Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.

²When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?

³Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

⁴Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

⁵He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

⁶He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

⁷Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

⁸These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.

⁹Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.

¹⁰Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.

¹¹And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

¹²They went out and preached that people should repent.

¹³They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

¹⁴King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

¹⁷For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.

¹⁸For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

¹⁹So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,

²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

²¹Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

²²When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

²³And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

²⁴She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

²⁵At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.

²⁷So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,

²⁸and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.

²⁹On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

³⁰The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

³¹Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

³²So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

³³But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

³⁴When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late.

³⁶Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

³⁷But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

³⁸“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

³⁹Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

⁴¹Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

⁴²They all ate and were satisfied,

⁴³and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

⁴⁴The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

⁴⁵Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.

⁴⁶After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

⁴⁷Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.

⁴⁸He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,

⁴⁹but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,

⁵⁰because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

⁵¹Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,

⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.

⁵⁴As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.

⁵⁵They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

⁵⁶And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

¹Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.

²When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.

³His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

⁴And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”

⁵When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

⁶Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.

⁷Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

⁸But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

⁹Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.

¹⁰You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”

¹¹Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask.

¹²Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

¹³Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.

¹⁴They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us.

¹⁵We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.

¹⁶Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.

¹⁷But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

¹⁸Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

¹⁹The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

²⁰So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city.

²¹“These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.

²²But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are.

²³Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”

²⁴All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

²⁵Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.

²⁶They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.

²⁷The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled.

²⁸They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.

²⁹They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.

³⁰Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

³¹But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

¹So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.

²For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved?

³I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.

⁴For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

⁵If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely.

⁶The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient.

⁷Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

⁸I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.

⁹Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.

¹⁰Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,

¹¹in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

¹²Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,

¹³I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

¹⁵For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

¹⁶To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?

¹⁷Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

¹But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

²Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

³In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

⁴For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

⁵if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

⁶if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

⁷and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless

⁸(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

⁹if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

¹⁰This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;

¹¹yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord.

¹²But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.

¹³They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

¹⁴With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!

¹⁵They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.

¹⁶But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

¹⁷These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.

¹⁸For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.

¹⁹They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

²⁰If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

²¹It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

²²Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

¹Then Elihu said:

²“Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you men of learning.

³For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.

⁴Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.

⁵“Job says, ‘I am innocent, but God denies me justice.

⁶Although I am right, I am considered a liar; although I am guiltless, his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’

⁷Is there anyone like Job, who drinks scorn like water?

⁸He keeps company with evildoers; he associates with the wicked.

⁹For he says, ‘There is no profit in trying to please God.’

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

¹¹He repays everyone for what they have done; he brings on them what their conduct deserves.

¹²It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.

¹³Who appointed him over the earth? Who put him in charge of the whole world?

¹⁴If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath,

¹⁵all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.

¹⁶“If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.

¹⁷Can someone who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One?

¹⁸Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’

¹⁹who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?

²⁰They die in an instant, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

²¹“His eyes are on the ways of mortals; he sees their every step.

²²There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness, where evildoers can hide.

²³God has no need to examine people further, that they should come before him for judgment.

²⁴Without inquiry he shatters the mighty and sets up others in their place.

²⁵Because he takes note of their deeds, he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.

²⁶He punishes them for their wickedness where everyone can see them,

²⁷because they turned from following him and had no regard for any of his ways.

²⁸They caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he heard the cry of the needy.

²⁹But if he remains silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him? Yet he is over individual and nation alike,

³⁰to keep the godless from ruling, from laying snares for the people.

³¹“Suppose someone says to God, ‘I am guilty but will offend no more.

³²Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’

³³Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I; so tell me what you know.

³⁴“Men of understanding declare, wise men who hear me say to me,

³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’

³⁶Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost for answering like a wicked man!

³⁷To his sin he adds rebellion; scornfully he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”

¹Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left. I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

²I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

⁴I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

⁸Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

⁹Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹²Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

¹³keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.

¹⁴Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

¹⁶but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

²⁰he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

²¹Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

²²The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

²for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

³Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

⁸This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

¹⁰then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,

¹²because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

¹³Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,

¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare 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; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

¹⁹By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;

²⁰by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion;

²²they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

²³Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.

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

²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

²⁶for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

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

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you.

²⁹Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.

³⁰Do not accuse anyone for no reason— when they have done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.

³²For the LORD detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.

³³The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

³⁵The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

¹After the time of Abimelek, a man of Issachar named Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.

²He led Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.

³He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years.

⁴He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.

⁵When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

⁶Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him,

⁷he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites,

⁸who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.

⁹The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim; Israel was in great distress.

¹⁰Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”

¹¹The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,

¹²the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands?

¹³But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.

¹⁴Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!”

¹⁵But the Israelites said to the LORD, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.”

¹⁶Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.

¹⁷When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

¹⁸The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever will take the lead in attacking the Ammonites will be head over all who live in Gilead.”

¹Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!

²The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is on all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter.

³Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will stink; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.

⁴All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

⁵My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed.

⁶The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat— the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

⁷And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat.

⁸For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause.

⁹Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch!

¹⁰It will not be quenched night or day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again.

¹¹The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation.

¹²Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away.

¹³Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls.

¹⁴Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also lie down and find for themselves places of rest.

¹⁵The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.

¹⁶Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together.

¹⁷He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation.

¹In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

²So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

³Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them

⁴and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

⁵This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

⁶They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

⁷So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

⁸Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

⁹Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.

¹⁰But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

¹¹Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

¹²So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

¹³They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.

¹⁴For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

¹⁵All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.