Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹After this Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). And He did it in this way:

²Simon Peter, and Thomas who is called Didymus (the twin), and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, as well as [John and James] the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.

³Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said, "And we are coming with you." So they went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

⁴As morning was breaking, Jesus [came and] stood on the beach; however, the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

⁵So Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish [to eat along with your bread]?" They answered, "No."

⁶And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat (starboard) and you will find some." So they cast [the net], and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great catch of fish.

⁷Then that disciple (John) whom Jesus loved (esteemed) said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer tunic (for he was stripped for work) and threw himself into the sea [and swam ashore].

⁸But the other disciples came in the small boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

⁹So when they got out on the beach, they saw a charcoal fire set up and fish on it cooking, and bread.

¹⁰Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught."

¹¹So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three [of them]; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

¹²Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared to ask Him, "Who are You?" They knew [without any doubt] that it was the Lord.

¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples, after He had risen from the dead.

¹⁵So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do—with total commitment and devotion]?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]." Jesus said to him, "Feed My lambs."

¹⁶Again He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with total commitment and devotion]?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]." Jesus said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."

¹⁷He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]?" Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, "Do you [really] love Me [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

¹⁸I assure you and most solemnly say to you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and walked wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and arms, and someone else will dress you, and carry you where you do not wish to go."

¹⁹Now He said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And after saying this, He said to him, "Follow Me [walk the same path of life that I have walked]!"

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His chest at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray You?"

²¹So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man [what is in his future]?"

²²Jesus said to him, "If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you? You follow Me!"

²³So this word went out among the brothers that this disciple (John) was not going to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but only, "If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you?"

²⁴This is the same disciple who is testifying to these things and has recorded them; and we know [without any doubt] that his testimony is true.

²⁵And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were recorded one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

¹Moreover, from the blue and purple and scarlet fabric, they made finely woven garments for serving and ministering in the Holy Place; they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

²Bezalel made the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen.

³Then Bezalel and Oholiab hammered the gold [into thin sheets] and cut it into threads to work into the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and into the fine linen, the work of a skilled craftsman.

⁴They made attaching shoulder pieces for the ephod; it was attached at its two [upper] edges.

⁵The skillfully woven sash with which to bind it, which was on the ephod [to hold it in place], was like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁶They made the onyx stones, set in settings of gold filigree; they were engraved as signets are engraved, with the names of [the twelve tribes of] the sons of Israel.

⁷And he put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be memorial stones (a remembrance) for the sons of Israel (Jacob), just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁸Bezalel made the breastpiece, the work of a skillful craftsman, like the workmanship of the ephod: of gold and of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen.

⁹It was square; they made the breastpiece folded double, a [hand's] span long and a [hand's] span wide when folded double.

¹⁰And they mounted four rows of stones on it. The first row was a row of ruby, topaz, and emerald;

¹¹and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;

¹²and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;

¹³and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were mounted in settings of gold filigree.

¹⁴The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel; they were twelve [in all], corresponding to their names, engraved like a signet, each with its name, for the twelve tribes.

¹⁵And they made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords of pure gold.

¹⁶They made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.

¹⁷Then they put the two twisted cords of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastpiece.

¹⁸They put the [other] two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it.

¹⁹They made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inner edge which was next to the ephod.

²⁰Furthermore, they made two [other] gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it, close to the place where it is joined, above the woven sash of the ephod.

²¹They bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would lie on the woven sash of the ephod, and so that the breastpiece would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

²²Then Bezalel made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue;

²³there was an opening [for the head] in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of armor, with a hem around it, so that it would not be frayed or torn.

²⁴On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, and fine twisted linen.

²⁵They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe;

²⁶a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all [the way] around the hem of the robe, for service and ministering, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

²⁷And they made tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons,

²⁸and the turban of fine linen, and the ornamental caps of fine linen, and the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen,

²⁹and the sash of fine twisted linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric, the work of an embroiderer, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

³⁰They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engravings of a signet, "Holy to the LORD."

³¹They tied a blue cord to it, to fasten it on the turban above, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

³²Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished; and the Israelites did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; that is what they did.

³³They brought the tabernacle to Moses [for him to inspect]: the tent and all its furnishings, its hooks, its [frame] boards, its bars, its support poles, its sockets or bases;

³⁴and the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of porpoise skins, and the veil (partition) of the screen (curtain);

³⁵the ark of the Testimony, its carrying poles and the mercy seat;

³⁶the table and all its utensils and the bread of the Presence (showbread);

³⁷the pure gold lampstand and its lamps, with the lamps placed in order, all its utensils, and the oil for the light;

³⁸the golden altar [of incense], the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the [hanging] veil for the doorway of the tent;

³⁹the bronze altar [of burnt offering] and its grating of bronze, its poles and all its utensils, the basin and its base;

⁴⁰the curtains of the courtyard, its support poles and sockets, and the screen (curtain) for the courtyard gate, its cords and pegs, and all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting [of God with His people];

⁴¹the [finely] woven garments for serving and ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests.

⁴²So the Israelites did all the work according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁴³And Moses [carefully] inspected all the work, and behold, they had done it; just as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. So Moses blessed them.

¹I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

²God has not rejected His [chosen] people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

³"Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left [of the prophets], and they are seeking my life."

⁴But what is God's response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

⁵So too then, at the present time there has come to be a remnant [a small believing minority] according to God's gracious choice.

⁶But if it is by grace [God's unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace [it would not be a gift but a reward for works].

⁷What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking [that is, God's favor by obedience to the Law], but the elect [those chosen few] obtained it, while the rest of them became hardened and callously indifferent;

⁸just as it is written [in Scripture], "God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, [a spiritual apathy that has continued] to this very day."

⁹And David says, "Let their table (abundance) become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a retribution to them.

¹⁰"Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, And make their backs bend [under their burden] forever."

¹¹So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall [to spiritual ruin]? Certainly not! But by their transgression [their rejection of the Messiah] salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous [when they realize what they have forfeited].

¹²Now if Israel's transgression means riches for the world [at large] and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment and reinstatement be!

¹³But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

¹⁴in the hope of somehow making my fellow countrymen jealous [by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth] and perhaps save some of them.

¹⁵For if their [present] rejection [of salvation] is for the reconciliation of the world [to God], what will their acceptance [of salvation] be but [nothing less than] life from the dead?

¹⁶If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites).

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree,

¹⁸do not boast over the [broken] branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you.

¹⁹You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by your faith [as believers understanding the truth of Christ's deity]. Do not be conceited, but [rather stand in great awe of God and] fear [Him];

²¹for if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], He will not spare you either.

²²Then appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: to those who fell [into spiritual ruin], severity, but to you, God's gracious kindness—if you continue in His kindness [by faith and obedience to Him]; otherwise you too will be cut off.

²³And even they [the unbelieving Jews], if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has the power to graft them in again.

²⁴For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these who are the natural branches back into [the original parent stock of] their own olive tree?

²⁵I do not want you, believers, to be unaware of this mystery [God's previously hidden plan]—so that you will not be wise in your own opinion—that a partial hardening has [temporarily] happened to Israel [to last] until the full number of the Gentiles has come in;

²⁶and so [at that time] all Israel [that is, all Jews who have a personal faith in Jesus as Messiah] will be saved; just as it is written [in Scripture], "The Deliverer (Messiah) will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."

²⁷"This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."

²⁸From the standpoint of the gospel, the Jews [at present] are enemies [of God] for your sake [which is for your benefit], but from the standpoint of God's choice [of the Jews as His people], they are still loved by Him for the sake of the fathers.

²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable [for He does not withdraw what He has given, nor does He change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call].

³⁰Just as you once were disobedient and failed to listen to God, but have now obtained mercy because of their disobedience,

³¹so they too have now become disobedient so that they too may one day receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you.

³²For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all [Jew and Gentile alike].

³³Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways!

³⁴For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?

³⁵Or who has first given to Him that it would be paid back to him?

³⁶For from Him [all things originate] and through Him [all things live and exist] and to Him are all things [directed]. To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.

¹My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality [toward people—show no favoritism, no prejudice, no snobbery].

²For if a man comes into your meeting place wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,

³and you pay special attention to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say to him, "You sit here in this good seat," and you tell the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down [on the floor] by my footstool,"

⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges with wrong motives?

⁵Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and [as believers to be] heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

⁶But you [in contrast] have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress and exploit you, and personally drag you into the courts of law?

⁷Do they not blaspheme the precious name [of Christ] by which you are called?

⁸If, however, you are [really] fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, if you have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit]" you are doing well.

⁹But if you show partiality [prejudice, favoritism], you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as offenders.

¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of [breaking] all of it.

¹¹For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you have become guilty of transgressing the [entire] Law.

¹²Speak and act [consistently] as people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty [that moral law that frees obedient Christians from the bondage of sin].

¹³For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; but [to the one who has shown mercy] mercy triumphs [victoriously] over judgment.

¹⁴What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient—genuine faith produces good works.]

¹⁵If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day,

¹⁶and one of you says to them, "Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves," but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

¹⁷So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].

¹⁸But someone may say, "You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do]."

¹⁹You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!

²⁰But are you willing to recognize, you foolish [spiritually shallow] person, that faith without [good] works is useless?

²¹Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]?

²²You see that [his] faith was working together with his works, and as a result of the works, his faith was completed [reaching its maturity when he expressed his faith through obedience].

²³And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and this [faith] was credited to him [by God] as righteousness and as conformity to His will," and he was called the friend of God.

²⁴You see that a man (believer) is justified by works and not by faith alone [that is, by acts of obedience a born-again believer reveals his faith].

²⁵In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works too, when she received the [Hebrew] spies as guests and protected them, and sent them away [to escape] by a different route?

²⁶For just as the [human] body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [of obedience] is also dead.

¹Job continued his discourse and said,

²"As God lives, who has taken away my right and denied me justice, And the Almighty, who has caused bitterness and grief for my soul,

³As long as my life is within me, And the breath of God is [still] in my nostrils,

⁴My lips will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue utter deceit.

⁵"Far be it from me that I should admit you are right [in your accusations against me]; Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me.

⁶"I hold fast my uprightness and my right standing with God and I will not let them go; My heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

⁷"May my enemy be as the wicked, And he who rises up against me be as the unrighteous (unjust).

⁸"For what is the hope of the godless, even though he has gained [in this world], When God takes his life?

⁹"Will God hear his cry When trouble and distress come upon him?

¹⁰"Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?

¹¹"I will teach you regarding the hand (power) of God; I will not conceal what is with the Almighty [God's actual treatment of the wicked].

¹²"Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you act vainly and foolishly [cherishing worthless concepts]?

¹³"This [which I am about to explain] is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants and oppressors receive from the Almighty:

¹⁴"Though his children are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not have sufficient bread.

¹⁵"Those who survive him will be buried because of the plague, And [their] widows will not be able to weep.

¹⁶"Though he heaps up silver like dust And piles up clothing like clay,

¹⁷He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.

¹⁸"He builds his house like a spider's web, Like a (temporary) hut which a watchman makes.

¹⁹"He lies down rich, but never will again; He opens his eyes, and it is gone.

²⁰"Terrors overtake him like a [suddenly rising] flood; A windstorm steals him away in the night.

²¹"The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place.

²²"For it will hurl [thunderbolts of God's wrath] at him unsparingly and without compassion; He flees in haste from its power.

²³"People will clap their hands at him [to mock and ridicule him] And hiss him out of his place.

¹A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the goodness and lovingkindness of the LORD forever; With my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation.

²For I have said, "Goodness and lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens [unchangeable and majestic] You will establish Your faithfulness."

³[God has said] "I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David My servant,

⁴I will establish your seed forever And I will build up your throne for all generations." Selah.

⁵The heavens (angels) praise Your wonders, O LORD, Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.

⁶For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the divine beings is like the LORD,

⁷A God greatly feared and reverently worshiped in the council of the holy [angelic] ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him?

⁸O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds You [as an intrinsic, unchangeable part of Your very being].

⁹You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.

¹⁰You have crushed Rahab (Egypt) like one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

¹¹The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all that is in it, You have founded and established them.

¹²The north and the south, You have created them; Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon shout for joy at Your name.

¹³You have a strong arm; Mighty is Your hand, Your right hand is exalted.

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

¹⁵Blessed and happy are the people who know the joyful sound [of the trumpet's blast]! They walk, O LORD, in the light and favor of Your countenance!

¹⁶In Your name they rejoice all the day, And in Your righteousness they are exalted.

¹⁷For You are the glory of their strength [their proud adornment], And by Your favor our horn is exalted.

¹⁸For our shield belongs to the LORD, And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹Once You spoke in a vision to Your godly ones, And said, "I have given help to one who is mighty [giving him the power to be a champion for Israel]; I have exalted one chosen from the people.

²⁰"I have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him,

²¹With whom My hand shall be established and steadfast; My arm also shall strengthen him.

²²"The enemy will not outwit him, Nor will the wicked man afflict or humiliate him.

²³"I will crush his adversaries before him, And strike those who hate him.

²⁴"My faithfulness and My steadfast lovingkindness shall be with him, And in My name shall his horn be exalted [great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon him].

²⁵"I will also set his hand on the [Mediterranean] sea, And his right hand on the rivers [the tributaries of the Euphrates].

²⁶"He will cry to Me, 'You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.'

²⁷"I will also make him My firstborn (preeminent), The highest of the kings of the earth.

²⁸"My lovingkindness I will keep for him forevermore, And My covenant will be confirmed to him.

²⁹"His descendants I will establish forever, And his throne [will endure] as the days of heaven.

³⁰"If his children turn away from My law And do not walk in My ordinances,

³¹If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments,

³²Then I will punish their transgression with the rod [of discipline], And [correct] their wickedness with stripes.

³³"Nevertheless, I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.

³⁴"My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.

³⁵"Once [for all] I have sworn by My holiness, [My vow which cannot be violated]; I will not lie to David.

³⁶"His descendants shall endure forever And his throne [will continue] as the sun before Me.

³⁷"It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the heavens is ever faithful." Selah.

³⁸But [in apparent contradiction of all this] You [the faithful LORD] have cast off and rejected; You have been full of wrath against Your anointed.

³⁹You have spurned and repudiated the covenant with Your servant; You have profaned his crown [by casting it] in the dust.

⁴⁰You have broken down all his [city] walls; You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

⁴¹All who pass along the road rob him; He has become the scorn of his neighbors.

⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his foes; You have made all his enemies rejoice.

⁴³Also, You have turned back the edge of his sword And have not made him [strong enough] to stand in battle.

⁴⁴You have put an end to his splendor And have hurled his throne to the ground.

⁴⁵You have shortened the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah.

⁴⁶How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire?

⁴⁷Remember how fleeting my lifetime is; For what vanity, [for what emptiness, for what futility, for what wisp of smoke] You have created all the sons of men!

⁴⁸What man can live and not see death? Can he rescue his soul from the [powerful] hand of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)? Selah.

⁴⁹O Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses [so abundant in the days of David and Solomon], Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?

⁵⁰Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants [scorned, insulted, and disgraced]; How I bear in my heart the reproach of all the many peoples,

⁵¹With which Your enemies have taunted, O LORD, With which they have mocked the footsteps of Your anointed.

⁵²Blessed be the LORD forevermore! Amen and Amen.

¹Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring.

²Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.

³Stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But a fool's [unreasonable] wrath is heavier and more burdensome than both of them.

⁴Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, But who is able to endure and stand before [the sin of] jealousy?

⁵Better is an open reprimand [of loving correction] Than love that is hidden.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].

⁷He who is satisfied loathes honey, But to the hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.

⁸Like a bird that wanders from her nest [with its comfort and safety], So is a man who wanders from his home.

⁹Oil and perfume make the heart glad; So does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart.

¹⁰Do not abandon your own friend and your father's friend, And do not go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

¹¹My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches (reprimands, criticizes) me.

¹²A prudent man sees evil and hides himself and avoids it, But the naive [who are easily misled] continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].

¹³[The judge tells the creditor,] "Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger; And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid]."

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be counted as a curse to him [for it will either be annoying or his purpose will be suspect].

¹⁵A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious (quarrelsome) woman are alike;

¹⁶Whoever attempts to restrain her [criticism] might as well try to stop the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].

¹⁸He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who faithfully protects and cares for his master will be honored.

¹⁹As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.

²⁰Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the underworld) are never satisfied; Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

²¹The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].

²²Even though you pound a [hardened, arrogant] fool [who rejects wisdom] in a mortar with a pestle like grain, Yet his foolishness will not leave him.

²³Be diligent to know the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds;

²⁴For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

²⁵When the grass is gone, the new growth is seen, And herbs of the mountain are gathered in,

²⁶The lambs will supply wool for your clothing, And the goats will bring the price of a field.

²⁷And there will be enough goats' milk for your food, For the food of your household, And for the maintenance of your maids.

¹And David said, "Is there still anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

²There was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, so they called him to David. And the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" He said, "I am your servant."

³And the king said, "Is there no longer anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show the goodness and graciousness of God?" Ziba replied to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan, [one] whose feet are crippled."

⁴So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba replied to the king, "He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar."

⁵Then King David sent word and had him brought from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

⁶Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell face down and lay himself down [in respect]. David said, "Mephibosheth." And he answered, "Here is your servant!"

⁷David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall always eat at my table."

⁸Again Mephibosheth lay himself face down and said, "What is your servant, that you would be concerned for a dead dog like me?"

⁹Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house (family).

¹⁰You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce, so that your master's grandson may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, shall always eat at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do according to everything that my lord the king commands." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table as one of the king's sons.

¹²Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house were servants to Mephibosheth.

¹³So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king's table. And he was lame in both feet.

¹"Woe to the shepherds (civil leaders, rulers) who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!" says the LORD.

²Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds," says the LORD.

³"Then I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and bring them back to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply.

⁴I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing," says the LORD.

⁵"Behold (listen closely), the days are coming," says the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as King and act wisely And will do [those things that accomplish] justice and righteousness in the land.

⁶"In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called; 'The LORD Our Righteousness.'

⁷"Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "when they will no longer say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,'

⁸but [they will say], 'As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries to which I had driven them.' Then they will live in their own land."

⁹Concerning the prophets: My heart [says Jeremiah] is broken within me, All my bones shake; I have become like a drunken man, A man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD And because of His holy words [declared against unfaithful leaders].

¹⁰For the land is full of adulterers (unfaithful to God); The land mourns because of the curse [of God upon it]. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. The course of action [of the false prophets] is evil and they rush into wickedness; And their power is not right.

¹¹"For both [false] prophet and priest are ungodly (profane, polluted); Even in My house I have found their wickedness," says the LORD.

¹²"Therefore their way will be to them like slippery paths In the dark; they will be pushed and fall into them; For I will bring disaster on them, In the year of their punishment," says the LORD.

¹³"And I have seen a foolish and an offensive thing in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to go astray.

¹⁴"Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

¹⁵Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts in regard to the prophets, 'Behold, I am going to feed them [the bitterness of] wormwood And make them drink the poisonous water [of gall], For from the [counterfeit] prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness and ungodliness have spread into all the land.'"

¹⁶Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the [false] prophets who prophesy to you. They are teaching you worthless things and are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own mind and imagination And not [truth] from the mouth of the LORD.

¹⁷"They are continually saying to those who despise Me [and My word], 'The Lord has said, "You will have peace"'; And they say to everyone who walks after the stubbornness of his own heart, 'No evil will come on you.'

¹⁸"But who [among them] has stood in the council of the LORD, That he would perceive and hear His word? Who has marked His word [noticing and observing and paying attention to it] and has [actually] heard it?

¹⁹"Behold, the tempest of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, A whirling tempest; It will whirl and burst on the heads of the wicked.

²⁰"The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has set in motion and accomplished the thoughts and intentions of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it.

²¹"I did not send [these counterfeit] prophets, Yet they ran; I did not speak to them, Yet they prophesied.

²²"But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned My people from their evil way And from the evil of their decisions and deeds.

²³"Am I a God who is at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God far away?"

²⁴"Can anyone hide himself in secret places So that I cannot see him?" says the LORD. "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.

²⁵"I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My Name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed [visions when on my bed at night].'

²⁶How long [shall this state of affairs continue]? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart,

²⁷who think that they can make My people forget My Name by their [contrived] dreams which each one tells another, just as their fathers forgot My Name because of Baal?

²⁸The prophet who has a dream may tell his dream; but he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat [for nourishment]?" says the LORD.

²⁹Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the [most stubborn] rock [in pieces]?

³⁰Therefore behold (hear this), I am against the [counterfeit] prophets," says the LORD, "[I am descending on them with punishment, these prophets] who steal My words from one another [imitating the words of the true prophets].

³¹Hear this, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their [own deceitful] tongues and say, 'Thus says the Lord.'

³²Hear this, I am against those who have prophesied false and made-up dreams," says the LORD, "and have told them and have made My people err and go astray by their lies and by their reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them nor do they benefit and enhance [the life of] these people in the slightest way," says the LORD.

³³"Now when this people or a prophet or a priest asks you [in jest], 'What is the oracle of the LORD [the burden to be lifted up and carried]?' Then you shall say to them, 'What oracle [besides the one that declares you people to be the burden]!' The LORD says, 'I will unburden Myself and I will abandon you.'

³⁴And as for the prophet, the priest, or [any of] the people, whoever says, 'The oracle of the LORD,' [as if he knows God's will], I will punish that man and his household.

³⁵[For the future, in speaking of the words of the LORD] thus each of you shall say to his neighbor and to his brother, 'What has the LORD answered?' or, 'What has the LORD spoken?'

³⁶For you will no longer remember the oracle of the LORD, because every man's own word will become the oracle, [for as they mockingly call all prophecies oracles, whether good or bad, so will it prove to be to them; God will take them at their own word]; and you have perverted the words [not of a lifeless idol, but] of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God.

³⁷Thus you will [reverently] say to the prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you?' and, 'What has the LORD spoken?'

³⁸For if you say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' surely thus says the LORD, 'Because you said this word, "The oracle of the LORD!" when I have also sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The oracle of the LORD!'"'

³⁹"Therefore behold, I, even I, will assuredly forget you and send you away from My presence, you and the city (Jerusalem) which I gave to you and to your fathers.

⁴⁰And I will bring an everlasting disgrace on you and a perpetual humiliation (shame) which will not be forgotten."

¹Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,

²and with his wife's full knowledge [and complicity] he kept back some of the proceeds, bringing only a portion of it, and set it at the apostles' feet.

³But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land?

⁴As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God."

⁵And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fear and awe gripped those who heard of it.

⁶And the young men [in the congregation] got up and wrapped up the body, and carried it out and buried it.

⁷Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

⁸Peter asked her, "Tell me whether you sold your land for so much?" And she said, "Yes, for so much."

⁹Then Peter said to her, "How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."

¹⁰And at once she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

¹¹And great fear and awe gripped the whole church, and all who heard about these things.

¹²At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders (attesting miracles) were continually taking place among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in [the covered porch called] Solomon's portico.

¹³But none of the rest [of the people, the non-believers] dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteem and were speaking highly of them.

¹⁴More and more believers in the Lord, crowds of men and women, were constantly being added to their number,

¹⁵to such an extent that they even carried their sick out into the streets and put them on cots and sleeping pads, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on one of them [with healing power].

¹⁶And the people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

¹⁷But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy and resentment.

¹⁸They arrested the apostles and put them in a public jail.

¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, and leading them out, he said,

²⁰"Go, stand and continue to tell the people in the temple [courtyards] the whole message of this Life [the eternal life revealed by Christ and found through faith in Him]."

²¹When they heard this, they went into the temple [courtyards] about daybreak and began teaching. Now when the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), even all the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent word to the prison for the apostles to be brought [before them].

²²But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison; and they came back and reported,

²³"We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened [the doors], we found no one inside."

²⁴Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these things, they were greatly perplexed, wondering what would come of this.

²⁵But someone came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing [right here] in the temple [area], teaching the people!"

²⁶Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).

²⁷So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them,

²⁸saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this Man's blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers]."

²⁹Then Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice].

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross [and you are responsible].

³¹God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins.

³²And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him."

³³Now when they heard this, they were infuriated and they intended to kill the apostles.

³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.

³⁵Then he said to the Council, "Men of Israel, be careful in regard to what you propose to do to these men.

³⁶For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody [of importance], and a group of about four hundred men allied themselves with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.

³⁷After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up, [and led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew people after him; he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered.

³⁸So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men [merely human in origin], it will fail and be destroyed;

³⁹but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!"

⁴⁰The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

⁴¹So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.

⁴²And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).