Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Jesus said to His disciples, "Stumbling blocks [temptations and traps set to lure one to sin] are sure to come, but woe (judgment is coming) to him through whom they come!

²It would be better for him if a millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble [in sin and lose faith].

³Pay attention and always be on guard [looking out for one another]! If your brother sins and disregards God's precepts, solemnly warn him; and if he repents and changes, forgive him.

⁴Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him [that is, give up resentment and consider the offense recalled and annulled]."

⁵The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith [our ability to confidently trust in God and in His power]."

⁶And the Lord said, "If you have [confident, abiding] faith in God [even as small] as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree [which has very strong roots], 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea'; and [if the request was in agreement with the will of God] it would have obeyed you.

⁷"Which of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat?'

⁸Will he not instead say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and appropriately clothe yourself [for service] and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you may eat and drink?'

⁹He does not thank the servant just because he did what he was ordered to do, does he?

¹⁰So you too, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.'"

¹¹While Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee.

¹²As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance;

¹³and they raised their voices and called out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

¹⁴When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean.

¹⁵One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice;

¹⁶and he lay face downward at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a Samaritan.

¹⁷Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine?

¹⁸Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?"

¹⁹Jesus said to him, "Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God's power] has restored you to health."

²⁰Now having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed or with a visible display;

²¹nor will people say, 'Look! Here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For the kingdom of God is among you [because of My presence]."

²²Then He said to the disciples, "The time will come when you will long to see [even] one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

²³They will say to you, 'Look [the Messiah is] there!' or 'Look [He is] here!' Do not go away [to see Him], and do not run after them.

²⁴For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, gives light to the other part of the sky, so [visible] will the Son of Man be in His day.

²⁵But first He must suffer many things and be repudiated and rejected and considered unfit [to be the Messiah] by this [unbelieving] generation.

²⁶And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the time of [the second coming of] the Son of Man:

²⁷the people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, [they were indifferent to God] until the day that Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸It was the same as it was in the days of Lot. People were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building [carrying on business as usual, without regard for their sins];

²⁹but on the [very] day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) from heaven and destroyed them all.

³⁰It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹On that day, whoever is on the housetop, with his belongings in the house, must not come down [and go inside] to take them out; and likewise whoever is in the field must not turn back.

³²Remember [what happened to] Lot's wife [when she looked back]!

³³Whoever seeks to save his life will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] will keep it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].

³⁴I tell you, on that night [when Messiah comes again] there will be two [sleeping] in one bed; the one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the other (the believer) will be left.

³⁵There will be two women grinding [at the mill] together; the one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the other (the believer) will be left.

³⁶["Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left."]

³⁷And they asked Him, "Where, Lord?" He answered, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will be gathered."

¹When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as he had done each time before [superstitiously] to seek omens and signs [in the natural world], but he set his face toward the wilderness (desert).

²And Balaam raised his eyes and he saw Israel living in their tents tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came on him.

³He took up his [third] discourse (oracle) and said: "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened [at last, to see clearly the purpose and will of God],

⁴The oracle of one who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered,

⁵How fair are your tents, O Jacob, And your tabernacles, O Israel!

⁶"Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters.

⁷"Water [that is, great blessings] will flow from his buckets, And his offspring will live by many waters, And his king will be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.

⁸"God brought Israel out of Egypt; Israel has strength like the wild ox; He will devour [Gentile] nations, his adversaries (enemies), And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows.

⁹"He bowed down [to rest], he lies down as a lion; And as a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Blessed [of God] is he who blesses you, And cursed [of God] is he who curses you."

¹⁰Then Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have done nothing but bless them these three times.

¹¹Therefore now flee to your place! I had intended to honor you greatly, but behold, the LORD has held you back from honor."

¹²Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me,

¹³'Even if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own accord. What the LORD speaks, that I will speak?'

¹⁴And now, look, I am going to my people; come, I will advise you as to what this people [Israel] will do to your people [Moab] in the days to come."

¹⁵He took up his [fourth] discourse (oracle) and said: "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, The oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

¹⁶The oracle of him who hears the words of God And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered:

¹⁷"I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star shall come forth from [the descendants of] Jacob, A scepter shall rise out of [the descendants of] Israel And shall crush the forehead of Moab And destroy all the sons of Sheth.

¹⁸"Edom shall be [taken as] a possession, [Mount] Seir, Israel's enemies, also will be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly.

¹⁹"One from [the descendants of] Jacob shall have dominion And will destroy the remnant from the city."

²⁰Balaam looked at Amalek and took up his [fifth] discourse (oracle) and said: "Amalek was the first of the [neighboring] nations [to oppose the Israelites after they left Egypt], But his end shall be destruction."

²¹And Balaam looked at the Kenites and took up his [sixth] discourse (oracle) and said: "Strong is your dwelling place, And you set your nest in the cliff.

²²"Nevertheless the Kenites will be consumed. How long will Asshur (Assyria) keep you (Israel) captive?"

²³Then he took up his [seventh] discourse (oracle) and said: "Alas, who can live unless God has ordained it?

²⁴"But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And shall afflict Asshur (Assyria) and Eber; So they (the victors) also will come to destruction."

²⁵Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went on his way.

¹Now I introduce and commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess (servant) of the church at Cenchrea,

²that you may receive her in the Lord [with love and hospitality], as God's people ought to receive one another. And that you may help her in whatever matter she may require assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many, including myself.

³Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

⁴who risked their own necks [endangering their very lives] for my life. To them not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

⁵Also greet the church that meets in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor].

⁶Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you.

⁷Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and [once] my fellow prisoners, who are held in high esteem in the estimation of the apostles, and who were [believers] in Christ before me.

⁸Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.

⁹Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.

¹⁰Greet Apelles, the one tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

¹¹Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.

¹²Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

¹³Greet Rufus, an eminent and choice man in the Lord, also his mother [who has been] a mother to me as well.

¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.

¹⁵Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all God's people who are with them.

¹⁶Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

¹⁷I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them.

¹⁸For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites and base desires. By smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting [the innocent and the naive].

¹⁹For the report of your obedience has reached everyone, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

²⁰The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The [wonderful] grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

²¹Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

²²I, Tertius, the writer (scribe) of this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church here, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

²⁴[The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]

²⁵Now to Him who is able to establish and strengthen you [in the faith] according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [of the plan of salvation] which has been kept secret for long ages past,

²⁶but now has been disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the commandment of the eternal God, leading them to obedience to the faith,

²⁷to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forevermore! Amen.

¹Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

²"How long will you hunt for words and continue these speeches? Do some clear thinking and show understanding and then we can talk.

³"Why are we regarded as beasts, As if [we are] stupid (senseless) in your eyes?

⁴"You who tear yourself apart in anger, Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake, Or the rock to be moved out of its place?

⁵"Indeed, the light of the wicked will be put out, And the flame of his fire will not shine.

⁶"The light will be dark in his tent, And his lamp beside him will be put out.

⁷"The vigorous stride will be shortened, And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.

⁸"For the wicked is thrown into a net by his own feet (wickedness), And he steps on the webbing [of the lattice-covered pit].

⁹"A snare catches him by the heel, And a trap snaps shut on him.

¹⁰"A noose is hidden for him on the ground, And a trap for him on the path.

¹¹"Terrors frighten him on every side And chase at his heels.

¹²"The strength [of the wicked] is famished and weakened, And disaster is ready at his side [if he stops].

¹³"His skin is devoured by disease; The firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] consumes his limbs.

¹⁴"He is torn from his tent which he trusted [for safety], And he is marched and brought to the king of terrors (death).

¹⁵"Nothing of his dwells in his tent; Brimstone (burning sulfur) is scattered over his dwelling [to purify it].

¹⁶"The roots [of the wicked] are dried up below, And above, his branch is cut off and withers.

¹⁷"Memory of him perishes from the earth, And he has no name on the street.

¹⁸"He is driven and propelled from light into darkness, And chased from the inhabited world.

¹⁹"He has no offspring or prosperity among his people, Nor any survivor where he sojourned.

²⁰"Those in the west are astonished and appalled at his fate, And those in the east are seized with horror.

²¹"Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked and the ungodly, And such is the place of him who does not know or recognize or honor God."

¹A Psalm of David. To you I call, O LORD, My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit (grave).

²Hear the voice of my supplication (specific requests, humble entreaties) as I cry to You for help, As I lift up my hands and heart toward Your innermost sanctuary (Holy of Holies).

³Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who do evil, Who speak peace with their neighbors, While malice and mischief are in their hearts.

⁴Repay them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Repay them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them what they deserve.

⁵Because they have no regard for the works of the LORD Nor the deeds of His hands, He will tear them down and not rebuild them.

⁶Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.

⁷The LORD is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.

⁸The LORD is their [unyielding] strength, And He is the fortress of salvation to His anointed.

⁹Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

¹He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

²A [closed-minded] fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his personal opinions [unwittingly displaying his self-indulgence and his stupidity].

³When the wicked man comes [to the depth of evil], contempt [of all that is pure and good] also comes, And with inner baseness (dishonor) comes outer shame (scorn).

⁴The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom]; The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].

⁵To show respect to the wicked person is not good, Nor to push aside and deprive the righteous of justice.

⁶A fool's lips bring contention and strife, And his mouth invites a beating.

⁷A fool's mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul.

⁸The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten]; They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].

⁹He who is careless in his work Is a brother to him who destroys.

¹⁰The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil].

¹¹The rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall [of protection] in his own imagination and conceit.

¹²Before disaster the heart of a man is haughty and filled with self-importance, But humility comes before honor.

¹³He who answers before he hears [the facts]— It is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴The spirit of a man sustains him in sickness, But as for a broken spirit, who can bear it?

¹⁵The mind of the prudent [always] acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise [always] seeks knowledge.

¹⁶A man's gift [given in love or courtesy] makes room for him And brings him before great men.

¹⁷The first one to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and cross-examines him.

¹⁸To cast lots puts an end to quarrels And decides between powerful contenders.

¹⁹A brother offended is harder to win over than a fortified city, And contentions [separating families] are like the bars of a castle.

²⁰A man's stomach will be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; He will be satisfied with the consequence of his words.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.

²²He who finds a [ true and faithful] wife finds a good thing And obtains favor and approval from the LORD.

²³The poor man pleads, But the rich man answers roughly.

²⁴The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin, But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.

¹Now it happened when David and his men came [home] to Ziklag on the third day, [they found] that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;

²and they had taken captive the women [and all] who were there, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off [to be used as slaves] and went on their way.

³When David and his men came to the town, it was burned, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive.

⁴Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer].

⁵Now David's two wives had been captured, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

⁶Further, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all of them were embittered, each man for his sons and daughters. But David felt strengthened and encouraged in the LORD his God.

⁷David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought him the ephod.

⁸David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this band [of raiders]? Will I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives]."

⁹So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those [who could not continue] remained behind.

¹⁰But David pursued [the Amalekites], he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind.

¹¹They found an Egyptian [who had collapsed] in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they gave him water to drink,

¹²and they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten, his energy returned, for he had not eaten bread or had any water to drink for three days and three nights.

¹³David said to him, "To whom do you belong, and where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man from Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me [as useless] when I fell sick three days ago.

¹⁴We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire."

¹⁵Then David said to him, "Will you take me down to this band [of raiders]?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or turn me over to the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this band."

¹⁶When he brought David down, the Amalekites had disbanded and spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

¹⁷Then David [and his men] struck them down [in battle] from twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode camels and fled.

¹⁸So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives.

¹⁹Nothing of theirs was missing whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered it all.

²⁰So David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and [the people] drove those animals before him and said, "This is David's spoil."

²¹David came to the two hundred men who were so exhausted that they could not follow him and had been left at the brook Besor [with the provisions]. They went out to meet David and the people with him, and when he approached the people, he greeted them.

²²Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will give them none of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife and children away and leave."

²³David said, "You must not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and has handed over to us the band [of Amalekites] that came against us.

²⁴And who will listen to you in regard to this matter? For as is the share of him who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the provisions and supplies; they shall share alike."

²⁵So from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

²⁶When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, "Here is a blessing (gift) for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD:

²⁷For those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir,

²⁸Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

²⁹Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites,

³⁰Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,

³¹Hebron, and for [those elders in] all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go."

¹You, O LORD are [uncompromisingly] righteous and consistently just when I plead my case with You; Yet let me discuss issues of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are those who deal in treachery (deceit) at ease and thriving?

²You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have even produced fruit. You are honored by their [hypocritical] lips But [You are] far from their heart and mind.

³But You, O LORD, know me [and understand my devotion to You]; You see me; And You examine the attitude of my heart toward You. Drag out the faithless like sheep for the slaughter [O LORD] And set them apart for the day of slaughter.

⁴How long must the land mourn And the grass of the countryside wither? Because of the wickedness and hypocrisy of those who live in it, The beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away [by the drought], Because men [mocking me] have said, "He will not [live long enough to] see [what happens at] our final end."

⁵[The LORD rebukes Jeremiah for his impatience, saying] "If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace [where you feel secure], Then how will you do [among the lions] in the [flooded] thicket beside the Jordan?

⁶"For even your [tribal] brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously (unfaithfully) with you; Indeed they are [like a pack of hounds] howling after you. Do not believe them, although they may say kind words and promise you good things."

⁷"I have abandoned My house, I have given up My [precious] inheritance (Judah); I have given the [dearly] beloved of My life Into the hands of her enemies.

⁸"My inheritance has become to Me Like a lion in the forest; She has raised her voice and roared against Me; So I have come to [treat her as if I] hate her.

⁹"Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me [unlike the others]? Are the birds of prey (enemies) surrounding her on every side? Go, gather all the [wild] beasts of the field; Bring them to devour [her]!

¹⁰"Many shepherds (invaders) have destroyed My vineyard (Judah), They have trampled My field underfoot; They have made My pleasant field A desolate wilderness.

¹¹"They have made it a wasteland, Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made a wasteland, Because no man takes it to heart.

¹²"Destroyers have come On all the caravan roads in the desert, For the sword of the LORD (Babylon) is devouring From one end of the land even to the other; No one has peace or a way of escape.

¹³"They have planted wheat but have reaped thorns; They have exhausted themselves but without profit. So be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce and raging anger of the LORD."

¹⁴Thus says the LORD regarding all My evil neighbors (Gentile nations) who strike at the inheritance which I have granted to My people Israel, "Behold, I will uproot them from their land and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them.

¹⁵And it shall come about that after I have uprooted them, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them back again, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.

¹⁶And if these [neighboring nations] will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My Name, saying, 'As the LORD lives'—even as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up among My people.

¹⁷But if [any nation] will not listen and obey, I will [completely] uproot and destroy that nation, says the LORD."

¹After the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them he told them goodbye, and set off to go to Macedonia.

²After he had gone through those districts and had encouraged the believers, he came to Greece.

³And he stayed three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia (northern Greece).

⁴He was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

⁵These men went on ahead and were waiting for us (including Luke) at Troas.

⁶We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread (Passover week), and within five days we reached them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

⁷Now on the first day of the week (Sunday), when we were gathered together to break bread (share communion), Paul began talking with them, intending to leave the next day; and he kept on with his message until midnight.

⁸Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were assembled,

⁹and there was a young man named Eutychus ("Lucky") sitting on the window sill. He was sinking into a deep sleep, and as Paul kept on talking longer and longer, he was completely overcome by sleep and fell down from the third story; and he was picked up dead.

¹⁰But Paul went down and threw himself on him and embraced him, and said [to those standing around him], "Do not be troubled, because he is alive."

¹¹When Paul had gone back upstairs and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked [informally and confidentially] with them for a long time—until daybreak [in fact]—and then he left.

¹²They took the boy [Eutychus] home alive, and were greatly comforted and encouraged.

¹³But we went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for that was what he had arranged, intending himself to go [a shorter route] by land.

¹⁴So when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and sailed on to Mitylene.

¹⁵Sailing from there, we arrived the next day [at a point] opposite Chios; the following day we crossed over to Samos, and the next day we arrived at Miletus [about 30 miles south of Ephesus].

¹⁶Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus so that he would not end up spending time [unnecessarily] in [the province of] Asia (modern Turkey); for he was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

¹⁷However, from Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church [to meet him there].

¹⁸And when they arrived he said to them: "You know well how I [lived when I] was with you, from the first day that I set foot in Asia [until now],

¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me];

²⁰[you know] how I did not shrink back in fear from telling you anything that was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public meetings, and from house to house,

²¹solemnly [and wholeheartedly] testifying to both Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance to God and [to have] faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [for salvation].

²²And now, compelled by the Spirit and obligated by my convictions, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

²³except that the Holy Spirit solemnly [and emphatically] affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me.

²⁴But I do not consider my life as something of value or dear to me, so that I may [with joy] finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify faithfully of the good news of God's [precious, undeserved] grace [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life].

²⁵"And now, listen carefully: I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see me again.

²⁶For that reason I testify to you on this [our parting] day that I am innocent of the blood of all people.

²⁷For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan of God.

²⁸Take care and be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God which He bought with His own blood.

²⁹I know that after I am gone, [false teachers like] ferocious wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;

³⁰even from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse and distorted things, to draw away the disciples after themselves [as their followers].

³¹Therefore be continually alert, remembering that for three years, night or day, I did not stop admonishing and advising each one [of you] with tears.

³²And now I commend you to God [placing you in His protective, loving care] and [I commend you] to the word of His grace [the counsel and promises of His unmerited favor]. His grace is able to build you up and to give you the [rightful] inheritance among all those who are sanctified [that is, among those who are set apart for God's purpose—all believers].

³³I had no desire for anyone's silver or gold or [expensive] clothes.

³⁴You know personally that these hands ministered to my own needs [working in manual labor] and to [those of] the people who were with me.

³⁵In everything I showed you [by example] that by working hard in this way you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.'"

³⁶When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

³⁷And they began to weep openly and threw their arms around Paul's neck, and repeatedly kissed him,

³⁸grieving and distressed especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see him again. And they accompanied him to the ship.