Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him.

²Then He began to teach them, saying,

³"Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

⁴"Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God's grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

⁵"Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.

⁶"Blessed [joyful, nourished by God's goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.

⁷"Blessed [content, sheltered by God's promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

⁸"Blessed [anticipating God's presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

⁹"Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God's favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.

¹⁰"Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God's love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].

¹¹"Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God's goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.

¹²Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery].

¹⁴"You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

¹⁵nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

¹⁶Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁷"Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

¹⁸For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished.

¹⁹So whoever breaks one of the least [important] of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰"For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

²¹"You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not murder,' and 'Whoever murders shall be guilty before the court.'

²²But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice against him shall be guilty before the court; and whoever speaks [contemptuously and insultingly] to his brother, Raca (You empty-headed idiot)!' shall be guilty before the supreme court (Sanhedrin); and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fiery hell.

²³So if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you,

²⁴leave your offering there at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come and present your offering.

²⁵Come to terms quickly [at the earliest opportunity] with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way [to court], so that your opponent does not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you are thrown into prison.

²⁶I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid the last cent.

²⁷"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery';

²⁸but I say to you that everyone who [so much as] looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

³⁰If your right hand makes you stumble and leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

³¹"It has also been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife is to give her a certificate of divorce';

³²but I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on grounds of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.

³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord [as a religious duty].'

³⁴But I say to you, do not make an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God;

³⁵or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

³⁶Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black.

³⁷But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no' [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

³⁸"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [punishment that fits the offense].'

³⁹But I say to you, do not resist an evil person [who insults you or violates your rights]; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other toward him also [simply ignore insignificant insults or trivial losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity, your self-respect, your poise].

⁴⁰If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also [for the Lord repays the offender].

⁴¹And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

⁴²Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.'

⁴⁴"But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

⁴⁵so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].

⁴⁶For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?

⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God's blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that?

⁴⁸You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Speak to the children of Israel, 'If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them—

³if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer to the LORD a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.

⁴He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, and shall lay his hand on the bull's head [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice] and kill the bull before the LORD.

⁵Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting;

⁶and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil (curtain) of the sanctuary.

⁷The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. All the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of the burnt offering which is at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

⁸He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails,

⁹and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys

¹⁰(just as these are removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.

¹¹But the hide of the bull and all its meat, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its refuse,

¹²that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to bring outside the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on a fire of wood. Where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

¹³'Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they have done any one of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

¹⁴when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the congregation shall offer a young bull of the herd as a sin offering and bring it before the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁵Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD [to transfer symbolically the congregation's guilt to the sacrifice], and they shall kill the bull before the LORD.

¹⁶The anointed priest is to bring some of the bull's blood to the Tent of Meeting,

¹⁷and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil [which screens off the Holy of Holies and the ark of the covenant].

¹⁸He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar [of incense] which is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁹He shall remove all its fat from the bull and offer it up in smoke on the altar.

²⁰He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; that is what he shall do with this. So the priest shall make atonement for [the sin of] the people, and they will be forgiven.

²¹Then the priest is to bring the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the congregation.

²²'When a ruler or leader sins and unintentionally does any one of the things the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and he becomes guilty,

²³if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring a goat, a male without blemish as his offering.

²⁴He shall lay his hand on the head of the male goat [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD; it is a sin offering.

²⁵Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

²⁶And he shall offer all its fat up in smoke on the altar like the fat from the sacrifice of peace offerings; so the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin, and he will be forgiven.

²⁷'If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing any of the things the LORD has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty,

²⁸if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring a goat, a female without blemish as his offering for the sin which he has committed.

²⁹He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], and kill it at the place of the burnt offering.

³⁰The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and shall pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.

³¹Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as a sweet and soothing aroma to the LORD. In this way the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

³²'If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.

³³He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], and kill it as a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.

³⁴The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and all the rest of the blood of the lamb he shall pour out at the base of the altar.

³⁵Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, on the offerings by fire to the LORD. In this way the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to the sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

¹Now I introduce and commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess (servant) of the church at Cenchrea,

²that you may receive her in the Lord [with love and hospitality], as God's people ought to receive one another. And that you may help her in whatever matter she may require assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many, including myself.

³Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

⁴who risked their own necks [endangering their very lives] for my life. To them not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

⁵Also greet the church that meets in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor].

⁶Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you.

⁷Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and [once] my fellow prisoners, who are held in high esteem in the estimation of the apostles, and who were [believers] in Christ before me.

⁸Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.

⁹Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.

¹⁰Greet Apelles, the one tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

¹¹Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.

¹²Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

¹³Greet Rufus, an eminent and choice man in the Lord, also his mother [who has been] a mother to me as well.

¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.

¹⁵Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all God's people who are with them.

¹⁶Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

¹⁷I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them.

¹⁸For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites and base desires. By smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting [the innocent and the naive].

¹⁹For the report of your obedience has reached everyone, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

²⁰The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The [wonderful] grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

²¹Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

²²I, Tertius, the writer (scribe) of this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church here, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

²⁴[The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]

²⁵Now to Him who is able to establish and strengthen you [in the faith] according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [of the plan of salvation] which has been kept secret for long ages past,

²⁶but now has been disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the commandment of the eternal God, leading them to obedience to the faith,

²⁷to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forevermore! Amen.

¹So put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech;

²like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment],

³if in fact you have [already] tasted the goodness and gracious kindness of the Lord.

⁴Come to Him [the risen Lord] as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God.

⁵You [believers], like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

⁶For this is contained in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen stone, a precious (honored) Cornerstone, And he who believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will never be disappointed [in his expectations]."

⁷This precious value, then, is for you who believe [in Him as God's only Son—the Source of salvation]; but for those who disbelieve, "The [very] stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief Cornerstone,"

⁸and, "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they disobey the word [of God], and to this they [who reject Him as Savior] were also appointed.

⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

¹⁰Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul.

¹²Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].

¹³Submit yourselves to [the authority of] every human institution for the sake of the Lord [to honor His name], whether it is to a king as one in a position of power,

¹⁴or to governors as sent by him to bring punishment to those who do wrong, and to praise and encourage those who do right.

¹⁵For it is the will of God that by doing right you may silence (muzzle, gag) the [culpable] ignorance and irresponsible criticisms of foolish people.

¹⁶Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover or pretext for evil, but [use it and live] as bond-servants of God.

¹⁷Show respect for all people [treat them honorably], love the brotherhood [of believers], fear God, honor the king.

¹⁸Servants, be submissive to your masters with all [proper] respect, not only to those who are good and kind, but also to those who are unreasonable.

¹⁹For this finds favor, if a person endures the sorrow of suffering unjustly because of an awareness of [the will of] God.

²⁰After all, what kind of credit is there if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you endure it patiently? But if when you do what is right and patiently bear [undeserved] suffering, this finds favor with God.

²¹For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps.

²²He committed no sin, nor was deceit ever found in His mouth.

²³While being reviled and insulted, He did not revile or insult in return; while suffering, He made no threats [of vengeance], but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges fairly.

²⁴He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.

²⁵For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

¹So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

²But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God's character].

³Elihu's anger burned against Job's three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job's error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he.

⁵And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he burned with anger.

⁶Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite said, "I am young, and you are aged; For that reason I was anxious and dared not tell you what I think.

⁷"I thought age should speak, And a multitude of years should teach wisdom.

⁸"But there is [a vital force and] a spirit [of intelligence] in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

⁹"Those [who are] abundant in years may not [always] be wise, Nor may the elders [always] understand justice.

¹⁰"Therefore I say, 'Listen to me; I also will give you my opinion [about Job's situation] and tell you plainly what I think.'

¹¹"You see, I waited for your words, I listened to your [wise] reasons, While you pondered and searched out what to say.

¹²"I even paid close attention to [what] you [said], Indeed, not one of you convinced Job [nor could you refute him], Not one of you supplied [satisfactory] answers to his words.

¹³"Beware if you say, 'We have found wisdom; God thrusts Job down [justly], not man [for God alone is dealing with him].'

¹⁴"Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended], Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]

¹⁵"They (Job's friends) are dismayed and embarrassed, they no longer answer; The words have moved away and failed them," [says Elihu].

¹⁶"And shall I wait, because they say nothing, But stand still and say no more?

¹⁷"I too will give my share of answers; I too will express my opinion and share my knowledge.

¹⁸"For I am full of words; The spirit within me constrains me.

¹⁹"My belly is like unvented wine; Like new wineskins it is about to burst.

²⁰"I must speak so that I may get relief; I will open my lips and answer.

²¹"I will not [I warn you] be partial to any man [that is, let my respect for you mitigate what I say]; Nor flatter any man.

²²"For I do not know how to flatter, [in an appropriate way, and I fear that], My Maker would soon take me away.

¹O LORD God, You to whom vengeance belongs, O God, You to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth [in judgment]!

²Rise up, O Judge of the earth; Give to the proud a fitting compensation.

³O LORD, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked rejoice in triumph?

⁴They pour out words, speaking arrogant things; All who do evil boast proudly.

⁵They crush Your people, O LORD, And afflict and abuse Your heritage.

⁶They kill the widow and the alien And murder the fatherless.

⁷Yet they say, "The LORD does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob (Israel) notice it."

⁸Consider thoughtfully, you senseless (stupid ones) among the people; And you [dull-minded] fools, when will you become wise and understand?

⁹He who made the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see?

¹⁰He who instructs the nations, Does He not rebuke and punish, He who teaches man knowledge?

¹¹The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath (vain, empty, futile).

¹²Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O LORD, And whom You teach from Your law,

¹³That You may grant him [power to calm himself and find] peace in the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked and ungodly.

¹⁴For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He abandon His inheritance.

¹⁵For judgment will again be righteous, And all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶Who will stand up for me against the evildoers? Who will take a stand for me against those who do wickedness?

¹⁷If the LORD had not been my help, I would soon have dwelt in [the land of] silence.

¹⁸If I say, "My foot has slipped," Your compassion and lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.

¹⁹When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comforts delight me.

²⁰Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]?

²¹They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death.

²²But the LORD has become my high tower and defense, And my God the rock of my refuge.

²³He has turned back their own wickedness upon them And will destroy them by means of their own evil; The LORD our God will wipe them out.

¹The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

²To know [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction; To discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

³To receive instruction in wise behavior and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, Righteousness, justice, and integrity;

⁴That prudence (good judgment, astute common sense) may be given to the naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], And knowledge and discretion (intelligent discernment) to the youth,

⁵The wise will hear and increase their learning, And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

⁶To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation, And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

⁷The [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

⁸My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not reject the teaching of your mother.

⁹For they are a garland of grace on your head, And chains and ornaments [of gold] around your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us; Let us lie in wait to shed blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

¹²Let us swallow them alive like Sheol (the place of the dead), Even whole, as those who go down to the pit [of death];

¹³We will find and take all kinds of precious possessions, We will fill our houses with spoil;

¹⁴Throw in your lot with us [they insist]; We will all have one money bag [in common],"

¹⁵My son, do not walk on the road with them; Keep your foot [far] away from their path,

¹⁶For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird;

¹⁸But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood; They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; Greed takes away the lives of its possessors.

²⁰Wisdom shouts in the street, She raises her voice in the markets;

²¹She calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather]; At the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words:

²²"How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning? How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing, How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?

²³"If you will turn and pay attention to my rebuke, Behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

²⁴"Because I called and you refused [to answer], I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer];

²⁵And you treated all my counsel as nothing And would not accept my reprimand,

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread and panic come,

²⁷When your dread and panic come like a storm, And your disaster comes like a whirlwind, When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution].

²⁸"Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer; They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,

²⁹Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect],

³⁰They would not accept my counsel, And they spurned all my rebuke.

³¹"Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices.

³²"For the turning away of the naive will kill them, And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.

³³"But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil."

¹Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom.

²So Joab sent word to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there and told her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning clothes, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has for many days been in mourning for the dead.

³Then go to the king and speak to him in this way." So Joab told her what to say.

⁴When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she bowed with her face to the ground and lay herself down, and said, "Help, O king."

⁵The king asked her, " What is the matter?" She said, "Truly I am a widow; my husband is dead.

⁶Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled and fought in the field. There was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.

⁷Now behold, the entire family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, 'Hand over the one who killed his brother, so that we may put him to death [to pay] for the life of his brother whom he killed and destroy the heir also.' By doing this they will extinguish my coal that is left, leaving my husband without a name or a remnant (heir) on the face of the earth."

⁸Then David said to the woman, "Go to your home, and I will give orders concerning you."

⁹The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord, O king, the guilt is on me and on my father's house, but the king and his throne are guiltless."

¹⁰The king said, "If anyone speaks to you [about this matter], bring him to me [for judgment], and he will not touch you again."

¹¹Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son." And David said, "As the LORD lives, not a single hair [from the head] of your son shall fall to the ground."

¹²Then the woman said, "Please let your maidservant speak one more word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak."

¹³The woman said, "Now why have you planned such a thing against God's people? For in speaking this word the king is like a guilty man, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.

¹⁴For we will certainly die and are like water that is spilled on the ground and cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not [simply] take away life, but devises plans so that the one who is banished is not driven away from Him.

¹⁵Now I came to speak of this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. So your maidservant thought, 'I will just speak to the king; perhaps the king will do what his maidservant requests.

¹⁶For the king will hear and save his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of God.'

¹⁷Then your maidservant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for my lord the king is as the angel of God to discern good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.'"

¹⁸Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Do not hide from me anything that I ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king please speak."

¹⁹The king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all of this?" And the woman answered, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me; he put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant.

²⁰In order to change the appearance of things [between Absalom and you, his father] your servant Joab did this thing. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth."

²¹Then the king said to Joab, "Listen, I will most certainly do this thing; now go, bring back the young man Absalom."

²²Joab bowed his face toward the ground and lay himself down and blessed the king. Then Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has done the request of his servant."

²³So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

²⁴However, the king said, "Let him go to his own house, and do not let him see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.

²⁵Now in all Israel there was no man as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised [for that]; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

²⁶When he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of each year he cut it, because its weight was heavy on him) he weighed the hair of his head at200 shekels by the king's weight.

²⁷To Absalom were born three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

²⁸Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without seeing the king's face.

²⁹So Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him; even when he sent again a second time, he [still] would not come.

³⁰Therefore Absalom said to his servants, "See, Joab's property is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

³¹Then Joab took action and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"

³²Absalom answered Joab, "I sent for you, saying, 'Come here, so that I may send you to the king to ask, "Why have I come [back] from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there."' Now then, let me see the king's face, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death."

³³So Joab came to the king and told him. Then David called for Absalom, and he came to the king and bowed his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.

¹In the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and the fifth month, the [false] prophet Hananiah the son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon [one of the priests' cities], spoke [without godly authority] to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying:

²"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

³Within two years I am going to bring back to this place all the articles of the Lord's house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.

⁴And I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, along with all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,' says the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'"

⁵Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who stood in the house of the LORD,

⁶and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD confirm and fulfill your words which you have prophesied to bring back the articles of the Lord's house and all the captives, from Babylon to this place.

⁷Nevertheless, listen now to this word which I am about to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people!

⁸The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of disaster and of virulent disease.

⁹But as for the prophet who [on the contrary] prophesies of peace, when that prophet's word comes to pass, [only] then will it be known that the LORD has truly sent him."

¹⁰Then Hananiah the [false] prophet took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and smashed it.

¹¹Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD, 'Even so within two full years I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.'" Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

¹²The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah [some time] after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

¹³"Go and tell Hananiah, 'The LORD says this, "You have broken yokes of wood, but you have made in their place bars of iron."

¹⁴For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "I have put the iron yoke [of servitude] on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. And I have even given him the beasts of the field."'"

¹⁵Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.

¹⁶Therefore thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I am about to send you away from the face of the earth. This year you will die, because you have spoken and counseled rebellion against the LORD.'"

¹⁷So Hananiah the [false] prophet died [two months later], the same year, in the seventh month.

¹Now at Caesarea [Maritima] there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Regiment,

²a devout man and one who, along with all his household, feared God. He made many charitable donations to the Jewish people, and prayed to God always.

³About the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had come to him and said, "Cornelius!"

⁴Cornelius was frightened and stared intently at him and said, "What is it, lord (sir)?" And the angel said to him, "Your prayers and gifts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God [an offering made in remembrance of His past blessings].

⁵Now send men to Joppa and have them call for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter [and invite him here];

⁶he is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

⁷When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his own personal attendants;

⁸and after explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹The next day, as they were on their way and were approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof of the house about the sixth hour (noon) to pray,

¹⁰but he became hungry and wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared he fell into a trance;

¹¹and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet descending, lowered by its four corners to the earth,

¹²and it contained all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

¹³A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!"

¹⁴But Peter said, "Not at all, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common (unholy) and [ceremonially] unclean."

¹⁵And the voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy)."

¹⁶This happened three times, and then immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

¹⁷Now Peter was still perplexed and completely at a loss as to what his vision could mean when the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon's house, arrived at the gate.

¹⁸And they called out to ask whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

¹⁹While Peter was thoughtfully considering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Now listen, three men are looking for you.

²⁰Get up, go downstairs and go with them without hesitating or doubting, because I have sent them Myself."

²¹Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. For what reason have you come?"

²²They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man well spoken of by all the Jewish people, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear what you have to say."

²³So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging [for the night]. The next day Peter got up and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.

²⁴On the following day he [and the others] entered Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵When Peter arrived, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am only a man."

²⁷As Peter talked with him, he entered [the house] and found a large group of people assembled.

²⁸He said to them, "You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with or befriend a Gentile, or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call anyone common or [ceremonially] unclean.

²⁹Therefore when I was sent for, I came without raising an objection. So I ask for what reason have you sent for me?"

³⁰Cornelius said, "Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour (3:00-4:00 p.m.); and a man [dressed] in bright, dazzling clothing suddenly stood before me,

³¹and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered before God [so that He is about to help you].

³²Therefore send word to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you. He is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.'

³³So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to listen to everything that you have been instructed by the Lord [to say]."

³⁴Opening his mouth, Peter said: "Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God's blessing],

³⁵but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him.

³⁶You know the message which He sent to the sons of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all—

³⁷you know the things that have taken place throughout Judea, starting in Galilee after the baptism preached by John—

³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

³⁹We are [personally] eyewitnesses of everything that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem [in particular]. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross;

⁴⁰God raised Him [to life] on the third day and caused Him to be plainly seen,

⁴¹not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen and designated beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank together with Him after He rose from the dead.

⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people [both Jew and Gentile], and to solemnly testify that He is the One who has been appointed and ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

⁴³All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him [whoever trusts in and relies on Him, accepting Him as Savior and Messiah] receives forgiveness of sins."

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening to the message [confirming God's acceptance of Gentiles].

⁴⁵All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

⁴⁶For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and exalting and magnifying and praising God. Then Peter said,

⁴⁷"Can anyone refuse water for these people to be baptized, since they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

⁴⁸And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay there for a few days.