Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

²But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

³Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

⁵Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?

⁶He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,

⁷saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

⁸And they remembered His words.

⁹Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

¹⁰It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.

¹¹And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

¹²But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

¹³Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.

¹⁴And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

¹⁵So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.

¹⁶But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

¹⁷And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

¹⁸Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

¹⁹And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

²⁰and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.

²¹But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

²²Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us.

²³When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.

²⁴And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

²⁵Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

²⁶Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”

²⁷And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

²⁸Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther.

²⁹But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

³⁰Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.

³¹Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

³²And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

³³So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,

³⁴saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

³⁵And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

³⁶Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”

³⁷But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.

³⁸And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?

³⁹Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

⁴⁰When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

⁴¹But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”

⁴²So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

⁴³And He took it and ate in their presence.

⁴⁴Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

⁴⁵And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

⁴⁶Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

⁴⁸And you are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

⁵⁰And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

⁵¹Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

⁵²And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

⁵³and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

¹And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

²“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

³So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian.

⁴A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

⁵So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

⁶Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand.

⁷And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.

⁸They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed— Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.

⁹And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods.

¹⁰They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts.

¹¹And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.

¹²Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

¹³And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp.

¹⁴But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

¹⁵And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive?

¹⁶Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

¹⁷Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.

¹⁸But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.

¹⁹And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.

²⁰Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

²¹Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses:

²²Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

²³everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water.

²⁴And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”

²⁵Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

²⁶“Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;

²⁷and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.

²⁸And levy a tribute for the LORD on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep;

²⁹take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the LORD.

³⁰And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”

³¹So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

³²The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,

³³seventy-two thousand cattle,

³⁴sixty-one thousand donkeys,

³⁵and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately.

³⁶And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;

³⁷and the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.

³⁸The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two.

³⁹The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-one.

⁴⁰The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

⁴¹So Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁴²And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought—

⁴³now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

⁴⁴thirty-six thousand cattle,

⁴⁵thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

⁴⁶and sixteen thousand persons—

⁴⁷and from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁴⁸Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;

⁴⁹and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing.

⁵⁰Therefore we have brought an offering for the LORD, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”

⁵¹So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments.

⁵²And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the LORD, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.

⁵³(The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

⁵⁴And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

¹Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

²Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

³Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

⁵Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

⁶But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.

⁷For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

⁸But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;

⁹but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹⁰Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.

¹¹But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

¹²But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

¹³And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

¹⁵But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

¹⁶For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

¹⁷But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.

¹⁸Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.

¹⁹Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.

²⁰Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.

²¹Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it.

²²For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.

²³You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

²⁴Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

²⁵Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.

²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress— that it is good for a man to remain as he is:

²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

²⁸But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

²⁹But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none,

³⁰those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess,

³¹and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

³²But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord.

³³But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife.

³⁴There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

³⁵And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

³⁶But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.

³⁷Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well.

³⁸So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

³⁹A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

⁴⁰But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

¹Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

²for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

⁴who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

⁵For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

⁶who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

⁷for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying— a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

⁹in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

¹⁰but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

¹¹Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.

¹²And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

¹⁴And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

¹⁵Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

¹Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

²“Dominion and fear belong to Him; He makes peace in His high places.

³Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise?

⁴How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?

⁵If even the moon does not shine, And the stars are not pure in His sight,

⁶How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?”

¹A Psalm of David. [1] Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

²Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help.

³Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

⁴Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt.

⁵Let them be like chaff before the wind, And let the angel of the LORD chase them.

⁶Let their way be dark and slippery, And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.

⁷For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, Which they have dug without cause for my life.

⁸Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, And let his net that he has hidden catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

⁹And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation.

¹⁰All my bones shall say, “LORD, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

¹¹Fierce witnesses rise up; They ask me things that I do not know.

¹²They reward me evil for good, To the sorrow of my soul.

¹³But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.

¹⁴I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

¹⁵But in my adversity they rejoiced And gathered together; Attackers gathered against me, And I did not know it; They tore at me and did not cease;

¹⁶With ungodly mockers at feasts They gnashed at me with their teeth.

¹⁷Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, My precious life from the lions.

¹⁸I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.

¹⁹Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.

²⁰For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful matters Against the quiet ones in the land.

²¹They also opened their mouth wide against me, And said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.”

²²This You have seen, O LORD; Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me.

²³Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord.

²⁴Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me.

²⁵Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who rejoice at my hurt; Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor Who exalt themselves against me.

²⁷Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

²⁸And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.

¹These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

³As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

⁴Take away the dross from silver, And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.

⁵Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great;

⁷For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

⁸Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame?

⁹Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another;

¹⁰Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

¹³Like the cold of snow in time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴Whoever falsely boasts of giving Is like clouds and wind without rain.

¹⁵By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded, And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

¹⁶Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you.

¹⁸A man who bears false witness against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

²⁰Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

²²For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you.

²³The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

²⁴It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

²⁵As cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a far country.

²⁶A righteous man who falters before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one’s own glory is not glory.

²⁸Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.

¹Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.

²And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.

³So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

⁴And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.

⁵Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

⁶And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.

⁷Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.

⁸And David became angry because of the LORD’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.

⁹David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”

¹⁰So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

¹¹The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

¹²Now it was told King David, saying, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.

¹³And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep.

¹⁴Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.

¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷So they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

¹⁸And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

¹⁹Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

²⁰Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

²¹So David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD.

²²And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

²³Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

¹Thus says the LORD: “Go and get a potter’s earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests.

²And go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the Potsherd Gate; and proclaim there the words that I will tell you,

³and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will bring such a catastrophe on this place, that whoever hears of it, his ears will tingle.

⁴“Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents

⁵(they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind),

⁶therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that this place shall no more be called Tophet or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

⁷And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hands of those who seek their lives; their corpses I will give as meat for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth.

⁸I will make this city desolate and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues.

⁹And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the siege and in the desperation with which their enemies and those who seek their lives shall drive them to despair.” ’

¹⁰“Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you,

¹¹and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury them in Tophet till there is no place to bury.

¹²Thus I will do to this place,” says the LORD, “and to its inhabitants, and make this city like Tophet.

¹³And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods.” ’ ”

¹⁴Then Jeremiah came from Tophet, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house and said to all the people,

¹⁵“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’ ”

¹And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment.

²So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

³And the next day we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care.

⁴When we had put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

⁵And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

⁶There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board.

⁷When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone.

⁸Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

⁹Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,

¹⁰saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”

¹¹Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.

¹²And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there.

¹³When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.

¹⁴But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.

¹⁵So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.

¹⁶And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.

¹⁷When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.

¹⁸And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.

¹⁹On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.

²⁰Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

²¹But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

²²And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

²³For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,

²⁴saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

²⁵Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

²⁶However, we must run aground on a certain island.”

²⁷Now when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land.

²⁸And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

²⁹Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.

³⁰And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow,

³¹Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”

³²Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.

³³And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing.

³⁴Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.”

³⁵And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.

³⁶Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.

³⁷And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship.

³⁸So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.

³⁹When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible.

⁴⁰And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore.

⁴¹But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.

⁴²And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.

⁴³But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land,

⁴⁴and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.