Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Early in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), immediately consulted together; and they bound Jesus, they took Him away [violently] and handed Him over to Pilate.

²Pilate questioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He replied to him, "It is as you say."

³The chief priests began accusing Him of many things.

⁴Then Pilate again asked Him, "Have You no answer [to give]? See how many charges they are bringing against You!"

⁵But Jesus gave no further answer; so Pilate was perplexed.

⁶Now at the [Passover] feast Pilate used to set free for them any one prisoner whom they requested.

⁷The man called Barabbas was imprisoned with the insurrectionists (revolutionaries) who had committed murder in the civil rebellion.

⁸The crowd came up and began asking Pilate to do as he usually did for them.

⁹Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to set free for you the King of the Jews?"

¹⁰For he was aware that the chief priests had turned Jesus over to him because of envy and resentment.

¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release Barabbas for them instead.

¹²Again Pilate answered, "Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"

¹³They screamed back, "Crucify Him!"

¹⁴But Pilate asked them, "Why, what has He done that is evil?" But they screamed all the more, "Crucify Him!"

¹⁵So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over [to his soldiers] to be crucified.

¹⁶The soldiers led Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the entire [Roman] battalion [of 600 soldiers].

¹⁷They dressed Him up in [a ranking Roman officer's robe of] purple, and after twisting [together] a crown of thorns, they placed it on Him;

¹⁸and they began saluting and mocking Him: "Hail, King of the Jews!"

¹⁹They kept beating Him on the head with a reed and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing in [mock] homage to Him.

²⁰After they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. And they led Him out [of the city] to crucify Him.

²¹They forced into service a passer-by coming in from the countryside, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to carry His cross.

²²Then they brought Him to the place [called] Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

²³They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh [to dull the pain], but He would not take it.

²⁴And they crucified Him, and divided up His clothes among themselves, casting lots for them to see who should take what.

²⁵It was the third hour (9:00 a.m.) when they crucified Him.

²⁶The inscription of the accusation against Him had been written [above Him]: "THE KING OF THE JEWS."

²⁷They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left.

²⁸[And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "He was counted with the transgressors."]

²⁹Those who were passing by were insulting Him with abusive and insolent language, wagging their heads [as a sign of contempt], and saying, "Ha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in [only] three days,

³⁰save Yourself by coming down from the cross!"

³¹In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were ridiculing and mocking Him among themselves and saying, "He saved others [from death]; He cannot save Himself!

³²Let the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe and trust [in Him]!" Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

³³When the sixth hour (noon) came, darkness covered the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.).

³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

³⁵Some of the bystanders heard Him and said, "Look! He is calling for Elijah!"

³⁶Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave Him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elijah is coming to take Him down."

³⁷But Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His last [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father's plan].

³⁸And the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

³⁹When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last [being fully in control], he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

⁴⁰Now some women also were watching from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome.

⁴¹When Jesus was in Galilee, they used to accompany him and minister to Him; and there were also many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

⁴²When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

⁴³Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent and respected member of the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God—and he courageously dared to go in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

⁴⁴Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time [only six hours after being crucified], and he summoned the centurion and asked him whether He was already dead.

⁴⁵And when he learned from the centurion [that Jesus was in fact dead], he gave the body to Joseph [by granting him permission to remove it].

⁴⁶So Joseph purchased a [fine] linen cloth [for wrapping the body], and after taking Jesus down [from the cross], he wrapped Him in the linen cloth and placed Him in a tomb which had been cut out of rock. Then he rolled a [large, wheel-shaped] stone against the entrance of the tomb.

⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were [carefully] watching to see where He was laid.

¹Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Say to the sons of Israel, 'When a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, that is, one separated and dedicated to the LORD,

³he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes.

⁴All the time of his separation he shall not eat anything produced from the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.

⁵'All the time of the vow of his separation no razor shall be used on his head. Until the time of his separation to the LORD is completed, he shall be holy, and shall let the hair of his head grow long.

⁶'All the time that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body.

⁷He shall not make himself [ceremonially] unclean for his father, mother, brother, or sister, when they die, because [the responsibility for] his separation to God is on his head.

⁸All the time of his separation he is holy to the LORD.

⁹'If a man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles his dedicated head, then he shall shave his head on the day that he becomes [ceremonially] clean; he shall shave it on the seventh day [the end of the purification period].

¹⁰On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

¹¹'The priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering and make atonement for him concerning his sin because of the [dead] body. He shall consecrate his head the same day,

¹²and he shall dedicate himself to the LORD for the time of his separation and shall bring a male lamb a year old as a guilt offering; but the previous days will be void and lost, because his separation was defiled.

¹³'Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation and dedication are fulfilled: he shall bring the offering to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

¹⁴and he shall offer his gift to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering, and one female lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering,

¹⁵and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering.

¹⁶Then the priest shall present them before the LORD and shall offer the person's sin offering and his burnt offering.

¹⁷He shall also offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also its grain offering and its drink offering.

¹⁸The Nazirite shall shave his dedicated head at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle), and take the dedicated hair of his head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

¹⁹The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened [ring-shaped] loaf out of the basket, and one unleavened flat cake and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his dedicated hair.

²⁰Then the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD; they are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered by lifting up; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.'

²¹"This is the law for the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD for his separation, besides what else he is able to afford, according to the vow which he has vowed; so shall he do according to the law for his separation and abstinence [as a Nazirite]."

²²Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²³"Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them:

²⁴The LORD bless you, and keep you [protect you, sustain you, and guard you];

²⁵The LORD make His face shine upon you [with favor], And be gracious to you [surrounding you with lovingkindness];

²⁶The LORD lift up His countenance (face) upon you [with divine approval], And give you peace [a tranquil heart and life].'

²⁷So Aaron and his sons shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

¹Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

²For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval.

³By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

⁴By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which it was testified of him that he was righteous (upright, in right standing with God), and God testified by accepting his gifts. And though he died, yet through [this act of] faith he still speaks.

⁵By faith [that pleased God] Enoch was caught up and taken to heaven so that he would not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found because God had taken him; for even before he was taken [to heaven], he received the testimony [still on record] that he had walked with God and pleased Him.

⁶But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.

⁷By faith [with confidence in God and His word] Noah, being warned by God about events not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

⁸By faith Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed by going to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went, not knowing where he was going.

⁹By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land, as in a strange land, living in tents [as nomads] with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise.

¹⁰For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has foundations, [an eternal, heavenly city] whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹By faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive [a child], even [when she was long] past the normal age for it, because she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true [to His word].

¹²So from one man, though he was [physically] as good as dead, were born as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand on the seashore.

¹³All these died in faith [guided and sustained by it], without receiving the [tangible fulfillment of God's] promises, only having seen (anticipated) them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

¹⁴Now those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own.

¹⁵And if they had been thinking of that country from which they departed [as their true home], they would have had [a continuing] opportunity to return.

¹⁶But the truth is that they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. For that reason God is not ashamed [of them or] to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]; for He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tested [that is, as the testing of his faith was still in progress], offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises [of God] was ready to sacrifice his only son [of promise];

¹⁸to whom it was said, "Through Isaac your descendants shall be called."

¹⁹For he considered [it reasonable to believe] that God was able to raise Isaac even from among the dead. [Indeed, in the sense that he was prepared to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God] Abraham did receive him back [from the dead] figuratively speaking.

²⁰By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau [believing what God revealed to him], even regarding things to come.

²¹By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff.

²²By faith Joseph, when he was dying, referred to [the promise of God for] the exodus of the sons of Israel [from Egypt], and gave instructions concerning [the burial of] his bones [in the land of the promise].

²³By faith Moses, after his birth, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful and divinely favored child; and they were not afraid of the king's (Pharaoh's) decree.

²⁴By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

²⁵because he preferred to endure the hardship of the people of God rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.

²⁶He considered the reproach of the Christ [that is, the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God] to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt; for he looked ahead to the reward [promised by God].

²⁷By faith he left Egypt, being unafraid of the wrath of the king; for he endured [steadfastly], as seeing Him who is unseen.

²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the doorposts], so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them (the firstborn of Israel).

²⁹By faith the people [of Israel] crossed the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days [by Joshua and the sons of Israel].

³¹By faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies [sent by the sons of Israel] in peace.

³²And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

³³who by faith [that is, with an enduring trust in God and His promises] subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions,

³⁴extinguished the power of [raging] fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty and unbeatable in battle, putting enemy forces to flight.

³⁵Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured [to death], refusing to accept release [offered on the condition of denying their faith], so that they would be resurrected to a better life;

³⁶and others experienced the trial of mocking and scourging [amid torture], and even chains and imprisonment.

³⁷They were stoned [to death], they were sawn in two, they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith], they were put to death by the sword; they went about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated

³⁸(people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and [living in] caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹And all of these, though they gained [divine] approval through their faith, did not receive [the fulfillment of] what was promised,

⁴⁰because God had us in mind and had something better for us, so that they [these men and women of authentic faith] would not be made perfect [that is, completed in Him] apart from us.

¹After this I saw four angels stationed at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.

²Then I saw another angel coming up from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and with a loud voice he called out to the four angels to whom it was granted [to have authority and power] to harm the earth and the sea,

³saying, "Do not harm the earth nor the sea nor the trees until we seal (mark) the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

⁴And I heard how many were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand; [twelve thousand] sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

⁵Twelve thousand were sealed from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,

⁶twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh,

⁷twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,

⁸twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed (marked, redeemed, protected).

⁹After these things I looked, and this is what I saw: a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Christ), dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands;

¹⁰and in a loud voice they cried out, saying, "Salvation [belongs] to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [our salvation is the Trinity's to give, and to God the Trinity we owe our deliverance]."

¹¹And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the [twenty-four] elders and the four living creatures; and they fell to their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

¹²saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and majesty and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen."

¹³Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, "These who are dressed in the long white robes—who are they, and from where did they come?"

¹⁴I said to him, "My lord, you know [the answer]." And he said to me, "These are the people who come out of the great tribulation (persecution), and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb [because of His atoning sacrifice].

¹⁵For this reason, they are [standing] before the throne of God; and they serve Him [in worship] day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them and shelter and protect them [with His presence].

¹⁶They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any [scorching] heat;

¹⁷for the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes [giving them eternal comfort]."

¹"Oh, that you were like a brother to me, Who nursed at the breasts of my mother. If I found you out of doors, I would kiss you; No one would blame me or despise me, either.

²"I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me; I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.

³"Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me."

⁴(The Bridegroom) "I command you to take an oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, That you do not rouse nor awaken my love Until she pleases."

⁵(The Chorus) "Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning upon her beloved?" (The Shulammite Bride) "Under the apple tree I awakened you [to my love]; There your mother was in labor with you, There she was in labor and gave you birth.

⁶"Put me like a seal on your heart, Like a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, [A most vehement flame] the very flame of the LORD!

⁷"Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can rivers drown it. If a man would offer all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly scorned and despised."

⁸(The Chorus) "We have a little sister And she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister On the day when she is spoken for [in marriage]?

⁹"If she is a wall (discreet, womanly), We will build on her a turret (dowry) of silver; But if she is a door (bold, flirtatious), We will enclose her with planks of cedar."

¹⁰(The Shulammite Bride) "I was a wall, and my breasts were like the towers. Then I became in the king's eyes As one [to be respected and allowed] to find peace.

¹¹"Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers; Each one was to bring him a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

¹²"My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand [shekels of silver] are for you, O Solomon, And two hundred are for those who tend the fruit."

¹³(The Bridegroom) "O you who sit in the gardens, My companions are listening for your voice— Let me hear it."

¹⁴(The Shulammite Bride) "Hurry, my beloved and come quickly, Like a gazelle or a young stag [taking me home] On the mountains of spices."

¹Why do You stand far away, O LORD? Why do You hide [Yourself, veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble?

²In pride and arrogance the wicked hotly pursue and persecute the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

³For the wicked boasts and sings the praises of his heart's desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns [and even despises] the LORD.

⁴The wicked, in the haughtiness of his face, will not seek nor inquire for Him; All his thoughts are, "There is no God [so there is no accountability or punishment]."

⁵His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments [LORD] are on high, out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

⁶He says to himself, "I will not be moved; For throughout all generations I will not be in adversity [for nothing bad will happen to me]."

⁷His mouth is full of curses and deceit (fraud) and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness [injustice and sin].

⁸He lurks in ambush in the villages; In hiding places he kills the innocent; He lies in wait for the unfortunate [the unhappy, the poor, the helpless].

⁹He lurks in a hiding place like a lion in his lair; He lies in wait to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

¹⁰He crushes [his prey] and crouches; And the unfortunate fall by his mighty claws.

¹¹He says to himself, "God has [quite] forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see my deed."

¹²Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand [in judgment]; Do not forget the suffering.

¹³Why has the wicked spurned and shown disrespect to God? He has said to himself, "You will not require me to account."

¹⁴You have seen it, for You have noted mischief and vexation (irritation) to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find no more.

¹⁶The LORD is King forever and ever; The nations will perish from His land.

¹⁷O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble and oppressed; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to hear,

¹⁸To vindicate and obtain justice for the fatherless and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer terrify them.

¹The words of King Lemuel, the oracle, which his mother taught him:

²What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what [shall I advise you], O son of my vows?

³Do not give your [generative] strength to women [neither foreign wives in marriages of alliances, nor concubines], Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

⁵Otherwise they drink and forget the law and its decrees, And pervert the rights and justice of all the afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink [as medicine] to him who is ready to pass away, And wine to him whose life is bitter.

⁷Let him drink and forget his poverty And no longer remember his trouble.

⁸Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all who are unfortunate and defenseless;

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously, And administer justice for the afflicted and needy.

¹⁰An excellent woman [one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous], who is he who can find her? Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her [with secure confidence], And he will have no lack of gain.

¹²She comforts, encourages, and does him only good and not evil All the days of her life.

¹³She looks for wool and flax And works with willing hands in delight.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships [abounding with treasure]; She brings her [household's] food from far away.

¹⁵She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And assigns tasks to her maids.

¹⁶She considers a field before she buys or accepts it [expanding her business prudently]; With her profits she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

¹⁷She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] And makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She sees that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead].

¹⁹She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle [as she spins wool into thread for clothing].

²⁰She opens and extends her hand to the poor, And she reaches out her filled hands to the needy.

²¹She does not fear the snow for her household, For all in her household are clothed in [expensive] scarlet [wool].

²²She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is linen, pure and fine, and purple [wool].

²³Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes [fine] linen garments and sells them; And supplies sashes to the merchants.

²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; And she smiles at the future [knowing that she and her family are prepared].

²⁶She opens her mouth in [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue [giving counsel and instruction].

²⁷She looks well to how things go in her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired); Her husband also, and he praises her, saying,

²⁹"Many daughters have done nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], But you excel them all."

³⁰Charm and grace are deceptive, and [superficial] beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD [reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], she shall be praised.

³¹Give her of the product of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city].

¹Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in everything that you have said to me and have appointed a king over you.

²And now, here is the king walking before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and here are my sons with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.

³Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and [Saul] His anointed [if I have done someone wrong]. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes [to the truth]? [Tell me and] I will restore it to you."

⁴They said, "You have not exploited us or oppressed us or taken anything at all from a man's hand."

⁵Samuel said to them, "The LORD is a witness against you, and [Saul] His anointed is a witness this day that you have not found anything in my hand." And they answered, "He is a witness."

⁶Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers (ancestors) up from the land of Egypt.

⁷Now then, take your stand, so that I may plead and contend with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did for you and for your fathers.

⁸When Jacob [and his sons] had come into Egypt [and later when the Egyptians oppressed them] and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

⁹But when they forgot the LORD their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of Hazor's army, and into the hand of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

¹⁰They cried out to the LORD, saying, 'We have sinned because we have abandoned (rejected) the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now rescue us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

¹¹Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal (Gideon) and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and He rescued you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in security.

¹²But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites had come against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us'—although the LORD your God was your King.

¹³Now therefore, here is [Saul] the king whom you have chosen, and for whom you asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

¹⁴If you will fear the LORD [with awe and profound reverence] and serve Him and listen to His voice and not rebel against His commandment, then both you and your king will follow the LORD your God [and it will be well].

¹⁵But if you do not listen to the Lord's voice, but rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you [to punish you], as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶So now, take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes.

¹⁷Is it not [the beginning of the] wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD and He will send thunder and rain; then you will know [without any doubt], and see that your evil which you have done is great in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king."

¹⁸So Samuel called to the LORD [in prayer], and He sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

¹⁹Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we will not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil—to ask for a king for ourselves."

²⁰Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have [indeed] done all this evil; yet do not turn away from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

²¹You must not turn away, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or rescue, because they are futile.

²²The LORD will not abandon His people for His great name's sake, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.

²³Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

²⁴Only fear the LORD [with awe and profound reverence] and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

²⁵But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away [to destruction]."

¹"Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the LORD]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the LORD has risen upon you.

²"For in fact, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness will cover the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you [Jerusalem] And His glory and brilliance will be seen on you.

³"Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

⁴"Lift up your eyes around you and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from far away, And your daughters will be looked after at their side.

⁵"Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will tremble [with joy] and rejoice Because the abundant wealth of the seas will be brought to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.

⁶"A multitude of camels [from the eastern trading tribes] will cover you [Jerusalem], The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba [who once came to trade] will come Bringing gold and frankincense And proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

⁷"All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you [as the eastern pastoral tribes join the trading tribes], The rams of Nebaioth will serve you; They will go up with acceptance [as sacrifices] on My altar, And I will glorify the house of My honor and splendor.

⁸"Who are these who fly like a cloud And like doves to their windows?

⁹"The islands and coastlands will confidently wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from far away, Their silver and gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, For the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.

¹⁰"Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will serve you; For in My [righteous] wrath I struck you, But in My favor and grace I have had compassion on you.

¹¹"Your gates will be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, So that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations— With their kings led in procession.

¹²"For the nation or the kingdom which will not serve you [Jerusalem] shall perish, And the nations [that refuse to serve] shall be utterly ruined.

¹³"The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The cypress, the juniper, and the cedar together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will honor and make the place of My feet glorious.

¹⁴"The sons of those who oppressed you will come bowing down to you [in submission], And all those who despised you and treated you disrespectfully will bow down at the soles of your feet, And they will call you the City of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵"Whereas you [Jerusalem] have been abandoned and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an object of pride forever, A joy from generation to generation.

¹⁶"You will suck the milk of the [Gentile] nations And suck the breast (abundance) of kings; Then you will recognize and know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

¹⁷"Instead of bronze I will bring gold, And instead of iron I will bring silver, And instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. And [instead of the tyranny of the present] I will appoint peace as your officers, And righteousness your rulers.

¹⁸"Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; But you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise [to God].

¹⁹"The sun will no longer be your light by day, Nor shall the bright glow of the moon give light to you, But the LORD will be an everlasting light for you; And your God will be your glory and splendor.

²⁰"Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over.

²¹"Then all your people will be [uncompromisingly and consistently] righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.

²²"The smallest one will become a thousand (a clan), And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will quicken it in its [appointed] time."

¹When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place,

²and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

³There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit].

⁴And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].

⁵Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven.

⁶And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect.

⁷They were completely astonished, saying, "Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?

⁸Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect?

⁹[Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia [Minor],

¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism),

¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!"

¹²And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, "What could this mean?"

¹³But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, "They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!"

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say.

¹⁵These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);

¹⁶but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷'And it shall be in the last days,' says God, 'That I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see [divinely prompted] visions, And your old men shall dream [divinely prompted] dreams;

¹⁸Even on My bond-servants, both men and women, I will in those days pour out My Spirit And they shall prophesy.

¹⁹'And I will bring about wonders in the sky above And signs (attesting miracles) on the earth below, Blood and fire and smoking vapor.

²⁰'The sun shall be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

²¹'And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus] shall be saved (rescued spiritually).'

²²"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accredited and pointed out and attested to you by God with [the power to perform] miracles and wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your [very] midst, just as you yourselves know—

²³this Man, when handed over [to the Roman authorities] according to the predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawless and godless men.

²⁴But God raised Him up, releasing Him and bringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death's power.

²⁵For David says of Him, 'I saw the Lord constantly before me; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken [from my state of security].

²⁶'Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope [that is, will encamp in anticipation of the resurrection];

²⁷'For You will not forsake me and abandon my soul to Hades (the realm of the dead), Nor let Your Holy One undergo decay [after death].

²⁸'You have made known to me the ways of life; You will fill me [infusing my soul] with joy with Your presence.'

²⁹"Brothers, I may confidently and freely say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

³⁰And so, being a prophet and knowing fully that God had sworn to him with an oath that He would seat one of his descendants on his throne,

³¹he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay.

³²God raised this Jesus [bodily from the dead], and of that [fact] we are all witnesses.

³³Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear.

³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says, 'The Lord [the Father] said to my LORD [the Son], "Sit at My right hand,

³⁵Until I make Your enemies afootstool for Your feet."'

³⁶Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)—this Jesus whom you crucified."

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?"

³⁸And Peter said to them, "Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself."

⁴⁰And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, " Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!"

⁴¹So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers].

⁴²They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers.

⁴³A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.

⁴⁴And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole].

⁴⁵And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need.

⁴⁶Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts,

⁴⁷praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.