Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea [along the western side of the Dead Sea] and saying,

²" Repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God's purpose for your life], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

³This is the one who was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the road for the Lord, Make His highways straight (level, direct)!'"

⁴Now this same John had clothing made of camel's hair and a [wide] leather band around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan;

⁶and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the [divine] wrath and judgment to come?

⁸So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin];

⁹and do not presume to say to yourselves [as a defense], 'We have Abraham for our father [so our inheritance assures us of salvation]'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham.

¹⁰And already the axe [of God's judgment] is swinging toward the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹"As for me, I baptize you with water because of [your] repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life], but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire (judgment).

¹²His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire."

¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan [River], to be baptized by him.

¹⁴But John tried to prevent Him [vigorously protesting], saying, "It is I who need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"

¹⁵But Jesus replied to him, "Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him.

¹⁶After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him (Jesus),

¹⁷and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!"

¹The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.'

²I will send an Angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

³Go up to a land [of abundance] flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and I might destroy you on the way."

⁴When the people heard this sad word, they mourned, and none of them put on his ornaments.

⁵For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the sons of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people! If I should come among you for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, [penitently] take off your ornaments, so that I may know what to do with you.'"

⁶So the Israelites left off all their ornaments [in repentance], from Mount Horeb (Sinai) onward.

⁷Now Moses used to take his own tent and pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the [temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

⁸Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each at his tent door, and look at Moses until he entered the tent.

⁹Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the doorway of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.

¹⁰When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tent door, all the people would rise and worship, each at his tent door.

¹¹And so the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his attendant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

¹²Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people,' but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.'

¹³Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways so that I may know You [becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly] and that I may find grace and favor in Your sight. And consider also, that this nation is Your people."

¹⁴And the LORD said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest [by bringing you and the people into the promised land]."

¹⁵And Moses said to Him, "If Your presence does not go [with me], do not lead us up from here.

¹⁶For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we are distinguished, Your people and I, from all the [other] people on the face of the earth?"

¹⁷The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have found favor (lovingkindness, mercy) in My sight and I have known you [personally] by name."

¹⁸Then Moses said, "Please, show me Your glory!"

¹⁹And God said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the LORD before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion."

²⁰But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!"

²¹Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;

²²and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively cover you with My hand until I have passed by.

²³Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

¹Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy [from God, granting us salvation, opportunities, and blessings], we do not get discouraged nor lose our motivation.

²But we have renounced the disgraceful things hidden because of shame; not walking in trickery or adulterating the word of God, but by stating the truth [openly and plainly], we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

³But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing;

⁴among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.

⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ.

⁷But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.

⁸We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair;

⁹hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed;

¹⁰always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.

¹¹For we who live are constantly [experiencing the threat of] being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced in our mortal body [which is subject to death].

¹²So physical death is [actively] at work in us, but [spiritual] life [is actively at work] in you.

¹³Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had, who wrote in Scripture, "I believed, therefore I spoke." We also believe, therefore we also speak,

¹⁴knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and will present us [along] with you in His presence.

¹⁵For all [these] things are for your sake, so that as [God's remarkable, undeserved] grace reaches to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of [our great] God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!

¹⁸So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.

¹First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people,

²for kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

³This [kind of praying] is good and acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

⁴who wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge and recognition of the [divine] truth.

⁵For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus,

⁶who gave Himself as a ransom [a substitutionary sacrifice to atone] for all, the testimony given at the right and proper time.

⁷And for this matter I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying [when I say this]—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and disputing or quarreling or doubt [in their mind].

⁹Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves modestly and appropriately and discreetly in proper clothing, not with [elaborately] braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive clothes,

¹⁰but instead adorned by good deeds [helping others], as is proper for women who profess to worship God.

¹¹A woman must quietly receive instruction with all submissiveness.

¹²I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet [in the congregation].

¹³For Adam was formed first [by God from the earth], then Eve;

¹⁴and it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was led astray and fell into sin.

¹⁵But women will be preserved (saved) through [the pain and dangers of] the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control and discretion.

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?

³"Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?

⁴"Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, That He enters into judgment against you?

⁵"Is not your wickedness great, And your sins without end?

⁶"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

⁷"You have not given water to the weary to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸"But the land is possessed by the man with power, And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.

⁹"You have sent widows away empty-handed, And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰"Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies and overwhelms you;

¹¹Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And a flood of water covers you.

¹²"Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the distant stars, how high they are!

¹³"You say, 'What does God know [about me]? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴'Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.'

¹⁵"Will you keep to the ancient path That wicked men walked [in the time of Noah],

¹⁶Men who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were poured out like a river?

¹⁷"They said to God, 'Depart from us! What can the Almighty do for us or to us?'

¹⁸"Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.

¹⁹"The righteous see it and are glad; And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,

²⁰'Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed, And fire has consumed their abundance.'

²¹"Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.

²²"Please receive the law and instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart and keep them.

²³"If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored]; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,

²⁴And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],

²⁵And make the Almighty your gold And your precious silver,

²⁶Then you will have delight in the Almighty, And you will lift up your face to God.

²⁷"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.

²⁸"You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God's favor] will shine upon your ways.

²⁹"When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will lift up and save.

³⁰"He will even rescue the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent; And he will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands."

¹A Song of Ascents. In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And He answered me.

²Rescue my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, And from a deceitful tongue.

³What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, You deceitful tongue?—

⁴Sharp arrows of the warrior, With the burning coals of the broom tree.

⁵Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech, and I live among the tents of Kedar [among hostile people]!

⁶Too long my soul has had its dwelling With those who hate peace.

⁷I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.

¹A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and poor have a common bond; The LORD is the Maker of them all.

³A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it], But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

⁴The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one's importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Is riches, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate [for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them]; He who guards himself [with godly wisdom] will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God's wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows injustice will reap [a harvest of] trouble, And the rod of his wrath [with which he oppresses others] will fail.

⁹He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go away; Even strife and dishonor will cease.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious will have the king as his friend.

¹²The eyes of the LORD keep guard over knowledge and the one who has it, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous.

¹³The lazy one [manufactures excuses and] says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets [if I go out to work]!"

¹⁴The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit [deep and inescapable]; He who is cursed by the LORD [because of his adulterous sin] will fall into it.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself Or who gives to the rich [to gain influence and favor], will only come to poverty.

¹⁷Listen carefully and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge;

¹⁸For it will be pleasant if you keep them in mind [incorporating them as guiding principles]; Let them be ready on your lips [to guide and strengthen yourself and others].

¹⁹So that your trust and reliance and confidence may be in the LORD, I have taught these things to you today, even to you.

²⁰Have I not written to you excellent things In counsels and knowledge,

²¹To let you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may give a correct answer to him who sent you?

²²Do not rob the poor because he is poor [and defenseless], Nor crush the afflicted [by legal proceedings] at the gate [where the city court is held],

²³For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.

²⁴Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts; Or go [along] with a hot-tempered man,

²⁵Or you will learn his [undisciplined] ways And get yourself trapped [in a situation from which it is hard to escape].

²⁶Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others' finances], Or among those who become guarantors for others' debts.

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay [another's debt when he defaults], Why should his creditor take your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient landmark [at the boundary of the property] Which your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honor] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.

¹Then the heads of the households of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

²They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle."

³So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these [forty-eight] cities and their pasture lands, in accordance with the command of the LORD.

⁴The [first] lot (allotment) came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were sons (descendants) of Aaron the priest received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of Simeon and from the tribe of Benjamin.

⁵The rest of the sons of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim and from the tribe of Dan and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁶The sons of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher and from the tribe of Naphtali and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷The sons of Merari according to their families received twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun.

⁸The sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

⁹They gave these cities which are mentioned here by name from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon;

¹⁰and they were for the sons of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, because the lot fell to them first.

¹¹They gave them [the city of] Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah, with its surrounding pasture lands.

¹²But the fields of the city and its villages they had given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his property.

¹³So to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands, and Libnah with its pasture lands,

¹⁴and Jattir with its pasture lands and Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,

¹⁵and Holon with its pasture lands and Debir with its pasture lands,

¹⁶and Ain with its pasture lands and Juttah with its pasture lands and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; nine cities from these two tribes (Judah and Simeon).

¹⁷From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, and Geba with its pasture lands,

¹⁸Anathoth with its pasture lands and Almon with its pasture lands; four cities.

¹⁹All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

²⁰Then the cities from the tribe of Ephraim were allotted to the families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, even to the rest of the sons of Kohath.

²¹They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands,

²²and Kibzaim with its pasture lands and Beth-horon with its pasture lands; four cities.

²³From the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands,

²⁴Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; four cities.

²⁵From the half-tribe of Manasseh, they allotted Taanach with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; two cities.

²⁶All the cities with their pasture lands for the families of the rest of the sons of Kohath totaled ten.

²⁷To the sons of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, they gave from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, [the city of] Golan in Bashan, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands; two cities.

²⁸From the tribe of Issachar, they gave Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,

²⁹Jarmuth with its pasture lands, and En-gannim with its pasture lands; four cities.

³⁰From the tribe of Asher, they gave Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands,

³¹Helkath with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands; four cities.

³²From the tribe of Naphtali, they gave Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands and Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands and Kartan with its pasture lands; three cities.

³³All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

³⁴To the families of the sons of Merari, the rest of the Levites, they gave from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands and Kartah with its pasture lands,

³⁵Dimnah with its pasture lands and Nahalal with its pasture lands; four cities.

³⁶From the tribe of Reuben, they gave Bezer with its pasture lands and Jahaz with its pasture lands,

³⁷Kedemoth with its pasture lands and Mephaath with its pasture lands; four cities.

³⁸From the tribe of Gad, they gave Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for anyone who committed manslaughter, with its pasture lands and Mahanaim with its pasture lands,

³⁹Heshbon with its pasture lands and Jazer with its pasture lands; four cities in all.

⁴⁰All [these were] the cities of the sons of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites; and their lot was twelve cities.

⁴¹All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the property of the sons of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasture lands.

⁴²These cities each had its surrounding pasture lands; so it was with all these cities.

⁴³So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers (ancestors), and they took possession of it and lived in it.

⁴⁴The LORD gave them rest [from conflict] on every side, in accordance with everything that He had sworn to their fathers, and not one of all their enemies stood before them [in battle]; the LORD handed over all their enemies to them.

⁴⁵Not one of the good promises which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel failed; all had come to pass.

¹In the year that the Tartan [the Assyrian commander in chief] came to Ashdod [in Philistia], when Sargon king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it,

²at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, untie the sackcloth from your hips and take your sandals off your feet." And he did so, walking around stripped [to his loincloth] and barefoot.

³And the LORD said, "Even as My servant Isaiah has walked stripped and barefoot for three years as a sign and forewarning concerning Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia),

⁴in the same way the king of Assyria will lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, young and old, stripped and barefoot, even with buttocks uncovered—to the shame of Egypt.

⁵Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their boast.

⁶So the inhabitants of this coastland [the Israelites and their neighbors] will say in that day, 'Look what has happened to those in whom we hoped and trusted and to whom we fled for help to be spared from the king of Assyria! But we, how will we escape [captivity and exile]?'"

¹After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

²There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla, because [the Roman Emperor] Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

³and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them; and they worked together for they were tent-makers.

⁴And he reasoned and debated in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks;

⁵but when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia (northern Greece), Paul began devoting himself completely to [preaching] the word, and solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

⁶But since the Jews kept resisting and opposing him, and blaspheming [God], he shook out his robe and said to them, "Your blood (damnation) be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

⁷Then he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.

⁸Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household [joyfully acknowledging Him as Messiah and Savior]; and many of the Corinthians who heard [Paul's message] were believing and being baptized.

⁹One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent;

¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will attack you in order to hurt you, because I have many people in this city."

¹¹So he settled there for a year and six months, teaching them the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

¹²But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (southern Greece), the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

¹³declaring, "This man is persuading people to worship God in violation of the law [of Moses]."

¹⁴But when Paul was about to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or serious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to put up with you;

¹⁵but since it is merely a question [of doctrine within your religion] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to judge these matters."

¹⁶And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

¹⁷Then the Greeks all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him right in front of the judgment seat; but Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

¹⁸Paul stayed for a while longer, and then told the brothers and sisters goodbye and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchrea [the southeastern port of Corinth] he had his hair cut, because he was keeping a [Nazirite] vow [of abstention].

¹⁹Then they arrived in Ephesus, and he left the others there; but he entered the synagogue and reasoned and debated with the Jews.

²⁰When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he refused;

²¹but after telling them goodbye and saying, "I will return again if God is willing," he set sail from Ephesus.

²²When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church [at Jerusalem], and then went down to Antioch.

²³After spending some time there, he left and traveled through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening and encouraging all the disciples.

²⁴Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent and cultured man, and well versed in the [Hebrew] Scriptures.

²⁵This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being spiritually impassioned, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John;

²⁶and he began to speak boldly and fearlessly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained more accurately to him the way of God [and the full story of the life of Christ].

²⁷And when Apollos wanted to go across to Achaia (southern Greece), the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples, [urging them] to welcome him gladly. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who, through grace, had believed and had followed Jesus as Lord and Savior,

²⁸for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public discussions, proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).