him money.

⁶So he consented, and began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus to them [at a time when He was] separated from the crowd [because the people might riot or stop them from seizing Him].

⁷Then came the preparation day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

⁸So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover meal for us, so that we may eat it."

⁹They asked Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?"

¹⁰He replied, "When you have entered the city, a man carrying an earthen jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters.

¹¹And say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

¹²Then he will show you a large upstairs room, furnished [with carpets and dining couches]; prepare the meal there."

¹³They left and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁴When the hour [for the meal] had come, Jesus reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.

¹⁵He said to them, "I have earnestly wanted to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

¹⁶for I say to you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

¹⁷And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;

¹⁸for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."

¹⁹And when He had taken bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

²⁰And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant [ratified] in My blood.

²¹But listen, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.

²²For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe (judgment is coming) to that man by whom He is betrayed and handed over!"

²³And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this.

²⁴Now a dispute also arose among them as to which of them was regarded to be the greatest.

²⁵Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called 'Benefactors.'

²⁶But it is not to be this way with you; on the contrary, the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest [and least privileged], and the [one who is the] leader, like the servant.

²⁷For who is the greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸"You are those who have remained and have stood by Me in My trials;

²⁹and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you [the privilege]

³⁰that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹"Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain;

³²but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith]."

³³And Peter said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death!"

³⁴Jesus said, "I say to you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will [utterly] deny three times that you know Me."

³⁵And He said to them, "When I sent you out without a money belt and [provision] bag and [extra] sandals, did you lack anything?" They answered, "Nothing."

³⁶Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money belt is to take it along, and also his [provision] bag, and he who has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.

³⁷For I tell you that this [Scripture] which is written must be completed and fulfilled in Me: 'And He was counted with the criminals'; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment [and is settled]."

³⁸They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."

³⁹And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed Him.

⁴⁰When He arrived at the place [called Gethsemane], He said to them, "Pray continually that you may not fall into temptation."

⁴¹And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,

⁴²saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done."

⁴³Now an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

⁴⁴And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground.

⁴⁵When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,

⁴⁶and He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not fall into temptation."

⁴⁷While He was still speaking, a crowd came, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve [disciples], was leading the way for them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him.

⁴⁸And Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

⁴⁹When those who were around Him saw what was about to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?"

⁵⁰And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹But Jesus replied, "Stop! No more of this." And He touched the ear and healed him.

⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders [of the Sanhedrin] who had come out against Him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber?

⁵³Day after day when I was with you in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power and authority of darkness are yours."

⁵⁴Then they seized Him, and led Him away and brought Him to the [elegant] house of the [Jewish] high priest. And Peter was following at a [safe] distance.

⁵⁵After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat among them.

⁵⁶And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, "This man was with Him too."

⁵⁷But Peter denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him!"

⁵⁸A little later someone else saw him and said, "You are one of them too." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"

⁵⁹After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, "This man was with Him, for he is a Galilean too."

⁶⁰But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

⁶¹The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times."

⁶²And he went out and wept bitterly [deeply grieved and distressed].

⁶³Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking and ridiculing Him [and treating Him with contempt] and beating Him.

⁶⁴They blindfolded Him and asked, "Prophesy, who is it that struck You?"

⁶⁵And they were saying many other [evil and slanderous] things against Him, blaspheming [speaking sacrilegiously and abusively about] Him.

⁶⁶When day came, the Council of the elders of the people (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) assembled, both chief priests and scribes; and they led Jesus away to the council chamber, saying,

⁶⁷"If You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe [what I say],

⁶⁸and if I ask a question, you will not answer.

⁶⁹But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."

⁷⁰And they all said, "Are You the Son of God, then?" He replied, "It is just as you say."

⁷¹Then they asked, "What further need of testimony do we have? For we ourselves have heard it from His own mouth."

¹Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now hear this: I make you as God to Pharaoh [to declare My will and purpose to him]; and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

²You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go out of his land.

³And I will make Pharaoh's heart hard, and multiply My signs and My wonders (miracles) in the land of Egypt.

⁴But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I shall lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts [like a defensive army, tribe by tribe], My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment (the plagues).

⁵The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them."

⁶And Moses and Aaron did so; just as the LORD commanded them, so they did.

⁷Now Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

⁸Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

⁹"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Work a miracle [to prove your authority],' then you say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, so that it may become a serpent.'"

¹⁰So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and did just as the LORD had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

¹¹Then Pharaoh called for the wise men [skilled in magic and omens] and the sorcerers [skilled in witchcraft], and they also, these magicians (soothsayer-priests) of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts and enchantments.

¹²For every man threw down his staff and they turned into serpents; but Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

¹³Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

¹⁴Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.

¹⁵Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and wait for him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent.

¹⁶You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now."

¹⁷Thus says the LORD, "By this you shall know and recognize and acknowledge that I am the LORD: look, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water in the Nile, and it shall be turned to blood.

¹⁸The fish in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will not be able to drink water from the Nile."'"

¹⁹Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, so that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, in containers both of wood and of stone.'"

²⁰So Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded; Aaron lifted up the staff and struck the waters in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned into blood.

²¹The fish in the Nile died, and the river became foul smelling, and the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

²²But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts and enchantments; so Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

²³Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this [divine sign] to heart.

²⁴So all the Egyptians dug near the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the Nile.

²⁵Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

¹Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.

²For I testify about them that they have a certain enthusiasm for God, but not in accordance with [correct and vital] knowledge [about Him and His purposes].

³For not knowing about God's righteousness [which is based on faith], and seeking to establish their own [righteousness based on works], they did not submit to God's righteousness.

⁴For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].

⁵For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it.

⁶But the righteousness based on faith [which produces a right relationship with Him] says the following: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into Heaven?' that is, to bring Christ down;

⁷or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we had to be saved by our own efforts, doing the impossible]."

⁸But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach—

⁹because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.

¹¹For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations]."

¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord over all [of us], and [He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer].

¹³For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved."

¹⁴But how will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)?

¹⁵And how will they preach unless they are commissioned and sent [for that purpose]? Just as it is written and forever remains written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!"

¹⁶But they did not all pay attention to the good news [of salvation]; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"

¹⁷So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.

¹⁸But I say, did they not hear? Indeed they have; "Their voice [that of creation bearing God's message] has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the [farthest] ends of the world."

¹⁹But I say, did Israel fail to understand [that the gospel was to go also to the Gentiles]? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation (Gentiles); With a nation that lacks understanding I will make you angry."

²⁰Then Isaiah is very bold and says, "I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown Myself to those who did not [consciously] ask for Me."

²¹But of Israel he says, "All day long I have stretched out My hands [in compassion] to a disobedient and obstinate people."

¹Then I saw as the Lamb (Christ) broke one of the seven seals [of the scroll initiating the judgments], and I heard one of the four living creatures call out as with a voice of thunder, " Come."

²I looked, and behold, a white horse [of victory] whose rider carried a bow; and a crown [of victory] was given to him, and he rode forth conquering and to conquer.

³When He (the Lamb) broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, "Come."

⁴And another, a fiery red horse [of bloodshed], came out; and its rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him.

⁵When He (the Lamb) broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse [of famine]; and the rider had in his hand a pair of scales (a balance).

⁶And I heard something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius (a day's wages), and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine."

⁷When He (the Lamb) broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, "Come."

⁸So I looked, and behold, an ashen (pale greenish gray) horse [like a corpse, representing death and pestilence]; and its rider's name was Death; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following with him. They were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with plague (pestilence, disease) and by the wild beasts of the earth.

⁹When He (the Lamb) broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained [out of loyalty to Christ].

¹⁰They cried in a loud voice, saying, "O Lord, holy and true, how long now before You will sit in judgment and avenge our blood on those [unregenerate ones] who dwell on the earth?"

¹¹Then they were each given a white robe; and they were told to rest and wait quietly for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed.

¹²I looked when He (the Lamb) broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth [made] of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;

¹³and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree shedding its late [summer] figs when shaken by a strong wind.

¹⁴The sky was split [separated from the land] and rolled up like a scroll, and every mountain and island were dislodged and moved out of their places.

¹⁵Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the military commanders and the wealthy and the strong and everyone, [whether] slave or free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;

¹⁶and they called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the [righteous] wrath and indignation of the Lamb;

¹⁷for the great day of their wrath and vengeance and retribution has come, and who is able to [face God and] stand [before the wrath of the Lamb]?"

¹(The Bridegroom) "How fair and beautiful you are, my darling, How very beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like those of a dove; Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goats That have descended from Mount Gilead [beyond the Jordan].

²"Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes Which have come up from washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young.

³"Your lips are like a ribbon of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of the pomegranate Behind your veil.

⁴"Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with rows of [glistening] stones, Whereon hang a thousand shields, All of them shields of warriors.

⁵"Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies.

⁶"Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, [In my thoughts] I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense.

⁷"O my love, you are altogether beautiful and fair. There is no flaw nor blemish in you!

⁸"Come away with me from Lebanon, my [promised] bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the top of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards.

⁹"You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my [promised] bride; You have ravished my heart and given me courage with a single glance of your eyes, With one jewel of your necklace.

¹⁰"How beautiful is your love, my sister, my [promised] bride! How much better is your love than wine, And the fragrance of your oils Than all kinds of balsam and spices.

¹¹"Your lips, my [promised] bride, drip honey [as the honeycomb]; Honey and milk are under your tongue, And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

¹²"A garden enclosed is my sister, my [promised] bride— A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.

¹³"Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, [A paradise] with precious fruits, henna with fragrant plants,

¹⁴Fragrant plants and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.

¹⁵"You are a fountain in a garden, A well of fresh and living water, And streams flowing from Lebanon."

¹⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "Awake, O north wind, And come, south wind [blow softly upon my garden]; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, [for the one in whom my soul delights], Let its spices flow forth. Let my beloved come into his garden And eat its choicest fruits."

¹O LORD God, You to whom vengeance belongs, O God, You to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth [in judgment]!

²Rise up, O Judge of the earth; Give to the proud a fitting compensation.

³O LORD, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked rejoice in triumph?

⁴They pour out words, speaking arrogant things; All who do evil boast proudly.

⁵They crush Your people, O LORD, And afflict and abuse Your heritage.

⁶They kill the widow and the alien And murder the fatherless.

⁷Yet they say, "The LORD does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob (Israel) notice it."

⁸Consider thoughtfully, you senseless (stupid ones) among the people; And you [dull-minded] fools, when will you become wise and understand?

⁹He who made the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see?

¹⁰He who instructs the nations, Does He not rebuke and punish, He who teaches man knowledge?

¹¹The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath (vain, empty, futile).

¹²Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O LORD, And whom You teach from Your law,

¹³That You may grant him [power to calm himself and find] peace in the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked and ungodly.

¹⁴For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He abandon His inheritance.

¹⁵For judgment will again be righteous, And all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶Who will stand up for me against the evildoers? Who will take a stand for me against those who do wickedness?

¹⁷If the LORD had not been my help, I would soon have dwelt in [the land of] silence.

¹⁸If I say, "My foot has slipped," Your compassion and lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.

¹⁹When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comforts delight me.

²⁰Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]?

²¹They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death.

²²But the LORD has become my high tower and defense, And my God the rock of my refuge.

²³He has turned back their own wickedness upon them And will destroy them by means of their own evil; The LORD our God will wipe them out.

¹Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring.

²Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.

³Stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But a fool's [unreasonable] wrath is heavier and more burdensome than both of them.

⁴Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, But who is able to endure and stand before [the sin of] jealousy?

⁵Better is an open reprimand [of loving correction] Than love that is hidden.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].

⁷He who is satisfied loathes honey, But to the hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.

⁸Like a bird that wanders from her nest [with its comfort and safety], So is a man who wanders from his home.

⁹Oil and perfume make the heart glad; So does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart.

¹⁰Do not abandon your own friend and your father's friend, And do not go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

¹¹My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches (reprimands, criticizes) me.

¹²A prudent man sees evil and hides himself and avoids it, But the naive [who are easily misled] continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

¹³[The judge tells the creditor,] "Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger; And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid]."

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be counted as a curse to him [for it will either be annoying or his purpose will be suspect].

¹⁵A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious (quarrelsome) woman are alike;

¹⁶Whoever attempts to restrain her [criticism] might as well try to stop the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].

¹⁸He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who faithfully protects and cares for his master will be honored.

¹⁹As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.

²⁰Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the underworld) are never satisfied; Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

²¹The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].

²²Even though you pound a [hardened, arrogant] fool [who rejects wisdom] in a mortar with a pestle like grain, Yet his foolishness will not leave him.

²³Be diligent to know the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds;

²⁴For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

²⁵When the grass is gone, the new growth is seen, And herbs of the mountain are gathered in,

²⁶The lambs will supply wool for your clothing, And the goats will bring the price of a field.

²⁷And there will be enough goats' milk for your food, For the food of your household, And for the maintenance of your maids.

¹On the third day [of the fast] Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace opposite his [throne] room. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the [main] entrance of the palace.

²When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she found favor in his sight; and the king extended to her the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter.

³Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you, up to half of the kingdom."

⁴Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

⁵Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so that we may do as Esther says." So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

⁶As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition? It shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done."

⁷Then Esther replied, "My petition and my request is this:

⁸if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to do as I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them; and tomorrow I will do as the king says [and express my request]."

⁹Haman went away that day joyful and in good spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate refusing to stand up or show fear before him, he was filled with rage toward Mordecai.

¹⁰Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. There he sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.

¹¹Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the large number of his sons, and every instance in which the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him over the officials and servants of the king.

¹²Haman also said, "Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the banquet she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her [together] with the king.

¹³Yet all of this does not satisfy me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."

¹⁴Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Have a gallows fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully to the banquet with the king." And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.

¹The oracle (a burdensome message) of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him:

²"Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling (staggering) to all the surrounding peoples; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.

³And in that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will come and be gathered against it.

⁴In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with panic and his rider with madness; but I will open My eyes and watch over the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the [opposing] nations with blindness.

⁵Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are our strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.'

⁶"In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, and like a flaming torch among sheaves [of grain]. They will devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left; and the people of Jerusalem will again live [securely] in their own place, in Jerusalem.

⁷The LORD shall save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.

⁸In that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, and the one who is impaired among them in that day [of persecution] will become [strong and noble] like David; and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD [who is] before them.

⁹And in that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

¹⁰"I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace (unmerited favor) and supplication. And they will look at Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him as one who weeps bitterly over a firstborn.

¹¹In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of [the city of] Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo [over beloved King Josiah].

¹²The land will mourn, every family by itself; the [royal] family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan [David's son] by itself and their wives by themselves;

¹³the [priestly] family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei [grandson of Levi] by itself and their wives by themselves;

¹⁴all the families that remain, each by itself, and their wives by themselves [each with an overwhelming individual regret for having blindly rejected their Messiah].

¹After the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them he told them goodbye, and set off to go to Macedonia.

²After he had gone through those districts and had encouraged the believers, he came to Greece.

³And he stayed three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia (northern Greece).

⁴He was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

⁵These men went on ahead and were waiting for us (including Luke) at Troas.

⁶We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread (Passover week), and within five days we reached them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

⁷Now on the first day of the week (Sunday), when we were gathered together to break bread (share communion), Paul began talking with them, intending to leave the next day; and he kept on with his message until midnight.

⁸Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were assembled,

⁹and there was a young man named Eutychus ("Lucky") sitting on the window sill. He was sinking into a deep sleep, and as Paul kept on talking longer and longer, he was completely overcome by sleep and fell down from the third story; and he was picked up dead.

¹⁰But Paul went down and threw himself on him and embraced him, and said [to those standing around him], "Do not be troubled, because he is alive."

¹¹When Paul had gone back upstairs and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked [informally and confidentially] with them for a long time—until daybreak [in fact]—and then he left.

¹²They took the boy [Eutychus] home alive, and were greatly comforted and encouraged.

¹³But we went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for that was what he had arranged, intending himself to go [a shorter route] by land.

¹⁴So when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and sailed on to Mitylene.

¹⁵Sailing from there, we arrived the next day [at a point] opposite Chios; the following day we crossed over to Samos, and the next day we arrived at Miletus [about 30 miles south of Ephesus].

¹⁶Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus so that he would not end up spending time [unnecessarily] in [the province of] Asia (modern Turkey); for he was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

¹⁷However, from Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church [to meet him there].

¹⁸And when they arrived he said to them: "You know well how I [lived when I] was with you, from the first day that I set foot in Asia [until now],

¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me];

²⁰[you know] how I did not shrink back in fear from telling you anything that was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public meetings, and from house to house,

²¹solemnly [and wholeheartedly] testifying to both Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance to God and [to have] faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [for salvation].

²²And now, compelled by the Spirit and obligated by my convictions, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

²³except that the Holy Spirit solemnly [and emphatically] affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me.

²⁴But I do not consider my life as something of value or dear to me, so that I may [with joy] finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify faithfully of the good news of God's [precious, undeserved] grace [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life].

²⁵"And now, listen carefully: I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see me again.

²⁶For that reason I testify to you on this [our parting] day that I am innocent of the blood of all people.

²⁷For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan of God.

²⁸Take care and be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God which He bought with His own blood.

²⁹I know that after I am gone, [false teachers like] ferocious wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

³⁰even from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse and distorted things, to draw away the disciples after themselves [as their followers].

³¹Therefore be continually alert, remembering that for three years, night or day, I did not stop admonishing and advising each one [of you] with tears.

³²And now I commend you to God [placing you in His protective, loving care] and [I commend you] to the word of His grace [the counsel and promises of His unmerited favor]. His grace is able to build you up and to give you the [rightful] inheritance among all those who are sanctified [that is, among those who are set apart for God's purpose—all believers].

³³I had no desire for anyone's silver or gold or [expensive] clothes.

³⁴You know personally that these hands ministered to my own needs [working in manual labor] and to [those of] the people who were with me.

³⁵In everything I showed you [by example] that by working hard in this way you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.'"

³⁶When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

³⁷And they began to weep openly and threw their arms around Paul's neck, and repeatedly kissed him,

³⁸grieving and distressed especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see him again. And they accompanied him to the ship.