Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:

²Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.

³Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

⁴But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

⁵Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”

⁶And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

⁷Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.

⁸But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.

⁹Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

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

¹¹Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.

¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord.

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

¹⁴This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

¹⁵So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

¹⁶He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

¹⁸Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”

¹⁹This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

²⁰Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”

²¹Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

²²Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

²³Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

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

¹Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

²He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen.

³And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, into artistic designs.

⁴They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges.

⁵And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁶And they set onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold; they were engraved, as signets are engraved, with the names of the sons of Israel.

⁷He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

⁸And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen.

⁹They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled.

¹⁰And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row;

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

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

¹³the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings.

¹⁴There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes.

¹⁵And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold.

¹⁶They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

¹⁷And they put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.

¹⁸The two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.

¹⁹And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which was on the inward side of the ephod.

²⁰They made two other gold rings and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod.

²¹And they bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

²²He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.

²³And there was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of mail, with a woven binding all around the opening, so that it would not tear.

²⁴They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen.

²⁵And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around between the pomegranates:

²⁶a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe to minister in, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

²⁷They made tunics, artistically woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons,

²⁸a turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen, short trousers of fine woven linen,

²⁹and a sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, made by a weaver, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

³⁰Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

³¹And they tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

³²Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.

³³And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets;

³⁴the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering;

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

³⁶the table, all its utensils, and the showbread;

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

³⁸the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense; the screen for the tabernacle door;

³⁹the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver with its base;

⁴⁰the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting;

⁴¹and the garments of ministry, to minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister as priests.

⁴²According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.

⁴³Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.

¹I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

²God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,

³“LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?

⁴But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

⁵Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

⁶And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

⁷What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

⁸Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.”

⁹And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them.

¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always.”

¹¹I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

¹²Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

¹³For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

¹⁴if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.

¹⁵For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

¹⁶For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,

¹⁸do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

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

²⁰Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.

²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

²²Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

²³And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

²⁴For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

²⁶And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

²⁷For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

²⁸Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

³⁰For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,

³¹even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.

³²For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

³³Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

³⁴“For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?”

³⁵“Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?”

³⁶For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

¹My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

²For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,

³and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”

⁴have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

⁶But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

⁷Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

⁸If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;

⁹but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

¹⁰For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

¹¹For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

¹²So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

¹³For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

¹⁴What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

¹⁷Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

¹⁹You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

²⁰But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

²²Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

²³And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

²⁴You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

²⁵Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

¹Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

²“As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

³As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils,

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

⁵Far be it from me That I should say you are right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.

⁶My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.

⁷“May my enemy be like the wicked, And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.

⁸For what is the hope of the hypocrite, Though he may gain much, If God takes away his life?

⁹Will God hear his cry When trouble comes upon him?

¹⁰Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God?

¹¹“I will teach you about the hand of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

¹²Surely all of you have seen it; Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?

¹³“This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:

¹⁴If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

¹⁵Those who survive him shall be buried in death, And their widows shall not weep,

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

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

¹⁸He builds his house like a moth, Like a booth which a watchman makes.

¹⁹The rich man will lie down, But not be gathered up; He opens his eyes, And he is no more.

²⁰Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.

²¹The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place.

²²It hurls against him and does not spare; He flees desperately from its power.

²³Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.

¹A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite. [1] I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

²For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”

³“I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David:

⁴‘Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.’ ” Selah

⁵And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.

⁶For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?

⁷God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

⁸O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

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

¹⁰You have broken Rahab in pieces, as 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 its fullness, You have founded them.

¹²The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.

¹³You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.

¹⁵Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

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

¹⁷For You are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted.

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

¹⁹Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.

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

²¹With whom My hand shall be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him.

²²The enemy shall not outwit him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

²³I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him.

²⁴“But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.

²⁵Also I will set his hand over the sea, And his right hand over the rivers.

²⁶He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’

²⁷Also I will make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.

²⁸My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him.

²⁹His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.

³⁰“If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments,

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

³²Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes.

³³Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.

³⁴My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

³⁵Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David:

³⁶His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me;

³⁷It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah

³⁸But You have cast off and abhorred, You have been furious with Your anointed.

³⁹You have renounced the covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.

⁴⁰You have broken down all his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

⁴¹All who pass by the way plunder him; He is a reproach to his neighbors.

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

⁴³You have also turned back the edge of his sword, And have not sustained him in the battle.

⁴⁴You have made his glory cease, And cast his throne down to the ground.

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

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

⁴⁷Remember how short my time is; For what futility have You created all the children of men?

⁴⁸What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah

⁴⁹Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses, Which You swore to David in Your truth?

⁵⁰Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants— How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,

⁵¹With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD, With which they have reproached 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 forth.

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

³A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

⁴Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, But who is able to stand before jealousy?

⁵Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

⁷A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸Like a bird that wanders from its nest Is a man who wanders from his place.

⁹Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

¹⁰Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

¹¹My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him who reproaches me.

¹²A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished.

¹³Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger, And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

¹⁴He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him.

¹⁵A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike;

¹⁶Whoever restrains her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

¹⁸Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; So he who waits on his master will be honored.

¹⁹As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.

²⁰Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

²¹The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

²³Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds;

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

²⁵When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

²⁶The lambs will provide your clothing, And the goats the price of a field;

²⁷You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, For the food of your household, And the nourishment of your maidservants.

¹Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

²And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!”

³Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”

⁴So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

⁵Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

⁶Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!”

⁷So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

⁸Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

⁹And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.

¹⁰You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”

¹²Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth.

¹³So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

¹“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD.

²Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD.

³“But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

⁴I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.

⁵“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

⁶In 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, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’

⁸but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”

⁹My heart within me is broken Because of the prophets; All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, And like a man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD, And because of His holy words.

¹⁰For the land is full of adulterers; For because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil, And their might is not right.

¹¹“For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the LORD.

¹²“Therefore their way shall be to them Like slippery ways; In the darkness they shall be driven on And fall in them; For I will bring disaster on them, The year of their punishment,” says the LORD.

¹³“And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err.

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

¹⁵“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: ‘Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness has gone out into all the land.’ ”

¹⁶Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD.

¹⁷They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, “You shall have peace” ’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ”

¹⁸For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?

¹⁹Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury— A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.

²⁰The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.

²¹“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

²²But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.

²³“Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD, “And not a God afar off?

²⁴Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not 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!’

²⁶How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,

²⁷who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.

²⁸“The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD.

²⁹“Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

³⁰“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who steal My words every one from his neighbor.

³¹Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’

³²Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the LORD, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the LORD.

³³“So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, ‘What is the oracle of the LORD?’ you shall then say to them, ‘What oracle?’ I will even forsake you,” says the LORD.

³⁴“And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ I will even punish that man and his house.

³⁵Thus every one of you shall say to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

³⁶And the oracle of the LORD you shall mention no more. For every man’s word will be his oracle, for you have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God.

³⁷Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

³⁸But since you say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Because you say this word, “The oracle of the LORD!” and I have sent to you, saying, “Do not say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ ”

³⁹therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you and forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and will cast you out of My presence.

⁴⁰And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’ ”

¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.

²And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

³But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

⁴While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

⁵Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.

⁶And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

⁷Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

⁸And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.”

⁹Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”

¹⁰Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.

¹¹So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

¹²And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.

¹³Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.

¹⁴And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

¹⁵so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

¹⁶Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

¹⁷Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation,

¹⁸and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.

¹⁹But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,

²⁰“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

²¹And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

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

²³saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”

²⁴Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.

²⁵So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

²⁶Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.

²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,

²⁸saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”

²⁹But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.

³¹Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

³²And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

³³When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them.

³⁴Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.

³⁵And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men.

³⁶For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.

³⁷After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.

³⁸And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;

³⁹but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”

⁴⁰And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

⁴²And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.