Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

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

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

⁴And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

⁵Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

⁶Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

⁷Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

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

¹⁰The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

¹²But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

¹³The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

¹⁴I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

¹⁵As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

¹⁶And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

¹⁷“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

¹⁸No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

¹⁹Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.

²⁰And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?”

²¹Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

²²Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.

²³And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.

²⁴Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? 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, they bear witness of Me.

²⁶But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.

²⁷My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

²⁸And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father’s hand.

³⁰I and My Father are one.”

³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

³²Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

³³The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Is it not 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 broken),

³⁶do you say 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, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

³⁹Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

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

⁴¹Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.”

⁴²And many believed in Him there.

¹“Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

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

³So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.

⁴And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

⁵“They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen,

⁶and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked.

⁷It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together.

⁸And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.

⁹“Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel:

¹⁰six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth.

¹¹With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold.

¹²And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial.

¹³You shall also make settings of gold,

¹⁴and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

¹⁵“You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it.

¹⁶It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width.

¹⁷And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row;

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

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

²⁰and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings.

²¹And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.

²²“You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold.

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

²⁴Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate;

²⁵and the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.

²⁶“You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod.

²⁷And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod.

²⁸They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod.

²⁹“So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the LORD continually.

³⁰And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.

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

³²There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear.

³³And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around:

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

³⁵And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the LORD and when he comes out, that he may not die.

³⁶“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

³⁷And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban.

³⁸So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

³⁹“You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.

⁴⁰“For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty.

⁴¹So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

⁴²And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs.

⁴³They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.

¹Let brotherly love continue.

²Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

³Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

⁴Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

⁵Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

⁶So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

⁷Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

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

⁹Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

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 sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.

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

¹³Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

¹⁴For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.

¹⁵Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

¹⁶But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

¹⁷Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

¹⁸Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.

¹⁹But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

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

²¹make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

²²And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words.

²³Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.

²⁴Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵Grace be with you all. Amen.

¹Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,

²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

³Honor widows who are really widows.

⁴But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.

⁵Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

⁶But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

⁷And these things command, that they may be blameless.

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.

⁹Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man,

¹⁰well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

¹¹But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry,

¹²having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith.

¹³And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

¹⁴Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

¹⁵For some have already turned aside after Satan.

¹⁶If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.

¹⁷Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.

¹⁸For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

¹⁹Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

²⁰Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

²¹I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.

²²Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

²³No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

²⁴Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later.

²⁵Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.

¹Then Job answered and said:

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

³Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?

⁴I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;

⁵But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

⁶“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

⁷But now He has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company.

⁸You have shriveled me up, And it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me And bears witness to my face.

⁹He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.

¹⁰They gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me.

¹¹God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.

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

¹³His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground.

¹⁴He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior.

¹⁵“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, And laid my head in the dust.

¹⁶My face is flushed from weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

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

¹⁸“O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place!

¹⁹Surely even now my witness is in heaven, And my evidence is on high.

²⁰My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God.

²¹Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor!

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

¹A Contemplation of Asaph. [1] Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

²I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,

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

⁴We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful 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 should make them known to their children;

⁶That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children,

⁷That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;

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

⁹The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.

¹⁰They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law,

¹¹And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them.

¹²Marvelous things He did in the sight of 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.

¹⁴In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.

¹⁶He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁷But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.

¹⁸And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy.

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

²⁰Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?”

²¹Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel,

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

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

²⁴Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.

²⁵Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.

²⁶He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind.

²⁷He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;

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

²⁹So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire.

³⁰They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths,

³¹The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel.

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

³³Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.

³⁴When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God.

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

³⁶Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue;

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

³⁸But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;

³⁹For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again.

⁴⁰How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!

⁴¹Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.

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

⁴³When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan;

⁴⁴Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink.

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

⁴⁶He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust.

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycamore trees with frost.

⁴⁸He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning.

⁴⁹He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them.

⁵⁰He made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave their life over to the plague,

⁵¹And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.

⁵²But He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;

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

⁵⁴And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired.

⁵⁵He also drove out the nations before them, Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

⁵⁶Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

⁵⁷But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

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

⁵⁹When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel,

⁶⁰So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men,

⁶¹And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand.

⁶²He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance.

⁶³The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage.

⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation.

⁶⁵Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.

⁶⁶And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach.

⁶⁷Moreover He 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 David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds;

⁷¹From following the ewes that had young 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 by the skillfulness of his hands.

¹The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

²All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.

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

⁴The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

⁵Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

⁶In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.

⁹A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

¹⁰Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

¹¹Honest weights and scales are the LORD’s; All the weights in the bag are His work.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right.

¹⁴As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it.

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

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

¹⁷The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

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

¹⁹Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

²⁰He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

²¹The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

²²Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.

²³The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

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

²⁶The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on.

²⁷An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire.

²⁸A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.

²⁹A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil.

³¹The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.

³²He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

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

¹Then the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

²And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish.

³Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years? And to this day I have found no fault in him since he defected to me.”

⁴But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men?

⁵Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”

⁶Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you.

⁷Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

⁸So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’

¹⁰Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”

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

¹Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?

²You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind.

³But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter.

⁴How long will the land mourn, And the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

⁵“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

⁶For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you.

⁷“I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.

⁸My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest; It cries out against Me; Therefore I have hated it.

⁹My heritage is to Me like a speckled vulture; The vultures all around are against her. Come, assemble all the beasts of the field, Bring them to devour!

¹⁰“Many rulers have destroyed My vineyard, They have trodden My portion underfoot; They have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

¹¹They have made it desolate; Desolate, it mourns to Me; The whole land is made desolate, Because no one takes it to heart.

¹²The plunderers have come On all the desolate heights in the wilderness, For the sword of the LORD shall devour From one end of the land to the other end of the land; No flesh shall have peace.

¹³They have sown wheat but reaped thorns; They have put themselves to pain but do not profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.”

¹⁴Thus says the LORD: “Against all My evil neighbors who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

¹⁵Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land.

¹⁶And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the LORD lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people.

¹⁷But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the LORD.

¹“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”

²And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:

³“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

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

⁵as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

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

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

⁹“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.

¹⁰So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’

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

¹²“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,

¹³came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.

¹⁴Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.

¹⁵For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

¹⁶And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

¹⁷“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance

¹⁸and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’

¹⁹So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.

²⁰And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

²¹Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

²²And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!”

²³Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

²⁴the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.

²⁵And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

²⁷Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

²⁸The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

²⁹Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.