Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king (Herod the Great), magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,

²"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

³When Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

⁴So he called together all the chief priests and scribes of the people and [anxiously] asked them where the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) was to be born.

⁵They replied to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written by the prophet [Micah]:

⁶'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not in any way least among the leaders of Judah; For from you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"

⁷Then Herod secretly sent for the magi and learned from them the [exact] time the star [had first] appeared.

⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."

⁹After hearing the king, they went their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them [continually leading the way] until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was.

¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

¹¹And after entering the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, after opening their treasure chests, they presented to Him gifts [fit for a king, gifts] of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹²And having been warned [by God] in a dream not to go back to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

¹³Now when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him."

¹⁴So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.

¹⁵He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Hosea]: "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

¹⁶Then Herod, when he realized that he had been tricked by the magi, was extremely angry, and he sent [soldiers] and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that area who were two years old and under, according to the date which he had learned from the magi.

¹⁷Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

¹⁸"A voice was heard inRamah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; She refused to be comforted, Because they were no more."

¹⁹But when Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,

²⁰"Get up! Take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."

²¹Then Joseph got up, and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²²But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod [the Great], he was afraid to go there. Then being warned by God in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee,

²³and went and settled in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

¹Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered together before Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."

²So Aaron replied to them, "Take off the gold rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons and daughters, and bring them to me."

³So all the people took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

⁴And he took the gold from their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."

⁵Now when Aaron saw the molten calf, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD!"

⁶So they got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; then the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play [shamefully—without moral restraint].

⁷Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

⁸They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"

⁹The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people.

¹⁰Now therefore, let Me alone and do not interfere, so that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you (your descendants) a great nation."

¹¹But Moses appeased and entreated the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?

¹²Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil [intent] their God brought them out to kill them in the mountains and destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn away from Your burning anger and change Your mind about harming Your people.

¹³Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob), Your servants to whom You swore [an oath] by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"

¹⁴So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He had said He would do to His people.

¹⁵Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand; tablets that were written on both sides—they were written on one side and on the other.

¹⁶The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

¹⁷Now when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of battle in the camp."

¹⁸But Moses said, "It is not the sound of the cry of victory, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But I hear the sound of singing."

¹⁹And as soon as he approached the camp and he saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned; and he threw the tablets from his hands and smashed them at the foot of the mountain.

²⁰Then Moses took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it on the surface of the water and made the Israelites drink it.

²¹Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin on them?"

²²Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.

²³For they said to me, 'Make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

²⁴I said to them, 'Let whoever has gold [jewelry], take it off.' So they gave it to me; then I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."

²⁵Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to the point of being an object of mockery among their enemies—

²⁶then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is on the Lord's side, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi [the priestly tribe] gathered together to him.

²⁷He said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Every man strap his sword on his thigh and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor [all who continue pagan worship].'"

²⁸So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people [of Israel] were killed that day.

²⁹Then Moses said [to the Levites], "Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD—for each man has been against his own son and his own brother [in his attempt to escape execution]—so that He may restore and bestow His blessing on you this day."

³⁰Then the next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."

³¹So Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin [against You], and have made themselves a god of gold.

³²Yet now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of Your book which You have written (kill me)!"

³³But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book [not you].

³⁴But now go, lead the people [to the place] where I have told you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you; nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin!"

³⁵So the LORD struck the people with a plague, because of what they had done with the calf which Aaron had made [for them].

¹Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some [false teachers], letters of recommendation to you or from you? [No!]

²You are our letter [of recommendation], written in our hearts, recognized and read by everyone.

³You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

⁴Such is the confidence and steadfast reliance and absolute trust that we have through Christ toward God.

⁵Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God.

⁶He has qualified us [making us sufficient] as ministers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not of the letter [of a written code] but of the Spirit; for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life.

⁷Now if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones [the covenant of the Law which led to death because of sin], came with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, [a brilliance] that was fading,

⁸how will the ministry of the Spirit [the new covenant which allows us to be Spirit-filled] fail to be even more glorious and splendid?

⁹For if the ministry that brings condemnation [the old covenant, the Law] has glory, how much more does glory overflow in the ministry that brings righteousness [the new covenant which declares believers free of guilt and sets them apart for God's special purpose]!

¹⁰Indeed, what had glory [the Law], in this case no longer has glory because of the glory that surpasses it [the gospel].

¹¹For if that [Law] which fades away came with glory, how much more must that [gospel] which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!

¹²Since we have such a [glorious] hope and confident expectation, we speak with great courage,

¹³and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not gaze at the end of the glory which was fading away.

¹⁴But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ.

¹⁵But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil [of blindness] lies over their heart;

¹⁶but whenever a person turns [in repentance and faith] to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].

¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

¹Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus by the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed) our Hope [the fulfillment of our salvation],

²to Timothy, my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain individuals not to teach any different doctrines,

⁴nor to pay attention to legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation and meaningless arguments rather than advancing God's program of instruction which is grounded in faith [and requires surrendering the entire self to God in absolute trust and confidence].

⁵But the goal of our instruction is love [which springs] from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

⁶Some individuals have wandered away from these things into empty arguments and useless discussions,

⁷wanting to be teachers of the Law [of Moses], even though they do not understand the terms they use or the subjects about which they make [such] confident declarations.

⁸Now we know [without any doubt] that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully and appropriately,

⁹understanding the fact that law is not enacted for the righteous person [the one in right standing with God], but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinful, for the irreverent and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

¹⁰for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for kidnappers and slave traders, for liars, for perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

¹¹according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service [for this ministry],

¹³even though I was formerly a blasphemer [of our Lord] and a persecutor [of His church] and a shameful and outrageous and violent aggressor [toward believers]. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief.

¹⁴The grace of our Lord [His amazing, unmerited favor and blessing] flowed out in superabundance [for me, together] with the faith and love which are [realized] in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵This is a faithful and trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance and approval, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.

¹⁶Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example or pattern for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

¹⁷Now to the King of the ages [eternal], immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, so that [inspired and aided] by them you may fight the good fight [in contending with false teachers],

¹⁹keeping your faith [leaning completely on God with absolute trust and confidence in His guidance] and having a good conscience; for some [people] have rejected [their moral compass] and have made a shipwreck of their faith.

²⁰Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be disciplined and taught not to blaspheme.

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be the consolation.

³"Bear with me, and I also will speak; And after I have spoken, you may [continue to] mock [me].

⁴"As for me, is my complaint to man or about him? And why should I not be impatient and my spirit troubled?

⁵"Look at me and be astonished and appalled; And put your hand over your mouth.

⁶"Even when I remember, I am troubled and afraid; Horror and trembling take hold of my flesh.

⁷"Why do the wicked still live, Become old, and become mighty in power?

⁸"Their children and descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.

⁹"Their houses are safe from fear; And the rod of God is not on them.

¹⁰"His bull breeds and does not fail; His cow calves and does not miscarry.

¹¹"They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children skip about.

¹²"They lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

¹³"They fully enjoy their days in prosperity, And so go down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) in a [peaceful] moment.

¹⁴"Yet they say to God, 'Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

¹⁵'Who [and what] is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what would we gain if we plead with Him?'

¹⁶"But notice, the prosperity of the wicked is not in their hand (in their power); The counsel of the wicked [and the mystery of God's dealings with the ungodly] is far from my comprehension.

¹⁷"How often [then] is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, And that their disaster falls on them? Does God distribute pain and destruction and sorrow [to them] in His anger?

¹⁸"Are they like straw before the wind, And like chaff that the storm steals and carries away?

¹⁹"You say, 'God stores away [the punishment of] man's wickedness for his children.' Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it.

²⁰"Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹"For what pleasure does he have in his house and family after he is dead, When the number of his months [of life] is cut off?

²²"Can anyone teach God knowledge, Seeing that He judges those on high?

²³"One dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet and satisfied;

²⁴His pails are full of milk [his sides are filled out with fat], And the marrow of his bones is moist,

²⁵Whereas another dies with a bitter soul, Never even tasting pleasure or good fortune.

²⁶"Together they lie down in the dust, And the worms cover them.

²⁷"Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plots by which you would wrong me.

²⁸"For you say, 'Where is the house of the noble man? And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?'

²⁹"Have you not asked those who travel this way, And do you not recognize their witness?

³⁰"That evil men are [now] reserved for the day of disaster and destruction, They will be led away on the day of [God's] wrath?

³¹"But who will confront him with his actions and rebuke him face to face, And who will repay him for what he has done?

³²"When he is carried to his grave, A guard will keep watch over his tomb.

³³"The [dirt] clods of the valley are sweet to him [and gently cover him], Moreover, all men will follow after him [to a grave], While countless ones go before him.

³⁴"How then can you vainly comfort me with empty words, Since your answers remain untrue?"

¹Aleph. How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless], Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the LORD.

²Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies, And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart.

³They do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways.

⁴You have ordained Your precepts, That we should follow them with [careful] diligence.

⁵Oh, that my ways may be established To observe and keep Your statutes [obediently accepting and honoring them]!

⁶Then I will not be ashamed When I look [with respect] to all Your commandments [as my guide].

⁷I will give thanks to You with an upright heart, When I learn [through discipline] Your righteous judgments [for my transgressions].

⁸I shall keep Your statutes; Do not utterly abandon me [when I fail].

⁹Beth. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts].

¹⁰With all my heart I have sought You, [inquiring of You and longing for You]; Do not let me wander from Your commandments [neither through ignorance nor by willful disobedience].

¹¹Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

¹²Blessed and reverently praised are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes.

¹³With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth.

¹⁴I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.

¹⁵I will meditate on Your precepts And [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts].

¹⁶I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

¹⁷Gimel. Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word [treasuring it and being guided by it day by day].

¹⁸Open my eyes [to spiritual truth] so that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.

¹⁹I am a stranger on the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.

²⁰My soul is crushed with longing For Your ordinances at all times.

²¹You rebuke the presumptuous and arrogant, the cursed ones, Who wander from Your commandments.

²²Take reproach and contempt away from me, For I observe Your testimonies.

²³Even though princes sit and talk to one another against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

²⁴Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

²⁵Daleth. My earthly life clings to the dust; Revive and refresh me according to Your word.

²⁶I have told of my ways, and You have answered me; Teach me Your statutes.

²⁷Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So that I will meditate (focus my thoughts) on Your wonderful works.

²⁸My soul dissolves because of grief; Renew and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.

²⁹Remove from me the way of falsehood and unfaithfulness, And graciously grant me Your law.

³⁰I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me.

³¹I cling tightly to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!

³²I will run the way of Your commandments [with purpose], For You will give me a heart that is willing.

³³He. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I will [steadfastly] observe it to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding [a teachable heart and the ability to learn], that I may keep Your law; And observe it with all my heart.

³⁵Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.

³⁶Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain and envy.

³⁷Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine], And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways.

³⁸Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant, As that which produces [awe-inspired] reverence for You.

³⁹Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good.

⁴⁰I long for Your precepts; Renew me through Your righteousness.

⁴¹Vav. May Your lovingkindness also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your promise;

⁴²So I will have an answer for the one who taunts me, For I trust [completely] in Your word [and its reliability].

⁴³And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances.

⁴⁴I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever [writing Your precepts on my heart].

⁴⁵And I will walk at liberty, For I seek and deeply long for Your precepts.

⁴⁶I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed.

⁴⁷For I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love.

⁴⁸And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.

⁴⁹Zayin. Remember [always] the word and promise to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me and given me life.

⁵¹The arrogant utterly ridicule me, Yet I do not turn away from Your law.

⁵²I have remembered [carefully] Your ancient ordinances, O LORD, And I have taken comfort.

⁵³Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who reject Your law.

⁵⁴Your statutes are my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.

⁵⁵O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law.

⁵⁶This has become mine [as the gift of Your grace], That I observe Your precepts [accepting them with loving obedience].

⁵⁷Heth. The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.

⁵⁸I sought Your favor with all my heart; Be merciful and gracious to me according to Your promise.

⁵⁹I considered my ways And turned my feet to [follow and obey] Your testimonies.

⁶⁰I hurried and did not delay To keep Your commandments.

⁶¹The cords of the wicked have encircled and ensnared me, But I have not forgotten Your law.

⁶²At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous ordinances.

⁶³I am a companion of all who [reverently] fear You, And of those who keep and honor Your precepts.

⁶⁴The earth, O LORD, is full of Your lovingkindness and goodness; Teach me Your statutes.

⁶⁵Teth. You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your promise.

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment (discernment) and knowledge, For I have believed and trusted and relied on Your commandments.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep and honor Your word [with loving obedience].

⁶⁸You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes.

⁶⁹The arrogant have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with all my heart.

⁷⁰Their heart is insensitive like fat [their minds are dull and brutal], But I delight in Your law.

⁷¹It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

⁷²The law from Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

⁷³Yodh. Your hands have made me and established me; Give me understanding and a teachable heart, that I may learn Your commandments.

⁷⁴May those who [reverently] fear You see me and be glad, Because I wait for Your word.

⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are fair, And that in faithfulness You have disciplined me.

⁷⁶O may Your lovingkindness and graciousness comfort me, According to Your word (promise) to Your servant.

⁷⁷Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, For Your law is my delight.

⁷⁸Let the arrogant be ashamed and humiliated, for they sabotage me with a lie; But I will meditate on Your precepts.

⁷⁹May those who fear You [with submissive wonder] turn to me, Even those who have known Your testimonies.

⁸⁰May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.

⁸¹Kaph. My soul languishes and grows weak for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.

⁸²My eyes fail [with longing, watching] for [the fulfillment of] Your promise, Saying, "When will You comfort me?"

⁸³For I have become like a wineskin [blackened and shriveled] in the smoke [in which it hangs], Yet I do not forget Your statutes.

⁸⁴How many are the days of Your servant [which he must endure]? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

⁸⁵The arrogant (godless) have dug pits for me, Men who do not conform to Your law.

⁸⁶All Your commandments are faithful and trustworthy. They have persecuted me with a lie; help me [LORD]!

⁸⁷They had almost destroyed me on earth, But as for me, I did not turn away from Your precepts.

⁸⁸According to Your steadfast love refresh me and give me life, So that I may keep and obey the testimony of Your mouth.

⁸⁹Lamedh. Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable].

⁹⁰Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands [securely].

⁹¹They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all things [all parts of the universe] are Your servants.

⁹²If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my time of trouble.

⁹³I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me and given me life.

⁹⁴I am Yours, save me [as Your own]; For I have [diligently] sought Your precepts and required them [as my greatest need].

⁹⁵The wicked wait for me to destroy me, But I will consider Your testimonies.

⁹⁶I have seen that all [human] perfection has its limits [no matter how grand and perfect and noble]; Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].

⁹⁷Mem. Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For Your words are always with me.

⁹⁹I have better understanding and deeper insight than all my teachers [because of Your word], For Your testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged [who have not observed Your precepts], Because I have observed and kept Your precepts.

¹⁰¹I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.

¹⁰²I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.

¹⁰³How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵Nun. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶I have sworn [an oath] and have confirmed it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.

¹⁰⁷I am greatly afflicted; Renew and revive me [giving me life], O LORD, according to Your word.

¹⁰⁸Accept and take pleasure in the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your ordinances.

¹⁰⁹My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I do not wander from Your precepts.

¹¹¹I have taken Your testimonies as a heritage forever, For they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹²I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end.

¹¹³Samekh. I hate those who are double-minded, But I love and treasure Your law.

¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

¹¹⁵Leave me, you evildoers, That I may keep the commandments of my God [honoring and obeying them].

¹¹⁶Uphold me according to Your word [of promise], so that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope [in Your great goodness].

¹¹⁷Uphold me that I may be safe, That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.

¹¹⁸You have turned Your back on all those who wander from Your statutes, For their deceitfulness is useless.

¹¹⁹You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross [for they have no value]; Therefore I love Your testimonies.

¹²⁰My flesh trembles in [reverent] fear of You, And I am afraid and in awe of Your judgments.

¹²¹Ayin. I have done justice and righteousness; Do not leave me to those who oppress me.

¹²²Be the guarantee for Your servant for good [as Judah was the guarantee for Benjamin]; Do not let the arrogant oppress me.

¹²³My eyes fail [with longing, watching] for [the fulfillment of] Your salvation, And for [the fulfillment of] Your righteous word.

¹²⁴Deal with Your servant according to Your [gracious] lovingkindness, And teach me Your statutes.

¹²⁵I am Your servant; give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] That I may know Your testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time for the LORD to act; They have broken Your law.

¹²⁷Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, Yes, more than refined gold.

¹²⁸Therefore I esteem as right all Your precepts concerning everything; I hate every false way.

¹²⁹Pe. Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them.

¹³⁰The unfolding of Your [glorious] words give light; Their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike).

¹³¹I opened my mouth and panted [with anticipation], Because I longed for Your commandments.

¹³²Turn to me and be gracious to me and show me favor, As is Your way to those who love Your name.

¹³³Establish my footsteps in [the way of] Your word; Do not let any human weakness have power over me [causing me to be separated from You].

¹³⁴Redeem me from the oppression of man; That I may keep Your precepts.

¹³⁵Make Your face shine [with pleasure] upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes.

¹³⁶My eyes weep streams of water Because people do not keep Your law.

¹³⁷Tsadhe. Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments.

¹³⁸You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness And in great faithfulness.

¹³⁹My zeal has [completely] consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.

¹⁴⁰Your word is very pure (refined); Therefore Your servant loves it.

¹⁴¹I am small and despised, But I do not forget Your precepts.

¹⁴²Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.

¹⁴³Trouble and anguish have found me, Yet Your commandments are my delight and my joy.

¹⁴⁴Your righteous testimonies are everlasting; Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] that I may live.

¹⁴⁵Qoph. I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will observe Your statutes.

¹⁴⁶I cried to You; save me And I will keep Your testimonies.

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry [in prayer] for help; I wait for Your word.

¹⁴⁸My eyes anticipate the night watches and I awake before the call of the watchman, That I may meditate on Your word.

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according to Your [steadfast] lovingkindness; O LORD, renew and refresh me according to Your ordinances.

¹⁵⁰Those who follow after wickedness approach; They are far from Your law.

¹⁵¹You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.

¹⁵²Of old I have known from Your testimonies That You have founded them forever.

¹⁵³Resh. Look upon my agony and rescue me, For I do not forget Your law.

¹⁵⁴Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me and give me life according to [the promise of] Your word.

¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes.

¹⁵⁶Great are Your tender mercies and steadfast love, O LORD; Revive me and give me life according to Your ordinances.

¹⁵⁷Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, Yet I do not turn away from Your testimonies.

¹⁵⁸I see the treacherous and loathe them, Because they do not respect Your law.

¹⁵⁹Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me and give me life, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.

¹⁶⁰The sum of Your word is truth [the full meaning of all Your precepts], And every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever.

¹⁶¹Shin. Princes persecute me without cause, But my heart stands in [reverent] awe of Your words [so I can expect You to help me].

¹⁶²I rejoice at Your word, As one who finds great treasure.

¹⁶³I hate and detest falsehood, But I love Your law.

¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.

¹⁶⁵Those who love Your law have great peace; Nothing makes them stumble.

¹⁶⁶I hope and wait [with complete confidence] for Your salvation, O LORD, And I do Your commandments.

¹⁶⁷My soul keeps Your testimonies [hearing and accepting and obeying them]; I love them greatly.

¹⁶⁸I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are [fully known] before You.

¹⁶⁹Tav. Let my [mournful] cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding [the ability to learn and a teachable heart] according to Your word [of promise].

¹⁷⁰Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.

¹⁷¹Let my lips speak praise [with thanksgiving], For You teach me Your statutes.

¹⁷²Let my tongue sing [praise for the fulfillment] of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteous.

¹⁷³Let Your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Your precepts.

¹⁷⁴I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let my soul live that it may praise You, And let Your ordinances help me.

¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.

¹The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it whichever way He wishes.

²Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs and examines the hearts [of people and their motives].

³To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice [for wrongs repeatedly committed].

⁴Haughty and arrogant eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked [their self-centered pride], is sin [in the eyes of God].

⁵The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage, But everyone who acts in haste comes surely to poverty.

⁶Acquiring treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the seeking and pursuit of death.

⁷The violence of the wicked will [return to them and] drag them away [like fish caught in a net], Because they refuse to act with justice.

⁸The way of the guilty is [exceedingly] crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

⁹It is better to live in a corner of the housetop [on the flat roof, exposed to the weather] Than in a house shared with a quarrelsome (contentious) woman.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil [like an addictive substance]; His neighbor finds no compassion in his eyes.

¹¹When the scoffer is punished, the naive [observes the lesson and] becomes wise; But when the wise and teachable person is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹²The righteous one keeps an eye on the house of the wicked— How the wicked are cast down to ruin.

¹³Whoever shuts his ears at the cry of the poor Will cry out himself and not be answered.

¹⁴A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe [hidden] in the pocket, strong wrath.

¹⁵When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, the one in right standing with God), But to the evildoers it is disaster.

¹⁶A man who wanders from the way of understanding (godly wisdom) Will remain in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷He who loves [only selfish] pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves and is devoted to wine and [olive] oil will not become rich.

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous in the place of the upright [for they fall into their own traps].

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land Than with a contentious and troublesome woman.

²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future], But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

²¹He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise man scales the city [walls] of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³He who guards his mouth and his tongue Guards himself from troubles.

²⁴"Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names Who acts with overbearing and insolent pride.

²⁵The desire of the lazy kills him, For his hands refuse to labor;

²⁶He craves all the day long [and does no work], But the righteous [willingly] gives and does not withhold [what he has].

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable and offensive [to the LORD]. How much more [unacceptable and insulting can it be] when he brings it with evil intention?

²⁸A false witness will perish, But a man who listens to the truth will speak forever and go unchallenged.

²⁹A wicked man puts on a bold face, But as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].

³⁰There is no [human] wisdom or understanding Or counsel [that can prevail] against the LORD.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance and victory belong to the LORD.

¹The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,

²"Speak to the Israelites, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge (asylum), of which I spoke to you through Moses,

³so that the person (manslayer) who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the blood avenger.

⁴He shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city; and they shall take him into [the protection of] the city and give him a place [to stay], so that he may live among them.

⁵If the blood avenger pursues him, they shall not hand the offender (manslayer) over to him, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand.

⁶He shall live in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment [and if acquitted of murder he must stay there], until the death of the one who is the high priest in those days. Then the offender (manslayer) shall return to his own city and his own house from which he fled.'"

⁷So they set apart and consecrated Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

⁸Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

⁹These were the appointed cities for all the Israelites and for the stranger sojourning (living temporarily) among them, so that whoever killed any person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the blood avenger until he had stood before the congregation [for judgment].

¹The [mournful, inspired] oracle ( a burden to be carried) concerning Egypt: Listen carefully, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

²"So I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians; And they will fight, each one against his brother and each one against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom.

³"Then the spirit of the Egyptians will become exhausted within them and emptied out; And I will confuse their strategy, So that they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, And mediums and soothsayers.

⁴"And I will hand over the Egyptians to a hard and cruel master, And a mighty king will rule over them," declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

⁵The waters from the sea will dry up, And the river will be parched and dry.

⁶The canals will become foul-smelling, The streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up, The reeds and the rushes will rot away.

⁷The meadows by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile, And all the sown fields of the Nile Will become dry, be blown away, and be no more.

⁸The fishermen will lament (cry out in grief), And all those who cast a hook into the Nile will mourn, And those who spread nets upon the waters will languish.

⁹Moreover, those who make linen from combed flax And those who weave white cloth will be ashamed.

¹⁰[Those who are] the pillars and foundations of Egypt will be crushed; And all those who work for wages will be grieved in soul.

¹¹The princes of Zoan are complete fools; The counsel of the Pharaoh's wisest advisors has become stupid. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings?"

¹²Where then are your wise men? Please let them tell you, And let them understand what the LORD of hosts Has purposed against Egypt [if they can].

¹³The princes of Zoan have acted like fools, The princes of Memphis are deluded [and entertain false hope]; Those who are the cornerstone of her tribes Have led Egypt astray.

¹⁴The LORD has mixed a spirit of distortion within her; Her leaders have caused Egypt to stagger in all that she does, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

¹⁵There will be no work for Egypt Which head or tail, [high] palm branch or [low] bulrush, may do.

¹⁶In that day the Egyptians will become like [helpless] women, and they will tremble and be frightened because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He is going to wave over them.

¹⁷The land of Judah [Assyria's ally] will become a terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be in dread of it, because of the purpose of the LORD of hosts which He is planning against Egypt.

¹⁸In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of [the Hebrews of] Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One [of them] will be called the City of Destruction.

¹⁹In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a memorial stone to the LORD near its border.

²⁰It will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior, a [Great] Defender, and He will rescue them.

²¹And so the LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know [heed, honor, and cherish] the LORD in that day. They will even worship with sacrifices [of animals] and offerings [of produce]; they will make a vow to the LORD and fulfill it.

²²The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing it; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and heal them.

²³In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship and serve [the LORD] with the Assyrians.

²⁴In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and with Assyria [in a Messianic league], a blessing in the midst of the earth,

²⁵whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage."

¹Now after Paul and Silas had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

²And Paul entered the synagogue, as was his custom, and for three Sabbaths he engaged in discussion and friendly debate with them from the Scriptures,

³explaining and pointing out [scriptural evidence] that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)."

⁴And some of them were persuaded to believe and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and many of the leading women.

⁵But the [unbelieving] Jews became jealous, and taking along some thugs from [the lowlifes in] the market place, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and then attacking Jason's house tried to bring Paul and Silas out to the people.

⁶But when they failed to find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too;

⁷and Jason has welcomed them [into his house and protected them]! And they all are saying things contrary to the decrees of Caesar, [actually] claiming that there is another king, Jesus."

⁸They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.

⁹And when they had taken security (bail) from Jason and the others, they let them go.

¹⁰The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they entered the Jewish synagogue.

¹¹Now these people were more noble and open-minded than those in Thessalonica, so they received the message [of salvation through faith in the Christ] with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

¹²As a result many of them became believers, together with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] had also been preached by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing the crowds.

¹⁴So at that time the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go as far as the sea; but Silas and Timothy remained there [at Berea].

¹⁵Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens; and [after] receiving instructions [from Paul] for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible, they left.

¹⁶Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was greatly angered when he saw that the city was full of idols.

¹⁷So he had discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place day after day with any who happened to be there.

¹⁸And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to engage in conversation with him. And some said, "What could this idle babbler [with his eclectic, scrap-heap learning] have in mind to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities"—because he was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹They took him and brought him to the Areopagus (Hill of Ares, the Greek god of war), saying, "May we know what this [strange] new teaching is which you are proclaiming?

²⁰For you are bringing some startling and strange things to our ears; so we want to know what they mean."

²¹(Now all the Athenians and the foreigners visiting there used to spend their [leisure] time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

²²So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I observe [with every turn I make throughout the city] that you are very religious and devout in all respects.

²³Now as I was going along and carefully looking at your objects of worship, I came to an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' Therefore what you already worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

²⁴The God who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;

²⁵nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, because it is He who gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.

²⁶And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories.

²⁷This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

²⁸For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'

²⁹So then, being God's children, we should not think that the Divine Nature (deity) is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination or skill of man.

³⁰Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God's purpose for their lives],

³¹because He has set a day when He will judge the inhabited world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed and destined for that task, and He has provided credible proof to everyone by raising Him from the dead."

³²Now when they heard [the term] resurrection from the dead, some mocked and sneered; but others said, "We will hear from you again about this matter."

³³So Paul left them.

³⁴But some men joined him and believed; among them were Dionysius, [a judge] of the Council of Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.