Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth.

²His disciples asked him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.

⁴We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.

⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes.

⁷“Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.

⁸His neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit begging?”

⁹Some said, “He’s the one.” Others were saying, “No, but he looks like him.” He kept saying, “I’m the one.”

¹⁰So they asked him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”

¹¹He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So when I went and washed I received my sight.”

¹²“Where is he?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he said.

¹³They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees.

¹⁴The day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.

¹⁵Then the Pharisees asked him again how he received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” he told them. “I washed and I can see.”

¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was a division among them.

¹⁷Again they asked the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes?” “He’s a prophet,” he said.

¹⁸The Jews did not believe this about him — that he was blind and received sight — until they summoned the parents of the one who had received his sight.

¹⁹They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰“We know this is our son and that he was born blind,” his parents answered.

²¹“But we don’t know how he now sees, and we don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he’s of age. He will speak for himself.”

²²His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as the Messiah, he would be banned from the synagogue.

²³This is why his parents said, “He’s of age; ask him.”

²⁴So a second time they summoned the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

²⁵He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!”

²⁶Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷“I already told you,” he said, “and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

²⁸They ridiculed him: “You’re that man’s disciple, but we’re Moses’s disciples.

²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man — we don’t know where he’s from.”

³⁰“This is an amazing thing!” the man told them. “You don’t know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes.

³¹We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to him.

³²Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind.

³³If this man were not from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

³⁴“You were born entirely in sin,” they replied, “and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

³⁵Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, and when he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶“Who is he, Sir, that I may believe in him?” he asked.

³⁷Jesus answered, “You have seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

³⁸“I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped him.

³⁹Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.”

⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?”

⁴¹“If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

¹“You are to construct the altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, 7½ feet long, and 7½ feet wide; it must be 4½ feet high.

²Make horns for it on its four corners; the horns are to be of one piece. Overlay it with bronze.

³Make its pots for removing ashes, and its shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze.

⁴Construct a grate for it of bronze mesh, and make four bronze rings on the mesh at its four corners.

⁵Set it below, under the altar’s ledge, so that the mesh comes halfway up the altar.

⁶Then make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.

⁷The poles are to be inserted into the rings so that the poles are on two sides of the altar when it is carried.

⁸Construct the altar with boards so that it is hollow. They are to make it just as it was shown to you on the mountain.

⁹“You are to make the courtyard for the tabernacle. Make hangings for the south side of the courtyard out of finely spun linen, 150 feet long on that side

¹⁰including twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and silver bands for the posts.

¹¹And so make hangings 150 feet long for the north side, including twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and silver bands for the posts.

¹²For the width of the courtyard, make hangings 75 feet long for the west side, including their ten posts and their ten bases.

¹³And for the width of the courtyard on the east side toward the sunrise, 75 feet,

¹⁴make hangings 22½ feet long for one side of the gate, including their three posts and their three bases.

¹⁵And make hangings 22½ feet long for the other side, including their three posts and their three bases.

¹⁶The gate of the courtyard is to have a 30-foot screen embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It is to have four posts and their four bases.

¹⁷“All the posts around the courtyard are to be banded with silver and have silver hooks and bronze bases.

¹⁸The courtyard is to be 150 feet long, 75 feet wide at each end, and 7½ feet high, all of it made of finely spun linen. The bases of the posts are to be bronze.

¹⁹All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use and all its tent pegs as well as all the tent pegs of the courtyard are to be made of bronze.

²⁰“You are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, in order to keep the lamp burning regularly.

²¹In the tent of meeting outside the curtain that is in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamp from evening until morning before the LORD. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites throughout their generations.

¹Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,

²keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.

⁴In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him,

⁶for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives.

⁷Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?

⁸But if you are without discipline — which all receive  — then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

⁹Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?

¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness.

¹¹No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

¹²Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees,

¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

¹⁴Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness  — without it no one will see the Lord.

¹⁵Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.

¹⁶And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for a single meal.

¹⁷For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, even though he sought it with tears, because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance.

¹⁸For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm,

¹⁹to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them,

²⁰for they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.

²¹The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with fear.

²²Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering,

²³to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,

²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.

²⁵See to it that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven.

²⁶His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.

²⁷This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken  — that is, created things — so that what is not shaken might remain.

²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,

²⁹for our God is a consuming fire.

¹Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,

²through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.

³They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth.

⁴For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

⁵since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer.

⁶If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed.

⁷But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness.

⁸For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

⁹This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance.

¹⁰For this reason we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

¹¹Command and teach these things.

¹²Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

¹³Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching.

¹⁴Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.

¹⁵Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all.

¹⁶Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

²Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill himself with the hot east wind?

³Should he argue with useless talk or with words that serve no good purpose?

⁴But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before him.

⁵Your iniquity teaches you what to say, and you choose the language of the crafty.

⁶Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips testify against you.

⁷Were you the first human ever born, or were you brought forth before the hills?

⁸Do you listen in on the council of God, or have a monopoly on wisdom?

⁹What do you know that we don’t? What do you understand that is not clear to us?

¹⁰Both the gray-haired and the elderly are with us— older than your father.

¹¹Are God’s consolations not enough for you, even the words that deal gently with you?

¹²Why has your heart misled you, and why do your eyes flash

¹³as you turn your anger against God and allow such words to leave your mouth?

¹⁴What is a mere human, that he should be pure, or one born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

¹⁵If God puts no trust in his holy ones and the heavens are not pure in his sight,

¹⁶how much less one who is revolting and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?

¹⁷Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,

¹⁸what the wise have declared and not concealed, that came from their ancestors,

¹⁹to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.

²⁰A wicked person writhes in pain all his days, throughout the number of years reserved for the ruthless.

²¹Dreadful sounds fill his ears; when he is at peace, a robber attacks him.

²²He doesn’t believe he will return from darkness; he is destined for the sword.

²³He wanders about for food, asking, “Where is it?” He knows the day of darkness is at hand.

²⁴Trouble and distress terrify him, overwhelming him like a king prepared for battle.

²⁵For he has stretched out his hand against God and has arrogantly opposed the Almighty.

²⁶He rushes headlong at him with his thick, studded shields.

²⁷Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with it,

²⁸he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become piles of rubble.

²⁹He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not increase in the land.

³⁰He will not escape from the darkness; flames will wither his shoots, and by the breath of God’s mouth, he will depart.

³¹Let him not put trust in worthless things, being led astray, for what he gets in exchange will prove worthless.

³²It will be accomplished before his time, and his branch will not flourish.

³³He will be like a vine that drops its unripe grapes and like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.

³⁴For the company of the godless will have no children, and fire will consume the tents of those who offer bribes.

³⁵They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb prepares deception.

¹For the choir director: according to Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm. [1] I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.

²I sought the Lord in my day of trouble. My hands were continually lifted up all night long; I refused to be comforted.

³I think of God; I groan; I meditate; my spirit becomes weak. Selah

⁴You have kept me from closing my eyes; I am troubled and cannot speak.

⁵I consider days of old, years long past.

⁶At night I remember my music; I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders.

⁷“Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor?

⁸Has his faithful love ceased forever? Is his promise at an end for all generations?

⁹Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah

¹⁰So I say, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

¹¹I will remember the LORD’s works; yes, I will remember your ancient wonders.

¹²I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.

¹³God, your way is holy. What god is great like God?

¹⁴You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples.

¹⁵With power you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶The water saw you, God. The water saw you; it trembled. Even the depths shook.

¹⁷The clouds poured down water. The storm clouds thundered; your arrows flashed back and forth.

¹⁸The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind; lightning lit up the world. The earth shook and quaked.

¹⁹Your way went through the sea and your path through the vast water, but your footprints were unseen.

²⁰You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

¹A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.

²The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.

³The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.

⁴The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit.

⁵A fool despises his father’s discipline, but a person who accepts correction is sensible.

⁶The house of the righteous has great wealth, but trouble accompanies the income of the wicked.

⁷The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

⁹The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.

¹⁰Discipline is harsh for the one who leaves the path; the one who hates correction will die.

¹¹Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD  —  how much more, human hearts.

¹²A mocker doesn’t love one who corrects him; he will not consult the wise.

¹³A joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.

¹⁴A discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

¹⁵All the days of the oppressed are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.

¹⁷Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.

¹⁸A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but one slow to anger calms strife.

¹⁹A slacker’s way is like a thorny hedge, but the path of the upright is a highway.

²⁰A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

²¹Foolishness brings joy to one without sense, but a person with understanding walks a straight path.

²²Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

²³A person takes joy in giving an answer; and a timely word — how good that is!

²⁴For the prudent the path of life leads upward, so that he may avoid going down to Sheol.

²⁵The LORD tears apart the house of the proud, but he protects the widow’s territory.

²⁶The LORD detests the plans of the one who is evil, but pleasant words are pure.

²⁷The one who profits dishonestly troubles his household, but the one who hates bribes will live.

²⁸The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.

²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

³⁰Bright eyes cheer the heart; good news strengthens the bones.

³¹One who listens to life-giving rebukes will be at home among the wise.

³²Anyone who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever listens to correction acquires good sense.

³³The fear of the LORD is what wisdom teaches, and humility comes before honor.

¹At that time, the Philistines gathered their military units into one army to fight against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You know, of course, that you and your men must march out in the army with me.”

²David replied to Achish, “Good, you will find out what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will appoint you as my permanent bodyguard.”

³By this time Samuel had died, all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his city, and Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.

⁴The Philistines gathered and camped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel, and they camped at Gilboa.

⁵When Saul saw the Philistine camp, he was afraid and his heart pounded.

⁶He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.

⁷Saul then said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” His servants replied, “There is a woman at En-dor who is a medium.”

⁸Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes and set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I tell you.”

⁹But the woman said to him, “You surely know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you setting a trap for me to get me killed?”

¹⁰Then Saul swore to her by the LORD: “As surely as the LORD lives, no punishment will come to you from this.”

¹¹“Who is it that you want me to bring up for you?” the woman asked. “Bring up Samuel for me,” he answered.

¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, and then she asked Saul, “Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!”

¹³But the king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” “I see a spirit form coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.

¹⁴Then Saul asked her, “What does he look like?” “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “He’s wearing a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he knelt low with his face to the ground and paid homage.

¹⁵“Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Samuel asked Saul. “I’m in serious trouble,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He doesn’t answer me anymore, either through the prophets or in dreams. So I’ve called on you to tell me what I should do.”

¹⁶Samuel answered, “Since the LORD has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me?

¹⁷The LORD has done exactly what he said through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.

¹⁸You did not obey the LORD and did not carry out his burning anger against Amalek; therefore the LORD has done this to you today.

¹⁹The LORD will also hand Israel over to the Philistines along with you. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the LORD will hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”

²⁰Immediately, Saul fell flat on the ground. He was terrified by Samuel’s words and was also weak because he had not eaten anything all day and all night.

²¹The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.

²²Now please listen to your servant. Let me set some food in front of you. Eat and it will give you strength so you can go on your way.”

²³He refused, saying, “I won’t eat,” but when his servants and the woman urged him, he listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the bed.

²⁴The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.

²⁵She served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Afterward, they got up and left that night.

¹This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

²“Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

³Tell them, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: “Let a curse be on the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,

⁴which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace.” I declared, “Obey me, and do everything that I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God,”

⁵in order to establish the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is today.’” I answered, “Amen, LORD.”

⁶The LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Obey the words of this covenant and carry them out.’

⁷For I strongly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt until today, warning them time and time again, ‘Obey me.’

⁸Yet they would not obey or pay attention; each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant, because they had not done what I commanded them to do.”

⁹The LORD said to me, “A conspiracy has been discovered among the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.

¹⁰They have returned to the iniquities of their fathers who refused to obey my words and have followed other gods to worship them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah broke my covenant I made with their ancestors.

¹¹“Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I am about to bring on them disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to me, but I will not hear them.

¹²Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods they have been burning incense to, but they certainly will not save them in their time of disaster.

¹³Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, Judah, and the altars you have set up to Shame  — altars to burn incense to Baal — as numerous as the streets of Jerusalem.

¹⁴“As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to me at the time of their disaster.

¹⁵What right does my beloved have to be in my house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can holy meat prevent your disaster so you can celebrate?

¹⁶The LORD named you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. He has set fire to it, and its branches are consumed with the sound of a mighty tumult.

¹⁷“The LORD of Armies who planted you has decreed disaster against you, because of the disaster the house of Israel and the house of Judah brought on themselves when they angered me by burning incense to Baal.”

¹⁸The LORD informed me, so I knew. Then you helped me to see their deeds,

¹⁹for I was like a docile lamb led to slaughter. I didn’t know that they had devised plots against me: “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit; let’s cut him off from the land of the living so that his name will no longer be remembered.”

²⁰But, LORD of Armies, who judges righteously, who tests heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for I have presented my case to you.

²¹Therefore, here is what the LORD says concerning the people of Anathoth who intend to take your life. They warn, “Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will certainly die at our hand.”

²²Therefore, this is what the LORD of Armies says: “I am about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine.

²³They will have no remnant, for I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”

¹After we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

²Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail.

³After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, since the ship was to unload its cargo there.

⁴We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

⁵When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray,

⁶we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.

⁷When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.

⁸The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him.

⁹This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

¹⁰After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

¹¹He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹²When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

¹⁴Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”

¹⁵After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.

¹⁷When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.

¹⁸The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

¹⁹After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

²¹But they have been informed about you — that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.

²²So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you’ve come.

²³Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow.

²⁴Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.

²⁵With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

²⁶So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.

²⁷When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him,

²⁸shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

²⁹For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

³⁰The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

³¹As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos.

³²Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

³³Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done.

³⁴Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks.

³⁵When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,

³⁶for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Get rid of him!”

³⁷As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He replied, “You know how to speak Greek?

³⁸Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?”

³⁹Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”

⁴⁰After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in Aramaic: