Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.

²And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

³who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,

⁴because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.

⁵And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

⁶When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

⁷And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

⁸For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”

⁹Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

¹⁰Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

¹¹Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.

¹²So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”

¹³And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

¹⁴So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.

¹⁵Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

¹⁶And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.

¹⁷Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

¹⁸And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.

¹⁹However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”

²⁰And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

²¹Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.

²²And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet

²³and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

²⁴So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

²⁵Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,

²⁶and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.

²⁸For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

²⁹Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

³⁰And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

³¹But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

³²And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

³³But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

³⁴And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

³⁵While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

³⁶As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

³⁷And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

³⁸Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.

³⁹When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

⁴⁰And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.

⁴¹Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

⁴²Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.

⁴³But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

¹Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.

²And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.

³Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

⁴But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

⁵And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”

⁶Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down.

⁷And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.

⁸Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”

⁹But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”

¹⁰And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me.

¹¹Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it.

¹²Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”

¹³But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die.

¹⁴Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

¹⁵And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

¹⁶So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

¹⁷And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

¹⁸Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city.

¹⁹And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.

²⁰Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

⁴who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

⁵For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

⁶Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

⁷And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

⁸For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.

⁹Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,

¹⁰who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

¹¹you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

¹²For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

¹³For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end

¹⁴(as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁵And in this confidence I intended to come to you before, that you might have a second benefit—

¹⁶to pass by way of you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea.

¹⁷Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No?

¹⁸But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.

¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.

²⁰For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

²¹Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,

²²who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

²³Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth.

²⁴Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.

¹Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

²Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

³as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

⁴by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

⁵But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

⁶to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

⁷to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

⁸For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

¹⁰Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

¹¹for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹²For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

¹³Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,

¹⁴knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

¹⁵Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.

¹⁶For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

¹⁷For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

¹⁸And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

²⁰knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

²¹for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

¹“But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words.

²Now, I open my mouth; My tongue speaks in my mouth.

³My words come from my upright heart; My lips utter pure knowledge.

⁴The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

⁵If you can answer me, Set your words in order before me; Take your stand.

⁶Truly I am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of clay.

⁷Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

⁸“Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,

⁹‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.

¹⁰Yet He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy;

¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.’

¹²“Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man.

¹³Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.

¹⁴For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds,

¹⁶Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.

¹⁷In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man,

¹⁸He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹“Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain in many of his bones,

²⁰So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food.

²¹His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen.

²²Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners.

²³“If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness,

²⁴Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’;

²⁵His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth.

²⁶He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness.

²⁷Then he looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, And it did not profit me.’

²⁸He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, And his life shall see the light.

²⁹“Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man,

³⁰To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

³¹“Give ear, Job, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will speak.

³²If you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you.

³³If not, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

¹Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.

²Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

³Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

⁴For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth.

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

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

⁷He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.

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

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

¹⁰The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

¹¹The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.

¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

¹³The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.

¹⁴From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth;

¹⁵He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

¹⁶No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

¹⁷A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

¹⁸Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,

¹⁹To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.

²⁰Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.

²¹For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.

²²Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.

¹My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,

²So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;

³Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,

⁴If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;

⁵Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

⁶For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

⁸He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.

⁹Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.

¹⁰When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

¹¹Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,

¹²To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,

¹³From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;

¹⁴Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

¹⁵Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths;

¹⁶To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words,

¹⁷Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God.

¹⁸For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead;

¹⁹None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life—

²⁰So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness.

²¹For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it;

²²But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

¹Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

²“Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bone.”

³And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

⁴So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him.

⁵Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.

⁶And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.

⁷Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them: “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, That God may listen to you!

⁸“The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’

⁹But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

¹⁰“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’

¹¹But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, And go to sway over trees?’

¹²“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’

¹³But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

¹⁴“Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’

¹⁵And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, Then come and take shelter in my shade; But if not, let fire come out of the bramble And devour the cedars of Lebanon!’

¹⁶“Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves—

¹⁷for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

¹⁸but you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—

¹⁹if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

²⁰“But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!”

²¹And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

²²After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years,

²³God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

²⁴that the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers.

²⁵And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech.

²⁶Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

²⁷So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

²⁸Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?

²⁹If only this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” So he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out!”

³⁰When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was aroused.

³¹And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Take note! Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you.

³²Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.

³³And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them as you find opportunity.”

³⁴So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

³⁵When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from lying in wait.

³⁶And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” But Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men.”

³⁷So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”

³⁸Then Zebul said to him, “Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now.”

³⁹So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

⁴⁰And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate.

⁴¹Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem.

⁴²And it came about on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

⁴³So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and attacked them.

⁴⁴Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them.

⁴⁵So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

⁴⁶Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith.

⁴⁷And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

⁴⁸Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done.”

⁴⁹So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.

⁵⁰Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and took it.

⁵¹But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women—all the people of the city—fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower.

⁵²So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

⁵³But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.

⁵⁴Then he called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his young man thrust him through, and he died.

⁵⁵And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place.

⁵⁶Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

⁵⁷And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

¹Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, You will be plundered; When you make an end of dealing treacherously, They will deal treacherously with you.

²O LORD, be gracious to us; We have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, Our salvation also in the time of trouble.

³At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered;

⁴And Your plunder shall be gathered Like the gathering of the caterpillar; As the running to and fro of locusts, He shall run upon them.

⁵The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

⁶Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure.

⁷Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

⁸The highways lie waste, The traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man.

⁹The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

¹⁰“Now I will rise,” says the LORD; “Now I will be exalted, Now I will lift Myself up.

¹¹You shall conceive chaff, You shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

¹²And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.

¹³Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

¹⁴The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”

¹⁵He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil:

¹⁶He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

¹⁷Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off.

¹⁸Your heart will meditate on terror: “Where is the scribe? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?”

¹⁹You will not see a fierce people, A people of obscure speech, beyond perception, Of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand.

²⁰Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home, A tabernacle that will not be taken down; Not one of its stakes will ever be removed, Nor will any of its cords be broken.

²¹But there the majestic LORD will be for us A place of broad rivers and streams, In which no galley with oars will sail, Nor majestic ships pass by

²²(For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us);

²³Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey.

²⁴And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.

¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.

²And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

³But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

⁴While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

⁵Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.

⁶And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

⁷Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

⁸And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.”

⁹Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”

¹⁰Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.

¹¹So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

¹²And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.

¹³Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.

¹⁴And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

¹⁵so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

¹⁶Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

¹⁷Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation,

¹⁸and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.

¹⁹But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,

²⁰“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

²¹And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

²²But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported,

²³saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”

²⁴Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.

²⁵So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

²⁶Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.

²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,

²⁸saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”

²⁹But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.

³¹Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

³²And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

³³When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.

³⁴Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.

³⁵And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men.

³⁶For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.

³⁷After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.

³⁸And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;

³⁹but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”

⁴⁰And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

⁴²And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.