Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases.

²Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

³“Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes.

⁴Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town.

⁵And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”

⁶So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.

⁷When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead.

⁸Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.

⁹“I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.

¹⁰When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida.

¹¹But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.

¹²Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”

¹³But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?”

¹⁴For there were about 5,000 men there. Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

¹⁵So the people all sat down.

¹⁶Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people.

¹⁷They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!

¹⁸One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

¹⁹“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”

²⁰Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!”

²¹Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was.

²²“The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

²³Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

²⁴If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

²⁵And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

²⁶If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

²⁷I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”

²⁸About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray.

²⁹And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

³⁰Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus.

³¹They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

³²Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him.

³³As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

³⁴But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.

³⁵Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”

³⁶When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

³⁷The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.

³⁸A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child.

³⁹An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone.

⁴⁰I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

⁴¹Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”

⁴²As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father.

⁴³Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power. Jesus Again Predicts His Death While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,

⁴⁴“Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.”

⁴⁵But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

⁴⁶Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest.

⁴⁷But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side.

⁴⁸Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”

⁴⁹John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.”

⁵⁰But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”

⁵¹As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

⁵²He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival.

⁵³But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem.

⁵⁴When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up ?”

⁵⁵But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

⁵⁶So they went on to another village.

⁵⁷As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

⁵⁹He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

⁶⁰But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

⁶¹Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

⁶²But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

¹One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben.

²They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly.

³They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the LORD, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the LORD’s people?”

⁴When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground.

⁵Then he said to Korah and his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The LORD will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence.

⁶Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners.

⁷Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the LORD. Then we will see whom the LORD chooses as his holy one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!”

⁸Then Moses spoke again to Korah: “Now listen, you Levites!

⁹Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the LORD’s Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them?

¹⁰Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well?

¹¹The LORD is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?”

¹²Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you!

¹³Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects?

¹⁴What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men? We will not come.”

¹⁵Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.”

¹⁶And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the LORD. Aaron will also be here.

¹⁷You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the LORD. Aaron will also bring his incense burner.”

¹⁸So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron.

¹⁹Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community,

²⁰and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

²¹“Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!”

²²But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”

²³And the LORD said to Moses,

²⁴“Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

²⁵So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel.

²⁶“Quick!” he told the people. “Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.”

²⁷So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones.

²⁸And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things that I have done — for I have not done them on my own.

²⁹If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the LORD has not sent me.

³⁰But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD.”

³¹He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them.

³²The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned.

³³So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel.

³⁴All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. “The earth will swallow us, too!” they cried.

³⁵Then fire blazed forth from the LORD and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.

³⁶And the LORD said to Moses,

³⁷“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals.

³⁸Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the LORD’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”

³⁹So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and the bronze was hammered into a thin sheet to overlay the altar.

⁴⁰This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person — no one who was not a descendant of Aaron — should ever enter the LORD’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the LORD’s instructions to Moses were carried out.

⁴¹But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

⁴²As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared.

⁴³Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle,

⁴⁴and the LORD said to Moses,

⁴⁵“Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.

⁴⁶And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the LORD. The LORD’s anger is blazing against them — the plague has already begun.”

⁴⁷Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people.

⁴⁸He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped.

⁴⁹But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah.

⁵⁰Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

¹So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

²And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

³The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

⁴He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

⁵Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

⁶So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

⁷For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.

⁸That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

⁹But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

¹⁰And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

¹¹The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

¹²Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

¹³For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

¹⁵So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

¹⁶For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

¹⁷And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

¹⁸Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

¹⁹For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.

²⁰Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,

²¹the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

²²For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

²³And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

²⁴We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.

²⁵But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

²⁶And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

²⁷And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

²⁸And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

²⁹For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

³⁰And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

³¹What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

³²Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

³³Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one — for God himself has given us right standing with himself.

³⁴Who then will condemn us? No one — for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

³⁶(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” )

³⁷No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

³⁹No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters.

²The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”

³So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it.

⁴The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality.

⁵A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.”

⁶I could see that she was drunk — drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.

⁷“Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits.

⁸The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.

⁹“This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings.

¹⁰Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.

¹¹“The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction.

¹²The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.

¹³They will all agree to give him their power and authority.

¹⁴Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

¹⁵Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language.

¹⁶The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire.

¹⁷For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled.

¹⁸And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”

¹“I am disgusted with my life. Let me complain freely. My bitter soul must complain.

²I will say to God, ‘Don’t simply condemn me — tell me the charge you are bringing against me.

³What do you gain by oppressing me? Why do you reject me, the work of your own hands, while smiling on the schemes of the wicked?

⁴Are your eyes like those of a human? Do you see things only as people see them?

⁵Is your lifetime only as long as ours? Is your life so short

⁶that you must quickly probe for my guilt and search for my sin?

⁷Although you know I am not guilty, no one can rescue me from your hands.

⁸“‘You formed me with your hands; you made me, yet now you completely destroy me.

⁹Remember that you made me from dust — will you turn me back to dust so soon?

¹⁰You guided my conception and formed me in the womb.

¹¹You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together.

¹²You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care.

¹³“‘Yet your real motive — your true intent —

¹⁴was to watch me, and if I sinned, you would not forgive my guilt.

¹⁵If I am guilty, too bad for me; and even if I’m innocent, I can’t hold my head high, because I am filled with shame and misery.

¹⁶And if I hold my head high, you hunt me like a lion and display your awesome power against me.

¹⁷Again and again you witness against me. You pour out your growing anger on me and bring fresh armies against me.

¹⁸“‘Why, then, did you deliver me from my mother’s womb? Why didn’t you let me die at birth?

¹⁹It would be as though I had never existed, going directly from the womb to the grave.

²⁰I have only a few days left, so leave me alone, that I may have a moment of comfort

²¹before I leave — never to return — for the land of darkness and utter gloom.

²²It is a land as dark as midnight, a land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is dark as midnight.’”

¹In times of trouble, may the LORD answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.

²May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

³May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude

⁴May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.

⁵May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.

⁶Now I know that the LORD rescues his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.

⁷Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.

⁸Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.

⁹Give victory to our king, O LORD! Answer our cry for help.

¹The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.

²Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.

³The LORD will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.

⁴Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.

⁵A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.

⁶The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

⁷We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.

⁸The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

⁹People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

¹⁰People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.

¹¹The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

¹²Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

¹³Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding, but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.

¹⁴Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.

¹⁵The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

¹⁶The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.

¹⁷People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.

¹⁸Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool.

¹⁹Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

²⁰The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless.

²¹The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

²²The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

²³Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

²⁴The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.

²⁵When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.

²⁶Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

²⁷Fear of the LORD lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

²⁸The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.

²⁹The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.

³⁰The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.

³¹The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

³²The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.

¹So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.

²Then others began coming — men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented — until David was the captain of about 400 men.

³Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.”

⁴So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.

⁵One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah.” So David went to the forest of Hereth.

⁶The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. At the time, the king was sitting beneath the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, holding his spear and surrounded by his officers.

⁷“Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. “Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army?

⁸Is that why you have conspired against me? For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. You’re not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son — encouraging him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day!”

⁹Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub.

¹⁰Ahimelech consulted the LORD for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob.

¹²When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!” “What is it, my king?” Ahimelech asked.

¹³“Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?” Saul demanded. “Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?”

¹⁴“But sir,” Ahimelech replied, “is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household!

¹⁵This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.”

¹⁶“You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted.

¹⁷And he ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the LORD, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!” But Saul’s men refused to kill the LORD’s priests.

¹⁸Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments.

¹⁹Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families — men and women, children and babies — and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

²⁰Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.

²¹When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD,

²²David exclaimed, “I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father’s family.

²³Stay here with me, and don’t be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both.”

¹“O Israel,” says the LORD, “if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more.

²Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.”

³This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.

⁴O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.

⁵“Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem! Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land: ‘Run for your lives! Flee to the fortified cities!’

⁶Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem : ‘Flee now! Do not delay!’ For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you from the north.”

⁷A lion stalks from its den, a destroyer of nations. It has left its lair and is headed your way. It’s going to devastate your land! Your towns will lie in ruins, with no one living in them anymore.

⁸So put on clothes of mourning and weep with broken hearts, for the fierce anger of the LORD is still upon us.

⁹“In that day,” says the LORD, “the king and the officials will tremble in fear. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be appalled.”

¹⁰Then I said, “O Sovereign LORD, the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!”

¹¹The time is coming when the LORD will say to the people of Jerusalem, “My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert, and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain.

¹²It is a roaring blast sent by me! Now I will pronounce your destruction!”

¹³Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds! His chariots are like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles. How terrible it will be, for we are doomed!

¹⁴O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?

¹⁵Your destruction has been announced from Dan and the hill country of Ephraim.

¹⁶“Warn the surrounding nations and announce this to Jerusalem: The enemy is coming from a distant land, raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah.

¹⁷They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me,” says the LORD.

¹⁸“Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”

¹⁹My heart, my heart — I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries.

²⁰Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed.

²¹How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war?

²²“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the LORD. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”

²³I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.

²⁴I looked at the mountains and hills, and they trembled and shook.

²⁵I looked, and all the people were gone. All the birds of the sky had flown away.

²⁶I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The towns lay in ruins, crushed by the LORD’s fierce anger.

²⁷This is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.

²⁸The earth will mourn and the heavens will be draped in black because of my decree against my people. I have made up my mind and will not change it.”

²⁹At the noise of charioteers and archers, the people flee in terror. They hide in the bushes and run for the mountains. All the towns have been abandoned — not a person remains!

³⁰What are you doing, you who have been plundered? Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing and put on gold jewelry? Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara? Your primping will do you no good! The allies who were your lovers despise you and seek to kill you.

³¹I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor, the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is beautiful Jerusalem gasping for breath and crying out, “Help! I’m being murdered!”

¹About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.

²He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword.

³When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration. )

⁴Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.

⁵But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

⁶The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.

⁷Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.

⁸Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

⁹So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.

¹⁰They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

¹¹Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”

¹²When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

¹³He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.

¹⁴When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

¹⁵“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

¹⁶Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.

¹⁷He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.

¹⁸At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.

¹⁹Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.

²⁰Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant,

²¹and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.

²²The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”

²³Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.

²⁴Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.

²⁵When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.