Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews,

²who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, "Rabbi (Teacher), we know [without any doubt] that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs [these wonders, these attesting miracles] that You do unless God is with him."

³Jesus answered him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God."

⁴Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?"

⁵Jesus answered, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.

⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷Do not be surprised that I have told you, 'You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].'

⁸The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

⁹Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be possible?"

¹⁰Jesus replied, "You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]?

¹¹I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony.

¹²If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things?

¹³No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself—whose home is in heaven].

¹⁴Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross],

¹⁵so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever].

¹⁶"For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁷For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.

¹⁸Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].

¹⁹This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

²⁰For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned.

²¹But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence on Him]."

²²After these things Jesus and His disciples went into the land of Judea, and there He spent time with them and baptized.

²³Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and were being baptized—

²⁴for John had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵Therefore there arose a controversy between John's disciples and a Jew in regard to purification (ceremonial washing).

²⁶So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi (Teacher), the Man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing]—and to whom you have testified—look, He is baptizing too, and everyone is going to Him!"

²⁷John replied, "A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing at all] unless it has been granted to him from heaven [for there is no other source than the sovereign will of God].

²⁸You yourselves are my witnesses that I stated, 'I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),' but, 'I have [only] been sent ahead of Him [as His appointed forerunner and messenger to announce and proclaim His coming].'

²⁹He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this pleasure and joy of mine is now complete.

³⁰He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease.

³¹"He who comes from [heaven] above is above all others; he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks [about things] of the earth [his viewpoint and experience are earthly]. He who comes from heaven is above all.

³²What He has [actually] seen and heard, of that He testifies; and yet no one accepts His testimony [as true].

³³Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal [of approval] to this: God is true [and he knows that God cannot lie].

³⁴For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaiming the Father's own message]; for God gives the [gift of the] Spirit without measure [generously and boundlessly]!

³⁵The Father loves the Son and has given and entrusted all things into His hand.

³⁶He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually."

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Command the Israelites, 'When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall be yours as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its boundaries,

³your southern region shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along the side of Edom, and your southern boundary from the end of the Salt (Dead) Sea eastward.

⁴Your boundary shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and continue on to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar and pass on to Azmon.

⁵Then the boundary shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-arish), and its limit shall be at the [Mediterranean] Sea.

⁶'As the western boundary you shall have the Great [Mediterranean] Sea and its coastline. This shall be your western boundary.

⁷'And this shall be your north border: from the Great [Mediterranean] Sea mark out your boundary line to Mount Hor;

⁸from Mount Hor you shall mark out your boundary to the entrance of Hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad;

⁹then the [northern] boundary shall go on to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern boundary.

¹⁰'You shall mark out your eastern boundary from Hazar-enan to Shepham;

¹¹the [eastern] boundary shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and shall descend and reach to the slope on the east of the Sea of Chinnereth [the Sea of Galilee];

¹²and the [eastern] boundary shall go down to the Jordan [River], and its limit shall be at the Salt (Dead) Sea. This shall be your land according to its boundaries all around.'"

¹³So Moses commanded the Israelites, saying, "This is the land you are to inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to be given to the nine tribes and the half-tribe [of Manasseh],

¹⁴for the tribe of the sons of Reuben and the tribe of the sons of Gad have received their inheritance by their fathers' households, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their possession.

¹⁵The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan [River] opposite Jericho, eastward toward the sunrise."

¹⁶Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁷"These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.

¹⁸You shall take one leader from every tribe to divide the land for the inheritance.

¹⁹These are the names of the men: From the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

²⁰from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud;

²¹from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon;

²²from the tribe of the sons of Dan a leader, Bukki the son of Jogli;

²³of the sons of Joseph: from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel the son of Ephod;

²⁴from the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a leader, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan;

²⁵from the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a leader, Elizaphan the son of Parnach;

²⁶from the tribe of the sons of Issachar a leader, Paltiel the son of Azzan;

²⁷from the tribe of the sons of Asher a leader, Ahihud the son of Shelomi;

²⁸from the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a leader, Pedahel the son of Ammihud."

²⁹These are the [twelve] men whom the LORD commanded [to work with Joshua and Eleazar] to divide the inheritance to the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan.

¹For I do not want you to be unaware, believers, that our fathers were all under the cloud [in which God's presence went before them] and they all passed [miraculously and safely] through the [Red] Sea;

²And all [of them] were baptized into Moses [into his safekeeping as their leader] in the cloud and in the sea;

³and all [of them] ate the same spiritual food;

⁴and all [of them] drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

⁵Nevertheless, God was not well-pleased with most of them, for they were scattered along the ground in the wilderness [because their lack of self-control led to disobedience which led to death].

⁶Now these things [the warnings and admonitions] took place as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did.

⁷Do not be worshipers of handmade gods, as some of them were; just as it is written [in Scripture], "The people sat down to eat and drink [after sacrificing to the golden calf at Horeb], and stood up to play [indulging in immoral activities]."

⁸We must not indulge in [nor tolerate] sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell [dead] in a single day!

⁹We must not tempt the Lord [that is, test His patience, question His purpose or exploit His goodness], as some of them did—and they were killed by serpents.

¹⁰And do not murmur [in unwarranted discontent], as some of them did—and were destroyed by the destroyer.

¹¹Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

¹²Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation].

¹³No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].

¹⁴Therefore, my beloved, run [keep far, far away] from [any sort of] idolatry [and that includes loving anything more than God, or participating in anything that leads to sin and enslaves the soul].

¹⁵I am speaking as to wise and sensible people; judge [carefully and thoughtfully consider] for yourselves what I say.

¹⁶Is the cup of blessing which we bless [at the Lord's Supper] not a sharing in the blood of Christ? [Indeed it is.] Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? [Indeed it is.]

¹⁷Since there is one bread, we [believers] who are many are [united into] one body; for we all partake of the one bread [which represents the body of Christ].

¹⁸Consider the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners of the altar [united in their worship of the same God]? [Indeed they are.]

¹⁹What do I mean then? That a thing offered to idols is anything [special or changed simply because it is offered], or that an idol is anything?

²⁰On the contrary, the things which the Gentiles (pagans) sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons [in effect], and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons [by eating at feasts in pagan temples].

²¹You cannot drink [both] the Lord's cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord's table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them].

²²Do we [really] provoke the Lord to jealousy [when we eat food sacrificed to handmade "gods" at pagan feasts]? Are we [spiritually] stronger than He? [Certainly not! He knows that the idols are nothing. But we deeply offend Him.]

²³All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].

²⁴Let no one seek [only] his own good, but [also] that of the other person.

²⁵[Regarding meat offered to idols:] Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking any questions for the sake of your conscience,

²⁶For the [whole] earth is the Lord's, and everything that is in it.

²⁷If one of the unbelievers invites you [to a meal at his home] and you want to go, eat whatever is served to you without asking questions [about its source] for the sake of your conscience.

²⁸But if anyone says to you, "This meat has been offered in sacrifice to an idol," do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience's sake—

²⁹and by conscience I mean for the sake of the other man's, not yours. For why is my freedom [of choice] judged by another's conscience [another's ethics—another's sense of right and wrong]?

³⁰If I take my share [of food] with thankfulness, why am I accused because of something for which I give thanks?

³¹So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of [our great] God.

³²Do not offend Jews or Greeks or even the church of God [but live to honor Him];

³³just as I please everyone in all things [as much as possible adapting myself to the interests of others], not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, so that they [will be open to the message of salvation and] may be saved.

¹Do not sharply reprimand an older man, but appeal to him as [you would to] a father, to younger men as brothers,

²to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters, in all purity [being careful to maintain appropriate relationships].

³Honor and help those widows who are truly widowed [alone, and without support].

⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren [who are adults], see to it that these first learn to show great respect to their own family [as their religious duty and natural obligation], and to compensate their parents or grandparents [for their upbringing]; for this is acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God.

⁵Now a woman who is really a widow and has been left [entirely] alone [without adequate income] trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

⁶Whereas she who lives for pleasure and self-indulgence is spiritually dead even while she still lives.

⁷Keep instructing [the people to do] these things as well, so that they may be blameless and beyond reproach.

⁸If anyone fails to provide for his own, and especially for those of his own family, he has denied the faith [by disregarding its precepts] and is worse than an unbeliever [who fulfills his obligation in these matters].

⁹A widow is to be put on the list [to receive regular assistance] only if she is over sixty years of age, [having been] the wife of one man,

¹⁰and has a reputation for good deeds; [she is eligible] if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the saints (God's people), if she has assisted the distressed, and has devoted herself to doing good in every way.

¹¹But refuse [to enroll the] younger widows, for when they feel their natural desires in disregard of Christ, they wish to marry again,

¹²and so they incur condemnation for having set aside their previous pledge.

¹³Now at the same time, they also learn to be idle as they go from house to house; and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies [meddlers in things that do not concern them], talking about things they should not mention.

¹⁴So I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and not give opponents of the faith any occasion for slander.

¹⁵Some [widows] have already turned away [from the faith] to follow Satan.

¹⁶If any believing woman has [dependent] widows [in her household], she must assist them [according to her ability]; and the church must not be burdened [with them], so that it may assist those who are truly widows [those who are all alone and are dependent].

¹⁷The elders who perform their leadership duties well are to be considered worthy of double honor (financial support), especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching [the word of God concerning eternal salvation through Christ].

¹⁸For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain [to keep it from eating]," and, "The worker is worthy of his wages [he deserves fair compensation]."

¹⁹Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it is based on [the testimony of at least] two or three witnesses.

²⁰As for those [elders] who continue in sin, reprimand them in the presence of all [the congregation], so that the rest will be warned.

²¹I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels that you guard and keep these rules without bias, doing nothing out of favoritism.

²²Do not hurry to lay hands on anyone [ordaining and approving someone for ministry or an office in the church, or in reinstating expelled offenders], and thereby share in the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

²³No longer continue drinking [only] water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

²⁴The sins of some people are conspicuous, leading the way for them into judgment [so that they are clearly not qualified for ministry]; but the sins of others appear later [for they are hidden and follow behind them].

²⁵Likewise, good deeds are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be hidden [indefinitely].

¹"Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where they refine gold.

²"Iron is taken out of the earth, And copper is smelted from the stone ore.

³"Man puts an end to darkness [by bringing in a light], And to the farthest bounds he searches out The rock buried in gloom and deep shadow.

⁴"He breaks open (mine) shafts far away from where people live, [In places] forgotten by the [human] foot; They dangle [in the mines] and hang away from men.

⁵"[As for] the earth, out of it comes food, But underneath [its surface, down deep] it is turned over as fire.

⁶"Its stones are the bed of sapphires; It holds dust of gold.

⁷"The path [deep within] no bird of prey knows, And the falcon's eye has not caught sight of it.

⁸"The proud beasts [and their young] have not walked on it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

⁹"Man puts his hand on [and tears apart] the flinty rock; He overturns the mountains at the base [looking for treasure].

¹⁰"He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks; And his eye sees every precious thing.

¹¹"Man dams up the streams from flowing [so that they do not trickle into the mine], And what is hidden he brings out to the light.

¹²"But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

¹³"Man does not know the value of it; Nor is it found in the land of the living.

¹⁴"The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.'

¹⁵"It cannot be obtained for pure gold, Nor can silver be weighed as its price.

¹⁶"It cannot be valued in [terms of] the gold of Ophir, In the precious onyx or beryl, or the sapphire.

¹⁷"Gold and glass cannot equal wisdom, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold.

¹⁸"No mention of coral and crystal can be made; For the possession of wisdom is even above [that of] rubies or pearls.

¹⁹"The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

²⁰"From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

²¹"It is hidden from the eyes of all the living And concealed from the birds of the heavens.

²²"Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say, 'We have [only] heard a report of it with our ears.'

²³"God understands the way [to wisdom] And He knows its place [for wisdom is with God alone].

²⁴"For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens.

²⁵"When He gave weight and pressure to the wind And allotted the waters by measure,

²⁶When He made a limit for the rain And a way for the thunderbolt,

²⁷Then He saw wisdom and declared it; He established it and searched it out.

²⁸"But to man He said, 'Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

¹A Psalm of David; to bring to remembrance. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor discipline me in Your burning anger.

²For Your arrows have sunk into me and penetrate deeply, And Your hand has pressed down on me and greatly disciplined me.

³There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

⁴For my iniquities have gone over my head [like the waves of a flood]; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

⁵My wounds are loathsome and foul Because of my foolishness.

⁶I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go about mourning all day long.

⁷For my sides are filled with burning, And there is no health in my flesh.

⁸I am numb and greatly bruised [deadly cold and completely worn out]; I groan because of the disquiet and moaning of my heart.

⁹Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.

¹⁰My heart throbs violently, my strength fails me; And as for the light of my eyes, even that has also gone from me.

¹¹My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my neighbors stand far away.

¹²Those who seek my life lay snares for me, And those who seek to injure me threaten mischievous things and destruction; They devise treachery all the day long.

¹³But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth.

¹⁴Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, In whose mouth are no arguments.

¹⁵For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will answer, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I pray, "May they not rejoice over me, Who, when my foot slips, would boast against me."

¹⁷For I am ready to fall; My sorrow is continually before me.

¹⁸For I do confess my guilt and iniquity; I am filled with anxiety because of my sin.

¹⁹But my [numerous] enemies are vigorous and strong, And those who hate me without cause are many.

²⁰They repay evil for good, they attack and try to kill me, Because I follow what is good.

²¹Do not abandon me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me.

²²Make haste to help me, O Lord, my Salvation.

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues them, But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²When a land does wrong, it has many princes, But when the ruler is a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability endures.

³A poor man who oppresses and exploits the lowly Is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food.

⁴Those who set aside the law [of God and man] praise the wicked, But those who keep the law [of God and man] struggle with them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice, But they who long for and seek the LORD understand it fully.

⁶Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked and two-faced though he is rich.

⁷He who keeps the law [of God and man] is a wise and discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father [and himself].

⁸He who increases his wealth by interest and usury (excessive interest) Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.

⁹He who turns his ear away from listening to the law [of God and man], Even his prayer is repulsive [to God].

¹⁰He who leads the upright astray on an evil path Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹The rich man [who is conceited and relies on his wealth instead of God] is wise in his own eyes, But the poor man who has understanding [because he relies on God] is able to see through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; But when the wicked rise [to prominence], men hide themselves.

¹³He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But whoever confesses and turns away from his sins will find compassion and mercy.

¹⁴Blessed and favored by God is the man who fears [sin and its consequence] at all times, But he who hardens his heart [and is determined to sin] will fall into disaster.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding and common sense [and his wickedness shortens his days], But he who hates unjust gain will [be blessed and] prolong his days.

¹⁷A man who is burdened with the guilt of human blood (murder) Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him or give him refuge.

¹⁸He who walks blamelessly and uprightly will be kept safe, But he who is crooked (perverse) will suddenly fall.

¹⁹He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless people and frivolous pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

²⁰A faithful (right-minded) man will abound with blessings, But he who hurries to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To have regard for one person over another and to show favoritism is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

²²He who has an evil and envious eye hurries to be rich And does not know that poverty will come upon him.

²³He who [appropriately] reprimands a [wise] man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴He who robs his father or his mother And says, "This is no sin," Is [not only a thief but also] the companion of a man who destroys.

²⁵An arrogant and greedy man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be blessed and prosper.

²⁶He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool, But he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued.

²⁷He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes [from their need] will have many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; But when the wicked perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become great.

¹And David said, "Is there still anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

²There was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, so they called him to David. And the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "I am your servant."

³And the king said, "Is there no longer anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show the goodness and graciousness of God?" Ziba replied to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan, [one] whose feet are crippled."

⁴So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba replied to the king, "He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar."

⁵Then King David sent word and had him brought from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

⁶Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell face down and lay himself down [in respect]. David said, "Mephibosheth." And he answered, "Here is your servant!"

⁷David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall always eat at my table."

⁸Again Mephibosheth lay himself face down and said, "What is your servant, that you would be concerned for a dead dog like me?"

⁹Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house (family).

¹⁰You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce, so that your master's grandson may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, shall always eat at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do according to everything that my lord the king commands." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons.

¹²Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house were servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king's table. And he was lame in both feet.

¹Thus says the LORD, "Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak this word there:

²'Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David—you and your servants and your people who enter by these gates.

³Thus says the LORD, "Execute justice and righteousness, and rescue the one who has been robbed from the hand of his oppressor. And do no wrong; do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

⁴For if you will indeed obey this word, then kings will enter through the gates of this palace, sitting in David's place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people.

⁵But if you will not hear and obey these words, I swear [an oath] by Myself," says the LORD, "that this house will become a desolation."'"

⁶For thus says the LORD in regard to the house of the king of Judah: "You are [as valuable] to Me as [the green pastures of] Gilead [east of the Jordan] Or as the [plentiful] summit of Lebanon [west of the Jordan], Yet most certainly [if you will not listen to Me] I will make you a wilderness, And uninhabited cities.

⁷"For I will prepare and appoint destroyers [to execute My judgments] against you, Each with his weapons; And they will cut down your [palaces built of] choicest cedars And throw them in the fire.

⁸"Many nations will pass by this city; and each man will say to another, 'Why has the LORD done this to this great city?'

⁹Then they will answer, 'Because the people ignored and abandoned the [solemn] covenant with the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.'"

¹⁰Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him; But weep bitterly for the one who goes away [into exile], For he will never return And see his native country [again].

¹¹For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum (Jehoahaz) the [third] son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father and who went from this place, "Shallum will not return here anymore;

¹²he will die in the place where they led him captive and not see this land again.

¹³"Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds his house by [acts of] unrighteousness And his upper chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor's service without pay And does not give him wages [for his work],

¹⁴Who says, 'I will build myself a spacious house With large upper rooms, And cut out its [wide] windows, And panel it with cedar and paint it vermilion."

¹⁵"Do you think that you become a king because you have much more cedar [in your palace than Solomon]? Did not your father [Josiah], as he ate and drank, Do just and righteous acts [being upright and in right standing with God]? Then all was well with him.

¹⁶"He defended the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then all was well. Is that not what it means to know Me?" Says the LORD.

¹⁷"But your eyes and your heart Are only intent on your own dishonest gain, On shedding innocent blood, On oppression and extortion and violence."

¹⁸Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the [second] son of Josiah, king of Judah, "The relatives will not lament (mourn over with expressions of grief) for him: 'Alas, my brother!' or, 'Alas, sister,' [how great our loss]! The subjects will not lament for him: 'Alas, master!' or 'Alas, majesty [how great was his glory]!'

¹⁹" He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey— Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

²⁰"Go up [north] to Lebanon and cry out, And raise your voice in [the hills of] Bashan [across the Jordan]; Cry out also from Abarim, For all your lovers (allies) have been destroyed.

²¹"I spoke to you in your [times of] prosperity, But you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been your attitude and practice from your youth; You have not obeyed My voice.

²²"The wind [of adversity] will carry away all your shepherds (rulers, statesmen), And your lovers (allies) will go into exile. Surely then you will be ashamed and humiliated and disgraced Because of all your wickedness.

²³"O inhabitant of [Jerusalem, whose palaces are made from the cedars of] Lebanon, You who nest in the cedars, How you will groan and how miserable you will be when pains come on you, Pain like a woman in childbirth!

²⁴"As I live," says the LORD, "though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet [ring] on My right hand, yet would I pull you (Coniah) off.

²⁵And I will place you in the hand of those who seek your life and in the hand of those whom you fear, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

²⁶I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country where you were not born, and there you will die.

²⁷But as for the land to which they long to return, they will not return to it.

²⁸"Is this man [King] Coniah a despised, broken jar? Is he a vessel in which no one takes pleasure? Why are he and his [royal] descendants hurled out And cast into a land which they do not know or understand?

²⁹"O land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD!

³⁰Thus says the LORD, 'Write this man [Coniah] down as childless, A man who will not prosper (succeed) in his lifetime; For not one of his descendants will succeed In sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'"

¹When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place,

²and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

³There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit].

⁴And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].

⁵Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven.

⁶And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect.

⁷They were completely astonished, saying, "Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?

⁸Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect?

⁹[Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia [Minor],

¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism),

¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!"

¹²And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, "What could this mean?"

¹³But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, "They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!"

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say.

¹⁵These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);

¹⁶but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷'And it shall be in the last days,' says God, 'That I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see [divinely prompted] visions, And your old men shall dream [divinely prompted] dreams;

¹⁸Even on My bond-servants, both men and women, I will in those days pour out My Spirit And they shall prophesy.

¹⁹'And I will bring about wonders in the sky above And signs (attesting miracles) on the earth below, Blood and fire and smoking vapor.

²⁰'The sun shall be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.

²¹'And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus] shall be saved (rescued spiritually).'

²²"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accredited and pointed out and attested to you by God with [the power to perform] miracles and wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your [very] midst, just as you yourselves know—

²³this Man, when handed over [to the Roman authorities] according to the predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawless and godless men.

²⁴But God raised Him up, releasing Him and bringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death's power.

²⁵For David says of Him, 'I saw the Lord constantly before me; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken [from my state of security].

²⁶'Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope [that is, will encamp in anticipation of the resurrection];

²⁷'For You will not forsake me and abandon my soul to Hades (the realm of the dead), Nor let Your Holy One undergo decay [after death].

²⁸'You have made known to me the ways of life; You will fill me [infusing my soul] with joy with Your presence.'

²⁹"Brothers, I may confidently and freely say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

³⁰And so, being a prophet and knowing fully that God had sworn to him with an oath that He would seat one of his descendants on his throne,

³¹he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay.

³²God raised this Jesus [bodily from the dead], and of that [fact] we are all witnesses.

³³Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear.

³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says, 'The Lord [the Father] said to my LORD [the Son], "Sit at My right hand,

³⁵Until I make Your enemies afootstool for Your feet."'

³⁶Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)—this Jesus whom you crucified."

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?"

³⁸And Peter said to them, "Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself."

⁴⁰And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, " Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!"

⁴¹So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers].

⁴²They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers.

⁴³A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.

⁴⁴And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole].

⁴⁵And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need.

⁴⁶Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts,

⁴⁷praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.