Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹When He had completed all His teaching in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

²Now a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die.

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

⁴When they came to Jesus, they strongly urged Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him;

⁵for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.”

⁶Now Jesus started on His way with them; but already, when He was not yet far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof;

⁷for that reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but just say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

⁸For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under myself; 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.”

¹⁰And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

¹¹Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd.

¹²Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her.

¹³When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, “Do not go on weeping.”

¹⁴And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!”

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

¹⁶Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” and, “God has visited His people!”

¹⁷And this report about Him spread throughout Judea and in all the surrounding region.

¹⁸The disciples of John also reported to him about all these things.

¹⁹And after summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for another?”

²⁰When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for another?’ ”

²¹At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.

²²And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and people who are poor have the gospel preached to them.

²³And blessed isanyone who does not take offense at Me.”

²⁴When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into thewilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

²⁵But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces!

²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

²⁷This is the one about whom it is written: ‘BEHOLD, I AM SENDING MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’

²⁸I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

³⁰But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.

³¹“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?

³²They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.’

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, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and aheavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors andsinners!’

³⁵And yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

³⁶Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

³⁷And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned 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 to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, and began kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.

³⁹Now when 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 person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner!”

⁴⁰And Jesus responded and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.”

⁴¹“A moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundreddenarii, and the other, fifty.

⁴²When they were unable to repay, he canceled the debts of both. So which of them will love him more?”

⁴³Simon answered and said, “I assume the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”

⁴⁴And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

⁴⁵Yougave Me no kiss; but she has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in.

⁴⁶You did notanoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.

⁴⁷For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”

⁴⁸And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”

⁴⁹And then those who were reclining at the table with Him began saying to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

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

²Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

³Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

⁴Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

⁵All the people who descended from Jacob were seventy people, but Joseph was already in Egypt.

⁶And Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.

⁷But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

⁸Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

⁹And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.

¹⁰Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”

¹¹So they appointed taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.

¹²But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they dreaded the sons of Israel.

¹³The Egyptians used violence to compel the sons of Israel to labor;

¹⁴and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they violently had them perform as slaves.

¹⁵Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah, and the other was named Puah;

¹⁶and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

¹⁷But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.

¹⁸So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

¹⁹The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”

²⁰So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.

²¹And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.

²²Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born, you are to throw into the Nile, but every daughter, you are to keep alive.”

¹Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

²Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

³For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

⁴But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting, but to himself alone, and not to another.

⁵For each one will bear his own load.

⁶The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.

⁸For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

⁹Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.

¹⁰So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

¹¹See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!

¹²All who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

¹³For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.

¹⁴But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

¹⁵For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

¹⁶And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

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

¹When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

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

³Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

⁴And the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the saints before God.

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

⁶And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

⁷The first sounded, and there was 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, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was hurled into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood,

⁹and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.

¹¹The star is named Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters because they were made bitter.

¹²The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

¹³Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

¹For I have taken all this to my heart, even to examine it all, that righteous people, wise people, and their deeds are in the hand of God. People do not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits them.

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

³This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of mankind are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterward they go to the dead.

⁴For whoever is joined to all the living, there is hope; for better a live dog, than a dead lion.

⁵For the living know that they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have a reward any longer, for their memory is forgotten.

⁶Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

⁷Go then, eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.

⁸See that your clothes are white all the time, and that there is no lack of oil on your head.

⁹Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your futile life which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility; for this is your reward in life and in your work which you have labored under the sun.

¹⁰Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol 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 warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning, nor favor to the skillful; for time and chance overtake them all.

¹²For indeed, a person does not know his time: like fish that are caught in a treacherous net and birds caught in a snare, so the sons of mankind are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.

¹³This too I saw as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me:

¹⁴there was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against it.

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

¹⁶So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are ignored.

¹⁷The words of the wise heard in calm are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

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

¹Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings.

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

³For I know my wrongdoings, And my sin is constantly before me.

⁴Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

⁵Behold, I was brought forth in guilt, And in sin my mother conceived me.

⁶Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in secret You will make wisdom known to me.

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

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness, Let the bones You have broken rejoice.

⁹Hide Your face from my sins And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, God, And renew a 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 wrongdoers Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.

¹⁴Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

¹⁵Lord, open my lips, So that my mouth may declare Your praise.

¹⁶For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

¹⁸By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.

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

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

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

³Avoiding strife is an honor for a person, But any fool will quarrel.

⁴The lazy one does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing.

⁵A plan in the heart of a person is like deep water, But a person of understanding draws it out.

⁶Many a person proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy person?

⁷A righteous person who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him.

⁸A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with his eyes.

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

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD.

¹¹It is by his deeds that a boy distinguishes himself, If his conduct is pure and right.

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

¹³Do not love sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.

¹⁴“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

¹⁵There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But lips of knowledge are a more precious thing.

¹⁶Take his garment when he becomes guarantor for a stranger; And for foreigners, seize a pledge from him.

¹⁷Bread obtained by a lie is sweet to a person, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

¹⁸Prepare plans by consultation, And make war by wise guidance.

¹⁹One who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with a gossip.

²⁰He who curses his father or his mother, His lamp will go out in time of darkness.

²¹An inheritance gained in a hurry at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end.

²²Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

²³Differing weights are an abomination to the LORD, And a false scale is not good.

²⁴A man’s steps are ordained by the LORD; How then can a person understand his way?

²⁵It is a trap for a person to say carelessly, “It is holy!” And after the vows to make inquiry.

²⁶A wise king scatters the wicked, And drives a threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of a person is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the innermost parts of his being.

²⁸Loyalty and truth watch over the king, And he upholds his throne by loyalty.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.

³⁰Bruising wounds clean away evil, And blows cleanse the innermost parts.

¹Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

²There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.

³Do 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 with Him actions are weighed.

⁴The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces, But those who have stumbled strap on strength.

⁵Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to be hungry. Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes.

⁶The LORD puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and brings up.

⁷The LORD makes poor and rich; He humbles, He also exalts.

⁸He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the garbage heap To seat them with nobles, And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He set the world on them.

⁹He watches over the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a person prevail.

¹⁰Those who contend with the LORD will be terrified; Against them He will thunder 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 of His anointed.”

¹¹Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy continued to attend to the service of the LORD before Eli the priest.

¹²Now the sons of Eli were useless men; they did not know the LORD.

¹³And this was the custom of the priests with the people: when anyone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was cooking, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

¹⁴And 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. They did so in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

¹⁵Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take cooked meat from you, only raw.”

¹⁶And if the man said to him, “They must burn the fat first, then take as much as you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you must give it to me now; and if not, I am taking it by force!”

¹⁷And so the sin of the young men 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 boy wearing a linen ephod.

¹⁹And his mother would make for him a little robe and bring it up to him from year to year when she would come 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 from this woman in place of the one she requested of the LORD.” And they went to their own home.

²¹The LORD indeed visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up before the LORD.

²²Now Eli was very old; and he heard about everything that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they slept with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

²³So he said to them, “Why are you doing such things as these, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

²⁴No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the LORD’S people circulating.

²⁵If one person sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a person sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to death.

²⁶Now the boy Samuel was continuing to grow and to be in favor both with the LORD and with people.

²⁷Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?

²⁸Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel?

²⁹Why are you showing contempt for My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded for My dwelling, and why are you honoring your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’

³⁰Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father was to walk 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.

³¹Behold, the days are coming when I will eliminate your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.

³²And you will look at the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that I do for Israel; and there will never be an old man in your house.

³³Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar, so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life.

³⁴And this will be the sign to you which will come in regard to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die.

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

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

¹“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, And to the quarry from which you were dug.

²Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When he was only one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”

³Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; 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 sound of a melody.

⁴“Pay attention to Me, My people, And listen to Me, My nation; For a law will go out from Me, And I will bring My justice as a light of the peoples.

⁵My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And they will wait expectantly for My arm.

⁶Raise your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in the same way. But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not fail.

⁷Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My Law; Do not fear the taunting of people, Nor be terrified of their abuses.

⁸For the moth will eat them like a garment; Yes, the moth will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations.”

⁹Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon?

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

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

¹²“I, I Myself, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of mortal man, And of a son of man who is made like grass,

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

¹⁴The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking.

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

¹⁶And I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ ”

¹⁷Pull yourself up! Pull yourself up! Arise, Jerusalem! You who have drunk from the LORD’S hand the cup of His anger; The chalice of staggering you have drunk to the dregs.

¹⁸There is no one to guide her among all the sons to whom she has given birth, Nor is there anyone to take her by the hand among all the sons she has raised.

¹⁹These two things have happened to you; Who will mourn for you? The devastation and destruction, famine and sword; 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 of the wrath of the LORD, The rebuke of your God.

²¹Therefore, listen to this, you afflicted, Who are drunk, but not with wine:

²²This is what your Lord, the LORD, your God Who contends for His people says: “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering, The chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again.

²³I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down so that we may walk over you.’ You have also made your back like the ground, And like the street for those who walk over it.”

¹Now looking intently at the Council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with an entirely good conscience before God up to this day.”

²But the high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth.

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

⁴But those present said, “Are you insulting God’s high priest?”

⁵And Paul said, “I was not aware, brothers, that he is high priest; for it is written: ‘YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.’ ”

⁶But Paul, perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, began crying out in the Council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!”

⁷When he said this, a dissension occurred between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

⁹And a great uproar occurred; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and started arguing heatedly, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

¹⁰And when a great dissension occurred, the commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, and he ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹But on the following night, the Lord stood near him and said, “Be courageous! For as you have testified to the truth about Me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome also.”

¹²When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and put themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³There were more than forty who formed this plot.

¹⁴They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have put ourselves under an oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

¹⁵Now therefore, you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly; and as for us, we are ready to kill him before he comes near the place.”

¹⁶But the son of Paul’s sister heard about their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.

¹⁷Paul called one of the centurions to himself and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.”

¹⁸So he took him and led him to the commander and *said, “Paul the prisoner called me over to him 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 inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?”

²⁰And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him.

²¹So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are in hiding to ambush him, and these men have put themselves under an oath not to eat or drink until they kill him; and now they are ready and waiting for assurance from you.”

²²Then the commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

²³And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.”

²⁴They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

²⁵And he wrote a letter with the following content:

²⁶“Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.

²⁷When this man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, after learning that he was a Roman.

²⁸And wanting to ascertain the basis for the charges they were bringing against him, I brought him down to their Council;

²⁹and I found that he was being accused regarding questions in their Law, but was not charged with anything deserving death or imprisonment.

³⁰When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you.”

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

³²But on the next day they let the horsemen go on with him, and they returned to the barracks.

³³When these horsemen had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.

³⁴Now when he had read it, he also asked from what province Paul was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,

³⁵he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive as well,” giving orders for Paul to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.