Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹“Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.

²But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.

³To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

⁴When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

⁵However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

⁶Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant.

⁷So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

⁹I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, andhave it abundantly.

¹¹“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

¹²He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters the flock.

¹³He flees because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.

¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me,

¹⁵just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

¹⁶And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.

¹⁷For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back.

¹⁸No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.”

¹⁹Dissension occurred again among the Jews because of these words.

²⁰Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?”

²¹Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who is demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of those who are blind, can it?”

²²At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem;

²³it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon.

²⁴The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.

²⁶But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.

²⁷My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

²⁸and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

²⁹My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

³⁰I and the Father areone.”

³¹The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.

³²Jesus replied to them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?”

³³The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law: ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’?

³⁵If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be nullified),

³⁶are you saying of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

³⁷If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

³⁸but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you mayknow and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

³⁹Therefore they were seeking again to arrest Him, and He eluded their grasp.

⁴⁰And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He stayed there.

⁴¹Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.”

⁴²And many believed in Him there.

¹“Then bring forward to yourself your brother Aaron, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to serve as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

²And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.

³You shall speak to all the skillful people whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may serve as priest to Me.

⁴And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic of checkered work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that he may serve as priest to Me.

⁵They shall take the gold, the violet, the purple, the scarlet material, and the fine linen.

⁶“They shall also make the ephod of gold, of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen, the work of the skilled embroiderer.

⁷It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, so that it may be joined.

⁸The skillfully woven band of its overlay, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of violet and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.

⁹And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,

¹⁰six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth.

¹¹As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree settings of gold.

¹²And you shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall carry their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial.

¹³And you shall make filigree settings of gold,

¹⁴and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cord work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree settings.

¹⁵“You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skilled embroiderer; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen you shall make it.

¹⁶It shall be square and folded double, a span in length and a span in width.

¹⁷And you shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first row shall be a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald;

¹⁸and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;

¹⁹and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

²⁰and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree.

²¹The stones shall be engraved according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be like the engravings of a signet, each according to his name for the twelve tribes.

²²You shall also make on the breastpiece twisted chains of cord work in pure gold.

²³And you shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

²⁴And you shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece.

²⁵You shall put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it.

²⁶And you shall make two rings of gold and place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod.

²⁷And you shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.

²⁸And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a violet cord, so that it will be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece will not come loose from the ephod.

²⁹So Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the Holy Place, as a memorial before the LORD continually.

³⁰And you shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.

³¹“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of violet.

³²There shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not be torn.

³³You shall make on its hem pomegranates of violet, purple, and scarlet material all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around:

³⁴a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe.

³⁵It shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its sound shall be heard when he enters and leaves the Holy Place before the LORD, so that he will not die.

³⁶“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engravings of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’

³⁷You shall fasten it on a violet cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban.

³⁸It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the guilt of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, regarding all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be accepted before the LORD.

³⁹“And you shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver.

⁴⁰“For Aaron’s sons you shall also make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty.

⁴¹Then you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests.

⁴²You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the waist even to the thighs.

⁴³And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.

¹Let love of the brothers and sisters continue.

²Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

³Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

⁴Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

⁵Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER ABANDON YOU,”

⁶so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

⁷Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.

⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.

⁹Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

¹¹For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.

¹²Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood.

¹³So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

¹⁴For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

¹⁵Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name.

¹⁶And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.

¹⁸Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

¹⁹And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you more quickly.

²⁰Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord,

²¹equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²²But I urge you, brothers and sisters, listen patiently to this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

²³Know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.

²⁴Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵Grace be with you all.

¹Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, and to the younger men as brothers,

²to the older women as mothers, and to the younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³Honor widows who are actually widows;

⁴but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show proper respect for their own family and to give back compensation to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

⁵Now she who is actually a widow and has been left alone has set her hope on God, and she continues in requests and prayers night and day.

⁶But she who indulges herself in luxury is dead, even while she lives.

⁷Give these instructions as well, so that they may be above reproach.

⁸But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man,

¹⁰having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

¹¹But refuse to register younger widows, for when they feel physical desires alienating them from Christ, they want to get married,

¹²thereby incurring condemnation, because they have ignored their previous pledge.

¹³At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.

¹⁴Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and give the enemy no opportunity for reproach;

¹⁵for some have already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are actually widows.

¹⁷The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

¹⁸For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE IT IS THRESHING,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

¹⁹Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.

²⁰Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

²¹I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.

²²Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

²³Do not go on drinking only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

²⁴The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

²⁵Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

¹Then Job responded,

²“I have heard many things like these; Miserable comforters are you all!

³Is there no end to windy words? Or what provokes you that you answer?

⁴I too could speak like you, If only I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you.

⁵Or I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the condolence of my lips could lessen your pain.

⁶“If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I refrain, what pain leaves me?

⁷But now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my group of loved ones.

⁸And you have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my infirmity rises up against me, It testifies to my face.

⁹His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My enemy glares at me.

¹⁰They have gaped at me with their mouths, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me.

¹¹God hands me over to criminals, And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.

¹²I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by my neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.

¹³His arrows surround me. He splits my kidneys open without mercy; He pours out my bile on the ground.

¹⁴He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior.

¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth over my skin, And thrust my horn in the dust.

¹⁶My face is flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids,

¹⁷Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

¹⁸“Earth, do not cover my blood, And may there be no resting place for my cry.

¹⁹Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high.

²⁰My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God,

²¹That one might plead for a man with God As a son of man with his neighbor!

²²For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.

¹Listen, my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

²I will open my mouth in a parable; I will tell riddles of old,

³Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.

⁴We will not conceal them from their children, But we will tell the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His power and His wondrous works that He has done.

⁵For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they were to teach them to their children,

⁶So that the generation to come would know, the children yet to be born, That they would arise and tell them to their children,

⁷So that they would put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But comply with His commandments,

⁸And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

⁹The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, Yet they turned back on the day of battle.

¹⁰They did not keep the covenant of God And refused to walk in His Law;

¹¹They forgot His deeds And His miracles that He had shown them.

¹²He performed wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

¹³He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand up like a heap.

¹⁴Then He led them with the cloud by day And all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them plenty to drink like the ocean depths.

¹⁶He brought forth streams from the rock And made waters run down like rivers.

¹⁷Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.

¹⁸And in their heart they put God to the test By asking for food that suited their taste.

¹⁹Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

²⁰Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He also provide bread? Will He prepare meat for His people?”

²¹Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also mounted against Israel,

²²Because they did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation.

²³Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven;

²⁴He rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven.

²⁵Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

²⁶He made the east wind blow in the sky And by His power He directed the south wind.

²⁷When He rained meat upon them like the dust, Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

²⁸He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings.

²⁹So they ate and were well filled, And He satisfied their longing.

³⁰Yet before they had abandoned their longing, While their food was in their mouths,

³¹The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their strongest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

³²In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works.

³³So He brought their days to an end in futility, And their years to an end in sudden terror.

³⁴When He killed them, then they sought Him, And they returned and searched diligently for God;

³⁵And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.

³⁶But they flattered Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.

³⁷For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful with His covenant.

³⁸But He, being compassionate, forgave their wrongdoing and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not stir up all His wrath.

³⁹So He remembered that they were only flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.

⁴⁰How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!

⁴¹Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel.

⁴²They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,

⁴³When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan,

⁴⁴And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink.

⁴⁵He sent swarms of flies among them that devoured them, And frogs that destroyed them.

⁴⁶He also gave their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost.

⁴⁸He also turned their cattle over to the hailstones, And their herds to bolts of lightning.

⁴⁹He sent His burning anger upon them, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels.

⁵⁰He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their souls from death, But turned their lives over to the plague,

⁵¹And struck all the firstborn in Egypt, The first and best of their vigor in the tents of Ham.

⁵²But He led His own people out like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

⁵³He led them safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea engulfed their enemies.

⁵⁴So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right hand had gained.

⁵⁵He also drove out the nations from them And apportioned them as an inheritance by measurement, And had the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

⁵⁶Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,

⁵⁷But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow.

⁵⁸For they provoked Him with their high places And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.

⁵⁹When God heard them, He was filled with wrath And He utterly rejected Israel;

⁶⁰So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among people,

⁶¹And He gave up His strength to captivity And His glory into the hand of the enemy.

⁶²He also turned His people over to the sword, And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.

⁶³Fire devoured His young men, And His virgins had no wedding songs.

⁶⁴His priests fell by the sword, And His widows could not weep.

⁶⁵Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.

⁶⁶He drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting disgrace.

⁶⁷He also rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

⁶⁸But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.

⁶⁹And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever.

⁷⁰He also chose His servant David And took him from the sheepfolds;

⁷¹From the care of the ewes with nursing lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.

⁷²So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.

¹The plans of the heart belong to a person, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

²All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, But the LORD examines the motives.

³Commit your works to the LORD, And your plans will be established.

⁴The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.

⁵Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Be assured, he will not go unpunished.

⁶By mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.

⁷When a person’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He causes even his enemies to make peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice.

⁹The mind of a person plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

¹⁰A divine verdict is on the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.

¹¹A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, Because a throne is established on righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And one who speaks right is loved.

¹⁴The fury of a king is like messengers of death; But a wise person will appease it.

¹⁵In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.

¹⁶How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

¹⁷The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; One who watches his way protects his life.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

¹⁹It is better to be humble in spirit with the needy Than to divide the spoils with the proud.

²⁰One who pays attention to the word will find good, And blessed is one who trusts in the LORD.

²¹The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

²²Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, But the discipline of fools is foolishness.

²³The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.

²⁶A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

²⁷A worthless person digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse person spreads strife, And a slanderer separates close friends.

²⁹A person of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

³¹A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

³²One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.

¹Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel.

²And the governors of the Philistines were proceeding on, leading hundreds and thousands, and David and his men were proceeding in the back with Achish.

³Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found nothing at all suspicious in him since the day he deserted to me to this day?”

⁴But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, so that he will return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For how could this man find favor with his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men?

⁵Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”

⁶Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have indeed been honest, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the governors.

⁷Now then, return and go in peace, so that you will not do anything wrong in the sight of the governors of the Philistines.”

⁸However, David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant since the day that I came before you, to this day, that I cannot go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹But Achish replied to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us into the battle.’

¹⁰Now then, rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have risen early in the morning and have light, leave.”

¹¹So David got up early, he and his men, to leave in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

¹Righteous are You, LORD, when I plead my case with You; Nevertheless I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?

²You have planted them, they have also taken root; They grow, they have also produced fruit. You are near to their lips But far from their mind.

³But You know me, LORD; You see me And examine my heart’s attitude toward You. Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter, And set them apart for a day of slaughter!

⁴How long is the land to mourn, And the vegetation of the countryside to dry up? Due to the wickedness of those who live in it, Animals and birds have been snatched away, Because people have said, “He will not see our final end.”

⁵“If you have run with infantrymen and they have tired you out, How can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket by the Jordan?

⁶For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have called aloud after you. Do not believe them, though they say nice things to you.”

⁷“I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have handed the beloved of My soul Over to her enemies.

⁸My inheritance has become to Me Like a lion in the forest; She has roared against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her.

⁹Is My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side? Go, gather all the animals of the field, Bring them to devour!

¹⁰Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard, They have trampled down My field; They have made My pleasant field A desolate wilderness.

¹¹It has been made a desolation; Desolate, it mourns before Me; The whole land has been made desolate, Because no one takes it to heart.

¹²On all the bare heights in the wilderness Destroyers have come, For the sword of the LORD is devouring From one end of the land even to the other; There is no peace for anyone.

¹³They have sown wheat but have harvested thorns, They have strained themselves to no profit. So be ashamed of your produce Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.”

¹⁴This is what the LORD says concerning all My wicked neighbors who do harm to the inheritance with which I have endowed My people Israel: “Behold, I am going to drive them out of their land, and I will drive the house of Judah out from among them.

¹⁵And it will come about that after I have driven them out, I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land.

¹⁶Then, if they will really learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the LORD lives,’ just as they taught My people to swear by Baal, they will be built up in the midst of My people.

¹⁷But if they do not listen, then I will drive out that nation, drive it out and destroy it,” declares the LORD.

¹“Brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”

²And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he *said,

³“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

⁴I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons,

⁵as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brothers, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.

⁶“But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus at about noon, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me,

⁷and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’

⁸And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

⁹And those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

¹⁰And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything that has been appointed for you to do.’

¹¹But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I came into Damascus being led by the hand by those who were with me.

¹²“Now a certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,

¹³came to me, and standing nearby he said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I looked up at him.

¹⁴And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a message from His mouth.

¹⁵For you will be a witness for Him to all people of what you have seen and heard.

¹⁶Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.’

¹⁷“It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,

¹⁸and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’

¹⁹And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You.

²⁰And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing nearby and approving, and watching over the cloaks of those who were killing him.’

²¹And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’  ”

²²They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a man from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”

²³And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

²⁴the commander ordered that he be brought into the barracks, saying that he was to be interrogated by flogging so that he would find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.

²⁵But when they stretched him out with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?”

²⁶When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.”

²⁷The commander came and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.”

²⁸The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.”

²⁹Therefore, those who were about to interrogate him immediately backed away from him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

³⁰Now on the next day, wanting to know for certain why Paul had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.