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."

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, 'I am the LORD your God.

³You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, and you shall not do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes (practices, customs).

⁴You are to follow My judgments (precepts, ordinances) and keep My statutes and live by them. I am the LORD your God.

⁵So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which, if a person keeps them, he shall live; I am the LORD.

⁶' No one shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness (have intimate relations). I am the LORD.

⁷You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

⁸You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness.

⁹You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, either the daughter of your father or of your mother, whether born at home or born elsewhere.

¹⁰You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; their nakedness you shall not uncover, for they are your own nakedness [that is, your own descendants].

¹¹You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter; born to your father, she is your sister.

¹²You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's blood relative.

¹³You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's blood relative.

¹⁴You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother's wife; you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.

¹⁵You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

¹⁶You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness.

¹⁷You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover their nakedness (have intimate relations with them); they are [her] blood relatives; it is an outrageous offense.

¹⁸You shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a rival while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness.

¹⁹'Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity and ceremonial uncleanness.

²⁰You shall not have intimate relations with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her.

²¹You shall not give any of your children to offer them [by fire as a sacrifice] to Molech [the god of the Ammonites], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by honoring idols as gods]. I am the LORD.

²²You shall not lie [intimately] with a male as one lies with a female; it is repulsive.

²³You shall not have intimate relations with any animal to be defiled with it; nor shall a woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion.

²⁴'Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.

²⁵For the land has become defiled; therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

²⁶But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments (precepts) and shall not commit any of these repulsive acts, neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives temporarily among you

²⁷(for all these repulsive acts have been done by the men who lived in the land before you, and the land has become defiled);

²⁸[do none of these things] so that the land will not vomit you out, should you defile it, as it has vomited out the nation which has been before you.

²⁹For whoever commits any of these repulsive acts, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people [excluding them from the atonement made for them].

³⁰So keep My command: do not practice any of the repulsive customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves by them; I am the LORD your God.'"

¹Therefore, my fellow believers, whom I love and long for, my delight and crown [my wreath of victory], in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

²I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree and to work in harmony in the Lord.

³Indeed, I ask you too, my true companion, to help these women [to keep on cooperating], for they have shared my struggle in the [cause of the] gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice!

⁵Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near.

⁶Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.

⁷And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

⁸Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God's word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

⁹The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.

¹⁰I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it.

¹¹Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances.

¹²I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need.

¹³I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]

¹⁴Nevertheless, it was right of you to share [with me] in my difficulties.

¹⁵And you Philippians know that in the early days of preaching the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone;

¹⁶for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.

¹⁷Not that I seek the gift itself, but I do seek the profit which increases to your [heavenly] account [the blessing which is accumulating for you].

¹⁸But I have received everything in full and more; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. They are the fragrant aroma of an offering, an acceptable sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights.

¹⁹And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

²⁰To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²¹Remember me to every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.

²²All God's people wish to be remembered to you, especially those of Caesar's household.

²³The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

¹Beloved, I am now writing you this second letter. In this [as in the first one], I am stirring up your untainted mind to remind you,

²that you should remember the words spoken in the past [about the future] by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior given by your apostles [His personally chosen representatives].

³First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires

⁴and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming [what has become of it]? For ever since the fathers fell asleep [in death], all things have continued [exactly] as they did from the beginning of creation."

⁵For they willingly forget [the fact] that the heavens existed long ago by the word of God, and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

⁶through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water.

⁷But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.

⁸Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.

⁹The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up.

¹¹Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God],

¹²[while you earnestly] look for and await the coming of the day of God. For on this day the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the [material] elements will melt with intense heat!

¹³But in accordance with His promise we expectantly await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

¹⁴So, beloved, since you are looking forward to these things, be diligent and make every effort to be found by Him [at His return] spotless and blameless, in peace [that is, inwardly calm with a sense of spiritual well-being and confidence, having lived a life of obedience to Him].

¹⁵And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]; just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him [by God],

¹⁶speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith],

¹⁸but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

¹Guard your steps and focus on what you are doing as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the [careless or irreverent] sacrifice of fools; for they are too ignorant to know they are doing evil.

²Do not be hasty with your mouth [speaking careless words or vows] or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

³For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of the fool through many words.

⁴When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow.

⁵It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

⁶Do not allow your speech to cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger (priest) of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of your voice (words) and destroy the work of your hands?

⁷For in a multitude of dreams and in a flood of words there is worthlessness. Rather [reverently] fear God [and worship Him with awe-filled respect, knowing who He is].

⁸If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight [of corruption]; for a higher official watches over another official, and there are higher ones over them [looking out for one another].

⁹After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

¹⁰He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its gain. This too is vanity (emptiness).

¹¹When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what advantage is there to their owners except to see them with their eyes?

¹²The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach (greed) of the rich [who hungers for even more] will not let him sleep.

¹³There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being kept and hoarded by their owner to his own misery.

¹⁴For when those riches are lost in bad investments and he becomes the father of a son, then there is nothing in his hand [for the support of the child].

¹⁵As he came naked from his mother's womb, so he will return as he came; and he will take away nothing from all his labor that he can carry in his hand.

¹⁶This also is a grievous evil—exactly as he was born, so he shall die. So what advantage has he who labors for the wind?

¹⁷All of his life he also eats in darkness [cheerlessly, without sweetness and light], with great frustration, sickness, and anger.

¹⁸Behold, here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] reward.

¹⁹Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, He has also given the power and ability to enjoy them and to receive [this as] his [allotted] portion and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God [to him].

²⁰For he will not often consider the [troubled] days of his life, because God keeps him occupied and focused on the joy of his heart [and the tranquility of God indwells him].

¹A Psalm of praise. Of David. I will exalt You, my God, O King, And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will bless Your name forever and ever.

²Every day I will bless You and lovingly praise You; Yes, [with awe-inspired reverence] I will praise Your name forever and ever.

³Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man].

⁴One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty and remarkable acts.

⁵On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

⁶People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will tell of Your greatness.

⁷They will overflow [like a fountain] when they speak of Your great and abundant goodness And will sing joyfully of Your righteousness.

⁸The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

⁹The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].

¹⁰All Your works shall give thanks to You and praise You, O LORD, And Your godly ones will bless You.

¹¹They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power,

¹²To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

¹⁴The LORD upholds all those [of His own] who fall And raises up all those who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all look to You [in hopeful expectation], And You give them their food in due time.

¹⁶You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The LORD is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways And gracious and kind in all His works.

¹⁸The LORD is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).

¹⁹He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He also will hear their cry and will save them.

²⁰The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless and gratefully praise His holy name forever and ever.

¹The plans and reflections of the heart belong to man, But the [wise] answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

²All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions], But the LORD weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth].

³Commit your works to the LORD [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].

⁴The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked [according to their role] for the day of evil.

⁵Everyone who is proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting and exceedingly offensive to the LORD; Be assured he will not go unpunished.

⁶By mercy and lovingkindness and truth [not superficial ritual] wickedness is cleansed from the heart, And by the fear of the LORD one avoids evil.

⁷When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness Than great income [gained] with injustice.

⁹A man's mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the LORD directs his steps and establishes them.

¹⁰A divine decision [given by God] is on the lips of the king [as His representative]; His mouth should not be unfaithful or unjust in judgment.

¹¹A just balance and [honest] scales are the Lord's; All the weights of the bag are His concern [established by His eternal principles].

¹²It is repulsive [to God and man] for kings to behave wickedly, For a throne is established on righteousness (right standing with God).

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is like a messenger of death, But a wise man will appease it.

¹⁵In the light of the king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud bringing the spring rain.

¹⁶How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

¹⁷The highway of the upright turns away and departs from evil; He who guards his way protects his life (soul).

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud (haughty, arrogant).

²⁰He who pays attention to the word [of God] will find good, And blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who trusts [confidently] in the LORD.

²¹The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweet speech increases persuasiveness and learning [in both speaker and listener].

²²Understanding (spiritual insight) is a [refreshing and boundless] wellspring of life to those who have it, But to give instruction and correction to fools is foolishness.

²³The heart of the wise instructs his mouth [in wisdom] And adds persuasiveness to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body.

²⁵There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death.

²⁶The appetite of a worker works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

²⁷A worthless man devises and digs up evil, And the words on his lips are like a scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse man spreads strife, And one who gossips separates intimate friends.

²⁹A violent and exceedingly covetous man entices his neighbor [to sin], And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He who [slyly] winks his eyes does so to plot perverse things; And he who compresses his lips [as if in a secret signal] brings evil to pass.

³¹The silver-haired head is a crown of splendor and glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

³²He who is slow to anger is better and more honorable than the mighty [soldier], And he who rules and controls his own spirit, than he who captures a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.

¹In the days when the judges governed [Israel], there was a famine in the land [of Canaan]. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live temporarily in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

²The man's name was Elimelech and his wife's name was Naomi and his two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went to the country of Moab and stayed there.

³Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left [a widow] with her two sons.

⁴They took wives from the Moabite women; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years;

⁵and then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so the woman [Naomi] was left without her two sons and her husband.

⁶Then she set out with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in Moab how the LORD had taken care of His people [of Judah] in giving them food.

⁷So she left the place where she was living, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the way back to the land of Judah.

⁸But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you return to your mother's house. May the LORD show kindness to you as you have shown kindness to the dead and to me.

⁹May the LORD grant that you find rest, each one in the home of her husband." Then she kissed them [goodbye], and they wept aloud.

¹⁰And they said to her, "No, we will go with you to your people [in Judah]."

¹¹But Naomi said, "Go back, my daughters, why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that may become your husbands?

¹²Go back, my daughters, go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, and if I actually had a husband tonight and even gave birth to sons,

¹³would you wait until they were grown? Would you go without marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more difficult for me than for you, because the Lord's hand has gone against me."

¹⁴Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [goodbye], but Ruth clung to her.

¹⁵Then Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; turn back and follow your sister-in-law."

¹⁶But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God.

¹⁷Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do the same to me [as He has done to you], and more also, if anything but death separates me from you."

¹⁸When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

¹⁹So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women asked, "Is this Naomi?"

²⁰She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi (sweetness); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness.

²¹I left full [with a husband and two sons], but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

²²So Naomi returned from the country of Moab, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

¹This is what the LORD says to His anointed, to Cyrus [king of Persia], Whose right hand I have held To subdue nations before him, And I will ungird the loins of kings [disarming them]; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

²"I will go before you and level the mountains; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

³"I will give you the treasures of darkness [the hoarded treasures] And the hidden riches of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you (Cyrus the Great) by your name.

⁴"For the sake of Jacob My servant, And of Israel My chosen, I have also called you by your name; I have given you an honorable name Though you have not known Me.

⁵"I am the LORD, and there is no one else; There is no God except Me. I will embrace and arm you, though you have not known Me,

⁶That people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun [the world over] That there is no one except Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other,

⁷The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing peace and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.

⁸"Rain down, O heavens, from above, Let the clouds pour down righteousness [all the blessings of God]; Let the earth open up, let salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.

⁹"Woe (judgment is coming) to him who quarrels with his Maker— A [worthless] piece of broken pottery among other broken pieces [equally worthless]! Shall the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or does the thing say, 'He has no hands'?

¹⁰"Woe (judgment is coming) to him who says to a father, 'What are you fathering?' Or to a woman, 'With what are you in labor?'"

¹¹For the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker says this, "Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And give Me orders concerning the work of My hands.

¹²"I made the earth and created man upon it. My hands, stretched out the heavens, And I commanded all their host.

¹³"I have stirred up Cyrus and put him into action in righteousness [to accomplish My purpose] And I will make all his ways smooth; He will build My city and let My exiles go, Without any payment or reward," says the LORD of hosts.

¹⁴For this is what the LORD says, "The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush (ancient Ethiopia) And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and they will be yours; They will walk behind you, in chains [of subjection to you] they will come over, And they will bow down before you; They will make supplication to you, [humbly and earnestly] saying, 'Most certainly God is with you, and there is no other, No other God [besides Him].'"

¹⁵Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!

¹⁶They will be put to shame and also humiliated, all of them; They who make idols will go away together in humiliation.

¹⁷Israel has been saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; You will not be put to shame or humiliated for all eternity.

¹⁸For the LORD, who created the heavens(He is God, who formed the earth and made it; He established it and did not create it to be a wasteland, but formed it to be inhabited) says this, "I am the LORD, and there is no one else.

¹⁹"I have not spoken in secret, In a corner of a land of darkness; I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain [with no benefit for yourselves].' I, the LORD, speak righteousness [the truth—trustworthy, a straightforward correlation between deeds and words], Declaring things that are upright.

²⁰"Assemble yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! They are ignorant, Who carry around their wooden idols [in religious processions or into battle] And keep on praying to a god that cannot save them.

²¹"Declare and present your defense of idols; Indeed, let them consult together. Who announced this [rise of Cyrus and his conquests] long before it happened? Who declared it long ago? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A [consistently and uncompromisingly] just and righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.

²²"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.

²³"I have sworn [an oath] by Myself, The word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance].

²⁴"It shall be said of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' To Him people will come, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

²⁵"In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified (declared free of guilt) and will glory [in God]."

¹Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

²Paul and Barnabas disagreed greatly and debated with them, so it was determined that Paul and Barnabas and some of the others from their group would go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders [and confer with them] concerning this issue.

³So, after being supplied and sent on their way by the church, they went through both Phoenicia and Samaria telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the believers.

⁴When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received warmly by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported to them all the things that God had accomplished through them.

⁵But some from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed [in Jesus as the Messiah] stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise the Gentile converts and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."

⁶The apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter.

⁷After a long debate, Peter got up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

⁸And God, who knows and understands the heart, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

⁹and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith [in Jesus].

¹⁰Now then, why are you testing God by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to endure?

¹¹But we believe that we are saved through the [precious, undeserved] grace of the Lord Jesus [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life], in just the same way as they are."

¹²All the people remained silent, and they listened [attentively] to Barnabas and Paul as they described all the signs and wonders (attesting miracles) that God had done through them among the Gentiles.

¹³When they had finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.

¹⁴Simeon (Simon Peter) has described how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name [to honor Him and be identified with Him].

¹⁵The words of the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written [in Scripture],

¹⁶'After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tent of David which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it,

¹⁷So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been invoked,'

¹⁸Says the Lord, Who has been making these things known from long ago.

¹⁹Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble and make it difficult for those who are turning to God among the Gentiles [by putting obstacles in their way],

²⁰but that we write to them that they are to abstain from anything that has been contaminated by [being offered to] idols and from sexual impurity and from [eating the meat of] what has been strangled and from [the consumption of] blood.

²¹For from ancient generations [the writing of] Moses has been preached in every city, since he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath."

²²Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, decided to select some of their men to go to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas [also called Silvanus, both], leading men among the brothers.

²³With them they sent the following letter: "The apostles and the brothers who are the elders, to the brothers and sisters who are from the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, Greetings.

²⁴Since we have heard that some of our men have troubled you with their teachings, causing distress and confusion—men to whom we gave no such orders or instructions—

²⁵it has been decided by us, having met together, to select men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷So we have sent Judas and Silas, who will report by word of mouth the same things [that we decided in our meeting].

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any greater burden than these essentials:

²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from [consuming] blood, and from [eating the meat of] things that have been strangled, and from sexual impurity. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell."

³⁰So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and after assembling the congregation, they delivered the letter.

³¹And when they had read it, the people rejoiced greatly at the encouragement and comfort [it brought them].

³²Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets (divinely inspired spokesmen), encouraged and strengthened the believers with many words.

³³After spending some time there, they were sent back by the brothers with [the greeting of] peace to those who had sent them.

³⁴[However, Silas decided to stay there.]

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, and with many others also continued teaching and proclaiming the good news, the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

³⁶After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers and sisters (believers) in every city where we preached the message of the Lord, and see how they are doing."

³⁷Now Barnabas wanted to take [his cousin] John, who was called Mark, along with them.

³⁸But Paul kept insisting that they should not take along with them the one who had quit and deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

³⁹And it became such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took [John] Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas [who was again in Antioch] and set out [on his second journey], commended by the brothers to the grace and favor of the Lord.

⁴¹And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.