Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹On one of the days, as Jesus was instructing the people in the temple [area] and preaching the good news (gospel), the chief priests and the scribes along with the elders confronted Him,

²and said to Him, "Tell us by what kind of authority You are doing these things? Or who is the one who gave You this authority?"

³Jesus replied, "I will also ask you a question. You tell Me:

⁴The baptism of John [the Baptist]—was it from heaven [that is, ordained by God] or from men?"

⁵They discussed and debated it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

⁶But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are firmly convinced that John was a prophet."

⁷So they replied that they did not know from where it came.

⁸Then Jesus said to them, "Nor am I telling you by what [kind of] authority I do these things."

⁹Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time [to another country].

¹⁰At harvest time he sent a servant [as his representative] to the tenants, so that they would give him his share of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

¹¹So he again sent another servant; they also beat him and dishonored and treated him disgracefully and sent him away empty-handed.

¹²And he sent yet a third; and this one too they wounded and threw out [of the vineyard].

¹³Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will have respect for him.'

¹⁴But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves, saying, 'This [man] is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.'

¹⁵So they threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

¹⁶He will come and put these tenants to death and will give the vineyard to others." When the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders heard this, they said, "May it never be!"

¹⁷But Jesus looked at them and said, "What then is [the meaning of] this that is written: 'The [very] Stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief Cornerstone'?

¹⁸Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken and shattered in pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him."

¹⁹The scribes and the chief priests tried to [find a way to] arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people; because they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

²⁰So they watched [for a chance to trap] Him. They sent spies who pretended to be upright and sincere, in order that they might catch Him in some statement [that they could distort and use against Him], so that they could turn Him over to the control and authority of [Pilate] the governor.

²¹They asked Him, "Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and that You show no partiality to anyone, but teach the way of God truthfully.

²²Is it lawful [according to Jewish law and tradition] for us to pay taxes (tribute money) to Caesar or not?"

²³But He saw through their trickery and said to them,

²⁴"Show Me a [Roman] denarius. Whose image and inscription does the coin have?" They answered, "[the Emperor Tiberius] Caesar's."

²⁵He said to them, "Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

²⁶They were not able to seize on anything He said in the presence of the people; and being unnerved at His reply, they were silent.

²⁷Now some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him

²⁸and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law that] if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife and no children, his brother shouldmarry the wife and raise children for his brother.

²⁹Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless.

³⁰And the second,

³¹and the third married her, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.

³²Finally the woman also died.

³³So in the [life after] resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had married her."

³⁴Jesus said to them, "The sons of this [world and present] age marry and [the women] are given in marriage;

³⁵but those who are considered worthy to gain that [other world and that future] age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

³⁶and they cannot die again, because they are [immortal] like the angels (equal to, angel-like). And they are children of God, being participants in the resurrection.

³⁷But [as for the fact] that the dead are raised [from death], even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

³⁸Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living [so these forefathers will be among the resurrected]; for all live [in a definite relationship] to Him."

³⁹Some of the scribes replied, "Teacher, you have spoken well [so that there is no room for blame]."

⁴⁰And they did not dare to question Him further about anything [because of the wisdom He displayed in His answers].

⁴¹Then He said to them, "How is it that people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is David's son?

⁴²For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord (the Father) said to my Lord (the Son, the Messiah), "Sit at My right hand,

⁴³Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."'

⁴⁴ So David calls Him (the Son) 'Lord,' and how then is He David's son?"

⁴⁵And with all the people listening, He said to His disciples,

⁴⁶"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes [displaying their prominence], and love respectful greetings in the [crowded] market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets.

⁴⁷These [men] who confiscate and devour widows' houses, and for a pretense [to appear devout] offer long prayers. These [men] will receive the greater [sentence of] condemnation."

¹Then the [five] daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the tribes of Manasseh [who was] the son of Joseph, approached [with a request]. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

²They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the congregation at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle), saying,

³"Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among those who assembled together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died for his own sin [as did all those who rebelled at Kadesh], and he had no sons.

⁴Why should the name of our father be removed from his family because he had no son? Give to us a possession (land) among our father's brothers."

⁵So Moses brought their case before the LORD.

⁶Then the LORD said to Moses,

⁷"The request of the daughters of Zelophehad is justified. You shall certainly give them a possession as an inheritance among their father's brothers, and you shall transfer their father's inheritance to them.

⁸Further, you shall say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

⁹If a man has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

¹⁰If a man has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

¹¹If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall take possession of it. It shall be a statute and ordinance to the Israelites, just as the LORD has commanded Moses.'"

¹²Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up to this mountain (Nebo) [in the] Abarim [range] and look at the land I have given to the sons of Israel.

¹³When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people [in death], just as Aaron your brother was gathered;

¹⁴because in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat me as holy [by following My instruction] before their eyes at the water." (These are the waters of Meribah in Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,

¹⁶" Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation

¹⁷who will go out and come in before them, and will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be as sheep without a shepherd."

¹⁸The LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;

¹⁹and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole congregation, and give him a commission in their sight.

²⁰You shall put some of your authority and honor on him, so that all the congregation of the Israelites will obey him.

²¹He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment (decision) of the Urim. At Joshua's command the people shall go out and at his command they shall come in, he and all the congregation of Israel with him."

²²Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation,

²³and Moses laid his hands on Joshua and commissioned him, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

¹However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ!

²I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready.

³You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?

⁴For when one of you says, "I am [a disciple] of Paul," and another, "I am [a disciple] of Apollos," are you not [proving yourselves unchanged, just] ordinary people?

⁵What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just servants through whom you believed [in Christ], even as the Lord appointed to each his task.

⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth.

⁷So neither is the one who plants nor the one who waters anything, but [only] God who causes the growth.

⁸He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

⁹For we are God's fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God's cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God's building.

¹⁰According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it,

¹¹for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ.

¹²But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

¹³each one's work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person's work.

¹⁴If any person's work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward.

¹⁵But if any person's work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.

¹⁶Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]?

¹⁷If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.

¹⁸Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom], so that he may become [truly] wise.

¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God; for it is written [in Scripture], "[He is] The one who catches the wise and clever in their craftiness;"

²⁰and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the [humanly] wise, that they are useless."

²¹So let no one boast in men [about their wisdom, or of having this or that one as a leader]. For all things are yours,

²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things are yours,

²³and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be the consolation.

³"Bear with me, and I also will speak; And after I have spoken, you may [continue to] mock [me].

⁴"As for me, is my complaint to man or about him? And why should I not be impatient and my spirit troubled?

⁵"Look at me and be astonished and appalled; And put your hand over your mouth.

⁶"Even when I remember, I am troubled and afraid; Horror and trembling take hold of my flesh.

⁷"Why do the wicked still live, Become old, and become mighty in power?

⁸"Their children and descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.

⁹"Their houses are safe from fear; And the rod of God is not on them.

¹⁰"His bull breeds and does not fail; His cow calves and does not miscarry.

¹¹"They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children skip about.

¹²"They lift up their voices and sing to the tambourine and the lyre And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

¹³"They fully enjoy their days in prosperity, And so go down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) in a [peaceful] moment.

¹⁴"Yet they say to God, 'Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

¹⁵'Who [and what] is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what would we gain if we plead with Him?'

¹⁶"But notice, the prosperity of the wicked is not in their hand (in their power); The counsel of the wicked [and the mystery of God's dealings with the ungodly] is far from my comprehension.

¹⁷"How often [then] is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, And that their disaster falls on them? Does God distribute pain and destruction and sorrow [to them] in His anger?

¹⁸"Are they like straw before the wind, And like chaff that the storm steals and carries away?

¹⁹"You say, 'God stores away [the punishment of] man's wickedness for his children.' Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it.

²⁰"Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹"For what pleasure does he have in his house and family after he is dead, When the number of his months [of life] is cut off?

²²"Can anyone teach God knowledge, Seeing that He judges those on high?

²³"One dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet and satisfied;

²⁴His pails are full of milk [his sides are filled out with fat], And the marrow of his bones is moist,

²⁵Whereas another dies with a bitter soul, Never even tasting pleasure or good fortune.

²⁶"Together they lie down in the dust, And the worms cover them.

²⁷"Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plots by which you would wrong me.

²⁸"For you say, 'Where is the house of the noble man? And where is the tent, the dwelling place of the wicked?'

²⁹"Have you not asked those who travel this way, And do you not recognize their witness?

³⁰"That evil men are [now] reserved for the day of disaster and destruction, They will be led away on the day of [God's] wrath?

³¹"But who will confront him with his actions and rebuke him face to face, And who will repay him for what he has done?

³²"When he is carried to his grave, A guard will keep watch over his tomb.

³³"The [dirt] clods of the valley are sweet to him [and gently cover him], Moreover, all men will follow after him [to a grave], While countless ones go before him.

³⁴"How then can you vainly comfort me with empty words, Since your answers remain untrue?"

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have placed my trust and taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed; In Your righteousness rescue me.

²Incline Your ear to me, deliver me quickly; Be my rock of refuge, And a strong fortress to save me.

³Yes, You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me.

⁴You will draw me out of the net that they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength and my stronghold.

⁵Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD, the God of truth and faithfulness.

⁶I hate those who pay regard to vain (empty, worthless) idols; But I trust in the LORD [and rely on Him with unwavering confidence].

⁷I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love, Because You have seen my affliction; You have taken note of my life's distresses,

⁸And You have not given me into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a broad place.

⁹Be gracious and compassionate to me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; My eye is clouded and weakened by grief, my soul and my body also.

¹⁰For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And even my body has wasted away.

¹¹Because of all my enemies I have become a reproach and disgrace, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me on the street run from me.

¹²I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.

¹³For I have heard the slander and whispering of many, Terror is on every side; While they schemed together against me, They plotted to take away my life.

¹⁴But as for me, I trust [confidently] in You and Your greatness, O LORD; I said, "You are my God."

¹⁵My times are in Your hands; Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue and persecute me.

¹⁶Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness.

¹⁷Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call on You; Let the wicked (godless) be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

¹⁸Let the lying lips be mute, Which speak insolently and arrogantly against the [consistently] righteous With pride and contempt.

¹⁹How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who [reverently] fear You, Which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of man!

²⁰In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots and conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter (pavilion) from the strife of tongues.

²¹Blessed be the LORD, For He has shown His marvelous favor and lovingkindness to me [when I was assailed] in a besieged city.

²²As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from Your eyes." Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications (specific requests) When I cried to You [for help].

²³O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful [those with moral and spiritual integrity] And fully repays the [self-righteousness of the] arrogant.

²⁴Be strong and let your hearts take courage, All you who wait for and confidently expect the LORD.

¹The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it whichever way He wishes.

²Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs and examines the hearts [of people and their motives].

³To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice [for wrongs repeatedly committed].

⁴Haughty and arrogant eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked [their self-centered pride], is sin [in the eyes of God].

⁵The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage, But everyone who acts in haste comes surely to poverty.

⁶Acquiring treasures by a lying tongue Is a fleeting vapor, the seeking and pursuit of death.

⁷The violence of the wicked will [return to them and] drag them away [like fish caught in a net], Because they refuse to act with justice.

⁸The way of the guilty is [exceedingly] crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

⁹It is better to live in a corner of the housetop [on the flat roof, exposed to the weather] Than in a house shared with a quarrelsome (contentious) woman.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil [like an addictive substance]; His neighbor finds no compassion in his eyes.

¹¹When the scoffer is punished, the naive [observes the lesson and] becomes wise; But when the wise and teachable person is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹²The righteous one keeps an eye on the house of the wicked— How the wicked are cast down to ruin.

¹³Whoever shuts his ears at the cry of the poor Will cry out himself and not be answered.

¹⁴A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe [hidden] in the pocket, strong wrath.

¹⁵When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, the one in right standing with God), But to the evildoers it is disaster.

¹⁶A man who wanders from the way of understanding (godly wisdom) Will remain in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷He who loves [only selfish] pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves and is devoted to wine and [olive] oil will not become rich.

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, And the treacherous in the place of the upright [for they fall into their own traps].

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land Than with a contentious and troublesome woman.

²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future], But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

²¹He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise man scales the city [walls] of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³He who guards his mouth and his tongue Guards himself from troubles.

²⁴"Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names Who acts with overbearing and insolent pride.

²⁵The desire of the lazy kills him, For his hands refuse to labor;

²⁶He craves all the day long [and does no work], But the righteous [willingly] gives and does not withhold [what he has].

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable and offensive [to the LORD]. How much more [unacceptable and insulting can it be] when he brings it with evil intention?

²⁸A false witness will perish, But a man who listens to the truth will speak forever and go unchallenged.

²⁹A wicked man puts on a bold face, But as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].

³⁰There is no [human] wisdom or understanding Or counsel [that can prevail] against the LORD.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance and victory belong to the LORD.

¹So it happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" And He said, "To Hebron."

²So David went up there [to Hebron] with his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel [in Judah].

³And David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.

⁴Then the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. Then they told David, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."

⁵So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD because you showed this graciousness and loyalty to Saul your lord (king), and buried him.

⁶Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth and faithfulness to you. I too will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.

⁷So now, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for your lord Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

⁸Now [Saul's cousin] Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

⁹He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, even over all Israel [except Judah].

¹⁰Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

¹¹And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

¹²Now Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

¹³Joab [David's nephew] the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. They sat down, with one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side of the pool.

¹⁴Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now stand and have a contest before us." And Joab said, "Let them stand."

¹⁵So they stood up and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

¹⁶Each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponents side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim [that is, the Field of Sides], which is in Gibeon.

¹⁷There was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

¹⁸Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light and swift-footed as one of the [wild] gazelles in the field.

¹⁹Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left as he followed him.

²⁰Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He answered, "It is I."

²¹So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and grab one of the young men and take his armor for yourself." But Asahel was not willing to turn away from pursuing Abner.

²²Abner repeated again, "Turn away from following me. Why should I have to strike you to the ground? How would I be able to face Joab your brother [and look him in the eye]?"

²³But Asahel refused to turn away; so Abner struck him in the abdomen with the butt end of his spear, and the spear came out his back; and he fell there and died on that spot. And it came about that everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still [and reflected].

²⁴But Joab and Abishai [Asahel's brothers] pursued Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵And the sons of [the tribe of] Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one troop, and took their stand on the top of a hill.

²⁶Then Abner called to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long [will it be] before you tell the people to stop pursuing their brothers?"

²⁷Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, then the people certainly would have stopped pursuing their brothers in the morning."

²⁸So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people halted and no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

²⁹Then Abner and his men went through the Arabah (desert region) all that night, crossed the Jordan, went through Bithron and walked the whole morning and came to Mahanaim [where Ish-bosheth ruled Israel].

³⁰Joab returned from pursuing Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen of David's servants were missing, besides Asahel.

³¹But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner's men; so that three hundred and sixty men died.

³²And they picked up [the body of] Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night and they arrived in Hebron at daybreak.

¹Then the LORD said to me, "Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me [interceding for them], My heart would still not be [turned with favor] toward this people [Judah]. Send them away from My presence and out of My sight and let them go!

²And it shall be that when they say to you, 'Where should we go?' then tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: "Those [destined] for death, to death; Those for the sword, to the sword; Those for famine, to famine; Those for captivity, to captivity."'

³I will appoint four kinds of destroyers over them," says the LORD, "the sword to slay, the dogs to tear and drag away, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy.

⁴I will make them an object of horror to all nations of the earth because of Manasseh [the despicable] son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for the [evil and detestable] things which he did in Jerusalem.

⁵"For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, Or who will mourn for you, Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

⁶"You have abandoned (rejected) Me," says the LORD. "You keep going backward. Therefore I shall stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of delaying [your punishment]!

⁷"I will winnow (sort, separate) them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will deprive them of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent and turn from their [evil] ways.

⁸"I will make their widows more numerous before Me Than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men, A destroyer at noonday; I will suddenly cause anguish and terror To fall on her.

⁹"She who has borne seven [sons] languishes; She has breathed out her soul. Her sun has set while it was still day; She has been shamed and humiliated. So I will hand over [the rest of] the survivors to the sword Before their enemies," says the LORD.

¹⁰Woe to me, my mother, that you have given birth to me To be a man of strife and a man of contention to all the earth! I have not loaned, nor have men lent money to me, Yet everyone curses me.

¹¹The LORD said, "Surely [it will go well for Judah's obedient remnant for] I will set you free for good purposes; Surely [Jeremiah] I will [intercede for you with the enemy and I will] cause the enemy to plead with you [for help] In a time of disaster and a time of distress.

¹²"Can anyone crush iron, The iron from the north, or bronze?

¹³"Your [nation's] riches and your treasures I will give as plunder without price [to the Babylonians], Because of all your sins And within all your territories.

¹⁴"Then I will make your enemies bring [you along with] your possessions Into a land which you do not know [for there you will serve your conquerors]; For a fire has been kindled in My anger, Which will burn upon you."

¹⁵O LORD, You know and understand; Remember me [thoughtfully], take notice of me, take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; Know that for Your sake I endure [continual] rebuke and dishonor.

¹⁶Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

¹⁷I did not sit with the group of those who celebrate, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your [powerful] hand was upon me, For You had filled me with indignation [at their sin].

¹⁸Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceptive brook With water that is unreliable?

¹⁹Therefore, thus says the LORD [to Jeremiah], "If you repent [and give up this mistaken attitude of despair and self-pity], then I will restore you [to a state of inner peace] So that you may stand before Me [as My obedient representative]; And if you separate the precious from the worthless [examining yourself and cleansing your heart from unwarranted doubt concerning My faithfulness], You will become My spokesman. Let the people turn to you [and learn to value My values]— But you, you must not turn to them [with regard for their idolatry and wickedness].

²⁰"And I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; They will fight against you, But they will not prevail over you, For I am with you [always] to save you And protect you," says the LORD.

²¹"So I will rescue you out of the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the [grasping] palm of the terrible and ruthless [tyrant]."

¹Then Paul, looking intently at the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), said, "Kinsmen, I have lived my life before God with a perfectly good conscience until this very day."

²[At this] the high priest Ananias ordered those who stood beside him to strike Paul on the mouth.

³Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you actually sit to judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?"

⁴But those who stood near Paul said, "Are you insulting the high priest of God?"

⁵Paul said, "I was not aware, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

⁶But recognizing that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began affirming loudly in the Council chamber, "Kinsmen, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!"

⁷When he said this, an angry dispute erupted between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the [whole crowded] assembly was divided [into two factions].

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no [such thing as a] resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees [speak out freely and] acknowledge [their belief in] them all.

⁹Then a great uproar occurred, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and began to argue heatedly [in Paul's favor], saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has [really] spoken to him?"

¹⁰And as the dissension became even greater, the commander, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down and forcibly take him from them, and bring him to the barracks.

¹¹On the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Be brave; for as you have solemnly and faithfully witnessed about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome."

¹²Now when day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath (curse), saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³There were more than forty [men] who formed this plot [and swore this oath].

¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath not to taste anything [neither food nor drink] until we have killed Paul.

¹⁵So now you, along with the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), notify the commander to bring Paul down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near [the place]."

¹⁶But the son of Paul's sister heard of their [planned] ambush, and he went to the barracks and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, "Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him."

¹⁸So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."

¹⁹The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to ask him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

²⁰And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tomorrow, as if they were going to interrogate him more thoroughly.

²¹But do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, and they have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Even now they are ready, just waiting for your promise."

²²So the commander let the young man leave, instructing him, "Do not tell anyone that you have given me this information."

²³Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, "Have two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen;

²⁴also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

²⁵And [after instructing the centurions] he wrote a letter to this effect:

²⁶"Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

²⁷"This man was seized [as a prisoner] by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon him with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

²⁸And wanting to know the exact charge which they were making against him, I brought him down to their Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court);

²⁹and I discovered that he was accused in regard to questions and issues in their Law, but [he was] under no accusation that would call for the penalty of death or [even] for imprisonment.

³⁰"When I was told that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also directing his accusers to bring their charges against him before you."

³¹So the soldiers, in compliance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night.

³²And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks.

³³When these [horsemen] reached Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor, and also presented Paul to him.

³⁴After reading the letter, he asked which province Paul was from, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province],

³⁵he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers have arrived," giving orders that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's Praetorium (the governor's official residence).