Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples,

²“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

³Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

⁴and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.

⁵But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

⁶And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,

⁷a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.

⁸But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?

⁹For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

¹⁰But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.

¹¹For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.

¹²For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.

¹³Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

¹⁵and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.

¹⁶So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

¹⁷Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”

¹⁹So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

²⁰When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.

²¹Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

²²And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

²³He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.

²⁴The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

²⁵Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”

²⁶And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

²⁷Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.

²⁸For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

²⁹But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

³²But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

³³Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

³⁴Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

³⁵Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

³⁶Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

³⁷And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

³⁸Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

³⁹He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

⁴⁰Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?

⁴¹Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴²Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

⁴³And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

⁴⁴So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

⁴⁵Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴⁶Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

⁴⁷And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

⁴⁸Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”

⁴⁹Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁵⁰But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

⁵¹And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

⁵²But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

⁵³Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?

⁵⁴How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.

⁵⁶But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

⁵⁷And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

⁵⁸But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

⁶⁰but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward

⁶¹and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

⁶²And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”

⁶³But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

⁶⁴Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

⁶⁶What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”

⁶⁷Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,

⁶⁸saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”

⁶⁹Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

⁷¹And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷²But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

⁷³And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

⁷⁴Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.

⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

¹There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

²Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.

³Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

⁴And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

⁵because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

⁶So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

⁷And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.”

⁸Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife.

⁹Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”

¹⁰And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”

¹¹So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

¹²Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

¹³The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;

¹⁴for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

¹⁵Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth.

¹⁶And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

¹⁷Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

¹⁸And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.

¹⁹Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.

²⁰But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him.

²¹Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah.

²²And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

²³Then he went up from there to Beersheba.

²⁴And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.”

²⁵So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

²⁶Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army.

²⁷And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

²⁸But they said, “We have certainly seen that the LORD is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you,

²⁹that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.’ ”

³⁰So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

³¹Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

³²It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”

³³So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

³⁴When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

³⁵And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

¹Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,

²all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

³all ate the same spiritual food,

⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

⁵But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

⁶Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

⁷And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

⁸Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;

⁹nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;

¹⁰nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

¹¹Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

¹²Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

¹³No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

¹⁴Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

¹⁵I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.

¹⁶The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

¹⁷For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

¹⁸Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

¹⁹What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?

²⁰Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

²²Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

²³All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

²⁴Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

²⁵Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake;

²⁶for “the earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness.”

²⁷If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.

²⁸But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness.”

²⁹“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?

³⁰But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

³¹Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

³²Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,

³³just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

¹Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

²You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

³You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

⁴Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

⁵Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

⁶But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

⁷Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

⁸Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

⁹Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

¹¹Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

¹²There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

¹³Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;

¹⁴whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

¹⁵Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

¹⁶But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

¹⁷Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

¹But Job answered and said:

²“How have you helped him who is without power? How have you saved the arm that has no strength?

³How have you counseled one who has no wisdom? And how have you declared sound advice to many?

⁴To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit came from you?

⁵“The dead tremble, Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.

⁶Sheol is naked before Him, And Destruction has no covering.

⁷He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.

⁸He binds up the water in His thick clouds, Yet the clouds are not broken under it.

⁹He covers the face of His throne, And spreads His cloud over it.

¹⁰He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, At the boundary of light and darkness.

¹¹The pillars of heaven tremble, And are astonished at His rebuke.

¹²He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.

¹³By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

¹⁴Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

¹A Psalm of David. [1] Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip.

²Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.

³For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.

⁴I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites.

⁵I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.

⁶I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,

⁷That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.

⁸LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells.

⁹Do not gather my soul with sinners, Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

¹⁰In whose hands is a sinister scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.

¹¹But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.

¹²My foot stands in an even place; In the congregations I will bless the LORD.

¹As snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.

³A whip for the horse, A bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the fool’s back.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

⁷Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

⁸Like one who binds a stone in a sling Is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰The great God who formed everything Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.

¹¹As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!”

¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed.

¹⁵The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

¹⁷He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

²¹As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.

²³Fervent lips with a wicked heart Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

²⁴He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself;

²⁵When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart;

²⁶Though his hatred is covered by deceit, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

¹Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.

²And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?

³Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ”

⁴So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.

⁵Then they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the LORD.

⁶And when Joshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to possess the land.

⁷So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.

⁸Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was one hundred and ten years old.

⁹And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.

¹⁰When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

¹¹Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;

¹²and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

¹³They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

¹⁴And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.

¹⁵Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for calamity, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.

¹⁶Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

¹⁷Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do so.

¹⁸And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them.

¹⁹And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.

²⁰Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice,

²¹I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,

²²so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”

²³Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

¹In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.

²Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.

³You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

⁴Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.

⁵For He brings down those who dwell on high, The lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust.

⁶The foot shall tread it down— The feet of the poor And the steps of the needy.”

⁷The way of the just is uprightness; O Most Upright, You weigh the path of the just.

⁸Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O LORD, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You.

⁹With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

¹⁰Let grace be shown to the wicked, Yet he will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, And will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

¹¹LORD, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see. But they will see and be ashamed For their envy of people; Yes, the fire of Your enemies shall devour them.

¹²LORD, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.

¹³O LORD our God, masters besides You Have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your name.

¹⁴They are dead, they will not live; They are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And made all their memory to perish.

¹⁵You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land.

¹⁶LORD, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.

¹⁷As a woman with child Is in pain and cries out in her pangs, When she draws near the time of her delivery, So have we been in Your sight, O LORD.

¹⁸We have been with child, we have been in pain; We have, as it were, brought forth wind; We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, Nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

¹⁹Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

²⁰Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past.

²¹For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.

¹Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:

²“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,

³especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

⁴“My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know.

⁵They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

⁶And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.

⁷To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

⁸Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

⁹“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

¹¹And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

¹²“While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹³at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.

¹⁴And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

¹⁵So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

¹⁶But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

¹⁷I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

¹⁸to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

¹⁹“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

²⁰but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

²¹For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

²²Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—

²³that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

²⁴Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

²⁵But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.

²⁶For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”

²⁸Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

²⁹And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”

³⁰When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them;

³¹and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

³²Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”