Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.

²He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.

³“Truly I tell you,” he said. “This poor widow has put in more than all of them.

⁴For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

⁵As some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said,

⁶“These things that you see — the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

⁷“Teacher,” they asked him, “so when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

⁸Then he said, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.

⁹When you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed. Indeed, it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

¹⁰Then he told them: “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

¹¹There will be violent earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.

¹²But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.

¹³This will give you an opportunity to bear witness.

¹⁴Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time,

¹⁵for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

¹⁶You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.

¹⁷You will be hated by everyone because of my name,

¹⁸but not a hair of your head will be lost.

¹⁹By your endurance, gain your lives.

²⁰“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that its desolation has come near.

²¹Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it,

²²because these are days of vengeance to fulfill all the things that are written.

²³Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.

²⁴They will be killed by the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵“Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

²⁶People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

²⁷Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

²⁸But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”

²⁹Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.

³⁰As soon as they put out leaves you can see for yourselves and recognize that summer is already near.

³¹In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

³²Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all things take place.

³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

³⁴“Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly

³⁵like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth.

³⁶But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷During the day, he was teaching in the temple, but in the evening he would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.

³⁸Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear him in the temple.

¹The LORD spoke to Moses,

²“Command the Israelites and say to them: Be sure to present to me at its appointed time my offering and my food as my fire offering, a pleasing aroma to me.

³And say to them: This is the fire offering you are to present to the LORD: “Each day present two unblemished year-old male lambs as a regular burnt offering.

⁴Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at twilight,

⁵along with two quarts of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with a quart of olive oil from crushed olives.

⁶It is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the LORD.

⁷The drink offering is to be a quart with each lamb. Pour out the offering of beer to the LORD in the sanctuary area.

⁸Offer the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. It is a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

⁹“On the Sabbath day present two unblemished year-old male lambs, four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering.

¹⁰It is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

¹¹“At the beginning of each of your months present a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old — all unblemished —

¹²with six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each bull, four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for the ram,

¹³and two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb. It is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the LORD.

¹⁴Their drink offerings are to be two quarts of wine with each bull, one and a third quarts with the ram, and one quart with each male lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering for all the months of the year.

¹⁵And one male goat is to be offered as a sin offering to the LORD, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.

¹⁶“The Passover to the LORD comes in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month.

¹⁷On the fifteenth day of this month there will be a festival; unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days.

¹⁸On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.

¹⁹Present a fire offering, a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. Your animals are to be unblemished.

²⁰The grain offering with them is to be of fine flour mixed with oil; offer six quarts with each bull and four quarts with the ram.

²¹Offer two quarts with each of the seven lambs

²²and one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves.

²³Offer these with the morning burnt offering that is part of the regular burnt offering.

²⁴You are to offer the same food each day for seven days as a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It is to be offered with its drink offering and the regular burnt offering.

²⁵On the seventh day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.

²⁶“On the day of firstfruits, you are to hold a sacred assembly when you present an offering of new grain to the LORD at your Festival of Weeks; you are not to do any daily work.

²⁷Present a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old,

²⁸with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram,

²⁹and two quarts with each of the seven lambs,

³⁰and one male goat to make atonement for yourselves.

³¹Offer them with their drink offerings in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Your animals are to be unblemished.

¹A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God.

²In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful.

³It is of little importance to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even judge myself.

⁴For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me.

⁵So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

⁶Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another.

⁷For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?

⁸You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us — and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you!

⁹For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people.

¹⁰We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!

¹¹Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless;

¹²we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

¹³when we are slandered, we respond graciously. Even now, we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone’s garbage.

¹⁴I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.

¹⁵For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

¹⁶Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

¹⁷This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

¹⁸Now some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.

¹⁹But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk, but the power of those who are arrogant.

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

²¹What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

²Can a man be of any use to God? Can even a wise man be of use to him?

³Does it delight the Almighty if you are righteous? Does he profit if you perfect your behavior?

⁴Does he correct you and take you to court because of your piety?

⁵Isn’t your wickedness abundant and aren’t your iniquities endless?

⁶For you took collateral from your brothers without cause, stripping off their clothes and leaving them naked.

⁷You gave no water to the thirsty and withheld food from the famished,

⁸while the land belonged to a powerful man and an influential man lived on it.

⁹You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

¹⁰Therefore snares surround you, and sudden dread terrifies you,

¹¹or darkness, so you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

¹²Isn’t God as high as the heavens? And look at the highest stars — how lofty they are!

¹³Yet you say, “What does God know? Can he judge through total darkness?

¹⁴Clouds veil him so that he cannot see, as he walks on the circle of the sky.”

¹⁵Will you continue on the ancient path that wicked men have walked?

¹⁶They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were washed away by a river.

¹⁷They were the ones who said to God, “Leave us alone!” and “What can the Almighty do to us?”

¹⁸But it was he who filled their houses with good things. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

¹⁹The righteous see this and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying,

²⁰“Surely our opponents are destroyed, and fire has consumed what they left behind.”

²¹Come to terms with God and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.

²²Receive instruction from his mouth, and place his sayings in your heart.

²³If you return to the Almighty, you will be renewed. If you banish injustice from your tent

²⁴and consign your gold to the dust, the gold of Ophir to the stones in the wadis,

²⁵the Almighty will be your gold and your finest silver.

²⁶Then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

²⁷You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

²⁸When you make a decision, it will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.

²⁹When others are humiliated and you say, “Lift them up,” God will save the humble.

³⁰He will even rescue the guilty one, who will be rescued by the purity of your hands.

¹Of David. A . [1] How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!

²How joyful is a person whom the LORD does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!

³When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.

⁴For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. Selah

⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

⁶Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to you immediately. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him.

⁷You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah

⁸I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel.

⁹Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else it will not come near you.

¹⁰Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the LORD will have faithful love surrounding him.

¹¹Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

¹A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold.

²Rich and poor have this in common: the LORD makes them all.

³A sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.

⁴Humility, the fear of the LORD, results in wealth, honor, and life.

⁵There are thorns and snares on the way of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them.

⁶Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender.

⁸The one who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out a mocker, and conflict goes too; then quarreling and dishonor will cease.

¹¹The one who loves a pure heart and gracious lips — the king is his friend.

¹²The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the treacherous.

¹³The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”

¹⁴The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit; a man cursed by the LORD will fall into it.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound to the heart of a youth; a rod of discipline will separate it from him.

¹⁶Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich — both lead only to poverty.

¹⁷Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge.

¹⁸For it is pleasing if you keep them within you and if they are constantly on your lips.

¹⁹I have instructed you today — even you — so that your confidence may be in the LORD.

²⁰Haven’t I written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge,

²¹in order to teach you true and reliable words, so that you may give a dependable report to those who sent you?

²²Don’t rob a poor person because he is poor, and don’t crush the oppressed at the city gate,

²³for the LORD will champion their cause and will plunder those who plunder them.

²⁴Don’t make friends with an angry person, and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered one,

²⁵or you will learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

²⁶Don’t be one of those who enter agreements, who put up security for loans.

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay, even your bed will be taken from under you.

²⁸Don’t move an ancient boundary marker that your fathers set up.

²⁹Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of the unknown.

¹During the long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, David was growing stronger and the house of Saul was becoming weaker.

²Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite;

³his second was Chileab, by Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom, son of Maacah the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;

⁴the fourth was Adonijah, son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah, son of Abital;

⁵the sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner kept acquiring more power in the house of Saul.

⁷Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

⁸Abner was very angry about Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I a dog’s head who belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I’ve been loyal to the family of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and haven’t betrayed you to David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!

⁹May God punish Abner and do so severely if I don’t do for David what the LORD swore to him:

¹⁰to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba.”

¹¹Ish-bosheth did not dare respond to Abner because he was afraid of him.

¹²Abner sent messengers as his representatives to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and you can be certain I am on your side to turn all Israel over to you.”

¹³David replied, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. However, there’s one thing I require of you: You will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”

¹⁴Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal. I was engaged to her for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

¹⁵So Ish-bosheth sent someone to take her away from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish.

¹⁶Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he went back.

¹⁷Abner conferred with the elders of Israel: “In the past you wanted David to be king over you.

¹⁸Now take action, because the LORD has spoken concerning David: ‘Through my servant David I will save my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and the power of all Israel’s enemies.’”

¹⁹Abner also informed the Benjaminites and went to Hebron to inform David about all that was agreed on by Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.

²⁰When Abner and twenty men came to David at Hebron, David held a banquet for him and his men.

²¹Abner said to David, “Let me now go and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you, and you will reign over all you desire.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.

²²Just then David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid and brought a large amount of plundered goods with them. Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had dismissed him, and he had gone in peace.

²³When Joab and his whole army arrived, Joab was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, the king dismissed him, and he went in peace.”

²⁴Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look here, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he’s getting away.

²⁵You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to find out about your military activities and everything you’re doing.”

²⁶Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah, but David was unaware of it.

²⁷When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside to the middle of the city gate, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died in revenge for the death of Asahel, Joab’s brother.

²⁸David heard about it later and said: “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.

²⁹May it hang over Joab’s head and his father’s whole family, and may the house of Joab never be without someone who has a discharge or a skin disease, or a man who can only work a spindle, or someone who falls by the sword or starves.”

³⁰Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

³¹David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the coffin.

³²When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept,

³³and the king sang a lament for Abner: Should Abner die as a fool dies?

³⁴Your hands were not bound, your feet not placed in bronze shackles. You fell like one who falls victim to criminals. And all the people wept over him even more.

³⁵Then they came to urge David to eat food while it was still day, but David took an oath: “May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset!”

³⁶All the people took note of this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.

³⁷On that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner.

³⁸Then the king said to his soldiers, “You must know that a great leader has fallen in Israel today.

³⁹As for me, even though I am the anointed king, I have little power today. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!”

¹The word of the LORD came to me:

²“Do not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.

³For this is what the LORD says concerning sons and daughters born in this place as well as concerning the mothers who bear them and the fathers who father them in this land:

⁴They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the soil’s surface. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.

⁵“For this is what the LORD says: Don’t enter a house where a mourning feast is taking place. Don’t go to lament or sympathize with them, for I have removed my peace from these people as well as my faithful love and compassion.” This is the LORD’s declaration.

⁶“Both great and small will die in this land without burial. No lament will be made for them, nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them.

⁷Food won’t be provided for the mourner to comfort him because of the dead. A consoling drink won’t be given him for the loss of his father or mother.

⁸Do not enter the house where feasting is taking place to sit with them to eat and drink.

⁹For this is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to eliminate from this place, before your very eyes and in your time, the sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride.

¹⁰“When you tell these people all these things, they will say to you, ‘Why has the LORD declared all this terrible disaster against us? What is our iniquity? What is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?’

¹¹Then you will answer them, ‘Because your fathers abandoned me  — this is the LORD’s declaration — and followed other gods, served them, and bowed in worship to them. Indeed, they abandoned me and did not keep my instruction.

¹²You did more evil than your fathers. Look, each one of you was following the stubbornness of his evil heart, not obeying me.

¹³So I will hurl you from this land into a land that you and your fathers are not familiar with. There you will worship other gods both day and night, for I will not grant you grace.’

¹⁴“However, look, the days are coming”  — the LORD’s declaration — “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt,’

¹⁵but rather, ‘As the LORD lives who brought the Israelites from the land of the north and from all the other lands where he had banished them.’ For I will return them to their land that I gave to their ancestors.

¹⁶“I am about to send for many fishermen”  — this is the LORD’s declaration — “and they will fish for them. Then I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and out of the clefts of the rocks,

¹⁷for my gaze takes in all their ways. They are not concealed from me, and their iniquity is not hidden from my sight.

¹⁸I will first repay them double for their iniquity and sin because they have polluted my land. They have filled my inheritance with the carcasses of their abhorrent and detestable idols.”

¹⁹LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a time of distress, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited only lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.”

²⁰Can one make gods for himself? But they are not gods.

²¹“Therefore, I am about to inform them, and this time I will make them know my power and my might; then they will know that my name is the LORD.”

¹Five days later Ananias the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor.

²When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said: “We enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation because of your foresight.

³We acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with utmost gratitude.

⁴But, so that I will not burden you any further, I request that you would be kind enough to give us a brief hearing.

⁵For we have found this man to be a plague, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

⁶He even tried to desecrate the temple, and so we apprehended him. By examining him yourself you will be able to discern the truth about these charges we are bringing against him.”

⁷

⁸

⁹The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were true.

¹⁰When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.

¹¹You can verify for yourself that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.

¹²They didn’t find me arguing with anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city.

¹³Neither can they prove the charges they are now making against me.

¹⁴But I admit this to you: I worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets.

¹⁵I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.

¹⁶I always strive to have a clear conscience toward God and men.

¹⁷After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my people.

¹⁸While I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.

¹⁹It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me.

²⁰Or let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin,

²¹other than this one statement I shouted while standing among them, ‘Today I am on trial before you concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”

²²Since Felix was well informed about the Way, he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.”

²³He ordered that the centurion keep Paul under guard, though he could have some freedom, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from meeting his needs.

²⁴Several days later, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁵Now as he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became afraid and replied, “Leave for now, but when I have an opportunity I’ll call for you.”

²⁶At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would offer him money. So he sent for him quite often and conversed with him.

²⁷After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and because Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in prison.