Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹Now before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that His hour had come [and it was time] for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. Having [greatly] loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [and continuously loves them with His perfect love] to the end (eternally).

²It was during supper, when the devil had already put [the thought of] betraying Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,

³that Jesus, knowing that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God,

⁴got up from supper, took off His [outer] robe, and taking a [servant's] towel, He tied it around His waist.

⁵Then He poured water into the basin and began washing the disciples' feet and wiping them with the towel which was tied around His waist.

⁶When He came to Simon Peter, he said to Him, "Lord, are You going to wash my feet?"

⁷Jesus replied to him, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but you will [fully] understand it later."

⁸Peter said to Him, "You will never wash my feet!" Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me [we can have nothing to do with each other]."

⁹Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, [in that case, wash] not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!"

¹⁰Jesus said to him, "Anyone who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, and is completely clean. And you [My disciples] are clean, but not all of you."

¹¹For He knew who was going to betray Him; for that reason He said, "Not all of you are clean."

¹²So when He had washed their feet and put on His [outer] robe and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you understand what I have done for you?

¹³You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right in doing so, for that is who I am.

¹⁴So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet as well.

¹⁵For I gave you [this as] an example, so that you should do [in turn] as I did to you.

¹⁶I assure you and most solemnly say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.

¹⁷If you know these things, you are blessed [happy and favored by God] if you put them into practice [and faithfully do them].

¹⁸I am not speaking of all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but [this has happened] in order that the Scripture may be fulfilled: 'He who eats My bread has raised up his heel against Me [as My enemy].'

¹⁹From now on I am telling you [what will happen] before it occurs, so that when it does take place you may believe that I am He [who I say I am—the Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah].

²⁰I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the one who receives and welcomes whomever I send receives Me; and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me [in that same way]."

²¹After Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, one of you will betray Me and hand Me over."

²²The disciples began looking at one another, puzzled and disturbed as to whom He could mean.

²³One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved (esteemed), was leaning against Jesus' chest.

²⁴So Simon Peter motioned to him (John) and [quietly] asked [him to ask Jesus] of whom He was speaking.

²⁵Then leaning back against Jesus' chest, he (John) asked Him [privately], "Lord, who is it?"

²⁶Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I am going to give this piece [of bread] after I have dipped it." So when He had dipped the piece of bread [into the dish], He gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.

²⁷After [Judas had taken] the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly [without delay]."

²⁸But no one reclining at the table knew why He said this to him.

²⁹Some thought that, since Judas [as the treasurer of the group] had the money box, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he was to give something to the poor.

³⁰After taking the piece of bread, he went out immediately; and it was night.

³¹So when Judas had left, Jesus said, "Now is [the time for] the Son of Man [to be] glorified, and God is glorified in Him;

³²[if God is glorified in Him,] God will also glorify Him (the Son) in Himself, and will glorify Him at once.

³³Little children, I am with you [only] a little longer. You will look for Me and, as I told the Jews, so I tell you now, 'Where I am going, you are not able to come.'

³⁴I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.

³⁵By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another."

³⁶Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now; but you will be able to follow later."

³⁷Peter said to Him, "Lord, why cannot I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You!"

³⁸Jesus answered, "Will you [really] lay down your life for Me? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, before a rooster crows you will deny and completely disown Me three times.

¹Now the LORD said to Moses,

²"See, I have called by name Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

³I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom and skill, in understanding and intelligence, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,

⁴to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze,

⁵and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship.

⁶And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; to all who are wise-hearted I have given the skill and ability to make everything that I have commanded you:

⁷the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the mercy seat that is upon it, all the furnishings of the tent—

⁸the table [for the bread] and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the [golden] altar of incense,

⁹the [bronze] altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the basin and its base—

¹⁰the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the [high] priest and the garments for his sons to minister as priests,

¹¹and the anointing oil and the sweet and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you."

¹²And the LORD said to Moses,

¹³"But as for you, say to the Israelites, 'You shall most certainly observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the LORD who sanctifies you and sets you apart [for Myself].

¹⁴Therefore, you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it must be put to death; for whoever does work on the Sabbath, that person (soul) shall be cut off from among his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

¹⁵For six days work may be done, but the seventh is the Sabbath of complete rest, sacred to the LORD; whoever does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.

¹⁶So the Israelites shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.'

¹⁷It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and was refreshed."

¹⁸When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

¹Then what is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

²Great in every respect. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God [His very words].

³What then? If some did not believe or were unfaithful [to God], their lack of belief will not nullify and make invalid the faithfulness of God and His word, will it?

⁴Certainly not! Let God be found true [as He will be], though every person be found a liar, just as it is written [in Scripture], "That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged [by sinful men]."

⁵But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? God is not wrong to inflict His wrath [on us], is He? (I am speaking in purely human terms.)

⁶Certainly not! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

⁷But [as you might say] if through my lie God's truth was magnified and abounded to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

⁸And why not say, (as some slanderously report and claim that we teach) "Let us do evil so that good may come of it"? Their condemnation [by God] is just.

⁹Well then, are we [Jews] better off than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) are under the control of sin and subject to its power.

¹⁰As it is written and forever remains written, "There is none righteous [none that meets God's standard], not even one.

¹¹"There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God.

¹²"All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, no, not one."

¹³"Their throat is an open grave; They [habitually] deceive with their tongues." "The venom of asps is beneath their lips."

¹⁴"Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

¹⁵"Their feet are swift to shed blood,

¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their paths,

¹⁷And they have not known the path of peace."

¹⁸"There is no fear of God [and His awesome power] before their eyes."

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the Law [of Moses] says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that [the excuses of] every mouth may be silenced [from protesting] and that all the world may be held accountable to God [and subject to His judgment].

²⁰For no person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].

²¹But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets.

²²This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God's Son]. There is no distinction,

²³since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,

²⁴and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

²⁵whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus' crucifixion].

²⁶It was to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus [and rely confidently on Him as Savior].

²⁷Then what becomes of [our] boasting? It is excluded [entirely ruled out, banished]. On what principle? On [the principle of good] works? No, but on the principle of faith.

²⁸For we maintain that an individual is justified by faith distinctly apart from works of the Law [the observance of which has nothing to do with justification, that is, being declared free of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God].

²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not also the God of Gentiles [who were not given the Law]? Yes, of Gentiles also,

³⁰since indeed it is one [and the same] God who will justify the circumcised by faith [which began with Abraham] and the uncircumcised through [their newly acquired] faith.

³¹Do we then nullify the Law by this faith [making the Law of no effect, overthrowing it]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law [since it convicts us all of sin, pointing to the need for salvation].

¹So you, my son, be strong [constantly strengthened] and empowered in the grace that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus.

²The things [the doctrine, the precepts, the admonitions, the sum of my ministry] which you have heard me teach in the presence of many witnesses, entrust [as a treasure] to reliable and faithful men who will also be capable and qualified to teach others.

³Take with me your share of hardship [passing through the difficulties which you are called to endure], like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

⁴No soldier in active service gets entangled in the [ordinary business] affairs of civilian life; [he avoids them] so that he may please the one who enlisted him to serve.

⁵And if anyone competes as an athlete [in competitive games], he is not crowned [with the wreath of victory] unless he competes according to the rules.

⁶The hard-working farmer [who labors to produce crops] ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

⁷Think over the things I am saying [grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you insight and understanding in everything.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ [the ever-living Lord who has] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David [king of Israel], according to my gospel [the good news that I preach],

⁹for that [gospel] I am suffering even to [the point of] wearing chains like a criminal; but the word of God is not chained or imprisoned!

¹⁰For this reason I [am ready to] patiently endure all things for the sake of those who are the elect (God's chosen ones), so that they too may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it the reward of eternal glory.

¹¹This is a faithful and trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

¹²If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He will also deny us;

¹³If we are faithless, He remains faithful [true to His word and His righteous character], for He cannot deny Himself.

¹⁴Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen.

¹⁵Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.

¹⁶But avoid all irreverent babble and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], for it will lead to further ungodliness,

¹⁷and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus,

¹⁸who have deviated from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they undermine the faith of some.

¹⁹Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God [which He has laid] stands [sure and unshaken despite attacks], bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord stand apart from wickedness and withdraw from wrongdoing."

²⁰Now in a large house there are not only vessels and objects of gold and silver, but also vessels and objects of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honorable (noble, good) use and some for dishonorable (ignoble, common).

²¹Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonorable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

²²Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

²³But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels.

²⁴The servant of the Lord must not participate in quarrels, but must be kind to everyone [even-tempered, preserving peace, and he must be], skilled in teaching, patient and tolerant when wronged.

²⁵He must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it],

²⁶and that they may come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

¹Then Job answered and said,

²"How long will you torment and exasperate me And crush me with words?

³"These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me [and harden your hearts against me].

⁴"And if it were true that I have erred, My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].

⁵"If indeed you [braggarts] vaunt and magnify yourselves over me And prove my disgrace (humiliation) to me,

⁶Know then that God has wronged me and overthrown me And has closed His net around me.

⁷"Behold, I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not heard; I shout for help, but there is no justice.

⁸"He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has set darkness upon my paths.

⁹"He has stripped me of my honor And removed the crown from my head.

¹⁰"He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; He has uprooted my hope like a tree.

¹¹"He has also kindled His wrath [like a fire] against me And He considers and counts me as one of His adversaries.

¹²"His troops come together And build up their way and siege works against me And camp around my tent.

¹³"He has put my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

¹⁴"My relatives have failed [me], And my intimate friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵"Those who live [temporarily] in my house and my maids consider me a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight.

¹⁶"I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with words.

¹⁷"My breath is repulsive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.

¹⁸"Even young children despise me; When I get up, they speak against me.

¹⁹"All the men of my council hate me; Those I love have turned against me.

²⁰"My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh, And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.

²¹"Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has touched me.

²²"Why do you persecute me as God does? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh (anguish)?

²³"Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!

²⁴"That with an iron stylus and [molten] lead They were engraved in the rock forever!

²⁵"For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth.

²⁶"Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death], Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,

²⁷Whom I, even I, will see for myself, And my eyes will see Him and not another! My heart faints within me.

²⁸"If you say, 'How shall we [continue to] persecute him?' And 'What pretext for a case against him can we find [since we claim the root of these afflictions is found in him]?'

²⁹"Then beware and be afraid of the sword [of divine vengeance] for yourselves, For wrathful are the punishments of that sword, So that you may know there is judgment."

¹To the Chief Musician; set to the Philistine lute. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; Shout for joy to the God of Jacob (Israel).

²Raise a song, sound the timbrel, The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.

³Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, At the full moon, on our feast day.

⁴For this is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

⁵He established it for a testimony in Joseph When He went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard the language [of One whom] I did not know, saying,

⁶"I removed the burden from his shoulder; His hands were freed from the basket.

⁷"You called in [the time of] trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

⁸"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you— O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

⁹"Let there be no strange god among you, Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

¹⁰"I am the LORD your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

¹¹"But My people would not listen to My voice, And Israel did not [consent to] obey Me.

¹²"So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in [the path of] their own counsel.

¹³"Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!

¹⁴"Then I would quickly subdue and humble their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries;

¹⁵Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him and cringe before Him, And their time of punishment would be forever.

¹⁶"But I would feed Israel with the finest of the wheat; And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

¹Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than a [rich] man who is twisted in his speech and is a [shortsighted] fool.

²Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries with his feet [acting impulsively and proceeding without caution or analyzing the consequences] sins (misses the mark).

³The foolishness of man undermines his way [ruining whatever he undertakes]; Then his heart is resentful and rages against the LORD [for, being a fool, he blames the LORD instead of himself].

⁴Wealth makes many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who breathes out lies will not escape.

⁶Many will seek the favor of a generous and noble man, And everyone is a friend to him who gives gifts.

⁷All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

⁸He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who breathes lies will perish.

¹⁰Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

¹¹Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].

¹²The king's wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water].

¹⁴House and wealth are the inheritance from fathers, But a wise, understanding, and sensible wife is [a gift and blessing] from the LORD.

¹⁵Laziness casts one into a deep sleep [unmindful of lost opportunity], And the idle person will suffer hunger.

¹⁶He who keeps and obeys the commandment [of the LORD] keeps (guards) his own life, But he who is careless of his ways and conduct will die.

¹⁷He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed.

¹⁸Discipline and teach your son while there is hope, And do not [indulge your anger or resentment by imposing inappropriate punishment nor] desire his destruction.

¹⁹A man of great anger will bear the penalty [for his quick temper and lack of self-control]; For if you rescue him [and do not let him learn from the consequences of his action], you will only have to rescue him over and over again.

²⁰Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, That you may be wise in the time to come.

²¹Many plans are in a man's mind, But it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).

²²That which is desirable in a man is his loyalty and unfailing love, But it is better to be a poor man than a [wealthy] liar.

²³The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

²⁴The lazy man buries his hand in the [food] dish, But will not even bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵Strike a scoffer [for refusing to learn], and the naive may [be warned and] become prudent; Reprimand one who has understanding and a teachable spirit, and he will gain knowledge and insight.

²⁶He who assaults his father and chases away his mother Is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷Cease listening, my son, to instruction and discipline And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A wicked and worthless witness mocks justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.

²⁹Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of [thickheaded] fools.

¹Now it happened after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that he stayed two days in Ziklag.

²On the third day a man came [unexpectedly] from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as in mourning]. When he came to David, he bowed to the ground and lay himself face down [in an act of great respect and submission].

³Then David asked him, "Where do you come from?" He said, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel."

⁴David said to him, "How did it go? Please tell me." He answered, "The people have fled from the battle. Also, many of the people have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead."

⁵So David said to the young man who informed him, "How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

⁶And the young man who told him explained, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and the chariots and horsemen [of the Philistines] were close behind him.

⁷When he turned to look behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.'

⁸He asked me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

⁹He said to me, 'Stand up facing me and kill me, for [terrible] agony has come over me, yet I still live [and I will be taken alive].'

¹⁰So I stood facing him and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."

¹¹Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him.

¹²They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the Lord's people and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword [in battle].

¹³David said to the young man who informed him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I am the son of a foreigner (resident alien, sojourner), an Amalekite."

¹⁴David said to him, "How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

¹⁵David called one of the young men and said, "Go, execute him." So he struck the Amalekite and he died.

¹⁶David said to the [fallen] man, " Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.'"

¹⁷Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan,

¹⁸and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar:

¹⁹"Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰"Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult.

²¹" O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not anointed with oil.

²²"From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

²³"Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

²⁴"O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

²⁵"How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.

²⁶"I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a good friend to me. Your love toward me was more wonderful Than the love of women.

²⁷"How the mighty have fallen, And the weapons of war have perished!"

¹Then the LORD said to me, "Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me [interceding for them], My heart would still not be [turned with favor] toward this people [Judah]. Send them away from My presence and out of My sight and let them go!

²And it shall be that when they say to you, 'Where should we go?' then tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: "Those [destined] for death, to death; Those for the sword, to the sword; Those for famine, to famine; Those for captivity, to captivity."'

³I will appoint four kinds of destroyers over them," says the LORD, "the sword to slay, the dogs to tear and drag away, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy.

⁴I will make them an object of horror to all nations of the earth because of Manasseh [the despicable] son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for the [evil and detestable] things which he did in Jerusalem.

⁵"For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, Or who will mourn for you, Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

⁶"You have abandoned (rejected) Me," says the LORD. "You keep going backward. Therefore I shall stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of delaying [your punishment]!

⁷"I will winnow (sort, separate) them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will deprive them of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent and turn from their [evil] ways.

⁸"I will make their widows more numerous before Me Than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men, A destroyer at noonday; I will suddenly cause anguish and terror To fall on her.

⁹"She who has borne seven [sons] languishes; She has breathed out her soul. Her sun has set while it was still day; She has been shamed and humiliated. So I will hand over [the rest of] the survivors to the sword Before their enemies," says the LORD.

¹⁰Woe to me, my mother, that you have given birth to me To be a man of strife and a man of contention to all the earth! I have not loaned, nor have men lent money to me, Yet everyone curses me.

¹¹The LORD said, "Surely [it will go well for Judah's obedient remnant for] I will set you free for good purposes; Surely [Jeremiah] I will [intercede for you with the enemy and I will] cause the enemy to plead with you [for help] In a time of disaster and a time of distress.

¹²"Can anyone crush iron, The iron from the north, or bronze?

¹³"Your [nation's] riches and your treasures I will give as plunder without price [to the Babylonians], Because of all your sins And within all your territories.

¹⁴"Then I will make your enemies bring [you along with] your possessions Into a land which you do not know [for there you will serve your conquerors]; For a fire has been kindled in My anger, Which will burn upon you."

¹⁵O LORD, You know and understand; Remember me [thoughtfully], take notice of me, take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; Know that for Your sake I endure [continual] rebuke and dishonor.

¹⁶Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

¹⁷I did not sit with the group of those who celebrate, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your [powerful] hand was upon me, For You had filled me with indignation [at their sin].

¹⁸Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceptive brook With water that is unreliable?

¹⁹Therefore, thus says the LORD [to Jeremiah], "If you repent [and give up this mistaken attitude of despair and self-pity], then I will restore you [to a state of inner peace] So that you may stand before Me [as My obedient representative]; And if you separate the precious from the worthless [examining yourself and cleansing your heart from unwarranted doubt concerning My faithfulness], You will become My spokesman. Let the people turn to you [and learn to value My values]— But you, you must not turn to them [with regard for their idolatry and wickedness].

²⁰"And I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; They will fight against you, But they will not prevail over you, For I am with you [always] to save you And protect you," says the LORD.

²¹"So I will rescue you out of the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the [grasping] palm of the terrible and ruthless [tyrant]."

¹Now Festus arrived in the province, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea [Maritima].

²And [there in Jerusalem] the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul [before Festus], and they repeatedly pleaded with him,

³asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile planning an ambush to kill him on the way).

⁴Festus answered that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea [Maritima] and that he himself was about to leave shortly.

⁵"So," he said, "let those who are in a position of authority among you go there with me, and if there is anything criminal about the man, let them bring charges against him."

⁶Now after Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal (the judicial bench), and ordered Paul to be brought [before him].

⁷After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him which they were not able to prove,

⁸while Paul declared in his own defense, "I have done no wrong and committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."

⁹But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, " Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial there in my presence [before the Jewish Sanhedrin] on these charges?"

¹⁰Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.

¹¹Therefore, if I am guilty and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not try to escape death; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar (Emperor Nero)."

¹²Then Festus, after conferring with [the men who formed] his council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."

¹³Now several days later, Agrippa [II] the king and Bernice [his sister] arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus [the new governor].

¹⁴While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man here who was left as a prisoner by Felix.

¹⁵When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews [told me about him and] brought charges against him, petitioning for a sentence of condemnation against him.

¹⁶I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man [for punishment] before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has the opportunity to defend himself against the charges.

¹⁷So after they arrived together here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my place on the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought before me.

¹⁸When his accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of crimes that I was expecting [neither civil nor criminal actions],

¹⁹instead they had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about one Jesus, a man who had died, but whom Paul kept asserting and insisting [over and over] to be alive.

²⁰And I, being at a loss as to how to investigate these things, asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters.

²¹But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for a decision by the Emperor [Nero], I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar."

²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," Festus replied, "you will hear him."

²³So the next day Agrippa and [his sister] Bernice came with great pageantry, and they went into the auditorium accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

²⁴Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man [Paul] about whom all the Jewish people appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly insisting that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; however, since he appealed to the Emperor [Nero], I decided to send him [to Rome].

²⁶But I have nothing specific about him to write to my lord. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I will have something to put in writing.

²⁷For it seems absurd and unreasonable to me to send a prisoner [to Rome] without indicating the charges against him."