Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹As soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

²So Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.”

³And the chief priests accused him of many things.

⁴Pilate questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!”

⁵But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed.

⁶At the festival Pilate used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested.

⁷There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion.

⁸The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom.

⁹Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?”

¹⁰For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.

¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead.

¹²Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?”

¹³Again they shouted, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

¹⁶The soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence ) and called the whole company together.

¹⁷They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on him.

¹⁸And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

¹⁹They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying him homage.

²⁰After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him. They led him out to crucify him.

²¹They forced a man coming in from the country, who was passing by, to carry Jesus’s cross. He was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull ).

²³They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

²⁴Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get.

²⁵Now it was nine in the morning when they crucified him.

²⁶The inscription of the charge written against him was: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

²⁷They crucified two criminals with him, one on his right and one on his left.

²⁸

²⁹Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

³⁰save yourself by coming down from the cross!”

³¹In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!

³²Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

³³When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

³⁴And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

³⁵When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “See, he’s calling for Elijah.”

³⁶Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a stick, offered him a drink, and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed his last.

³⁸Then the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

³⁹When the centurion, who was standing opposite him, saw the way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

⁴⁰There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

⁴¹In Galilee these women followed him and took care of him. Many other women had come up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴²When it was already evening, because it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body.

⁴⁴Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had already died.

⁴⁵When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph.

⁴⁶After he bought some linen cloth, Joseph took him down and wrapped him in the linen. Then he laid him in a tomb cut out of the rock and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.

⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where he was laid.

¹Now the famine in the land was severe.

²When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

³But Judah said to him, “The man specifically warned us: ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’

⁴If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

⁵But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’”

⁶“Why have you caused me so much trouble?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?”

⁷They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

⁸Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die — neither we, nor you, nor our dependents.

⁹I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

¹⁰If we had not delayed, we could have come back twice by now.”

¹¹Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift — a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds.

¹²Take twice as much silver with you. Return the silver that was returned to you in the top of your bags. Perhaps it was a mistake.

¹³Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man.

¹⁴May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

¹⁵The men took this gift, double the amount of silver, and Benjamin. They immediately went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

¹⁶When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, “Take the men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they will eat with me at noon.”

¹⁷The man did as Joseph had said and brought them to Joseph’s house.

¹⁸But the men were afraid because they were taken to Joseph’s house. They said, “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

¹⁹So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.

²⁰They said, “My lord, we really did come down here the first time only to buy food.

²¹When we came to the place where we lodged for the night and opened our bags of grain, each one’s silver was at the top of his bag! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

²²We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in the bags.”

²³Then the steward said, “May you be well. Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

²⁴The steward brought the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and got feed for their donkeys.

²⁵Since the men had heard that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

²⁶When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift they had carried into the house, and they bowed to the ground before him.

²⁷He asked if they were well, and he said, “How is your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive?”

²⁸They answered, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” And they knelt low and paid homage to him.

²⁹When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

³⁰Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room and wept there.

³¹Then he washed his face and came out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”

³²They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is detestable to them.

³³They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

³⁴Portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, and Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of theirs. They drank and became drunk with Joseph.

¹I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me!

²For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband — to present a pure virgin to Christ.

³But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

⁴For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

⁵Now I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”

⁶Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything.

⁷Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

⁸I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to minister to you.

⁹When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, since the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.

¹⁰As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

¹¹Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows I do!

¹²But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.

¹³For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

¹⁴And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

¹⁵So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

¹⁶I repeat: Let no one consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool so that I can also boast a little.

¹⁷What I am saying in this matter of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but as it were, foolishly.

¹⁸Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.

¹⁹For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!

²⁰In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps you in the face.

²¹I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that! But in whatever anyone dares to boast — I am talking foolishly — I also dare:

²²Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I.

²³Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman — I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, many times near death.

²⁴Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews.

²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.

²⁶On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers;

²⁷toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.

²⁸Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches.

²⁹Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

³⁰If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses.

³¹The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.

³²In Damascus, a ruler under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me.

³³So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.

¹Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.

²May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

³Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all.

⁴For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.

⁵Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;

⁶and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.

⁷Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

⁸In the same way these people — relying on their dreams — defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones.

⁹Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

¹⁰But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct — like irrational animals — by these things they are destroyed.

¹¹Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have plunged into Balaam’s error for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

¹²These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn — fruitless, twice dead and uprooted.

¹³They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.

¹⁴It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones

¹⁵to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.”

¹⁶These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.

¹⁷But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁸They told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.”

¹⁹These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.

²⁰But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

²¹keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.

²²Have mercy on those who waver;

²³save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

²⁴Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy,

²⁵to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

¹The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.

²“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

³What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?

⁴A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

⁵The sun rises and the sun sets; panting, it returns to the place where it rises.

⁶Gusting to the south, turning to the north, turning, turning, goes the wind, and the wind returns in its cycles.

⁷All the streams flow to the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.

⁸All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing.

⁹What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰Can one say about anything, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.

¹¹There is no remembrance of those who came before; and of those who will come after there will also be no remembrance by those who follow them.

¹²I, the Teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied.

¹⁴I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶I said to myself, “See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind.

¹⁸For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.

¹Vindicate me, God, and champion my cause against an unfaithful nation; rescue me from the deceitful and unjust person.

²For you are the God of my refuge. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?

³Send your light and your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling place.

⁴Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise you with the lyre, God, my God.

⁵Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.

¹Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.

²One who is good obtains favor from the LORD, but he condemns a person who schemes.

³No one can be made secure by wickedness, but the root of the righteous is immovable.

⁴A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a wife who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

⁵The thoughts of the righteous are just, but guidance from the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the house of the righteous will stand.

⁸A man is praised for his insight, but a twisted mind is despised.

⁹Better to be disregarded, yet have a servant, than to act important but have no food.

¹⁰The righteous cares about his animal’s health, but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.

¹²The wicked desire what evil people have caught, but the root of the righteous is productive.

¹³By rebellious speech an evil person is trapped, but a righteous person escapes from trouble.

¹⁴A person will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the work of a person’s hands will reward him.

¹⁵A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.

¹⁶A fool’s displeasure is known at once, but whoever ignores an insult is sensible.

¹⁷Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit.

¹⁸There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.

²¹No disaster overcomes the righteous, but the wicked are full of misery.

²²Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but faithful people are his delight.

²³A shrewd person conceals knowledge, but a foolish heart publicizes stupidity.

²⁴The diligent hand will rule, but laziness will lead to forced labor.

²⁵Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up.

²⁶A righteous person is careful in dealing with his neighbor, but the ways of the wicked lead them astray.

²⁷A lazy hunter doesn’t roast his game, but to a diligent person, his wealth is precious.

²⁸There is life in the path of righteousness, and in its path there is no death.

¹In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine.

²But she was unfaithful to him and left him for her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there for four months.

³Then her husband got up and followed her to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him to her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he gladly welcomed him.

⁴His father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him, and he stayed with him for three days. They ate, drank, and spent the nights there.

⁵On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to go, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have something to eat to keep up your strength and then you can go.”

⁶So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and enjoy yourself.”

⁷The man got up to go, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed and spent the night there again.

⁸He got up early in the morning of the fifth day to leave, but the girl’s father said to him, “Please keep up your strength.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate.

⁹The man got up to go with his concubine and his servant, when his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, night is coming. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, enjoy yourself, then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey and go home.”

¹⁰But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up, departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem ). The man had his two saddled donkeys and his concubine with him.

¹¹When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his master, “Please, why not let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here?”

¹²But his master replied to him, “We will not stop at a foreign city where there are no Israelites. Let’s move on to Gibeah.”

¹³“Come on,” he said, “let’s try to reach one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”

¹⁴So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.

¹⁵They stopped to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one took them into their home to spend the night.

¹⁶In the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was residing in Gibeah where the people were Benjaminites.

¹⁷When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”

¹⁸He answered him, “We’re traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I’m going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his home,

¹⁹although there’s straw and feed for the donkeys, and I have bread and wine for me, my concubine, and the servant with us. There is nothing we lack.”

²⁰“Welcome!” said the old man. “I’ll take care of everything you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.”

²¹So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank.

²²While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, wicked men of the city surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!”

²³The owner of the house went out and said to them, “Please don’t do this evil, my brothers. After all, this man has come into my house. Don’t commit this horrible outrage.

²⁴Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine now. Abuse them and do whatever you want to them. But don’t commit this outrageous thing against this man.”

²⁵But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go.

²⁶Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was.

²⁷When her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to leave on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, collapsed near the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold.

²⁸“Get up,” he told her. “Let’s go.” But there was no response. So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

²⁹When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel.

³⁰Everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or has been seen since the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until now. Think it over, discuss it, and speak up!”

¹Now this is what the LORD says — the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel  — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.

²I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.

³For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior. I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, Cush and Seba in your place.

⁴Because you are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you, I will give people in exchange for you and nations instead of your life.

⁵Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west.

⁶I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’ Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth  —

⁷everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

⁸Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes, and are deaf, yet have ears.

⁹All the nations are gathered together, and the peoples are assembled. Who among them can declare this, and tell us the former things? Let them present their witnesses to vindicate themselves, so that people may hear and say, “It is true.”

¹⁰“You are my witnesses”  — this is the LORD’s declaration — “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me.

¹¹I — I am the LORD. Besides me, there is no Savior.

¹²I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed — and not some foreign god among you. So you are my witnesses” — this is the LORD’s declaration — “and I am God.

¹³Also, from today on I am he alone, and none can rescue from my power. I act, and who can reverse it?”

¹⁴This is what the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: Because of you, I will send an army to Babylon and bring all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans in the ships in which they rejoice.

¹⁵I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.

¹⁶This is what the LORD says — who makes a way in the sea, and a path through raging water,

¹⁷who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty one together (they lie down, they do not rise again; they are extinguished, put out like a wick ) —

¹⁸“Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old.

¹⁹Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

²⁰Wild animals — jackals and ostriches — will honor me, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people.

²¹The people I formed for myself will declare my praise.

²²“But, Jacob, you have not called on me, because, Israel, you have become weary of me.

²³You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings or wearied you with incense.

²⁴You have not bought me aromatic cane with silver, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.

²⁵“I — I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.

²⁶Remind me. Let’s argue the case together. Recount the facts, so that you may be vindicated.

²⁷Your first father sinned, and your mediators have rebelled against me.

²⁸So I defiled the officers of the sanctuary, and set Jacob apart for destruction and Israel for scorn.

¹Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

²After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.

³When they had been sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.

⁴When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

⁵But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter.

⁷After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers and sisters, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe.

⁸And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.

⁹He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?

¹¹On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”

¹²The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

¹³After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers and sisters, listen to me.

¹⁴Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.

¹⁵And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

¹⁶After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again,

¹⁷so the rest of humanity may seek the Lord — even all the Gentiles who are called by my name — declares the Lord who makes these things

¹⁸known from long ago.

¹⁹Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God,

²⁰but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood.

²¹For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”

²²Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.

²³They wrote: “From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

²⁴Since we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,

²⁵we have unanimously decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.

²⁸For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision — and ours — not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:

²⁹that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things. Farewell.”

³⁰So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter.

³¹When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

³²Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message.

³³After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them.

³⁴

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.

³⁶After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.”

³⁷Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark.

³⁸But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

³⁹They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.

⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord.

⁴¹He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.