Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹The beginning of the [facts regarding the] good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

²As it is written and forever remains in the [writings of the] prophet Isaiah: "Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way—

³A voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!'"

⁴John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins [that is, requiring a change of one's old way of thinking, turning away from sin and seeking God and His righteousness].

⁵And all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem were continually going out to him; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

⁶John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a [wide] leather band around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷And he was preaching, saying, "After me comes He who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the straps of His sandals [even as His slave].

⁸As for me, I baptized you [who came to me] with water [only]; but He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit."

⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁰Immediately coming up out of the water, he (John) saw the heavens torn open, and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him (Jesus);

¹¹and a voice came out of heaven saying: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!"

¹²Immediately the [Holy] Spirit forced Him out into the wilderness.

¹³He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted [to do evil] by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered continually to Him.

¹⁴Now after John [the Baptist] was arrested and taken into custody, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good news of [the kingdom of] God,

¹⁵and saying, "The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God's purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation]."

¹⁶As Jesus was walking by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon [Peter] and Simon's brother, Andrew, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.

¹⁷And Jesus said to them, " Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men."

¹⁸Immediately they left their nets and followed Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

¹⁹Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who were also in the boat mending and cleaning the nets.

²⁰Immediately Jesus called to them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers, and went away to follow Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

²¹They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

²²They were completely amazed at His teaching; because He was teaching them as one having [God-given] authority, and not as the scribes.

²³Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out [terribly from the depths of his throat],

²⁴saying, " What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!"

²⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet (muzzled, silenced), and come out of him!"

²⁶The unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions, and screeching with a loud voice, came out of him.

²⁷They were all so amazed that they debated and questioned each other, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits (demons), and they obey Him."

²⁸Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere throughout the district surrounding Galilee.

²⁹And immediately they left the synagogue and went into the house of Simon [Peter] and Andrew, accompanied by James and John.

³⁰Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they told Him about her.

³¹Jesus went to her, and taking her by the hand, raised her up; and the fever left her, and she began to serve them [as her guests].

³²Now when evening came, after the sun had set [and the Sabbath Day had ended, in a steady stream] they were bringing to Him all who were sick and those who were under the power of demons,

³³until [it seemed as though] the whole city had gathered together at the door.

³⁴And Jesus healed many who were suffering with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him [recognizing Him as the Son of God].

³⁵Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left [the house], and went out to a secluded place, and was praying there.

³⁶Simon [Peter] and his companions searched [everywhere, looking anxiously] for Him,

³⁷and they found Him and said, "Everybody is looking for You!"

³⁸He replied, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so I may preach there also; that is why I came [from the Father]."

³⁹So He went throughout Galilee, preaching [the gospel] in their synagogues and casting out demons.

⁴⁰And a leper came to Him, begging Him and falling on his knees before Him, saying, "If You are willing, You are able to make me clean."

⁴¹Moved with compassion [for his suffering], Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

⁴²The leprosy left him immediately and he was cleansed [completely healed and restored to health].

⁴³And Jesus [deeply moved] admonished him sternly and sent him away immediately,

⁴⁴saying to him, "See that you tell no one anything [about this]; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your purification what Moses commanded, as proof to them [that you are really healed]."

⁴⁵But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news [of his healing], to such an extent that Jesus could no longer openly enter a city [where He was known], but stayed out in the unpopulated places; yet people were still coming to Him from everywhere.

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

³Each of you shall respect his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.

⁴Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods (images cast in metal); I am the LORD your God.

⁵'Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.

⁶It shall be eaten the same day you offer it and on the day following; and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire.

⁷But if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is repulsive; it will not be accepted [by God as an offering].

⁸Everyone who eats it will bear [the responsibility for] his wickedness, for he has profaned a holy thing of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

⁹'Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings (grain left after reaping) of your harvest.

¹⁰And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather its fallen grapes; you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.

¹¹'You shall not steal, nor deal deceptively, nor lie to one another.

¹²You shall not swear [an oath] falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

¹³'You shall not oppress or exploit your neighbor, nor rob him. You shall not withhold the wages of a hired man overnight until morning.

¹⁴You shall not curse a deaf man nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God [with profound reverence]; I am the LORD.

¹⁵'You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor show a preference for the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

¹⁶You shall not go around as a gossip among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor [with slander or false testimony]; I am the LORD.

¹⁷'You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you may most certainly rebuke your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.

¹⁸You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself; I am the LORD.

¹⁹'You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear clothing of two kinds of material mixed together.

²⁰'Now if a man has intimate relations with a woman who is a slave acquired for [marriage to] another man, but who has not been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment [after an investigation]; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free;

²¹but he shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, a ram as a guilt offering.

²²The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed; and he shall be forgiven for his sin.

²³'When you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall consider their fruit forbidden. For three years the fruit shall be forbidden to you; it shall not be eaten.

²⁴In the fourth year all the fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.

²⁵In the fifth year you may eat the fruit [of the trees], this is so that their yield may increase for you; I am the LORD your God.

²⁶'You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination [using omens or witchcraft] or soothsaying.

²⁷You shall not trim and round off the side-growth of [the hair on] your heads, nor mar the edges of your beard.

²⁸You shall not make any cuts on your body [in mourning] for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the LORD.

²⁹'Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land will not fall to prostitution and become full of wickedness.

³⁰You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary. I am the LORD.

³¹'Do not turn to mediums [who pretend to consult the dead] or to spiritists [who have spirits of divination]; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

³²'You shall rise before the gray-headed and honor the aged, and you shall fear your God [with profound reverence]; I am the LORD.

³³'When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress or mistreat him.

³⁴But the stranger who resides with you shall be to you like someone native-born among you; and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

³⁵'You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight or quantity.

³⁶You shall have just and accurate balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

³⁷You shall observe and keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them. I am the LORD.'"

¹Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed) by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

²To the saints and faithful believers in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father.

³We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you,

⁴for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] love which you have for all the saints (God's people);

⁵because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation]

⁶which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God's power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it].

⁷You learned it from [our representative] Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf

⁸and he also has told us of your love [well-grounded and nurtured] in the [Holy] Spirit.

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things],

¹⁰so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts];

¹¹[we pray that you may be] strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy;

¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints (God's people) in the Light.

¹³For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

¹⁴in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins' penalty].

¹⁵He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.

¹⁶For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him.

¹⁷And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]

¹⁸He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything.

¹⁹For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son),

²⁰and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.

²¹And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things,

²²yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in His physical body through death, in order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

²³[and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.

²⁴Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf. And with my own body I supplement whatever is lacking [on our part] of Christ's afflictions, on behalf of His body, which is the church.

²⁵In this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship which God entrusted to me for your sake, so that I might make the word of God fully known [among you]—

²⁶that is, the mystery which was hidden [from angels and mankind] for ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His saints (God's people).

²⁷God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory.

²⁸We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God], so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and perfect in Him—the Anointed].

²⁹For this I labor [often to the point of exhaustion], striving with His power and energy, which so greatly works within me.

¹[I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]—

²and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]—

³what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

⁴We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].

⁵This is the message [of God's promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].

⁶If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness [of sin], we lie and do not practice the truth;

⁷but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

⁸If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.]

⁹If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.

¹There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men:

²a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the power or capacity to enjoy them [all those things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] enjoys them. This is vanity and it is a [cause of] great distress.

³If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial [he is not laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he,

⁴for the miscarriage comes in futility (in vain) and passes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.

⁵It has not seen the sun nor had any knowledge; yet it has more rest and is better off than he.

⁶Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice over and yet has seen no good and experienced no enjoyment—do not both go to one place [the grave]?"

⁷All the labor of man is for his mouth [for self-preservation and enjoyment], and yet the desire [of his soul] is not satisfied.

⁸For what advantage has the wise man over the fool [for being worldly-wise is not the secret to happiness]? What advantage has the poor man who has learned how to walk [publicly] among the living [with men's eyes on him; for being poor is not the secret to happiness either]?

⁹What the eyes see [enjoying what is available] is better than [craving] what the soul desires. This too is futility and chasing after the wind.

¹⁰Whatever exists has already been named [long ago], and it is known what [a frail being] man is; for he cannot dispute with Him who is mightier than he.

¹¹For there are many other words that increase futility. What then is the advantage for a man?

¹²For who [ limited by human wisdom] knows what is good for man during his lifetime, during the few days of his futile life? He spends them like a shadow [staying busy, but achieving nothing of lasting value]. For who can tell a man what will happen after him [to his work, his treasure, his plans] under the sun [after his life is over]?

¹Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!) Praise the LORD, O my soul!

²While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.

³Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation (help).

⁴When his spirit leaves him, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts and plans perish.

⁵How blessed and graciously favored is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Israel), Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

⁶Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,

⁷Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets free the prisoners.

⁸The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous [the upright in heart].

⁹The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; But He makes crooked the way of the wicked.

¹⁰The LORD shall reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)

¹Better is a dry morsel [of food served] with quietness and peace Than a house full of feasting [served] with strife and contention.

²A wise servant will rule over the [unworthy] son who acts shamefully and brings disgrace [to the family] And [the worthy servant] will share in the inheritance among the brothers.

³The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.

⁴An evildoer listens closely to wicked lips; And a liar pays attention to a destructive and malicious tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor taunts his Maker, And he who rejoices at [another's] disaster will not go unpunished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of aged men, And the glory of children is their fathers [who live godly lives].

⁷Excellent speech does not benefit a fool [who is spiritually blind], Much less do lying lips benefit a prince.

⁸A bribe is like a bright, precious stone in the eyes of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, But he who repeats or gossips about a matter separates intimate friends.

¹⁰A reprimand goes deeper into one who has understanding and a teachable spirit Than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹A rebellious man seeks only evil; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹²Let a man meet a [ferocious] bear robbed of her cubs Rather than the [angry, narcissistic] fool in his folly.

¹³Whoever returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes]; Therefore abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.

¹⁵He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous Are both repulsive to the LORD.

¹⁶Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man lacking common sense gives a pledge And becomes guarantor [for the debt of another] in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife and is quarrelsome; He who [proudly] raises his gate seeks destruction [because of his arrogant pride].

²⁰He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.

²¹He who becomes the parent of a fool [who is spiritually blind] does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool [who is spiritually blind] has no joy.

²²A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a bribe from the [hidden] pocket To pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it], But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief and anguish to his father And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.

²⁶It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

²⁷He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words, And a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, an even temper).

²⁸Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.

¹Now Naomi had a relative of her husband, a man of great wealth and influence, from the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

²And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one [of the reapers] in whose sight I may find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go, my daughter."

³So Ruth went and picked up the leftover grain in a field after the reapers; and she happened to stop at the plot of land belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

⁴It was then that Boaz came back from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!" And they answered him, "The LORD bless you!"

⁵Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"

⁶The servant in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

⁷And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued [gathering grain] from early morning until now, except when she sat [resting] for a little while in the [field] house."

⁸Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but stay here close by my maids.

⁹Watch which field they reap, and follow behind them. I have commanded the servants not to touch you. And when you are thirsty, go to the [water] jars and drink from what the servants draw."

¹⁰Then she kneeled face downward, bowing to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should notice me, when I am a foreigner?"

¹¹Boaz answered her, "I have been made fully aware of everything that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you did not know before.

¹²May the LORD repay you for your kindness, and may your reward be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

¹³Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants."

¹⁴At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here and eat some bread and dip your bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi].

¹⁵When she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his servants, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.

¹⁶Also you shall purposely pull out for her some stalks [of grain] from the sheaves and leave them so that she may collect them, and do not rebuke her."

¹⁷So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

¹⁸She picked it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. Ruth also took out and gave to Naomi what she had saved after she [had eaten and] was satisfied.

¹⁹Her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz."

²⁰Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the LORD who has not ceased his kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is one of our closest relatives, one who has the right to redeem us."

²¹Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, 'Stay close to my servants until they have harvested my entire crop.'"

²²Naomi said to Ruth, "It is good, my daughter, for you to go out [to work] with his maids, so that others do not assault you in another field."

²³So she stayed close to the maids of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

¹Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their idols are on the beasts [of burden] and on the cattle. Your burdens [of idols] are loaded [on them], Burdens on the weary animals.

²They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden [of their own idols], But have themselves gone into captivity.

³"Listen to Me," [says the LORD], "O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been carried by Me from your birth And have been carried [in My arms] from the womb,

⁴Even to your old age I am He, And even to your advanced old age I will carry you! I have made you, and I will carry you; Be assured I will carry you and I will save you.

⁵"To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we may be alike?

⁶"Those who lavish gold from the bag And weigh out silver on the scales Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it.

⁷"They lift it on their shoulders [in religious processions or into battle] and carry it; They set it in its place and there it remains standing. It cannot move from its place. Even if one cries to it [for help], the idol cannot answer; It cannot save him from his distress.

⁸"Remember this, and take courage; Take it to heart, you rebellious and disloyal people.

⁹"Remember [carefully] the former things [which I did] from ages past; For I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is no one like Me,

¹⁰Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, And from ancient times the things which have not [yet] been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will do all that pleases Me and fulfills My purpose,'

¹¹Calling a bird of prey from the east, From a far country, the man (Cyrus) of My purpose. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, be assured I will do it.

¹²"Listen to Me, you stiff-necked people, You who are far from righteousness (right standing with God).

¹³"I bring near My righteousness [in the salvation of Israel], it is not far away; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel.

¹Now Paul traveled to Derbe and also to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer [in Christ], however, his father was a Greek.

²Timothy was well spoken of by the brothers and sisters who were in Lystra and Iconium.

³Paul wanted Timothy to go with him [as a missionary]; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.

⁴As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decrees decided on by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for the churches to observe.

⁵So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they continually increased in number day after day.

⁶Now they passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor];

⁷and after they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;

⁸so passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

⁹Then a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from [the Roman province of] Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

¹⁰And when he had seen the vision, we (including Luke) tried to go on into Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

¹¹So setting sail from Troas, we ran a direct course to Samothrace, and the next day [went on] to Neapolis;

¹²and from there [we came] to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed on in this city for several days;

¹³and on the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the bank of the [Gangites] river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had come there.

¹⁴A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple fabrics who was [already] a worshiper of God, listened to us; and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention and to respond to the things said by Paul.

¹⁵And when she was baptized, along with her household, she pleaded with us, saying, "If you have judged me and decided that I am faithful to the Lord [a true believer], come to my house and stay." And she persuaded us.

¹⁶It happened that as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination [that is, a demonic spirit claiming to foretell the future and discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners a good profit by fortune-telling.

¹⁷She followed after Paul and us and kept screaming and shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!"

¹⁸She continued doing this for several days. Then Paul, being greatly annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit [inside her], "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ [as His representative] to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.

¹⁹But when her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the market place [where trials were held],

²⁰and when they had brought them before the chief magistrates, they said, "These men, who are Jews, are throwing our city into confusion and causing trouble.

²¹They are publicly teaching customs which are unlawful for us, as Romans, to accept or observe."

²²The crowd also joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and ordered that Paul and Silas be beaten with rods.

²³After striking them many times [with the rods], they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely.

²⁴He, having received such a [strict] command, threw them into the inner prison (dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks [in an agonizing position].

²⁵But about midnight when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

²⁶suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.

²⁷When the jailer, shaken out of sleep, saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸But Paul shouted, saying, "Do not hurt yourself, we are all here!"

²⁹Then the jailer called for torches and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,

³⁰and after he brought them out [of the inner prison], he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

³¹And they answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe]."

³²And they spoke the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] to him and to all who were in his house.

³³And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their bloody wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

³⁴Then he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, since he had believed in God with his entire family [accepting with joy what had been made known to them about the Christ].

³⁵Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, "Release those men."

³⁶And the jailer repeated the words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent word to release you; so come out now and go in peace."

³⁷But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without a trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now they are sending us out secretly? No! Let them come here themselves and bring us out!"

³⁸The officers reported this message to the chief magistrates, and when they heard that the prisoners were Romans, they were frightened;

³⁹so they came [to the prison] and appealed to them [with apologies], and when they brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city.

⁴⁰So they left the prison and went to Lydia's house; and when they had seen the brothers and sisters, they encouraged and comforted them, and left.