Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.

²And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it.

³And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

⁴The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men.

⁵And 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. Come, see the place where He was lying.

⁷And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

⁸And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to report to His disciples.

⁹And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Rejoice!” And they came up and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.

¹⁰Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go, bring word to My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

¹¹Now while they were on their way, some of the men from the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.

¹²And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

¹³and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were asleep.’

¹⁴And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and keep you out of trouble.”

¹⁵And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews and is to this day.

¹⁶But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them.

¹⁷And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.

¹⁸And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

¹⁹Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

²⁰teaching them tofollow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with youalways, to the end of the age.”

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²“Speak to the sons 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, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes.

⁴You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God.

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

⁶‘None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; 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 are not to uncover her nakedness.

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

⁹As for the nakedness of your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born in the household or born outside the household, you shall not uncover their nakedness.

¹⁰The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for their nakedness is yours.

¹¹The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, born to your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

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. 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 of her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is an outrageous sin.

¹⁸And you shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a second wife while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness.

¹⁹‘Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity.

²⁰And you shall not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife, to be defiled with her.

²¹You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

²²You shall not sleep with a male as one sleeps with a female; it is an abomination.

²³Also you shall not have sexual intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any 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 things the nations which I am driving out from you have become defiled.

²⁵For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has vomited out its inhabitants.

²⁶But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and you shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the stranger who resides among you

²⁷(for the people of the land who were there before you did all these abominations, and the land has become defiled),

²⁸so that the land will not vomit you out should you defile it, as it has vomited out the nation which was there before you.

²⁹For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people.

³⁰So you are to keep your commitment to Me not to practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.’ ”

¹Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

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

³Indeed, true companion, I ask you also, help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

⁵Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

⁹As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

¹⁰But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked an opportunity to act.

¹¹Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

¹²I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

¹³I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

¹⁴Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my difficulty.

¹⁵You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of 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 seek the profit which increases to your account.

¹⁸But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

¹⁹And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

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

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

²²All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

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

¹Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder,

²to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

³Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,

⁴and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.”

⁵For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago 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, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

⁸But 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 like one day.

⁹The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered.

¹¹Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

¹²looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

¹³But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

¹⁴Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace,

¹⁵and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

¹⁶as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment,

¹⁸but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

¹Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil.

²Do not be quick with your mouth or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.

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

⁴When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!

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

⁶Do not let your speech cause you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

⁷For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, fear God.

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

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

¹⁰One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility.

¹¹When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look at them?

¹²The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.

¹³There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth being hoarded by its owner to his detriment.

¹⁴When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

¹⁵As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

¹⁶This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person is born, so will he die. What then is the advantage for him who labors for the wind?

¹⁷All his life he also eats in darkness with great irritation, sickness, and anger.

¹⁸Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.

¹⁹Furthermore, as for every person to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also given him the opportunity to enjoy them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

²⁰For he will not often call to mind the years of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

¹I will exalt You, my God, the King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

²Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

³Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation will praise Your works to another, And will declare Your mighty 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 I will tell of Your greatness.

⁷They will burst forth in speaking of Your abundant goodness, And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

⁸The LORD is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in mercy.

⁹The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.

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

¹¹They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your might,

¹²To make known to the sons of mankind Your mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in His words, And holy in all His works.

¹⁴The LORD supports all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.

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

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

¹⁷The LORD is righteous in all His ways, And kind in all His works.

¹⁸The LORD is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth.

¹⁹He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry for help and save them.

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

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

¹The plans of the heart belong to a person, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

²All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, But the LORD examines the motives.

³Commit your works to the LORD, And your plans will be established.

⁴The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.

⁵Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Be assured, he will not go unpunished.

⁶By mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.

⁷When a person’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He causes even his enemies to make peace with him.

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

⁹The mind of a person plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

¹⁰A divine verdict is on the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

¹¹A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, Because a throne is established on righteousness.

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

¹⁴The fury of a king is like messengers of death; But a wise person will appease it.

¹⁵In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with 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 is to turn away from evil; One who watches his way protects his life.

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

¹⁹It is better to be humble in spirit with the needy Than to divide the spoils with the proud.

²⁰One who pays attention to the word will find good, And blessed is one who trusts in the LORD.

²¹The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

²²Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, But the discipline of fools is foolishness.

²³The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.

²⁶A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

²⁷A worthless person digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse person spreads strife, And a slanderer separates close friends.

²⁹A person of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

³¹A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

³²One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.

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

¹Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

²The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. So they entered the land of Moab and remained there.

³Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.

⁴And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

⁵Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

⁶Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them food.

⁷So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

⁸But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

⁹May the LORD grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept.

¹⁰However, they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.”

¹¹But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

¹²Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons,

¹³would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has come out against me.”

¹⁴And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

¹⁵Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

¹⁶But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

¹⁷Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you.”

¹⁸When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.

¹⁹So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”

²⁰But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

²¹I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

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

¹This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

²“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

³I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

⁴For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me.

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

⁶So that people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else,

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

⁸“Drip down, heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness sprout with it. I, the LORD, have created it.

⁹“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker— A piece of pottery among the other earthenware pottery pieces! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?

¹⁰Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you fathering?’ Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’ ”

¹¹This is what the LORD says, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker: “Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.

¹²It is I who made the earth, and created mankind upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ordained all their lights.

¹³I have stirred him in righteousness, And I will make all his ways smooth. He will build My city and let My exiles go free, Without any payment or reward,” says the LORD of armies.

¹⁴This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains And will bow down to you; They will plead with you: ‘God certainly is with you, and there is no one else, No other God.’ ”

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

¹⁶They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them; The manufacturers of 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 To all eternity.

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

¹⁹I have not spoken in secret, In some dark land; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a wasteland’; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, Declaring things that are right.

²⁰“Gather yourselves and come; Come together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge, Who carry around their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save.

²¹Declare and present your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this long ago? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.

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

²³I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

²⁴They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’ People will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

²⁵In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will boast.”

¹Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

²And after Paul and Barnabas had a heated argument and debate with them, the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

³Therefore, after being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they were bringing great joy to all the brothers and sisters.

⁴When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

⁵But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to keep the Law of Moses.”

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

⁷After there had been much debate, Peter stood 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 word of the gospel and believe.

⁸And God, who knows 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.

¹⁰Since this is the case, why are you putting God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?

¹¹But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

¹²All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.

¹³After they stopped speaking, James responded, saying, “Brothers, listen to me.

¹⁴Simeon has described how God first concerned Himself about taking a people for His name from among the Gentiles.

¹⁵The words of the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written:

¹⁶‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE FALLEN TABERNACLE OF DAVID, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

¹⁷SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’

¹⁸SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS known from long ago.

¹⁹Therefore, it is my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God,

²⁰but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols, from acts of sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from blood.

²¹For from ancient generations Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,

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

²⁴Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have confused you by their teaching, upsetting your souls,

²⁵it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

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

²⁷Therefore, we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from acts of sexual immorality; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

³⁰So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and after gathering the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

³¹When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

³²Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters with a lengthy message.

³³After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers and sisters in peace to those who had sent them out.

³⁴

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

³⁶After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

³⁷Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.

³⁸But Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

³⁹Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas, and left after being entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

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