Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Looking up, He saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury.

²And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.

³He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in [proportionally] more than all of them;

⁴for they all put in gifts from their abundance; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

⁵As some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and consecrated offerings [of magnificent gifts of gold which were displayed on the walls and hung in the porticoes], He said,

⁶"As for all these things which you see, the time will come when there will not be one stone left on another that will not be torn down."

⁷They asked Him, "Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?"

⁸He said, "Be careful and see to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name [appropriating for themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me alone], saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near!' Do not follow them.

⁹When you hear of wars and disturbances [civil unrest, revolts, uprisings], do not panic; for these things must take place first, but the end will not come immediately."

¹⁰Then Jesus told them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.

¹¹There will be violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and [deadly and devastating] pestilences (plagues, epidemics); and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

¹²"But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake.

¹³This will be a time and an opportunity for you to testify [about Me].

¹⁴So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;

¹⁵for I will give you [skillful] words and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.

¹⁶But you will be betrayed and handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,

¹⁷and you will be continually hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name.

¹⁸But not a hair of your head will perish.

¹⁹By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.

²⁰"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her complete destruction is near.

²¹At that time, those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city (Jerusalem) must get out, and those who are [out] in the country must not enter the city;

²²for these are days of vengeance [of rendering full justice or satisfaction], so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.

²³Woe to those women who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For great trouble and anguish will be on the land, and wrath and retribution on this people [Israel].

²⁴And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed).

²⁵"There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves,

²⁶people fainting from fear and expectation of the [dreadful] things coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken.

²⁷Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with [transcendent, overwhelming] power [subduing the nations] and with great glory.

²⁸Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near."

²⁹Then He told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees;

³⁰as soon as they put out leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is near.

³¹So you too, when you see these things happening, know [without any doubt] that the kingdom of God is near.

³²I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [those living at that definite period of time preceding the second coming] will not pass away until everything takes place.

³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

³⁴"But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap;

³⁵for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth.

³⁶But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming]."

³⁷Now in the daytime Jesus was teaching in [the porches and courts of] the temple, but at night He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet.

³⁸And early in the morning all the people would come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Command the Israelites and say to them, 'You shall be careful to present at its appointed time [during the year] My offering, My food for My offerings by fire as a sweet and soothing aroma to Me.'

³You shall say to the people, 'This is the offering by fire which you shall present to the LORD every day: two male lambs one year old without blemish as a continual burnt offering.

⁴You shall offer one lamb in the morning and you shall offer the other lamb at twilight,

⁵also a tenth of an ephah of finely-milled flour as a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of pressed oil.

⁶It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained on Mount Sinai as a sweet and soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

⁷Its drink offering shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a strong drink offering to the LORD.

⁸The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD.

⁹'Then on the Sabbath day two male lambs one year old without blemish, and two-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering.

¹⁰This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

¹¹'Then at the beginning of [each of] your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

¹²and three-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, for each bull; and two-tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, for the one ram;

¹³and a tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of a sweet and soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

¹⁴Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, and a third of a hin for a ram, and a fourth of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the year.

¹⁵And one male goat as a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.

¹⁶'The Lord's Passover shall be on the fourteenth day of the first month [of each year].

¹⁷There shall be a feast on the fifteenth day of this month; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.

¹⁸On the first day there shall be a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work that day.

¹⁹But you shall present an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, without blemish.

²⁰For their grain offering you shall offer fine flour mixed with oil; three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, and two-tenths for the ram;

²¹you shall offer a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven male lambs;

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

²³You shall present these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.

²⁴In this way you shall present daily, for seven days, the food of the offering by fire, a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD; it shall be presented with its drink offering in addition to the continual burnt offering.

²⁵On the seventh day you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work.

²⁶'Also on the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new grain offering to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work.

²⁷You shall present the burnt offering as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old;

²⁸and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three-tenths [of an ephah] for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

²⁹a tenth for each of the seven male lambs,

³⁰and one male goat to make atonement for you.

³¹In addition to the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present them with their drink offerings. They shall be without blemish.

¹So then, let us [who minister] be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards (trustees, administrators) of the mysteries of God [that He chooses to reveal].

²In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.

³But [as for me personally] it matters very little to me that I may be judged by you or any human court [on this point]; in fact, I do not even judge myself.

⁴I am aware of nothing against myself and I feel blameless, but I am not by this acquitted [before God]. It is the Lord who judges me.

⁵So do not go on passing judgment before the appointed time, but wait until the Lord comes, for He will both bring to light the [secret] things that are hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.

⁶Now I have applied these things [that is, the analogies about factions] to myself and Apollos for your benefit, believers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written [in Scripture], so that none of you will become arrogant and boast in favor of one [minister or teacher] against the other.

⁷For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]?

⁸[You behave as if] you are already filled [with spiritual wisdom and in need of nothing more]. Already you have become rich [in spiritual gifts]! You [in your conceit] have ascended your thrones and become kings without us; and how I wish [that it were true and] that you did reign as kings, so that we might reign with you.

⁹For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles at the end of the line, like men sentenced to death [and paraded as prisoners in a procession], because we have become a spectacle to the world [a show in the world's amphitheater], both to angels and to men.

¹⁰We are [regarded as] fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are highly esteemed, but we are dishonored.

¹¹To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are continually poorly dressed, and we are roughly treated, and wander homeless.

¹²We work [for our living], working hard with our own hands. When we are reviled and verbally abused, we bless. When we are persecuted, we take it patiently and endure.

¹³When we are slandered, we try to be conciliatory and answer softly. We have become like the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴I do not write these things to shame you, but to warn and advise you as my beloved children.

¹⁵For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation].

¹⁶So I urge you, be imitators of me [just as a child imitates his father].

¹⁷For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my way of life in Christ [my conduct and my precepts for godly living], just as I teach everywhere in every church.

¹⁸Now some of you have become arrogant and pretentious, as though I were not coming to see you.

¹⁹But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not just the talk of these arrogant people, but [evaluate] their [spiritual] power [whether they live up to their own claims].

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not based on talk but on power.

²¹Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod [of discipline and correction], or with love and a gentle spirit?

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?

³"Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?

⁴"Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, That He enters into judgment against you?

⁵"Is not your wickedness great, And your sins without end?

⁶"For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

⁷"You have not given water to the weary to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸"But the land is possessed by the man with power, And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.

⁹"You have sent widows away empty-handed, And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰"Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies and overwhelms you;

¹¹Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And a flood of water covers you.

¹²"Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the distant stars, how high they are!

¹³"You say, 'What does God know [about me]? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴'Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.'

¹⁵"Will you keep to the ancient path That wicked men walked [in the time of Noah],

¹⁶Men who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were poured out like a river?

¹⁷"They said to God, 'Depart from us! What can the Almighty do for us or to us?'

¹⁸"Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.

¹⁹"The righteous see it and are glad; And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,

²⁰'Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed, And fire has consumed their abundance.'

²¹"Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.

²²"Please receive the law and instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart and keep them.

²³"If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored]; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,

²⁴And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],

²⁵And make the Almighty your gold And your precious silver,

²⁶Then you will have delight in the Almighty, And you will lift up your face to God.

²⁷"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, And you will pay your vows.

²⁸"You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God's favor] will shine upon your ways.

²⁹"When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will lift up and save.

³⁰"He will even rescue the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent; And he will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands."

¹A Psalm of David. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favored by God] is he whose transgression is forgiven, And whose sin is covered.

²Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute wickedness, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all the day long.

⁴For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; My energy (vitality, strength) was drained away as with the burning heat of summer. Selah.

⁵I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my wickedness; I said, "I will confess [all] my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

⁶Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [for forgiveness] in a time when You [are near and] may be found; Surely when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in] him.

⁷You are my hiding place; You, LORD, protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah.

⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you.

⁹Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bridle and rein to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.

¹⁰Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in and relies on the LORD shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness.

¹¹Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous [who actively seek right standing with Him]; Shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

¹A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and poor have a common bond; The LORD is the Maker of them all.

³A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it], But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

⁴The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one's importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Is riches, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate [for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them]; He who guards himself [with godly wisdom] will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God's wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows injustice will reap [a harvest of] trouble, And the rod of his wrath [with which he oppresses others] will fail.

⁹He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go away; Even strife and dishonor will cease.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious will have the king as his friend.

¹²The eyes of the LORD keep guard over knowledge and the one who has it, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous.

¹³The lazy one [manufactures excuses and] says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets [if I go out to work]!"

¹⁴The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit [deep and inescapable]; He who is cursed by the LORD [because of his adulterous sin] will fall into it.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself Or who gives to the rich [to gain influence and favor], will only come to poverty.

¹⁷Listen carefully and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge;

¹⁸For it will be pleasant if you keep them in mind [incorporating them as guiding principles]; Let them be ready on your lips [to guide and strengthen yourself and others].

¹⁹So that your trust and reliance and confidence may be in the LORD, I have taught these things to you today, even to you.

²⁰Have I not written to you excellent things In counsels and knowledge,

²¹To let you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may give a correct answer to him who sent you?

²²Do not rob the poor because he is poor [and defenseless], Nor crush the afflicted [by legal proceedings] at the gate [where the city court is held],

²³For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.

²⁴Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts; Or go [along] with a hot-tempered man,

²⁵Or you will learn his [undisciplined] ways And get yourself trapped [in a situation from which it is hard to escape].

²⁶Do not be among those who give pledges [involving themselves in others' finances], Or among those who become guarantors for others' debts.

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay [another's debt when he defaults], Why should his creditor take your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient landmark [at the boundary of the property] Which your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honor] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.

¹There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David grew steadily stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker [to the point of being powerless].

²Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;

³his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of [his wife] Maacah, daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur;

⁴the fourth, Adonijah the son of [his wife] Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of [his wife] Abital;

⁵and the sixth, Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. These [sons] were born to David in Hebron.

⁶Now while war continued between the houses of Saul and David, Abner was proving himself strong in the house of Saul.

⁷Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner,"Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

⁸Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, "Am I a dog's head [a despicable traitor] that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty and kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, by not having you handed over to David; and yet you charge me today with guilt concerning this woman.

⁹May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David just as the LORD has sworn to him,

¹⁰to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south]."

¹¹And Ish-bosheth could not say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

¹²Then Abner sent messengers to David [who was] in his place [at Hebron], saying, "Whose is the land? Make your covenant (treaty) with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you."

¹³David said, "Good! I will make a covenant (treaty) with you, but I require one thing of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me."

¹⁴So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, " Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for [the price of] a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

¹⁵So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish [to whom Saul had given her].

¹⁶But her husband went with her, weeping continually behind her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner told him, "Go, return." And he did so.

¹⁷Abner talked with the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel, saying, "In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you.

¹⁸Now then, do it [and make him king]! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.'"

¹⁹Abner also spoke to [the men of] Benjamin. Then he also went to tell David at Hebron everything that seemed good to Israel and to the entire house of Benjamin.

²⁰So Abner came to David at Hebron, and [brought] twenty men along with him. And David prepared a feast for Abner and the men with him.

²¹Abner said to David, "Let me stand up and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant (treaty) with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²²Then the servants of David came with Joab from a raid and brought a great quantity of spoil with them; but Abner was not with David at Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

²³When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace."

²⁴Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why did you send him away, so that he is already gone?

²⁵You know Abner the son of Ner, that he [only] came to deceive you [with flattering words] and to learn of your going out and coming in, and to find out what you are doing."

²⁶When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew nothing [about Joab's action].

²⁷So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak to him privately, and there he struck Abner in the abdomen so that he died, to avenge the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother.

²⁸Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

²⁹Let the guilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house (family); and may there never disappear from the house of Joab one who suffers with a discharge or one who is a leper or one who walks with a crutch [being unfit for war], or one who falls by the sword, or one who lacks food."

³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

³²They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

³³And the king sang a dirge (funeral song) over Abner and said, "Should Abner [the great warrior] die as a fool dies?

³⁴"Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen." And all the people wept again over him.

³⁵All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, "May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets."

³⁶And all the people took notice of it and it pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people.

³⁷So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.

³⁸Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

³⁹Today I am weak, though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer [Joab] in accordance with his wickedness!"

¹The word of the LORD also came to me, saying,

²"You shall not take a wife or have sons and daughters in this place (Jerusalem)."

³For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning the mothers who give birth to them, and the fathers who father them in this land:

⁴"They will die of deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried; they will be like dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth."

⁵For thus says the LORD, "Do not enter a house of mourning, nor go to lament (express grief) or bemoan [the dead], for I have taken My peace away from this people," says the LORD, "even My lovingkindness and compassion.

⁶Both great men and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, nor will they be lamented (mourned over with expressions of grief in death), nor will anyone cut himself or shave his head for them [in mourning].

⁷People will not offer food to the mourners, to comfort anyone [as they grieve] for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone's father or mother.

⁸And you [Jeremiah] shall not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink."

⁹For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I will remove from this place, before your very eyes and in your time, the sound of joy and the shout of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

¹⁰"Now when you tell these people all these words and they ask you, 'Why has the LORD decreed all this great tragedy against us? And what is our iniquity, what is the sin which we have committed against the LORD our God?'

¹¹Then you are to say to them, 'It is because your fathers have abandoned (rejected) Me,' says the LORD, 'and have walked after other gods and have served them and bowed down to the handmade idols and have abandoned (rejected) Me and have not kept My law,

¹²and because you have done worse [things] than your fathers. Just look, every one of you walks in the stubbornness of his own evil heart, so that you do not listen [obediently] to Me.

¹³Therefore I will hurl you out of this land [of Judah] into the land [of the Babylonians] which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no compassion.'

¹⁴"Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

¹⁵but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries to which He had driven them.' And I will bring them back to their land which I gave to their fathers.

¹⁶"Behold (listen carefully), I will send for many fishermen," says the LORD, "and they will fish for them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and from every hill and out of the clefts of the rocks.

¹⁷For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their wickedness concealed from My eyes.

¹⁸I will first doubly repay and punish them for their wickedness and their sin [before I return them to their land], because they have profaned My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations."

¹⁹[Then said Jeremiah] "O LORD, my Strength and my Stronghold, And my Refuge in the day of distress and need, The nations will come to You From the ends of the earth and say, 'Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies and illusion, [Worthless] things in which there is no benefit!'

²⁰"Can a man make gods for himself? Such [things] are not gods!

²¹"Therefore," [says the LORD] "behold, I will make them know— This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they will know and recognize [without any doubt] that My Name is the LORD."

¹Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down [from Jerusalem to Caesarea] with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus [acting as spokesman and counsel]. They presented to the governor their [formal] charges against Paul.

²After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began the complaint [against him], saying to the governor: "Since through you we have attained great peace, and since by your foresight reforms are being carried out for this nation,

³in every way and in every place, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude.

⁴But so that I do not weary you further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing.

⁵For we have found this man to be a public menace and one who instigates dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the [heretical] sect of the Nazarenes.

⁶He even tried to desecrate the temple, but we took him into custody[and we intended to judge him by our Law,

⁷but Lysias the commander came, and with great force took him out of our hands,

⁸and ordered his accusers to come before you.] By interrogating him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to determine [the truth about] these things with which we charge him."

⁹The Jews also joined in the attack, declaring and insisting that these things were so.

¹⁰When the governor nodded for him to speak, Paul answered, "Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I make my defense cheerfully and with good courage.

¹¹As you can easily verify, it has been no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

¹²Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor elsewhere in the city did they find me carrying on a discussion or disputing with anybody or causing a crowd to gather.

¹³Nor can they present evidence to you to prove what they now bring against me.

¹⁴But I confess this to you, that according to the Way, which they call a [divisive and heretical] sect, I do worship and serve the God of our fathers, [confidently] believing everything that is in accordance with the Law [of Moses] and that is written in the Prophets;

¹⁵having [the same] hope in God which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of [the dead], both of the righteous and of the wicked.

¹⁶In view of this, I also do my best and strive always to have a clear conscience before God and before men.

¹⁷Now after several years I came [to Jerusalem] to bring to my people charitable contributions and offerings.

¹⁸They found me in the temple presenting these offerings, after I had undergone [the rites of] purification, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor],

¹⁹who ought to have been here before you to present their charges, if they have anything against me.

²⁰Or else let these men tell what crime they found [me guilty of] when I stood before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court),

²¹other than for this one statement which I had shouted out as I stood among them, 'For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.'"

²²But Felix, having a rather accurate understanding about the Way, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case."

²³Then he ordered the centurion to keep Paul in custody, but to let him have some freedom, and [he told the centurion] not to stop any of his friends from providing for his needs.

²⁴Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him talk about faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁵But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control [honorable behavior, personal integrity], and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for now, and when I find [a convenient] time I will send for you."

²⁶At the same time he was also hoping to get money from Paul [as a bribe]; so he continued to send for him quite often and talked with him.

²⁷But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded [in office] by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.