Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,

²“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

³King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.

⁴He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

⁵“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

⁶‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”

⁷Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.

⁸Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

⁹After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.

¹⁰When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

¹¹They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹²When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

¹³After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

¹⁴That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,

¹⁵and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

¹⁶Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.

¹⁷Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

¹⁸“A cry was heard in Ramah — weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”

¹⁹When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

²⁰“Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

²¹So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.

²²But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.

²³So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

¹When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

²So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

³All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.

⁴Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

⁵Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!”

⁶The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.

⁷The LORD told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

⁸How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

⁹Then the LORD said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are.

¹⁰Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”

¹¹But Moses tried to pacify the LORD his God. “O LORD!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand?

¹²Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!

¹³Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”

¹⁴So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.

¹⁵Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.

¹⁶These tablets were God’s work; the words on them were written by God himself.

¹⁷When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, “It sounds like war in the camp!”

¹⁸But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration.”

¹⁹When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain.

²⁰He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it.

²¹Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”

²²“Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are.

²³They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’

²⁴So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire — and out came this calf!”

²⁵Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies.

²⁶So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the LORD’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.

²⁷Moses told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone — even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.”

²⁸The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day.

²⁹Then Moses told the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing.”

³⁰The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.”

³¹So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves.

³²But now, if you will only forgive their sin — but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!”

³³But the LORD replied to Moses, “No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me.

³⁴Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins.”

³⁵Then the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.

¹Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not!

²The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.

³Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

⁴We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.

⁵It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

⁶He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

⁷The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.

⁸Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?

⁹If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!

¹⁰In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.

¹¹So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

¹²Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.

¹³We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.

¹⁴But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.

¹⁵Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

¹⁶But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

¹⁷For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

¹⁸So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

¹This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.

²I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

³When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth.

⁴Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

⁵The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

⁶But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.

⁷They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

⁸We know that the law is good when used correctly.

⁹For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders.

¹⁰The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching

¹¹that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,

¹³even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.

¹⁴Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

¹⁵This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” — and I am the worst of them all.

¹⁶But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

¹⁷All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

¹⁸Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.

¹⁹Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.

²⁰Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.

¹Then Job spoke again:

²“Listen closely to what I am saying. That’s one consolation you can give me.

³Bear with me, and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.

⁴“My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient.

⁵Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock.

⁶When I think about what I am saying, I shudder. My body trembles.

⁷“Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?

⁸They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren.

⁹Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them.

¹⁰Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.

¹¹They let their children frisk about like lambs. Their little ones skip and dance.

¹²They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace.

¹⁴And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.

¹⁵Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?’

¹⁶(They think their prosperity is of their own doing, but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)

¹⁷“Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished. Do they ever have trouble? Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?

¹⁸Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm like chaff? Not at all!

¹⁹“‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’ But I say he should punish the ones who sin, so that they understand his judgment.

²⁰Let them see their destruction with their own eyes. Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.

²¹For they will not care what happens to their family after they are dead.

²²“But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful?

²³One person dies in prosperity, completely comfortable and secure,

²⁴the picture of good health, vigorous and fit.

²⁵Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life.

²⁶But both are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same maggots.

²⁷“Look, I know what you’re thinking. I know the schemes you plot against me.

²⁸You will tell me of rich and wicked people whose houses have vanished because of their sins.

²⁹But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth.

³⁰Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster.

³¹No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done.

³²When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.

³³A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest, and the earth gives sweet repose.

³⁴“How can your empty clichés comfort me? All your explanations are lies!”

¹Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD.

²Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.

³They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.

⁴You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.

⁵Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!

⁶Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.

⁷As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!

⁸I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!

⁹How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.

¹⁰I have tried hard to find you — don’t let me wander from your commands.

¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

¹²I praise you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.

¹³I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us.

¹⁴I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches.

¹⁵I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.

¹⁶I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.

¹⁷Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.

¹⁹I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me!

²⁰I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations.

²¹You rebuke the arrogant; those who wander from your commands are cursed.

²²Don’t let them scorn and insult me, for I have obeyed your laws.

²³Even princes sit and speak against me, but I will meditate on your decrees.

²⁴Your laws please me; they give me wise advice.

²⁵I lie in the dust; revive me by your word.

²⁶I told you my plans, and you answered. Now teach me your decrees.

²⁷Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

²⁸I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word.

²⁹Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.

³⁰I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations.

³¹I cling to your laws. LORD, don’t let me be put to shame!

³²I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.

³³Teach me your decrees, O LORD; I will keep them to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.

³⁵Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.

³⁶Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!

³⁷Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

³⁸Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you.

³⁹Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good.

⁴⁰I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness.

⁴¹LORD, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me.

⁴²Then I can answer those who taunt me, for I trust in your word.

⁴³Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope.

⁴⁴I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever.

⁴⁵I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

⁴⁶I will speak to kings about your laws, and I will not be ashamed.

⁴⁷How I delight in your commands! How I love them!

⁴⁸I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees.

⁴⁹Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope.

⁵⁰Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

⁵¹The proud hold me in utter contempt, but I do not turn away from your instructions.

⁵²I meditate on your age-old regulations; O LORD, they comfort me.

⁵³I become furious with the wicked, because they reject your instructions.

⁵⁴Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived.

⁵⁵I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD; therefore, I obey your instructions.

⁵⁶This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments.

⁵⁷LORD, you are mine! I promise to obey your words!

⁵⁸With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised.

⁵⁹I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws.

⁶⁰I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.

⁶¹Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.

⁶²I rise at midnight to thank you for your just regulations.

⁶³I am a friend to anyone who fears you — anyone who obeys your commandments.

⁶⁴O LORD, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees.

⁶⁵You have done many good things for me, LORD, just as you promised.

⁶⁶I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge.

⁶⁷I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word.

⁶⁸You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees.

⁶⁹Arrogant people smear me with lies, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart.

⁷⁰Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your instructions.

⁷¹My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.

⁷²Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.

⁷³You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands.

⁷⁴May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word.

⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that your regulations are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it.

⁷⁶Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.

⁷⁷Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your instructions are my delight.

⁷⁸Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me; meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments.

⁷⁹Let me be united with all who fear you, with those who know your laws.

⁸⁰May I be blameless in keeping your decrees; then I will never be ashamed.

⁸¹I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word.

⁸²My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me?

⁸³I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees.

⁸⁴How long must I wait? When will you punish those who persecute me?

⁸⁵These arrogant people who hate your instructions have dug deep pits to trap me.

⁸⁶All your commands are trustworthy. Protect me from those who hunt me down without cause.

⁸⁷They almost finished me off, but I refused to abandon your commandments.

⁸⁸In your unfailing love, spare my life; then I can continue to obey your laws.

⁸⁹Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven.

⁹⁰Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created.

⁹¹Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans.

⁹²If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.

⁹³I will never forget your commandments, for by them you give me life.

⁹⁴I am yours; rescue me! For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments.

⁹⁵Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me, I will quietly keep my mind on your laws.

⁹⁶Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit.

⁹⁷Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.

⁹⁸Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.

⁹⁹Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws.

¹⁰⁰I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments.

¹⁰¹I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word.

¹⁰²I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.

¹⁰³How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.

¹⁰⁴Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

¹⁰⁶I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.

¹⁰⁷I have suffered much, O LORD; restore my life again as you promised.

¹⁰⁸LORD, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations.

¹⁰⁹My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.

¹¹⁰The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments.

¹¹¹Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.

¹¹²I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.

¹¹³I hate those with divided loyalties, but I love your instructions.

¹¹⁴You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

¹¹⁵Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God.

¹¹⁶LORD, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed.

¹¹⁷Sustain me, and I will be rescued; then I will meditate continually on your decrees.

¹¹⁸But you have rejected all who stray from your decrees. They are only fooling themselves.

¹¹⁹You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum; no wonder I love to obey your laws!

¹²⁰I tremble in fear of you; I stand in awe of your regulations.

¹²¹Don’t leave me to the mercy of my enemies, for I have done what is just and right.

¹²²Please guarantee a blessing for me. Don’t let the arrogant oppress me!

¹²³My eyes strain to see your rescue, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled.

¹²⁴I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love, and teach me your decrees.

¹²⁵Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws.

¹²⁶LORD, it is time for you to act, for these evil people have violated your instructions.

¹²⁷Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold.

¹²⁸Each of your commandments is right. That is why I hate every false way.

¹²⁹Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them!

¹³⁰The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.

¹³¹I pant with expectation, longing for your commands.

¹³²Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name.

¹³³Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.

¹³⁴Ransom me from the oppression of evil people; then I can obey your commandments.

¹³⁵Look upon me with love; teach me your decrees.

¹³⁶Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions.

¹³⁷O LORD, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair.

¹³⁸Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy.

¹³⁹I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words.

¹⁴⁰Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much.

¹⁴¹I am insignificant and despised, but I don’t forget your commandments.

¹⁴²Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true.

¹⁴³As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.

¹⁴⁴Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.

¹⁴⁵I pray with all my heart; answer me, LORD! I will obey your decrees.

¹⁴⁶I cry out to you; rescue me, that I may obey your laws.

¹⁴⁷I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.

¹⁴⁸I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.

¹⁴⁹In your faithful love, O LORD, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations.

¹⁵⁰Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from your instructions.

¹⁵¹But you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true.

¹⁵²I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever.

¹⁵³Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions.

¹⁵⁴Argue my case; take my side! Protect my life as you promised.

¹⁵⁵The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees.

¹⁵⁶LORD, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations.

¹⁵⁷Many persecute and trouble me, yet I have not swerved from your laws.

¹⁵⁸Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart, because they care nothing for your word.

¹⁵⁹See how I love your commandments, LORD. Give back my life because of your unfailing love.

¹⁶⁰The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.

¹⁶¹Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word.

¹⁶²I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.

¹⁶³I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions.

¹⁶⁴I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just.

¹⁶⁵Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.

¹⁶⁶I long for your rescue, LORD, so I have obeyed your commands.

¹⁶⁷I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much.

¹⁶⁸Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do.

¹⁶⁹O LORD, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised.

¹⁷⁰Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised.

¹⁷¹Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees.

¹⁷²Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right.

¹⁷³Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments.

¹⁷⁴O LORD, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me.

¹⁷⁶I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.

¹The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases.

²People may be right in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their heart.

³The LORD is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.

⁴Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin.

⁵Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

⁶Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.

⁷The violence of the wicked sweeps them away, because they refuse to do what is just.

⁸The guilty walk a crooked path; the innocent travel a straight road.

⁹It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

¹⁰Evil people desire evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded become wise; if you instruct the wise, they will be all the wiser.

¹²The Righteous One knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked; he will bring disaster on them.

¹³Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.

¹⁴A secret gift calms anger; a bribe under the table pacifies fury.

¹⁵Justice is a joy to the godly, but it terrifies evildoers.

¹⁶The person who strays from common sense will end up in the company of the dead.

¹⁷Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.

¹⁸The wicked are punished in place of the godly, and traitors in place of the honest.

¹⁹It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.

²⁰The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.

²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.

²²The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust.

²³Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.

²⁴Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.

²⁵Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.

²⁶Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give!

²⁷The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable, especially when it is offered with wrong motives.

²⁸A false witness will be cut off, but a credible witness will be allowed to speak.

²⁹The wicked bluff their way through, but the virtuous think before they act.

³⁰No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the LORD.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

¹The LORD said to Joshua,

²“Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.

³Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.

⁴“Upon reaching one of these cities, the one who caused the death will appear before the elders at the city gate and present his case. They must allow him to enter the city and give him a place to live among them.

⁵If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility.

⁶But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled.”

⁷The following cities were designated as cities of refuge: Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah.

⁸On the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho, the following cities were designated: Bezer, in the wilderness plain of the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, in the land of the tribe of Manasseh.

⁹These cities were set apart for all the Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed another person could take refuge in one of these cities. In this way, they could escape being killed in revenge prior to standing trial before the local assembly.

¹This message came to me concerning Egypt: Look! The LORD is advancing against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud. The idols of Egypt tremble. The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.

²“I will make Egyptian fight against Egyptian — brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, province against province.

³The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will confuse their plans. They will plead with their idols for wisdom and call on spirits, mediums, and those who consult the spirits of the dead.

⁴I will hand Egypt over to a hard, cruel master. A fierce king will rule them,” says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

⁵The waters of the Nile will fail to rise and flood the fields. The riverbed will be parched and dry.

⁶The canals of the Nile will dry up, and the streams of Egypt will stink with rotting reeds and rushes.

⁷All the greenery along the riverbank and all the crops along the river will dry up and blow away.

⁸The fishermen will lament for lack of work. Those who cast hooks into the Nile will groan, and those who use nets will lose heart.

⁹There will be no flax for the harvesters, no thread for the weavers.

¹⁰They will be in despair, and all the workers will be sick at heart.

¹¹What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?

¹²Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh? Let them tell you what God plans, what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt.

¹³The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray.

¹⁴The LORD has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so all their suggestions are wrong. They cause Egypt to stagger like a drunk in his vomit.

¹⁵There is nothing Egypt can do. All are helpless — the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.

¹⁶In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women. They will cower in fear beneath the upraised fist of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

¹⁷Just to speak the name of Israel will terrorize them, for the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has laid out his plans against them.

¹⁸In that day five of Egypt’s cities will follow the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. They will even begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun.

¹⁹In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the LORD at its border.

²⁰It will be a sign and a witness that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them.

²¹The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the LORD and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the LORD and will keep it.

²²The LORD will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them.

²³In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God.

²⁴In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth.

²⁵For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!”

¹Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

²As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people.

³He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.”

⁴Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

⁵But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.

⁶Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too.

⁷And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”

⁸The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports.

⁹So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

¹⁰That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

¹¹And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

¹²As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

¹³But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble.

¹⁴The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.

¹⁵Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

¹⁶While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.

¹⁷He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

¹⁸He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”

¹⁹Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said.

²⁰“You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.”

²¹(It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

²²So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way,

²³for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

²⁴“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples,

²⁵and human hands can’t serve his needs — for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

²⁶From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

²⁷“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him — though he is not far from any one of us.

²⁸For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

²⁹And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

³⁰“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.

³¹For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

³²When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.”

³³That ended Paul’s discussion with them,

³⁴but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.