Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from birth.

²And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

³Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

⁴We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

⁵While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

⁶When He had said this, He spit on the ground, and made mud from the saliva, and applied the mud to his eyes,

⁷and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he left and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸So the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is this not the one who used to sit and beg?”

⁹Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” The man himself kept saying, “I am the one.”

¹⁰So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?”

¹¹He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made mud, and spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

¹²And they said to him, “Where is He?” He *said, “I do not know.”

¹³They *brought the man who was previously blind to the Pharisees.

¹⁴Now it was a Sabbath on the day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

¹⁵Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied mud to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

¹⁶Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was dissension among them.

¹⁷So they *said again to the man who was blind, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸The Jews then did not believe it about him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight,

¹⁹and they questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”

²⁰His parents then answered and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

²¹but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.”

²²His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already reached the decision that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be excommunicated from the synagogue.

²³It was for this reason that his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴So for a second time they summoned the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.”

²⁵He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

²⁶So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

²⁷He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?”

²⁸They spoke abusively to him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.”

³⁰The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is the amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes!

³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if someone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.

³²Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.

³³If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

³⁴They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and yet you are teaching us?” So they put him out.

³⁵Jesus heard that they had put him out, and upon finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶He answered by saying, “And who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?”

³⁷Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.”

³⁸And he said, “I believe, Lord.” And he worshiped Him.

³⁹And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

⁴⁰Those who were with Him from the Pharisees heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?”

⁴¹Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you maintain, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

¹“Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you will live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

²You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I am commanding you.

³Your eyes have seen what the LORD has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all the men who followed Baal-peor, the LORD your God has destroyed them from among you.

⁴But you who clung to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you.

⁵“See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you are to do these things in the land where you are entering to take possession of it.

⁶So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

⁷For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him?

⁸Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole Law which I am setting before you today?

⁹“Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.

¹⁰Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

¹¹You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick gloom.

¹²Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—there was only a voice.

¹³So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

¹⁴The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, so that you would perform them in the land where you are going over to take possession of it.

¹⁵“So be very careful yourselves, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,

¹⁶so that you do not act corruptly and make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female,

¹⁷a representation of any animal that is on the earth, a representation of any winged bird that flies in the sky,

¹⁸a representation of anything that crawls on the ground, or a representation of any fish that is in the water below the earth.

¹⁹And be careful not to raise your eyes to heaven and look at the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the heavenly lights, and allow yourself to be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

²⁰But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people of His own possession, as today.

²¹“Now the LORD was angry with me on your account, and He swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

²²For I am going to die in this land; I am not crossing the Jordan, but you are going to cross, and you will take possession of this good land.

²³So be careful yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you.

²⁴For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

²⁵“When you father children and have grandchildren, and you grow old in the land, and you act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger,

²⁶I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that you will certainly perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to take possession of it. You will not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed.

²⁷The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you.

²⁸There you will serve gods, the work of human hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear, nor eat nor smell anything.

²⁹But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

³⁰When you are in distress and all these things happen to you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.

³¹For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not abandon you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

³²“Indeed, ask now about the earlier days that were before your time, since the day that God created mankind on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?

³³Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?

³⁴Or has a god ventured to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, just as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

³⁵You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him.

³⁶Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.

³⁷Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power,

³⁸driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is today.

³⁹Therefore know today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

⁴⁰So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, so that it may go well for you and for your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”

⁴¹Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east,

⁴²for one to flee there who unintentionally killed his neighbor, without having hatred for him in time past; and by fleeing to one of these cities he might live:

⁴³Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.

⁴⁴Now this is the Law which Moses set before the sons of Israel;

⁴⁵these are the testimonies and the statutes, and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt,

⁴⁶across the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel defeated when they came out of Egypt.

⁴⁷And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were across the Jordan to the east,

⁴⁸from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of Arnon, even as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon),

⁴⁹with all the Arabah across the Jordan to the east, even as far as the sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah.

¹Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you are to do as well.

²On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections need to be made when I come.

³When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem;

⁴and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

⁵But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia; for I am going through Macedonia,

⁶and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go.

⁷For I do not want to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits.

⁸But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost;

⁹for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

¹⁰Now if Timothy comes, see that he has no reason to be afraid while among you, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am.

¹¹So do not look down on him, anyone. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.

¹²Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly encouraged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity.

¹³Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

¹⁴All that you do must be done in love.

¹⁵Now I urge you, brothers and sisters: you know the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ministry to the saints;

¹⁶I urge that you also be subject to such as these and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.

¹⁷I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.

¹⁸For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

¹⁹The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

²⁰All the brothers and sisters greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹The greeting is in my own hand—that of Paul.

²²If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha!

²³The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

²⁴My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

¹Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

²in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

³but at the proper time revealed His word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior;

⁴To Titus, my true son in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

⁵For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

⁶namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion.

⁷For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money,

⁸but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, holy, disciplined,

⁹holding firmly the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.

¹⁰For there are many rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

¹¹who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain.

¹²One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

¹³This testimony is true. For this reason reprimand them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,

¹⁴not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

¹⁶They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

¹Then Elihu continued and said,

²“Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who understand.

³For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.

⁴Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us understand among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, But God has taken away my right;

⁶Should I lie about my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.’

⁷What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,

⁸Who goes in company with the workers of injustice, And walks with wicked people?

⁹For he has said, ‘It is of no use to a man When he becomes friends with God.’

¹⁰“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

¹¹For He repays a person for his work, And lets things happen in correspondence to a man’s behavior.

¹²God certainly will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

¹³Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has placed the whole world on Him?

¹⁴If He were to determine to do so, If He were to gather His spirit and His breath to Himself,

¹⁵Humanity would perish together, And mankind would return to dust.

¹⁶“But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

¹⁷Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

¹⁸Who says to a king, ‘You worthless one,’ To nobles, ‘You wicked one’;

¹⁹Who shows no partiality to the prominent, Nor regards the rich as above the poor, Since they are all the work of His hands?

²⁰In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a hand.

²¹“For His eyes are upon the ways of a person, And He sees all his steps.

²²There is no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.

²³For He does not need to consider a person further, That he should go before God in judgment.

²⁴He breaks in pieces the mighty without investigation, And sets others in their place.

²⁵Therefore He knows their deeds, And He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

²⁶He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,

²⁷Because they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways,

²⁸So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He would hear the cry of the afflicted—

²⁹When He keeps quiet, who can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him, That is, regarding both nation and a person?—

³⁰So that godless people would not rule, Nor be snares for the people.

³¹“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have endured punishment; I will not offend anymore;

³²Teach me what I do not see; If I have done wrong, I will not do it again’?

³³Shall God repay on your terms, because you have rejected His? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.

³⁴Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,

³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

³⁶Oh that Job were tested to the limit, Because he answers like sinners.

³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.’ ”

¹God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us The work that You did in their days, In the days of old.

²You with Your own hand drove out the nations; Then You planted them; You afflicted the peoples, Then You let them go free.

³For by their own sword they did not possess the land, And their own arm did not save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, For You favored them.

⁴You are my King, God; Command victories for Jacob.

⁵Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.

⁶For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me.

⁷But You have saved us from our adversaries, And You have put to shame those who hate us.

⁸In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah

⁹Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And do not go out with our armies.

¹⁰You cause us to turn back from the enemy; And those who hate us have taken spoils for themselves.

¹¹You turn us over to be eaten like sheep, And have scattered us among the nations.

¹²You sell Your people cheaply, And have not profited by their sale.

¹³You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors, Of scoffing and ridicule to those around us.

¹⁴You make us a proverb among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples.

¹⁵All day long my dishonor is before me And I am covered with my humiliation,

¹⁶Because of the voice of one who taunts and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You, And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.

¹⁸Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Your way,

¹⁹Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals And covered us with deep darkness.

²⁰If we had forgotten the name of our God Or extended our hands to a strange god,

²¹Would God not find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.

²²But for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

²³Wake Yourself up, why do You sleep, Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever.

²⁴Why do You hide Your face And forget our affliction and oppression?

²⁵For our souls have sunk down into the dust; Our bodies cling to the earth.

²⁶Rise up, be our help, And redeem us because of Your mercy.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching, But have your heart comply with my commandments;

²For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you.

³Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor and a good reputation In the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

⁸It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD from your wealth, And from the first of all your produce;

¹⁰Then your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His rebuke,

¹²For whom the LORD loves He disciplines, Just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

¹³Blessed is a person who finds wisdom, And one who obtains understanding.

¹⁴For her profit is better than the profit of silver, And her produce better than gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than jewels, And nothing you desire compares with her.

¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are those who hold on to her.

¹⁹The LORD founded the earth by wisdom, He established the heavens by understanding.

²⁰By His knowledge the ocean depths were burst open, And the clouds drip with dew.

²¹My son, see that they do not escape from your sight; Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,

²²And they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.

²³Then you will walk in your way securely, And your foot will not stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden danger, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;

²⁶For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it to you,” When you have it with you.

²⁹Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you.

³⁰Do not contend with a person for no reason, If he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy a violent person, And do not choose any of his ways.

³²For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright.

³³The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the needy.

³⁵The wise will inherit honor, But fools increase dishonor.

¹Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him.

²And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road to the gate; and when any man who had a lawsuit was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”

³Then Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but you have no one to listen to you on the part of the king.”

⁴Moreover, Absalom would say, “Oh that someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has a lawsuit or claim could come to me, and I would give him justice!”

⁵And whenever a man approached to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

⁶Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

⁷Now it came about at the end of four years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to the LORD, in Hebron.

⁸For your servant made a vow while I was living in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’ ”

⁹The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron.

¹⁰But Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’ ”

¹¹Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, for they did not know anything.

¹²And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people continually increased with Absalom.

¹³Then a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”

¹⁴So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let’s flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go quickly, or he will hurry and overtake us, and bring disaster on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

¹⁵Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants will do whatever my lord the king chooses.”

¹⁶So the king left, and all his household with him; but the king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house.

¹⁷The king left, and all the people with him, and they stopped at the last house.

¹⁸Now all of his servants passed by beside him, and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed by before the king.

¹⁹Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you go with us too? Return and stay with your king, since you are a foreigner and an exile as well; return to your own place.

²⁰You came only yesterday, so should I make you wander with us today, while I go wherever I go? Return and take your brothers back; mercy and truth be with you.”

²¹But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there assuredly shall your servant be!”

²²Then David said to Ittai, “Go and cross over the brook Kidron.” So Ittai the Gittite crossed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

²³While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people were crossing over. The king was also crossing over the brook Kidron, and all the people were crossing over toward the way of the wilderness.

²⁴Now behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city.

²⁵And the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me back and show me both it and His habitation.

²⁶But if He says this: ‘I have no delight in you,’ then here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”

²⁷The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

²⁸See, I am going to wait at the river crossing places of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

²⁹So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.

³⁰And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went.

³¹Now someone informed David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “LORD, please make the advice of Ahithophel foolish.”

³²It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn, and dust on his head.

³³And David said to him, “If you go over with me, then you will become a burden to me.

³⁴But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; even as I was your father’s servant in time past, so now I will also be your servant,’ then you can foil the advice of Ahithophel for me.

³⁵Are Zadok and Abiathar the priests not with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

³⁶Behold their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear.”

³⁷So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

¹Now in the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the prophet the son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me at the house of the LORD in the sight of the priests and all the people, saying,

²“This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

³Within two years I am going to bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’S house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and brought to Babylon.

⁴I am also going to bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

⁵Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the sight of the priests and in the sight of all the people who were standing at the house of the LORD,

⁶and Jeremiah the prophet said, “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD fulfill your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD’S house and all the exiles, from Babylon to this place.

⁷Yet hear now this word which I am going to speak so that you and all the people can hear it!

⁸The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times also prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms regarding war, disaster, and plague.

⁹As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent.”

¹⁰Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it.

¹¹Hananiah spoke in the sight of all the people, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Even so within two full years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’ ” Then Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

¹²Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

¹³“Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, ‘This is what the LORD says: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but in their place you have made yokes of iron.”

¹⁴For this is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. And I have also given him the animals of the field.” ’ ”

¹⁵Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah: the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.

¹⁶Therefore, this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am going to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you spoke falsely against the LORD.’ ”

¹⁷So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year, in the seventh month.

¹Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

²Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him.

³But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison.

⁴Therefore, those who had been scattered went through places preaching the word.

⁵Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them.

⁶The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.

⁷For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed or limped on crutches were healed.

⁸So there was much rejoicing in that city.

⁹Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;

¹⁰and all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, “This man is the Power of God that is called Great.”

¹¹And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic arts.

¹²But when they believed Philip as he was preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being baptized.

¹³Now even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was repeatedly amazed.

¹⁴Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,

¹⁵who came down and prayed for them that they would receive the Holy Spirit.

¹⁶(For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

¹⁷Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

¹⁹saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire the gift of God with money!

²¹You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

²²Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you.

²³For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness.”

²⁴But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

²⁵So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get ready and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.)

²⁷So he got ready and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship,

²⁸and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading Isaiah the prophet.

²⁹Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”

³⁰Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³²Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “HE WAS LED LIKE A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND LIKE A LAMB THAT IS SILENT BEFORE ITS SHEARER, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.

³³IN HUMILIATION HIS JUSTICE WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL DESCRIBE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EARTH.”

³⁴The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?”

³⁵Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

³⁶As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

³⁷

³⁸And he ordered that the chariot stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.