Professor Horner’s Reading Plan

¹And Jesus, getting into a boat, crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to [Capernaum] His own city.

²They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, "Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God]."

³And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man blasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!"

⁴But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

⁵For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven and the penalty paid,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? [Both are possible for God; both are impossible for man.]

⁶But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority and the power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home."

⁷And he got up and went home [healed and forgiven].

⁸When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God and praised Him, who had given such authority and power to men.

⁹As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew (Levi) sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk]." And Matthew got up and followed Him.

¹⁰Then as Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples.

¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

¹²But when Jesus heard this, He said, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick.

¹³Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: 'I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,' for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness]."

¹⁴Then the disciples of John [the Baptist] came to Jesus, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees often fast [as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?"

¹⁵And Jesus replied to them, "Can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

¹⁶But no one puts a piece of unshrunk (new) cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.

¹⁷Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved."

¹⁸While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled down and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live."

¹⁹Jesus got up and began to accompany the ruler, with His disciples.

²⁰Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe;

²¹for she had been saying to herself, "If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed."

²²But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well." And at once the woman was [completely] healed.

²³When Jesus came to the ruler's house, and saw the flute players [who were professional, hired mourners] and the [grieving] crowd making an uproar,

²⁴He said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead, but is sleeping." And they laughed and jeered at Him.

²⁵But when the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

²⁶And the news about this spread throughout all that district.

²⁷As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, screaming loudly, "Have mercy and compassion on us, Son of David (Messiah)!"

²⁸When He went into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

²⁹Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal] it will be done to you."

³⁰And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: "See that no one knows this!"

³¹But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole district.

³²While they were going away, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus.

³³And when the demon was driven out [by Jesus], the mute man spoke; and the crowds wondered in amazement, saying, "Never before has anything like this [miracle] been seen in Israel."

³⁴But the Pharisees were saying, "He casts out the demons by [the power of] the ruler of demons."

³⁵Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages [in Galilee], teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [His words and His works reflecting His Messiahship].

³⁶When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.

³⁷Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few.

³⁸So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

¹Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²"Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments [which are symbols of their office], and the anointing oil, and the bull for the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;

³and assemble the entire congregation at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting."

⁴Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

⁵Moses said to the congregation, "This is what the LORD has commanded us to do."

⁶Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.

⁷He put the undertunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him in the robe, and put the ephod (an upper vestment) on him. He tied the [skillfully woven] band of the ephod around him, with which he secured it to Aaron.

⁸Moses then put the breastpiece on Aaron, and he put in the breastpiece the Urim and the Thummim [the sacred articles the high priest used when seeking God's will concerning the nation].

⁹He also put the turban on Aaron's head, and on it, in the front, Moses placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the LORD had commanded him.

¹⁰Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them.

¹¹He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them.

¹²Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him.

¹³Next Moses brought Aaron's sons forward, put undertunics on them, belted them with sashes, and bound caps on them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

¹⁴Then he brought the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull.

¹⁵Next Moses killed it and took the blood and with his finger put some of it around on the horns of the altar and purified it [from sin]. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it.

¹⁶He took all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses offered them up in smoke on the altar.

¹⁷But the bull (the sin offering) and its hide, its meat, and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

¹⁸He brought the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

¹⁹Moses killed it and sprinkled the blood around on the altar.

²⁰When he had cut the ram into pieces, Moses offered up the head, the pieces, and the fat in smoke.

²¹After he had washed the entrails and the legs in water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a sweet and soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

²²Then he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration (ordination), and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

²³Moses killed it and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

²⁴He also brought Aaron's sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, and the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet; and Moses sprinkled the rest of the blood around on the altar.

²⁵He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh;

²⁶and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer and put them on the fat and on the right thigh;

²⁷and he put all these things in Aaron's hands and his sons' hands and presented them as a wave offering before the LORD.

²⁸Then Moses took these things from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were a consecration (ordination) offering for a sweet and soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

²⁹Moses also took the breast and presented it as a wave offering before the LORD; it was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration (ordination), just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

³⁰So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and their garments with him; so Moses consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.

³¹Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, "Boil the meat at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting and eat it there together with the bread that is in the basket of the consecration (ordination) offering, just as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.'

³²And what remains of the meat and of the bread you shall burn in the fire.

³³You shall not go outside the doorway of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration (ordination) are ended; for it will take seven days to consecrate you.

³⁴As has been done this day, so the LORD has commanded to do for your atonement.

³⁵You shall remain day and night for seven days at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, doing what the Lord has required you to do, so that you will not die; for so I (Moses) have been commanded."

³⁶So Aaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD had commanded through Moses.

¹So then, let us [who minister] be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards (trustees, administrators) of the mysteries of God [that He chooses to reveal].

²In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.

³But [as for me personally] it matters very little to me that I may be judged by you or any human court [on this point]; in fact, I do not even judge myself.

⁴I am aware of nothing against myself and I feel blameless, but I am not by this acquitted [before God]. It is the Lord who judges me.

⁵So do not go on passing judgment before the appointed time, but wait until the Lord comes, for He will both bring to light the [secret] things that are hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.

⁶Now I have applied these things [that is, the analogies about factions] to myself and Apollos for your benefit, believers, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written [in Scripture], so that none of you will become arrogant and boast in favor of one [minister or teacher] against the other.

⁷For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]?

⁸[You behave as if] you are already filled [with spiritual wisdom and in need of nothing more]. Already you have become rich [in spiritual gifts]! You [in your conceit] have ascended your thrones and become kings without us; and how I wish [that it were true and] that you did reign as kings, so that we might reign with you.

⁹For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles at the end of the line, like men sentenced to death [and paraded as prisoners in a procession], because we have become a spectacle to the world [a show in the world's amphitheater], both to angels and to men.

¹⁰We are [regarded as] fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are highly esteemed, but we are dishonored.

¹¹To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are continually poorly dressed, and we are roughly treated, and wander homeless.

¹²We work [for our living], working hard with our own hands. When we are reviled and verbally abused, we bless. When we are persecuted, we take it patiently and endure.

¹³When we are slandered, we try to be conciliatory and answer softly. We have become like the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴I do not write these things to shame you, but to warn and advise you as my beloved children.

¹⁵For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation].

¹⁶So I urge you, be imitators of me [just as a child imitates his father].

¹⁷For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my way of life in Christ [my conduct and my precepts for godly living], just as I teach everywhere in every church.

¹⁸Now some of you have become arrogant and pretentious, as though I were not coming to see you.

¹⁹But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not just the talk of these arrogant people, but [evaluate] their [spiritual] power [whether they live up to their own claims].

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not based on talk but on power.

²¹Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod [of discipline and correction], or with love and a gentle spirit?

¹Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ, To those who have received and possess [by God's will] a precious faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

²Grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be multiplied to you in the [true, intimate] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

³For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

⁴For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature.

⁵For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding),

⁶and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness,

⁷and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, [develop Christian] love [that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit].

⁸For as these qualities are yours and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity], they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹For whoever lacks these qualities is blind—shortsighted [closing his spiritual eyes to the truth], having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins.

¹⁰Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin];

¹¹for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you.

¹²Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and are established in the truth which is held firmly in your grasp.

¹³I think it right, as long as I am in this earthly tent, to inspire you by reminding you,

¹⁴knowing that the laying aside of this earthly tent of mine is imminent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

¹⁵Moreover, I will diligently endeavor [to see to it] that even after my departure you will be able, at all times, to call these things to mind.

¹⁶For we did not follow cleverly devised stories or myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty [His grandeur, His authority, His sovereignty].

¹⁷For when He was invested with honor and [the radiance of the Shekinah] glory from God the Father, such a voice as this came to Him from the [splendid] Majestic Glory [in the bright cloud that overshadowed Him, saying],"This is My Son, My Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased and delighted"—

¹⁸and we [actually] heard this voice made from heaven when we were together with Him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹So we have the prophetic word made more certain. You do well to pay [close] attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and light breaks through the gloom and the morning star arises in your hearts.

²⁰But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one's own [personal or special] interpretation,

²¹for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

¹Elihu continued and said,

²"Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you, That there is yet more to say on God's behalf.

³"I will bring my knowledge from afar, And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴"For truly my words are not false; He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

⁵"Behold, God is mighty, and yet does not despise anyone [nor regard any as trivial]; He is mighty in the strength and power of understanding.

⁶"He does not prolong the life of the wicked, But gives the afflicted their justice.

⁷"He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous [those in right standing with Him]; But with kings upon the throne He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.

⁸"And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity], And held by cords of affliction,

⁹Then He declares to them [the true character of] their deeds And their transgressions, that they have acted arrogantly [with presumption and notions of self-sufficiency].

¹⁰"He opens their ears to instruction and discipline, And commands that they return from evil.

¹¹"If they hear and serve Him, They will end their days in prosperity And their years in pleasantness and joy.

¹²"But if they do not hear and obey, they will die by the sword [of God's destructive judgments] And they will die [in ignorance] without [true] knowledge.

¹³"But the godless in heart store up anger [at the divine discipline]; They do not cry [to Him] for help when He binds them [with cords of affliction].

¹⁴"They die in youth, And their life ends among the cult prostitutes.

¹⁵"He rescues the afflicted in their affliction, And opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression.

¹⁶"Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress and confinement, Into a broad place where there is no constraint or distress; And that which was set on your table was full of fatness (rich food).

¹⁷"But you [Job] were full of judgment on the wicked, Judgment and justice take hold of you.

¹⁸"Do not let wrath entice you into scoffing; And do not let the greatness and the extent of the ransom turn you aside.

¹⁹"Will your wealth [be sufficient to] keep you from [the confinement of] distress, Or will all the force of your strength do it?

²⁰"Do not long for the night, When people vanish from their places.

²¹"Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness, For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.

²²"Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a ruler or a teacher like Him?

²³"Who has appointed God His way, And who can say [to Him], 'You have done wrong'?

²⁴"Remember that you should magnify God's work, Of which men have sung.

²⁵"All men have seen God's work; Man looks at it from a distance.

²⁶"Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.

²⁷"For He draws up the drops of water, They distill rain from the mist,

²⁸Which the clouds pour down, They drop abundantly upon mankind."

²⁹"Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds Or the thundering of His pavilion?

³⁰"Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds], And He covers the depths of the sea.

³¹"For by these [mighty acts] He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance.

³²"He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark.

³³"His thundering voice declares [awesomely] His presence; The cattle also are told of His coming storm.

¹A Psalm. O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done marvelous and wonderful things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.

²The LORD has made known His salvation; He has [openly] revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.

³He has [graciously] remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have witnessed the salvation of our God.

⁴Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Shout [in jubilation] and sing for joy and sing praises.

⁵Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody.

⁶With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout with joy before the King, the LORD.

⁷Let the sea thunder and roar, and all the things it contains, The world and those who dwell in it.

⁸Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the mountains sing together for joy and delight

⁹Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with fairness.

¹My son, be attentive to my wisdom [godly wisdom learned by costly experience], Incline your ear to my understanding;

²That you may exercise discrimination and discretion (good judgment), And your lips may reserve knowledge and answer wisely [to temptation].

³For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey [like a honeycomb] And her speech is smoother than oil;

⁴But in the end she is bitter like [the extract of] wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death; Her steps take hold of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),

⁶So that she does not think [seriously] about the path of life; Her ways are aimless and unstable; you cannot know where her path leads.

⁷Now then, my sons, listen to me And do not depart from (forget) the words of my mouth.

⁸Let your way [in life] be far from her, And do not go near the door of her house [avoid even being near the places of temptation],

⁹Or you will give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one,

¹⁰And strangers will be filled with your strength And your hard-earned wealth will go to the house of a foreigner [who does not know God];

¹¹And you will groan when your life is ending, When your flesh and your body are consumed;

¹²And you say, "How I hated instruction and discipline, And my heart despised correction and reproof!

¹³"I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, Nor have I inclined my ear to those who instructed me.

¹⁴"I was almost in total ruin In the midst of the assembly and congregation."

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship] And fresh running water from your own well.

¹⁶Should your springs (children) be dispersed, As streams of water in the streets?

¹⁷[Confine yourself to your own wife.] Let your children be yours alone, And not the children of strangers with you.

¹⁸Let your fountain (wife) be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹Let her be as a loving hind and graceful doe, Let her breasts refresh and satisfy you at all times; Always be exhilarated and delight in her love.

²⁰Why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an immoral woman And embrace the bosom of an outsider (pagan)?

²¹For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the LORD, And He carefully watches all of his paths [all of his comings and goings].

²²The iniquities done by a wicked man will trap him, And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

²³He will die for lack of instruction (discipline), And in the greatness of his foolishness he will go astray and be lost.

¹David numbered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

²Then David sent the army out, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will certainly go out [to fight] with you."

³But the men said, "You should not go out [to battle with us]. For if in fact we retreat, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city [of Mahanaim]."

⁴Then the king said to them, "I will do whatever seems best to you." So the king stood beside the gate [of Mahanaim], and all the army went out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.

⁵The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake." And all the men heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

⁶So the men went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷The men of Israel [who supported Absalom] were defeated there by the men of David, and a great slaughter took place there that day, 20,000 men.

⁸For the battle there was spread out over the surface of the entire countryside, and the [hazards of the] forest devoured more men that day than did the sword.

⁹Now Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a massive tree, and his head was caught in [the thick branches of] the tree; and he was left hanging [in midair] between heaven and earth, while the mule that had been under him kept going.

¹⁰A certain man saw it and informed Joab, saying, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree."

¹¹Joab said to the man who informed him, "You saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt."

¹²The man told Joab, "Even if I were to feel the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hands, I would not put out my hand against the king's son; for we all heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, 'Protect the young man Absalom, for my sake.'

¹³Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously against his life (for nothing is hidden from the king) you yourself would have taken sides against me."

¹⁴Joab said, "I will not waste time with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive [and caught] in the midst of the tree.

¹⁵And ten young men, Joab's armor bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him.

¹⁶Then Joab blew the trumpet [to signal the end of the combat], and the men returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held them back.

¹⁷They took [down the body of] Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest and set up a huge mound of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his own tent.

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a memorial pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He named the memorial pillar after himself, and to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.

¹⁹Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, said, "Let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has vindicated him by rescuing him from [the power of] his enemies."

²⁰But Joab told him, "You are not the man to carry news [to King David] today, but you shall carry news another day. On this day you shall carry no news, because the king's son is dead."

²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite (Ethiopian), "Go, tell the king what you have seen." And the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.

²²Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." Joab said, "Why should you run, my son, seeing you will have no messenger's reward for going [because you have only bad news]?"

²³"But whatever happens, Let me run." So Joab said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain [of the Jordan River] and outran the Cushite.

²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the lookout went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he raised his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone.

²⁵The lookout called down and told the king. The king said, "If he is alone, he has good news to tell." And he came nearer and nearer.

²⁶Then the lookout saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper and said, "Look, another man running alone." The king said, "He also is bringing good news."

²⁷The lookout said, "I think the man in front runs like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." The king said, "He is a good man and is coming with good news."

²⁸And Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, " All is well." And he bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has handed over the men who lifted up their hands [to fight] against my lord the king."

²⁹The king asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great turmoil, but I do not know what it was about."

³⁰The king told him, "Step aside; stand here." And he stepped aside and stood still.

³¹Behold, the Cushite (Ethiopian) arrived, and said, "Let my lord the king receive good news, for the LORD has vindicated you today by rescuing you from the hand (power) of all those who stood against you."

³²The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom [my son] safe?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all those who rise against you to do evil, be [dead] like that young man is."

³³The king was deeply moved and went to the upper room over the gate and wept [in sorrow]. And this is what he said as he walked: "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! How I wish that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

¹The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

²Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah.

³For Zedekiah [the last] king of Judah had locked him up, saying, "Why do you prophesy [disaster] and say, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

⁴and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye;

⁵and he will lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him [for evaluation and judgment]," says the LORD. "If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed"'?"

⁶And Jeremiah [answered King Zedekiah and] said, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁷'Behold (listen carefully), Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, "Buy my field that is in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it [in accordance with the law]."'

⁸Then Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard in accordance with the word of the LORD, and he said to me, 'Please buy my field that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin, for you have the right of inheritance and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

⁹"I bought the field that was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle's son, and weighed out the money for him, seventeen shekels of silver.

¹⁰I signed the deed and sealed it, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the money on the scales.

¹¹So I took the deeds of the purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, and the unsealed copy;

¹²and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle's son and in sight of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, in the presence of all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard.

¹³And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying,

¹⁴'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this unsealed deed, and put them in an earthen jar, that they may last a long time."

¹⁵For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Houses and fields and vineyards will again be purchased in this land."'

¹⁶"Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying,

¹⁷'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too difficult or too wonderful for You—

¹⁸You who show lovingkindness to thousands, but repay the wickedness (sin, guilt) of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], O great and mighty God; the LORD of hosts is His name;

¹⁹great [are You] in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to reward or repay each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds;

²⁰who set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day [continues to do so] both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.

²¹You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror;

²²and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land [of plenty] flowing with milk and honey.

²³They entered and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do. Therefore You have caused all this disaster and suffering to come upon them.

²⁴See the siege ramps [of mounded earth that the enemy has built against the walls]; they have come up to the city to capture it. And the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans [of Babylon] who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the virulent disease [that have overcome the people]. What You have spoken has come to pass, and behold, You see it.

²⁵Yet, O Lord GOD, You said to me, "Buy the field with money and get witnesses," even though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.'"

²⁶Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,

²⁷"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is there anything too difficult for Me?"

²⁸Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it.

²⁹"The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in and set this city on fire and burn it, along with the houses on whose roofs incense has been offered to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods to provoke Me to anger.

³⁰For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil in My sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have been provoking Me to anger by the [idols that are the] work of their hands," says the LORD.

³¹"From the day that they built it [during the reign of Solomon], even to this day, this city has been such a provocation of My anger and My wrath, that I must remove it from My sight,

³²because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

³³They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them repeatedly, yet they would not listen and receive instruction.

³⁴But they put their detestable things (idols) in the house which is called by My Name, to defile it.

³⁵They built the high places [for worship] of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom (son of Hinnom) to make their sons and their daughters pass through the fire to [worship and honor] Molech—which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this repulsive thing, to cause Judah to sin.

³⁶"Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and by famine and by virulent disease.'

³⁷Behold, I will gather them out of all countries to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them live in safety.

³⁸They will be My people, and I will be their God;

³⁹and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may [reverently] fear Me forever, for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

⁴⁰I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will do them good and not turn away from them; and I will put in their heart a fear and reverential awe of Me, so that they will not turn away from Me.

⁴¹I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

⁴²For thus says the LORD, 'Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them.

⁴³Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, "It is desolate, without man or animal; it is given into the hands of the Chaldeans."

⁴⁴People will buy fields for money, sign deeds, seal them, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South (the Negev); for I will restore their fortunes and release them from exile,' says the LORD."

¹Now in Iconium Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue together and spoke in such a way [with such power and boldness] that a large number of Jews as well as Greeks believed [and confidently accepted Jesus as Savior];

²but the unbelieving Jews [who rejected Jesus as Messiah] stirred up and embittered the minds of the Gentiles against the believers.

³So Paul and Barnabas stayed for a long time, speaking boldly and confidently for the Lord, who continued to testify to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders (attesting miracles) be done by them.

⁴But the people of the city were divided; some were siding with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

⁵When there was an attempt by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their rulers, to shamefully mistreat and to stone them,

⁶they, aware of the situation, escaped to Lystra and Derbe, [taking refuge in the] cities of Lycaonia, and the neighboring region;

⁷and there they continued to preach the good news.

⁸Now at Lystra a man sat who was unable to use his feet, for he was crippled from birth and had never walked.

⁹This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, and Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed,

¹⁰and said with a loud voice, "Stand up on your feet." And he jumped up and began to walk.

¹¹And the crowds, when they saw what Paul had done, raised their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"

¹²They began calling Barnabas, Zeus [chief of the Greek gods], and Paul, Hermes [messenger of the Greek gods], since he took the lead in speaking.

¹³The priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance of the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates, and wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds.

¹⁴But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,

¹⁵"Men, why are you doing these things? We too are only men of the same nature as you, bringing the good news to you, so that you turn from these useless and meaningless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them.

¹⁶In generations past He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;

¹⁷yet He did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself], in that He kept constantly doing good things and showing you kindness, and giving you rains from heaven and productive seasons, filling your hearts with food and happiness."

¹⁸Even saying these words, with difficulty they prevented the people from offering sacrifices to them.

¹⁹But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.

²⁰But the disciples formed a circle around him, and he got up and went back into the city; and the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

²¹They preached the good news to that city and made many disciples, then they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

²²strengthening and establishing the hearts of the disciples; encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, saying, "It is through many tribulations and hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God."

²³When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they believed [and joyfully accepted as the Messiah].

²⁴Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

²⁵When they had spoken the word [of salvation through faith in Christ] in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work which they had now completed.

²⁷Arriving there, they gathered the church together and began to report [in great detail] everything that God had done with them and how He had opened to the Gentiles a door of faith [in Jesus as the Messiah and Savior].

²⁸And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.