M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
43 But there was no relief from the terrible famine throughout the land. 2 When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, their father said to them, “Go again and buy us a little food.”
3-5 But Judah told him, “The man wasn’t fooling one bit when he said, ‘Don’t ever come back again unless your brother is with you.’ We cannot go unless you let Benjamin go with us.”
6 “Why did you ever tell him you had another brother?” Israel moaned. “Why did you have to treat me like that?”
7 “But the man specifically asked us about our family,” they told him. “He wanted to know whether our father was still living and he asked us if we had another brother, so we told him. How could we know that he was going to say, ‘Bring me your brother’?”
8 Judah said to his father, “Send the lad with me and we will be on our way; otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and all our little ones. 9 I guarantee his safety. If I don’t bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For we could have gone and returned by this time if you had let him come.”
11 So their father Israel finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Load your donkeys with the best products of the land. Take them to the man as gifts—balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double money so that you can pay back what was in the mouths of your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake, 13 and take your brother and go. 14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he will release Simeon and return Benjamin. And if I must bear the anguish of their deaths, then so be it.”
15 So they took the gifts and double money and went to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them home and prepare a big feast.” 17 So the man did as he was told and took them to Joseph’s palace. 18 They were badly frightened when they saw where they were being taken.
“It’s because of the money returned to us in our sacks,” they said. “He wants to pretend we stole it and seize us as slaves, with our donkeys.”
19 As they arrived at the entrance to the palace, they went over to Joseph’s household manager, 20 and said to him, “O sir, after our first trip to Egypt to buy food, 21 as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks, and the money was there that we had paid for the grain. Here it is; we have brought it back again, 22 along with additional money to buy more grain. We have no idea how the money got into our sacks.”
23 “Don’t worry about it,” the household manager told them; “your God, even the God of your fathers, must have put it there, for we collected your money all right.”
Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them. 24 They were then conducted into the palace and given water to refresh their feet; and their donkeys were fed. 25 Then they got their presents ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they were told that they would be eating there. 26 When Joseph came home they gave him their presents, bowing low before him.
27 He asked how they had been getting along. “And how is your father—the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”
28 “Yes,” they replied. “He is alive and well.” Then again they bowed before him.
29 Looking at his brother Benjamin,[a] he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about? How are you, my son? God be gracious to you.” 30 Then Joseph made a hasty exit, for he was overcome with love for his brother and had to go out and cry. Going into his bedroom, he wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out, keeping himself under control. “Let’s eat,” he said.
32 Joseph ate by himself, his brothers were served at a separate table, and the Egyptians at still another; for Egyptians despise Hebrews and never eat with them. 33 He told each of them where to sit, and seated them in the order of their ages, from the oldest to the youngest, much to their amazement! 34 Their food was served to them from his own table. He gave the largest serving to Benjamin—five times as much as to any of the others! They had a wonderful time bantering back and forth, and the wine flowed freely!
13 As he was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, what beautiful buildings these are! Look at the decorated stonework on the walls.”
2 Jesus replied, “Yes, look! For not one stone will be left upon another, except as ruins.”
3-4 And as he sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives across the valley from Jerusalem, Peter, James, John, and Andrew got alone with him and asked him, “Just when is all this going to happen to the Temple? Will there be some warning ahead of time?”
5 So Jesus launched into an extended reply. “Don’t let anyone mislead you,” he said, 6 “for many will come declaring themselves to be your Messiah and will lead many astray. 7 And wars will break out near and far, but this is not the signal of the end-time.
8 “For nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many lands, and famines. These herald only the early stages of the anguish ahead. 9 But when these things begin to happen, watch out! For you will be in great danger. You will be dragged before the courts, and beaten in the synagogues, and accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This is your opportunity to tell them the Good News. 10 And the Good News must first be made known in every nation before the end-time finally comes.[a] 11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then you will not be speaking, but the Holy Spirit will.
12 “Brothers will betray each other to death, fathers will betray their own children, and children will betray their parents to be killed. 13 And everyone will hate you because you are mine. But all who endure to the end without renouncing me shall be saved.
14 “When you see the horrible thing standing in the Temple[b] —reader, pay attention!—flee, if you can, to the Judean hills. 15-16 Hurry! If you are on your rooftop porch, don’t even go back into the house. If you are out in the fields, don’t even return for your money or clothes.
17 “Woe to pregnant women in those days, and to mothers nursing their children. 18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter. 19 For those will be days of such horror as have never been since the beginning of God’s creation, nor will ever be again. 20 And unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a soul in all the earth will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he will limit those days.
21 “And then if anyone tells you, ‘This is the Messiah,’ or, ‘That one is,’ don’t pay any attention. 22 For there will be many false Messiahs and false prophets who will do wonderful miracles that would deceive, if possible, even God’s own children.[c] 23 Take care! I have warned you!
24 “After the tribulation ends, then the sun will grow dim and the moon will not shine, 25 and the stars will fall—the heavens will convulse.
26 “Then all mankind will see me, the Messiah,[d] coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And I will send out the angels to gather together my chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest bounds of earth and heaven.
28 “Now, here is a lesson from a fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that spring has come. 29 And when you see these things happening that I’ve described, you can be sure that my return is very near, that I am right at the door.
30 “Yes, these are the events that will signal the end of the age.[e] 31 Heaven and earth shall disappear, but my words stand sure forever.
32 “However, no one, not even the angels in heaven, nor I myself,[f] knows the day or hour when these things will happen; only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when it will happen, stay alert. Be on the watch for my return.[g]
34 “My coming[h] can be compared with that of a man who went on a trip to another country. He laid out his employees’ work for them to do while he was gone and told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.
35-37 “Keep a sharp lookout! For you do not know when I[i]
9 Job’s reply:
2 “Yes, I know all that. You’re not telling me anything new. But how can a man be truly good in the eyes of God? 3 If God decides to argue with him, can a man answer even one question of a thousand he asks? 4 For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever opposed him successfully?
5 “Suddenly he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. 6 He shakes the earth to its foundations. 7 The sun won’t rise, the stars won’t shine, if he commands it so! 8 Only he has stretched the heavens out and stalked along the seas. 9 He made the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern Zodiac.
10 “He does incredible miracles, too many to count. 11 He passes by, invisible; he moves along, but I don’t see him go. 12 When he sends death to snatch a man away,[a] who can stop him? Who dares to ask him, ‘What are you doing?’
13 “And God does not abate his anger. The pride of man[b] collapses before him. 14 And who am I that I should try to argue with Almighty God, or even reason with him? 15 Even if I were sinless, I wouldn’t say a word. I would only plead for mercy. 16 And even if my prayers were answered, I could scarce believe that he had heard my cry. 17 For he is the one who destroys, and multiplies my wounds without a cause. 18 He will not let me breathe, but fills me with bitter sorrows. 19 He alone is strong and just.
20 “But I? Am I righteous? My own mouth says no. Even if I were perfect, God would prove me wicked. 21 And even if I am utterly innocent, I dare not think of it. I despise what I am. 22 Innocent or evil, it is all the same to him, for he destroys both kinds. 23 He will laugh when calamity crushes the innocent. 24 The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked. God blinds the eyes of the judges and lets them be unfair. If not he, then who?
25 “My life passes swiftly away, filled with tragedy. 26 My years disappear like swift ships, like the eagle that swoops upon its prey.
27 “If I decided to forget my complaints against God, to end my sadness and be cheerful, 28 then he would pour even greater sorrows upon me. For I know that you will not hold me innocent, O God, 29 but will condemn me. So what’s the use of trying? 30 Even if I were to wash myself with purest water and cleanse my hands with lye to make them utterly clean, 31 even so you would plunge me into the ditch and mud; and even my clothing would be less filthy than you consider me to be!
32-33 “And I cannot defend myself, for you are no mere man as I am. If you were, then we could discuss it fairly, but there is no umpire between us, no middle man, no mediator to bring us together. 34 Oh, let him stop beating me, so that I need no longer live in terror of his punishment. 35 Then I could speak without fear to him and tell him boldly that I am not guilty.
13 Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. 2 So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. 3 For the policeman does not frighten people who are doing right; but those doing evil will always fear him. So if you don’t want to be afraid, keep the laws and you will get along well. 4 The policeman is sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for he will have you punished. He is sent by God for that very purpose. 5 Obey the laws, then, for two reasons: first, to keep from being punished, and second, just because you know you should.
6 Pay your taxes too, for these same two reasons. For government workers need to be paid so that they can keep on doing God’s work, serving you. 7 Pay everyone whatever he ought to have: pay your taxes and import duties gladly, obey those over you, and give honor and respect to all those to whom it is due.
8 Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others—never finish paying that! For if you love them, you will be obeying all of God’s laws, fulfilling all his requirements. 9 If you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself you will not want to harm or cheat him, or kill him or steal from him. And you won’t sin with his wife or want what is his, or do anything else the Ten Commandments say is wrong. All ten are wrapped up in this one, to love your neighbor as you love yourself. 10 Love does no wrong to anyone. That’s why it fully satisfies all of God’s requirements. It is the only law you need.
11 Another reason for right living is this: you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of the Lord is nearer now than when we first believed. 12-13 The night is far gone, the day of his return[a] will soon be here. So quit the evil deeds of darkness and put on the armor of right living, as we who live in the daylight should! Be decent and true in everything you do so that all can approve your behavior. Don’t spend your time in wild parties and getting drunk or in adultery and lust or fighting or jealousy. 14 But ask the Lord Jesus Christ to help you live as you should, and don’t make plans to enjoy evil.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.