Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now in those days a decree went out from [the emperor] Caesar Augustus, that all the inhabited world (the Roman Empire) should be registered [in a census].

²This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

³And everyone went to register for the census, each to his own city.

⁴So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

⁵in order to register with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was with child.

⁶While they were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth,

⁷and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [ swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no [private] room for them in the inn.

⁸In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them, and they were terribly frightened.

¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.

¹¹For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah).

¹²And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find a Baby wrapped in [swaddling] cloths and lying in a manger."

¹³Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (angelic army) praising God and saying,

¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest [heaven], And on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased."

¹⁵When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

¹⁶So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger.

¹⁷And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child,

¹⁸and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them.

¹⁹But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.

²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

²¹At the end of eight days, when He was to be circumcised, He was named Jesus, the name given [to Him] by the angel [Gabriel] before He was conceived in the womb.

²²And when the time for their purification came [that is, the mother's purification and the baby's dedication] according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord [set apart as the Firstborn]

²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy [set apart and dedicated] to the Lord)"

²⁴and [they came also] to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord [to be appropriate for a family of modest means], "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout [carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

²⁷Prompted by the Spirit, he came into the temple [enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him the custom required by the Law,

²⁸Simeon took Him into his arms, and blessed and praised and thanked God, and said,

²⁹"Now, Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to leave [this world] in peace, According to Your word;

³⁰For my eyes have seen Your Salvation,

³¹Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

³²A Light for revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was previously unknown], And [to bring] the praise and honor and glory of Your people Israel."

³³And His [legal] father and His mother were amazed at what was said about Him.

³⁴Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Listen carefully: this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is to be opposed—

³⁵and a sword [of deep sorrow] will pierce through your own soul—so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

³⁶There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,

³⁷and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the [area of the] temple, but was serving and worshiping night and day with fastings and prayers.

³⁸She, too, came up at that very moment and began praising and giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all who were looking for the redemption and deliverance of Jerusalem.

³⁹And when they had done everything [in connection with Jesus' birth] according to the Law of the Lord, they went back to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

⁴⁰And the Child continued to grow and become strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor, spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.

⁴¹Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Passover Feast.

⁴²And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the Feast;

⁴³and as they were returning [to Nazareth], after spending the required number of days [at the Feast], the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this,

⁴⁴but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and traveled a day's journey; and [then] they began searching [anxiously] for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

⁴⁵When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for Him [everywhere].

⁴⁶Three days later they found Him in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷All who heard Him were amazed by His intelligence and His understanding and His answers.

⁴⁸When they saw Him, they were overwhelmed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us like this? Listen, Your father and I have been [greatly distressed and] anxiously looking for You."

⁴⁹And He answered, "Why did you have to look for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?"

⁵⁰But they did not understand what He had said to them.

⁵¹He went down to Nazareth with them, and was continually submissive and obedient to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

⁵²And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and men.

¹So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba [where both his father and grandfather had worshiped God], and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

²And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am."

³And He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you (your descendants) a great nation there.

⁴I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you (your people) up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes [to close them at the time of your death]."

⁵So Jacob set out from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

⁶And they took their livestock and the possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him.

⁷His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

⁸Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

⁹The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

¹⁰The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

¹¹The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¹²The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah—but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

¹³The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.

¹⁴The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

¹⁵These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all of his sons and daughters numbered thirty-three.

¹⁶The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

¹⁷The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

¹⁸These are the sons of Zilpah, [the maid] whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter [when she married Jacob]; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons [two sons and fourteen grandchildren].

¹⁹The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁰Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On (Heliopolis in Egypt), bore to him.

²¹And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

²²These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; [there were] fourteen persons in all [two sons and twelve grandchildren].

²³The son of Dan: Hushim.

²⁴The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

²⁵These are the sons of Bilhah, [the maid] whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter [when she married Jacob]. And she bore these to Jacob; [there were] seven persons in all [two sons and five grandchildren].

²⁶All the persons who came with Jacob into Egypt—who were his direct descendants, not counting the wives of [Jacob or] Jacob's sons, were sixty-six persons in all,

²⁷and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob [including Jacob, and Joseph and his sons], who came into Egypt, were seventy.

²⁸Now Jacob (Israel) sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to direct him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

²⁹Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen; as soon as he presented himself before him (authenticating his identity), he fell on his [father's] neck and wept on his neck a [very] long time.

³⁰And Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die [in peace], since I have seen your face [and know] that you are still alive."

³¹Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me;

³²and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.'

³³And it shall be that when Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?'

³⁴you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers [before us],' in order that you may live [separately and securely] in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is repulsive to the Egyptians."

¹Paul, an apostle (not commissioned and sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ—the Messiah—and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

²and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

³Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴who gave Himself [as a sacrifice to atone] for our sins [to save and sanctify us] so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father—

⁵to Him be [ascribed all] the glory through the ages of the ages. Amen.

⁶I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel;

⁷which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not].

⁸But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction!

⁹As we have said before, so I now say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from that which you received [from us], let him be condemned to destruction!

¹⁰Am I now trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

¹¹For I want you to know, believers, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel [it is not a human invention, patterned after any human concept].

¹²For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a [direct] revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³You have heard of my career and former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to hunt down and persecute the church of God extensively and [with fanatical zeal] tried [my best] to destroy it.

¹⁴And [you have heard how] I surpassed many of my contemporaries among my countrymen in [my advanced study of the laws of] Judaism, as I was extremely loyal to the traditions of my ancestors.

¹⁵But when God, who had chosen me and set me apart before I was born, and called me through His grace, was pleased

¹⁶to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles [as the good news—the way of salvation], I did not immediately consult with anyone [for guidance regarding God's call and His revelation to me].

¹⁷Nor did I [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia and stayed awhile, and afterward returned once more to Damascus.

¹⁸Then three years later I did go up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas (Peter), and I stayed with him fifteen days.

¹⁹But I did not see any other apostle except James, the [half] brother of the Lord.

²⁰(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you as if I were standing before God that I am not lying.)

²¹Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

²²And I was still unknown by sight to the churches which were in Christ in Judea (Jerusalem and the surrounding region);

²³they only kept hearing, "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the [good news of the] faith which he once was trying to destroy."

²⁴And they were glorifying God [as the Author and Source of what had taken place and all that had been accomplished] in me.

¹"To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Sardis write: "These are the words of Him who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: 'I know your deeds; you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but [in reality] you are dead.

²Wake up, and strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me], which is about to die; for I have not found [any of] your deeds completed in the sight of My God or meeting His requirements.

³So remember and take to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keep and obey them, and repent [change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin]. So then, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

⁴But you [still] have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes [that is, contaminated their character and personal integrity with sin]; and they will walk with Me [dressed] in white, because they are worthy (righteous).

⁵He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will accordingly be dressed in white clothing; and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess and openly acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels [saying that he is one of Mine].

⁶He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.'

⁷"And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Philadelphia write: "These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key [to the house] of David, He who opens and no one will [be able to] shut, and He who shuts and no one opens:

⁸'I know your deeds. See, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut, for you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not renounced or denied My name.

⁹Take note, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet and make them know [without any doubt] that I have loved you.

¹⁰Because you have kept the word of My endurance [My command to persevere], I will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial, that hour which is about to come on the whole [inhabited] world, to test those who live on the earth.

¹¹I am coming quickly. Hold tight what you have, so that no one will take your crown [by leading you to renounce the faith].

¹²He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God; he will most certainly never be put out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My [own] new name.

¹³He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.'

¹⁴"To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Laodicea write: "These are the words of the Amen, the trusted and faithful and true Witness, the Beginning and Origin of God's creation:

¹⁵'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot.

¹⁶So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust].

¹⁷Because you say, "I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need],

¹⁸I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.

¹⁹Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will].

²⁰Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.

²¹He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne.

²²He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

¹Then I looked again and considered all the acts of oppression that were being practiced under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.

²So I congratulated and thought more fortunate are those who are already dead than the living who are still living.

³But better off than either of them is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

⁴I have seen that every [effort in] labor and every skill in work comes from man's rivalry with his neighbor. This too is vanity (futility, false pride) and chasing after the wind.

⁵The fool folds his hands [together] and consumes his own flesh [destroying himself by idleness and apathy].

⁶One hand full of rest and patience is better than two fists full of labor and chasing after the wind.

⁷Then I looked again at vanity under the sun [in one of its peculiar forms].

⁸There was a certain man—without a dependent, having neither a child nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, "For whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?" This too is vanity (a wisp of smoke, self-conceit); yes, it is a painful effort and an unhappy task.

⁹Two are better than one because they have a more satisfying return for their labor;

¹⁰for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up.

¹¹Again, if two lie down together, then they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?

¹²And though one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

¹³A poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction and counsel (friendly reproof, warning)—

¹⁴for the poor youth has [used his wisdom and] come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

¹⁵I have seen all the living under the sun join with the second youth (the king's acknowledged successor) who replaces him.

¹⁶There is no end to all the people; to all who were before them. Yet those who come later will not be happy with him. Surely this also is vanity (emptiness) and chasing after the wind.

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to soprano voices. A Song. God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,

³Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.

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

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

⁶The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He raised His voice, the earth melted.

⁷The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

⁸Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations and wonders in the earth.

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

¹⁰"Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth."

¹¹The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

¹A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.

²The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable, But the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly.

³The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good [in all their endeavors].

⁴A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life, But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.

⁵A [flippant, arrogant] fool rejects his father's instruction and correction, But he who [is willing to learn and] regards and keeps in mind a reprimand acquires good sense.

⁶Great and priceless treasure is in the house of the [consistently] righteous one [who seeks godly instruction and grows in wisdom], But trouble is in the income of the wicked one [who rejects the laws of God].

⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight!

⁹The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character].

¹⁰There is severe discipline for him who turns from the way [of righteousness]; And he who hates correction will die.

¹¹Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the abyss, the place of eternal punishment) lie open before the LORD— How much more the hearts and inner motives of the children of men.

¹²A scoffer [unlike a wise man] resents one who rebukes him and tries to teach him; Nor will he go to the wise [for counsel and instruction].

¹³A heart full of joy and goodness makes a cheerful face, But when a heart is full of sadness the spirit is crushed.

¹⁴The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it, But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of the circumstances].

¹⁶Better is a little with the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Than great treasure and trouble with it.

¹⁷Better is a dinner of vegetables and herbs where love is present Than a fattened ox served with hatred.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger and patient calms disputes.

¹⁹The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], But the way [of life] of the upright is smooth and open like a highway.

²⁰A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Foolishness is joy to him who is without heart and lacks [intelligent, common] sense, But a man of understanding walks uprightly [making his course straight].

²²Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they are established and succeed.

²³A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer, And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!

²⁴The [chosen] path of life leads upward for the wise, That he may keep away from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) below.

²⁵The LORD will tear down the house of the proud and arrogant (self-righteous), But He will establish and protect the boundaries [of the land] of the [godly] widow.

²⁶Evil plans and thoughts of the wicked are exceedingly vile and offensive to the LORD, But pure words are pleasant words to Him.

²⁷He who profits unlawfully brings suffering to his own house, But he who hates bribes [and does not receive nor pay them] will live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous thinks carefully about how to answer [in a wise and appropriate and timely way], But the [babbling] mouth of the wicked pours out malevolent things.

²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked [and distances Himself from them], But He hears the prayer of the [consistently] righteous [that is, those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

³⁰The light of the eyes rejoices the hearts of others, And good news puts fat on the bones.

³¹The ear that listens to and learns from the life-giving rebuke (reprimand, censure) Will remain among the wise.

³²He who neglects and ignores instruction and discipline despises himself, But he who learns from rebuke acquires understanding [and grows in wisdom].

³³The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the instruction for wisdom [its starting point and its essence]; And before honor comes humility.

¹In the days when the judges governed [Israel], there was a famine in the land [of Canaan]. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live temporarily in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

²The man's name was Elimelech and his wife's name was Naomi and his two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went to the country of Moab and stayed there.

³Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left [a widow] with her two sons.

⁴They took wives from the Moabite women; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years;

⁵and then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so the woman [Naomi] was left without her two sons and her husband.

⁶Then she set out with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in Moab how the LORD had taken care of His people [of Judah] in giving them food.

⁷So she left the place where she was living, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the way back to the land of Judah.

⁸But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you return to your mother's house. May the LORD show kindness to you as you have shown kindness to the dead and to me.

⁹May the LORD grant that you find rest, each one in the home of her husband." Then she kissed them [goodbye], and they wept aloud.

¹⁰And they said to her, "No, we will go with you to your people [in Judah]."

¹¹But Naomi said, "Go back, my daughters, why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that may become your husbands?

¹²Go back, my daughters, go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, and if I actually had a husband tonight and even gave birth to sons,

¹³would you wait until they were grown? Would you go without marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more difficult for me than for you, because the Lord's hand has gone against me."

¹⁴Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [goodbye], but Ruth clung to her.

¹⁵Then Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; turn back and follow your sister-in-law."

¹⁶But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God.

¹⁷Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do the same to me [as He has done to you], and more also, if anything but death separates me from you."

¹⁸When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

¹⁹So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women asked, "Is this Naomi?"

²⁰She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi (sweetness); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness.

²¹I left full [with a husband and two sons], but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

²²So Naomi returned from the country of Moab, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

¹Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their idols are on the beasts [of burden] and on the cattle. Your burdens [of idols] are loaded [on them], Burdens on the weary animals.

²They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden [of their own idols], But have themselves gone into captivity.

³"Listen to Me," [says the LORD], "O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been carried by Me from your birth And have been carried [in My arms] from the womb,

⁴Even to your old age I am He, And even to your advanced old age I will carry you! I have made you, and I will carry you; Be assured I will carry you and I will save you.

⁵"To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we may be alike?

⁶"Those who lavish gold from the bag And weigh out silver on the scales Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it.

⁷"They lift it on their shoulders [in religious processions or into battle] and carry it; They set it in its place and there it remains standing. It cannot move from its place. Even if one cries to it [for help], the idol cannot answer; It cannot save him from his distress.

⁸"Remember this, and take courage; Take it to heart, you rebellious and disloyal people.

⁹"Remember [carefully] the former things [which I did] from ages past; For I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is no one like Me,

¹⁰Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, And from ancient times the things which have not [yet] been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will do all that pleases Me and fulfills My purpose,'

¹¹Calling a bird of prey from the east, From a far country, the man (Cyrus) of My purpose. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, be assured I will do it.

¹²"Listen to Me, you stiff-necked people, You who are far from righteousness (right standing with God).

¹³"I bring near My righteousness [in the salvation of Israel], it is not far away; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel.

¹After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

²There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla, because [the Roman Emperor] Claudius had issued an edict that all the Jews were to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

³and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them; and they worked together for they were tent-makers.

⁴And he reasoned and debated in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks;

⁵but when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia (northern Greece), Paul began devoting himself completely to [preaching] the word, and solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

⁶But since the Jews kept resisting and opposing him, and blaspheming [God], he shook out his robe and said to them, "Your blood (damnation) be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

⁷Then he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the synagogue.

⁸Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household [joyfully acknowledging Him as Messiah and Savior]; and many of the Corinthians who heard [Paul's message] were believing and being baptized.

⁹One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent;

¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will attack you in order to hurt you, because I have many people in this city."

¹¹So he settled there for a year and six months, teaching them the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

¹²But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia (southern Greece), the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

¹³declaring, "This man is persuading people to worship God in violation of the law [of Moses]."

¹⁴But when Paul was about to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of some misdemeanor or serious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to put up with you;

¹⁵but since it is merely a question [of doctrine within your religion] about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to judge these matters."

¹⁶And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

¹⁷Then the Greeks all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him right in front of the judgment seat; but Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

¹⁸Paul stayed for a while longer, and then told the brothers and sisters goodbye and sailed for Syria; and he was accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchrea [the southeastern port of Corinth] he had his hair cut, because he was keeping a [Nazirite] vow [of abstention].

¹⁹Then they arrived in Ephesus, and he left the others there; but he entered the synagogue and reasoned and debated with the Jews.

²⁰When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he refused;

²¹but after telling them goodbye and saying, "I will return again if God is willing," he set sail from Ephesus.

²²When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church [at Jerusalem], and then went down to Antioch.

²³After spending some time there, he left and traveled through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening and encouraging all the disciples.

²⁴Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent and cultured man, and well versed in the [Hebrew] Scriptures.

²⁵This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being spiritually impassioned, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John;

²⁶and he began to speak boldly and fearlessly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained more accurately to him the way of God [and the full story of the life of Christ].

²⁷And when Apollos wanted to go across to Achaia (southern Greece), the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples, [urging them] to welcome him gladly. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who, through grace, had believed and had followed Jesus as Lord and Savior,

²⁸for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public discussions, proving by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).