Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

²Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.

³His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.

⁴For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”

⁵For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

⁶Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.

⁸You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”

⁹When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

¹⁰But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

¹¹Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?”

¹²And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.”

¹³However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

¹⁴Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

¹⁵And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

¹⁶Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

¹⁷If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

¹⁸He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

¹⁹Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

²⁰The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

²¹Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel.

²²Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.

²³If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?

²⁴Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

²⁵Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill?

²⁶But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?

²⁷However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

²⁸Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.

²⁹But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

³⁰Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

³¹And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

³²The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.

³³Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.

³⁴You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

³⁵Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?

³⁶What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

³⁷On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

³⁸He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

³⁹But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

⁴⁰Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.”

⁴¹Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee?

⁴²Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”

⁴³So there was a division among the people because of Him.

⁴⁴Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

⁴⁵Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

⁴⁶The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

⁴⁷Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived?

⁴⁸Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?

⁴⁹But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

⁵⁰Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them,

⁵¹“Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

⁵²They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

⁵³And everyone went to his own house.

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

²“Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.

³And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze;

⁴blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair;

⁵ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood;

⁶oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense;

⁷onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.

⁸And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

⁹According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

¹⁰“And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

¹¹And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.

¹²You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.

¹³And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

¹⁴You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.

¹⁵The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.

¹⁶And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.

¹⁷“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.

¹⁸And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.

¹⁹Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.

²⁰And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

²¹You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.

²²And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

²³“You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

²⁴And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around.

²⁵You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around.

²⁶And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs.

²⁷The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.

²⁸And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.

²⁹You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold.

³⁰And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.

³¹“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.

³²And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.

³³Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand.

³⁴On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower.

³⁵And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand.

³⁶Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold.

³⁷You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it.

³⁸And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold.

³⁹It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils.

⁴⁰And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.

¹For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

²For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

³But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

⁴For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

⁵Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.

⁶In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.

⁷Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”

⁸Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law),

⁹then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.

¹⁰By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

¹²But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

¹³from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

¹⁴For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,

¹⁶“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”

¹⁷then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

¹⁸Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

¹⁹Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

²⁰by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

²¹and having a High Priest over the house of God,

²²let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

²³Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

²⁴And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

²⁵not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

²⁶For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

²⁷but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

²⁸Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

²⁹Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

³⁰For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”

³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³²But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:

³³partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;

³⁴for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

³⁵Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

³⁶For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

³⁷“For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.

³⁸Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

³⁹But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

¹Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

²for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

⁴who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

⁵For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

⁶who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

⁷for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying— a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

⁹in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

¹⁰but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

¹¹Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.

¹²And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

¹⁴And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

¹⁵Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

¹“Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

²What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

³But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.

⁴But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians.

⁵Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom!

⁶Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him?

⁸Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?

⁹Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?

¹⁰He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality.

¹¹Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you?

¹²Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, Then let come on me what may!

¹⁴Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands?

¹⁵Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

¹⁶He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him.

¹⁷Listen carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears.

¹⁸See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated.

¹⁹Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish.

²⁰“Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide myself from You:

²¹Withdraw Your hand far from me, And let not the dread of You make me afraid.

²²Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me.

²³How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy?

²⁵Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble?

²⁶For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet.

²⁸“Man decays like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

¹To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. [1] We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

²“When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly.

³The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah

⁴“I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn.

⁵Do not lift up your horn on high; Do not speak with a stiff neck.’ ”

⁶For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south.

⁷But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.

⁸For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down.

⁹But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰“All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

¹A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

²A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

³He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

⁴The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

⁵A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.

⁶Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

⁸The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, But the poor does not hear rebuke.

⁹The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

¹⁰By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.

¹¹Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

¹³He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

¹⁴The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard.

¹⁶Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a faithful ambassador brings health.

¹⁸Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored.

¹⁹A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.

²⁰He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

²¹Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

²²A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

²³Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, And for lack of justice there is waste.

²⁴He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

²⁵The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul, But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.

¹Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”

²Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

³And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

⁴David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.

⁵So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him.

⁶Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

⁷So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him.

⁸Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”

⁹But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?”

¹⁰David said furthermore, “As the LORD lives, the LORD shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.

¹¹The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.”

¹²So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.

¹³Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them.

¹⁴And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling out to the king?”

¹⁵So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

¹⁶This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.”

¹⁷Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”

¹⁸And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand?

¹⁹Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

²⁰So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.”

²²And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it.

²³May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed.

²⁴And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”

²⁵Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

¹Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!

²Oh, that I had in the wilderness A lodging place for travelers; That I might leave my people, And go from them! For they are all adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men.

³“And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” says the LORD.

⁴“Everyone take heed to his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; For every brother will utterly supplant, And every neighbor will walk with slanderers.

⁵Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.

⁶Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” says the LORD.

⁷Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and try them; For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?

⁸Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies in wait.

⁹Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?”

¹⁰I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, And for the dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation, Because they are burned up, So that no one can pass through; Nor can men hear the voice of the cattle. Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled; They are gone.

¹¹“I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.”

¹²Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?

¹³And the LORD said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it,

¹⁴but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them,”

¹⁵therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

¹⁶I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.”

¹⁷Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider and call for the mourning women, That they may come; And send for skillful wailing women, That they may come.

¹⁸Let them make haste And take up a wailing for us, That our eyes may run with tears, And our eyelids gush with water.

¹⁹For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How we are plundered! We are greatly ashamed, Because we have forsaken the land, Because we have been cast out of our dwellings.’ ”

²⁰Yet hear the word of the LORD, O women, And let your ear receive the word of His mouth; Teach your daughters wailing, And everyone her neighbor a lamentation.

²¹For death has come through our windows, Has entered our palaces, To kill off the children— no longer to be outside! And the young men— no longer on the streets!

²²Speak, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Even the carcasses of men shall fall as refuse on the open field, Like cuttings after the harvester, And no one shall gather them.’ ”

²³Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

²⁴But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

²⁵“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised—

²⁶Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.”

¹And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples

²he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

³And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

⁴Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

⁵When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

⁶And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

⁷Now the men were about twelve in all.

⁸And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.

⁹But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

¹⁰And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

¹¹Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

¹²so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

¹³Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

¹⁴Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

¹⁵And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

¹⁶Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

¹⁷This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

¹⁸And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.

¹⁹Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

²⁰So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

²¹When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

²²So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

²³And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.

²⁴For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen.

²⁵He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.

²⁶Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

²⁷So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

²⁸Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

²⁹So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.

³⁰And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him.

³¹Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater.

³²Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

³³And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people.

³⁴But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

³⁵And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

³⁶Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly.

³⁷For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.

³⁸Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

³⁹But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly.

⁴⁰For we are in danger of being called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.”

⁴¹And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.