Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.

²And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.

³Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

⁴Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

⁵They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.

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

⁷Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁸Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,”

⁹that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

¹⁰Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

¹¹So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

¹²Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.

¹³And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.

¹⁴Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

¹⁵And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.

¹⁶But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.

¹⁷Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

¹⁸Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

¹⁹The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

²⁰Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.

²¹Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

²²And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

²³Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”

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

²⁵Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!”

²⁶One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

²⁷Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

²⁸Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

²⁹Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

³⁰They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

³¹Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”

³²that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

³³Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

³⁴Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

³⁵Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You 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 fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

³⁸Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

³⁹“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

⁴⁰Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

¹“You shall make an 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.

³Also you shall make its pans to receive its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze.

⁴You shall make a grate for it, a network of bronze; and on the network you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.

⁵You shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath, that the network may be midway up the altar.

⁶And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.

⁷The poles shall be put in the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar to bear it.

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

⁹“You shall also make the court of the tabernacle. For the south side there shall be hangings for the court made of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long for one side.

¹⁰And its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be silver.

¹¹Likewise along the length of the north side there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, with its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of bronze, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.

¹²“And along the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits, with their ten pillars and their ten sockets.

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

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

¹⁵And on the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets.

¹⁶“For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. It shall have four pillars and four sockets.

¹⁷All the pillars around the court shall have bands of silver; their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of bronze.

¹⁸The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, made of fine woven linen, and its sockets of bronze.

¹⁹All the utensils of the tabernacle for all its service, all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

²⁰“And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.

²¹In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel.

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

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

³But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

⁴He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

⁵I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

⁶But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?

⁷Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?

⁸For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?

⁹So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.

¹⁰There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.

¹¹Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.

¹²Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

¹³Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

¹⁵What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

¹⁶Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?

¹⁷For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

¹⁸I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;

¹⁹yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

²¹In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.

²²Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.

²³Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

²⁴But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.

²⁵And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

²⁶How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.

²⁸But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

²⁹Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.

³⁰But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.

³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

³²And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

³³For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

³⁴Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.

³⁵And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

³⁶Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?

³⁷If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

³⁸But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

³⁹Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.

⁴⁰Let all things be done decently and in order.

¹Then Job answered and said:

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

³Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?

⁴I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;

⁵But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

⁶“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

⁷But now He has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company.

⁸You have shriveled me up, And it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me And bears witness to my face.

⁹He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.

¹⁰They gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me.

¹¹God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.

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

¹³His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground.

¹⁴He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior.

¹⁵“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, And laid my head in the dust.

¹⁶My face is flushed from weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

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

¹⁸“O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place!

¹⁹Surely even now my witness is in heaven, And my evidence is on high.

²⁰My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God.

²¹Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor!

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

¹When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

²Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion.

³The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back.

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

⁵What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back?

⁶O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob,

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

¹The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

²All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.

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

⁴The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

⁵Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

⁶In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.

⁹A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

¹⁰Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

¹¹Honest weights and scales are the LORD’s; All the weights in the bag are His work.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right.

¹⁴As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it.

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

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

¹⁷The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

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

¹⁹Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

²⁰He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

²¹The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

²²Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.

²³The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

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

²⁶The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on.

²⁷An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.

²⁸A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.

²⁹A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil.

³¹The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.

³²He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

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

¹So this was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families: The border of Edom at the Wilderness of Zin southward was the extreme southern boundary.

²And their southern border began at the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward.

³Then it went out to the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa.

⁴From there it passed toward Azmon and went out to the Brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border.

⁵The east border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. And the border on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.

⁶The border went up to Beth Hoglah and passed north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

⁷Then the border went up toward Debir from the Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel.

⁸And the border went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaim northward.

⁹Then the border went around from the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border went around to Baalah (which is Kirjath Jearim).

¹⁰Then the border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah.

¹¹And the border went out to the side of Ekron northward. Then the border went around to Shicron, passed along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea.

¹²The west border was the coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children of Judah all around according to their families.

¹³Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).

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

¹⁵Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).

¹⁶And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.”

¹⁷So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.

¹⁸Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”

¹⁹She answered, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

²⁰This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:

²¹The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

²²Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

²³Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

²⁴Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

²⁵Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor),

²⁶Amam, Shema, Moladah,

²⁷Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,

²⁸Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah,

²⁹Baalah, Ijim, Ezem,

³⁰Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,

³¹Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

³²Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.

³³In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

³⁴Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

³⁵Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

³⁶Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages;

³⁷Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,

³⁸Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,

³⁹Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

⁴⁰Cabbon, Lahmas, Kithlish,

⁴¹Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages;

⁴²Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

⁴³Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

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

⁴⁵Ekron, with its towns and villages;

⁴⁶from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages;

⁴⁷Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages—as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Great Sea with its coastline.

⁴⁸And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh,

⁴⁹Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir),

⁵⁰Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

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

⁵²Arab, Dumah, Eshean,

⁵³Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,

⁵⁴Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages;

⁵⁵Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

⁵⁶Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

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

⁵⁸Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,

⁵⁹Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages;

⁶⁰Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.

⁶¹In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,

⁶²Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi: six cities with their villages.

⁶³As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

¹For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob.

²Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the LORD; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors.

³It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve,

⁴that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!

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

⁶He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders.

⁷The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing.

⁸Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, And the cedars of Lebanon, Saying, ‘Since you were cut down, No woodsman has come up against us.’

⁹“Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations.

¹⁰They all shall speak and say to you: ‘Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us?

¹¹Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.’

¹²“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!

¹³For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;

¹⁴I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

¹⁵Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

¹⁶“Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,

¹⁷Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’

¹⁸“All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house;

¹⁹But you are cast out of your grave Like an abominable branch, Like the garment of those who are slain, Thrust through with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a corpse trodden underfoot.

²⁰You will not be joined with them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land And slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named.

²¹Prepare slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities.”

²²“For I will rise up against them,” says the LORD of hosts, “And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, And offspring and posterity,” says the LORD.

²³“I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the LORD of hosts.

²⁴The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand:

²⁵That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders.

²⁶This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.

²⁷For the LORD of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?”

²⁸This is the burden which came in the year that King Ahaz died.

²⁹“Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.

³⁰The firstborn of the poor will feed, And the needy will lie down in safety; I will kill your roots with famine, And it will slay your remnant.

³¹Wail, O gate! Cry, O city! All you of Philistia are dissolved; For smoke will come from the north, And no one will be alone in his appointed times.”

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

¹Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.

²Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

³And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

⁴So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

⁵Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

⁶And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.

⁷Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.

⁸Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”

⁹So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

¹⁰When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

¹¹And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

¹²So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.

¹³And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.

¹⁴When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.

¹⁵But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”

¹⁶Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

¹⁷But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.

¹⁸Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

¹⁹But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

²⁰Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.

²¹So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

²²And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

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

²⁴But the word of God grew and multiplied.

²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.