Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹"I have told you these things so that you will not stumble or be caught off guard and fall away.

²They will put you out of the synagogues and make you outcasts. And a time is coming when whoever kills you will think that he is offering service to God.

³And they will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.

⁴I have told you these things [now], so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not say these things to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

⁵"But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'

⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [and taken complete possession of them].

⁷But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

⁸And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment:

⁹about sin [and the true nature of it], because they do not believe in Me [and My message];

¹⁰about righteousness [personal integrity and godly character], because I am going to My Father and you will no longer see Me;

¹¹about judgment [the certainty of it], because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged and condemned.

¹²"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear [to hear] them now.

¹³But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future].

¹⁴He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you.

¹⁵All things that the Father has are Mine. Because of this I said that He [the Spirit] will take from what is Mine and will reveal it to you.

¹⁶"A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me."

¹⁷Some of His disciples said to one another, "What does He mean when He tells us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I am going to My Father'?"

¹⁸So they were saying, "What does He mean when He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."

¹⁹Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, so He said to them, "Are you wondering among yourselves about what I meant when I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'?

²⁰I assure you and most solemnly say to you, that you will weep and grieve [in great mourning], but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

²¹A woman, when she is in labor, has pain because her time [to give birth] has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of her joy that a child has come into the world.

²²So for now you are in grief; but I will see you again, and [then] your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away from you your [great] joy.

²³In that day you will not [need to] ask Me about anything. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name [as My representative], He will give you.

²⁴Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete.

²⁵"I have told you these things in figurative language (veiled language, proverbs); the hour is now coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

²⁶In that day you will ask in My name, and I am not saying to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf [because it will be unnecessary];

²⁷for the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from the Father.

²⁸I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father."

²⁹His disciples said, "Ah, now You are speaking plainly to us and not in figures of speech!

³⁰Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; because of this we believe [without any doubt] that you came from God."

³¹Jesus answered them, "Do you now [at last] believe?

³²Take careful notice: an hour is coming, and has arrived, when you will all be scattered, each to his own home, leaving Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

³³I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world." [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Tell the children of Israel to take an offering for Me. From every man whose heart moves him [to give willingly] you shall take My offering.

³This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze,

⁴blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, fine twisted linen, goats' hair,

⁵rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood,

⁶[olive] oil for lighting, balsam for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,

⁷onyx stones and setting stones for the [priest's] ephod and for the breastpiece.

⁸Have them build a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.

⁹You shall construct it in accordance with everything that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture.

¹⁰"They shall make an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high.

¹¹You shall overlay the ark with pure gold, overlay it inside and out, and you shall make a gold border (frame) around its top.

¹²You shall cast four gold rings for it and attach them to the four feet, two rings on either side.

¹³You shall make [carrying] poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold,

¹⁴and put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark, by which to carry it.

¹⁵The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it [so that the ark itself need not be touched].

¹⁶You shall put into the ark the Testimony (Ten Commandments) which I will give you.

¹⁷"You shall make a mercy seat (cover) of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide.

¹⁸You shall make two cherubim (winged angelic figures) of [solid] hammered gold at the two ends of the mercy seat.

¹⁹Make one cherub at each end, making the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends.

²⁰The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing each other. The faces of the cherubim are to be looking downward toward the mercy seat.

²¹You shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony which I will give you.

²²There I will meet with you; from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, I will speak [intimately] with you regarding every commandment that I will give you for the Israelites.

²³"You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high.

²⁴You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a border of gold around the top of it.

²⁵You shall make a rim of a hand width around it; you shall make a gold border for the rim around it.

²⁶You shall make four gold rings for it and fasten them at the four corners that are on the table's four legs.

²⁷The rings shall be close against the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table.

²⁸You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that the table may be carried with them.

²⁹You shall make its plates [for the showbread] and its cups [for incense] and its pitchers and bowls for sacrificial drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold.

³⁰You shall set the bread of the Presence (showbread) on the table before Me at all times.

³¹"You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its calyxes and its flowers shall be all of one piece with it.

³²Six branches shall come out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand out of the one side and three branches of the lampstand out of its other side [the shaft being the seventh branch].

³³Three cups shall be made like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and a flower on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms on the other branch with a calyx and a flower—so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand;

³⁴and in the [center shaft of the] lampstand [you shall make] four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and their flowers.

³⁵A calyx shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a calyx under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand.

³⁶Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold.

³⁷Then you shall make the lamps [of the lampstand] seven in number [with one lamp at the top of the shaft]. The priests shall set up its seven lamps so that they will light the space in front of it.

³⁸Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold.

³⁹It shall be made from a talent (50-80 lbs.) of pure gold, including all these utensils.

⁴⁰See that you make them [exactly] after their pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.

¹Now about the spiritual gifts [the special endowments given by the Holy Spirit], brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

²You know that when you were pagans, you were led off after speechless idols; however you were led off [whether by impulse or habit].

³Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the [power and influence of the] Spirit of God can say, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is [my] Lord," except by [the power and influence of] the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are [distinctive] varieties of spiritual gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but it is the same Spirit [who grants them and empowers believers].

⁵And there are [distinctive] varieties of ministries and service, but it is the same Lord [who is served].

⁶And there are [distinctive] ways of working [to accomplish things], but it is the same God who produces all things in all believers [inspiring, energizing, and empowering them].

⁷But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good.

⁸To one is given through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] the message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] the word of knowledge and understanding according to the same Spirit;

⁹to another [wonder-working] faith [is given] by the same [Holy] Spirit, and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit;

¹⁰and to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and to another discernment of spirits [the ability to distinguish sound, godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.

¹¹All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses.

¹²For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ.

¹³For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].

¹⁴For the [human] body does not consist of one part, but of many [limbs and organs].

¹⁵If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," is it not on the contrary still a part of the body?

¹⁶If the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," is it not on the contrary still a part of the body?

¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole [body] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

¹⁸But now [as things really are], God has placed and arranged the parts in the body, each one of them, just as He willed and saw fit [with the best balance of function].

¹⁹If they all were a single organ, where would [the rest of] the body be?

²⁰But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body.

²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

²²But quite the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are [absolutely] necessary;

²³and as for those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, these we treat with greater honor; and our less presentable parts are treated with greater modesty,

²⁴while our more presentable parts do not require it. But God has combined the [whole] body, giving greater honor to that part which lacks it,

²⁵so that there would be no division or discord in the body [that is, lack of adaptation of the parts to each other], but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.

²⁶And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it.

²⁷Now you [collectively] are Christ's body, and individually [you are] members of it [each with his own special purpose and function].

²⁸So God has appointed and placed in the church [for His own use]: first apostles [chosen by Christ], second prophets [those who foretell the future, those who speak a new message from God to the people], third teachers, then those who work miracles, then those with the gifts of healings, the helpers, the administrators, and speakers in various kinds of [unknown] tongues.

²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

³¹But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal]. And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love].

¹"Man, who is born of a woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil.

²"Like a flower he comes forth and withers; He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

³"You also open Your eyes upon him And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

⁴"Who can make a clean thing out of the unclean? No one!

⁵"Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You [in Your control], And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].

⁶"[O God] turn your gaze from him so that he may rest, Until he fulfills his day [on earth] like a hired man.

⁷"For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the shoots of it will not cease nor fail, [but there is no such hope for man].

⁸"Though its roots grow old in the earth And its stump dies in the dry soil,

⁹Yet at the scent of water [the stump of the tree] will flourish And bring forth sprigs and shoots like a seedling.

¹⁰"But [the brave, strong] man must die and lie face down; Man breathes his last, and where is he?

¹¹"As water evaporates from the sea, And a river drains and dries up,

¹²So man lies down and does not rise [again]. Until the heavens are no longer, The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.

¹³"Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!

¹⁴"If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my struggle Until my change and release will come.

¹⁵"[Then] You will call, and I will answer You; You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.

¹⁶"But now You number [each of] my steps; You do not observe nor take note of my sin.

¹⁷"My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my wickedness [from Your view].

¹⁸"But as a mountain, if it falls, crumbles into nothing, And as the rock is moved from its place,

¹⁹Water wears away the stones, Its floods and torrents wash away the soil of the earth, So You [O Lord] destroy the hope of man.

²⁰"You prevail forever against him and overpower him, and he passes on; You change his appearance and send him away [from the presence of the living].

²¹"His sons achieve honor, and he does not know it; They become insignificant, and he is not aware of it.

²²"But his body [lamenting its decay] grieves in pain over it, And his soul mourns over [the loss of] himself."

¹Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!) Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the LORD [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience], Who delights greatly in His commandments.

²His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches are in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.

⁴Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous (upright—in right standing with God).

⁵It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He conducts his affairs with justice.

⁶He will never be shaken; The righteous will be remembered forever.

⁷He will not fear bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting [confidently relying on and believing] in the LORD.

⁸His heart is upheld, he will not fear While he looks [with satisfaction] on his adversaries.

⁹He has given freely to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted in honor.

¹⁰The wicked will see it and be angered, He will gnash his teeth and melt away [in despair and death]; The desire of the wicked will perish and come to nothing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, "You have grown old and advanced in years, and very substantial portions of the land remain to be possessed.

²This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites;

³from the Shihor [waterway] which is east of Egypt [at the southern end of Canaan], northward to the border of Ekron (all of it regarded as Canaanite); the five rulers of the Philistines: the Gazite, Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite

⁴in the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorite;

⁵and the land of the Gebalite, and all Lebanon, toward the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

⁶As for all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians, I will drive them out before Israel; only allot the land to Israel as an inheritance just as I have commanded you.

⁷So now, divide this land [west of the Jordan] as an inheritance for the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."

⁸With the other half-tribe [of Manasseh], the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan eastward, just as Moses the servant of the LORD gave to them;

⁹from Aroer on the edge of the valley of the [river] Arnon, and the city in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba, as far as Dibon;

¹⁰and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites;

¹¹and Gilead, and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah;

¹²the entire kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei—he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim [giants]—for Moses had struck them and dispossessed them.

¹³But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites; for Geshur and Maacath live among Israel to this day.

¹⁴It was only to the tribe of Levi that Moses gave no [territory as an] inheritance; the offerings by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as He told him.

¹⁵So Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the sons of Reuben according to their families.

¹⁶Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the [river] Arnon, and the city which is in the middle of the valley and all the plain by Medeba;

¹⁷with Heshbon, and all its cities which are on the plain: Dibon and Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon,

¹⁸and Jahaz and Kedemoth and Mephaath,

¹⁹and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and Zereth-shahar on the hill of the valley,

²⁰and Beth-peor and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth-jeshimoth,

²¹even all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck down along with the leaders of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.

²²The sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner (soothsayer), with the sword among [the rest of] their slain.

²³The border of the sons of Reuben was the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the sons of Reuben according to their families, with their cities and villages.

²⁴Moses also gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the sons of Gad, according to their families.

²⁵Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the sons of Ammon, as far as Aroer east of Rabbah;

²⁶and from Heshbon as far as Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim as far as the border of Debir;

²⁷and in the valley, Beth-haram and Beth-nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as a border, as far as the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee) east of the Jordan.

²⁸This is the inheritance of the sons of Gad according to their families, with their cities and their villages.

²⁹Moses also gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh; and it was for the half-tribe of the sons of Manasseh according to their families.

³⁰Their region extended from Mahanaim, all Bashan, the entire kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities;

³¹also half of Gilead, with Ashtaroth and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were for the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of Machir according to their families (clans).

³²These are the territories which Moses distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho to the east.

³³But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He told them.

¹And on that day you will say, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For though You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, And You comfort me.

²"Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, For the Lord God is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation."

³Therefore with joy you will draw water From the springs of salvation.

⁴And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name [in prayer]. Make His deeds known among the peoples [of the earth]; Proclaim [to them] that His name is exalted!"

⁵Sing praises to the LORD, for He has done excellent and glorious things; Let this be known throughout the earth.

⁶Rejoice and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

¹Now at Caesarea [Maritima] there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Regiment,

²a devout man and one who, along with all his household, feared God. He made many charitable donations to the Jewish people, and prayed to God always.

³About the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had come to him and said, "Cornelius!"

⁴Cornelius was frightened and stared intently at him and said, "What is it, lord (sir)?" And the angel said to him, "Your prayers and gifts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God [an offering made in remembrance of His past blessings].

⁵Now send men to Joppa and have them call for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter [and invite him here];

⁶he is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

⁷When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his own personal attendants;

⁸and after explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹The next day, as they were on their way and were approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof of the house about the sixth hour (noon) to pray,

¹⁰but he became hungry and wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared he fell into a trance;

¹¹and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet descending, lowered by its four corners to the earth,

¹²and it contained all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

¹³A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!"

¹⁴But Peter said, "Not at all, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common (unholy) and [ceremonially] unclean."

¹⁵And the voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy)."

¹⁶This happened three times, and then immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

¹⁷Now Peter was still perplexed and completely at a loss as to what his vision could mean when the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon's house, arrived at the gate.

¹⁸And they called out to ask whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

¹⁹While Peter was thoughtfully considering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Now listen, three men are looking for you.

²⁰Get up, go downstairs and go with them without hesitating or doubting, because I have sent them Myself."

²¹Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. For what reason have you come?"

²²They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man well spoken of by all the Jewish people, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear what you have to say."

²³So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging [for the night]. The next day Peter got up and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

²⁴On the following day he [and the others] entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵When Peter arrived, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am only a man."

²⁷As Peter talked with him, he entered [the house] and found a large group of people assembled.

²⁸He said to them, "You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with or befriend a Gentile, or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call anyone common or [ceremonially] unclean.

²⁹Therefore when I was sent for, I came without raising an objection. So I ask for what reason have you sent for me?"

³⁰Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour (3:00-4:00 p.m.); and a man [dressed] in bright, dazzling clothing suddenly stood before me,

³¹and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered before God [so that He is about to help you].

³²Therefore send word to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you. He is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.'

³³So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to listen to everything that you have been instructed by the Lord [to say]."

³⁴Opening his mouth, Peter said: "Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God's blessing],

³⁵but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him.

³⁶You know the message which He sent to the sons of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all—

³⁷you know the things that have taken place throughout Judea, starting in Galilee after the baptism preached by John—

³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

³⁹We are [personally] eyewitnesses of everything that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem [in particular]. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross;

⁴⁰God raised Him [to life] on the third day and caused Him to be plainly seen,

⁴¹not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen and designated beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank together with Him after He rose from the dead.

⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people [both Jew and Gentile], and to solemnly testify that He is the One who has been appointed and ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴³All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him [whoever trusts in and relies on Him, accepting Him as Savior and Messiah] receives forgiveness of sins."

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening to the message [confirming God's acceptance of Gentiles].

⁴⁵All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

⁴⁶For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and exalting and magnifying and praising God. Then Peter said,

⁴⁷"Can anyone refuse water for these people to be baptized, since they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

⁴⁸And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay there for a few days.