Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

Mark 8; Genesis 36; 2 Corinthians 4; 1 John 1; Job 36; Psalms 36; Proverbs 5; Judges 12; Isaiah 36; Acts 8

Mark 8

1In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them,

2“I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.

3If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way — and some of them have come from a great distance.”

4His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?”

5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”

6Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd.

7They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed.

8They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

9Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.

10And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

11The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him.

12And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

13And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

14Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out — beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”

16They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.”

17And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?

18Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember?

19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.”

20“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.”

21Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

22They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.

23He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?”

24And the man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.”

25Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

26Then he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”

27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

28And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”

30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

34He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.

36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?

37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?

38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Genesis 36

1These are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom).

2Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah son of Zibeon the Hivite,

3and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth.

4Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; Basemath bore Reuel;

5and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

6Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle, all his livestock, and all the property he had acquired in the land of Canaan; and he moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob.

7For their possessions were too great for them to live together; the land where they were staying could not support them because of their livestock.

8So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.

9These are the descendants of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir.

10These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Adah the wife of Esau; Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.

11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

12(Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.

13These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife, Basemath.

14These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah son of Zibeon: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

15These are the clans of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the clans Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,

16Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the clans of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Adah.

17These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: the clans Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the clans of Reuel in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath.

18These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: the clans Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the clans born of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

19These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their clans.

20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,

21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom.

22The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.

23These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

24These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the springs in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon.

25These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.

26These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

27These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

28These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

29These are the clans of the Horites: the clans Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,

30Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans of the Horites, clan by clan in the land of Seir.

31These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites.

32Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah.

33Bela died, and Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah succeeded him as king.

34Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king.

35Husham died, and Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Avith.

36Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah succeeded him as king.

37Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates succeeded him as king.

38Shaul died, and Baal-hanan son of Achbor succeeded him as king.

39Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, and Hadar succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Pau; his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab.

40These are the names of the clans of Esau, according to their families and their localities by their names: the clans Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,

41Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,

42Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,

43Magdiel, and Iram; these are the clans of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their settlements in the land that they held.

2 Corinthians 4

1Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.

2We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

6For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;

9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

11For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.

12So death is at work in us, but life in you.

13But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture — “I believed, and so I spoke” — we also believe, and so we speak,

14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.

15Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

16So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

17For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,

18because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

1 John 1

1We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life —

2this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us —

3we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.

6If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;

7but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Job 36

1Elihu continued and said:

2“Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God’s behalf.

3I will bring my knowledge from far away, and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

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

5“Surely God is mighty and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding.

6He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right.

7He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne he sets them forever, and they are exalted.

8And if they are bound in fetters and caught in the cords of affliction,

9then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.

10He opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.

11If they listen, and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness.

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

13“The godless in heart cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he binds them.

14They die in their youth, and their life ends in shame.

15He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear by adversity.

16He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no constraint, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.

17“But you are obsessed with the case of the wicked; judgment and justice seize you.

18Beware that wrath does not entice you into scoffing, and do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

19Will your cry avail to keep you from distress, or will all the force of your strength?

20Do not long for the night, when peoples are cut off in their place.

21Beware! Do not turn to iniquity; because of that you have been tried by affliction.

22See, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?

23Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’?

24“Remember to extol his work, of which mortals have sung.

25All people have looked on it; everyone watches it from far away.

26Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable.

27For he draws up the drops of water; he distills his mist in rain,

28which the skies pour down and drop upon mortals abundantly.

29Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion?

30See, he scatters his lightning around him and covers the roots of the sea.

31For by these he governs peoples; he gives food in abundance.

32He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.

33Its crashing tells about him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity.

Psalms 36

1Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; there is no fear of God before their eyes.

2For they flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

3The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good.

4They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil.

5Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.

7How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

10O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!

11Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me, or the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12There the evildoers lie prostrate; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Proverbs 5

1My child, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,

2so that you may hold on to prudence, and your lips may guard knowledge.

3For the lips of a loose woman 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 follow the path to Sheol.

6She does not keep straight to the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it.

7And now, my child, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

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

9or you will give your honor to others, and your years to the merciless,

10and strangers will take their fill of your wealth, and your labors will go to the house of an alien;

11and at the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,

12and you say, “Oh, how I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!

13I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

14Now I am at the point of utter ruin in the public assembly.”

15Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.

16Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?

17Let them be for yourself alone, and not for sharing with strangers.

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

19a lovely deer, a graceful doe. May her breasts satisfy you at all times; may you be intoxicated always by her love.

20Why should you be intoxicated, my son, by another woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

21For human ways are under the eyes of the LORD, and he examines all their paths.

22The iniquities of the wicked ensnare them, and they are caught in the toils of their sin.

23They die for lack of discipline, and because of their great folly they are lost.

Judges 12

1The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!”

2Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were engaged in conflict with the Ammonites who oppressed us severely. But when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand.

3When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hand, and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?”

4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives from Ephraim, you Gileadites — in the heart of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

5Then the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever one of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,”

6they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell at that time.

7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in his town in Gilead.

8After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

9He had thirty sons. He gave his thirty daughters in marriage outside his clan and brought in thirty young women from outside for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.

10Then Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

11After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

12Then Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys; he judged Israel eight years.

15Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

Isaiah 36

1In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

2The king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. He stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller’s Field.

3And there came out to him Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder.

4The Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you base this confidence of yours?

5Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? On whom do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me?

6See, you are relying on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.

7But if you say to me, ‘We rely on the LORD our God,’ is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?

8Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

9How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

10Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.”

11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

12But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the people sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

13Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!

14Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you.

15Do not let Hezekiah make you rely on the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

16Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me; then every one of you will eat from your own vine and your own fig tree and drink water from your own cistern,

17until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

18Do not let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, The LORD will save us. Has any of the gods of the nations saved their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20Who among all the gods of these countries have saved their countries out of my hand, that the LORD should save Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

21But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”

22Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Acts 8

1And Saul approved of their killing him. Saul Persecutes the Church That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

2Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.

3But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

4Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word.

5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.

6The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did,

7for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured.

8So there was great joy in that city.

9Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great.

10All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”

11And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

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

13Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.

14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit

16(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).

17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received 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 me also this power so that anyone 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 obtain God’s gift with money!

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

22Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

23For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.”

24Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”

25Now after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.

26Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.)

27So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship

28and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

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

30So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.

32Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.

33In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”

35Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.

36As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”

37

38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

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

40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.