Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now it happened that while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee), with the people crowding all around Him and listening to the word of God;

²that He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.

³He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little distance from the shore. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat.

⁴When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon [Peter], "Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish]."

⁵Simon replied, "Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again]."

⁶When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were [at the point of] breaking;

⁷so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats [with fish], so that they began to sink.

⁸But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

⁹For he and all his companions were completely astounded at the catch of fish which they had taken;

¹⁰and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon [Peter]. Jesus said to Simon, "Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men!"

¹¹After they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].

¹²While Jesus was in one of the cities, there came a man covered with [an advanced case of] leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean and well."

¹³And Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him.

¹⁴Jesus ordered him to tell no one [that he might happen to meet], "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your purification, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony (witness) to them [that this is a work of Messiah]."

¹⁵But the news about Him was spreading farther, and large crowds kept gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their illnesses.

¹⁶But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

¹⁷One day as He was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present with Him to heal.

¹⁸Some men came carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed, and they tried to bring him in and lay him down in front of Jesus.

¹⁹But finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof [and removed some tiles to make an opening] and lowered him through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.

²⁰When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said, "Man, your sins are forgiven."

²¹The scribes and the Pharisees began to consider and question [the implications of what He had said], saying, "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]? Who can forgive sins [that is, remove guilt, nullify sin's penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?"

²²But Jesus, knowing their [hostile] thoughts, answered them, "Why are you questioning [these things] in your hearts?

²³Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

²⁴But, in order that you may know that the Son of Man (the Messiah) has authority and power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralyzed man, "I say to you, get up, pick up your stretcher and go home."

²⁵He immediately stood up before them, picked up his stretcher, and went home glorifying and praising God.

²⁶They were all astonished, and they began glorifying God; and they were filled with [reverential] fear and kept saying, "We have seen wonderful and incredible things today!"

²⁷After this Jesus went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi (Matthew) sitting at the tax booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk]."

²⁸And he left everything behind and got up and began to follow Jesus [as His disciple].

²⁹Levi (Matthew) gave a great banquet for Him at his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table with them.

³⁰The Pharisees and their scribes [seeing those with whom He was associating] began murmuring in discontent to His disciples, asking, "Why are you eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]?"

³¹And Jesus replied to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but [only] those who are sick.

³²I did not come to call the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to repent], but sinners to repentance [to change their old way of thinking, to turn from sin and to seek God and His righteousness]."

³³Then they said to Him, "The disciples of John [the Baptist] often practice fasting and offer prayers [of special petition], and so do the disciples of the Pharisees; but Yours eat and drink."

³⁴Jesus said to them, "Can you make the wedding guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?

³⁵But days [for mourning] will come when the bridegroom is [forcefully] taken away from them. They will fast in those days."

³⁶He also told them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old one; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

³⁷And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.

³⁸But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

³⁹And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is fine.'"

¹Now Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman);

²and they said, "Has the LORD really spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken also through us?" And the LORD heard it.

³( Now the man Moses was very humble (gentle, kind, devoid of self-righteousness), more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

⁴Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle)." And the three of them came out.

⁵The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tabernacle, and He called Aaron and Miriam, and they came forward.

⁶And He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD will make Myself known to him in a vision And I will speak to him in a dream.

⁷"But it is not so with My servant Moses; He is entrusted and faithful in all My house.

⁸"With him I speak mouth to mouth [directly], Clearly and openly and not in riddles; And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?"

⁹And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Miriam and Aaron, and He departed.

¹⁰But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned and looked at Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

¹¹Then Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, I plead with you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned.

¹²Oh, do not let her be like one dead, already half decomposed when he comes from his mother's womb."

¹³So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "Heal her please, O God, I plead with You!"

¹⁴But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp for seven days, and afterward she may return."

¹⁵So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was brought in again [and declared ceremonially clean from her leprosy].

¹⁶Afterward the people moved on from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

¹What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking, has found? [Has he obtained a favored standing?]

²For if Abraham was justified [that is, acquitted from the guilt of his sins] by works [those things he did that were good], he has something to boast about, but not before God.

³For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed in (trusted, relied on) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living, right standing with God)."

⁴Now to a laborer, his wages are not credited as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation [something owed to him].

⁵But to the one who does not work [that is, the one who does not try to earn his salvation by doing good], but believes and completely trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

⁶And in this same way David speaks of the blessing on the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁷"Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried.

⁸"Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account nor charge against him."

⁹Is this blessing only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."

¹⁰How then was it credited [to him]? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before? Not after, but while [he was] uncircumcised.

¹¹He received the sign of circumcision, a seal or confirmation of the righteousness which he had by faith while [he was still] uncircumcised—this was so that he would be the [spiritual] father of all who believe without being circumcised—so that righteousness would be credited to them,

¹²and [that he would be] the [spiritual] father of those circumcised who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had before he was circumcised.

¹³For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through [observing the requirements of] the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

¹⁴If those who are [followers] of the Law are [the true] heirs [of Abraham], then faith [leading to salvation] is of no effect and void, and the promise [of God] is nullified.

¹⁵For the Law results in [God's] wrath [against sin], but where there is no law, there is no violation [of it either].

¹⁶Therefore, [inheriting] the promise depends entirely on faith [that is, confident trust in the unseen God], in order that it may be given as an act of grace [His unmerited favor and mercy], so that the promise will be [legally] guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham]—not only for those [Jewish believers] who keep the Law, but also for those [Gentile believers] who share the faith of Abraham, who is the [spiritual] father of us all—

¹⁷(as it is written [in Scripture], "I have made you a father of many nations") in the sight of Him in whom he believed, that is, God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

¹⁸In hope against hope Abraham believed that he would become a father of many nations, as he had been promised [by God]: "So [numberless] shall your descendants be."

¹⁹Without becoming weak in faith he considered his own body, now as good as dead [for producing children] since he was about a hundred years old, and [he considered] the deadness of Sarah's womb.

²⁰But he did not doubt or waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and empowered by faith, giving glory to God,

²¹being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised.

²²Therefore his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

²³Now not for his sake alone was it written that it was credited to him,

²⁴but for our sake also—to whom righteousness will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead—

²⁵who was betrayed and crucified because of our sins, and was raised [from the dead] because of our justification [our acquittal—absolving us of all sin before God].

¹And the dragon (Satan) stood on the sandy shore of the sea. Then I saw a [vicious] beast coming up out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten royal crowns (diadems), and on his heads were blasphemous names.

²And the beast that I saw resembled a leopard, but his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth was like that of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

³I saw one of his heads which seemed to have a fatal wound, but his fatal wound was healed; and the entire earth followed after the beast in amazement.

⁴They fell down and worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like (as great as) the beast, and who is able to wage war against him?"

⁵And the beast was given a mouth (the power of speech), uttering great things and arrogant and blasphemous words, and he was given freedom and authority to act and to do as he pleased for forty-two months (three and a half years).

⁶And he opened his mouth to speak blasphemies (abusive speech, slander) against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, and those who live in heaven.

⁷He was also permitted to wage war against the saints (God's people) and to overcome them, and authority and power over every tribe and people and language and nation.

⁸All the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain [as a willing sacrifice].

⁹If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

¹⁰If anyone is destined for captivity, he will go into captivity; if anyone kills with a sword, he must be killed with a sword. Here is [the call for] the patient endurance and the faithfulness of the saints [which is seen in the response of God's people to difficult times].

¹¹Then I saw another beast rising up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.

¹²He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence [when the two are together]. And he makes the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

¹³He performs great signs (awe-inspiring acts), even making fire fall from the sky to the earth, right before peoples' eyes.

¹⁴And he deceives those [unconverted ones] who inhabit the earth [into believing him] because of the signs which he is given [by Satan] to perform in the presence of the [first] beast, telling those who inhabit the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded [fatally] by the sword and has come back to life.

¹⁵And he is given power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast will even [appear to] speak, and cause those who do not bow down and worship the image of the beast to be put to death.

¹⁶Also he compels all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead [signifying allegiance to the beast],

¹⁷and that no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

¹⁸Here is wisdom. Let the person who has enough insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the [imperfect] number of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!

³"For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; Therefore my words have been incoherent,

⁴Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me, My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

⁵"Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?

⁶"Can something that has no taste to it be eaten without salt? Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?

⁷"My soul refuses to touch them; Such things are like loathsome food to me [sickening and repugnant].

⁸"Oh that my request would come to pass, And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

⁹"I wish that it would please God to crush me, That He would let loose His hand and cut me off.

¹⁰"Then I would still have consolation, And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain, That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One.

¹¹"What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]? And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?

¹²"Is my strength and endurance that of stones, Or is my flesh made of bronze?

¹³"Is it that I have no help within myself, And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?

¹⁴"For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon (turn away from) the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵"My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook, Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,

¹⁶Which are dull and dirty because of ice, And into which the snow melts and hides itself;

¹⁷When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their place.

¹⁸"The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish. [Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]

¹⁹"The caravans of Tema looked [for water], The caravans of Sheba waited for them [in vain].

²⁰"They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water]; They came there and were ashamed.

²¹"Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream, You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].

²²"Did I ever say, 'Give me something,' Or, 'Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,'

²³Or, 'Rescue me from the adversary's hand,' Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants'?

²⁴"Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred.

²⁵"How painful are words of honesty. But what does your argument prove?

²⁶"Do you intend to reprove my words [with a convincing argument], When the words of one in despair belong to the wind [and go ignored]?

²⁷"You would cast lots (gamble) over the fatherless And bargain away your friend.

²⁸"Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].

²⁹"Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice; Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.

³⁰"Is there injustice or malice on my tongue? Can my palate not discern what is destructive?

¹A Mikhtam of David [probably intended to record memorable thoughts]. Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trust and found refuge.

²I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good besides You."

³As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land, They are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

⁴The sorrows [pain and suffering] of those who have chosen another god will be multiplied [because of their idolatry]; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

⁵The LORD is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need]; You support my lot.

⁶The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

⁷I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night.

⁸I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my innermost self] rejoices; My body too will dwell [confidently] in safety,

¹⁰For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

¹¹You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

¹My son, if you have become surety (guaranteed a debt or obligation) for your neighbor, If you have given your pledge for [the debt of] a stranger or another [outside your family],

²If you have been snared with the words of your lips, If you have been trapped by the speech of your mouth,

³Do this now, my son, and release yourself [from the obligation]; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor [to pay his debt and release you].

⁴Give no [unnecessary] sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

⁵Tear yourself away like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, O lazy one; Observe her ways and be wise,

⁷Which, having no chief, Overseer or ruler,

⁸She prepares her food in the summer And brings in her provisions [of food for the winter] in the harvest.

⁹How long will you lie down, O lazy one? When will you arise from your sleep [and learn self-discipline]?

¹⁰"Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to lie down and rest"—

¹¹So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely] And your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless].

¹²A worthless person, a wicked man, Is one who walks with a perverse (corrupt, vulgar) mouth.

¹³Who winks with his eyes [in mockery], who shuffles his feet [to signal], Who points with his fingers [to give subversive instruction];

¹⁴Who perversely in his heart plots trouble and evil continually; Who spreads discord and strife.

¹⁵Therefore [the crushing weight of] his disaster will come suddenly upon him; Instantly he will be broken, and there will be no healing or remedy [because he has no heart for God].

¹⁶These six things the LORD hates; Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:

¹⁷A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸A heart that creates wicked plans, Feet that run swiftly to evil,

¹⁹A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths], And one who spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.

²⁰My son, be guided by your father's [God-given] commandment (instruction) And do not reject the teaching of your mother;

²¹Bind them continually upon your heart (in your thoughts), And tie them around your neck.

²²When you walk about, they (the godly teachings of your parents) will guide you; When you sleep, they will keep watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching [of the law] is light, And reproofs (rebukes) for discipline are the way of life,

²⁴To keep you from the evil woman, From [the flattery of] the smooth tongue of an immoral woman.

²⁵Do not desire (lust after) her beauty in your heart, Nor let her capture you with her eyelashes.

²⁶For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up], And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

²⁷Can a man take fire to his chest And his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her will not be found innocent or go unpunished.

³⁰People do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry;

³¹But when he is found, he must repay seven times [what he stole]; He must give all the property of his house [if necessary to meet his fine].

³²But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks common sense and sound judgment and an understanding [of moral principles]; He who would destroy his soul does it.

³³Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach (blame) will not be blotted out.

³⁴For jealousy enrages the [wronged] husband; He will not spare [the guilty one] on the day of vengeance.

³⁵He will not accept any ransom [offered to buy him off from demanding full punishment]; Nor will he be satisfied though you offer him many gifts (bribes).

¹When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bonded to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

²Saul took David that day and did not let him return to his father's house.

³Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

⁴Jonathan stripped himself of the outer robe that he was wearing and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword, his bow, and his belt.

⁵So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he acted wisely and prospered; and Saul appointed him over the men of war. And it pleased all the people and also Saul's servants.

⁶As they were coming [home], when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, [songs of] joy, and musical instruments.

⁷The women sang as they played and danced, saying, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

⁸Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed [only] thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

⁹Saul looked at David with suspicion [and jealously] from that day forward.

¹⁰Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul, and he raved [madly] inside his house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and there was a spear in Saul's hand.

¹¹Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.

¹²Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.

¹³So Saul had David removed from his presence and appointed him as his commander of a thousand; and he publicly associated with the people.

¹⁴David acted wisely and prospered in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.

¹⁵When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he publicly associated with them.

¹⁷Then Saul said to David, "Behold I will give you my older daughter Merab as a wife; only be brave for me and fight the Lord's battles." For Saul thought, "My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."

¹⁸David said to Saul, "Who am I, and what is my life or my father's family in Israel, that I should be the king's son-in-law?"

¹⁹But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was [instead] given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.

²⁰Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David; and when they told Saul, it pleased him.

²¹Saul said, "I will give her to him so that she may become a snare (bad influence, source of trouble) to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." So Saul said to David for a second time, "You shall be my son-in-law today."

²²Then Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David secretly, saying, 'Listen, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king's son-in-law.'"

²³So Saul's servants spoke these words to David. But David said, "Is it a trivial thing in your sight to become a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and insignificant?"

²⁴The servants of Saul told him what David said.

²⁵Then Saul said, "This is what you shall say to David: 'The king wants no dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'" Now Saul's intention was to cause David's death at the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶When his servants told David these words, it pleased him to become the king's son-in-law. Before the time [for the marriage] arrived,

²⁷David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred Philistine men, and David brought their foreskins [as proof of death] and presented every one of them to the king, so that he might become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal, his [younger] daughter, as a wife.

²⁸When Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, his daughter, loved him,

²⁹Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul became David's constant enemy.

³⁰Then the Philistine commanders (princes) came out to battle, and it happened as often as they did, that David acted more wisely and had more success than all Saul's servants. So his name was highly esteemed.

¹This is what the LORD says, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where, then, is a house that you could build for Me? And where will My resting place be?

²"For all these things My hand has made, So all these things came into being [by and for Me]," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look [graciously], To him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands.

³"He who kills an ox [for pagan sacrifice] is [as guilty] as one who kills a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as one who breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering, as one who offers swine's blood; He who offers incense, as one who blesses an idol. Such people have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their repulsive acts;

⁴So I will choose their punishments, And will bring the things they dread upon them Because I called, but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen or obey. But they did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight."

⁵Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word: "Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My Name's sake, Have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.' But they will be put to shame.

⁶"The sound of an uproar from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the LORD, providing retribution to His enemies.

⁷"Before she (Zion) was in labor, she gave birth; Before her labor pain came, she gave birth to a boy.

⁸"Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Or can a nation be brought forth in a moment? As soon as Zion was in labor, she also brought forth her sons.

⁹"Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

¹⁰"Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her,

¹¹That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may drink deeply and be delighted with her bountiful bosom."

¹²For the LORD says this, "Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and [playfully] rocked on her knees.

¹³"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

¹⁴When you see this, your heart will rejoice; Your bones will flourish like new grass. And the [powerful] hand of the LORD will be revealed to His servants, But His indignation will be toward His enemies.

¹⁵For indeed, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots will be like the stormy wind, To render His anger with rage, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

¹⁶For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all mankind, And those slain by the LORD will be many.

¹⁷"Those who [vainly attempt to] sanctify and cleanse themselves to go to the gardens [to sacrifice to idols], Following after one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end together," says the LORD.

¹⁸"For I know their works and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see My glory.

¹⁹I will set up a [miraculous] sign among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations: Tarshish, Pul (Put), Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant islands and coastlands that have not heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare and proclaim My glory among the nations.

²⁰Then they shall bring all your countrymen (children of Israel) from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD—on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels—to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.

²¹I will also take some of them as priests and Levites," says the LORD.

²²"For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will remain and endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your offspring and your name will remain and endure.

²³"And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down and worship before Me," says the LORD.

²⁴"Then they will go forth and look Upon the dead bodies of the [rebellious] men Who have transgressed against Me; For their worm (maggot) will not die, And their fire will not go out; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."

¹Saul wholeheartedly approved of Stephen's death. And on that day a great and relentless persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem; and the believers were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

²Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned greatly over him [expressing a personal sense of loss].

³But Saul began ravaging the church [and assaulting believers]; entering house after house and dragging off men and women, putting them in prison.

⁴Now those [believers] who had been scattered went from place to place preaching the word [the good news of salvation through Christ].

⁵Philip [the evangelist] went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) to them.

⁶The crowds gathered and were paying close attention to everything Philip said, as they heard [the message] and saw the [miraculous] signs which he was doing [validating his message].

⁷For unclean spirits (demons), shouting loudly, were coming out of many who were possessed; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

⁸So there was great rejoicing in that city.

⁹Now there was a man named Simon, who previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

¹⁰They all paid [a great deal of] attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is what is called the Great Power of God!"

¹¹They were paying attention to him because for a long time he had mystified and dazzled them with his magic.

¹²But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, both men and women.

¹³Even Simon believed [Philip's message of salvation]; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he watched the attesting signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that [the people of] Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

¹⁵They came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit;

¹⁶for He had not yet fallen on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus [as His possession].

¹⁷Then Peter and John laid their hands on them [one by one], and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

¹⁹saying, "Give me this authority and power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

²⁰But Peter said to him, "May your money be destroyed along with you, because you thought you could buy the [free] gift of God with money!

²¹You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart (motive, purpose) is not right before God.

²²So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, this thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

²³For I see that you are provoked by bitterness and bound by sin."

²⁴But Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me both of you, so that nothing of what you have said will come upon me."

²⁵So, when Peter and John had given their testimony and preached the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, preaching the good news [about salvation] in many Samaritan villages [along the way].

²⁶But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south to the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza." (This is a desert road).

²⁷So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch [a man of great authority], a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship,

²⁸and he was returning, and sitting in his chariot he was reading [the scroll of] the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹Then the [Holy] Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."

³⁰Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

³¹And he said, "Well, how could I [understand] unless someone guides me [correctly]?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³²Now this was the passage of Scripture which he was reading: "Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth.

³³"In humiliation His judgment was taken away [justice was denied Him]. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth."

³⁴The eunuch replied to Philip, "Please tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself or about someone else?"

³⁵Then Philip spoke and beginning with this Scripture he preached Jesus to him [explaining that He is the promised Messiah and the source of salvation].

³⁶As they continued along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch exclaimed, "Look! Water! What forbids me from being baptized?"

³⁷[Philip said to him, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he replied, "I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."]

³⁸And he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord [suddenly] took Philip [and carried him] away [to a different place]; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but he went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the good news [of salvation] to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea [Maritima].