Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,

²“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

³He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

⁴For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

⁵But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—

⁶then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

⁷Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

⁸‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

⁹And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

¹⁰When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand:

¹¹Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

¹²Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

¹³But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

¹⁴Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

¹⁵Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

¹⁶So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?

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

¹⁸But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

²⁰These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

²¹Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

²²And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

²³But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

²⁴But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

²⁵Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

²⁷And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

²⁹Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.

³⁰Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.

³¹So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

³²Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

³³Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”

³⁴Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”

³⁵So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

³⁶And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

³⁷So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.

³⁸Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

³⁹And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

¹‘If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

²‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty.

³Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.

⁴‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.

⁵‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing;

⁶and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

⁷‘If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD, for his trespass which he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

⁸And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it completely.

⁹Then he shall 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.

¹⁰And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹¹‘But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

¹²Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD. It is a sin offering.

¹³The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.’ ”

¹⁴Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

¹⁵“If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring to the LORD as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering.

¹⁶And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹⁷“If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.

¹⁸And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹⁹It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the LORD.”

¹O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

²This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

³Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

⁴Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

⁵Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—

⁶just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

⁷Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

⁸And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

⁹So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

¹¹But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”

¹²Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

¹³Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

¹⁵Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.

¹⁶Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

¹⁷And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.

¹⁸For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

¹⁹What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

²⁰Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

²²But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

²³But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

²⁴Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

²⁵But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

²⁶For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

²⁹And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,

²to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

⁵hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

⁶that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

⁷For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

⁸Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,

⁹yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ—

¹⁰I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains,

¹¹who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

¹²I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

¹³whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

¹⁴But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

¹⁵For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,

¹⁶no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.

¹⁸But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

¹⁹I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.

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

²¹Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

²²But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

²⁴as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

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

¹Elihu further answered and said:

²“Hear my words, you wise men; Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

³For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.

⁴Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, But God has taken away my justice;

⁶Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

⁷What man is like Job, Who drinks scorn like water,

⁸Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?

⁹For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing That he should delight in God.’

¹⁰“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.

¹¹For He repays man according to his work, And makes man to find a reward according to his way.

¹²Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world?

¹⁴If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,

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

¹⁶“If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words:

¹⁷Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn Him who is most just?

¹⁸Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’ And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?

¹⁹Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the work of His hands.

²⁰In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; The people are shaken and pass away; The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹“For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps.

²²There is no darkness nor shadow of death Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For He need not further consider a man, That he should go before God in judgment.

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

²⁵Therefore He knows their works; He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

²⁶He strikes them as wicked men In the open sight of others,

²⁷Because they turned back from Him, And would not consider any of His ways,

²⁸So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him; For He hears the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—

³⁰That the hypocrite should not reign, Lest the people be ensnared.

³¹“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastening; I will offend no more;

³²Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?

³³Should He repay it according to your terms, Just because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴“Men of understanding say to me, Wise men who listen to me:

³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge, His words are without wisdom.’

³⁶Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, Because his answers are like those of wicked men!

³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.”

¹A Song of Ascents. [1] LORD, remember David And all his afflictions;

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

³“Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, Or go up to the comfort of my bed;

⁴I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids,

⁵Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; We found it in the fields of the woods.

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

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

⁹Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy.

¹⁰For Your servant David’s sake, Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.

¹¹The LORD has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: “I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.

¹²If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”

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

¹⁴“This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

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

¹⁶I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.

¹⁸His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

¹My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;

²For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.

³Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,

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

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

⁸It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

¹⁰So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction;

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

¹³Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;

¹⁴For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor.

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

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.

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

²⁰By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, let them not depart from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion;

²²So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.

²³Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble.

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

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

²⁶For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

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, For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.

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

³¹Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;

³²For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright.

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

³⁴Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

³⁵The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

¹Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

²“Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bone.”

³And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

⁴So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him.

⁵Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.

⁶And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.

⁷Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them: “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, That God may listen to you!

⁸“The trees once 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 cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

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

¹¹But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, And go to sway over trees?’

¹²“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’

¹³But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

¹⁴“Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’

¹⁵And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, Then come and take shelter in my shade; But if not, let fire come out of the bramble And devour the cedars of Lebanon!’

¹⁶“Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves—

¹⁷for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

¹⁸but you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—

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

²⁰“But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!”

²¹And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

²²After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years,

²³God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

²⁴that the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers.

²⁵And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech.

²⁶Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

²⁷So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

²⁸Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?

²⁹If only this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” So he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out!”

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

³¹And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Take note! Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you.

³²Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.

³³And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them as you find opportunity.”

³⁴So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

³⁵When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from lying in wait.

³⁶And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” But Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men.”

³⁷So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”

³⁸Then Zebul said to him, “Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now.”

³⁹So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

⁴⁰And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate.

⁴¹Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem.

⁴²And it came about on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

⁴³So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and attacked them.

⁴⁴Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them.

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

⁴⁶Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith.

⁴⁷And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

⁴⁸Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done.”

⁴⁹So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.

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

⁵¹But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women—all the people of the city—fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower.

⁵²So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

⁵³But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.

⁵⁴Then he called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his young man thrust him through, and he died.

⁵⁵And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place.

⁵⁶Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

⁵⁷And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

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

²A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

³The eyes of those who see will not be dim, And the ears of those who hear will listen.

⁴Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge, And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.

⁵The foolish person will no longer be called generous, Nor the miser said to be bountiful;

⁶For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the LORD, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

⁷Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice.

⁸But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.

⁹Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech.

¹⁰In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come.

¹¹Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists.

¹²People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

¹³On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers, Yes, on all the happy homes in the joyous city;

¹⁴Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—

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

¹⁶Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

¹⁷The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

¹⁸My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

¹⁹Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation.

²⁰Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.

¹When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

³Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

⁶And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

⁷Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?

⁸And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”

¹²So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

¹³Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

¹⁵For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

¹⁶But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

¹⁸And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

¹⁹I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.

²¹And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’

²²“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—

²³Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

²⁴whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

²⁵For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.

²⁶Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.

²⁷For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

²⁹“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

³⁰Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,

³¹he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.

³²This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

³³Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

³⁴“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,

³⁵Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

³⁶“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

³⁸Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

⁴¹Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

⁴²And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

⁴³Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

⁴⁴Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

⁴⁵and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

⁴⁶So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.