M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Elijah Announces Famine
17 Now Elijah(A) the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers,[a](B) said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives,(C) I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”(D)
2 Then a revelation from the Lord came to him: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide(E) yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. 4 You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens(F) to provide for you there.”
5 So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. 6 The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening,(G) and he drank from the wadi. 7 After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
Elijah and the Widow
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath(H) that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.”(I) 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”
12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives,(J) I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil(K) in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”(L)
13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, 14 for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.”(M)
15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days.(N) 16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through[b] Elijah.
The Widow’s Son Raised
17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him.(O) 18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God,(P) what do we have in common?(Q) Have you come to remind me of my guilt(R) and to kill my son?”
19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room(S) where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord(T) and said, “My Lord God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times.(U) He cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”
22 So the Lord listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.(V) 23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother.(W) Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God(X) and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”(Y)
4 Masters,(A) supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you too have a Master in heaven.
Speaking to God and Others
2 Devote yourselves(B) to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door(C) to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah,(D) for which I am in prison,(E) 4 so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak. 5 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.(F) 6 Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt,(G) so that you may know how you should answer each person.(H)
Christian Greetings
7 Tychicus,(I) our dearly loved brother, faithful(J) servant, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are[a] and so that he may encourage(K) your hearts.(L) 9 He is with Onesimus,(M) a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, as does Mark,(N) Barnabas’s(O) cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and so does Jesus who is called Justus. These alone of the circumcision are my coworkers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras,(P) who is one of you, a slave of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always contending(Q) for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured[b] in everything God wills.(R) 13 For I testify about him that he works hard[c](S) for you, for those in Laodicea,(T) and for those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the dearly loved physician, and Demas(U) greet you. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home.(V) 16 When this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And tell Archippus,(W) “Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.”(X)
18 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my imprisonment.(Y) Grace be with you.[d](Z)
The Life-Giving River
47 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.(A) 2 Next he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east; there the water was trickling from the south side. 3 As the man went out east with a measuring line in his hand,(B) he measured off a third of a mile[a] and led me through the water. It came up to my ankles. 4 Then he measured off a third of a mile[b] and led me through the water. It came up to my knees. He measured off another third of a mile[c] and led me through the water. It came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured off a third of a mile[d], and it was a river that I could not cross on foot. For the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed on foot.
6 He asked me, “Do you see this, son of man?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I had returned, I saw a very large number of trees along both sides of the riverbank.(C) 8 He said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down to the Arabah. When it enters the sea, the sea of foul water,[e][f] the water of the sea becomes fresh.(D) 9 Every kind of living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows,[g] and there will be a huge number of fish because this water goes there. Since the water will become fresh, there will be life everywhere the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside it from En-gedi to En-eglaim.[h] These will become places where nets are spread out to dry. Their fish will consist of many different kinds, like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.(E) 11 Yet its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be left for salt. 12 All kinds of trees providing food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail.(F) Each month they will bear fresh fruit because the water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for medicine.”(G)
The Borders of the Land
13 This is what the Lord God says: “This is[i] the border you will use to divide the land(H) as an inheritance for the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two shares.(I) 14 You will inherit it in equal portions, since I swore[j] to give it to your ancestors.(J) So this land will fall to you as an inheritance.
15 “This is to be the border of the land:
On the north side(K) it will extend from the Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon and Lebo-hamath to Zedad,[k] 16 Berothah, and Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the border will run from the sea to Hazar-enon at the border(L) of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern side.
18 On the east side it will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; you will measure from the northern border to the eastern sea.[l] This will be the eastern side.
19 On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh,[m] and on to the Brook of Egypt(M) as far as the Mediterranean Sea.(N) This will be the southern side.
20 On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border, from the southern border up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western side.
21 “You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.(O) 22 You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners living among you,(P) who have fathered children among you. You will treat them[n] like native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will assign his inheritance there.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Psalm 103
The Forgiving God
Davidic.
1 My soul, praise Yahweh,
and all that is within me, praise His holy name.(A)
2 My soul, praise the Lord,
and do not forget all His benefits.(B)
3 He forgives all your sin;(C)
He heals all your diseases.(D)
4 He redeems your life from the Pit;(E)
He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.(F)
5 He satisfies you[a] with goodness;(G)
your youth is renewed like the eagle.(H)
6 The Lord executes acts of righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.(I)
7 He revealed His ways to Moses,(J)
His deeds to the people of Israel.(K)
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love.(L)
9 He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.(M)
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our offenses.(N)
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His faithful love
toward those who fear Him.(O)
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.(P)
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.(Q)
14 For He knows what we are made of,
remembering that we are dust.(R)
15 As for man, his days are like grass—
he blooms like a flower of the field;(S)
16 when the wind passes over it, it vanishes,
and its place is no longer known.[b](T)
17 But from eternity to eternity
the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him,
and His righteousness toward the grandchildren(U)
18 of those who keep His covenant,
who remember to observe His precepts.(V)
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
and His kingdom rules over all.(W)
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