Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

²This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

³Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

⁵Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”

¹⁰Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

¹¹Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

¹²If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

¹⁶“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

²²After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.

²³John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized

²⁴(for John had not yet been put in prison).

²⁵Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification.

²⁶And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness — look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

²⁷John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.

²⁸You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’

²⁹The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.”

³¹He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.

³²He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.

³³Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

³⁴For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

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

³⁶Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

¹The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²“Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders),

³your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall run from the end of the Salt Sea on the east.

⁴And your border shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and cross to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon.

⁵And the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its limit shall be at the sea.

⁶“For the western border, you shall have the Great Sea and its coast. This shall be your western border.

⁷“This shall be your northern border: from the Great Sea you shall draw a line to Mount Hor.

⁸From Mount Hor you shall draw a line to Lebo-hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad.

⁹Then the border shall extend to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern border.

¹⁰“You shall draw a line for your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham.

¹¹And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. And the border shall go down and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east.

¹²And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its limit shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land as defined by its borders all around.”

¹³Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, “This is the land that you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe.

¹⁴For the tribe of the people of Reuben by fathers' houses and the tribe of the people of Gad by their fathers' houses have received their inheritance, and also the half-tribe of Manasseh.

¹⁵The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁷“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.

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

¹⁹These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

²⁰Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.

²¹Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.

²²Of the tribe of the people of Dan a chief, Bukki the son of Jogli.

²³Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a chief, Hanniel the son of Ephod.

²⁴And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a chief, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.

²⁵Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a chief, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.

²⁶Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a chief, Paltiel the son of Azzan.

²⁷And of the tribe of the people of Asher a chief, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.

²⁸Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a chief, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”

²⁹These are the men whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan.

¹For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,

²and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

³and all ate the same spiritual food,

⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

⁵Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

⁶Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

⁷Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

⁸We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.

⁹We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,

¹⁰nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

¹¹Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

¹²Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

¹³No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

¹⁴Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

¹⁵I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.

¹⁶The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

¹⁷Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

¹⁸Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?

¹⁹What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

²⁰No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.

²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

²²Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

²³“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.

²⁴Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

²⁵Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

²⁶For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.”

²⁷If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

²⁸But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience —

²⁹I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?

³⁰If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

³¹So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

³²Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,

³³just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

¹Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,

²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³Honor widows who are truly widows.

⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

⁵She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day,

⁶but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.

⁷Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach.

⁸But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband,

¹⁰and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.

¹¹But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry

¹²and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.

¹³Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

¹⁴So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

¹⁵For some have already strayed after Satan.

¹⁶If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.

¹⁷Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

¹⁸For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

¹⁹Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

²⁰As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

²¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

²²Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

²³(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

²⁴The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.

²⁵So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

¹“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine.

²Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore.

³Man puts an end to darkness and searches out to the farthest limit the ore in gloom and deep darkness.

⁴He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives; they are forgotten by travelers; they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.

⁵As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire.

⁶Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.

⁷“That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it.

⁸The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.

⁹“Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots.

¹⁰He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.

¹¹He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.

¹²“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

¹³Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.

¹⁴The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

¹⁵It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price.

¹⁶It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

¹⁷Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

¹⁸No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls.

¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

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

²¹It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.

²²Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’

²³“God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.

²⁴For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

²⁵When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure,

²⁶when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

²⁷then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out.

²⁸And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

¹O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!

²For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on 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 a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness,

⁶I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.

⁷For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.

⁸I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

⁹O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.

¹⁰My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes — it also has gone from me.

¹¹My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.

¹²Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.

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

¹⁴I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes.

¹⁵But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

¹⁶For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”

¹⁷For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me.

¹⁸I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

¹⁹But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.

²⁰Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.

²¹Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me!

²²Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

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

²When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.

³A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.

⁴Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.

⁶Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

⁷The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.

⁹If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.

¹¹A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.

¹³Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

¹⁷If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death; let no one help him.

¹⁸Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

¹⁹Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.

²²A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

²³Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys.

²⁵A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.

²⁶Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

²⁷Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

²⁸When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.

¹And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?”

²Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”

³And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”

⁴The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”

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

⁶And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”

⁷And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”

⁸And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

⁹Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson.

¹⁰And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread 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, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons.

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

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

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

²and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates.

³Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

⁴For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people.

⁵But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

⁶For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: “‘You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city.

⁷I will prepare destroyers against you, each with his weapons, and they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire.

⁸“‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?”

⁹And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”’”

¹⁰Weep not for him who is dead, nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more to see his native land.

¹¹For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more,

¹²but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.”

¹³“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages,

¹⁴who says, ‘I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,’ who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.

¹⁵Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.

¹⁶He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD.

¹⁷But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.”

¹⁸Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, my brother!’ or ‘Ah, sister!’ They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Ah, lord!’ or ‘Ah, his majesty!’

¹⁹With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried, dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

²⁰“Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed.

²¹I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice.

²²The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity; then you will be ashamed and confounded because of all your evil.

²³O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!”

²⁴“As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off

²⁵and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

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

²⁷But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”

²⁸Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one cares for? Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land that they do not know?

²⁹O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!

³⁰Thus says the LORD: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.”

¹When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

²And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

³And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

⁶And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

⁷And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,

¹¹both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians — we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

¹²And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

¹³But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

¹⁵For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

¹⁶But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

¹⁸even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

²⁰the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

²¹And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

²²“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know —

²³this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

²⁴God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

²⁵For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

²⁶therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.

²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.

²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

³⁰Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,

³¹he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

³²This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

³³Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,

³⁵until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

³⁷Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

³⁸And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

⁴⁰And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

⁴¹So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴²And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

⁴³And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

⁴⁴And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

⁴⁵And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

⁴⁶And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.