Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹After He had finished all that He had to say in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

²Now a [Roman] centurion's slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and on the verge of death.

³When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.

⁴When they reached Jesus, they pleaded with Him earnestly [to come], saying, "He is worthy for You to do this for him,

⁵because he loves our nation and he built us our synagogue [at his own expense]."

⁶And Jesus went with them. But when He was near the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.

⁷Therefore I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You. But just speak a word, and my slave will be healed.

⁸For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

⁹Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith [as this man's]."

¹⁰When the messengers who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

¹¹Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain [near Nazareth], and His disciples and a large crowd accompanied Him.

¹²Now as He approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her [in the funeral procession].

¹³When the Lord saw her, He felt [great] compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."

¹⁴And He came up and touched the bier [on which the body rested], and the pallbearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!"

¹⁵The man who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶Fear and profound awe gripped them all, and they began glorifying and honoring and praising God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people [to help and care for and provide for them]!"

¹⁷This news about Him spread through all of Judea and in all the surrounding countryside.

¹⁸John's disciples brought word to him [in prison] of all these things.

¹⁹John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else?"

²⁰So the men came to Jesus and said, "John the Baptist sent us to You to ask, 'Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else?'"

²¹At that very hour Jesus healed many people of sicknesses and infirmities and evil spirits; and He gave [the gracious gift of] sight to many who were blind.

²²So He replied to them, "Go and tell John about everything you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news (gospel) preached to them.

²³Blessed [joyful, spiritually favored] is he who does not take offense at Me."

²⁴When John's messengers left, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: "What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

²⁵But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh wilderness]? Those who wear splendid clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces!

²⁶But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one far more [eminent and remarkable] than a prophet [who foretells the future].

²⁷This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi], 'Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.'

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater [in privilege] than he."

²⁹All the people and the tax collectors who heard Jesus, acknowledged [the validity of] God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

³⁰But the Pharisees and the lawyers [who were experts in the Mosaic Law] annulled and set aside God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.

³¹"To what then shall I compare the people of this generation [who set aside God's plan], and what are they like?

³²They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to one another, and saying, 'We played the flute for you [pretending to be at a wedding], and you did not dance; we sang a dirge [pretending to be at a funeral], and you did not weep [so nothing we did appealed to you].'

³³For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'

³⁴The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a man who is a glutton and a [heavy] wine-drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews].'

³⁵Yet wisdom is vindicated and shown to be right by all her children [by the lifestyle, moral character, and good deeds of her followers]."

³⁶One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and He went into the Pharisee's house [in the region of Galilee] and reclined at the table.

³⁷Now there was a woman in the city who was [known as] a sinner; and when she found out that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume;

³⁸and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began wetting His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and [respectfully] kissed His feet [as an act signifying both affection and submission] and anointed them with the perfume.

³⁹Now when [Simon] the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this Man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, that she is a [notorious] sinner [an outcast, devoted to sin]."

⁴⁰Jesus, answering, said to the Pharisee, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Teacher, say it."

⁴¹"A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

⁴²When they had no means of repaying [the debts], he freely forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?"

⁴³Simon answered, "The one, I take it, for whom he forgave more." Jesus said to him, "You have decided correctly."

⁴⁴Then turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house [but you failed to extend to Me the usual courtesies shown to a guest]; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair [demonstrating her love].

⁴⁵You gave Me no [welcoming] kiss, but from the moment I came in, she has not ceased to kiss My feet.

⁴⁶You did not [even] anoint My head with [ordinary] oil, but she has anointed My feet with [costly and rare] perfume.

⁴⁷Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."

⁴⁸Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

⁴⁹Those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith [in Me] has saved you; go in peace [free from the distress experienced because of sin]."

¹Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his household:

²Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

³Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

⁴Dan and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

⁵All the descendants of Jacob were seventy people; Joseph was [already] in Egypt.

⁶Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation,

⁷but the Israelites were prolific and increased greatly; they multiplied and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.

⁸Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph [nor the history of his accomplishments].

⁹He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us [they greatly outnumber us].

¹⁰Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they will not multiply and in the event of war, join our enemies, and fight against us and escape from the land."

¹¹So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. And the sons of Israel built Pithom and Raamses as storage cities for Pharaoh.

¹²But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and expanded, so that the Egyptians dreaded and were exasperated by the Israelites.

¹³And the Egyptians made the Israelites serve rigorously [forcing them into severe slavery].

¹⁴They made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar, brick, and all kinds of field work. All their labor was harsh and severe.

¹⁵Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah (beauty) and the other named Puah (splendor),

¹⁶"When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live."

¹⁷But the midwives feared God [with profound reverence] and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded, but they let the boy babies live.

¹⁸So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and allowed the boy babies to live?"

¹⁹The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth quickly and their babies are born before the midwife can get to them."

²⁰So God was good to the midwives, and the people [of Israel] multiplied and became very strong.

²¹And because the midwives feared God [with profound reverence], He established families and households for them.

²²Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born [to the Hebrews] must be thrown into the Nile, but every daughter you shall keep alive."

¹Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

²Carry one another's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love].

³For if anyone thinks he is something [special] when [in fact] he is nothing [special except in his own eyes], he deceives himself.

⁴But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work [examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another.

⁵For every person will have to bear [with patience] his own burden [of faults and shortcomings for which he alone is responsible].

⁶The one who is taught the word [of God] is to share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his spiritual and material support].

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.

⁸For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

⁹Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.

¹⁰So then, while we [as individual believers] have the opportunity, let us do good to all people [not only being helpful, but also doing that which promotes their spiritual well-being], and especially [be a blessing] to those of the household of faith (born-again believers).

¹¹See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.

¹²Those who want to make a good impression in public [before the Jews] try to compel you to be circumcised, just so they will escape being persecuted for [faithfulness to] the cross of Christ.

¹³For even the circumcised [Jews] themselves do not [really] keep the Law, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh [that is, in the fact that they convinced you to be circumcised].

¹⁴But far be it from me to boast [in anything or anyone], except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

¹⁵For neither is circumcision anything [of any importance], nor uncircumcision, but [only] a new creation [which is the result of a new birth—a spiritual transformation—a new nature in Christ Jesus].

¹⁶Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [who discipline themselves and conduct their lives by this principle], and upon the [true] Israel of God (Jewish believers).

¹⁷From now on let no one trouble me [by making it necessary for me to justify my authority as an apostle, and the absolute truth of the gospel], for I bear on my body the branding-marks of Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions—these testify to His ownership of me].

¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers and sisters. Amen.

¹When He (the Lamb) broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour [in awe of God's impending judgment].

²Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

³Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (God's people) on the golden altar in front of the throne.

⁴And the smoke and fragrant aroma of the incense, with the prayers of the saints (God's people), ascended before God from the angel's hand.

⁵So the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and loud rumblings and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

⁶Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them [initiating the judgments].

⁷The first [angel] sounded [his trumpet], and there was [a storm of] hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸The second angel sounded [his trumpet], and something like a great mountain blazing with fire was hurled into the sea; and a third of the sea was turned to blood;

⁹and a third of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰The third angel sounded [his trumpet], and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch [flashing across the sky], and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of [fresh] waters.

¹¹The name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters, because they had become bitter (toxic).

¹²Then the fourth angel sounded [his trumpet], and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and a third of the daylight would not shine, and the night in the same way [would not shine].

¹³Then I looked, and I heard a solitary eagle flying in midheaven [for all to see], saying with a loud voice, " Woe, woe, woe [great wrath is coming] to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpets which the three angels are about to sound [announcing ever greater judgments]!"

¹For I have taken all this to heart, exploring and examining it all, how the righteous (those in right standing with God) and the wise and their deeds are in the hands of God. No man knows whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him.

²It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers sacrifices and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as he who swears an oath is, so is he who is afraid to swear an oath.

³This evil is in all that is done under the sun, that one fate comes to all. Also, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and afterwards they go to the dead.

⁴[There is no exemption,] but whoever is joined with all the living, has hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.

⁵For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they no longer have a reward [here], for the memory of them is forgotten.

⁶Indeed their love, their hatred and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share [in this age] in anything that is done under the sun.

⁷Go your way, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God]; for God has already approved and accepted your works.

⁸Let your clothes always be white [with purity], and do not let the oil [of gladness] be lacking on your head.

⁹Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given you under the sun—all the days of vanity and futility. For this is your reward in life and in your work in which you have labored under the sun.

¹⁰Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) where you are going.

¹¹I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong, and neither is bread to the wise nor riches to those of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of ability; but time and chance overtake them all.

¹²For man also does not know his time [of death]; like fish caught in a treacherous net, and birds caught in the snare, so the sons of men are ensnared in an evil time when a dark cloud suddenly falls on them.

¹³This [illustration of] wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and great it was to me:

¹⁴There was a little city with few men in it and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great battlements against it.

¹⁵But there was found in it a poor wise man, and by his wisdom he rescued the city. Yet no man [seriously] remembered that poor man.

¹⁶But I say that wisdom is better than strength, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heeded.

¹⁷The words of wise men heard in quietness are better than the shouting of one who rules among fools.

¹⁸Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

¹To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt And cleanse me from my sin.

³For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; My sin is always before me.

⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned And done that which is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence] And faultless in Your judgment.

⁵I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness; In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].

⁶Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

⁹Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted and return to You.

¹⁴Rescue me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousness and Your justice.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

¹⁶For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.

¹⁷My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

¹⁸By Your favor do good to Zion; May You rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

¹Wine is a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

²The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

³It is an honor for a man to keep away from strife [by handling situations with thoughtful foresight], But any fool will [start a] quarrel [without regard for the consequences].

⁴The lazy man does not plow when the winter [planting] season arrives; So he begs at the [next] harvest and has nothing [to reap].

⁵A plan (motive, wise counsel) in the heart of a man is like water in a deep well, But a man of understanding draws it out.

⁶Many a man proclaims his own loyalty and goodness, But who can find a faithful and trustworthy man?

⁷The righteous man who walks in integrity and lives life in accord with his [godly] beliefs— How blessed [happy and spiritually secure] are his children after him [who have his example to follow].

⁸A [discerning] king who sits on the throne of judgment Sifts all evil [like chaff] with his eyes [and cannot be easily fooled].

⁹Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?"

¹⁰Differing weights [one for buying and another for selling] and differing measures, Both of them are detestable and offensive to the LORD.

¹¹Even a boy is known and distinguished by his acts, Whether his conduct is pure and right.

¹²The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The [omnipotent] LORD has made both of them.

¹³Do not love [excessive] sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes [so that you can do your work] and you will be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴"It is [almost] worthless, it is [almost] worthless," says the buyer [as he negotiates the price]; But when he goes his way, then he boasts [about his bargain].

¹⁵There is gold, and an abundance of pearls, But the lips of knowledge are a vessel of preciousness [the most precious of all].

¹⁶[The judge tells the creditor], "Take the clothes of one who is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [when he guarantees a loan] for foreigners."

¹⁷Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel [just as sin may be sweet at first, but later its consequences bring despair].

¹⁸Plans are established by counsel; So make war [only] with wise guidance.

¹⁹He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with a gossip [who talks freely or flatters].

²⁰Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp [of life] will be extinguished in time of darkness.

²¹An inheritance hastily gained [by greedy, unjust means] at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end.

²²Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait [expectantly] for the LORD, and He will rescue and save you.

²³Differing weights are detestable and offensive to the LORD, And fraudulent scales are not good.

²⁴Man's steps are ordered and ordained by the LORD. How then can a man [fully] understand his way?

²⁵It is a trap for a man to [ speak a vow of consecration and] say rashly, "It is holy!" And [not until] afterward consider [whether he can fulfill it].

²⁶A wise king sifts out the wicked [from among the good] And drives the [threshing] wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain].

²⁷The spirit (conscience) of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching and examining all the innermost parts of his being.

²⁸Loyalty and mercy, truth and faithfulness, protect the king, And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness.

²⁹The glory of young men is their [physical] strength, And the honor of aged men is their gray head [representing wisdom and experience].

³⁰Blows that wound cleanse away evil, And strokes reach to the innermost parts.

¹Hannah prayed and said, "My heart rejoices and triumphs in the LORD; My horn (strength) is lifted up in the LORD, My mouth has opened wide [to speak boldly] against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

²"There is no one holy like the LORD, There is no one besides You, There is no Rock like our God.

³"Do not go on boasting so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And by Him actions are weighed (examined).

⁴"The bows of the mighty are broken, But those who have stumbled equip themselves with strength.

⁵"Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease [to hunger]. Even the barren [woman] gives birth to seven, But she who has many children withers away.

⁶"The LORD puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol (the grave) and raises up [from the grave].

⁷"The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up.

⁸"He raises up the poor from the dust, He lifts up the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor and glory; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And He set the land on them.

⁹"He guards the feet of His godly (faithful) ones, But the wicked ones are silenced and perish in darkness; For a man shall not prevail by might.

¹⁰"The adversaries of the LORD will be broken to pieces; He will thunder against them in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn (strength) of His anointed."

¹¹Elkanah [and his wife Hannah] returned to Ramah to his house. But the child [Samuel] served the LORD under the guidance of Eli the priest.

¹²The sons of Eli [Hophni and Phinehas] were worthless (dishonorable, unprincipled) men; they did not know [nor respect] the LORD

¹³and the custom of the priests with [the sacrifices of] the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged [meat] fork in his hand;

¹⁴then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did in Shiloh to all [the sacrifices of] the Israelites who came there.

¹⁵Also, before they burned (offered) the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat to roast, since he will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw."

¹⁶If the man said to him, " Certainly they are to burn (offer) the fat first, and then you may take as much as you want," then the priest's servant would say, "No! You shall give it to me now or I will take it by force."

¹⁷So the sin of the [two] young men [Hophni and Phinehas] was very great before the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD disrespectfully.

¹⁸Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a child dressed in a linen ephod [a sacred item of priestly clothing].

¹⁹Moreover, his mother would make him a little robe and would bring it up to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

²⁰Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she asked for which was dedicated to the LORD." Then they would return to their own home.

²¹And [the time came when] the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD.

²²Now Eli was very old; and he heard about everything that his sons were doing to all [the people of] Israel, and how they were lying with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

²³Eli said to them, "Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

²⁴No, my sons; for the report that I keep hearing from the passers-by among the Lord's people is not good.

²⁵If one man does wrong and sins against another, God will intercede (arbitrate) for him; but if a man does wrong to the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to their father, for it was the Lord's will to put them to death.

²⁶But the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men.

²⁷Then a man of God (prophet) came to Eli and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Did I not plainly reveal Myself to the house of your father (ancestor) when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?

²⁸Moreover, I selected him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me. And [from then on] I gave to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel.

²⁹Why then do you kick at (despise) My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, by fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel?'

³⁰Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, 'I did indeed say that your house and that of [Aaron] your father would walk [in priestly service] before Me forever.' But now the LORD declares, 'Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be insignificant and contemptible.

³¹Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.

³²You will look at the distress of My house (the tabernacle), in spite of all the good which God will do for Israel, and there will never again be an old man in your house.

³³Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar; your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul will grieve, and all those born in your house will die as men [in the prime of life].

³⁴This will be the sign to you which shall come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them shall die.

³⁵But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him a permanent and enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed forever.

³⁶And it will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and say, "Please assign me to one of the priest's offices so I may eat a piece of bread."'"

¹"Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness (right standing with God), Who seek and inquire of the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut And to the excavation of the quarry from which you were dug.

²"Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; For I called him when he was but one, Then I blessed him and made him many."

³For the LORD will comfort Zion [in her captivity]; He will comfort all her ruins. And He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and the voice of a melody.

⁴"Listen carefully to Me [says the LORD], O My people, And hear Me, O My nation; For a [divine] law will go forth from Me, And I will quickly establish My justice as a light to the peoples.

⁵"My righteousness (justice) is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The islands and coastlands will wait for Me, And they will wait with hope and confident expectation for My arm.

⁶"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, Then look to the earth beneath; For the heavens will be torn to pieces and vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner. But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness (justice) [and faithfully fulfilled promise] will not be broken.

⁷"Listen to Me, you who know righteousness (right standing with God), The people in whose heart is My law and instruction; Do not fear the reproach and taunting of man, Nor be distressed at their reviling.

⁸"For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness and justice [faithfully promised] will exist forever, And My salvation to all generations."

⁹Awake, awake, put on strength and might, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the ancient days, as in the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab (Egypt) in pieces, Who pierced the dragon [of Egypt]?

¹⁰Was it not You who dried up the [Red] Sea, The waters of the great deep, Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over?

¹¹So the redeemed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion; Everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

¹²"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of a son of man who is made [as destructible] as grass,

¹³That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you continually tremble with fear all day long because of the rage of the oppressor, As he takes aim to destroy? And where is the rage of the oppressor?

¹⁴The [captive] exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his food be lacking.

¹⁵For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of hosts is His name.

¹⁶I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the [renewed] heavens and lay the foundations of the [renewed] earth, and to say to Zion (Jerusalem), 'You are My people.'"

¹⁷Wake yourself up! Wake yourself up! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath, You who have drunk the cup of staggering and intoxication to the dregs [leaving only sediment].

¹⁸There is no one to guide her among all the sons she has borne, Nor is there anyone to take her by the hand among all the sons she has reared.

¹⁹These two tragedies have befallen you; Who will show sympathy for you and mourn with you? The desolation and destruction [on the land and city], famine and sword [on the inhabitants]; How shall I comfort you?

²⁰Your sons have fainted; They lie helpless at the head of every street, Like an antelope in a net, Full [from drinking] of the wrath of the LORD, The rebuke of your God.

²¹Therefore, now hear this, you who are afflicted, Who are drunk, but not with wine [but overwhelmed by the wrath of God].

²²So says your Lord, the LORD, who is also your God Who pleads the cause of His people, "Listen carefully, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering and intoxication, The cup of My wrath; You shall never drink it again.

²³"I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, Who have said to you, 'Lie down so that we may walk over you.' You have even made your back like the ground And like the street for those who walk over it."

¹Then Paul, looking intently at the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), said, "Kinsmen, I have lived my life before God with a perfectly good conscience until this very day."

²[At this] the high priest Ananias ordered those who stood beside him to strike Paul on the mouth.

³Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you actually sit to judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?"

⁴But those who stood near Paul said, "Are you insulting the high priest of God?"

⁵Paul said, "I was not aware, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

⁶But recognizing that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began affirming loudly in the Council chamber, "Kinsmen, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!"

⁷When he said this, an angry dispute erupted between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the [whole crowded] assembly was divided [into two factions].

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no [such thing as a] resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees [speak out freely and] acknowledge [their belief in] them all.

⁹Then a great uproar occurred, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and began to argue heatedly [in Paul's favor], saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has [really] spoken to him?"

¹⁰And as the dissension became even greater, the commander, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down and forcibly take him from them, and bring him to the barracks.

¹¹On the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Be brave; for as you have solemnly and faithfully witnessed about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome."

¹²Now when day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath (curse), saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³There were more than forty [men] who formed this plot [and swore this oath].

¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath not to taste anything [neither food nor drink] until we have killed Paul.

¹⁵So now you, along with the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), notify the commander to bring Paul down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near [the place]."

¹⁶But the son of Paul's sister heard of their [planned] ambush, and he went to the barracks and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, "Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him."

¹⁸So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."

¹⁹The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to ask him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

²⁰And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tomorrow, as if they were going to interrogate him more thoroughly.

²¹But do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, and they have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Even now they are ready, just waiting for your promise."

²²So the commander let the young man leave, instructing him, "Do not tell anyone that you have given me this information."

²³Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, "Have two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen;

²⁴also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

²⁵And [after instructing the centurions] he wrote a letter to this effect:

²⁶"Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

²⁷"This man was seized [as a prisoner] by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon him with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

²⁸And wanting to know the exact charge which they were making against him, I brought him down to their Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court);

²⁹and I discovered that he was accused in regard to questions and issues in their Law, but [he was] under no accusation that would call for the penalty of death or [even] for imprisonment.

³⁰"When I was told that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also directing his accusers to bring their charges against him before you."

³¹So the soldiers, in compliance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night.

³²And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks.

³³When these [horsemen] reached Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor, and also presented Paul to him.

³⁴After reading the letter, he asked which province Paul was from, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province],

³⁵he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers have arrived," giving orders that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's Praetorium (the governor's official residence).