Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹When Jesus had spoken these words, He went away with His disciples across the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden which He entered with His disciples.

²Now Judas, who was betraying Him, also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with His disciples.

³So Judas, having obtained the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

⁴Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, came out into the open and *said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

⁵They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.

⁶Now then, when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

⁷He then asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

⁸Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you are seeking Me, let these men go on their way.”

⁹This took place so that the word which He spoke would be fulfilled: “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”

¹⁰Then Simon Peter, since he had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.

¹¹So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, am I not to drink it?”

¹²So the Roman cohort, the commander, and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him,

¹³and brought Him to Annas first; for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

¹⁴Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was in their best interest for one man to die in behalf of the people.

¹⁵Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,

¹⁶but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.

¹⁷Then the slave woman who was the doorkeeper *said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He *said, “I am not.”

¹⁸Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

¹⁹The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching.

²⁰Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught insynagogues and in the temple area, where all the Jews congregate; and I said nothing in secret.

²¹Why are you asking Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them. Look: these people know what I said.”

²²But when He said this, one of the officers, who was standing nearby, struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?”

²³Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?”

²⁴So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

²⁵Now Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not one of His disciples as well, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

²⁶One of the slaves of the high priest, who was related to the one whose ear Peter cut off, *said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

²⁷Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

²⁸Then they *brought Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter the Praetorium, so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

²⁹Therefore Pilate came out to them and *said, “What accusation are you bringing against this Man?”

³⁰They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you.”

³¹So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.”

³²This happened so that the word of Jesus which He said, indicating what kind of death He was going to die, would be fulfilled.

³³Therefore Pilate entered the Praetorium again, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “You are the King of the Jews?”

³⁴Jesus answered, “Are you saying thison your own, or did others tell you about Me?”

³⁵Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me; what have You done?”

³⁶Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is notof this realm.”

³⁷Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

³⁸Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?” And after saying this, he came out again to the Jews and *said to them, “I find no grounds at all for charges in His case.

³⁹However, you have a custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover; therefore do you wish that I release for you the King of the Jews?”

⁴⁰So they shouted again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a rebel.

¹“Now you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits.

²You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.

³And you shall make its pails for removing its ashes, and its shovels, its basins, its forks, and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze.

⁴You shall also make for it a grating, a netting of bronze, and on the netting you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.

⁵And you shall put it under the ledge of the altar, so that the netting will reach halfway up the altar.

⁶You shall also make carrying poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood and overlay them with bronze.

⁷Its poles shall be inserted into the rings, so that the poles will be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried.

⁸You shall make it hollow with planks; as it was shown to you on the mountain, so they shall make it.

⁹“Now you shall make the courtyard of the tabernacle. On the south side there shall be hangings for the courtyard of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits long for one side;

¹⁰and its pillars shall be twenty, with their twenty bases of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.

¹¹Likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, and its twenty pillars with their twenty bases of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.

¹²For the width of the courtyard on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits, with their ten pillars and their ten bases.

¹³The width of the courtyard on the east side shall be fifty cubits.

¹⁴The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases.

¹⁵And for the other side there shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases.

¹⁶And for the gate of the courtyard there shall be a curtain of twenty cubits, of violet, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver, with their four pillars and their four bases.

¹⁷All the pillars around the courtyard shall be joined together with silver, with their hooks of silver and their bases of bronze.

¹⁸The length of the courtyard shall be a hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits of fine twisted linen, and their bases of bronze.

¹⁹All the utensils of the tabernacle used in all its service, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the courtyard, shall be of bronze.

²⁰“And you shall command the sons of Israel that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.

²¹In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; it shall be a permanent statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel.

¹Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

²For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.

³But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.

⁴The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

⁵Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edification.

⁶But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophecy, or of teaching?

⁷Yet even lifeless instruments, whether flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp?

⁸For if the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

⁹So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be talking to the air.

¹⁰There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning.

¹¹So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible to me.

¹²So you too, since you are eager to possess spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the edification of the church.

¹³Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue is to pray that he may interpret.

¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive.

¹⁵What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the mind also.

¹⁶For otherwise, if you bless God in the spirit only, how will the one who occupies the place of the outsider know to say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you are saying?

¹⁷For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified.

¹⁸I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;

¹⁹nevertheless, in church I prefer to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

²¹In the Law it is written: “BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME,” says the Lord.

²²So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe.

²³Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane?

²⁴But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;

²⁵the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.

²⁶What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification.

²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret;

²⁸but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God.

²⁹Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment.

³⁰But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent.

³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;

³²and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;

³³for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

³⁴the women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.

³⁵If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

³⁶Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?

³⁷If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.

³⁸But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

³⁹Therefore, my brothers and sisters, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

⁴⁰But all things must be done properly and in an orderly way.

¹Then Job responded,

²“I have heard many things like these; Miserable comforters are you all!

³Is there no end to windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?

⁴I too could speak like you, If only I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you.

⁵Or I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the condolence of my lips could lessen your pain.

⁶“If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I refrain, what pain leaves me?

⁷But now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my group of loved ones.

⁸And you have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my infirmity rises up against me, It testifies to my face.

⁹His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My enemy glares at me.

¹⁰They have gaped at me with their mouths, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me.

¹¹God hands me over to criminals, And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.

¹²I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by my neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.

¹³His arrows surround me. He splits my kidneys open without mercy; He pours out my bile on the ground.

¹⁴He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior.

¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth over my skin, And thrust my horn in the dust.

¹⁶My face is flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids,

¹⁷Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

¹⁸“Earth, do not cover my blood, And may there be no resting place for my cry.

¹⁹Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high.

²⁰My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God,

²¹That one might plead for a man with God As a son of man with his neighbor!

²²For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.

¹When Israel went forth from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of a foreign language,

²Judah became His sanctuary; Israel, His dominion.

³The sea looked and fled; The Jordan turned back.

⁴The mountains skipped like rams, The hills, like lambs.

⁵What ails you, sea, that you flee? Jordan, that you turn back?

⁶Mountains, that you skip like rams? Hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, earth, before the Lord, Before the God of Jacob,

⁸Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of water.

¹The plans of the heart belong to a person, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

²All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, But the LORD examines the motives.

³Commit your works to the LORD, And your plans will be established.

⁴The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.

⁵Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Be assured, he will not go unpunished.

⁶By mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.

⁷When a person’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He causes even his enemies to make peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice.

⁹The mind of a person plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

¹⁰A divine verdict is on the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

¹¹A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, Because a throne is established on righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And one who speaks right is loved.

¹⁴The fury of a king is like messengers of death; But a wise person will appease it.

¹⁵In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.

¹⁶How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

¹⁷The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; One who watches his way protects his life.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

¹⁹It is better to be humble in spirit with the needy Than to divide the spoils with the proud.

²⁰One who pays attention to the word will find good, And blessed is one who trusts in the LORD.

²¹The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

²²Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, But the discipline of fools is foolishness.

²³The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.

²⁶A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

²⁷A worthless person digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse person spreads strife, And a slanderer separates close friends.

²⁹A person of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

³¹A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

³²One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.

¹Now the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families reached the border of Edom, southward to the wilderness of Zin at the extreme south.

²Their southern border was from the lower end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that turns to the south.

³Then it proceeded southward to the ascent of Akrabbim and continued to Zin, then went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued to Hezron, and went up to Addar and turned to Karka.

⁴It continued to Azmon and proceeded to the brook of Egypt, and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border.

⁵The eastern border was the Salt Sea, as far as the mouth of the Jordan. And the border of the north side was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.

⁶Then the border went up to Beth-hoglah, and continued on the north of Beth-arabah, and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

⁷And the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and turned northward toward Gilgal which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south of the valley; and the border continued to the waters of En-shemesh and it ended at En-rogel.

⁸Then the border went up the Valley of Ben-hinnom to the slope of the Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is opposite the Valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaim toward the north.

⁹And from the top of the mountain the border turned to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, then the border turned to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

¹⁰The border turned from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and continued to the slope of Mount Jearim on the north (that is, Chesalon), and went down to Beth-shemesh and continued through Timnah.

¹¹Then the border proceeded to the side of Ekron northward. And the border turned to Shikkeron and continued to Mount Baalah and proceeded to Jabneel, and the border ended at the sea.

¹²The western border was at the Great Sea, even its coastline. This is the border around the sons of Judah according to their families.

¹³Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, in accordance with the command of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

¹⁴And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

¹⁵Then he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir previously was Kiriath-sepher.

¹⁶And Caleb said, “The one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as a wife.”

¹⁷Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife.

¹⁸And it happened that when she came to him, she incited him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”

¹⁹Then she said, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me springs of water also.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

²⁰This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families.

²¹Now the cities at the extremity of the tribe of the sons of Judah toward the border of Edom in the south were Kabzeel, Eder, and Jagur,

²²Kinah, Dimonah, and Adadah,

²³Kedesh, Hazor, and Ithnan,

²⁴Ziph, Telem, and Bealoth,

²⁵Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),

²⁶Amam, Shema, and Moladah,

²⁷Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, and Beth-pelet,

²⁸Hazar-shual, Beersheba, and Biziothiah,

²⁹Baalah, Iim, and Ezem,

³⁰Eltolad, Chesil, and Hormah,

³¹Ziklag, Madmannah, and Sansannah,

³²Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon; in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages.

³³In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, and Ashnah,

³⁴Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, and Enam,

³⁵Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,

³⁶Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages.

³⁷Zenan, Hadashah, and Migdal-gad,

³⁸Dilean, Mizpeh, and Joktheel,

³⁹Lachish, Bozkath, and Eglon,

⁴⁰Cabbon, Lahmas, and Chitlish,

⁴¹Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages.

⁴²Libnah, Ether, and Ashan,

⁴³Iphtah, Ashnah, and Nezib,

⁴⁴Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages.

⁴⁵Ekron, with its towns and its villages;

⁴⁶from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.

⁴⁷Ashdod, its towns and its villages; Gaza, its towns and its villages, as far as the brook of Egypt and the Great Sea, even its coastline.

⁴⁸In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, and Socoh,

⁴⁹Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),

⁵⁰Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

⁵¹Goshen, Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages.

⁵²Arab, Dumah, and Eshan,

⁵³Janum, Beth-tappuah, and Aphekah,

⁵⁴Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior; nine cities with their villages.

⁵⁵Maon, Carmel, Ziph, and Juttah,

⁵⁶Jezreel, Jokdeam, and Zanoah,

⁵⁷Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages.

⁵⁸Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,

⁵⁹Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages.

⁶⁰Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.

⁶¹In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah,

⁶²Nibshan, the City of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.

⁶³Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

¹When the LORD has compassion on Jacob and again chooses Israel, and settles them on their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.

²The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will make them their own possession in the land of the LORD as male and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.

³And it will be on the day when the LORD gives you rest from your hardship, your turmoil, and from the harsh service in which you have been enslaved,

⁴that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the oppressor has ceased, And how the onslaught has ceased!

⁵The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers,

⁶Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.

⁷The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy.

⁸Even the juniper trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you have been laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’

⁹Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come; It stirs the spirits of the dead for you, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

¹⁰They will all respond and say to you, ‘Even you have become weak as we, You have become like us.

¹¹Your pride and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering.’

¹²How you have fallen from heaven, You star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who defeated the nations!

¹³But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

¹⁴I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

¹⁵Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

¹⁶Those who see you will stare at you, They will closely examine you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,

¹⁷Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’

¹⁸All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb.

¹⁹But you have been hurled out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with those killed who have been pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse.

²⁰You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have killed your people. May the descendants of evildoers never be mentioned.

²¹Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons Because of the wrongdoing of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth, And fill the surface of the world with cities.”

²²“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of armies, “and eliminate from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and descendants,” declares the LORD.

²³“I will also make it the property of the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of armies.

²⁴The LORD of armies has sworn, saying, “Certainly, just as I have intended, so it has happened, and just as I have planned, so it will stand,

²⁵to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders.

²⁶This is the plan devised against the entire earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations.

²⁷For the LORD of armies has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”

²⁸In the year that King Ahaz died, this pronouncement came:

²⁹“Do not rejoice, Philistia, all of you, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For from the serpent’s root a viper will come out, And its fruit will be a winged serpent.

³⁰Those who are most helpless will eat, And the poor will lie down in security; I will kill your root with famine, And it will kill your survivors.

³¹Wail, you gate; cry, you city; Melt away, Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes from the north, And there is no straggler in his ranks.

³²What answer will one give the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, And the poor of His people will take refuge in it.”

¹Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, to do them harm.

²And he had James the brother of John executed with a sword.

³When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well. (Now these were the days of Unleavened Bread.)

⁴When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, turning him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending only after the Passover to bring him before the people.

⁵So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made to God intensely by the church.

⁶On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near Peter, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.

⁸And the angel said to him, “Put on your belt and strap on your sandals.” And he did so. And he *said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”

⁹And he went out and continued to follow, and yet he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

¹⁰Now when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

¹¹When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

¹²And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

¹³When he knocked at the door of the gate, a slave woman named Rhoda came to answer.

¹⁴When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

¹⁵They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”

¹⁶But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.

¹⁷But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place.

¹⁸Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.

¹⁹When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

²⁰Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one mind they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was supported with grain from the king’s country.

²¹On an appointed day, after putting on his royal apparel, Herod took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them.

²²The people repeatedly cried out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

²³And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned when they had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.