Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹On the third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;

²and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

³When the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, " They have no more wine."

⁴Jesus said to her, "[Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? My time [to act and to be revealed] has not yet come."

⁵His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

⁶Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification (ceremonial washing), containing twenty or thirty gallons each.

⁷Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them up to the brim.

⁸Then He said to them, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter [of the banquet]." So they took it to him.

⁹And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had turned into wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew) he called the bridegroom,

¹⁰and said to him, "Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now."

¹¹This, the first of His signs (attesting miracles), Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory [displaying His deity and His great power openly], and His disciples believed [confidently] in Him [as the Messiah—they adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him].

¹²After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

¹³Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁴And in the temple [enclosure] He found the people who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at their tables.

¹⁵He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

¹⁶then to those who sold the doves He said, "Take these things away! Stop making My Father's house a place of commerce!"

¹⁷His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Scriptures], "Zeal (love, concern) for Your house [and its honor] will consume Me."

¹⁸Then the Jews retorted, "What sign (attesting miracle) can You show us as [proof of] your authority for doing these things?"

¹⁹Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

²⁰Then the Jews replied, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?"

²¹But He was speaking of the temple which was His body.

²²So when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered what He had said. And they believed and trusted in and relied on the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in His name [identifying themselves with Him] after seeing His signs (attesting miracles) which He was doing.

²⁴But Jesus, for His part, did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people [and understood the superficiality and fickleness of human nature],

²⁵and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man [and human nature], for He Himself knew what was in man [in their hearts—in the very core of their being].

¹These are the stages of the journeys of the Israelites, by which they came out of the land of Egypt by their [tribal] armies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

²Moses recorded their points of departure, as the LORD commanded, stage by stage; and these are their journeys according to their points of departure:

³They set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the Israelites moved out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians,

⁴while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the LORD had struck down among them. Upon their gods the LORD also executed judgments.

⁵Then the Israelites moved out from Rameses [where they had all joined together], and camped in Succoth.

⁶They moved out from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.

⁷They moved out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.

⁸They moved out from before Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the [Red] Sea into the wilderness; and they went a three days' journey in the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.

⁹They moved out from Marah and came to Elim; in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

¹⁰They moved out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds).

¹¹They moved out from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.

¹²They moved out from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

¹³They moved out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.

¹⁴They moved out from Alush and camped at Rephidim; now it was there that the people had no water to drink.

¹⁵They moved out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai [where they remained for about a year].

¹⁶They moved out from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.

¹⁷They moved out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

¹⁸They moved out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah [near Kadesh, the place from which the twelve spies were sent to spy out the land of Canaan].

¹⁹They moved out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.

²⁰They moved out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.

²¹They moved out from Libnah and camped at Rissah.

²²They moved out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

²³They moved out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

²⁴They moved out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

²⁵They moved out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

²⁶They moved out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

²⁷They moved out from Tahath and camped at Terah.

²⁸They moved out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.

²⁹They moved out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

³⁰They moved out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

³¹They moved out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.

³²They moved out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.

³³They moved out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

³⁴They moved out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

³⁵They moved out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber [or Elath on the gulf of Aqabah].

³⁶They moved out from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

³⁷They moved out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

³⁸Aaron the priest went up on Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.

³⁹Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev (the South country) in the land of Canaan, heard that the sons of Israel were coming.

⁴¹They moved out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

⁴²Then they moved out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

⁴³They moved out from Punon and camped at Oboth.

⁴⁴They moved out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab.

⁴⁵They moved out from Iyim (Iye-abarim) and camped at Dibon-gad.

⁴⁶They moved out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.

⁴⁷They moved out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before [Mount] Nebo.

⁴⁸They moved out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho [their last stop on the journey to Canaan].

⁴⁹They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

⁵⁰Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying,

⁵¹"Say to the children of Israel, 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

⁵²then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you and destroy all their sculpted images, and destroy all their cast idols and completely eliminate all their [idolatrous] high places,

⁵³and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess.

⁵⁴You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be [the location of] his [inheritance]. According to the tribes of your fathers (ancestors) you shall inherit.

⁵⁵But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and like thorns in your sides, and they will attack you in the land in which you live.

⁵⁶And as I [the LORD] planned to do to them, so I will do to you.'"

¹Am I not free [unrestrained and exempt from any obligation]? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our [risen] Lord [in person]? Are you not [the result and proof of] my work in the Lord?

²If I am not [considered] an apostle to others, at least I am one to you; for you are the seal and the certificate and the living evidence of my apostleship in the Lord [confirming and authenticating it].

³This is my defense to those who would put me on trial and interrogate me [concerning my authority as an apostle]:

⁴Have we not the right to our food and drink [at the expense of the churches]?

⁵Have we not the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the rest of the apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas (Peter)?

⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to stop doing manual labor [in order to support our ministry]?

⁷[Consider this:] Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?

⁸Do I say these things only from a man's perspective? Does the Law not endorse the same principles?

⁹For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain [to keep it from eating the grain]." Is it [only] for oxen that God cares?

¹⁰Or does He speak entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake: The plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the harvest.

¹¹If we have sown [the good seed of] spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

¹²If others share in this rightful claim over you, do not we even more? However, we did not exercise this right, but we put up with everything so that we will not hinder [the spread of] the good news of Christ.

¹³Do you not know that those who officiate in the sacred services of the temple eat from the temple [offerings of meat and bread] and those who regularly attend the altar have their share from the [offerings brought to the] altar?

¹⁴So also [on the same principle] the Lord directed those who preach the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

¹⁵But I have used none of these privileges, nor am I writing this [to suggest] that any such provision be made for me now. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone deprive me of my boast [in this matter of financial support].

¹⁶For if I [merely] preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am compelled [that is, absolutely obligated to do it]. Woe to me if I do not preach the good news [of salvation]!

¹⁷For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have a reward; but if it is not of my will [but by God's choosing], I have been entrusted with a [sacred] stewardship.

¹⁸What then is my reward? [Just this:] that, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge [to everyone], so as not to take advantage of my rights [as a preacher and apostle] in [preaching] the gospel.

¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ].

²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews [for Christ]; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might win those who are under the Law.

²¹To those who are without (outside) the Law, [I became] as one without the Law, though [I am] not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

²²To the weak I became [as the] weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means [in any and every way] save some [by leading them to faith in Jesus Christ].

²³And I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings along with you.

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!

²⁵Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].

²⁶Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing].

²⁷But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].

¹But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons,

²[misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning],

³who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from [certain kinds of] foods which God has created to be gratefully shared by those who believe and have [a clear] knowledge of the truth.

⁴For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;

⁵for it is sanctified [set apart, dedicated to God] by means of the word of God and prayer.

⁶If you point out these instructions to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished [through study] on the words of the faith and of the good [Christian] doctrine which you have closely followed.

⁷But have nothing to do with irreverent folklore and silly myths. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness [keeping yourself spiritually fit].

⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.

⁹This is a faithful and trustworthy saying worthy of full acceptance and approval.

¹⁰It is for this that we labor and strive [often called to account], because we have fixed our [confident] hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe [in Him, recognize Him as the Son of God, and accept Him as Savior and Lord].

¹¹Keep commanding and teaching these things.

¹²Let no one look down on [you because of] your youth, but be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in [moral] purity.

¹³Until I come, devote yourself to public reading [of Scripture], to preaching and to teaching [the sound doctrine of God's word].

¹⁴Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination].

¹⁵Practice and work hard on these things; be absorbed in them [completely occupied in your ministry], so that your progress will be evident to all.

¹⁶Pay close attention to yourself [concentrate on your personal development] and to your teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

¹Job continued his discourse and said,

²"As God lives, who has taken away my right and denied me justice, And the Almighty, who has caused bitterness and grief for my soul,

³As long as my life is within me, And the breath of God is [still] in my nostrils,

⁴My lips will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue utter deceit.

⁵"Far be it from me that I should admit you are right [in your accusations against me]; Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me.

⁶"I hold fast my uprightness and my right standing with God and I will not let them go; My heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

⁷"May my enemy be as the wicked, And he who rises up against me be as the unrighteous (unjust).

⁸"For what is the hope of the godless, even though he has gained [in this world], When God takes his life?

⁹"Will God hear his cry When trouble and distress come upon him?

¹⁰"Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?

¹¹"I will teach you regarding the hand (power) of God; I will not conceal what is with the Almighty [God's actual treatment of the wicked].

¹²"Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you act vainly and foolishly [cherishing worthless concepts]?

¹³"This [which I am about to explain] is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants and oppressors receive from the Almighty:

¹⁴"Though his children are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not have sufficient bread.

¹⁵"Those who survive him will be buried because of the plague, And [their] widows will not be able to weep.

¹⁶"Though he heaps up silver like dust And piles up clothing like clay,

¹⁷He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.

¹⁸"He builds his house like a spider's web, Like a (temporary) hut which a watchman makes.

¹⁹"He lies down rich, but never will again; He opens his eyes, and it is gone.

²⁰"Terrors overtake him like a [suddenly rising] flood; A windstorm steals him away in the night.

²¹"The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place.

²²"For it will hurl [thunderbolts of God's wrath] at him unsparingly and without compassion; He flees in haste from its power.

²³"People will clap their hands at him [to mock and ridicule him] And hiss him out of his place.

¹A Psalm of David. Do not worry because of evildoers, Nor be envious toward wrongdoers;

²For they will wither quickly like the grass, And fade like the green herb.

³Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.

⁴Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the LORD; Trust in Him also and He will do it.

⁶He will make your righteousness [your pursuit of right standing with God] like the light, And your judgment like [the shining of] the noonday [sun].

⁷Be still before the LORD; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

⁸Cease from anger and abandon wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evil.

⁹For those who do evil will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

¹⁰For yet a little while and the wicked one will be gone [forever]; Though you look carefully where he used to be, he will not be [found].

¹¹But the humble will [at last] inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity and peace.

¹²The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth.

¹³The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous], For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming.

¹⁴The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].

¹⁵The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart, And their bow will be broken.

¹⁶Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God] Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless).

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him].

¹⁸The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will continue forever.

¹⁹They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.

²⁰But the wicked (ungodly) will perish, And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke], They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

²¹The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and kind and gives.

²²For those blessed by God will [at last] inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

²³The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].

²⁴When he falls, he will not be hurled down, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.

²⁵I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous (those in right standing with God) abandoned Or his descendants pleading for bread.

²⁶All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing.

²⁷Depart from evil and do good; And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever.

²⁸For the LORD delights in justice And does not abandon His saints (faithful ones); They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will [in time] be cut off.

²⁹The righteous will inherit the land And live in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice and truth.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; Not one of his steps will slip.

³²The wicked lies in wait for the righteous And seeks to kill him.

³³The LORD will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

³⁴Wait for and expect the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; [In the end] when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, violent man [with great power] Spreading and flaunting himself like a cedar in its native soil,

³⁶Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷Mark the blameless man [who is spiritually complete], and behold the upright [who walks in moral integrity]; There is a [good] future for the man of peace [because a life of honor blesses one's descendants].

³⁸As for transgressors, they will be completely destroyed; The future of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their refuge and stronghold in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰The LORD helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.

¹Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring.

²Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.

³Stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But a fool's [unreasonable] wrath is heavier and more burdensome than both of them.

⁴Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, But who is able to endure and stand before [the sin of] jealousy?

⁵Better is an open reprimand [of loving correction] Than love that is hidden.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].

⁷He who is satisfied loathes honey, But to the hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.

⁸Like a bird that wanders from her nest [with its comfort and safety], So is a man who wanders from his home.

⁹Oil and perfume make the heart glad; So does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart.

¹⁰Do not abandon your own friend and your father's friend, And do not go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

¹¹My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches (reprimands, criticizes) me.

¹²A prudent man sees evil and hides himself and avoids it, But the naive [who are easily misled] continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

¹³[The judge tells the creditor,] "Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger; And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid]."

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be counted as a curse to him [for it will either be annoying or his purpose will be suspect].

¹⁵A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious (quarrelsome) woman are alike;

¹⁶Whoever attempts to restrain her [criticism] might as well try to stop the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].

¹⁸He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who faithfully protects and cares for his master will be honored.

¹⁹As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.

²⁰Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the underworld) are never satisfied; Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

²¹The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].

²²Even though you pound a [hardened, arrogant] fool [who rejects wisdom] in a mortar with a pestle like grain, Yet his foolishness will not leave him.

²³Be diligent to know the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds;

²⁴For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

²⁵When the grass is gone, the new growth is seen, And herbs of the mountain are gathered in,

²⁶The lambs will supply wool for your clothing, And the goats will bring the price of a field.

²⁷And there will be enough goats' milk for your food, For the food of your household, And for the maintenance of your maids.

¹Now it came about after this that David defeated the Philistines and subdued (humbled) them, and he took control of Metheg-ammah [the main city] from the hand of the Philistines.

²He defeated Moab, and measured them with a length of rope, making them lie down on the ground; he measured two lengths to [choose those to] put to death, and one full length to [choose those to] be kept alive. And the [surviving] Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

³Then David defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the River [Euphrates].

⁴David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses (making them lame), but reserved enough of them for a hundred chariots.

⁵When the Arameans (Syrians) of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 Arameans.

⁶Then David put garrisons among the Arameans in Damascus, and the Arameans became his servants and brought tribute. The LORD helped David wherever he went.

⁷David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took an immense quantity of bronze.

⁹When Toi king of Hamath heard about David's defeat of all the forces of Hadadezer,

¹⁰Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him for his battle and defeat of Hadadezer; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze [as gifts].

¹¹King David also dedicated these [gifts] to the LORD, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he subdued:

¹²from Aram (Syria), Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Arameans (Syrians) in the Valley of Salt.

¹⁴He put garrisons in Edom; in all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD helped him wherever he went.

¹⁵So David reigned over all Israel, and continued to administer justice and righteousness for all his people.

¹⁶Joab the son of Zeruiah was [commander] over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder (secretary);

¹⁷Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the [chief] priests, and Seraiah was the scribe;

¹⁸Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was [head] over both the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king's bodyguards]; and David's sons were chief [confidential] advisers (officials) [to the king].

¹The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest the son of Maaseiah, saying,

²"Please inquire of the LORD for us, because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal [favorably] with us according to all His wonderful works and force him to withdraw from us."

³Then Jeremiah said to them, "Say this to Zedekiah:

⁴'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Behold, I will turn back and dull the edge of the weapons of war that are in your hands, [those] with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls; and I will bring them into the center of this city (Jerusalem).

⁵I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm in anger, in fury, and in great indignation and wrath.

⁶I will also strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great virulent disease.

⁷Then afterward," says the LORD, "I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the virulent disease, the sword, and the famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemy, into the hand of those who seek their lives. And he will strike them with the edge of the sword; he will not spare them nor have mercy and compassion on them."'

⁸"And to this people you (Jeremiah) shall also say, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

⁹He who remains in this city [of Jerusalem] will die by the sword and by famine and by virulent disease. But he who goes outside and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and his life will be like a prize of war to him.

¹⁰For I have set My face against this city to do harm and not good," says the LORD. "It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire."'

¹¹"And concerning the royal house of the king of Judah [you shall say], 'Hear the word of the LORD,

¹²O house of David, thus says the LORD: "Administer justice in the morning, And rescue the one who has been robbed from the hand of his oppressor, That My wrath will not roar up like fire And burn so [hotly] that none can extinguish it, Because of the evil of their deeds.

¹³"Understand this, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain," says the LORD— "You who say, 'Who will come down against us? Or who will enter into our dwelling places?'

¹⁴"But I will punish you in accordance with the [appropriate] consequences of your decisions and your actions," says the LORD. "I will kindle a fire in your forest, And it will devour all that is around you."'"

¹The first account I made, Theophilus, was [a continuous report] about all the things that Jesus began to do and to teach

²until the day when He ascended to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given instruction to the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen.

³To these [men] He also showed Himself alive after His suffering [in Gethsemane and on the cross], by [a series of] many infallible proofs and unquestionable demonstrations, appearing to them over a period of forty days and talking to them about the things concerning the kingdom of God.

⁴While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Of which," He said, "you have heard Me speak.

⁵For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now."

⁶So when they had come together, they asked Him repeatedly, "Lord, are You at this time reestablishing the kingdom and restoring it to Israel?"

⁷He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.

⁸But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth."

⁹And after He said these things, He was caught up as they looked on, and a cloud took Him up out of their sight.

¹⁰While they were looking intently into the sky as He was going, two men in white clothing suddenly stood beside them,

¹¹who said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This [same] Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

¹²Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet (Olive Grove), which is near Jerusalem, [only] a Sabbath day's journey (less than one mile) away.

¹³When they had entered the city, they went upstairs to the upper room where they were staying [indefinitely]; that is, Peter, and John and [his brother] James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew (Nathanael) and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas (Thaddaeus) the son of James.

¹⁴All these with one mind and one purpose were continually devoting themselves to prayer, [waiting together] along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

¹⁵Now on one of these days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty believers was there) and he said,

¹⁶"Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the lips of David [king of Israel] about Judas [Iscariot], who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.

¹⁷For he (Judas) was counted among us and received his share [by divine allotment] in this ministry."

¹⁸(Now Judas Iscariot acquired a piece of land [indirectly] with the [money paid him as a] reward for his treachery, and falling headlong, his body burst open in the middle and all his intestines poured out.

¹⁹All the people in Jerusalem learned about this, so in their own dialect—Aramaic—they called the piece of land Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰"For in the book of Psalms it is written, 'Let his place of residence become desolate, And let there be no one to live in it'; and [again], 'Let another take his position as overseer.'

²¹So of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus spent with us,

²²beginning with the baptism by John [at the outset of Jesus' ministry] until the day when He was taken up from us—one of these men must become a witness with us [to testify] of His resurrection."

²³And they put forward two men, Joseph, the one called Barsabbas (who was surnamed Justus), and Matthias.

²⁴They prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know all hearts [their thoughts, motives, desires], show us which one of these two You have chosen

²⁵to occupy this ministry and apostleship which Judas left to go to his own place [of evil]."

²⁶And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.