Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now a certain man was sick: Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

²And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

³So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

⁴But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is notmeant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

⁵(Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.)

⁶So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

⁷Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.”

⁸The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and yet You are going there again?”

⁹Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

¹⁰But if anyone walks during the night, he stumbles, because the light is not inhim.”

¹¹This He said, and after this He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.”

¹²The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.”

¹³Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep.

¹⁴So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died,

¹⁵and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let’s go to him.”

¹⁶Therefore Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s also go, so that we may die with Him!”

¹⁷So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away;

¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother.

²⁰So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house.

²¹Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

²²Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

²³Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.”

²⁴Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”

²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies,

²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.”

²⁸When she had said this, she left and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

²⁹And when she heard this, she *got up quickly and came to Him.

³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha met Him.

³¹Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw that Mary had gotten up quickly and left, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

³²So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,

³⁴and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

³⁵Jesus wept.

³⁶So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”

³⁷But some of them said, “Could this man, who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?”

³⁸So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

³⁹Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

⁴⁰Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

⁴²But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of thepeople standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

⁴³And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

⁴⁴Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

⁴⁵Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

⁴⁷Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting, and they were saying, “What are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs?

⁴⁸If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation.”

⁴⁹But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,

⁵⁰nor are you taking into account that it is in your best interest that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish instead.”

⁵¹Now he did not say this on his own, but as he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation;

⁵²and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

⁵³So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

⁵⁴Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples.

⁵⁵Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country prior to the Passover, in order to purify themselves.

⁵⁶So they were looking for Jesus, and saying to one another as they stood in the temple area, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?”

⁵⁷Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might arrest Him.

¹“Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may do them in the land where you are going over to take possession of it,

²so that you, your son, and your grandson will fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

³Now Israel, you shall listen and be careful to do them, so that it may go well for you and that you may increase greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁴“Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

⁵And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

⁶These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

⁷And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.

⁸You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead.

⁹You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

¹⁰“Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land that He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build,

¹¹and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and carved cisterns which you did not carve out, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied,

¹²be careful that you do not forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

¹³You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

¹⁴You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,

¹⁵for the LORD your God who is in the midst of you is a jealous God; so follow Him, or else the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

¹⁶“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.

¹⁷You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His provisions and His statutes which He has commanded you.

¹⁸You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may go well for you and that you may go in and take possession of the good land which the LORD swore to give your fathers,

¹⁹by driving out all your enemies from you, as the LORD has spoken.

²⁰“When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What do the provisions and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you?’

²¹then you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

²²Moreover, the LORD provided great and terrible signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household;

²³He brought us out of there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.’

²⁴So the LORD commanded us to follow all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our own good always and for our survival, as it is today.

²⁵And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to follow all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us.

¹But I decided this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again.

²For if I cause you sorrow, who then will be the one making me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

³This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy was the joy of you all.

⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

⁵But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not for me, but in some degree—not to say too much—for all of you.

⁶Sufficient for such a person is this punishment which was imposed by the majority,

⁷so that on the other hand, you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

⁸Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

⁹For to this end I also wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.

¹⁰But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

¹¹so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

¹²Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord,

¹³I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but saying goodbye to them, I went on to Macedonia.

¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place.

¹⁵For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:

¹⁶to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

¹⁷For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

¹Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,

²to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration for all people.

³For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

⁴But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

⁵He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

⁶whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior,

⁷so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

⁸This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.

⁹But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are useless and worthless.

¹⁰Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning,

¹¹knowing that such a person has deviated from what is right and is sinning, being self-condemned.

¹²When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

¹³Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them.

¹⁴Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unproductive.

¹⁵All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

¹Then Elihu continued and said,

²“Wait for me a little, and I will show you That there is still more to be said on God’s behalf.

³I will bring my knowledge from afar, And ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵Behold, God is mighty but does not reject anyone; He is mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive, But gives justice to the afflicted.

⁷He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous, But with kings on the throne He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

⁸And if they are bound in shackles, And are caught in the snares of misery,

⁹Then He declares to them their work And their wrongdoings, that they have been arrogant.

¹⁰He opens their ears to instruction, And commands that they return from injustice.

¹¹If they listen and serve Him, They will end their days in prosperity, And their years in happiness.

¹²But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword, And die without knowledge.

¹³But the godless in heart nurture anger; They do not call for help when He binds them.

¹⁴They die in youth, And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes.

¹⁵He rescues the afflicted in their misery, And opens their ears in time of oppression.

¹⁶Then indeed, He induced you away from the mouth of distress, And instead of it, a broad place with no constraint; And your table was full of rich food.

¹⁷“But you were full of judgment on the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you.

¹⁸Beware that wrath does not entice you to mockery; And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

¹⁹Will your cry for help keep you from distress, Or all the exertions of your strength?

²⁰Do not long for the night, When people vanish in their places.

²¹Be careful, do not turn to evil, For you preferred this to misery.

²²Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a teacher like Him?

²³Who has appointed Him His way, And who has said, ‘You have done wrong’?

²⁴“Remember that you are to exalt His work, Of which people have sung.

²⁵All people have seen it; Mankind looks at it from afar.

²⁶Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.

²⁷For He draws up the drops of water; They distill rain from its celestial stream,

²⁸Which clouds pour down; They drip upon mankind abundantly.

²⁹Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, The thundering of His pavilion?

³⁰Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him, And He covers the depths of the sea.

³¹For by them He judges peoples; He gives food in abundance.

³²He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the target.

³³Its thundering voice declares His presence; The livestock also, concerning what is coming up.

¹God is our refuge and strength, A very ready help in trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth shakes And the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;

³Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make the city of God happy, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

⁵God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

⁶The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth quaked.

⁷The LORD of armies is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has inflicted horrific events on the earth.

⁹He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.

¹⁰“Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”

¹¹The LORD of armies is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

¹My son, pay attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding,

²So that you may maintain discretion And your lips may comply with knowledge.

³For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, And her speech is smoother than oil;

⁴But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death, Her steps take hold of Sheol.

⁶She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

⁷Now then, my sons, listen to me And do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

⁸Keep your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house,

⁹Otherwise you will give your vigor to others, And your years to the cruel one;

¹⁰And strangers will be filled with your strength, And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;

¹¹And you will groan in the end, When your flesh and your body are consumed;

¹²And you say, “How I hated instruction! And my heart disdainfully rejected rebuke!

¹³I did not listen to the voice of my teachers, Nor incline my ear to my instructors!

¹⁴I was almost in total ruin In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern, And fresh water from your own well.

¹⁶Should your springs overflow into the street, Streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷Let them be yours alone, And not for strangers with you.

¹⁸Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹Like a loving doe and a graceful mountain goat, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.

²⁰For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress, And embrace the breasts of a foreigner?

²¹For the ways of everyone are before the eyes of the LORD, And He observes all his paths.

²²His own wrongdoings will trap the wicked, And he will be held by the ropes of his sin.

²³He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray.

¹Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men and let me set out and pursue David tonight.

²And I will attack him while he is weary and exhausted and startle him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike and kill the king when he is alone,

³and I will bring all the people back to you. The return of everyone depends on the man whom you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace.”

⁴And the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

⁵Nevertheless, Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear what he has to say.”

⁶When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “Ahithophel has proposed this plan. Should we carry out his plan? If not, say so yourself.”

⁷So Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good.”

⁸Then Hushai said, “You yourself know your father and his men, that they are warriors and they are fierce, like a bear deprived of her cubs in the field. And your father is an expert in warfare, and he will not spend the night with the people.

⁹Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the ravines, or in another place; and it will be that when he falls on them at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!’

¹⁰And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely despair; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.

¹¹But I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, like the sand that is by the sea in abundance; and that you personally go into battle.

¹²Then we will come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him just as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left.

¹³And if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a pebble is found there.”

¹⁴Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had ordained to foil the good advice of Ahithophel, in order for the LORD to bring disaster on Absalom.

¹⁵Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do, and this is what I have advised.

¹⁶Now then, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the river crossing places of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.’ ”

¹⁷Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a female servant would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not allow themselves to be seen entering the city.

¹⁸But a boy did see them, and he told Absalom; so the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

¹⁹And the woman took a cover and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered barley meal on it, so that nothing was known.

²⁰Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and did not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹It came about after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and reported to King David; and they said to David, “Set out and cross over the water quickly, because this is what Ahithophel has advised against you.”

²²Then David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan; by dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.

²³Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; so he died and was buried in his father’s grave.

²⁴Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

²⁵Absalom put Amasa in command of the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who had relations with Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.

²⁶And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷Now when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,

²⁸brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds,

²⁹honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him, to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and exhausted and thirsty in the wilderness.”

¹The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

²“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book.

³For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall take possession of it.’ ”

⁴Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

⁵“For this is what the LORD says: ‘I have heard a sound of terror, Of fear, and there is no peace.

⁶Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his waist, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale?

⁷Woe, for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, Yet he will be saved from it.

⁸‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the LORD of armies, ‘that I will break his yoke from their necks and will tear to pieces their restraints; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves.

⁹But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰And do not fear, Jacob My servant,’ declares the LORD, ‘And do not be dismayed, Israel; For behold, I am going to save you from far away, And your descendants from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and be at peace, without anxiety, And no one will make him afraid.

¹¹For I am with you,’ declares the LORD, ‘to save you; For I will completely destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will discipline you fairly And will by no means leave you unpunished.’

¹²“For this is what the LORD says: ‘Your broken limb is irreparable, And your wound is incurable.

¹³There is no one to plead your cause; No healing for your sore, No recovery for you.

¹⁴All your lovers have forgotten you, They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the punishment of a cruel one, Because your wrongdoing is great, And your sins are numerous.

¹⁵Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your wrongdoing is great And your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you.

¹⁶Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; And those who plunder you will become plunder, And all who plunder you I will turn into plunder.

¹⁷For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.” ’

¹⁸“This is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob And have compassion on his dwellings; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruins, And the palace will stand on its rightful place.

¹⁹From them will come a song of thanksgiving And the voices of those who celebrate; And I will multiply them and they will not decrease; I will honor them and they will not be insignificant.

²⁰Their children also will be as before, And their congregation will be established before Me; And I will punish all their oppressors.

²¹Their leader shall be one of them, And their ruler will come out from their midst; And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the LORD.

²²‘You shall be My people, And I will be your God.’ ”

²³Behold, the tempest of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, A sweeping tempest; It will whirl upon the head of the wicked.

²⁴The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and accomplished The intent of His heart. In the latter days you will understand this.

¹Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort,

²a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and made many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.

³About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!”

⁴And he looked at him intently and became terrified, and said, “What is it, lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and charitable gifts have ascended as a memorial offering before God.

⁵Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter;

⁶he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.”

⁷When the angel who *spoke to him left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier from his personal attendants,

⁸and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.

¹⁰But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance;

¹¹and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,

¹²and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky.

¹³A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”

¹⁴But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.”

¹⁵Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”

¹⁶This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.

¹⁷Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate;

¹⁸and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

¹⁹While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

²⁰But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”

²¹Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”

²²They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.”

²³So he invited them in and gave them lodging. Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

²⁴On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter helped him up, saying, “Stand up; I, too, am just a man.”

²⁷As he talked with him, he entered and *found many people assembled.

²⁸And he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call any person unholy or unclean.

²⁹That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?”

³⁰Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining clothing,

³¹and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your charitable gifts have been remembered before God.

³²Therefore send some men to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’

³³So I sent men to you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear everything that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

³⁴Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,

³⁵but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

³⁶The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—

³⁷you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.

³⁸You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

³⁹We are witnesses of all the things that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.

⁴⁰God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He be revealed,

⁴¹not to all the people, but to witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

⁴²And He ordered us to preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴³All the prophets testify of Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.

⁴⁵All the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles.

⁴⁶For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter responded,

⁴⁷“Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

⁴⁸And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.