Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now after the Sabbath, near dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

²And a great earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone [from the opening of the tomb], and sat on it.

³The angel's appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.

⁴The guards shook, paralyzed with fear [at the sight] of him and became like dead men [pale and immobile].

⁵But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

⁶He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said [He would]. Come! See the place where He was lying.

⁷Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee [as He promised]. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you."

⁸So the women left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell [the good news to] the disciples.

⁹And as they went, suddenly, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" And they went to Him and took hold of His feet [in homage] and worshiped Him [as the Messiah].

¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me [just as I promised]."

¹¹While they were on their way, some of the [Roman] guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.

¹²And when the chief priests had gathered with the elders and had consulted together [to develop a plan of deception], they gave a sufficient sum of money [as a bribe] to the soldiers,

¹³and said, "You say this, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were sleeping.'

¹⁴And if the governor (Pilate) hears about it, we will calm him down and keep you out of trouble."

¹⁵So they took the money [they were paid for lying] and did as they were instructed; and this [fabricated] story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to the present day.

¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.

¹⁷And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted [that it was really He].

¹⁸Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age."

¹So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, "You shall not marry one of the women of Canaan.

²Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father; and take from there as a wife for yourself one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.

³May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a [great] company of peoples.

⁴May He also give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the [promised] land of your sojournings, which He gave to Abraham."

⁵Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

⁶Now Esau noticed that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife for himself from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a prohibition, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,"

⁷and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram.

⁸So Esau realized that [his two wives] the daughters of Canaan displeased Isaac his father;

⁹and [to appease his parents] Esau went to [the family of] Ishmael and took as his wife, in addition to the wives he [already] had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth [Ishmael's firstborn son].

¹⁰Now Jacob left Beersheba [never to see his mother again] and traveled toward Haran.

¹¹And he came to a certain place and stayed overnight there because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down there [to sleep].

¹²He dreamed that there was a ladder (stairway) placed on the earth, and the top of it reached [out of sight] toward heaven; and [he saw] the angels of God ascending and descending on it [going to and from heaven].

¹³And behold, the LORD stood above and around him and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your [father's] father and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land [of promise] on which you are lying.

¹⁴Your descendants shall be as [countless as] the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and all the families (nations) of the earth shall be blessed through you and your descendants.

¹⁵Behold, I am with you and will keep [careful watch over you and guard] you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this [promised] land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

¹⁶Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, "Without any doubt the LORD is in this place, and I did not realize it."

¹⁷So he was afraid and said, "How fearful and awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gateway to heaven."

¹⁸So Jacob got up early in the morning, and took the stone he had put under his head and he set it up as a pillar [that is, a monument to the vision in his dream], and he poured [olive] oil on the top of it [to consecrate it].

¹⁹He named that place Bethel (the house of God); the previous name of that city was Luz (Almond Tree).

²⁰Then Jacob made a vow (promise), saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and clothing to wear,

²¹and if [He grants that] I return to my father's house in safety, then the LORD will be my God.

²²This stone which I have set up as a pillar (monument, memorial) will be God's house [a sacred place to me], and of everything that You give me I will give the tenth to You [as an offering to signify my gratitude and dependence on You]."

¹Now about the spiritual gifts [the special endowments given by the Holy Spirit], brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

²You know that when you were pagans, you were led off after speechless idols; however you were led off [whether by impulse or habit].

³Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the [power and influence of the] Spirit of God can say, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is [my] Lord," except by [the power and influence of] the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are [distinctive] varieties of spiritual gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but it is the same Spirit [who grants them and empowers believers].

⁵And there are [distinctive] varieties of ministries and service, but it is the same Lord [who is served].

⁶And there are [distinctive] ways of working [to accomplish things], but it is the same God who produces all things in all believers [inspiring, energizing, and empowering them].

⁷But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good.

⁸To one is given through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] the message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] the word of knowledge and understanding according to the same Spirit;

⁹to another [wonder-working] faith [is given] by the same [Holy] Spirit, and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit;

¹⁰and to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and to another discernment of spirits [the ability to distinguish sound, godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.

¹¹All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses.

¹²For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ.

¹³For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].

¹⁴For the [human] body does not consist of one part, but of many [limbs and organs].

¹⁵If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," is it not on the contrary still a part of the body?

¹⁶If the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," is it not on the contrary still a part of the body?

¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole [body] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

¹⁸But now [as things really are], God has placed and arranged the parts in the body, each one of them, just as He willed and saw fit [with the best balance of function].

¹⁹If they all were a single organ, where would [the rest of] the body be?

²⁰But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body.

²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

²²But quite the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are [absolutely] necessary;

²³and as for those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, these we treat with greater honor; and our less presentable parts are treated with greater modesty,

²⁴while our more presentable parts do not require it. But God has combined the [whole] body, giving greater honor to that part which lacks it,

²⁵so that there would be no division or discord in the body [that is, lack of adaptation of the parts to each other], but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.

²⁶And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it.

²⁷Now you [collectively] are Christ's body, and individually [you are] members of it [each with his own special purpose and function].

²⁸So God has appointed and placed in the church [for His own use]: first apostles [chosen by Christ], second prophets [those who foretell the future, those who speak a new message from God to the people], third teachers, then those who work miracles, then those with the gifts of healings, the helpers, the administrators, and speakers in various kinds of [unknown] tongues.

²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

³¹But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal]. And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love].

¹Peter, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ, To those [elect—both Jewish and Gentile believers] who live as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia [Minor], and Bithynia, who are chosen

²according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be yours in increasing abundance [as you walk closely with God].

³Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴[born anew] into an inheritance which is imperishable [beyond the reach of change] and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

⁵who are being protected and shielded by the power of God through your faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.

⁶In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

⁷so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

⁸Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not even see Him now, you believe and trust in Him and you greatly rejoice and delight with inexpressible and glorious joy,

⁹receiving as the result [the outcome, the consummation] of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰Regarding this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace [of God] that was intended for you, searched carefully and inquired [about this future way of salvation],

¹¹seeking to find out what person or what time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories [destined] to follow.

¹²It was revealed to them that their services [their prophecies regarding grace] were not [meant] for themselves and their time, but for you, in these things [the death, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ] which have now been told to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the [power of the] Holy Spirit [who was] sent from heaven. Into these things even the angels long to look.

¹³So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

¹⁴[Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation].

¹⁵But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage];

¹⁶because it is written, "You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy."

¹⁷If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth.

¹⁸For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold,

¹⁹but [you were actually purchased] with precious blood, like that of a [sacrificial] lamb unblemished and spotless, the priceless blood of Christ.

²⁰For He was foreordained (foreknown) before the foundation of the world, but has appeared [publicly] in these last times for your sake

²¹and through Him you believe [confidently] in God [the heavenly Father], who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God.

²²Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a sincere love of the believers, [see that you] love one another from the heart [always unselfishly seeking the best for one another],

²³for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God.

²⁴For, "All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers And the flower falls off,

²⁵But the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word [the good news of salvation] which was preached to you.

¹"Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where they refine gold.

²"Iron is taken out of the earth, And copper is smelted from the stone ore.

³"Man puts an end to darkness [by bringing in a light], And to the farthest bounds he searches out The rock buried in gloom and deep shadow.

⁴"He breaks open (mine) shafts far away from where people live, [In places] forgotten by the [human] foot; They dangle [in the mines] and hang away from men.

⁵"[As for] the earth, out of it comes food, But underneath [its surface, down deep] it is turned over as fire.

⁶"Its stones are the bed of sapphires; It holds dust of gold.

⁷"The path [deep within] no bird of prey knows, And the falcon's eye has not caught sight of it.

⁸"The proud beasts [and their young] have not walked on it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

⁹"Man puts his hand on [and tears apart] the flinty rock; He overturns the mountains at the base [looking for treasure].

¹⁰"He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks; And his eye sees every precious thing.

¹¹"Man dams up the streams from flowing [so that they do not trickle into the mine], And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

¹²"But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

¹³"Man does not know the value of it; Nor is it found in the land of the living.

¹⁴"The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

¹⁵"It cannot be obtained for pure gold, Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

¹⁶"It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir, In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.

¹⁷"Gold and glass cannot equal wisdom, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.

¹⁸"No mention of coral and crystal can be made; For the possession of wisdom is even above [that of] rubies or pearls.

¹⁹"The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

²⁰"From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

²¹"It is hidden from the eyes of all the living And concealed from the birds of the heavens.

²²"Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say, 'We have [only] heard a report of it with our ears.'

²³"God understands the way [to wisdom] And He knows its place [for wisdom is with God alone].

²⁴"For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens.

²⁵"When He gave weight and pressure to the wind And allotted the waters by measure,

²⁶When He made a limit for the rain And a way for the thunderbolt,

²⁷Then He saw wisdom and declared it; He established it and searched it out.

²⁸"But to man He said, 'Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

¹A Psalm of David. To you I call, O LORD, My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit (grave).

²Hear the voice of my supplication (specific requests, humble entreaties) as I cry to You for help, As I lift up my hands and heart toward Your innermost sanctuary (Holy of Holies).

³Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who do evil, Who speak peace with their neighbors, While malice and mischief are in their hearts.

⁴Repay them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Repay them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them what they deserve.

⁵Because they have no regard for the works of the LORD Nor the deeds of His hands, He will tear them down and not rebuild them.

⁶Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.

⁷The LORD is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.

⁸The LORD is their [unyielding] strength, And He is the fortress of salvation to His anointed.

⁹Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues them, But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²When a land does wrong, it has many princes, But when the ruler is a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability endures.

³A poor man who oppresses and exploits the lowly Is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food.

⁴Those who set aside the law [of God and man] praise the wicked, But those who keep the law [of God and man] struggle with them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice, But they who long for and seek the LORD understand it fully.

⁶Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked and two-faced though he is rich.

⁷He who keeps the law [of God and man] is a wise and discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father [and himself].

⁸He who increases his wealth by interest and usury (excessive interest) Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.

⁹He who turns his ear away from listening to the law [of God and man], Even his prayer is repulsive [to God].

¹⁰He who leads the upright astray on an evil path Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹The rich man [who is conceited and relies on his wealth instead of God] is wise in his own eyes, But the poor man who has understanding [because he relies on God] is able to see through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; But when the wicked rise [to prominence], men hide themselves.

¹³He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But whoever confesses and turns away from his sins will find compassion and mercy.

¹⁴Blessed and favored by God is the man who fears [sin and its consequence] at all times, But he who hardens his heart [and is determined to sin] will fall into disaster.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding and common sense [and his wickedness shortens his days], But he who hates unjust gain will [be blessed and] prolong his days.

¹⁷A man who is burdened with the guilt of human blood (murder) Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him or give him refuge.

¹⁸He who walks blamelessly and uprightly will be kept safe, But he who is crooked (perverse) will suddenly fall.

¹⁹He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless people and frivolous pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

²⁰A faithful (right-minded) man will abound with blessings, But he who hurries to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To have regard for one person over another and to show favoritism is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

²²He who has an evil and envious eye hurries to be rich And does not know that poverty will come upon him.

²³He who [appropriately] reprimands a [wise] man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴He who robs his father or his mother And says, "This is no sin," Is [not only a thief but also] the companion of a man who destroys.

²⁵An arrogant and greedy man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be blessed and prosper.

²⁶He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool, But he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued.

²⁷He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes [from their need] will have many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; But when the wicked perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become great.

¹But the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died.

²So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.

³Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD [for help], for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and had oppressed and tormented the sons of Israel severely for twenty years.

⁴Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

⁵She used to sit [to hear and decide disputes] under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

⁶Now she sent word and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, "Behold, the LORD, the God of Israel, has commanded, 'Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men [of war] from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun.

⁷I will draw out Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his infantry to meet you at the river Kishon, and I will hand him over to you.'"

⁸Then Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."

⁹She said, "I will certainly go with you; nevertheless, the journey that you are about to take will not be for your honor and glory, because the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.

¹⁰And Barak summoned [the fighting men of the tribes of] Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up under his command; Deborah also went up with him.

¹¹Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the terebinth tree in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

¹²When someone told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,

¹³Sisera called together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon.

¹⁴Deborah said to Barak, "Arise! For this is the day when the LORD has given Sisera into your hand. Has the LORD not gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.

¹⁵And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and [confused] all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera dismounted from his chariot and fled away on foot.

¹⁶But Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoyim, and the entire army of Sisera fell by the sword; not even one man was left.

¹⁷But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

¹⁸Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me! Have no fear." So he turned aside to her [and went] into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.

¹⁹And he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink because I am thirsty." And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.

²⁰And he said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, 'Is there anyone here?' tell him, 'No.'"

²¹But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, and came up quietly to him and drove the peg through his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.

²²And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." And he entered [her tent] with her, and behold Sisera lay dead with the tent peg in his temple.

²³So on that day God subdued and humbled Jabin king of Canaan before the sons of Israel.

²⁴And the hand of the sons of Israel pressed down heavier and heavier on Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed him.

¹Woe (judgment is coming) to [Samaria] the splendid crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the rich valley Of those who are overcome with wine!

²Listen carefully, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent [the Assyrian]; Like a tempest of hail, a disastrous storm, Like a tempest of mighty overflowing waters, He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.

³The splendid crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trampled by [the foreigners'] feet.

⁴And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, Which is at the head of the rich valley, Will be like the early fig before the summer, Which one sees, And as soon as it is in his hand He [greedily] swallows it [and so will the Assyrians rapidly devour Samaria, Israel's capital].

⁵In that day the LORD of hosts will become a magnificent crown And a glorious diadem to the [converted] remnant of His people,

⁶A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment [administering the law], A strength to those who drive back the battle at the gate.

⁷But even these reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink; They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while seeing visions, They stagger when pronouncing judgment.

⁸For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, so that there is no place [that is clean.]

⁹They say "To whom would He teach knowledge? And to whom would He explain the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?

¹⁰"For He says, 'Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Rule upon rule, rule upon rule, Here a little, there a little.'"

¹¹Indeed, the LORD will teach this people [in a more humiliating way] By [men with] stammering lips and a foreign tongue,

¹²He who said to them, "This is the place of quiet, give rest to the weary," And, "This is the resting place," yet they would not listen.

¹³Therefore the word of the LORD to them will be [merely monotonous repetitions]: "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Rule upon rule, rule upon rule, Here a little, there a little." That they may go and stumble backward, and be broken, ensnared, and taken captive.

¹⁴Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, you arrogant men Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem!

¹⁵Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol (the place of the dead) we have made an agreement, When the overwhelming scourge passes by, it will not reach us, For we have made lies our refuge and we have concealed ourselves in deception."

¹⁶Therefore the Lord GOD says this, "Listen carefully, I am laying in Zion a Stone, a tested Stone, A precious Cornerstone for the [secure] foundation, firmly placed. He who believes [who trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone] will not be disturbed or give way [in sudden panic].

¹⁷"I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the mason's level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies And waters will flood over the secret [hiding] place.

¹⁸"Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol (the place of the dead) will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you will become its trampling ground.

¹⁹"As often as it passes through, it will seize you; For morning after morning it will pass through, by day and by night, And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means."

²⁰For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself [and likewise all their preparations are inadequate].

²¹For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be stirred up as in the Valley of Gibeon, To do His work, His unusual and incredible work, And to accomplish His work, His extraordinary work.

²²Now do not carry on as scoffers, Or the bands which bind you will be made stronger; For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts [a decree] Of decisive destruction on all the earth.

²³Listen and hear my voice; Listen carefully and hear my words.

²⁴Does the farmer plow all day to plant seed? Does he continually dig furrows and harrow his ground [after it is prepared]?

²⁵When he has leveled its surface, Does he not sow [the seed of] dill and scatter cumin, And plant wheat in rows, And barley in its [intended] place and rye within its border?

²⁶For his God instructs [him correctly] and teaches him properly.

²⁷For dill is not threshed with a sharp threshing sledge, Nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin; But dill is beaten out with a staff, and cumin with a rod.

²⁸Bread grain is crushed fine, Indeed, the farmer does not continue to thresh it forever. Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it, He does not thresh it longer.

²⁹This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

¹After we were safe [on land], we found out that the island was called Malta.

²And the natives showed us extraordinary kindness and hospitality; for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, since it had begun to rain and was cold.

³But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper crawled out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

⁴When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, Justice [the avenging goddess] has not permitted him to live."

⁵Then Paul [simply] shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

⁶But they stood watching and expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began saying that he was a god.

⁷In the vicinity of that place there were estates belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed and entertained us hospitably for three days.

⁸And it happened that the father of Publius was sick [in bed] with recurring attacks of fever and dysentery; and Paul went to him, and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.

⁹After this occurred, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and being healed.

¹⁰They also gave us many honors [gifts and courtesies expressing respect]; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all the things we needed.

¹¹At the end of three months we set sail on a ship which had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers [Castor and Pollux] as its figurehead.

¹²We landed at Syracuse [on Sicily] and stayed there three days.

¹³From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium [on Italy's southern tip]; and a day later a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.

¹⁴There we found some believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome.

¹⁵And the brothers and sisters, having heard news about us, came from as far away as the Forum of Appius and Three Inns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.

¹⁶When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself [in rented quarters] with the soldier who was guarding him.

¹⁷Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews; and when they had gathered, he said to them, "Kinsmen, though I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our fathers, yet I was turned over as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

¹⁸After they had interrogated me, they were ready to release me because I was not guilty of any offense deserving death.

¹⁹But when the Jews objected [to my release], I was forced to appeal to Caesar (Emperor Nero), not because I had any charge to make against my nation.

²⁰For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you, since it is for the sake of the hope of Israel (the Messiah, the resurrection) that I am bound with this chain."

²¹They said to him, "We have not received [any] letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the [Jewish] brothers come here and reported or said anything bad about you.

²²But we would like to hear from you what your views are [that is, exactly what you believe]; for in regard to this sect (Christianity), we are fully aware that it is denounced everywhere."

²³When they had set a day for Paul, they came to his lodging in large numbers. And he carefully explained [Christianity] to them from morning until evening, solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the [writings of the] Prophets.

²⁴Some were persuaded by what he said, but others would not believe.

²⁵They disagreed among themselves and they began to leave after Paul had made one last statement: "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying,

²⁶'Go to this people and say, "You will keep on hearing, but will not understand, You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

²⁷"For the heart (the understanding, the soul) of this people has become dull (calloused), And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have shut their eyes [to the truth]; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return [to Me], And I would heal them."'

²⁸Therefore let it be known to you that [this message of] the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they indeed will listen!"

²⁹[And when he had said these things, the Jews left, arguing among themselves.]

³⁰And Paul lived there for two full years [at his own expense] in his own rented lodging and welcomed all who came to him,

³¹preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness and boldness, unhindered and unrestrained.