Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the [magnificent and massive] buildings of the temple.

²And He said to them, "Do you see all these things? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, not one stone here will be left on another, which will not be torn down."

³While Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and said, "Tell us, when will this [destruction of the temple] take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?"

⁴Jesus answered, "Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error].

⁵For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, 'I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),' and they will mislead many.

⁶You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age].

⁷For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

⁸But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].

⁹"Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

¹⁰At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another.

¹¹Many false prophets will appear and mislead many.

¹²Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold.

¹³But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.

¹⁴This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.

¹⁵"So when you see theabomination of desolation [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand),

¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains [for refuge].

¹⁷"Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house [because there will not be enough time].

¹⁸"Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

¹⁹And woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

²⁰Pray that your flight [from persecution and suffering] will not be in winter, or on a Sabbath [when Jewish laws prohibit travel].

²¹For at that time there will be a great tribulation (pressure, distress, oppression), such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will [again].

²²And if those days [of tribulation] had not been cut short, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (God's chosen ones) those days will be shortened.

²³Then if anyone says to you [during the great tribulation], 'Look! Here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe it.

²⁴For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God's chosen ones).

²⁵Listen carefully, I have told you in advance.

²⁶So if they say to you, 'Look! He is in the wilderness,' do not go out there, or, 'Look! He is in the inner rooms [of a house],' do not believe it.

²⁷For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming [in glory] of the Son of Man [everyone will see Him clearly].

²⁸Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will flock together.

²⁹"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not provide its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

³⁰And at that time the sign of the Son of Man [coming in His glory] will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth [and especially Israel] will mourn [regretting their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah], and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliance and splendor].

³¹And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather together His elect (God's chosen ones) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

³²"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its young shoots become tender and it puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near;

³³so you, too, when you see all these things [taking place], know for certain that He is near, right at the door.

³⁴I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [the people living when these signs and events begin] will not pass away until all these things take place.

³⁵Heaven and earth [as now known] will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

³⁶"But of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son [in His humanity], but the Father alone.

³⁷For the coming of the Son of Man (the Messiah) will be just like the days of Noah.

³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah entered the ark,

³⁹and they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be [unexpected judgment].

⁴⁰At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken [for judgment] and one will be left.

⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken [for judgment] and one will be left.

⁴²"So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming.

⁴³But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

⁴⁴Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.

⁴⁵"Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others [in the house] their food and supplies at the proper time?

⁴⁶Blessed is that [faithful] servant when his master returns and finds him doing so.

⁴⁷I assure you and most solemnly say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

⁴⁸But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, 'My master is taking his time [he will not return for a long while],'

⁴⁹and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards;

⁵⁰the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware,

⁵¹and will cut him in two and put him with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his [ceremonial] cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest [at a meeting place outside the camp];

³the priest shall go out of the camp [to meet him]; and the priest shall examine him, and if the leper has been healed of the infection of leprosy,

⁴then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet string and hyssop for the one to be cleansed.

⁵Next the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed [as a sacrifice] in an earthenware container over [fresh] running water.

⁶As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird sacrificed over the running water.

⁷He shall sprinkle [the blood] seven times on the one to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him [ceremonially] clean. Then he shall let the live bird go free over the open field.

⁸The one to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water; and he shall be clean. After that he may come into the camp, but he shall stay outside of his tent for seven days.

⁹On the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair [on his body]. Then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and be clean.

¹⁰"Now on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and a yearling ewe lamb without blemish, and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with [olive] oil as a grain offering, and one log (about a pint) of oil;

¹¹and the priest who cleanses him shall present the man to be cleansed and his offerings before the LORD at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

¹²"Then the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the LORD.

¹³He shall kill the male lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the sacred place [the courtyard of the tabernacle]; for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy.

¹⁴"The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

¹⁵The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand;

¹⁶and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the LORD.

¹⁷"Of the rest of the oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.

¹⁸The remaining oil that is in the priest's palm shall be put on the head of the one to be cleansed. The priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD.

¹⁹Next the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterward kill the burnt offering.

²⁰The priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

²¹"But if the cleansed leper is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of oil,

²²and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he can afford, one shall be a sin offering, the other a burnt offering.

²³He shall bring them on the eighth day for his [ceremonial] cleansing to the priest at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, before the LORD.

²⁴The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering, and the log of oil, and shall present them as a wave offering before the LORD.

²⁵Next he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

²⁶The priest shall pour some of the oil into his left palm,

²⁷and with his right finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the LORD.

²⁸The priest shall put some of the oil in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the places where he has put the blood of the guilt offering.

²⁹The rest of the oil that is in the priest's palm shall be put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD.

³⁰Then he shall offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means.

³¹He shall offer what he can afford, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. The priest shall make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed.

³²This is the law for the one in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his [ceremonial] cleansing."

³³The LORD further spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

³⁴"When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in your land,

³⁵then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, 'I have seen something that looks like a mark of leprosy in my house.'

³⁶The priest shall order that they empty the house before he goes in to examine the mark, so that everything in the house will not have to be declared unclean; afterward he shall go in to see the house.

³⁷He shall examine the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface,

³⁸the priest shall go out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven days.

³⁹The priest shall return on the seventh day and look; and if the mark has spread on the walls of the house,

⁴⁰he shall order them to tear out the contaminated stones and throw them into an unclean place outside the city.

⁴¹He shall have the entire inside area of the house scraped, and the plaster that is scraped off shall be dumped in an unclean place outside the city.

⁴²Then they shall take new stones and replace the [contaminated] stones, and he shall take plaster and replaster the house.

⁴³"If, however, the mark breaks out again in the house after he has removed the stones and has scraped and replastered the house,

⁴⁴then the priest shall come and look again, and if the mark has spread in the house, it is a malignant leprosy in the house; it is [ceremonially] unclean.

⁴⁵He shall tear down the house—its stones and its timber and all the plaster of the house—and shall take everything outside the city to an unclean place.

⁴⁶Moreover, whoever goes into the house during the time that it is quarantined becomes unclean until evening.

⁴⁷And whoever lies down in the house [to rest] shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes.

⁴⁸"But if the priest comes in and inspects it and the mark has not spread in the house after the house has been replastered, he shall pronounce the house clean because the mark has not reappeared.

⁴⁹To cleanse the house then, he shall take two birds and cedar wood and scarlet string and hyssop;

⁵⁰and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware container over running water,

⁵¹and he shall take the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet string, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird as well as in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.

⁵²So he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the running water, along with the live bird and the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet string.

⁵³But he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean."

⁵⁴This is the law for any mark of leprosy—even for a scale,

⁵⁵and for the leprous garment or house,

⁵⁶and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot on the skin—

⁵⁷to teach when they are unclean and when they are clean. This is the law of leprosy [in regard to both persons and property].

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline].

²Honor [esteem, value as precious] your father and your mother [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise—

³so that it may be well with you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.

⁴Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

⁵Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with respect for authority, and with a sincere heart [seeking to please them], as [service] to Christ—

⁶not in the way of eye-service [working only when someone is watching you and only] to please men, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart;

⁷rendering service with goodwill, as to the Lord, and not [only] to men,

⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether [he is] slave or free.

⁹You masters, do the same [showing goodwill] toward them, and give up threatening and abusive words, knowing that [He who is] both their true Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with Him [regardless of one's earthly status].

¹⁰In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might.

¹¹Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.

¹³Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious].

¹⁴So stand firm and hold your ground, havingtightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart),

¹⁵and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].

¹⁶Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

¹⁸With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God's people.

¹⁹And pray for me, that words may be given to me when I open my mouth, to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news [of salvation],

²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. And pray that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly and courageously, as I should.

²¹Now, so that you may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything.

²²I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are, and that he may comfort and encourage and strengthen your hearts.

²³Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and love joined with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying and incorruptible love.

¹Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh [and died for us], arm yourselves [like warriors] with the same purpose [being willing to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing God], because whoever has suffered in the flesh [being like-minded with Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [having stopped pleasing the world],

²so that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living for human appetites and desires, but [lives] for the will and purpose of God.

³For the time already past is [more than] enough for doing what the [unsaved] Gentiles like to do— living [unrestrained as you have done] in a course of [shameless] sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries.

⁴In [connection with] all this, they [the unbelievers] are resentful and surprised that you do not [think like them, value their values and] run [hand in hand] with them into the same excesses of dissipation and immoral freedom, and they criticize and abuse and ridicule you and make fun of your values.

⁵But they will [have to] give an account to Him who is ready to judge and pass sentence on the living and the dead.

⁶For this is why the good news [of salvation] was preached [in their lifetimes] even to those who are dead, that though they were judged in the flesh as men are, they may live in the spirit according to [the will and purpose of] God.

⁷The end and culmination of all things is near. Therefore, be sound-minded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer [staying balanced and focused on the things of God so that your communication will be clear, reasonable, specific and pleasing to Him.]

⁸Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others].

⁹Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

¹⁰Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God's multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God's unmerited favor].

¹¹Whoever speaks [to the congregation], is to do so as one who speaks the oracles (utterances, the very words) of God. Whoever serves [the congregation] is to do so as one who serves by the strength which God [abundantly] supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified [honored and magnified] through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you.

¹³But insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that when His glory [filled with His radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy.

¹⁴If you are insulted and reviled for [bearing] the name of Christ, you are blessed [happy, with life-joy and comfort in God's salvation regardless of your circumstances], because the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you [and indwelling you—He whom they curse, you glorify].

¹⁵Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or any sort of criminal [in response to persecution], or as a troublesome meddler interfering in the affairs of others;

¹⁶but if anyone suffers [ill-treatment] as a Christian [because of his belief], he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God [because he is considered worthy to suffer] in this name.

¹⁷For it is the time [destined] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God?

¹⁸And if it is difficult for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the godless and the sinner?

¹⁹Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with the will of God must [continue to] do right and commit their souls [for safe-keeping] to the faithful Creator.

¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

²"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God's guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind]."

³What advantage does man have from all his work Which he does under the sun (while earthbound)?

⁴One generation goes and another generation comes, But the earth remains forever.

⁵Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hurries to the place where it rises again.

⁶The wind blows toward the south, Then circles toward the north; The wind circles and swirls endlessly, And on its circular course the wind returns.

⁷All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.

⁸All things are wearisome and all words are frail; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.

⁹That which has been is that which will be [again], And that which has been done is that which will be done again. So there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰Is there anything of which it can be said, "See this, it is new"? It has already existed for [the vast] ages [of time recorded or unrecorded] Which were before us.

¹¹There is no remembrance of earlier things, Nor also of the later things that are to come; There will be for them no remembrance By generations who will come after them.

¹²I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³And I set my mind to seek and explore by [man's] wisdom all [human activity] that has been done under heaven. It is a miserable business and a burdensome task which God has given the sons of men with which to be busy and distressed.

¹⁴I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶I spoke with my heart, saying, "Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge."

¹⁷And I set my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I realized that this too is a futile grasping and chasing after the wind.

¹⁸For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow.

¹A Psalm of David. LORD, I call upon You; hurry to me. Listen to my voice when I call to You.

²Let my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.

³Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].

⁴Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing, Or to practice deeds of wickedness With men who plan and do evil; And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain).

⁵Let the righteous [thoughtfully] strike (correct) me—it is a kindness [done to encourage my spiritual maturity]. It is [the choicest anointing] oil on the head; Let my head not refuse [to accept and acknowledge and learn from] it; For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.

⁶Their [wicked, godless] judges are thrown down the sides of the rocky cliff, And they [who followed them] will hear my words, for they are pleasant (just).

⁷As when the one plows and breaks open the ground [and the soil scatters behind him], Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol [by the injustices of the wicked].

⁸For my eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not pour out my life nor leave me defenseless.

⁹Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me, And from the snares of those who do evil.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I pass by and safely escape [from danger].

¹Whoever loves instruction and discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof and correction is stupid.

²A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

³A man will not be established by wickedness, But the root of the [consistently] righteous will not be moved.

⁴A virtuous and excellent wife [worthy of honor] is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him [with her foolishness] is like rottenness in his bones.

⁵The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are just (honest, reliable), But the counsels and schemes of the wicked are deceitful.

⁶The [malevolent] words of the wicked lie in wait for [innocent] blood [to slander], But the mouth of the upright will rescue and protect them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown [by their evil] and are no more, But the house of the [consistently] righteous will stand [securely].

⁸A man will be commended according to his insight and sound judgment, But the one who is of a perverse mind will be despised.

⁹Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, Than he who [boastfully] honors himself [pretending to be what he is not] and lacks bread.

¹⁰A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

¹¹He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless things lacks common sense and good judgment.

¹²The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields richer fruit.

¹³An evil man is [dangerously] ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.

¹⁴A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, And the deeds of a man's hands will return to him [as a harvest].

¹⁵The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God's wisdom] is right in his own eyes, But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.

¹⁶The [arrogant] fool's anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense], But a prudent man ignores an insult.

¹⁷He who speaks truth [when he testifies] tells what is right, But a false witness utters deceit [in court].

¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is [credited] only for a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.

²¹No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked are filled with trouble.

²²Lying lips are extremely disgusting to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

²³A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time], But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.

²⁴The hand of the diligent will rule, But the negligent and lazy will be put to forced labor.

²⁵Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good (encouraging) word makes it glad.

²⁶The righteous man is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey, But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

²⁸In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death [but immortality—eternal life].

¹In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance [of land] for themselves to live in, for until then an inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel.

²So the sons of Dan sent from the total number of their [extended] family five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to scout the land and to explore it; and they said to them, "Go, explore the land." They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

³When they passed near Micah's house, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, "Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?"

⁴And he said to them, "Micah has done this and that for me, and he has hired me and I have become his priest."

⁵And they said to him, "Please ask of God, so that we may know whether our journey on which we are going will be successful."

⁶The priest said to them, "Go in peace; the journey on which you are going is acceptable to the LORD."

⁷Then the five men went on and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, [how they were] living securely in the style of the Sidonians, quiet and peaceful; and there was no oppressive magistrate in the land humiliating them in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.

⁸The five men came back [home] to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, "What do you have to report?"

⁹They said, "Arise, let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good (fertile). Will you sit still and do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, to enter, to take possession of the land.

¹⁰When you enter, you will come to people [feeling] safe and secure with a spacious land [widely extended on all sides]; for God has given it into your hands—a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth."

¹¹Then from the [tribal] family of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war set out.

¹²They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they have called that place Mahaneh-dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim.

¹³They went on from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.

¹⁴Then the five men who had gone to scout the country of Laish said to their relatives, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, teraphim, an image [of silver-plated wood], and a cast image [of solid silver]? Now therefore, consider what you should do."

¹⁵So they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.

¹⁶Now the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the sons of Dan, stood at the entrance of the gate.

¹⁷Now the five men who had gone to scout the land went up and entered the house and took the image [of silver-plated wood], the ephod, the teraphim, and the cast image [of solid silver], while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.

¹⁸When these [five men] went into Micah's house and took the [plated] image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the cast image, the priest asked them, "What are you doing?"

¹⁹They said to him, "Keep quiet, put your hand over your mouth and come with us, and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel?"

²⁰The priest's heart was glad [to hear that], and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the image, and went among the people.

²¹So they turned and left, and they put the children, the livestock, and the valuables and supplies in front of them.

²²When they had gone some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were [living] in the houses near Micah's house assembled [as a militia] and overtook the sons of Dan.

²³They shouted to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, "What is your reason for assembling [against us]?"

²⁴He said, "You have taken away my gods which I have made, and the priest, and have gone away; what else do I have left? How can you say to me, 'What is your reason?'"

²⁵The sons of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice [of complaint] be heard among us, or else angry men will assault you and you will lose your life, along with the lives of [everyone in] your household."

²⁶Then the Danites went on their way; and Micah saw that they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back to his house.

²⁷They took the [idolatrous] things that Micah had made, and his priest, and they came to Laish, to a people who were quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

²⁸And there was no one to rescue them because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it.

²⁹They named the city Dan, after Dan their forefather who was born to Israel (Jacob); however, the original name of the city was Laish.

³⁰The [tribe of] the sons of Dan set up the image [of silver-plated wood] for themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity and exile from the land.

³¹So they set up for themselves Micah's [silver-plated wooden] image which he had made, and kept it throughout the time that the house (tabernacle) of God was at Shiloh.

¹"Listen to Me in silence, you islands and coastlands, And let the nations gain their strength; Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come together for judgment [and decide the issue between us concerning the enemy from the east].

²"Who has stirred up and put into action one from the east [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great] Whom He calls in righteousness to His service and whom victory meets at every step? The LORD turns nations over to him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, Like wind-driven chaff with his bow.

³"He (Cyrus) pursues them and passes along safely, By a way his feet had not traveled before.

⁴"Who has performed and done this, Calling forth [and guiding the destinies of] the generations [of the nations] from the beginning? 'I, the LORD—the first, and with the last [existing before history began, the ever-present, unchanging God]—I am He.'"

⁵The islands and coastlands have seen and they fear; The ends of the earth tremble; They have drawn near and have come.

⁶They each help his neighbor And say to his brother [as he fashions his idols], "Be of good courage!"

⁷So the craftsman encourages the goldsmith, And he who smooths metal with the smith's hammer encourages him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering (welding), "That is good"; And he fastens the idol with nails, So that it will not totter nor be moved.

⁸"But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The offspring of Abraham My friend,

⁹You whom I [the LORD] have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not rejected you [even though you are exiled].

¹⁰'Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].'

¹¹"Indeed, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and humiliated; Those who strive against you will be as nothing and will perish.

¹²"You shall search for those who quarrel with you, but will not find them; They who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all.

¹³"For I the LORD your God keep hold of your right hand; [I am the Lord], Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'

¹⁴"Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you," declares the LORD, "and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵"In fact, I have made of you a new, sharp threshing implement with sharp edges; You will thresh the mountains and crush them, And make the hills like chaff.

¹⁶"You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, And a high wind will scatter them; But you will rejoice in the LORD, You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁷"The poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none; Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them Myself; I, the God of Israel, will not neglect them.

¹⁸"I will open rivers on the barren heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a reed-pool of water And the dry land springs of water.

¹⁹"I will put the cedar in the wilderness, The acacia, the myrtle and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert Together with the box tree and the cypress,

²⁰So that they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, That the Holy One of Israel has created it.

²¹"Present your case [for idols made by men's hands]," says the LORD. "Produce your evidence [of divinity]," Says the king of Jacob.

²²Let them bring forward [their evidence] and tell us what is going to happen. Regarding the former events, tell what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome; Or announce to us the things that are going to come.

²³Tell us the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, you should do something good or do evil, that we may be afraid and fear [you] together [as we observe the miracle].

²⁴Hear this! You [idols] are less than nothing, And your work is worthless; The worshiper who chooses you [as a god] is repulsive.

²⁵"I have stirred up and put into action one from the north [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great], and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My Name [in prayer]. And he will trample on [the Babylonian] officials as on mortar, Even as a potter treads clay."

²⁶Who [among the idols] has declared this from the beginning, so that we could know? Or from earlier times, so that we could say, "He is [unquestionably] right!"? In fact, there was no one who declared it, Indeed, there was no one who proclaimed it; There was no one at all who heard you speak [for you pagan gods are speechless].

²⁷"I was first to say to Zion, 'Listen carefully, here they are [the Jews who will be restored to their own land].' And to Jerusalem, 'I will provide a messenger (Isaiah) to bring the good news [ that Cyrus will be stirred up and put into action to save them].'

²⁸"But when I look [on the pagan prophets and priests], there is no one [who could predict these events], And there is no counselor among them, Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

²⁹"In fact, all of these [pagan prophets and priests] are false; Their works are worthless, Their cast images are [merely] wind and emptiness.

¹Now the apostles and the believers who were throughout Judea heard [with astonishment] that the Gentiles also had received and accepted the word of God [the message concerning salvation through Christ].

²So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision [certain Jewish believers who followed the Law] took issue with him [for violating Jewish customs],

³saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and [even] ate with them!"

⁴But Peter began [at the beginning] and explained [the events] to them step by step, saying,

⁵"I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision of an object coming down from heaven, like a huge sheet being lowered by the four corners; and [it descended until] it came right down to me,

⁶and looking closely at it, I saw all kinds of the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air [both clean and unclean according to the Law],

⁷and I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.'

⁸But I said, 'Not at all, Lord; for nothing common (unholy) or [ceremonially] unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

⁹But the voice from heaven answered a second time, 'What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy).'

¹⁰This happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven.

¹¹And right then the three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying.

¹²The Spirit told me to go with them without the slightest hesitation. So these six brothers also went with me and we went to the man's house.

¹³And Cornelius told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying, 'Send word to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here;

¹⁴he will bring a message to you by which you will be saved [and granted eternal life], you and all your household.'

¹⁵When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as He did on us at the beginning [at Pentecost].

¹⁶Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

¹⁷So, if God gave Gentiles the same gift [equally] as He gave us after we accepted and believed and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ [as Savior], who was I to interfere or stand in God's way?"

¹⁸When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified and praised God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance that leads to eternal life [that is, real life after earthly death]."

¹⁹So then [since they were unaware of these developments] those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with [the stoning of] Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, without telling the message [of salvation through Christ] to anyone except Jews.

²⁰But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming [to them] the good news about the Lord Jesus.

²¹And the hand (the power and presence) of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord [for salvation, accepting and drawing near to Jesus as Messiah and Savior].

²²The news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

²³When he arrived and saw the grace of God [that was bestowed on them], he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with an unwavering heart to stay true and devoted to the Lord.

²⁴For Barnabas was a good man [privately and publicly—his godly character benefited both himself and others] and he was full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith [in Jesus the Messiah, through whom believers have everlasting life]. And a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

²⁵And Barnabas left for Tarsus to search for Saul;

²⁶and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For an entire year they met [with others] in the church and instructed large numbers; and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

²⁷Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

²⁸One of them named Agabus stood up and prophesied through the [Holy] Spirit that a severe famine would come on the entire world. And this did happen during the reign of Claudius.

²⁹So the disciples decided to send a contribution, each according to his individual ability, to the believers who lived in Judea.

³⁰And this they did, sending the contribution to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.