Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

²It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

³So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, he [our brother and Your friend] whom You love is sick."

⁴When Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

⁵Now Jesus loved and was concerned about Martha and her sister and Lazarus [and considered them dear friends].

⁶So [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed in the same place two more days.

⁷Then He said to His disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

⁸The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi (Teacher), the Jews were only recently going to stone You, and You are [thinking of] going back there again?"

⁹Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours [of light] in the day? Anyone who walks in the daytime does not stumble, because he sees [by] the light of this world.

¹⁰But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him."

¹¹He said this, and after that said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him."

¹²The disciples answered, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

¹³However, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was referring to natural sleep.

¹⁴So then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

¹⁵And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

¹⁶Then Thomas, who was called Didymus (the twin), said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go too, that we may die with Him."

¹⁷So when Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

¹⁸Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away;

¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to see Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning [the loss of] their brother.

²⁰So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house.

²¹Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

²²Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You."

²³Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise [from the dead]."

²⁴Martha replied, "I know that he will rise [from the dead] in the resurrection on the last day."

²⁵Jesus said to her, " I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies;

²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this?"

²⁷She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed and continue to believe that You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God, He who was [destined and promised] to come into the world [and it is for You that the world has waited]."

²⁸After she had said this, she left and called her sister Mary, privately whispering [to her], "The Teacher is here and is asking for you."

²⁹And when she heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.

³⁰Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.

³¹So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her, saw how quickly Mary got up and left, they followed her, assuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

³²When Mary came [to the place] where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

³³When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who had come with her also sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit [to the point of anger at the sorrow caused by death] and was troubled,

³⁴and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said, "Lord, come and see."

³⁵Jesus wept.

³⁶So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him [as a close friend]!"

³⁷But some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the blind man's eyes, have kept this man from dying?"

³⁸So Jesus, again deeply moved within [to the point of anger], approached the tomb. It was a cave, and a boulder was lying against it [to cover the entrance].

³⁹Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days! [It is hopeless!]"

⁴⁰Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe [in Me], you will see the glory of God [the expression of His excellence]?"

⁴¹So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes [toward heaven] and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

⁴²I knew that You always hear Me and listen to Me; but I have said this because of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You have sent Me [and that You have made Me Your representative]."

⁴³When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

⁴⁴Out came the man who had been dead, his hands and feet tightly wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and release him."

⁴⁵So then, many of the Jews who had come to [be with] Mary and who were eyewitnesses to what Jesus had done, believed in Him.

⁴⁶But some of them went back to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

⁴⁷So the chief priests and Pharisees convened a council [of the leaders in Israel], and said, "What are we doing? For this man performs many signs (attesting miracles).

⁴⁸If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our [holy] place (the temple) and our nation."

⁴⁹But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year [the year of Christ's crucifixion], said to them, "You know nothing at all!

⁵⁰Nor do you understand that it is expedient and politically advantageous for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish."

⁵¹Now he did not say this [simply] on his own initiative; but being the high priest that year, he [was unknowingly used by God and] prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

⁵²and not only for the nation, but also for the purpose of gathering together into one body the children of God who have been scattered abroad.

⁵³So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

⁵⁴For that reason Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but left there and went to the district that borders on the uninhabited wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and He stayed there with the disciples.

⁵⁵Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, and many from the country went up to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves [ceremonially, so that they would be able to participate in the feast].

⁵⁶So they were looking for Jesus as they stood in the temple [area], and saying among themselves, "What do you think? Will He not come to the feast at all?"

⁵⁷Now the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it so that they might arrest Him.

¹Then God spoke all these words:

²"I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

³"You shall have no other gods before Me.

⁴"You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship].

⁵You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [ demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

⁶but showing graciousness and steadfast lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

⁷"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the LORD will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

⁸"Remember the Sabbath (seventh) day to keep it holy (set apart, dedicated to God).

⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

¹⁰but the seventh day is a Sabbath [a day of rest dedicated] to the LORD your God; on that day you shall not do any work, you or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock or the temporary resident (foreigner) who stays within your [city] gates.

¹¹For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy [that is, set it apart for His purposes].

¹²"Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the LORD your God gives you.

¹³"You shall not commit murder (unjustified, deliberate homicide).

¹⁴"You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵"You shall not steal [secretly, openly, fraudulently, or through carelessness].

¹⁶"You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).

¹⁷"You shall not covet [that is, selfishly desire and attempt to acquire] your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

¹⁸Now all the people witnessed the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the smoking mountain; and as they looked, the people were afraid, and they trembled [and moved backward] and stood at a [safe] distance.

¹⁹Then they said to Moses, "You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us or we will die."

²⁰Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him [that is, a profound reverence for Him] will remain with you, so that you do not sin."

²¹So the people stood at a [safe] distance, but Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

²²Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.

²³You shall not make other gods [to worship] besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make [these lifeless idols] for yourselves.

²⁴You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause My Name to be recorded and remembered [through revelation of My divine nature] I will come to you and bless you.

²⁵If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you use a chisel on it, you will profane it.

²⁶Nor shall you go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.'

¹Now as to the matters of which you wrote: It is good (beneficial, advantageous) for a man not to touch a woman [outside marriage].

²But because of [the temptation to participate in] sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

³The husband must fulfill his [marital] duty to his wife [with good will and kindness], and likewise the wife to her husband.

⁴The wife does not have [exclusive] authority over her own body, but the husband shares with her; and likewise the husband does not have [exclusive] authority over his body, but the wife shares with him.

⁵Do not deprive each other [of marital rights], except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves [unhindered] to prayer, but come together again so that Satan will not tempt you [to sin] because of your lack of self-control.

⁶But I am saying this as a concession, not as a command.

⁷I wish that all the people were as I am; but each person has his own gift from God, one of this kind and one of that.

⁸But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, [that as a practical matter] it is good if they remain [single and entirely devoted to the Lord] as I am.

⁹But if they do not have [sufficient] self-control, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰But to the married [believers] I give instructions—not I, but the Lord—that the wife is not to separate from her husband,

¹¹(but even if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband) and that the husband should not leave his wife.

¹²To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord [since Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any [believing] brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ], and she consents to live with him, he must not leave her.

¹³And if any [believing] woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not leave him.

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified [that is, he receives the blessings granted] through his [Christian] wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be [ceremonially] unclean, but as it is they are holy.

¹⁵But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him leave. In such cases the [remaining] brother or sister is not [spiritually or morally] bound. But God has called us to peace.

¹⁶For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband [by leading him to Christ]? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife [by leading her to Christ]?

¹⁷Only, let each one live the life which the Lord has assigned him, and to which God has called him [for each person is unique and is accountable for his choices and conduct, let him walk in this way]. This is the rule I make in all the churches.

¹⁸Was anyone at the time of his calling [from God already] circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called while uncircumcised? He is not to be circumcised.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is keeping the commandments of God.

²⁰Each one should remain in the condition in which he was [when he was] called.

²¹Were you a slave when you were called? Do not worry about that [since your status as a believer is equal to that of a freeborn believer]; but if you are able to gain your freedom, do that.

²²For he who was a slave when he was called in the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, likewise he who was free when he was called is a slave of Christ.

²³You were bought with a price [a precious price paid by Christ]; do not become slaves to men [but to Christ].

²⁴Brothers, let each one remain with God in that condition in which he was [when he was] called.

²⁵Now concerning the virgins [of marriageable age] I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

²⁶I think then that because of the impending distress [that is, the pressure of the current trouble], it is good for a man to remain as he is.

²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you unmarried? Do not seek a wife.

²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned [in doing so]; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned [in doing so]. Yet those [who marry] will have troubles (special challenges) in this life, and I am trying to spare you that.

²⁹But I say this, believers: the time has been shortened, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they did not;

³⁰and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess [anything];

³¹and those who use the world [taking advantage of its opportunities], as though they did not make full use of it. For the outward form of this world [its present social and material nature] is passing away.

³²But I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

³³but the married man is concerned about worldly things, how he may please his wife,

³⁴and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or the virgin is concerned about the matters of the Lord, how to be holy and set apart both in body and in spirit; but a married woman is concerned about worldly things, how she may please her husband.

³⁵Now I say this for your own benefit; not to restrict you, but to promote what is appropriate and secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

³⁶But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly and honorably toward his virgin daughter, [ by not permitting her to marry], if she is past her youth, and it must be so, let him do as he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.

³⁷But the man who stands firmly committed in his heart, having no compulsion [to yield to his daughter's request], and has authority over his own will, and has decided in his own heart to keep his own virgin [daughter from being married], he will do well.

³⁸So then both the father who gives his virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

³⁹A wife is bound [to her husband by law] as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, only [provided that he too is] in the Lord.

⁴⁰But in my opinion a widow is happier if she stays as she is. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God [in this matter].

¹After these things I heard something like the great and mighty shout of a vast multitude in heaven, exclaiming, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory (splendor, majesty) and power (dominion, might) belong to our God;

²because His judgments are true and righteous. He has judged [convicted and pronounced sentence on] the great prostitute (idolatress) who was corrupting and ruining and poisoning the earth with her adultery (idolatry), and He has imposed the penalty for the blood of His bond-servantson her."

³And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke shall ascend forever and ever."

⁴Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures also fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah (praise the Lord)!"

⁵Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, "Praise our God, all you bond-servants of His, you who fear Him, the small (common) and the great (distinguished)."

⁶Then I heard something like the shout of a vast multitude, and like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] reigns.

⁷"Let us rejoice and shout for joy! Let us give Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [at last] and His bride (the redeemed) has prepared herself."

⁸She has been permitted to dress in fine linen, dazzling white and clean—for the fine linen signifies the righteous acts of the saints [the ethical conduct, personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character of believers].

⁹Then the angel said to me, "Write, ' Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me [further], "These are the true and exact words of God."

¹⁰Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he [stopped me and] said to me, "You must not do that; I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who have and hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God [alone]. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy [His life and teaching are the heart of prophecy]."

¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who was riding it is called Faithful and True (trustworthy, loyal, incorruptible, steady), and in righteousness He judges and wages war [on the rebellious nations].

¹²His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many royal crowns; and He has a name inscribed [on Him] which no one knows or understands except Himself.

¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

¹⁴And the armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, [dazzling] white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

¹⁵From His mouth comes a sharp sword (His word) with which He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He will tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty [in judgment of the rebellious world].

¹⁶And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name inscribed, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

¹⁷Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he shouted to all the birds that fly in midheaven, saying, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

¹⁸so that you may feast on the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all humanity, both free men and slaves, both small and great [in a complete conquest of evil]."

¹⁹Then I saw the beast and the kings and political leaders of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who is mounted on the [white] horse and against His army.

²⁰And the beast (Antichrist) was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who, in his presence, had performed [amazing] signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were hurled alive into the lake of fire which blazes with brimstone.

²¹And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds fed ravenously and gorged themselves with their flesh.

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Yes, I know it is true. But how can a mortal man be right before God?

³"If one should want to contend or dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

⁴"God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?

⁵"It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it, When He overturns them in His anger;

⁶Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;

⁷Who commands the sun, and it does not shine; Who seals up the stars [from view];

⁸Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;

⁹Who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the [vast starry] spaces of the south;

¹⁰Who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable, Yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.

¹¹"Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him; He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.

¹²"Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back? Who will say to Him, 'What are You doing?'

¹³"God will not turn back His anger; The [proud] helpers of Rahab [the arrogant monster of the sea] bow under Him.

¹⁴"How can I answer Him [and plead my case], Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?

¹⁵For though I were righteous, I could not answer. I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.

¹⁶"If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

¹⁷"For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.

¹⁸"He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills and saturates me with bitterness.

¹⁹"If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty! And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?

²⁰"Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty; Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.

²¹"[Though] I am blameless, I do not care about myself; I despise my life.

²²"It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys [both] the blameless and the wicked.'

²³"When [His] scourge kills suddenly, He mocks at the despair of the innocent.

²⁴"The earth is given into the hands of the wicked; He covers the faces of its judges [so that they are blind to justice]. If it is not He, then who is it [that is responsible for all this injustice]?

²⁵"Now my days are swifter than a runner; They vanish, they see no good.

²⁶"They pass by like the [swift] boats made of reeds, Like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.

²⁷"If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,'

²⁸I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come]; I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.

²⁹"I am accounted wicked and held guilty; Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?

³⁰"If I were to wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye,

³¹You would still plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].

³²"For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him, That we may go to court and judgment together.

³³"There is no arbitrator between us, Who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were].

³⁴"Let Him take His rod away from me, And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.

³⁵"Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

¹O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!

²Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,

³And gathered them from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.

⁴They wandered in the wilderness in a [solitary] desert region; And did not find a way to an inhabited city.

⁵Hungry and thirsty, They fainted.

⁶Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He rescued them from their distresses.

⁷He led them by the straight way, To an inhabited city [where they could establish their homes].

⁸Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

⁹For He satisfies the parched throat, And fills the hungry appetite with what is good.

¹⁰Some dwelt in darkness and in the deep (deathly) darkness, Prisoners [bound] in misery and chains,

¹¹Because they had rebelled against the precepts of God And spurned the counsel of the Most High.

¹²Therefore He humbled their heart with hard labor; They stumbled and there was no one to help.

¹³Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them from their distresses.

¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the deep (deathly) darkness And broke their bonds apart.

¹⁵Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

¹⁶For He has shattered the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron apart.

¹⁷Fools, because of their rebellious way, And because of their sins, were afflicted.

¹⁸They detested all kinds of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.

¹⁹Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them from their distresses.

²⁰He sent His word and healed them, And rescued them from their destruction.

²¹Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

²²And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And speak of His deeds with shouts of joy!

²³Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters;

²⁴They have seen the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep.

²⁵For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea.

²⁶They went up toward the heavens [on the crest of the wave], they went down again to the depths [of the watery trough]; Their courage melted away in their misery.

²⁷They staggered and trembled like a drunken man, And were at their wits' end [all their wisdom was useless].

²⁸Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses.

²⁹He hushed the storm to a gentle whisper, So that the waves of the sea were still.

³⁰Then they were glad because of the calm, And He guided them to their desired haven (harbor).

³¹Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!

³²Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, And praise Him at the seat of the elders.

³³He turns rivers into a wilderness, And springs of water into a thirsty ground;

³⁴A productive land into a [barren] salt waste, Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

³⁵He turns a wilderness into a pool of water And a dry land into springs of water;

³⁶And there He has the hungry dwell, So that they may establish an inhabited city,

³⁷And sow fields and plant vineyards, And produce an abundant harvest.

³⁸Also He blesses them so that they multiply greatly, And He does not let [the number of] their cattle decrease.

³⁹When they are diminished and bowed down (humbled) Through oppression, misery, and sorrow,

⁴⁰He pours contempt on princes And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.

⁴¹Yet He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction, And makes their families like a flock.

⁴²The upright see it and rejoice; But all unrighteousness shuts its mouth.

⁴³Who is wise? Let him observe and heed these things; And [thoughtfully] consider the lovingkindness of the LORD.

¹Wisdom has built her [spacious and sufficient] house; She has hewn out and set up her seven pillars.

²She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table.

³She has sent out her maidens, she calls From the highest places of the city:

⁴"Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!" As for him who lacks understanding, she says,

⁵"Come, eat my food And drink the wine I have mixed [and accept my gifts].

⁶"Leave [behind] your foolishness [and the foolish] and live, And walk in the way of insight and understanding."

⁷He who corrects and instructs a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man gets insults for himself.

⁸Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you; Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you.

⁹Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser; Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

¹⁰The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.

¹¹For by me (wisdom from God) your days will be multiplied, And years of life shall be increased.

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself [for your own benefit]; If you scoff [thoughtlessly ridicule and disdain], you alone will pay the penalty.

¹³The foolish woman is restless and noisy; She is naive and easily misled and thoughtless, and knows nothing at all [of eternal value].

¹⁴She sits at the doorway of her house, On a seat by the high and conspicuous places of the city,

¹⁵Calling to those who pass by, Who are making their paths straight:

¹⁶"Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!" And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says,

¹⁷"Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden]; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant."

¹⁸But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there, And that her guests are [already] in the depths of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

¹Now the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed (intimidated). Take all the men of war with you and set out, go up to Ai; see, I have given the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land into your hand.

²You shall do [the same] to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; [except that] you shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set up an ambush for the city behind it [on the west side]."

³So Joshua set out with all the people of war to go up against Ai; then Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them out at night.

⁴He commanded them, saying, "Listen closely, you are going to lie in wait and ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far away from the city, but all of you be ready.

⁵Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us [for battle] as [they did] the first time, we will run away from them.

⁶They will come out after us until we have lured them away from the city, because they will say, 'They are running from us as [they did] before.' So we will run from them.

⁷Then you will emerge from the ambush and take possession of the city, for the LORD your God will hand it over to you.

⁸When you have taken the city, you shall set it on fire; you shall do [exactly] as the LORD commanded. See, I have commanded you."

⁹So Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place for the ambush and stayed [hidden] between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people [in Gilgal].

¹⁰Now Joshua got up early in the morning and assembled the people, and went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai.

¹¹Then all the fighting men who were with him went up and advanced and arrived in front of the city, and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a ravine between them and Ai.

¹²And Joshua took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

¹³So they stationed the people, all the army—the main encampment that was north of the city, and their rear guard on the west side of the city—and Joshua spent that night in the valley.

¹⁴Now when the king [and the people] of Ai saw it, the men of the city hurried and got up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, the king and all his people at the appointed [time and] place before the desert plain (the Arabah). But he did not know that there was an ambush against him [waiting] behind the city [on the west side].

¹⁵So Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them, and ran toward the wilderness.

¹⁶Then all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city.

¹⁷Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel; so they left the city open and unguarded and they pursued Israel.

¹⁸Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Reach out with the spear that is in your hand [and point it] toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." So Joshua reached out with the spear in his hand [and pointed it] toward the city.

¹⁹The [men in] ambush emerged quickly from their [hiding] place, and when Joshua stretched out his hand they ran and entered the city and captured it, and quickly set the city on fire.

²⁰When the men of Ai turned back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city was ascending toward the sky, and they had no opportunity to run this way or that way. Then the people who had been running to the wilderness turned back toward the pursuers.

²¹When Joshua and all Israel saw that the [men in] ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was ascending, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.

²²Then the others came out of the city to confront the men of Ai [as they returned], so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side; then Israel struck them until none of them survived or escaped.

²³But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed, then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.

²⁵And all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai.

²⁶For Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

²⁷Israel took only the livestock and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua.

²⁸So Joshua burned Ai and made it a rubbish heap forever, a desolation until this day.

²⁹He hanged [the body of] the king of Ai on a tree [leaving it there] until evening; at sunset Joshua gave a command and they took the body down from the tree and dumped it at the entrance of the city gate, and piled a great heap of stones over it that stands to this day.

³⁰Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,

³¹just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no one has wielded an iron tool; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

³²And there, in the presence of the sons of Israel, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses which Moses had written.

³³All Israel, the stranger as well as the native born [among them], with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on either side of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at first to bless the people of Israel.

³⁴Then afterward Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessing and curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.

³⁵There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and the children and the foreigners who were living among them.

¹Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Aram (Syria) and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not conquer it.

²When the house of David (Judah) was told, "Aram is allied with Ephraim (Israel)," the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.

³Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz [king of Judah], you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field;

⁴and say to him, 'Take care and be calm, do not fear and be weak-hearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of [King] Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah (Pekah, usurper of the throne of Israel).

⁵Because Aram, along with Ephraim (Israel) and the son of Remaliah, have planned evil against you (Judah), saying,

⁶"Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it; and let us breach its wall and tear it apart [each of us taking a portion] and set up the son of Tabeel over it as its [puppet] king,"

⁷for this is what the Lord GOD says, "It shall not stand nor shall it happen.

⁸For the head (capital) of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is [King] Rezin (now within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces and will no longer be a people).

⁹And the head (capital) of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son [King Pekah]. If you will not believe [and trust in God and His message], be assured that you will not be established."'"

¹⁰Then the LORD spoke again to [King] Ahaz, saying,

¹¹"Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God [one that will convince you that God has spoken and will keep His word]; make your request as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven."

¹²But Ahaz said, " I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!"

¹³Then Isaiah said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too small a thing for you to try the patience of men, but will you try the patience of my God as well?

¹⁴Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).

¹⁵He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.

¹⁶For before the child will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land (Canaan) whose two kings you dread will be deserted [both Ephraim and Aram].

¹⁷The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim (the ten northern tribes) separated from Judah—[He will call for] the king of Assyria."

¹⁸In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is in the mouth of the rivers and canals of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

¹⁹These [armies, like flies and bees] will all come and settle on the steep and rugged ravines and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thorn bushes and in all the watering places.

²⁰In that day [when foreign armies swarm the land] the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from the regions beyond the Euphrates (that is, with the king of Assyria), [that razor will shave] the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard [leaving Judah stripped, shamed and scorned].

²¹Now in that day [because of the poverty caused by the invaders] a man will keep alive only a young milk cow and two sheep;

²²and because of the abundance of milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone that is left in the land will eat [only] curds and [wild] honey.

²³And it will come to pass in that day, in every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be briars and thorns.

²⁴People will come there [to hunt] with arrows and with bows because all the land will be briars and thorns.

²⁵As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the pick and the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place where oxen are pastured and where sheep tread.

¹Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

²and with his wife's full knowledge [and complicity] he kept back some of the proceeds, bringing only a portion of it, and set it at the apostles' feet.

³But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?

⁴As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God."

⁵And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fear and awe gripped those who heard of it.

⁶And the young men [in the congregation] got up and wrapped up the body, and carried it out and buried it.

⁷Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

⁸Peter asked her, "Tell me whether you sold your land for so much?" And she said, "Yes, for so much."

⁹Then Peter said to her, "How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."

¹⁰And at once she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

¹¹And great fear and awe gripped the whole church, and all who heard about these things.

¹²At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders (attesting miracles) were continually taking place among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in [the covered porch called] Solomon's portico.

¹³But none of the rest [of the people, the non-believers] dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteem and were speaking highly of them.

¹⁴More and more believers in the Lord, crowds of men and women, were constantly being added to their number,

¹⁵to such an extent that they even carried their sick out into the streets and put them on cots and sleeping pads, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on one of them [with healing power].

¹⁶And the people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

¹⁷But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy and resentment.

¹⁸They arrested the apostles and put them in a public jail.

¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and leading them out, he said,

²⁰"Go, stand and continue to tell the people in the temple [courtyards] the whole message of this Life [the eternal life revealed by Christ and found through faith in Him]."

²¹When they heard this, they went into the temple [courtyards] about daybreak and began teaching. Now when the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), even all the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent word to the prison for the apostles to be brought [before them].

²²But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison; and they came back and reported,

²³"We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened [the doors], we found no one inside."

²⁴Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these things, they were greatly perplexed, wondering what would come of this.

²⁵But someone came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing [right here] in the temple [area], teaching the people!"

²⁶Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).

²⁷So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them,

²⁸saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this Man's blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers]."

²⁹Then Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice].

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross [and you are responsible].

³¹God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins.

³²And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him."

³³Now when they heard this, they were infuriated and they intended to kill the apostles.

³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.

³⁵Then he said to the Council, "Men of Israel, be careful in regard to what you propose to do to these men.

³⁶For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody [of importance], and a group of about four hundred men allied themselves with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.

³⁷After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up, [and led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew people after him; he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered.

³⁸So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men [merely human in origin], it will fail and be destroyed;

³⁹but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!"

⁴⁰The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

⁴¹So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.

⁴²And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).