Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,

²saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man.

³There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.'

⁴For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,

⁵yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.'"

⁶Then the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says!

⁷And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf?

⁸I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?"

⁹He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [posing outwardly as upright and in right standing with God], and who viewed others with contempt:

¹⁰"Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

¹¹The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: 'God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

¹²I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'

¹³But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, 'God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!'

¹⁴I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted."

¹⁵Now they were also bringing their babies to Him, so that He would touch and bless them, and when the disciples noticed it, they began reprimanding them.

¹⁶But Jesus called them to Himself, saying [to the apostles], "Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

¹⁷I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God [with faith and humility] like a child will not enter it at all."

¹⁸A certain ruler asked Him, "Good Teacher [You who are essentially and morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom]?"

¹⁹Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially and morally] good except God alone.

²⁰You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not testify falsely, Honor your father and your mother.'"

²¹He replied, "I have kept all these things from my youth."

²²When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "You still lack one thing; sell everything that you have and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have [abundant] treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk]."

²³But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

²⁴Jesus looked at him and said, "How difficult it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

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

²⁶And those who heard it said, " Then who can be saved?"

²⁷But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."

²⁸Peter said, "Look, we have left all [things—homes, families, businesses] and followed You."

²⁹And He said to them, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God,

³⁰who will not receive many times as much in this present age and in the age to come, eternal life."

³¹Then taking the twelve [disciples] aside, He said to them, "Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled and completed.

³²He will be betrayed and handed over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities), and will be mocked and ridiculed and insulted and abused and spit on,

³³and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise [from the dead]."

³⁴But the disciples understood none of these things [about the approaching death and resurrection of Jesus]. This statement was hidden from them, and they did not grasp the [meaning of the] things that were said [by Jesus].

³⁵As He was approaching Jericho [on His way to Jerusalem], it happened that a blind man was sitting beside the road begging.

³⁶Now when he heard a crowd going by, he began to ask what this was [about].

³⁷They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

³⁸So he shouted out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!"

³⁹Those who were leading the way were sternly telling him to keep quiet; but he screamed all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁰Then Jesus stopped and ordered that the blind man be led to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him,

⁴¹"What do you want Me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me regain my sight!"

⁴²Jesus said to him, "Regain your sight; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well."

⁴³Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus, glorifying and praising and honoring God. And all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

¹Israel settled and remained in Shittim, and the people began to play the prostitute with the women of Moab [by being unfaithful to God].

²For they invited the Israelites to the sacrifices of their gods, and the Israelites ate [food offered to idols] and bowed down to Moab's gods.

³So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship]. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

⁴The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people [who have committed sin with the Moabites], and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel."

⁵So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each one of you must kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship]."

⁶Then one of the Israelites came and presented to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping [over God's judgment] at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

⁷When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

⁸and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through the body, the man of Israel and the woman. Then the plague on the Israelites stopped.

⁹Nevertheless, those [Israelites] who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

¹⁰Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

¹¹"Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites because he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My jealousy.

¹²Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to Phinehas My covenant of peace.

¹³And it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous (impassioned) for [the unique honor and respect owed to] his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'"

¹⁴Now the name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites.

¹⁵The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's household in Midian.

¹⁶Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁷"Provoke hostilities with the Midianites and attack them,

¹⁸for they harass you with their tricks, the tricks with which they have deceived you in the matter [of the Baal] of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague because [of the Baal] of Peor."

¹Paul, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

²To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified (set apart, made holy) in Christ Jesus, who are selected and called as saints (God's people), together with all those who in every place call on and honor the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

³Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I thank my God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

⁵so that in everything you were [exceedingly] enriched in Him, in all speech [empowered by the spiritual gifts] and in all knowledge [with insight into the faith].

⁶In this way our testimony about Christ was confirmed and established in you,

⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift [which comes from the Holy Spirit], as you eagerly wait [with confident trust] for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ [when He returns].

⁸And He will also confirm you to the end [keeping you strong and free of any accusation, so that you will be] blameless and beyond reproach in the day [of the return] of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹⁰But I urge you, believers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in full agreement in what you say, and that there be no divisions or factions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your way of thinking and in your judgment [about matters of the faith].

¹¹For I have been informed about you, my brothers and sisters, by those of Chloe's household, that there are quarrels and factions among you.

¹²Now I mean this, that each one of you says, "I am [a disciple] of Paul," or "I am [a disciple] of Apollos," or "I am [a disciple] of Cephas (Peter)," or "I am [a disciple] of Christ."

¹³Has Christ been divided [into different parts]? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? [Certainly not!]

¹⁴I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,

¹⁵so that no one would say that you were baptized into my name.

¹⁶Now I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know if I baptized anyone else.

¹⁷For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God's grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.

¹⁹For it is written and forever remains written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the philosophy of the philosophers], And the cleverness of the clever [who do not know Me] I will nullify."

²⁰Where is the wise man (philosopher)? Where is the scribe (scholar)? Where is the debater (logician, orator) of this age? Has God not exposed the foolishness of this world's wisdom?

²¹For since the world through all its [earthly] wisdom failed to recognize God, God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached [regarding salvation] to save those who believe [in Christ and welcome Him as Savior].

²²For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy,

²³but we preach Christ crucified, [a message which is] to Jews a stumbling block [that provokes their opposition], and to Gentiles foolishness [just utter nonsense],

²⁴but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

²⁵[This is] because the foolishness of God [is not foolishness at all and] is wiser than men [far beyond human comprehension], and the weakness of God is stronger than men [far beyond the limits of human effort].

²⁶Just look at your own calling, believers; not many [of you were considered] wise according to human standards, not many powerful or influential, not many of high and noble birth.

²⁷But God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty].

²⁸God has selected [for His purpose] the insignificant (base) things of the world, and the things that are despised and treated with contempt, [even] the things that are nothing, so that He might reduce to nothing the things that are,

²⁹so that no one may [be able to] boast in the presence of God.

³⁰But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God [revealing His plan of salvation], and righteousness [making us acceptable to God], and sanctification [making us holy and setting us apart for God], and redemption [providing our ransom from the penalty for sin],

³¹so then, as it is written [in Scripture], "He who boasts and glories, let him boast and glory in the Lord."

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"How long will you torment and exasperate me And crush me with words?

³"These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].

⁴"And if it were true that I have erred, My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].

⁵"If indeed you [braggarts] vaunt and magnify yourselves over me And prove my disgrace (humiliation) to me,

⁶Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me And has closed His net around me.

⁷"Behold, I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not heard; I shout for help, but there is no justice.

⁸"He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has set darkness upon my paths.

⁹"He has stripped me of my honor And removed the crown from my head.

¹⁰"He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; He has uprooted my hope like a tree.

¹¹"He has also kindled His wrath [like a fire] against me And He considers and counts me as one of His adversaries.

¹²"His troops come together And build up their way and siege works against me And camp around my tent.

¹³"He has put my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

¹⁴"My relatives have failed [me], And my intimate friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵"Those who live [temporarily] in my house and my maids consider me a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight.

¹⁶"I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with words.

¹⁷"My breath is repulsive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.

¹⁸"Even young children despise me; When I get up, they speak against me.

¹⁹"All the men of my council hate me; Those I love have turned against me.

²⁰"My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.

²¹"Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has touched me.

²²"Why do you persecute me as God does? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?

²³"Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!

²⁴"That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead They were engraved in the rock forever!

²⁵"For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.

²⁶"Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death], Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,

²⁷Whom I, even I, will see for myself, And my eyes will see Him and not another! My heart faints within me.

²⁸"If you say, 'How shall we [continue to] persecute him?' And 'What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?'

²⁹"Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves, For wrathful are the punishments of that sword, So that you may know there is judgment."

¹A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

²Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty and majesty of His holiness [as the creator and source of holiness].

³The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters.

⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

⁵The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox.

⁷The voice of the LORD rakes flames of fire (lightning).

⁸The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the LORD makes the doe labor and give birth And strips the forests bare; And in His temple all are saying, "Glory!"

¹⁰The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.

¹¹The LORD will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

¹Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than a [rich] man who is twisted in his speech and is a [shortsighted] fool.

²Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries with his feet [acting impulsively and proceeding without caution or analyzing the consequences] sins (misses the mark).

³The foolishness of man undermines his way [ruining whatever he undertakes]; Then his heart is resentful and rages against the LORD [for, being a fool, he blames the LORD instead of himself].

⁴Wealth makes many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who breathes out lies will not escape.

⁶Many will seek the favor of a generous and noble man, And everyone is a friend to him who gives gifts.

⁷All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

⁸He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who breathes lies will perish.

¹⁰Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

¹¹Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].

¹²The king's wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water].

¹⁴House and wealth are the inheritance from fathers, But a wise, understanding, and sensible wife is [a gift and blessing] from the LORD.

¹⁵Laziness casts one into a deep sleep [unmindful of lost opportunity], And the idle person will suffer hunger.

¹⁶He who keeps and obeys the commandment [of the LORD] keeps (guards) his own life, But he who is careless of his ways and conduct will die.

¹⁷He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed.

¹⁸Discipline and teach your son while there is hope, And do not [indulge your anger or resentment by imposing inappropriate punishment nor] desire his destruction.

¹⁹A man of great anger will bear the penalty [for his quick temper and lack of self-control]; For if you rescue him [and do not let him learn from the consequences of his action], you will only have to rescue him over and over again.

²⁰Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, That you may be wise in the time to come.

²¹Many plans are in a man's mind, But it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).

²²That which is desirable in a man is his loyalty and unfailing love, But it is better to be a poor man than a [wealthy] liar.

²³The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

²⁴The lazy man buries his hand in the [food] dish, But will not even bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵Strike a scoffer [for refusing to learn], and the naive may [be warned and] become prudent; Reprimand one who has understanding and a teachable spirit, and he will gain knowledge and insight.

²⁶He who assaults his father and chases away his mother Is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷Cease listening, my son, to instruction and discipline And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A wicked and worthless witness mocks justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.

²⁹Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of [thickheaded] fools.

¹Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

²The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.

³The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.

⁴Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and pierce me through and abuse and mock me." But his armor bearer would not, because he was terrified [of doing such a thing]. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

⁵When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

⁶So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together on that day.

⁷When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley [of Jezreel], and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the other men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸The next day, when the Philistines came to plunder the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹So they cut off Saul's head and stripped off his weapons and armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to bring the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.

¹⁰And they put Saul's weapons and armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth (female goddesses), and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

¹¹When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹²all the brave men stood and walked all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and cremated them there.

¹³They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted [as a sign of mourning and respect] for seven days.

¹Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and buy yourself a linen waistband and put it on your loins, but do not put it in water."

²So I bought the waistband according to the word of the LORD and put it on my loins.

³Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying,

⁴"Get up and take the waistband that you have bought, which is [wrapped] around your loins, and go to the [river] Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock."

⁵So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD had commanded me.

⁶And after many days the LORD said to me, "Get up, go to the Euphrates and get the waistband which I commanded you to hide there."

⁷Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistband was decayed and ruined; it was completely worthless.

⁸Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁹"Thus says the LORD, 'In this same way I shall destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

¹⁰These wicked and malevolent people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubborn way of their heart and have followed other gods [which are nothing—just man-made carvings] to serve them and to worship them, let them be just like this waistband which is completely worthless.

¹¹For as the waistband clings to the body of a man, so I caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,' says the LORD, 'that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory; but they did not listen and obey.'

¹²"Therefore you are to speak this word to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Every jar should be filled with wine."' The people will say to you, 'Do we not already know that every jar should be filled with wine?'

¹³Then say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to fill with drunkenness all the people of this land, even the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets and all the people of Jerusalem.

¹⁴I will smash them one against another, both the fathers and the sons together," says the LORD. "I shall destroy them [nothing will restrain Me]; I will not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion."'"

¹⁵Listen and pay close attention, do not be haughty and overconfident, For the LORD has spoken [says Jeremiah].

¹⁶Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dark and shadowy mountains, And while you are longing for light He turns it into the shadow of death, And makes it into thick darkness.

¹⁷But if you will not listen and obey, My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly And flow with tears, Because the Lord's flock has been taken captive.

¹⁸Say to the king and the queen mother, "Humble yourselves and take a lowly seat, For your beautiful crown [the crown of your glory] Has come down from your head."

¹⁹The cities of the South (the Negev) have been closed up, And there is no one to open them; All Judah has been carried into exile, Completely carried away into exile.

²⁰"Lift up your eyes and see Those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you [to shepherd], Your beautiful flock?

²¹"What will you say [O Jerusalem] when the LORD appoints [foreign nations to rule] over you— Those former friends and allies whom you have encouraged [to be your companions]— Will not pain seize you Like [that of] a woman in childbirth?

²²"And if you [wonder and] say in your heart, 'Why have these things happened to me?' It is because of the greatness and nature of your sin That your skirts have been pulled away [subjecting you to public disgrace] And [like a barefoot slave] your heels have been wounded.

²³"Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to evil and even trained to do it.

²⁴"Therefore I will scatter you like drifting straw [Driven away] by the desert wind.

²⁵"This is your destiny, the portion [of judgment] measured to you From Me," says the LORD, "Because you have forgotten Me And trusted in [pagan] lies [the counterfeit gods, and the pretense of alliance]."

²⁶"So I Myself will throw your skirts up over your face, That your shame may be exposed [publicly].

²⁷"I have seen your vile and detestable acts, Even your adulteries and your lustful neighings [after idols], And the lewdness of your prostitution On the hills in the fields. Woe (judgment is coming) to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean [by ignoring My precepts]?"

¹When we had torn ourselves away from them and set sail, we ran a straight course and came to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara;

²and after finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail.

³After we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on our left (port side), we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

⁴After looking up the disciples [in Tyre], we stayed there [with them] seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the [Holy] Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

⁵When our days there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey, while all of the disciples, with their wives and children, escorted us on our way until we were outside the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we told one another goodbye.

⁶Then we boarded the ship, and they returned to their homes.

⁷When we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we landed [twenty miles to the south] at Ptolemais, and after greeting the believers, we stayed with them for one day.

⁸On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven [deacons], and stayed with him.

⁹He had four virgin daughters who had the gift of prophecy.

¹⁰As we were staying there for some time, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

¹¹And coming to [see] us, he took Paul's [wide] band (belt, sash) and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this same way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this band, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles (pagans).'"

¹²Now when we had heard this, both we and the local residents began pleading with Paul trying to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul replied, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart [like this]? For I am ready not only to be bound and imprisoned, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

¹⁴And since he would not be dissuaded, we stopped pleading and fell silent, saying, "The Lord's will be done!"

¹⁵After this we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to [the house of] Mnason, a man from Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

¹⁷When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us gladly.

¹⁸On the next day Paul went with us to [see] James, and all the elders of the church were present.

¹⁹After greeting them, Paul began to give a detailed account of the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰And when they heard it, they began glorifying and praising God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all enthusiastic supporters of the Law [of Moses].

²¹Now they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are living among the Gentiles to turn away from [the Law of] Moses, advising them not to circumcise their children or to live according to the [Mosaic] customs.

²²What then should be done? They will certainly hear that you have arrived.

²³Therefore do just what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow;

²⁴take these men and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses [for the temple offerings] so that they may shave their heads. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to the things they have been told about you, but that you yourself also follow and keep the Law.

²⁵But with regard to the Gentiles who have believed [in Christ], we have sent them a letter with our decision that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from [consuming] blood and from [the meat of] what has been strangled and from sexual immorality."

²⁶Then Paul took the [four] men, and the next day he purified himself along with them [by submitting to the ritual]. He went into the temple to give notice of [the time] when the days of purification [ending each vow] would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of each one.

²⁷When the seven days [required to complete the ritual] were almost over, [some] Jews from [the province of] Asia [Minor], caught sight of him in the temple, and began to stir up the crowd, and they seized him,

²⁸shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."

²⁹For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul, and they assumed that he had brought the man into the temple [beyond the court of the Gentiles].

³⁰Then the whole city was provoked and confused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed.

³¹Now while they were trying to kill him, word came to the commander of the [Roman] garrison that all Jerusalem was in a state of upheaval.

³²So he immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down among them. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

³³Then the commander came up and arrested Paul, and ordered that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

³⁴But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others something else; and since he could not determine the facts because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken to the barracks [in the tower of Antonia].

³⁵When Paul got to the steps, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;

³⁶for the majority of the people kept following them, shouting, "Away with him! [Kill him!]"

³⁷Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" And the man replied, "Do you know Greek?

³⁸Then you are not [as I assumed] the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"

³⁹Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia (Mersin Province, Turkey), a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."

⁴⁰When the commander had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect (Jewish Aramaic), saying,