Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Getting up, He left there (Capernaum) and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; and crowds gathered around Him again and accompanied Him, and as was His custom, He once more began to teach them.

²Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him [intending to trick Him into saying something wrong], and asked Him, "Is it lawful [according to Scripture] for a man to divorce his wife and send her away?"

³He replied to them, "What did Moses command you?"

⁴They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away."

⁵But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of hearts [your callousness and insensitivity toward your wives and theprovision of God] he wrote you this precept.

⁶But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.

⁷For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother [to establish a home with his wife],

⁸and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but [are united as] one flesh.

⁹Therefore, what God has united and joined together, man must not separate [by divorce]."

¹⁰In the house the disciples began questioning Him again about this.

¹¹And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her;

¹²and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

¹³People were bringing children to Him so that He would touch and bless them, but the disciples reprimanded them and discouraged them [from coming].

¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and He said to them, "Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

¹⁵I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

¹⁶And He took the children [one by one] in His arms and blessed them [with kind, encouraging words], placing His hands on them.

¹⁷As He was leaving on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, "Good Teacher [You who are essentially good and morally perfect], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom]?"

¹⁸Jesus said to him, " Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone.

¹⁹You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not testify falsely, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"

²⁰And he replied to Him, "Teacher, I have [carefully] kept all these [commandments] since my youth."

²¹Looking at him, Jesus felt a love (high regard, compassion) for him, and He said to him, "You lack one thing: go and sell all your property and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk]."

²²But the man was saddened at Jesus' words, and he left grieving, because he owned much property and had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].

²³Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How difficult it will be for those who are wealthy [and cling to possessions and status as security] to enter the kingdom of God!"

²⁴The disciples were amazed and bewildered by His words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is [for those who place their hope and confidence in riches] to enter the kingdom of God!

²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God."

²⁶They were completely and utterly astonished, and said to Him, "Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?"

²⁷Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

²⁸Peter started saying to Him, "Look, we have given up everything and followed You [becoming Your disciples and accepting You as Teacher and Lord]."

²⁹Jesus said, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up a house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake,

³⁰who will not receive a hundred times as much now in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms—along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last, first."

³²Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were perplexed [at what Jesus had said], and those who were following were alarmed and afraid. And again He took the twelve [disciples] aside and began telling them what was going to happen to Him,

³³saying, "Listen very carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles (Romans).

³⁴They will mock and ridicule Him and spit on Him, and whip (scourge) Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise [from the dead]."

³⁵James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You."

³⁶And He replied to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

³⁷They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit [with You], one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory [Your majesty and splendor in Your kingdom]."

³⁸But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism [of suffering and death] with which I am baptized?"

³⁹And they replied to Him, "We are able." Jesus told them, "The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

⁴⁰But to sit on My right or left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared [by My Father]."

⁴¹Hearing this, the [other] ten became indignant with James and John.

⁴²Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their powerful men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them].

⁴³But this is not how it is among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,

⁴⁴and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all.

⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

⁴⁶Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road [as was his custom].

⁴⁷When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say, "Jesus, Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!"

⁴⁸Many sternly rebuked him, telling him to keep still and be quiet; but he kept on shouting out all the more, "Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!"

⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, telling him, "Take courage, get up! He is calling for you."

⁵⁰Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus.

⁵¹And Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni (my Master), let me regain my sight."

⁵²Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith [and confident trust in My power] has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus on the road.

¹The LORD spoke [by special revelation] to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) on the first day of the second month in the second year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, saying,

²"Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head

³from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go out to war. You and Aaron shall number them, army by army.

⁴And with you there shall be a man [to assist you] from each tribe, each being the head of his father's household.

⁵These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from [the tribe of] Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;

⁶from [the tribe of] Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

⁷from [the tribe of] Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

⁸from [the tribe of] Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;

⁹from [the tribe of] Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

¹⁰from the sons (descendants) of Joseph: from [the tribe of] Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from [the tribe of] Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;

¹¹from [the tribe of] Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

¹²from [the tribe of] Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

¹³from [the tribe of] Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;

¹⁴from [the tribe of] Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

¹⁵from [the tribe of] Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

¹⁶These men were the ones called from the congregation, the leaders of their fathers' (ancestors') tribes; they were the heads of thousands [the highest ranking officers] in Israel."

¹⁷So Moses and Aaron took these men who were designated by name,

¹⁸and assembled all the congregation on the first day of the second month, and they registered by ancestry in their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,

¹⁹just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

²⁰The sons of Reuben, Israel's (Jacob's) firstborn, their generations, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²¹those of the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

²²Of the sons of Simeon, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, their numbered men according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²³those of the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

²⁴Of the sons of Gad, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²⁵those of the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

²⁶Of the sons of Judah, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²⁷those of the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

²⁸Of the sons of Issachar, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

²⁹those of the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

³⁰Of the sons of Zebulun, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³¹those of the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

³²Of the sons of Joseph: the sons (descendants) of Ephraim, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³³those of the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

³⁴Of the sons of Manasseh, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³⁵those of the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

³⁶Of the sons of Benjamin, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³⁷those of the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

³⁸Of the sons of Dan, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

³⁹those of the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

⁴⁰Of the sons of Asher, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

⁴¹those of the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

⁴²Of the sons of Naphtali, their descendants, by their families (clans), by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

⁴³those of the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

⁴⁴These were the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers' household.

⁴⁵So all those numbered of the sons of Israel, by their fathers' households, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war in Israel,

⁴⁶all who were numbered were 603,550.

⁴⁷The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers' tribe.

⁴⁸For the LORD had said to Moses,

⁴⁹"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel [since they are unavailable to go to war].

⁵⁰But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle (sanctuary) of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings and all things that belong to it. They shall carry the tabernacle [when traveling] and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and camp around it.

⁵¹When the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to [be set up for] camp, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman (non-Levite) who approaches the tabernacle shall be put to death.

⁵²The Israelites shall camp according to their armies, every man by his own camp and every man by his own [tribal] standard (banner).

⁵³But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, so that there will be no wrath against the congregation of the Israelites. The Levites shall be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony."

⁵⁴Thus the sons of Israel did these things; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so they did.

¹Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

²of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.]

³And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.

⁴For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

⁵and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come,

⁶and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.

⁷For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God;

⁸but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

⁹But, beloved, even though we speak to you in this way, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and of things that accompany salvation.

¹⁰For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God's people), as you do.

¹¹And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realize and enjoy the full assurance of hope until the end,

¹²so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.

¹³For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear,

¹⁴saying, "I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you."

¹⁵And so, having patiently waited, he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God].

¹⁶Indeed men swear [an oath] by one greater than themselves, and with them [in all disputes] the oath serves as confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute.

¹⁷In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervened and guaranteed it with an oath,

¹⁸so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us.

¹⁹This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]—a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells],

²⁰where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

¹"To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Ephesus write: "These are the words of the One who holds [firmly] the seven stars [which are the angels or messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands (the seven churches):

²'I know your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors;

³and [I know that] you [who believe] are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and that you have not grown weary [of being faithful to the truth].

⁴But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].

⁵So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent.

⁶Yet you have this [to your credit], that you hate the works and corrupt teachings of the Nicolaitans [that mislead and delude the people], which I also hate.

⁷He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'

⁸"And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Smyrna write: "These are the words of the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God] who died and came to life [again]:

⁹'I know your suffering and your poverty (but you are rich), and how you are blasphemed and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [they are Jews only by blood, and do not believe and truly honor the God whom they claim to worship].

¹⁰Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life.

¹¹He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will not be hurt by the second death ( the lake of fire).'

¹²"And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Pergamum write: "These are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword [in judgment]:

¹³'I know where you dwell, [a place] where Satan sits enthroned. Yet you are holding fast to My name, and you did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) among you, where Satan dwells.

¹⁴But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] immorality.

¹⁵You also have some who in the same way are holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

¹⁶Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will]; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war and fight against them with the sword of My mouth [in judgment].

¹⁷He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], to him I will give [the privilege of eating] some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.'

¹⁸"And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Thyatira write: "These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes [that flash] like a flame of fire [in righteous judgment], and whose feet are like burnished [white-hot] bronze:

¹⁹'I know your deeds, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are more numerous and greater than the first.

²⁰But I have this [charge] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and she teaches and misleads My bond-servants so that they commit [acts of sexual] immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols.

²¹I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so.

²² Listen carefully, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her [I will bring] into great anguish, unless they repent of her deeds.

²³And I will kill her children (followers) with pestilence [thoroughly annihilating them], and all the churches will know [without any doubt] that I am He who searches the minds and hearts [the innermost thoughts, purposes]; and I will give to each one of you [a reward or punishment] according to your deeds.

²⁴But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the depths of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you,

²⁵except to hold tightly to what you have until I come.

²⁶And he who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] and he who keeps My deeds [doing things that please Me] until the [very] end, to him I will give authority and power over the nations;

²⁷and he shall shepherd and rule them with a rod of iron, as the earthen pots are broken in pieces, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father;

²⁸and I will give him the Morning Star.

²⁹He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.'

¹(The Shulammite Bride) "On my bed night after night [I dreamed that] I sought the one Whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him.

²"I said 'So I must arise now and go out into the city; Into the streets and into the squares [places I do not know] I must seek him whom my soul loves.' I sought him but I did not find him.

³"The watchmen who go around the city found me, And I said, 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'

⁴"Scarcely had I passed them When I found him whom my soul loves. I held on to him and would not let him go Until I had brought him to my mother's house, And into the chamber of her who conceived me."

⁵(The Bridegroom) "I command that you take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, That you do not rouse nor awaken my love Until she pleases."

⁶(The Shulammite Bride) "What is this coming up from the wilderness Like [stately] pillars of smoke Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the fragrant powders of the merchant?"

⁷(The Chorus) "Behold, it is the couch ( palanquin) of Solomon; Sixty mighty men around it, Of the mighty men of Israel.

⁸"All of them handle the sword, All expert in war; Each man has his sword at his thigh, Guarding against the terrors of the night.

⁹"King Solomon has made for himself a palanquin From the [cedar] wood of Lebanon.

¹⁰"He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold, Its seat of purple cloth, The interior lovingly and intricately wrought By the daughters of Jerusalem.

¹¹"Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And gaze on King Solomon wearing the crown With which his mother [Bathsheba] has crowned him On the day of his wedding, On the day of his gladness of heart."

¹To the Chief Musician; on wind instruments. A Psalm of David. Listen to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning and sighing.

²Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray.

³In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].

⁴For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil [person] dwells with You.

⁵The boastful and the arrogant will not stand in Your sight; You hate all who do evil.

⁶You destroy those who tell lies; The LORD detests and rejects the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and tender mercy; At Your holy temple I will bow [obediently] in reverence for You.

⁸O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight (direct, right) before me.

⁹For there is nothing trustworthy or reliable or truthful in what they say; Their heart is destruction [just a treacherous chasm, a yawning gulf of lies]. Their throat is an open grave; They [glibly] flatter with their [silken] tongue.

¹⁰Hold them guilty, O God; Let them fall by their own designs and councils! Cast them out because of the abundance of their transgressions, For they are mutinous and have rebelled against You.

¹¹But let all who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice, Let them ever sing for joy; Because You cover and shelter them, Let those who love Your name be joyful and exult in You.

¹²For You, O LORD, bless the righteous man [the one who is in right standing with You]; You surround him with favor as with a shield.

¹Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a [shortsighted] fool.

²Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, So the curse without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving].

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the backs of fools [who refuse to learn].

⁴Do not answer [nor pretend to agree with the frivolous comments of] a [closed-minded] fool according to his folly, Otherwise you, even you, will be like him.

⁵Answer [and correct the erroneous concepts of] a fool according to his folly, Otherwise he will be wise in his own eyes [if he thinks you agree with him].

⁶He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet (sabotages himself) and drinks the violence [it brings on himself as a consequence].

⁷Like the legs which are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who cannot learn from its wisdom].

⁸Like one who [absurdly] binds a stone in a sling [making it impossible to throw], So is he who [absurdly] gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man, So is a proverb in the mouth of a fool [who remains unaffected by its wisdom].

¹⁰Like a [careless] archer who [shoots arrows wildly and] wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or those who [by chance just] pass by.

¹¹Like a dog that returns to his vomit Is a fool who repeats his foolishness.

¹²Do you see a man [who is unteachable and] wise in his own eyes and full of self-conceit? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The lazy person [who is self-indulgent and relies on lame excuses] says, "There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square [and if I go outside to work I will be killed]!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy person on his bed [never getting out of it].

¹⁵The lazy person buries his hand in the dish [losing opportunity after opportunity]; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes Than seven [sensible] men who can give a discreet answer.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog by the ears [and is likely to be bitten] Is he who, passing by, stops to meddle with a dispute that is none of his business.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹So is the man who deceives his neighbor (acquaintance, friend) And then says, "Was I not joking?"

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer [who gossips], contention quiets down.

²¹Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten]; They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].

²³Like a [common] clay vessel covered with the silver dross [making it appear silver when it has no real value] Are burning lips [murmuring manipulative words] and a wicked heart.

²⁴He who hates, disguises it with his lips, But he stores up deceit in his heart.

²⁵When he speaks graciously and kindly [to conceal his malice], do not trust him, For seven abominations are in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred covers itself with guile and deceit, His malevolence will be revealed openly before the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit [for another man's feet] will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone [up a hill to do mischief], it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

¹So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated Eleazar his son to care for the ark of the Lord.

²And from that day the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a very long time, for it was twenty years [until the reign of King David]; and all the house of Israel lamented (wailed) and grieved after the LORD.

³Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth (pagan goddesses) from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him only; and He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines."

⁴So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone.

⁵Samuel said, "Gather all Israel together at Mizpah and I will pray to the LORD for you."

⁶So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

⁷Now when the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords (governors) of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, so that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines."

⁹So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD; and Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel and the LORD answered him.

¹⁰As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines approached for the battle against Israel. Then the LORD thundered with a great voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated and fled before Israel.

¹¹And the men of Israel came out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as [the territory] below Beth-car.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."

¹³So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore into Israelite territory. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered the cities' territory from the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶He used to go annually on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.

¹⁷Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there; and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

¹"Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God].

²"Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, And your earnings for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight in abundance.

³"Incline your ear [to listen] and come to Me; Hear, so that your soul may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies [promised and] shown to David.

⁴"Listen carefully, I have appointed him [David, representing the Messiah] to be a witness to the nations [regarding salvation], A leader and commander to the peoples.

⁵"In fact, you[Israel] will call a nation that you do not know, And a nation that does not know you will run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you."

⁶Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.

⁷Let the wicked leave (behind) his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion (mercy) on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

⁸"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

⁹"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

¹⁰"For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, Making it bear and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

¹¹So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

¹²"For you will go out [from exile] with joy And be led forth [by the LORD Himself] with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

¹³"Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow, And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow; And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off."

¹Now Festus arrived in the province, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea [Maritima].

²And [there in Jerusalem] the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul [before Festus], and they repeatedly pleaded with him,

³asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile planning an ambush to kill him on the way).

⁴Festus answered that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea [Maritima] and that he himself was about to leave shortly.

⁵"So," he said, "let those who are in a position of authority among you go there with me, and if there is anything criminal about the man, let them bring charges against him."

⁶Now after Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal (the judicial bench), and ordered Paul to be brought [before him].

⁷After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him which they were not able to prove,

⁸while Paul declared in his own defense, "I have done no wrong and committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."

⁹But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, " Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial there in my presence [before the Jewish Sanhedrin] on these charges?"

¹⁰Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.

¹¹Therefore, if I am guilty and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not try to escape death; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar (Emperor Nero)."

¹²Then Festus, after conferring with [the men who formed] his council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."

¹³Now several days later, Agrippa [II] the king and Bernice [his sister] arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus [the new governor].

¹⁴While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man here who was left as a prisoner by Felix.

¹⁵When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews [told me about him and] brought charges against him, petitioning for a sentence of condemnation against him.

¹⁶I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man [for punishment] before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has the opportunity to defend himself against the charges.

¹⁷So after they arrived together here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my place on the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought before me.

¹⁸When his accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of crimes that I was expecting [neither civil nor criminal actions],

¹⁹instead they had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about one Jesus, a man who had died, but whom Paul kept asserting and insisting [over and over] to be alive.

²⁰And I, being at a loss as to how to investigate these things, asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters.

²¹But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for a decision by the Emperor [Nero], I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar."

²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," Festus replied, "you will hear him."

²³So the next day Agrippa and [his sister] Bernice came with great pageantry, and they went into the auditorium accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

²⁴Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man [Paul] about whom all the Jewish people appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly insisting that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; however, since he appealed to the Emperor [Nero], I decided to send him [to Rome].

²⁶But I have nothing specific about him to write to my lord. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I will have something to put in writing.

²⁷For it seems absurd and unreasonable to me to send a prisoner [to Rome] without indicating the charges against him."