Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

²It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

³So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, he [our brother and Your friend] whom You love is sick."

⁴When Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

⁵Now Jesus loved and was concerned about Martha and her sister and Lazarus [and considered them dear friends].

⁶So [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed in the same place two more days.

⁷Then He said to His disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

⁸The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi (Teacher), the Jews were only recently going to stone You, and You are [thinking of] going back there again?"

⁹Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours [of light] in the day? Anyone who walks in the daytime does not stumble, because he sees [by] the light of this world.

¹⁰But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him."

¹¹He said this, and after that said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him."

¹²The disciples answered, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

¹³However, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was referring to natural sleep.

¹⁴So then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

¹⁵And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

¹⁶Then Thomas, who was called Didymus (the twin), said to his fellow disciples, "Let us go too, that we may die with Him."

¹⁷So when Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

¹⁸Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away;

¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to see Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning [the loss of] their brother.

²⁰So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house.

²¹Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

²²Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You."

²³Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise [from the dead]."

²⁴Martha replied, "I know that he will rise [from the dead] in the resurrection on the last day."

²⁵Jesus said to her, " I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies;

²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this?"

²⁷She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed and continue to believe that You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God, He who was [destined and promised] to come into the world [and it is for You that the world has waited]."

²⁸After she had said this, she left and called her sister Mary, privately whispering [to her], "The Teacher is here and is asking for you."

²⁹And when she heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.

³⁰Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.

³¹So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her, saw how quickly Mary got up and left, they followed her, assuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

³²When Mary came [to the place] where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

³³When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who had come with her also sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit [to the point of anger at the sorrow caused by death] and was troubled,

³⁴and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said, "Lord, come and see."

³⁵Jesus wept.

³⁶So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him [as a close friend]!"

³⁷But some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the blind man's eyes, have kept this man from dying?"

³⁸So Jesus, again deeply moved within [to the point of anger], approached the tomb. It was a cave, and a boulder was lying against it [to cover the entrance].

³⁹Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days! [It is hopeless!]"

⁴⁰Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe [in Me], you will see the glory of God [the expression of His excellence]?"

⁴¹So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes [toward heaven] and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

⁴²I knew that You always hear Me and listen to Me; but I have said this because of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You have sent Me [and that You have made Me Your representative]."

⁴³When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

⁴⁴Out came the man who had been dead, his hands and feet tightly wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and release him."

⁴⁵So then, many of the Jews who had come to [be with] Mary and who were eyewitnesses to what Jesus had done, believed in Him.

⁴⁶But some of them went back to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

⁴⁷So the chief priests and Pharisees convened a council [of the leaders in Israel], and said, "What are we doing? For this man performs many signs (attesting miracles).

⁴⁸If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our [holy] place (the temple) and our nation."

⁴⁹But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year [the year of Christ's crucifixion], said to them, "You know nothing at all!

⁵⁰Nor do you understand that it is expedient and politically advantageous for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish."

⁵¹Now he did not say this [simply] on his own initiative; but being the high priest that year, he [was unknowingly used by God and] prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

⁵²and not only for the nation, but also for the purpose of gathering together into one body the children of God who have been scattered abroad.

⁵³So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

⁵⁴For that reason Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but left there and went to the district that borders on the uninhabited wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and He stayed there with the disciples.

⁵⁵Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, and many from the country went up to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves [ceremonially, so that they would be able to participate in the feast].

⁵⁶So they were looking for Jesus as they stood in the temple [area], and saying among themselves, "What do you think? Will He not come to the feast at all?"

⁵⁷Now the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it so that they might arrest Him.

¹"This is what you shall do to consecrate Aaron and his sons so that they may serve Me as priests: take one young bull and two rams, without blemish,

²and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil; you shall make them of fine wheat flour.

³You shall put them in one basket, and present them in the basket along with the bull and the two rams.

⁴Then bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting [out where the basin is] and wash them with water.

⁵Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breastpiece, and wrap him with the skillfully woven sash of the ephod;

⁶and you shall put the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban.

⁷Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.

⁸You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them.

⁹And you shall wrap them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the [ornamental] caps on them; and the priest's office shall be theirs by a perpetual statute. So you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰"Then you shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the bull's head.

¹¹Then you shall kill the bull before the LORD by the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

¹²And you shall take some of the blood of the bull and with your finger put it on the horns of the altar [of burnt offering], and you shall pour out the remainder of the blood at the base of the altar.

¹³You shall take all the fat that covers the intestines and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and offer them up in smoke on the altar.

¹⁴But the meat of the bull, its hide, and the contents of its intestines you shall burn in the fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.

¹⁵"And you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram;

¹⁶then you shall kill the ram and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it around the altar [of burnt offering].

¹⁷Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its intestines and legs, and place them with its pieces and its head,

¹⁸and you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a sweet and soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

¹⁹"Then you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

²⁰Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ears of Aaron and his sons and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle the [rest of the] blood around on the altar [of burnt offering].

²¹Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Now Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments shall be consecrated (dedicated, made holy, declared sacred for God's purpose).

²²"You shall also take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the intestines, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh; (for it is a ram of ordination),

²³and one loaf of bread and one cake of oiled bread and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD;

²⁴and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.

²⁵Then you shall take them from their hands, add them to the burnt offering, and burn them on the altar for a sweet and soothing aroma before the LORD; it is an offering by fire to the LORD.

²⁶"Then you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's ordination, and wave it as a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be your (Moses) portion.

²⁷You shall consecrate the waved breast offering [of the ram] used in the ordination and the waved thigh offering of the priests' portion, since it is [a contribution] for Aaron and for his sons.

²⁸It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their due portion from the Israelites forever, for it is a heave offering. It shall be a heave offering to the LORD from the Israelites from the sacrifices of their peace offerings.

²⁹"The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed and ordained in them.

³⁰That son who is [high] priest in his place shall put them on [each day for] seven days when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place.

³¹"You shall take the ram of the ordination and boil its meat in a holy place.

³²Aaron and his sons shall eat the meat of the ram and the bread in the basket, at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

³³They shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration; but a layman shall not eat them, because they are holy [that is, set apart to the worship of God].

³⁴And if any of the meat of ordination or the bread remains until morning, you shall burn it in the fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

³⁵"So you shall do to Aaron and to his sons in accordance with all I have commanded you; during seven days you are to ordain them.

³⁶You shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar from sin when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it [for God's sacred purpose].

³⁷For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar [of burnt offering] and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy (set apart for God's service).

³⁸"Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs shall be offered each day, continuously.

³⁹One lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb at twilight;

⁴⁰and with the one lamb there shall be one-tenth of a measure of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten [olive] oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering [to be poured out].

⁴¹And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and do with it as with the grain offering of the morning and with the drink offering, for a sweet and soothing aroma [to appease God], an offering by fire to the LORD.

⁴²This will be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.

⁴³There I will meet with the Israelites, and the Tent of Meeting shall be sanctified by My glory [the Shekinah, God's dwelling presence].

⁴⁴I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar [of burnt offering]; also I will sanctify Aaron and his sons to serve as priests to Me.

⁴⁵I will dwell among the sons of Israel and be their God.

⁴⁶They shall know [from personal experience] and acknowledge that I am the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God.

¹Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the gospel of God [the good news of salvation],

²which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures—

³[the good news] regarding His Son, who, as to the flesh [His human nature], was born a descendant of David [to fulfill the covenant promises],

⁴and [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated to be the Son of God with power [in a triumphant and miraculous way] by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

⁵It is through Him that we have received grace and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name's sake among all the Gentiles,

⁶and you also are among those who are called of Jesus Christ to belong to Him;

⁷[I am writing] to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called to be saints (God's people) and set apart for a sanctified life, [that is, set apart for God and His purpose]: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith [your trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] is being proclaimed in all the world.

⁹For God, whom I serve with my spirit by preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how continuously I mention you

¹⁰in my prayers; always pleading that somehow, by God's will, I may now at last come to you.

¹¹For I long to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift, to strengthen and establish you;

¹²that is, that we may be mutually encouraged and comforted by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

¹³I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that many times I have planned to come to you, (and have been prevented so far) so that I may have some fruit [of my labors] among you, even as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.

¹⁴I have a duty to perform and a debt to pay both to Greeks and to barbarians [the cultured and the uncultured], both to the wise and to the foolish.

¹⁵So, for my part, I am ready and eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

¹⁶I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

¹⁷For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, "The just and upright shall live by faith."

¹⁸For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth,

¹⁹because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.

²⁰For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.

²¹For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened.

²²Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

²³and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles.

²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],

²⁵because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

²⁶For this reason God gave them over to degrading and vile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural [a function contrary to nature],

²⁷and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing.

²⁸And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,

²⁹until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness. They are gossips [spreading rumors],

³⁰slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors [of new forms] of evil, disobedient and disrespectful to parents,

³¹without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful [without pity].

³²Although they know God's righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.

¹All who are under the yoke as bond-servants (slaves) are to regard their own masters as worthy of honor and respect so that the name of God and the teaching [about Him] will not be spoken against.

²Those who have believing masters are not to be disrespectful toward them because they are brothers [in Christ], but they should serve them even better, because those who benefit from their kindly service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these [duties and principles].

³If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine and teaching which is in agreement with godliness (personal integrity, upright behavior),

⁴he is conceited and woefully ignorant [understanding nothing]. He has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, which produces envy, quarrels, verbal abuse, evil suspicions,

⁵and perpetual friction between men who are corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who think that godliness is a source of profit [a lucrative, money-making business—withdraw from them].

⁶But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God].

⁷For we have brought nothing into the world, so [it is clear that] we cannot take anything out of it, either.

⁸But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

⁹But those who [are not financially ethical and] crave to get rich [with a compulsive, greedy longing for wealth] fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction [leading to personal misery].

¹⁰For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.

¹¹But as for you, O man of God, flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

¹²Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses.

¹³I solemnly charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and [in the presence] of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession [in His testimony] before Pontius Pilate,

¹⁴to keep all His precepts without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵which He will bring about in His own time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign [the absolute Ruler], the King of those who reign as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords,

¹⁶He alone possesses immortality [absolute exemption from death] and lives in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.

¹⁷As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

¹⁸Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share [with others].

¹⁹In this way storing up for themselves the enduring riches of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

²⁰O Timothy, guard and keep safe the deposit [of godly truth] entrusted to you, turn away from worldly and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], and the contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge"—

²¹which some have professed and by doing so have erred (missed the mark) and strayed from the faith. Grace be with you.

¹"My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.

²"Surely there are mockers and mockery with me, And my eye gazes on their obstinacy and provocation.

³"Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death]; Who is there that will be my guarantor and give security for me?

⁴"But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding, Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me].

⁵"He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil, The eyes of his children will also languish and fail.

⁶"But He has made me a byword and mockery among the people, And I have become one in whose face people spit.

⁷"My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief, And all my [body's] members are [wasted away] like a shadow.

⁸"The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this, And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted.

⁹"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

¹⁰"But as for all of you, come back again, Even though I do not find a wise man among you.

¹¹"My days are past, my purposes and plans are frustrated and torn apart; The wishes of my heart [are broken].

¹²"These [thoughts try to] make the night into the day; 'The light is near,' they say in the presence of darkness [but they pervert the truth].

¹³"But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home, If I make my bed in the darkness,

¹⁴If I call out to the pit (grave), 'You are my father'; And to the worm [that feeds on decay], 'You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],'

¹⁵Where now is my hope? And who regards or considers or is even concerned about my hope?

¹⁶"Will my hope go down with me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)? Shall we go down together in the dust?"

¹A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded [the land of Your people] Your inheritance; They have defiled Your sacred temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

²They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.

³They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, And there was no one to bury them.

⁴We have become an object of taunting to our neighbors [because of our humiliation], A derision and mockery to those who encircle us.

⁵How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy [which cannot endure a divided allegiance] burn like fire?

⁶Pour out Your wrath on the [Gentile] nations that do not know You, And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.

⁷For they have devoured Jacob And made his pasture desolate.

⁸O do not remember against us the sins and guilt of our forefathers. Let Your compassion and mercy come quickly to meet us, For we have been brought very low.

⁹Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; Rescue us, forgive us our sins for Your name's sake.

¹⁰Why should the [Gentile] nations say, "Where is their God?" Let there be known [without delay] among the nations in our sight [and to this generation], Your vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been poured out.

¹¹Let the groaning and sighing of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power keep safe those who are doomed to die.

¹²And return into the lap of our neighbors sevenfold The taunts with which they have taunted You, O Lord.

¹³So we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will declare and publish Your praise from generation to generation.

¹Better is a dry morsel [of food served] with quietness and peace Than a house full of feasting [served] with strife and contention.

²A wise servant will rule over the [unworthy] son who acts shamefully and brings disgrace [to the family] And [the worthy servant] will share in the inheritance among the brothers.

³The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.

⁴An evildoer listens closely to wicked lips; And a liar pays attention to a destructive and malicious tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor taunts his Maker, And he who rejoices at [another's] disaster will not go unpunished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of aged men, And the glory of children is their fathers [who live godly lives].

⁷Excellent speech does not benefit a fool [who is spiritually blind], Much less do lying lips benefit a prince.

⁸A bribe is like a bright, precious stone in the eyes of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, But he who repeats or gossips about a matter separates intimate friends.

¹⁰A reprimand goes deeper into one who has understanding and a teachable spirit Than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹A rebellious man seeks only evil; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹²Let a man meet a [ferocious] bear robbed of her cubs Rather than the [angry, narcissistic] fool in his folly.

¹³Whoever returns evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes]; Therefore abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.

¹⁵He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous Are both repulsive to the LORD.

¹⁶Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man lacking common sense gives a pledge And becomes guarantor [for the debt of another] in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife and is quarrelsome; He who [proudly] raises his gate seeks destruction [because of his arrogant pride].

²⁰He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.

²¹He who becomes the parent of a fool [who is spiritually blind] does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool [who is spiritually blind] has no joy.

²²A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a bribe from the [hidden] pocket To pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it], But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief and anguish to his father And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.

²⁶It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

²⁷He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words, And a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, an even temper).

²⁸Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.

¹Now it happened when David and his men came [home] to Ziklag on the third day, [they found] that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;

²and they had taken captive the women [and all] who were there, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off [to be used as slaves] and went on their way.

³When David and his men came to the town, it was burned, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive.

⁴Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer].

⁵Now David's two wives had been captured, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.

⁶Further, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all of them were embittered, each man for his sons and daughters. But David felt strengthened and encouraged in the LORD his God.

⁷David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought him the ephod.

⁸David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this band [of raiders]? Will I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives]."

⁹So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those [who could not continue] remained behind.

¹⁰But David pursued [the Amalekites], he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind.

¹¹They found an Egyptian [who had collapsed] in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they gave him water to drink,

¹²and they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten, his energy returned, for he had not eaten bread or had any water to drink for three days and three nights.

¹³David said to him, "To whom do you belong, and where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man from Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me [as useless] when I fell sick three days ago.

¹⁴We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire."

¹⁵Then David said to him, "Will you take me down to this band [of raiders]?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or turn me over to the hand of my master, and I will bring you down to this band."

¹⁶When he brought David down, the Amalekites had disbanded and spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

¹⁷Then David [and his men] struck them down [in battle] from twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode camels and fled.

¹⁸So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives.

¹⁹Nothing of theirs was missing whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered it all.

²⁰So David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and [the people] drove those animals before him and said, "This is David's spoil."

²¹David came to the two hundred men who were so exhausted that they could not follow him and had been left at the brook Besor [with the provisions]. They went out to meet David and the people with him, and when he approached the people, he greeted them.

²²Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will give them none of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife and children away and leave."

²³David said, "You must not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and has handed over to us the band [of Amalekites] that came against us.

²⁴And who will listen to you in regard to this matter? For as is the share of him who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the provisions and supplies; they shall share alike."

²⁵So from that day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

²⁶When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, "Here is a blessing (gift) for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD:

²⁷For those in Bethel, Ramoth of the Negev, Jattir,

²⁸Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,

²⁹Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites,

³⁰Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,

³¹Hebron, and for [those elders in] all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go."

¹Thus the LORD said to me, "Go and buy yourself a linen waistband and put it on your loins, but do not put it in water."

²So I bought the waistband according to the word of the LORD and put it on my loins.

³Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying,

⁴"Get up and take the waistband that you have bought, which is [wrapped] around your loins, and go to the [river] Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock."

⁵So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD had commanded me.

⁶And after many days the LORD said to me, "Get up, go to the Euphrates and get the waistband which I commanded you to hide there."

⁷Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the waistband from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistband was decayed and ruined; it was completely worthless.

⁸Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁹"Thus says the LORD, 'In this same way I shall destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

¹⁰These wicked and malevolent people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubborn way of their heart and have followed other gods [which are nothing—just man-made carvings] to serve them and to worship them, let them be just like this waistband which is completely worthless.

¹¹For as the waistband clings to the body of a man, so I caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,' says the LORD, 'that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory; but they did not listen and obey.'

¹²"Therefore you are to speak this word to them, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "Every jar should be filled with wine."' The people will say to you, 'Do we not already know that every jar should be filled with wine?'

¹³Then say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to fill with drunkenness all the people of this land, even the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets and all the people of Jerusalem.

¹⁴I will smash them one against another, both the fathers and the sons together," says the LORD. "I shall destroy them [nothing will restrain Me]; I will not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion."'"

¹⁵Listen and pay close attention, do not be haughty and overconfident, For the LORD has spoken [says Jeremiah].

¹⁶Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dark and shadowy mountains, And while you are longing for light He turns it into the shadow of death, And makes it into thick darkness.

¹⁷But if you will not listen and obey, My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly And flow with tears, Because the Lord's flock has been taken captive.

¹⁸Say to the king and the queen mother, "Humble yourselves and take a lowly seat, For your beautiful crown [the crown of your glory] Has come down from your head."

¹⁹The cities of the South (the Negev) have been closed up, And there is no one to open them; All Judah has been carried into exile, Completely carried away into exile.

²⁰"Lift up your eyes and see Those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you [to shepherd], Your beautiful flock?

²¹"What will you say [O Jerusalem] when the LORD appoints [foreign nations to rule] over you— Those former friends and allies whom you have encouraged [to be your companions]— Will not pain seize you Like [that of] a woman in childbirth?

²²"And if you [wonder and] say in your heart, 'Why have these things happened to me?' It is because of the greatness and nature of your sin That your skirts have been pulled away [subjecting you to public disgrace] And [like a barefoot slave] your heels have been wounded.

²³"Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to evil and even trained to do it.

²⁴"Therefore I will scatter you like drifting straw [Driven away] by the desert wind.

²⁵"This is your destiny, the portion [of judgment] measured to you From Me," says the LORD, "Because you have forgotten Me And trusted in [pagan] lies [the counterfeit gods, and the pretense of alliance]."

²⁶"So I Myself will throw your skirts up over your face, That your shame may be exposed [publicly].

²⁷"I have seen your vile and detestable acts, Even your adulteries and your lustful neighings [after idols], And the lewdness of your prostitution On the hills in the fields. Woe (judgment is coming) to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean [by ignoring My precepts]?"

¹Then Paul, looking intently at the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), said, "Kinsmen, I have lived my life before God with a perfectly good conscience until this very day."

²[At this] the high priest Ananias ordered those who stood beside him to strike Paul on the mouth.

³Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you actually sit to judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?"

⁴But those who stood near Paul said, "Are you insulting the high priest of God?"

⁵Paul said, "I was not aware, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

⁶But recognizing that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began affirming loudly in the Council chamber, "Kinsmen, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!"

⁷When he said this, an angry dispute erupted between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the [whole crowded] assembly was divided [into two factions].

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no [such thing as a] resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees [speak out freely and] acknowledge [their belief in] them all.

⁹Then a great uproar occurred, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and began to argue heatedly [in Paul's favor], saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has [really] spoken to him?"

¹⁰And as the dissension became even greater, the commander, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down and forcibly take him from them, and bring him to the barracks.

¹¹On the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Be brave; for as you have solemnly and faithfully witnessed about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome."

¹²Now when day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath (curse), saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³There were more than forty [men] who formed this plot [and swore this oath].

¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath not to taste anything [neither food nor drink] until we have killed Paul.

¹⁵So now you, along with the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), notify the commander to bring Paul down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near [the place]."

¹⁶But the son of Paul's sister heard of their [planned] ambush, and he went to the barracks and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, "Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him."

¹⁸So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."

¹⁹The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to ask him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

²⁰And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tomorrow, as if they were going to interrogate him more thoroughly.

²¹But do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, and they have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Even now they are ready, just waiting for your promise."

²²So the commander let the young man leave, instructing him, "Do not tell anyone that you have given me this information."

²³Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, "Have two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen;

²⁴also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix the governor."

²⁵And [after instructing the centurions] he wrote a letter to this effect:

²⁶"Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

²⁷"This man was seized [as a prisoner] by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon him with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

²⁸And wanting to know the exact charge which they were making against him, I brought him down to their Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court);

²⁹and I discovered that he was accused in regard to questions and issues in their Law, but [he was] under no accusation that would call for the penalty of death or [even] for imprisonment.

³⁰"When I was told that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also directing his accusers to bring their charges against him before you."

³¹So the soldiers, in compliance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night.

³²And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks.

³³When these [horsemen] reached Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor, and also presented Paul to him.

³⁴After reading the letter, he asked which province Paul was from, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province],

³⁵he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers have arrived," giving orders that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's Praetorium (the governor's official residence).