Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).

²A large crowd was following Him, because they were watching the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.

³But Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

⁴Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.

⁵So Jesus, after raising His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?”

⁶But He was saying this only to test him, for He Himself knew what He intended to do.

⁷Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, for each to receive just a little!”

⁸One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him,

⁹“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?”

¹⁰Jesus said, “Have the people recline to eat.” Now there was plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.

¹¹Jesus then took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹²And when they had eaten their fill, He *said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.”

¹³So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

¹⁵So Jesus, aware that they intended to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself, alone.

¹⁶Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

¹⁷and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

¹⁸In addition, the sea began getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing.

¹⁹Then, when they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat; and they were frightened.

²⁰But He *said to them, “It is I;do not be afraid.”

²¹So they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

²²The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had departed alone.

²³Other small boats came from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

²⁴So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats and came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus.

²⁵And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

²⁶Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you sawsigns, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled.

²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set Hisseal.”

²⁸Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?”

²⁹Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

³⁰So they said to Him, “What then are You doing as a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing?

³¹Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’ ”

³²Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

³³For the bread of God isthat which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.

³⁶But I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe.

³⁷Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out.

³⁸For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

³⁹And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day.

⁴⁰For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

⁴¹So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.”

⁴²And they were saying, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”

⁴³Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop complaining among yourselves.

⁴⁴No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

⁴⁵It is written in the Prophets: ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.

⁴⁶Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.

⁴⁷Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life.

⁴⁸I am the bread of life.

⁴⁹Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

⁵⁰This is the bread that comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat from it and not die.

⁵¹I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I will give for the life of the world also is My flesh.”

⁵²Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.

⁵⁴The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

⁵⁵For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.

⁵⁶The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.

⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.

⁵⁸This is the bread that came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

⁵⁹These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

⁶⁰So then many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This statement is very unpleasant; who can listen to it?”

⁶¹But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, “Is thisoffensive to you?

⁶²What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?

⁶³It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.

⁶⁴But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him.

⁶⁵And He was saying, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

⁶⁶As a result of this many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him.

⁶⁷So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to leave also, do you?”

⁶⁸Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.

⁶⁹And we have already believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

⁷⁰Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”

⁷¹Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot; for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.

¹Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.

²The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

³The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name.

⁴Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has thrown into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.

⁵The waters cover them; They went down into the depths like a stone.

⁶Your right hand, LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, LORD, destroys the enemy.

⁷And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You; You send out Your burning anger, and it consumes them like chaff.

⁸At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up, The flowing waters stood up like a heap; The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

⁹The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I shall be satisfied against them; I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’

¹⁰You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹Who is like You among the gods, LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?

¹²You reached out with Your right hand, The earth swallowed them.

¹³In Your faithfulness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.

¹⁴The peoples have heard, they tremble; Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.

¹⁵Then the chiefs of Edom were terrified; The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them; All the inhabitants of Canaan have despaired.

¹⁶Terror and dread fall upon them; By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone, Until Your people pass over, LORD, Until the people pass over whom You have purchased.

¹⁷You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, The place, LORD, which You have made as Your dwelling, The sanctuary, Lord, which Your hands have established.

¹⁸The LORD shall reign forever and ever.”

¹⁹For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.

²⁰Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.

²¹And Miriam answered them, “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”

²²Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

²³When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, because they were bitter; for that reason it was named Marah.

²⁴So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

²⁵Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them.

²⁶And He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”

²⁷Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

¹And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God.

²For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

³I also was with you in weakness and fear, and in great trembling,

⁴and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

⁵so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.

⁶Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;

⁷but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;

⁸the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

⁹but just as it is written: “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which have not entered the human heart, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”

¹⁰For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

¹¹For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God.

¹²Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.

¹³We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

¹⁴But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

¹⁵But the one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no one.

¹⁶For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

¹Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

²And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

³And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth.

⁴These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from mankind as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.

⁵And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

⁶And I saw another angel flying in midheaven with an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people;

⁷and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and sea and springs of waters.”

⁸And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

⁹Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

¹⁰he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

¹¹And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

¹²Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

¹³And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

¹⁴Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.

¹⁵And another angel came out of the temple, calling out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

¹⁶Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

¹⁷And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

¹⁸Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.”

¹⁹So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.

²⁰And the wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

²“If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient? But who can refrain from speaking?

³Behold, you have taught many, And you have strengthened weak hands.

⁴Your words have helped the stumbling to stand, And you have strengthened feeble knees.

⁵But now it comes to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are horrified.

⁶Is your fear of God not your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed?

⁸According to what I have seen, those who plow wrongdoing And those who sow trouble harvest it.

⁹By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.

¹⁰The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken out.

¹¹The lion perishes for lack of prey, And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

¹²“Now a word was brought to me secretly, And my ear received a whisper of it.

¹³Amid disquieting thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on people,

¹⁴Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made all my bones shake.

¹⁵Then a spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh stood up.

¹⁶Something was standing still, but I could not recognize its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice:

¹⁷‘Can mankind be righteous before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?

¹⁸He puts no trust even in His servants; And He accuses His angels of error.

¹⁹How much more those who live in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who are crushed before the moth!

²⁰Between morning and evening they are broken in pieces; Unregarded, they perish forever.

²¹Is their tent-cord not pulled out within them? They die, yet without wisdom.’

¹Hear my prayer, LORD! And let my cry for help come to You.

²Do not hide Your face from me on the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; On the day when I call answer me quickly.

³For my days have ended in smoke, And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.

⁴My heart has been struck like grass and has withered, Indeed, I forget to eat my bread.

⁵Because of the loudness of my groaning My bones cling to my flesh.

⁶I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the ruins.

⁷I lie awake, I have become like a solitary bird on a housetop.

⁸My enemies have taunted me all day long; Those who deride me have used my name as a curse.

⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mixed my drink with weeping

¹⁰Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; For You have lifted me up and thrown me away.

¹¹My days are like a lengthened shadow, And I wither away like grass.

¹²But You, LORD, remain forever, And Your name remains to all generations.

¹³You will arise and have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come.

¹⁴Surely Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And feel pity for her dust.

¹⁵So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, And all the kings of the earth, Your glory.

¹⁶For the LORD has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

¹⁷He has turned His attention to the prayer of the destitute And has not despised their prayer.

¹⁸This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:

¹⁹For He looked down from His holy height; From heaven the LORD looked upon the earth,

²⁰To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To set free those who were doomed to death,

²¹So that people may tell of the name of the LORD in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem,

²²When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

²³He has broken my strength in the way; He has shortened my days.

²⁴I say, “My God, do not take me away in the middle of my days, Your years are throughout all generations.

²⁵In time of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

²⁶Even they will perish, but You endure; All of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will pass away.

²⁷But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.

²⁸The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You.”

¹Listen, my sons, to the instruction of a father, And pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

²For I give you good teaching; Do not abandon my instruction.

³When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,

⁴He taught me and said to me, “Let your heart take hold of my words; Keep my commandments and live;

⁵Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not abandon her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.

⁸Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her.

⁹She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

¹⁰Listen, my son, and accept my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have instructed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.

¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; And if you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil people.

¹⁵Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on.

¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

²¹They are not to escape from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, And healing to all their body.

²³Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

²⁴Rid yourself of a deceitful mouth And keep devious speech far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

²⁶Watch the path of your feet, And all your ways will be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right or to the left; Turn your foot from evil.

¹Then Joshua got up early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they spent the night there before they crossed.

²Then at the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp;

³and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

⁴However, there shall be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measurement. Do not come near it, so that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

⁵Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do miracles among you.”

⁶And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.

⁷Now the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they will know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you.

⁸So you shall command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’ ”

⁹Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”

¹⁰And Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly drive out from you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite.

¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan.

¹²Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe.

¹³And it will come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, that is, the waters which are flowing down from above; and they will stand in one heap.”

¹⁴So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people,

¹⁵and when those who were carrying the ark came up to the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark stepped down into the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest),

¹⁶then the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho.

¹⁷And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

¹The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

²Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.

³And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; So that He may teach us about His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go out from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

⁴And He will judge between the nations, And will mediate for many peoples; And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.

⁵Come, house of Jacob, and let’s walk in the light of the LORD.

⁶For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines. They also strike bargains with the children of foreigners.

⁷Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses, And there is no end to their chariots.

⁸Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made.

⁹So the common person has been humbled And the person of importance has been brought low, But do not forgive them.

¹⁰Enter the rocky place and hide in the dust From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty.

¹¹The proud look of humanity will be brought low, And the arrogance of people will be humbled; And the LORD alone will be exalted on that day.

¹²For the LORD of armies will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is arrogant and haughty, And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be brought low.

¹³And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan,

¹⁴Against all the lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up,

¹⁵Against every high tower, Against every fortified wall,

¹⁶Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the delightful ships.

¹⁷And the pride of humanity will be humbled And the arrogance of people will be brought low; And the LORD alone will be exalted on that day,

¹⁸And the idols will completely vanish.

¹⁹People will go into caves of the rocks And into holes in the ground Away from the terror of the LORD And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth.

²⁰On that day people will throw away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship,

²¹In order to go into the clefts of the rocks and the crannies of the cliffs Before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth.

²²Take no account of man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?

¹When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

²The natives showed us extraordinary kindness, for they kindled a fire and took us all in because of the rain that had started and because of the cold.

³But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

⁴When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”

⁵However, Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

⁶Now they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

⁷Now in the neighboring parts of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us warmly for three days.

⁸And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with a recurring fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after he prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.

⁹After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and being cured.

¹⁰They also showed us many honors, and when we were about to set sail, they supplied us with everything we needed.

¹¹After three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

¹²After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.

¹³From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind came up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.

¹⁴There we found some brothers and sisters, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and that is how we came to Rome.

¹⁵And from there the brothers and sisters, when they heard about us, came as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

¹⁶When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

¹⁷After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem.

¹⁸And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there were no grounds for putting me to death.

¹⁹But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation.

²⁰For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, since I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.”

²¹They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor has any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

²²But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for regarding this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.”

²³When they had set a day for Paul, people came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

²⁴Some were being persuaded by the things said by Paul, but others would not believe.

²⁵And when they disagreed with one another, they began leaving after Paul said one parting statement: “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,

²⁶saying, ‘GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, “YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, AND WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, AND WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

²⁷FOR THE HEARTS OF THIS PEOPLE HAVE BECOME INSENSITIVE, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY HARDLY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.” ’

²⁸Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.”

²⁹

³⁰Now Paul stayed two full years in his own rented lodging and welcomed all who came to him,

³¹preaching the kingdom of God and teaching things about the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.