Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that His hour had come [and it was time] for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. Having [greatly] loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [and continuously loves them with His perfect love] to the end (eternally).

²It was during supper, when the devil had already put [the thought of] betraying Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,

³that Jesus, knowing that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God,

⁴got up from supper, took off His [outer] robe, and taking a [servant's] towel, He tied it around His waist.

⁵Then He poured water into the basin and began washing the disciples' feet and wiping them with the towel which was tied around His waist.

⁶When He came to Simon Peter, he said to Him, "Lord, are You going to wash my feet?"

⁷Jesus replied to him, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but you will [fully] understand it later."

⁸Peter said to Him, "You will never wash my feet!" Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me [we can have nothing to do with each other]."

⁹Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, [in that case, wash] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!"

¹⁰Jesus said to him, "Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, and is completely clean. And you [My disciples] are clean, but not all of you."

¹¹For He knew who was going to betray Him; for that reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."

¹²So when He had washed their feet and put on His [outer] robe and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you understand what I have done for you?

¹³You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right in doing so, for that is who I am.

¹⁴So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet as well.

¹⁵For I gave you [this as] an example, so that you should do [in turn] as I did to you.

¹⁶I assure you and most solemnly say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed [happy and favored by God] if you put them into practice [and faithfully do them].

¹⁸I am not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but [this has happened] in order that the Scripture may be fulfilled: 'He who eats My bread has raised up his heel against Me [as My enemy].'

¹⁹From now on I am telling you [what will happen] before it occurs, so that when it does take place you may believe that I am He [who I say I am—the Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah].

²⁰I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the one who receives and welcomes whomever I send receives Me; and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me [in that same way]."

²¹After Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, one of you will betray Me and hand Me over."

²²The disciples began looking at one another, puzzled and disturbed as to whom He could mean.

²³One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved (esteemed), was leaning against Jesus' chest.

²⁴So Simon Peter motioned to him (John) and [quietly] asked [him to ask Jesus] of whom He was speaking.

²⁵Then leaning back against Jesus' chest, he (John) asked Him [privately], "Lord, who is it?"

²⁶Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I am going to give this piece [of bread] after I have dipped it." So when He had dipped the piece of bread [into the dish], He gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.

²⁷After [Judas had taken] the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly [without delay]."

²⁸But no one reclining at the table knew why He said this to him.

²⁹Some thought that, since Judas [as the treasurer of the group] had the money box, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he was to give something to the poor.

³⁰After taking the piece of bread, he went out immediately; and it was night.

³¹So when Judas had left, Jesus said, "Now is [the time for] the Son of Man [to be] glorified, and God is glorified in Him;

³²[if God is glorified in Him,] God will also glorify Him (the Son) in Himself, and will glorify Him at once.

³³Little children, I am with you [only] a little longer. You will look for Me and, as I told the Jews, so I tell you now, 'Where I am going, you are not able to come.'

³⁴I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.

³⁵By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another."

³⁶Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now; but you will be able to follow later."

³⁷Peter said to Him, "Lord, why cannot I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You!"

³⁸Jesus answered, "Will you [really] lay down your life for Me? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, before a rooster crows you will deny and completely disown Me three times.

¹"If a man steals an ox or sheep and kills or sells it, he shall make restitution of five oxen for an ox or four sheep for a sheep.

²"If a thief is caught breaking in [after dark] and is struck [by the owner] so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him.

³But if the sun has risen, there will be bloodguilt for him. The thief [if he lives] must make [full] restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold [as a slave to make restitution] for his theft.

⁴If the animal that he stole is found alive in his possession, whether it is ox or donkey or sheep, he shall pay double [for it].

⁵"If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed bare or lets his livestock loose so that it grazes in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

⁶"If fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes so that the stacked grain or standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.

⁷"If a man gives his neighbor money or [other] goods to keep [for him while he is away] and it is stolen from the neighbor's house, then, if the thief is caught, he shall pay double [for it].

⁸If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house shall appear before the judges [who act in God's name], to determine whether or not he had stolen his neighbor's goods.

⁹For every offense involving property, whether it concerns ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any piece of lost property, which another identifies as his, the case of both parties shall come before the judges [who act in God's name]. Whomever the judges pronounce guilty shall pay double to his neighbor.

¹⁰"If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any [other] animal to keep [for him], and it dies or is injured or taken away while no one is looking,

¹¹then an oath before the LORD shall be made by the two of them that he has not taken his neighbor's property; and the owner of it shall accept his word and not require him to make restitution.

¹²But if it is actually stolen from him [when in his care], he shall make restitution to its owner.

¹³If it is torn to pieces [by some predator or by accident], let him bring the mangled carcass as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what was torn to pieces.

¹⁴"And if a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while its owner is not with it, the borrower shall make full restitution.

¹⁵But if the owner is with it [when the damage is done], the borrower shall not make restitution. If it was hired, the damage is included in [the price of] its fee.

¹⁶"If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry (marriage price) for her to be his wife.

¹⁷If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must [still] pay money equivalent to the dowry of virgins.

¹⁸"You shall not allow a woman who practices sorcery to live.

¹⁹"Whoever lies with an animal must be put to death.

²⁰"He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be put under a ban (designated) for destruction (execution).

²¹"You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

²²You shall not harm or oppress any widow or fatherless child.

²³If you harm or oppress them in any way, and they cry at all to Me [for help], I will most certainly hear their cry;

²⁴and My wrath shall be kindled and burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

²⁵"If you lend money to any one of My people with you who is poor, you shall not act as a creditor (professional moneylender) to him; you shall not charge him interest.

²⁶If you ever take your [poor] neighbor's robe in pledge, you must return it to him before sunset,

²⁷for that is his only covering; it is his clothing for his body. In what shall he sleep? And when he cries to Me [for help], I will hear him, for I am compassionate and gracious.

²⁸"You shall not curse God, nor curse the ruler of your people [since he administers God's law].

²⁹"You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. You shall give (consecrate, dedicate) to Me the firstborn of your sons.

³⁰You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother for seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it [as an offering] to Me.

³¹"You shall be holy men to Me; therefore you shall not eat meat [from any animal] that has been torn to pieces [by predators] in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

¹Am I not free [unrestrained and exempt from any obligation]? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our [risen] Lord [in person]? Are you not [the result and proof of] my work in the Lord?

²If I am not [considered] an apostle to others, at least I am one to you; for you are the seal and the certificate and the living evidence of my apostleship in the Lord [confirming and authenticating it].

³This is my defense to those who would put me on trial and interrogate me [concerning my authority as an apostle]:

⁴Have we not the right to our food and drink [at the expense of the churches]?

⁵Have we not the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the rest of the apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas (Peter)?

⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to stop doing manual labor [in order to support our ministry]?

⁷[Consider this:] Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?

⁸Do I say these things only from a man's perspective? Does the Law not endorse the same principles?

⁹For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain [to keep it from eating the grain]." Is it [only] for oxen that God cares?

¹⁰Or does He speak entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake: The plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the harvest.

¹¹If we have sown [the good seed of] spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

¹²If others share in this rightful claim over you, do not we even more? However, we did not exercise this right, but we put up with everything so that we will not hinder [the spread of] the good news of Christ.

¹³Do you not know that those who officiate in the sacred services of the temple eat from the temple [offerings of meat and bread] and those who regularly attend the altar have their share from the [offerings brought to the] altar?

¹⁴So also [on the same principle] the Lord directed those who preach the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

¹⁵But I have used none of these privileges, nor am I writing this [to suggest] that any such provision be made for me now. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone deprive me of my boast [in this matter of financial support].

¹⁶For if I [merely] preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am compelled [that is, absolutely obligated to do it]. Woe to me if I do not preach the good news [of salvation]!

¹⁷For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have a reward; but if it is not of my will [but by God's choosing], I have been entrusted with a [sacred] stewardship.

¹⁸What then is my reward? [Just this:] that, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge [to everyone], so as not to take advantage of my rights [as a preacher and apostle] in [preaching] the gospel.

¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ].

²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews [for Christ]; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might win those who are under the Law.

²¹To those who are without (outside) the Law, [I became] as one without the Law, though [I am] not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

²²To the weak I became [as the] weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means [in any and every way] save some [by leading them to faith in Jesus Christ].

²³And I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings along with you.

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!

²⁵Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].

²⁶Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing].

²⁷But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer any sea.

²And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband;

³and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them[as their God,]

⁴and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away."

⁵And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true [they are accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy]."

⁶And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost.

⁷He who overcomes [the world by adhering faithfully to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

⁸But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

⁹Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

¹⁰And he carried me away in the Spirit to a vast and lofty mountain, and showed me the holy (sanctified) city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,

¹¹having God's glory [filled with His radiant light]. The brilliance of it resembled a rare and very precious jewel, like jasper, shining and clear as crystal.

¹²It had a massive and high wall, with twelve [large] gates, and at the gates [were stationed] twelve angels; and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written.

¹³On the east side [there were] three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.

¹⁴And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Christ).

¹⁵The one who was speaking with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.

¹⁶The city is laid out as a square, its length being the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod—twelve thousand stadia (about 1,400 miles); its length and width and height are equal.

¹⁷He measured its wall also—a hundred forty-four cubits (about 200 feet), according to man's measurements, which are [also] angelic [measurements].

¹⁸The wall was built of jasper; and the city was pure gold, transparent like clear crystal.

¹⁹The foundation stones of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

²⁰the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite (yellow topaz); the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.

²¹And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each separate gate was of one single pearl. And the street (broad way) of the city was pure gold, like transparent crystal.

²²I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] and the Lamb are its temple.

²³And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the glory (splendor, radiance) of God has illumined it, and the Lamb is its lamp and light.

²⁴The nations [the redeemed people from the earth] will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring into it their glory.

²⁵By day (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed [in fear of evil];

²⁶and they will bring the glory (splendor, majesty) and the honor of the nations into it;

²⁷and nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominations [detestable, morally repugnant things] and lying, but only those [will be admitted] whose names have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,

²"Shall a multitude of words not be answered? And should a talkative man [making such a long-winded defense] be acquitted?

³"Should your boasts and babble silence men? And shall you scoff and no one put you to shame?

⁴"For you have said, 'My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure, And I am innocent in your eyes.'

⁵"But oh, that God would speak, And open His lips [to speak] against you,

⁶And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom! For sound wisdom has two sides. Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.

⁷"Can you discover the depths of God? Can you [by searching] discover the limits of the Almighty [ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?

⁸"His wisdom is as high as the heights of heaven. What can you do? It is deeper than Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead). What can you know?

⁹"It is longer in measure [and scope] than the earth, And broader than the sea.

¹⁰"If God passes by or arrests, Or calls an assembly [of judgment], who can restrain Him? [If He is against a man, who can call Him to account for it?]

¹¹"For He recognizes and knows false and worthless men, And He sees wickedness, will He not consider it?

¹²"But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise [Only] when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.

¹³"If you direct your heart [on the right path] And stretch out your hands to Him,

¹⁴If sin is in your hand, put it far away [from you], And do not let wrongdoing dwell in your tents;

¹⁵Then, indeed, you could lift up your face [to Him] without moral defect, And you would be firmly established and secure and not fear.

¹⁶"For you would forget your trouble; You would remember it as waters that have passed by.

¹⁷"And your life would be brighter than the noonday; Darkness [then] would be like the morning.

¹⁸"Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope; You would look around you and rest securely.

¹⁹"You would lie down with no one to frighten you, And many would entreat and seek your favor.

²⁰"But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they will not escape [the justice of God]; And their hope is to breathe their last [and die]."

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise! Do not keep silent,

²For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

³They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And have fought against me without a cause.

⁴In return for my love, they attack me, But I am in prayer.

⁵They have repaid me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

⁶Appoint a wicked man against him, And let an attacker stand at his right hand [to kill him].

⁷When he enters into dispute, let wickedness come about. Let his prayer [for help] result [only] in sin.

⁸Let his days be few; And let another take his office.

⁹Let his children be fatherless And his wife a widow.

¹⁰Let his children wander and beg; Let them seek their food and be driven far from their ruined homes.

¹¹Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder the product of his labor.

¹²Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, Nor let anyone be gracious to his fatherless children.

¹³Let his descendants be cut off, And in the following generation let their name be blotted out.

¹⁴Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered by the LORD; And do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

¹⁵Let them be before the LORD continually, That He may cut off their memory from the earth;

¹⁶Because the man did not remember to show kindness, But persecuted the suffering and needy man, And the brokenhearted, to put them to death.

¹⁷He also loved cursing, and it came [back] to him; He did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

¹⁸He clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it seeped into his inner self like water And like [anointing] oil into his bones.

¹⁹Let it be to him as a robe with which he covers himself, And as a sash with which he is constantly bound.

²⁰Let this be the reward of my attackers from the LORD, And of those who speak evil against my life.

²¹But You, O GOD, the Lord, show kindness to me, for Your name's sake; Because Your lovingkindness (faithfulness, compassion) is good, O rescue me;

²²For I am suffering and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.

²³I am vanishing like a shadow when it lengthens and fades; I am shaken off like the locust.

²⁴My knees are unsteady from fasting; And my flesh is gaunt and without fatness.

²⁵I also have become a reproach and an object of taunting to others; When they see me, they shake their heads [in derision].

²⁶Help me, O LORD my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness—

²⁷And let them know that this is Your hand; You, LORD, have done it.

²⁸Let them curse, but You bless. When adversaries arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice.

²⁹Let my attackers be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

³⁰I will give great praise and thanks to the LORD with my mouth; And in the midst of many I will praise Him.

³¹For He will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul.

¹A false balance and dishonest business practices are extremely offensive to the LORD, But an accurate scale is His delight.

²When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame, But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.

³The integrity and moral courage of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

⁴Riches will not provide security in the day of wrath and judgment, But righteousness rescues from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless will smooth their way and keep it straight, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright will rescue them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.

⁷When the wicked man dies, his expectation will perish; And the hope of [godless] strong men perishes.

⁸The righteous is rescued from trouble, And the wicked takes his place.

⁹With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge and discernment the righteous will be rescued.

¹⁰When it goes well for the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

¹¹By the blessing [of the influence] of the upright the city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

¹²He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent.

¹³He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy and faithful keeps a matter hidden.

¹⁴Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm], But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.

¹⁵He who puts up security and guarantees a debt for an outsider will surely suffer [for his foolishness], But he who hates (declines) being a guarantor is secure [from its penalties].

¹⁶A gracious and good woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches [but not respect].

¹⁷The merciful and generous man benefits his soul [for his behavior returns to bless him], But the cruel and callous man does himself harm.

¹⁸The wicked man earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].

¹⁹He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life, But he who pursues evil attains his own death.

²⁰The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the LORD, But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!

²¹Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the descendants of the righteous will be freed.

²²As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, So is a beautiful woman who is without discretion [her lack of character mocks her beauty].

²³The desire of the righteous brings only good, But the expectation of the wicked brings wrath.

²⁴There is the one who [generously] scatters [abroad], and yet increases all the more; And there is the one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want and poverty.

²⁵The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown].

²⁶The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it], But a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it.

²⁷He who diligently seeks good seeks favor and grace, But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

²⁸He who leans on and trusts in and is confident in his riches will fall, But the righteous [who trust in God's provision] will flourish like a green leaf.

²⁹He who troubles (mismanages) his own house will inherit the wind (nothing), And the foolish will be a servant to the wise-hearted.

³⁰The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].

³¹If the righteous will be rewarded on the earth [with godly blessings], How much more [will] the wicked and the sinner [be repaid with punishment]!

¹When Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and that the residents of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were [living] among them,

²he [and his people] feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.

³So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,

⁴"Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon [with a combined army], because it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons (people) of Israel."

⁵Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and they camped by Gibeon and fought against it.

⁶So the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all [five of] the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have assembled against us."

⁷So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the men of valor.

⁸The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, because I have given them into your hand; not one of them shall stand before you."

⁹So Joshua came upon them suddenly, [surprising them] by marching [uphill] all night from Gilgal.

¹⁰And the LORD caused them to panic and be confused before Israel, and He struck them dead in a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goes up to Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

¹¹As they fled before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones [of hail] from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. More [Amorites] died because of the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

¹²Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day when the LORD handed over the Amorites to the sons of Israel, and Joshua said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, And moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."

¹³So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation [of Israel] took vengeance upon their enemies. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stood still in the middle of the sky and was in no hurry to go down for about a whole day.

¹⁴There has not been a day like that before it or after it, when the LORD listened to (heeded) the voice of a man; for the LORD was fighting for Israel.

¹⁵Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

¹⁶Now these five [Amorite] kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

¹⁷And Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found and are hidden in the cave at Makkedah."

¹⁸Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them,

¹⁹but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies and attack them from the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand."

²⁰Now when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking the Amorites dead in a very great defeat, until they were wiped out, and the surviving remnant among them had entered the fortified cities,

²¹all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one uttered a [threatening] word against any of the sons of Israel.

²²Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring out to me those five [Amorite] kings from the cave."

²³They did so, and brought these five [Amorite] kings out of the cave to him—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

²⁴When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and told the commanders of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come up close, put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and put their feet on the necks [of the five kings].

²⁵Joshua said to them, "Do not fear or be dismayed (intimidated)! Be strong and courageous, for this is what the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you [are about to] fight."

²⁶Then afterward Joshua struck them [with his sword] and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening.

²⁷At sunset Joshua gave a command, and they took the bodies down from the trees and threw them into the cave where the kings had hidden themselves, and placed large stones over the mouth of the cave, [where they remain] to this very day.

²⁸Now Joshua captured Makkedah on that day, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed it and everyone who was in it. He left no survivor. So he did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

²⁹Then Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

³⁰The LORD gave it also along with its king into the hands of Israel, and Joshua struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor in it. So he did to the king of Libnah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish, and they camped by it and fought against it.

³²The LORD gave Lachish into the hands of Israel; and Joshua captured it on the second day, and struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.

³³Then Horam king of Gezer went up to help Lachish, and Joshua struck him and his people down until he had left him no survivor.

³⁴And Joshua and all Israel with him went on from Lachish to Eglon, and they camped by it and fought against it.

³⁵They captured it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; and on that day he utterly destroyed every person who was in it, just as he had done to Lachish.

³⁶Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron, and they fought against it

³⁷and captured it and struck it and its king and all its cities and all the persons who were in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor, just as he had done to Eglon. He utterly destroyed it and every person who was in it.

³⁸Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir, and fought against it.

³⁹He captured it with its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so Joshua did to Debir and its king, as he had done also to Libnah and its king.

⁴⁰So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country, the Negev (South country) and the lowland and the slopes [that descend to the Dead Sea] and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

⁴¹Joshua struck them from Kadesh-barnea even as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen even as far as Gibeon.

⁴²Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

⁴³So Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp at Gilgal.

¹But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish [for with judgment comes the promise of salvation]. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make them honored [by the presence of the Messiah], by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

²The people who walk in [spiritual] darkness Will see a great Light; Those who live in the dark land, The Light will shine on them.

³You [O God] will increase the nation, You will multiply their joy; They will rejoice before You Like the joy and jubilation of the harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil [of victory].

⁴For You will break the yoke of Israel's burden and the staff (goad) on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

⁵For every boot of the marching warrior in the battle tumult, And [every soldier's] garment rolled in blood, will be used for burning, fuel for the fire.

⁶For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷There shall be no end to the increase of His government and of peace, [He shall rule] on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From that time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

⁸The Lord sends a word (message) against Jacob, And it falls on Israel [the ten northern tribes, the kingdom of Ephraim].

⁹And all the people know it, That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria [its capital], Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:

¹⁰"The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild [all the better] with ashlar (hewed stones); The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with [expensive] cedars."

¹¹Therefore the LORD raises against Ephraim adversaries from Rezin [king of Aram] And spurs their enemies on,

¹²The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west; And they devour Israel with gaping jaws. In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

¹³Yet the people do not turn back [in repentance] to Him who struck them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts [as their most essential need].

¹⁴Therefore the LORD cuts off head and tail [the highest and the lowest] from Israel, Both [the high] palm branch and [the low] bulrush in one day.

¹⁵The elderly and honorable man, he is the head; And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

¹⁶For those who lead this people are causing them to go astray; And those who are led [astray] by them are swallowed up.

¹⁷Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, Nor does He have compassion on their fatherless or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

¹⁸For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns, It even sets the forest thickets ablaze; And it swirls upward in a column of smoke.

¹⁹By the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is burned up, And the people are like fuel for the fire; No man spares his brother.

²⁰They slice off [in discord] what is on the right hand but are still hungry, And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each eats the flesh of his own arm.

²¹[The tribe of] Manasseh devours [the tribe of his brother] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, And together they are against Judah (the southern kingdom, the house of David). In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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