Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Then some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said,

²"Why do Your disciples violate the tradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat."

³He replied to them, "Why also do you violate the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]?

⁴For God said [through Moses], 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of or insults or treats improperly father or mother is to be put to death.'

⁵But you say, 'If anyone says to his father or mother, "Whatever [money or resource that] I have that would help you is [already dedicated and] given to God,"

⁶he is not to honor his father or his mother [by helping them with their need].' So by this you have invalidated the word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect] for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders].

⁷You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,

⁸'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.

⁹'But in vain do they worship Me, For they teach as doctrines the precepts of men.'"

¹⁰After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said, "Listen and understand this:

¹¹It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him."

¹²Then the disciples came and said to Jesus, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?"

¹³He answered, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots.

¹⁴Leave them alone; they are blind guides[leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

¹⁵Peter asked Him, "Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us."

¹⁶And He said, "Are you still so dull [and unable to put things together]?

¹⁷Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

¹⁸But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man.

¹⁹For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming).

²⁰These are the things which defile and dishonor the man; but eating with [ceremonially] unwashed hands does not defile the man."

²¹After leaving there, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

²²And a Canaanite woman from that district came out and began to cry out [urgently], saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (Messiah); my daughter is cruelly possessed by a demon."

²³But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], "Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us."

²⁴He answered, "I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

²⁵But she came and began to kneel down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

²⁶And He replied, "It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the children's bread and throw it to the pet dogs."

²⁷She said, "Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters' table."

²⁸Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that moment.

²⁹Jesus went on from there and passed along by [the eastern shore of] the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on the hillside and was sitting there.

³⁰And great crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He healed them.

³¹So the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they praised and glorified the God of Israel.

³²Then Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, because they might faint [from exhaustion] on the way [home]."

³³The disciples said to Him, "Where are we to get enough bread in this isolated place to feed so large a crowd?"

³⁴And Jesus asked them, "How many loaves [of bread] do you have?" They replied, "Seven, and a few small fish."

³⁵He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground,

³⁶and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and when He had given thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the people.

³⁷And they all ate and were satisfied, and they gathered up seven full baskets of the broken pieces that were left over.

³⁸[Among] those who ate were 4,000 men, not counting women and children.

³⁹Then Jesus sent the crowds away, got into the boat and went to the district of Magadan.

¹'If anyone sins after he hears a public adjuration (solemn command to testify) when he is a witness, whether he has seen or [otherwise] known [something]—if he fails to report it, then he will bear his guilt and be held responsible.

²Or if someone touches any [ceremonially] unclean thing—whether the carcass of an unclean wild animal or the carcass of an unclean domestic animal or the carcass of unclean creeping things—even if he is unaware of it, he has become unclean, and he will be guilty.

³Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever kind it may be—and he becomes unclean, but he is unaware of it, when he recognizes it, he will be guilty.

⁴Or if anyone swears [an oath] thoughtlessly or impulsively aloud that he will do either evil or good, in whatever manner a person may speak thoughtlessly or impulsively with an oath, but he is unaware of it, when he recognizes it, he will be guilty in one of these.

⁵So it shall be when a person is guilty in one of these, that he shall confess the sin he has committed.

⁶He shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

⁷'But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons as his guilt offering for his sin to the LORD, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

⁸He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering, and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but shall not sever it [completely].

⁹He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering.

¹⁰The second [bird] he shall prepare as a burnt offering, according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for the sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

¹¹'But if he cannot afford to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for his sin the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering; he shall not put [olive] oil or incense on it, for it is a sin offering.

¹²He shall bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings by fire to the LORD; it is a sin offering.

¹³In this way the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in one of these things, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall be for the priest, like the grain offering.'"

¹⁴Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁵"If a person commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally against the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish from the flock, valued by you in shekels of silver, that is, the shekel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering.

¹⁶He shall make restitution for the sin which he has committed against the holy thing, and shall add a fifth [of the ram's value] to it, and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

¹⁷"Now if anyone sins and does any of the things which the LORD has forbidden, though he was not aware of it, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

¹⁸He is then to bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. In this way the priest shall make atonement for him regarding the error which he committed unintentionally and did not know it, and he shall be forgiven.

¹⁹It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD."

¹O you foolish and thoughtless and superficial Galatians, who has bewitched you [that you would act like this], to whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified [in the gospel message]?

²This is all I want to ask of you: did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying [the requirements of] the Law, or was it the result of hearing [the message of salvation and] with faith [believing it]?

³Are you so foolish and senseless? Having begun [your new life by faith] with the Spirit, are you now being perfected and reaching spiritual maturity by the flesh [that is, by your own works and efforts to keep the Law]?

⁴Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing—if indeed it was all for nothing?

⁵So then, does He who supplies you with His [marvelous Holy] Spirit and works miracles among you, do it as a result of the works of the Law [which you perform], or because you [believe confidently in the message which you] heard with faith?

⁶Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, [as conformity to God's will and purpose—so it is with you also].

⁷So understand that it is the people who live by faith [with confidence in the power and goodness of God] who are [the true] sons of Abraham.

⁸The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the good news [of the Savior] to Abraham in advance [with this promise], saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed."

⁹So then those who are people of faith [whether Jew or Gentile] are blessed and favored by God [and declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with Him] along with Abraham, the believer.

¹⁰For all who depend on the Law [seeking justification and salvation by obedience to the Law and the observance of rituals] are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed (condemned to destruction) is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, so as to practice them."

¹¹Now it is clear that no one is justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing] before God by the Law, for "The righteous (the just, the upright) shall live by faith."

¹²But the Law does not rest on or require faith [it has nothing to do with faith], but [instead, the Law] says, "He who practices them [the things prescribed by the Law] shall live by them [instead of faith]."

¹³Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs [crucified] on a tree (cross)"—

¹⁴in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might also come to the Gentiles, so that we would all receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith.

¹⁵Brothers and sisters, I speak in terms of human relations: even though a last will and testament is just a human covenant, yet when it has been signed and made legally binding, no one sets it aside or adds to it [modifying it in some way].

¹⁶Now the promises [in the covenants] were decreed to Abraham and to his seed. God does not say, "And to seeds (descendants, heirs)," as if [referring] to many [persons], but as to one, "And to your Seed," who is [none other than] Christ.

¹⁷This is what I mean: the Law, which came into existence four hundred and thirty years later [after the covenant concerning the coming Messiah], does not and cannot invalidate the covenant previously established by God, so as to abolish the promise.

¹⁸For if the inheritance [of what was promised] is based on [observing] the Law [as these false teachers claim], it is no longer based on a promise; however, God granted it to Abraham [as a gift] by virtue of His promise.

¹⁹Why, then, the Law [what was its purpose]? It was added [after the promise to Abraham, to reveal to people their guilt] because of transgressions [that is, to make people conscious of the sinfulness of sin], and [the Law] was ordained through angels and delivered to Israel by the hand of a mediator [Moses, the mediator between God and Israel, to be in effect] until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

²⁰Now the mediator or go-between [in a transaction] is not [needed] for just one party; whereas God is only one [and was the only One giving the promise to Abraham, but the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity depended on both].

²¹Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a system of law had been given which could impart life, then righteousness (right standing with God) would actually have been based on law.

²²But the Scripture has imprisoned everyone [everything—the entire world] under sin, so that [the inheritance, the blessing of salvation] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe [in Him and acknowledge Him as God's precious Son].

²³Now before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, [perpetually] imprisoned [in preparation] for the faith that was destined to be revealed,

²⁴with the result that the Law has become our tutor and our disciplinarian to guide us to Christ, so that we may be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] by faith.

²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under [the control and authority of] a tutor and disciplinarian.

²⁶For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values].

²⁸There is [now no distinction in regard to salvation] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you [who believe] are all one in Christ Jesus [no one can claim a spiritual superiority].

²⁹And if you belong to Christ [if you are in Him], then you are Abraham's descendants, and [spiritual] heirs according to [God's] promise.

¹Paul, a prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed), and our brother Timothy, To Philemon our dearly beloved friend and fellow worker,

²and to [your wife] Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier [in ministry], and to the church that meets in your house:

³Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

⁵because I hear of your love and of your faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints (God's people).

⁶I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective and powerful because of your accurate knowledge of every good thing which is ours in Christ.

⁷For I have had great joy and comfort and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints (God's people) have been refreshed through you, my brother.

⁸Therefore [on the basis of these facts], though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is appropriate,

⁹yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus—

¹⁰I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child Onesimus, whom I have fathered [in the faith] while a captive in these chains.

¹¹Once he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you as well as to me.

¹²I have sent him back to you in person, that is, like sending my very heart.

¹³I would have chosen to keep him with me, so that he might minister to me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel;

¹⁴but I did not want to do anything without first getting your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

¹⁵Perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, so that you would have him back forever,

¹⁶no longer as a slave, but [as someone] more than a slave, as a brother [in Christ], especially dear to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh [as a servant] and in the Lord [as a fellow believer].

¹⁷So if you consider me a partner, welcome and accept him as you would me.

¹⁸But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;

¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it in full (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

²⁰Yes, brother, let me have some benefit and joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

²¹I write to you [perfectly] confident of your obedient compliance, since I know that you will do even more than I ask.

²²At the same time also prepare a guest room for me [in expectation of a visit], for I hope that through your prayers I will be [granted the gracious privilege of] coming to you [at Colossae].

²³Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in [the cause of] Christ Jesus,

²⁴and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

¹Elihu continued his discourse and said,

²"Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who have [so much] knowledge.

³"For the ear puts words to the test As the palate tastes food.

⁴"Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵"For Job has said, 'I am righteous [and innocent], But God has taken away my right;

⁶Although I am right, I am accounted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'

⁷"What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,

⁸Who goes in company with those who do evil And walks with wicked men?

⁹"For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing When he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.'

¹⁰"Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He would do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

¹¹"For God pays a man according to his work, And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.

¹²"Surely God will not act wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³"Who put God in charge over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?

¹⁴"If God should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,

¹⁵All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.

¹⁶"If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

¹⁷"Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern? And will you condemn Him who is just and mighty?

¹⁸"God who says to a king, 'You are worthless and vile,' Or to princes and nobles, 'You are wicked and evil'?

¹⁹"Who is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands.

²⁰"In a moment they die, even at midnight The people are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.

²¹"For God's eyes are on the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

²²"There is no darkness nor deep shadow Where the evildoers may hide themselves.

²³"For He sets no appointed time for a man, That he should appear before Him in judgment.

²⁴"He breaks mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.

²⁵"Therefore He knows of their works, And He overthrows them in the night, So that they are crushed and destroyed.

²⁶"He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,

²⁷Because they turned aside from following Him And would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,

²⁸So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And He heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹"When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him], Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—

³⁰So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares for the people.

³¹"For has anyone said to God, 'I have endured my chastisement; I will not offend anymore;

³²Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned]; If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness), I will not do it again'?

³³"Shall God's retribution [for your sins] be on your terms, because you refuse to accept it? For you must do the choosing, and not I; Therefore say what you [truthfully] know.

³⁴"Men of understanding will tell me, Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],

³⁵'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom and insight.

³⁶'Job ought to be tried to the limit Because he answers like wicked men!

³⁷'For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin; He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God], And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.'"

¹A Song of Ascents. O LORD, remember on David's behalf All his hardship and affliction;

²How he swore to the LORD And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

³"I absolutely will not enter my house, Nor get into my bed—

⁴I certainly will not permit my eyes to sleep Nor my eyelids to slumber,

⁵Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob (Israel)."

⁶Behold, we heard of it at Ephrathah; We found it in the field of Jaar.

⁷Let us go into His tabernacle; Let us worship at His footstool.

⁸Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark [the symbol] of Your strength.

⁹Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness (right living), And let Your godly ones shout for joy.

¹⁰For the sake of Your servant David, Do not turn away the face of Your anointed.

¹¹The LORD swore to David A truth from which He will not turn back: "One of your descendants I will set upon your throne.

¹²"If your children will keep My covenant And My testimony which I will teach them, Their children also shall sit upon your throne forever."

¹³For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:

¹⁴"This is My resting place forever" [says the LORD]; "Here will I dwell, for I have desired it.

¹⁵"I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶"Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, And her godly ones will shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷"There I will make the horn (strength) of David grow; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises].

¹⁸"His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon himself shall his crown shine."

¹My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;

²For length of days and years of life [worth living] And tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life's blessings] they will add to you.

³Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in and rely confidently on the LORD with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

⁶In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

⁸It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts] And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your wealth And with the first fruits of all your crops (income);

¹⁰Then your barns will be abundantly filled And your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not reject or take lightly the discipline of the LORD [learn from your mistakes and the testing that comes from His correction through discipline]; Nor despise His rebuke,

¹²For those whom the LORD loves He corrects, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God's word and life's experiences],

¹⁴For wisdom's profit is better than the profit of silver, And her gain is better than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies; And nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value].

¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favor, And all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.

¹⁹The LORD by His wisdom has founded the earth; By His understanding He has established the heavens.

²⁰By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the clouds drip with dew.

²¹My son, let them not escape from your sight, But keep sound wisdom and discretion,

²²And they will be life to your soul (your inner self) And a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self).

²³Then you will walk on your way [of life] securely And your foot will not stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless];

²⁶For the LORD will be your confidence, firm and strong, And will keep your foot from being caught [in a trap].

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients], When it is in your power to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it," When you have it with you.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbor, Who lives securely beside you.

³⁰Do not quarrel with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

³²For the devious are repulsive to the LORD; But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

³³The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just and righteous.

³⁴Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance].

³⁵The wise will inherit honor and glory, But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

¹Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) went to Shechem to his mother's relatives, and said to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother's father,

²"Speak now in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that seventy men, all of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one man rule over you?' Also, remember that I am your own bone and flesh."

³So his mother's relatives spoke all these words concerning him so that all the leaders of Shechem could hear; and their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our relative."

⁴And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and undisciplined men, and they followed (supported) him.

⁵Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah and murdered his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, [in a public execution] on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left alive, because he had hidden himself.

⁶All the men of Shechem and all of Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak (terebinth) of the pillar (memorial stone) at Shechem.

⁷When they told Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, "Hear me, O men of Shechem, so that God may hear you.

⁸Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'

⁹But the olive tree said to them, 'Should I give up my fatness by which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?'

¹⁰Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and reign over us!'

¹¹But the fig tree said to them, 'Should I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?'

¹²Then the trees said to the vine, 'You come and reign over us.'

¹³And the vine replied, 'Should I give up my new wine, which makes God and men happy, and go to wave over the trees?'

¹⁴Then all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come and reign over us.'

¹⁵So the bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

¹⁶"Now then, if you acted in truth and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved—

¹⁷for my father fought for you and risked his life and rescued you from the hand of Midian;

¹⁸but you have risen against my father's house today and have murdered his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, son of his maidservant, king over the people of Shechem, because he is your relative—

¹⁹if then you have acted in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

²⁰But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the people of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the people of Shechem and Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech."

²¹Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and lived there because of Abimelech his brother.

²²Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.

²³Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem; and the leaders of Shechem acted treacherously against Abimelech,

²⁴so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal (Gideon) might come [on the guilty], and that their [innocent] blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who had killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands (encouraged him) to kill his brothers.

²⁵The leaders of Shechem set men in ambush against Abimelech on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along the road; and it was reported to Abimelech.

²⁶Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and moved into Shechem; and the leaders of Shechem trusted him.

²⁷They went out into the field, gathered the grapes of their vineyard and trod them, and held a festival; and they entered the house of their god, and they ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

²⁸Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not [merely] the son of Jerubbaal and is Zebul not his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the father (founder) of Shechem. Why then should we serve Abimelech?

²⁹If only this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech and say to him, 'Increase [the size of] your army and come out [to fight].'"

³⁰When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned.

³¹He sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and they are stirring up the city against you.

³²Now then, get up during the night, you and the people who are with you, and set up an ambush in the field.

³³Then in the morning, at sunrise, you will get up early and rush upon and attack the city; and when Gaal and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them whatever you can."

³⁴So Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up during the night, and set up an ambush against Shechem, in four companies.

³⁵Now Gaal the son of Ebed came out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; then Abimelech and the people who were with him got up from the ambush.

³⁶When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops." But Zebul said to him, "You are only seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men."

³⁷Gaal spoke again and said, "Look! People are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one company is coming by way of the sorcerers' oak tree."

³⁸Then Zebul said to Gaal, "Where is your [boasting] mouth now, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!"

³⁹So Gaal went out ahead of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

⁴⁰Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded as far as the entrance of the gate.

⁴¹Then Abimelech stayed at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem.

⁴²The next day the people went out to the field, and it was reported to Abimelech.

⁴³So he took his people and divided them into three companies, and set an ambush in the field; and he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. And he rose up against them and struck them down.

⁴⁴Then Abimelech and the company with him advanced forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; the two other companies attacked all who were in the field and killed them.

⁴⁵Abimelech fought against the city that entire day. He took the city and killed the people who were in it; he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

⁴⁶When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard about it, they entered the inner chamber (stronghold) of the temple of El-berith (the god of a covenant).

⁴⁷Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were assembled together.

⁴⁸So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, picked it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the people with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do just as I have done."

⁴⁹So everyone of the people also cut down his branch and followed Abimelech, and they put the branches on top of the inner chamber and set it on fire over those inside, so that all the people in the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

⁵⁰Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and camped against Thebez and took it.

⁵¹But there was a strong (fortified) tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower.

⁵²So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it down with fire.

⁵³But a certain woman threw an upper millstone [down] on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.

⁵⁴Then he called quickly to the young man who was his armor bearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, 'A woman killed him.'" So the young man pierced him through, and he died.

⁵⁵When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his home.

⁵⁶In this way God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father [Jerubbaal] by killing his seventy brothers.

⁵⁷Also God repaid all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) came upon them.

¹Behold, a King will reign in righteousness, And princes will rule with justice.

²Each [one of them] will be like a hiding place from the wind And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry land, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched and weary land [to those who turn to them].

³Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen attentively.

⁴The heart (mind) of those who act impulsively will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will hurry to speak clearly.

⁵The fool (the good-for-nothing) will no longer be called noble, Nor the rogue said to be generous.

⁶For the fool speaks nonsense, And his heart (mind) plans wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error concerning the LORD, To keep the craving of the hungry unsatisfied And to deprive the thirsty of drink.

⁷As for the rogue, his weapons are evil; He conceives wicked plans To ruin the poor with lies, Even when the plea of the needy one is just and right.

⁸But the noble man conceives noble and magnificent things; And he stands by what is noble and magnificent.

⁹Rise up, you women who are carefree, And hear my voice, You confident and unsuspecting daughters! Listen to what I am saying.

¹⁰In little more than a year You will tremble [with anxiety], you unsuspecting and complacent women; For the vintage has ended, And the harvest will not come.

¹¹Tremble, you women who are carefree; Tremble with fear, you complacent ones! Strip, undress and wear sackcloth on your waist [in grief],

¹²Beat your breasts [in mourning] for the beautiful fields, for the fruitful vine,

¹³For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briars— Yes, [mourn] for all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

¹⁴For the palace has been abandoned, the populated city deserted; The hill [of the city] and the watchtower have become caves [for wild animals] forever, A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture for flocks,

¹⁵Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is valued as a forest.

¹⁶Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness will live in the fertile field.

¹⁷And the effect of righteousness will be peace, And the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.

¹⁸Then my people will live in a peaceful surrounding, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.

¹⁹But it will hail, when the forest comes down, And the [capital] city will fall in utter humiliation.

²⁰Blessed (happy, fortunate) are you who cast your seed upon all waters [ when the river overflows its banks and irrigates the land], You who allow the ox and the donkey to roam freely.

¹When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place,

²and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

³There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit].

⁴And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].

⁵Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven.

⁶And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect.

⁷They were completely astonished, saying, "Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?

⁸Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect?

⁹[Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia [Minor],

¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism),

¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!"

¹²And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, "What could this mean?"

¹³But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, "They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!"

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say.

¹⁵These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);

¹⁶but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷'And it shall be in the last days,' says God, 'That I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see [divinely prompted] visions, And your old men shall dream [divinely prompted] dreams;

¹⁸Even on My bond-servants, both men and women, I will in those days pour out My Spirit And they shall prophesy.

¹⁹'And I will bring about wonders in the sky above And signs (attesting miracles) on the earth below, Blood and fire and smoking vapor.

²⁰'The sun shall be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

²¹'And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus] shall be saved (rescued spiritually).'

²²"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accredited and pointed out and attested to you by God with [the power to perform] miracles and wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your [very] midst, just as you yourselves know—

²³this Man, when handed over [to the Roman authorities] according to the predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawless and godless men.

²⁴But God raised Him up, releasing Him and bringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death's power.

²⁵For David says of Him, 'I saw the Lord constantly before me; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken [from my state of security].

²⁶'Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope [that is, will encamp in anticipation of the resurrection];

²⁷'For You will not forsake me and abandon my soul to Hades (the realm of the dead), Nor let Your Holy One undergo decay [after death].

²⁸'You have made known to me the ways of life; You will fill me [infusing my soul] with joy with Your presence.'

²⁹"Brothers, I may confidently and freely say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

³⁰And so, being a prophet and knowing fully that God had sworn to him with an oath that He would seat one of his descendants on his throne,

³¹he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay.

³²God raised this Jesus [bodily from the dead], and of that [fact] we are all witnesses.

³³Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear.

³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says, 'The Lord [the Father] said to my LORD [the Son], "Sit at My right hand,

³⁵Until I make Your enemies afootstool for Your feet."'

³⁶Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)—this Jesus whom you crucified."

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?"

³⁸And Peter said to them, "Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself."

⁴⁰And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, " Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!"

⁴¹So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers].

⁴²They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers.

⁴³A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.

⁴⁴And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole].

⁴⁵And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need.

⁴⁶Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts,

⁴⁷praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.