Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹So when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had been told that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John

²(although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were),

³He left Judea and returned again to Galilee.

⁴Now He had to go through Samaria.

⁵So He arrived at a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the tract of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;

⁶and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (noon).

⁷Then a woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink"—

⁸For His disciples had gone off into the city to buy food—

⁹The Samaritan woman asked Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (For Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans.)

¹⁰Jesus answered her, "If you knew [about] God's gift [of eternal life], and who it is who says, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him [instead], and He would have given you living water (eternal life)."

¹¹She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with [no bucket and rope] and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?

¹²Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?"

¹³Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.

¹⁴But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life."

¹⁵The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not get thirsty nor [have to continually] come all the way here to draw."

¹⁶At this, Jesus said, "Go, call your husband and come back."

¹⁷The woman answered, "I do not have a husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I do not have a husband';

¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. You have said this truthfully."

¹⁹The woman said to Him, "Sir, I see that You are a prophet.

²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one ought to worship is in Jerusalem [at the temple]."

²¹Jesus replied, "Woman, believe Me, a time is coming [when God's kingdom comes] when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

²²You [Samaritans] do not know what you worship; we [Jews] do know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews.

²³But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.

²⁴God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

²⁵The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ—the Anointed); when that One comes, He will tell us everything [we need to know]."

²⁶Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you, am He (the Messiah)."

²⁷Just then His disciples came, and they were surprised to find Him talking with a woman. However, no one said, "What are You asking about?" or, "Why are You talking to her?"

²⁸Then the woman left her water jar, and went into the city and began telling the people,

²⁹"Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done! Can this be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)?"

³⁰So the people left the city and were coming to Him.

³¹Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus [to have a meal], saying, "Rabbi (Teacher), eat."

³²But He told them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."

³³So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him something to eat?"

³⁴Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to completely finish His work.

³⁵Do you not say, 'It is still four months until the harvest comes?' Look, I say to you, raise your eyes and look at the fields and see, they are white for harvest.

³⁶Already the reaper is receiving his wages and he is gathering fruit for eternal life; so that he who plants and he who reaps may rejoice together.

³⁷For in this case the saying is true, 'One [person] sows and another reaps.'

³⁸I sent you to reap [a crop] for which you have not worked. Others have worked and you have been privileged to reap the results of their work."

³⁹Now many Samaritans from that city believed in Him and trusted Him [as Savior] because of what the woman said when she testified, "He told me all the things that I have done."

⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked Him to remain with them; and He stayed there two days.

⁴¹Many more believed in Him [with a deep, abiding trust] because of His word [His personal message to them];

⁴²and they told the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; for [now] we have heard Him for ourselves and know [with confident assurance] that this One is truly the Savior of [all] the world."

⁴³After the two days He went on from there into Galilee.

⁴⁴For Jesus Himself declared that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

⁴⁵So when He arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him, since they had seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they too came to the feast.

⁴⁶So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son was sick in Capernaum.

⁴⁷Having heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to meet Him and began asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.

⁴⁸Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you [people] see [miraculous] signs and wonders, you [simply] will not believe."

⁴⁹The royal official pleaded with Him, "Sir, do come down [at once] before my child dies!"

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Go; your son lives!" The man believed what Jesus said to him and started home.

⁵¹As he was already going down [the road], his servants met him and reported that his son was living [and was healthy].

⁵²So he asked them at what time he began to get better. They said, "Yesterday during the seventh hour the fever left him."

⁵³Then the father realized that it was at that very hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son lives"; and he and his entire household believed and confidently trusted [in Him as Savior].

⁵⁴This is the second sign (attesting miracle) that Jesus performed [in Cana] after He had come from Judea to Galilee [revealing that He is the Messiah].

¹"If a man steals an ox or sheep and kills or sells it, he shall make restitution of five oxen for an ox or four sheep for a sheep.

²"If a thief is caught breaking in [after dark] and is struck [by the owner] so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him.

³But if the sun has risen, there will be bloodguilt for him. The thief [if he lives] must make [full] restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold [as a slave to make restitution] for his theft.

⁴If the animal that he stole is found alive in his possession, whether it is ox or donkey or sheep, he shall pay double [for it].

⁵"If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed bare or lets his livestock loose so that it grazes in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

⁶"If fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes so that the stacked grain or standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.

⁷"If a man gives his neighbor money or [other] goods to keep [for him while he is away] and it is stolen from the neighbor's house, then, if the thief is caught, he shall pay double [for it].

⁸If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house shall appear before the judges [who act in God's name], to determine whether or not he had stolen his neighbor's goods.

⁹For every offense involving property, whether it concerns ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any piece of lost property, which another identifies as his, the case of both parties shall come before the judges [who act in God's name]. Whomever the judges pronounce guilty shall pay double to his neighbor.

¹⁰"If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any [other] animal to keep [for him], and it dies or is injured or taken away while no one is looking,

¹¹then an oath before the LORD shall be made by the two of them that he has not taken his neighbor's property; and the owner of it shall accept his word and not require him to make restitution.

¹²But if it is actually stolen from him [when in his care], he shall make restitution to its owner.

¹³If it is torn to pieces [by some predator or by accident], let him bring the mangled carcass as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what was torn to pieces.

¹⁴"And if a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while its owner is not with it, the borrower shall make full restitution.

¹⁵But if the owner is with it [when the damage is done], the borrower shall not make restitution. If it was hired, the damage is included in [the price of] its fee.

¹⁶"If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry (marriage price) for her to be his wife.

¹⁷If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must [still] pay money equivalent to the dowry of virgins.

¹⁸"You shall not allow a woman who practices sorcery to live.

¹⁹"Whoever lies with an animal must be put to death.

²⁰"He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be put under a ban (designated) for destruction (execution).

²¹"You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

²²You shall not harm or oppress any widow or fatherless child.

²³If you harm or oppress them in any way, and they cry at all to Me [for help], I will most certainly hear their cry;

²⁴and My wrath shall be kindled and burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

²⁵"If you lend money to any one of My people with you who is poor, you shall not act as a creditor (professional moneylender) to him; you shall not charge him interest.

²⁶If you ever take your [poor] neighbor's robe in pledge, you must return it to him before sunset,

²⁷for that is his only covering; it is his clothing for his body. In what shall he sleep? And when he cries to Me [for help], I will hear him, for I am compassionate and gracious.

²⁸"You shall not curse God, nor curse the ruler of your people [since he administers God's law].

²⁹"You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. You shall give (consecrate, dedicate) to Me the firstborn of your sons.

³⁰You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother for seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it [as an offering] to Me.

³¹"You shall be holy men to Me; therefore you shall not eat meat [from any animal] that has been torn to pieces [by predators] in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

¹For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

²and Abraham gave him a tenth of all [the spoil]. He is, first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace.

³Without [ any record of] father or mother, nor ancestral line, without [any record of] beginning of days (birth) nor ending of life (death), but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest without interruption and without successor.

⁴Now pause and consider how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils.

⁵It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people—which means, from their kinsmen—though these have descended from Abraham.

⁶But this person [Melchizedek] who is not from their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God].

⁷Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one.

⁸Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives on [perpetually].

⁹A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham [the father of all Israel and of all who believe],

¹⁰for Levi was still in the loins (unborn) of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him (Abraham).

¹¹Now if perfection [a perfect fellowship between God and the worshiper] had been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people were given the Law) what further need was there for another and different kind of priest to arise, one in the manner of Melchizedek, rather than one appointed to the order of Aaron?

¹²For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is of necessity a change of the law [concerning the priesthood] as well.

¹³For the One of whom these things are said belonged [not to the priestly line of Levi but] to another tribe, from which no one has officiated or served at the altar.

¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord descended from [the tribe of] Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

¹⁵And this becomes even more evident if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,

¹⁶who has become a priest, not on the basis of a physical and legal requirement in the Law [concerning his ancestry as a descendant of Levi], but on the basis of the power of an indestructible and endless life.

¹⁷For it is attested [by God] of Him, "You (Christ) are a Priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."

¹⁸For, on the one hand, a former commandment is cancelled because of its weakness and uselessness [because of its inability to justify the sinner before God]

¹⁹(for the Law never made anything perfect); while on the other hand a better hope is introduced through which we now continually draw near to God.

²⁰And indeed it was not without the taking of an oath [that Christ was made priest]

²¹(for those Levites who formerly became priests [received their office] without [its being confirmed by the taking of] an oath, but this One [was designated] with an oath through the One who said to Him, "The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind or regret it, 'You (Christ) are a Priest forever'").

²²And so [because of the oath's greater strength and force] Jesus has become the certain guarantee of a better covenant [a more excellent and more advantageous agreement; one that will never be replaced or annulled].

²³The [former successive line of] priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were each prevented by death from continuing [perpetually in office];

²⁴but, on the other hand, Jesus holds His priesthood permanently and without change, because He lives on forever.

²⁵Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].

²⁶It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest [perfectly adapted to our needs], holy, blameless, unstained [by sin], separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens;

²⁷who has no day by day need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices, first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice].

²⁸For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak [frail, sinful, dying men], but the word of the oath [of God], which came after [the institution of] the Law, permanently appoints [as priest] a Son who has been made perfect forever.

¹"I am disgusted with my life and loathe it! I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

²"I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]! Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.

³'Does it indeed seem right to You to oppress, To despise and reject the work of Your hands, And to look with favor on the schemes of the wicked?

⁴'Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as a man sees?

⁵'Are Your days as the days of a mortal, Are Your years as man's years,

⁶That You seek my guilt And search for my sin?

⁷'Although You know that I am not guilty or wicked, Yet there is no one who can rescue me from Your hand.

⁸'Your hands have formed and made me altogether. Would You [turn around and] destroy me?

⁹'Remember now, that You have made me as clay; So will You turn me into dust again?

¹⁰'Have You not poured me out like milk And curdled me like cheese?

¹¹'[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.

¹²'You have granted me life and lovingkindness; And Your providence (divine care, supervision) has preserved my spirit.

¹³'Yet these [present evils] You have hidden in Your heart [since my creation]: I know that this was within You [in Your purpose and thought].

¹⁴'If I sin, then You would take note and observe me, And You would not acquit me of my guilt.

¹⁵'If I am wicked, woe to me [for judgment comes]! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. For I am sated and filled with disgrace and the sight of my misery.

¹⁶'Should I lift my head up, You would hunt me like a lion; And again You would show Your marvelous power against me.

¹⁷'You renew Your witnesses against me And increase Your indignation and anger toward me; Hardship after hardship is with me [attacking me time after time].

¹⁸'Why then did You bring me out of the womb? Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

¹⁹'I should have been as though I had not existed; [I should have been] carried from the womb to the grave.'

²⁰"Would He not let my few days alone, Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

²¹Before I go—and I shall not return— To the land of darkness and the deep shadow [of death],

²²The [sunless] land of utter gloom as darkness itself, [The land] of the shadow of death, without order, And [where] it shines as [thick] darkness."

¹A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king [knowledge of] Your judgments, O God, And [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king's son [to guide all his ways].

²May he judge Your people with righteousness, And Your afflicted with justice.

³The mountains will bring peace and prosperity to the people, And the hills, in [the establishment of] righteousness.

⁴May he bring justice to the poor among the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor,

⁵Let them fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and worship You with obedience] while the sun endures, And as long as the moon [reflects light], throughout all generations.

⁶May he come down like rain on the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth.

⁷In his days may the righteous flourish, And peace abound until the moon is no more.

⁸May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.

⁹The nomads of the desert will bow before him, And his enemies will lick the dust.

¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring offerings; The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts.

¹¹Yes, all kings will bow down before him, All nations will serve him.

¹²For he will rescue the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted and abused also, and him who has no helper.

¹³He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And he will save the lives of the needy.

¹⁴He will redeem their life from oppression and fraud and violence, And their blood will be precious in His sight.

¹⁵So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And let them pray for him continually; Let them bless and praise him all day long.

¹⁶There will be an abundance of grain in the soil on the top of the mountains; Its fruit will wave like [the cedars of] Lebanon, And those of the city will flourish like grass of the earth.

¹⁷May his name endure forever; May his name continue as long as the sun; And let men bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed.

¹⁸Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone does wonderful things.

¹⁹Blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

²⁰The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

¹The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

²Treasures of wickedness and ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness and moral integrity in daily life rescues from death.

³The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger [God will meet all his needs], But He will reject and cast away the craving of the wicked.

⁴Poor is he who works with a negligent and idle hand, But the hand of the diligent makes him rich.

⁵He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully.

⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God], But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

⁷The memory of the righteous [person] is a [source of] blessing, But the name of the wicked will [be forgotten and] rot [like a corpse].

⁸The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction), But the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

⁹He who walks in integrity and with moral character walks securely, But he who takes a crooked way will be discovered and punished.

¹⁰He who [maliciously] winks the eye [of evil intent] causes trouble; And the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

¹²Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another's faults].

¹³On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found, But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.

¹⁴Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart], But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

¹⁵The rich man's wealth is his fortress; The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life, The income of the wicked, punishment.

¹⁷He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing], But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin].

¹⁸He who hides hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable, But he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is like precious silver (greatly valued); The heart of the wicked is worth little.

²¹The lips of the righteous feed and guide many, But fools [who reject God and His wisdom] die for lack of understanding.

²²The blessing of the LORD brings [true] riches, And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God].

²³Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin], But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

²⁴What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted.

²⁵When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him to work.

²⁷The [reverent] fear of the LORD [worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect] prolongs one's life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

²⁸The hope of the righteous [those of honorable character and integrity] is joy, But the expectation of the wicked [those who oppose God and ignore His wisdom] comes to nothing.

²⁹The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But it is ruin to those who do evil.

³⁰The [consistently] righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

³¹The mouth of the righteous flows with [skillful and godly] wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

³²The lips of the righteous know (speak) what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked knows (speaks) what is perverted (twisted).

¹Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering (robbing) the threshing floors [of the grain]."

²So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the Lord said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

³But David's men said to him, "Listen, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the battle lines of the Philistines?"

⁴Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will hand over the Philistines to you."

⁵So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines; he drove away their cattle and struck them with a great slaughter. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷Now when Saul was informed that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has handed him over to me, for he shut himself in by entering a city that has double gates and bars."

⁸So Saul summoned all the people (soldiers) for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹But David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

¹⁰Then David said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul intends to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.

¹¹Will the men of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."

¹²Then David asked, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" The LORD said, "They will surrender you."

¹³Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and left Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.

¹⁴David stayed in the wilderness in strongholds, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.

¹⁵Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph [in the woods] at Horesh.

¹⁶And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went [into the woods] to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.

¹⁷He said to him, "Do not be afraid; the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel and I will be second in command to you; my father Saul knows this too."

¹⁸So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David stayed [in the woods] at Horesh and Jonathan went to his house.

¹⁹Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding with us in strongholds of Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?

²⁰Now then, O king, come down [to Ziph] in accordance with all your heart's desire to do so [and capture him]; and our part shall be to hand him over to the king."

²¹Saul said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you have had compassion on me.

²²Go now, be very persistent and investigate, and see where his haunt is and who has seen him there; for I am told he is very cunning.

²³So look, and take note of all the places where he hides and come back to me with the established facts, then I will go with you. If he is [anywhere] in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."

²⁴So they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.

²⁵Then Saul and his men went to search for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed [there] in the Wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard it, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.

²⁶Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to capture them.

²⁷But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, because the Philistines have attacked the land."

²⁸So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

²⁹David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.

¹"Run for safety, you children of Benjamin, Out of the midst of Jerusalem! And blow a trumpet in Tekoa [in Judah] And raise a signal-fire in Beth-haccherem [near Jerusalem]; For evil is looking down [with eager anticipation] from the north, And great destruction.

²"I will destroy the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem), the lovely and delicate one [so like a luxurious pasture].

³"Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; They will pitch their tents all around her; They will pasture, each one in his place [eating up all her rich grasses].

⁴"[They shout], 'Prepare for war against her; Arise, let us [take her by surprise and] attack her at noon. But alas, the daylight pales, The evening shadows grow long.

⁵'Arise, let us [awaken to] attack her at night And destroy her [fortified] palaces!'"

⁶For the LORD of hosts has said, "Cut down her trees And build a siege [mound] against Jerusalem. This is the city which must be punished; There is nothing but oppression inside her [walls].

⁷"As a fountain springs up and pours out its fresh waters, So she [continually] pours out her fresh wickedness. Violence and destruction are heard inside her [walls]; Sickness and wounds are always before Me.

⁸"Be wise and be warned, O Jerusalem, Or I will be alienated from you, And make you a desolation, An uninhabited land."

⁹Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They will thoroughly gather like [fruit on] a vine what is left of Israel; Pass your hand [over the vine] again and again [Babylon, tool of destruction] like a grape gatherer, Over the branches [stripping the tendrils off the vine]."

¹⁰To whom shall I (Jeremiah) speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed [absolutely deaf to God] And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reprimand and an object of scorn to them; They have no delight in it.

¹¹But I am full of the wrath (judgment) of the LORD; I am tired of restraining it. "[I will] pour it out on the children in the street And on the young men gathered together; For both the husband and wife shall be taken, The aged and the very old [though full of days they are not exempt from judgment].

¹²"Their houses shall be turned over to others, Their fields and their wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD.

¹³"For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for [unfair] gain; And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals deceitfully.

¹⁴"They have treated superficially the [bloody] broken wound of My people, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' When there is no peace.

¹⁵"Were they ashamed because they had committed disgusting and vile things? No, they were not at all ashamed; They did not even know how to blush [at their idolatry]. Therefore they will fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them They will be overthrown," says the LORD.

¹⁶Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the roads and look; ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is; then walk in it, And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it!'

¹⁷"I have set watchmen (prophets) over you, Saying, 'Listen and pay attention to the [warning] sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'

¹⁸"Therefore hear, O [Gentile] nations, And see, O congregation, what [vengeful act] is to be done to them.

¹⁹"Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their schemes, Because they have not listened and paid attention to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.

²⁰"For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba And the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable And your sacrifices are not sweet and pleasing to Me."

²¹Therefore, thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am laying stumbling blocks before this people. The fathers and the sons together Will stumble against them; The neighbor and his friend will perish."

²²Thus says the LORD, "Behold, a people is coming from the north country, And a great nation shall be stirred up and put into action from the remote parts of the earth.

²³"They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and inhuman and have no mercy. Their voice sounds like the roaring sea; They ride [in formation] on horses, Arrayed as a man for battle Against you, O Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)!"

²⁴We have heard the report of it; Our hands become limp and helpless. Anguish has gripped us, Pain like that of a woman in childbirth.

²⁵Do not go out into the field Nor walk on the road, For the enemy is armed with the sword; Terror is on every side.

²⁶O daughter of my people [says Jeremiah], Clothe yourself in sackcloth and wallow in ashes; Mourn [aloud] as for an only son, A most bitter cry [of sorrow and regret], For suddenly the destroyer will come upon us [on both prophet and people].

²⁷"I [the LORD] have set you as an assayer [O Jeremiah] and as a tester [of the ore] of My people, That you may know and analyze their acts."

²⁸They are all the worst [kind] of [stiff-necked, godless] rebels, Going around spreading slander. They are [not gold and silver ore, but] bronze and iron; They are all corrupt.

²⁹The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain they continue refining, But the wicked are not separated and removed.

³⁰They call them rejected silver [only dross, without value], Because the LORD has rejected them.

¹Now Paul traveled to Derbe and also to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer [in Christ], however, his father was a Greek.

²Timothy was well spoken of by the brothers and sisters who were in Lystra and Iconium.

³Paul wanted Timothy to go with him [as a missionary]; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.

⁴As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decrees decided on by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for the churches to observe.

⁵So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they continually increased in number day after day.

⁶Now they passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor];

⁷and after they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;

⁸so passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

⁹Then a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from [the Roman province of] Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

¹⁰And when he had seen the vision, we (including Luke) tried to go on into Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

¹¹So setting sail from Troas, we ran a direct course to Samothrace, and the next day [went on] to Neapolis;

¹²and from there [we came] to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed on in this city for several days;

¹³and on the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the bank of the [Gangites] river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had come there.

¹⁴A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple fabrics who was [already] a worshiper of God, listened to us; and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention and to respond to the things said by Paul.

¹⁵And when she was baptized, along with her household, she pleaded with us, saying, "If you have judged me and decided that I am faithful to the Lord [a true believer], come to my house and stay." And she persuaded us.

¹⁶It happened that as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination [that is, a demonic spirit claiming to foretell the future and discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners a good profit by fortune-telling.

¹⁷She followed after Paul and us and kept screaming and shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!"

¹⁸She continued doing this for several days. Then Paul, being greatly annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit [inside her], "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ [as His representative] to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.

¹⁹But when her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the market place [where trials were held],

²⁰and when they had brought them before the chief magistrates, they said, "These men, who are Jews, are throwing our city into confusion and causing trouble.

²¹They are publicly teaching customs which are unlawful for us, as Romans, to accept or observe."

²²The crowd also joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and ordered that Paul and Silas be beaten with rods.

²³After striking them many times [with the rods], they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely.

²⁴He, having received such a [strict] command, threw them into the inner prison (dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks [in an agonizing position].

²⁵But about midnight when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

²⁶suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened.

²⁷When the jailer, shaken out of sleep, saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸But Paul shouted, saying, "Do not hurt yourself, we are all here!"

²⁹Then the jailer called for torches and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,

³⁰and after he brought them out [of the inner prison], he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

³¹And they answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe]."

³²And they spoke the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] to him and to all who were in his house.

³³And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their bloody wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

³⁴Then he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, since he had believed in God with his entire family [accepting with joy what had been made known to them about the Christ].

³⁵Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, "Release those men."

³⁶And the jailer repeated the words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent word to release you; so come out now and go in peace."

³⁷But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without a trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now they are sending us out secretly? No! Let them come here themselves and bring us out!"

³⁸The officers reported this message to the chief magistrates, and when they heard that the prisoners were Romans, they were frightened;

³⁹so they came [to the prison] and appealed to them [with apologies], and when they brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city.

⁴⁰So they left the prison and went to Lydia's house; and when they had seen the brothers and sisters, they encouraged and comforted them, and left.