Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.

²The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people [who listened devotedly to His teaching, and who respected His spiritual wisdom].

³Then Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve [disciples].

⁴And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him and hand Him over to them.

⁵They were delighted and agreed with him to give him money.

⁶So he consented, and began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus to them [at a time when He was] separated from the crowd [because the people might riot or stop them from seizing Him].

⁷Then came the preparation day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

⁸So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover meal for us, so that we may eat it."

⁹They asked Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?"

¹⁰He replied, "When you have entered the city, a man carrying an earthen jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters.

¹¹And say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

¹²Then he will show you a large upstairs room, furnished [with carpets and dining couches]; prepare the meal there."

¹³They left and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁴When the hour [for the meal] had come, Jesus reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.

¹⁵He said to them, "I have earnestly wanted to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

¹⁶for I say to you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

¹⁷And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;

¹⁸for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."

¹⁹And when He had taken bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

²⁰And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant [ratified] in My blood.

²¹But listen, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.

²²For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe (judgment is coming) to that man by whom He is betrayed and handed over!"

²³And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this.

²⁴Now a dispute also arose among them as to which of them was regarded to be the greatest.

²⁵Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called 'Benefactors.'

²⁶But it is not to be this way with you; on the contrary, the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest [and least privileged], and the [one who is the] leader, like the servant.

²⁷For who is the greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸"You are those who have remained and have stood by Me in My trials;

²⁹and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you [the privilege]

³⁰that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹"Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain;

³²but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith]."

³³And Peter said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death!"

³⁴Jesus said, "I say to you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will [utterly] deny three times that you know Me."

³⁵And He said to them, "When I sent you out without a money belt and [provision] bag and [extra] sandals, did you lack anything?" They answered, "Nothing."

³⁶Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money belt is to take it along, and also his [provision] bag, and he who has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.

³⁷For I tell you that this [Scripture] which is written must be completed and fulfilled in Me: 'And He was counted with the criminals'; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment [and is settled]."

³⁸They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."

³⁹And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed Him.

⁴⁰When He arrived at the place [called Gethsemane], He said to them, "Pray continually that you may not fall into temptation."

⁴¹And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,

⁴²saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done."

⁴³Now an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

⁴⁴And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground.

⁴⁵When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,

⁴⁶and He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not fall into temptation."

⁴⁷While He was still speaking, a crowd came, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve [disciples], was leading the way for them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him.

⁴⁸And Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

⁴⁹When those who were around Him saw what was about to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?"

⁵⁰And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹But Jesus replied, "Stop! No more of this." And He touched the ear and healed him.

⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders [of the Sanhedrin] who had come out against Him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber?

⁵³Day after day when I was with you in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power and authority of darkness are yours."

⁵⁴Then they seized Him, and led Him away and brought Him to the [elegant] house of the [Jewish] high priest. And Peter was following at a [safe] distance.

⁵⁵After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat among them.

⁵⁶And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, "This man was with Him too."

⁵⁷But Peter denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him!"

⁵⁸A little later someone else saw him and said, "You are one of them too." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"

⁵⁹After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, "This man was with Him, for he is a Galilean too."

⁶⁰But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

⁶¹The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times."

⁶²And he went out and wept bitterly [deeply grieved and distressed].

⁶³Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking and ridiculing Him [and treating Him with contempt] and beating Him.

⁶⁴They blindfolded Him and asked, "Prophesy, who is it that struck You?"

⁶⁵And they were saying many other [evil and slanderous] things against Him, blaspheming [speaking sacrilegiously and abusively about] Him.

⁶⁶When day came, the Council of the elders of the people (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) assembled, both chief priests and scribes; and they led Jesus away to the council chamber, saying,

⁶⁷"If You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe [what I say],

⁶⁸and if I ask a question, you will not answer.

⁶⁹But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."

⁷⁰And they all said, "Are You the Son of God, then?" He replied, "It is just as you say."

⁷¹Then they asked, "What further need of testimony do we have? For we ourselves have heard it from His own mouth."

¹'On the first day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work. It will be for you a day of blowing the trumpets (the shophar, ram's horn).

²You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

³also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,

⁴and one-tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven lambs,

⁵and one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you.

⁶These are in addition to the burnt offering of the New Moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the ordinance for them, as a sweet and soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

⁷'Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly [for the Day of Atonement]; and you shall humble yourselves; you shall not do any work.

⁸You shall present a burnt offering to the LORD as a sweet and soothing aroma: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old, which are without blemish;

⁹and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

¹⁰a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the seven lambs,

¹¹one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

¹²'Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a Feast [of Booths] to the LORD for seven days.

¹³You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD: thirteen bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old, which are without blemish;

¹⁴and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths [of an ephah] for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams,

¹⁵and a tenth [of an ephah] for each of the fourteen lambs;

¹⁶also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

¹⁷'Then on the second day [of the Feast of Booths]: twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

¹⁸with their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

¹⁹also one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

²⁰'Then on the third day [of the Feast of Booths]: eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

²¹with their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

²²and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²³'Then on the fourth day [of the Feast of Booths]: ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;

²⁴their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

²⁵and one male goat as a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²⁶'Then on the fifth day [of the Feast of Booths]: nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

²⁷and their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;

²⁸and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

²⁹'Then on the sixth day [of the Feast of Booths]: eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish;

³⁰and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

³¹and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.

³²'Then on the seventh day [of the Feast of Booths]: seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs one year old without blemish,

³³and their grain offering and drink offerings for the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance;

³⁴and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³⁵'On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly [to mark the end of the feast]; you shall do no laborious work.

³⁶You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without blemish;

³⁷their grain offering and drink offerings for the bull, the ram, and the lambs, by their number according to the ordinance,

³⁸and one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

³⁹'You shall present these to the LORD at your appointed times, in addition the offerings you have vowed and your freewill offerings, as your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and as your peace offerings.'"

⁴⁰So Moses spoke to the Israelites in accordance with everything that the LORD had commanded him.

¹It is actually reported [everywhere] that there is sexual immorality among you, a kind of immorality that is condemned even among the [unbelieving] Gentiles: that someone has [an intimate relationship with] his father's wife.

²And you are proud and arrogant! You should have mourned in shame so that the man who has done this [disgraceful] thing would be removed from your fellowship!

³For I, though absent [from you] in body but present in spirit, have already passed judgment on him who has committed this [act], as if I were present.

⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

⁵you are to hand over this man to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

⁶Your boasting [over the supposed spirituality of your church] is not good [indeed, it is vulgar and inappropriate]. Do you not know that [just] a little leaven ferments the whole batch [of dough, just as a little sin corrupts a person or an entire church]?

⁷Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new batch, just as you are, still unleavened. For Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed.

⁸Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of vice and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and [untainted] truth.

⁹I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate with [sexually] immoral people—

¹⁰not meaning the immoral people of this world, or the greedy ones and swindlers, or idolaters, for then you would have to get out of the world and human society altogether!

¹¹But actually, I have written to you not to associate with any so-called [Christian] brother if he is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater [devoted to anything that takes the place of God], or is a reviler [who insults or slanders or otherwise verbally abuses others], or is a drunkard or a swindler—you must not so much as eat with such a person.

¹²For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders (non-believers)? Do you not judge those who are within the church [to protect the church as the situation requires]?

¹³God alone sits in judgment on those who are outside [the faith]. Remove the wicked one from among you [expel him from your church].

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"Even today my complaint is contentious; His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

³"Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, That I might [even] come to His seat!

⁴"I would present my cause before Him And fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵"I would learn the words which He would answer, And understand what He would say to me.

⁶"Would He contend against me with His great power? No, surely He would give attention to me.

⁷"There the righteous and upright could reason with Him; So I would be acquitted forever by my Judge.

⁸"Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him;

⁹To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him; He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him.

¹⁰"But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].

¹¹"My feet have carefully followed His steps; I have kept His ways and not turned aside.

¹²"I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

¹³"But He is unique and unchangeable, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does.

¹⁴"For He performs what is planned (appointed) for me, And He is mindful of many such things.

¹⁵"Therefore I would be terrified at His presence; When I consider [all of this], I tremble in dread of Him.

¹⁶"For God has made my heart faint, And the Almighty has terrified me,

¹⁷But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me], Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face.

¹Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones; Praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart—those with moral integrity and godly character].

²Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with the harp of ten strings.

³Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully [on the strings] with a loud and joyful sound.

⁴For the word of the LORD is right; And all His work is done in faithfulness.

⁵He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.

⁶By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, And all their host by the breath of His mouth.

⁷He gathers the waters of the sea together as in a wineskin; He puts the deeps in storehouses.

⁸Let all the earth fear and worship the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

⁹For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

¹⁰The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He makes the thoughts and plans of the people ineffective.

¹¹The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The thoughts and plans of His heart through all generations.

¹²Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance.

¹³The LORD looks [down] from heaven; He sees all the sons of man;

¹⁴From His dwelling place He looks closely Upon all the inhabitants of the earth—

¹⁵He who fashions the hearts of them all, Who considers and understands all that they do.

¹⁶The king is not saved by the great size of his army; A warrior is not rescued by his great strength.

¹⁷A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

¹⁸Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear Him [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience], On those who hope [confidently] in His compassion and lovingkindness,

¹⁹To rescue their lives from death And keep them alive in famine.

²⁰We wait [expectantly] for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.

²¹For in Him our heart rejoices, Because we trust [lean on, rely on, and are confident] in His holy name.

²²Let Your [steadfast] lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us, In proportion as we have hoped in You.

¹When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is [set] before you;

²For you will put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

³Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food [offered to you with questionable motives].

⁴Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth; Cease from your own understanding of it.

⁵When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies to the heavens.

⁶Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies;

⁷For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates]. He says to you, "Eat and drink," Yet his heart is not with you [but it is begrudging the cost].

⁸The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up, And you will waste your compliments.

⁹Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he will despise the [godly] wisdom of your words.

¹⁰Do not move the ancient landmark [at the boundary of the property] And do not go into the fields of the fatherless [to take what is theirs],

¹¹For their Redeemer is strong and mighty; He will plead their case against you.

¹²Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.

¹³Do not withhold discipline from the child; If you swat him with a reed-like rod [applied with godly wisdom], he will not die.

¹⁴You shall swat him with the reed-like rod And rescue his life from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will also be glad;

¹⁶Yes, my heart will rejoice When your lips speak right things.

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners [who live godless lives and have no hope of salvation], But [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD day by day.

¹⁸Surely there is a future [and a reward], And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

¹⁹Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way [of the LORD].

²⁰Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat,

²¹For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags.

²²Listen to your father, who sired you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Buy truth, and do not sell it; Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

²⁴The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.

²⁵Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who gave birth to you rejoice [in your wise and godly choices].

²⁶My son, give me your heart And let your eyes delight in my ways,

²⁷For a prostitute is a deep pit, And an immoral woman is a narrow well.

²⁸She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey], And she increases the faithless among men.

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Whose eyes are red and dim?

³⁰Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.

³¹Do not look at wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the glass, When it goes down smoothly.

³²At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper.

³³Your [drunken] eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things [untrue things, twisted things].

³⁴And you will be [as unsteady] as one who lies down in the middle of the sea, And [as vulnerable to disaster] as one who lies down on the top of a ship's mast, saying,

³⁵"They struck me, but I was not hurt! They beat me, but I did not feel it! When will I wake up? I will seek more wine."

¹When Saul's son Ish-bosheth [king of Israel], heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was horrified.

²Saul's son had two men who were commanders of [raiding] bands [of soldiers]. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the sons (tribe) of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of [the tribe of] Benjamin,

³and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been resident aliens there to this day).

⁴Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the news [of the deaths] of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. And the boy's nurse picked him up and fled; but it happened that while she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest.

⁶They came into the interior of the house as if to get wheat [for the soldiers], and they struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped [unnoticed].

⁷Now when they entered the house he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They [not only] struck and killed him, [but] they also beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

⁸They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, "Look, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the LORD has granted my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and on his descendants."

⁹David replied to Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every adversity,

¹⁰when a man told me, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' thinking that he was bringing good news, I seized and killed him in Ziklag, to reward him for his news.

¹¹How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous and just man in his own house on his bed, shall I not require his blood from your hand and remove you from the earth?"

¹²So David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them beside the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-bosheth's head and buried it in Hebron in the tomb of Abner [his relative].

¹The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus; With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart And on the horns of their altars.

²As they remember their children, So they remember [in detail] their [pagan] altars and their Asherim Beside green trees on the high hills.

³O [Jerusalem] My mountain in the countryside, I will give [to the Babylonians, as the cost of your sin] your wealth and all your treasures as plunder, And throughout your territory, your high places of sin.

⁴And you will, through your own fault, let go of your [grip on your] inheritance That I gave you; And I will make you serve your enemies In a land which you do not know; For you have kindled a fire in My anger Which will burn forever.

⁵Thus says the LORD, "Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind, Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength, And whose mind and heart turn away from the LORD.

⁶"For he will be like a shrub in the [parched] desert; And shall not see prosperity when it comes, But shall live in the rocky places of the wilderness, In an uninhabited salt land.

⁷"Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the LORD And whose hope and confident expectation is the LORD.

⁸"For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, That spreads out its roots by the river; And will not fear the heat when it comes; But its leaves will be green and moist. And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought Nor stop bearing fruit.

⁹"The heart is deceitful above all things And it is extremely sick; Who can understand it fully and know its secret motives?

¹⁰"I, the LORD, search and examine the mind, I test the heart, To give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.

¹¹"Like the partridge that hatches eggs which she has not laid, So is he who makes a fortune in ways that are unjust. It will be lost to him before his days are over, And in the end he will be [nothing but] a fool."

¹²A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, Is the place of our sanctuary (the temple).

¹³O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who abandon You will be shamed. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

¹⁴Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, For You are my praise.

¹⁵Behold, they keep saying to me, "Where is the word of the LORD [that is, the disaster that you prophesied]? Let it come now!"

¹⁶But as for me, I have not tried to escape from being a shepherd [walking] after You, Nor have I longed for the woeful day [of judgment]; You know that, whatever I said Was [spoken] in Your presence and was from You.

¹⁷Do not be a terror to me; You are my refuge and my hope in the day of disaster.

¹⁸Let those who persecute me be shamed, but as for me, protect me from shame; Let them lose courage, but let me be undaunted. Bring on them a day of tragedy, And destroy them with double destruction!

¹⁹Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and stand in the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, and [stand] also in all the gates of Jerusalem;

²⁰and say to them, 'Listen to the word of the LORD, kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the people of Jerusalem who enter through these gates.

²¹Thus says the LORD, "Pay attention for your own good, [and for the sake of your future] do not carry any load on the Sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem.

²²You shall not carry a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy [by setting it apart as a day of worship], as I commanded your fathers.

²³Yet they would not listen and obey and control their behavior; but they were stiff-necked in order not to hear and take instruction.

²⁴But it will come about, if you listen diligently to Me," says the LORD, "to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy by doing no work on it,

²⁵then kings and princes who will sit on the throne of David will enter through the gates of this city, riding in chariots and on horses—the kings and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will be inhabited and endure throughout the ages.

²⁶People will come from the cities of Judah and the places all around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the South (the Negev), bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the LORD.

²⁷But if you will not listen to Me and keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load as you come in the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in her gates that cannot be extinguished, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem."'"

¹Now Festus arrived in the province, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea [Maritima].

²And [there in Jerusalem] the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul [before Festus], and they repeatedly pleaded with him,

³asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile planning an ambush to kill him on the way).

⁴Festus answered that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea [Maritima] and that he himself was about to leave shortly.

⁵"So," he said, "let those who are in a position of authority among you go there with me, and if there is anything criminal about the man, let them bring charges against him."

⁶Now after Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal (the judicial bench), and ordered Paul to be brought [before him].

⁷After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him which they were not able to prove,

⁸while Paul declared in his own defense, "I have done no wrong and committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."

⁹But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, " Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial there in my presence [before the Jewish Sanhedrin] on these charges?"

¹⁰Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.

¹¹Therefore, if I am guilty and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not try to escape death; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar (Emperor Nero)."

¹²Then Festus, after conferring with [the men who formed] his council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."

¹³Now several days later, Agrippa [II] the king and Bernice [his sister] arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus [the new governor].

¹⁴While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man here who was left as a prisoner by Felix.

¹⁵When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews [told me about him and] brought charges against him, petitioning for a sentence of condemnation against him.

¹⁶I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man [for punishment] before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has the opportunity to defend himself against the charges.

¹⁷So after they arrived together here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my place on the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought before me.

¹⁸When his accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of crimes that I was expecting [neither civil nor criminal actions],

¹⁹instead they had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about one Jesus, a man who had died, but whom Paul kept asserting and insisting [over and over] to be alive.

²⁰And I, being at a loss as to how to investigate these things, asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters.

²¹But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for a decision by the Emperor [Nero], I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar."

²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," Festus replied, "you will hear him."

²³So the next day Agrippa and [his sister] Bernice came with great pageantry, and they went into the auditorium accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

²⁴Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man [Paul] about whom all the Jewish people appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly insisting that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; however, since he appealed to the Emperor [Nero], I decided to send him [to Rome].

²⁶But I have nothing specific about him to write to my lord. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I will have something to put in writing.

²⁷For it seems absurd and unreasonable to me to send a prisoner [to Rome] without indicating the charges against him."