M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
50 Joseph threw himself upon his father’s body and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Afterwards he commanded his morticians to embalm the body. 3 The embalming process required forty days, with a period of national mourning of seventy days. 4 Then, when at last the mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s staff and requested them to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf.
5 “Tell His Majesty,” he requested them, “that Joseph’s father made Joseph swear to take his body back to the land of Canaan, to bury him there. Ask His Majesty to permit me to go and bury my father; assure him that I will return promptly.”
6 Pharaoh agreed. “Go and bury your father, as you promised,” he said.
7 So Joseph went, and a great number of Pharaoh’s counselors and assistants—all the senior officers of the land, 8 as well as all of Joseph’s people—his brothers and their families. But they left their little children and flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 9 So a very great number of chariots, cavalry, and people accompanied Joseph.
10 When they arrived at Atad[a] (meaning “Threshing Place of Brambles”), beyond the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn funeral service, with a seven-day period of lamentation for Joseph’s father. 11 The local residents, the Canaanites, renamed the place Abel-mizraim (meaning “Egyptian Mourners”) for they said, “It is a place of very deep mourning by these Egyptians.” 12-13 So his sons did as Israel commanded them, and carried his body into the land of Canaan and buried it there in the cave of Mach-pelah—the cave Abraham had bought in the field of Ephron the Hethite, close to Mamre.
14 Then Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to the funeral of his father. 15 But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers were frightened.
“Now Joseph will pay us back for all the evil we did to him,” they said. 16-17 So they sent him this message: “Before he died, your father instructed us to tell you to forgive us for the great evil we did to you. We servants of the God of your father beg you to forgive us.” When Joseph read the message, he broke down and cried.
18 Then his brothers came and fell down before him and said, “We are your slaves.”
19 But Joseph told them, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? 20 As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for he brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. Indeed, I myself will take care of you and your families.” And he spoke very kindly to them, reassuring them.
22 So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph was 110 years old when he died. 23 He lived to see the birth of his son Ephraim’s children, and the children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, who played at his feet.
24 “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come and get you, and bring you out of this land of Egypt and take you back to the land he promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan. 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
3 1-2 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius Caesar, a message came from God to John (the son of Zacharias), as he was living out in the deserts. (Pilate was governor over Judea at that time; Herod, over Galilee; his brother Philip, over Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, over Abilene; and Annas and Caiaphas were high priests.) 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned to God and away from their sins, in order to be forgiven.[a]
4 In the words of Isaiah the prophet, John was “a voice shouting from the barren wilderness, ‘Prepare a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before him! 5 Level the mountains! Fill up the valleys! Straighten the curves! Smooth out the ruts! 6 And then all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God.’”
7 Here is a sample of John’s preaching to the crowds that came for baptism: “You brood of snakes! You are trying to escape hell without truly turning to God! That is why you want to be baptized! 8 First go and prove by the way you live that you really have repented. And don’t think you are safe because you are descendants of Abraham. That isn’t enough. God can produce children of Abraham from these desert stones! 9 The ax of his judgment is poised over you, ready to sever your roots and cut you down. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
10 The crowd replied, “What do you want us to do?”
11 “If you have two coats,” he replied, “give one to the poor. If you have extra food, give it away to those who are hungry.”
12 Even tax collectors—notorious for their corruption—came to be baptized and asked, “How shall we prove to you that we have abandoned our sins?”
13 “By your honesty,” he replied. “Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman[b] government requires you to.”
14 “And us,” asked some soldiers, “what about us?”
John replied, “Don’t extort money by threats and violence; don’t accuse anyone of what you know he didn’t do; and be content with your pay!”
15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and eager to know whether or not John was he. This was the question of the hour and was being discussed everywhere.
16 John answered the question by saying, “I baptize only with water; but someone is coming soon who has far higher authority than mine; in fact, I am not even worthy of being his slave.[c] He will baptize you with fire—with the Holy Spirit. 17 He will separate chaff from grain, and burn up the chaff with eternal fire and store away the grain.” 18 He used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.
19-20 (But after John had publicly criticized Herod, governor of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done, Herod put John in prison, thus adding this sin to all his many others.)
21 Then one day, after the crowds had been baptized, Jesus himself was baptized; and as he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove settled upon him, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my much loved Son, yes, my delight.”
23-38 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.
Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.
Joseph’s father was Heli;
Heli’s father was Matthat;
Matthat’s father was Levi;
Levi’s father was Melchi;
Melchi’s father was Jannai;
Jannai’s father was Joseph;
Joseph’s father was Mattathias;
Mattathias’s father was Amos;
Amos’s father was Nahum;
Nahum’s father was Esli;
Esli’s father was Naggai;
Naggai’s father was Maath;
Maath’s father was Mattathias;
Mattathias’s father was Semein;
Semein’s father was Josech;
Josech’s father was Joda;
Joda’s father was Joanan;
Joanan’s father was Rhesa;
Rhesa’s father was Zerubbabel;
Zerubbabel’s father was Shealtiel;
Shealtiel’s father was Neri;
Neri’s father was Melchi;
Melchi’s father was Addi;
Addi’s father was Cosam;
Cosam’s father was Elmadam;
Elmadam’s father was Er;
Er’s father was Joshua;
Joshua’s father was Eliezer;
Eliezer’s father was Jorim;
Jorim’s father was Matthat;
Matthat’s father was Levi;
Levi’s father was Simeon;
Simeon’s father was Judah;
Judah’s father was Joseph;
Joseph’s father was Jonam;
Jonam’s father was Eliakim;
Eliakim’s father was Melea;
Melea’s father was Menna;
Menna’s father was Mattatha;
Mattatha’s father was Nathan;
Nathan’s father was David;
David’s father was Jesse;
Jesse’s father was Obed;
Obed’s father was Boaz;
Boaz’s father was Salmon;
Salmon’s father was Nahshon;
Nahshon’s father was Amminadab;
Amminadab’s father was Admin;
Admin’s father was Arni;
Arni’s father was Hezron;
Hezron’s father was Perez;
Perez’s father was Judah;
Judah’s father was Jacob;
Jacob’s father was Isaac;
Isaac’s father was Abraham;
Abraham’s father was Terah;
Terah’s father was Nahor;
Nahor’s father was Serug;
Serug’s father was Reu;
Reu’s father was Peleg;
Peleg’s father was Eber;
Eber’s father was Shelah;
Shelah’s father was Cainan;
Cainan’s father was Arphaxad;
Arphaxad’s father was Shem;
Shem’s father was Noah;
Noah’s father was Lamech;
Lamech’s father was Methuselah;
Methuselah’s father was Enoch;
Enoch’s father was Jared;
Jared’s father was Mahalaleel;
Mahalaleel’s father was Cainan;
Cainan’s father was Enos;
Enos’s father was Seth;
Seth’s father was Adam;
Adam’s father was God.
16 Job’s reply:
2 “I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters all of you are. 3 Won’t you ever stop your flow of foolish words? What have I said that makes you speak so endlessly? 4 But perhaps I’d sermonize the same as you—if you were I and I were you. I would spout off my criticisms against you and shake my head at you. 5 But no! I would speak in such a way that it would help you. I would try to take away your grief.
6 “But now my grief remains no matter how I defend myself; nor does it help if I refuse to speak. 7 For God has ground me down and taken away my family. 8 O God, you have turned me to skin and bones—as a proof, they say, of my sins. 9 God hates me and angrily tears at my flesh; he has gnashed upon me with his teeth and watched to snuff out any sign of life. 10 These ‘comforters’ have gaping jaws to swallow me; they slap my cheek. My enemies gather themselves against me. 11 And God has delivered me over to sinners, into the hands of the wicked.
12 “I was living quietly until he broke me apart. He has taken me by the neck and dashed me to pieces, then hung me up as his target. 13 His archers surround me, letting fly their arrows, so that the ground is wet from my blood. 14 Again and again he attacks me, running upon me like a giant. 15 Here I sit in sackcloth; and have laid all hope in the dust. 16 My eyes are red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death.
17 “Yet I am innocent, and my prayer is pure. 18 O Earth, do not conceal my blood. Let it protest on my behalf.
19 “Yet even now the witness to my innocence is there in heaven; my advocate is there on high. 20 My friends scoff at me, but I pour out my tears to God, 21 pleading that he will listen as a man would listen to his neighbor. 22 For all too soon I must go down that road from which I shall never return.
17 “I am sick and near to death; the grave is ready to receive me. 2 I am surrounded by mockers. I see them everywhere. 3-4 Will no one anywhere confirm my innocence? But you, O God, have kept them back from understanding this. Oh, do not let them triumph. 5 If they accept bribes to denounce their friends, their children shall go blind.
6 “He has made me a mockery among the people; they spit in my face. 7 My eyes are dim with weeping and I am but a shadow of my former self. 8 Fair-minded men are astonished when they see me.
“Yet, finally, the innocent shall come out on top, above the godless; 9 the righteous shall move onward and forward; those with pure hearts shall become stronger and stronger.
10 “As for you—all of you please go away; for I do not find a wise man among you. 11 My good days are in the past. My hopes have disappeared. My heart’s desires are broken. 12 They say that night is day and day is night; how they pervert the truth!
13-14 “If I die, I go out into darkness, and call the grave my father, and the worm my mother and my sister. 15 Where then is my hope? Can anyone find any? 16 No, my hope will go down with me to the grave. We shall rest together in the dust!”
4 So Apollos and I should be looked upon as Christ’s servants who distribute God’s blessings by explaining God’s secrets. 2 Now the most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to. 3 What about me? Have I been a good servant? Well, I don’t worry over what you think about this or what anyone else thinks. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but even that isn’t final proof. It is the Lord himself who must examine me and decide.
5 So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether someone is a good servant or not. When the Lord comes, he will turn on the light so that everyone can see exactly what each one of us is really like, deep down in our hearts. Then everyone will know why we have been doing the Lord’s work. At that time God will give to each one whatever praise is coming to him.
6 I have used Apollos and myself as examples to illustrate what I have been saying: that you must not have favorites. You must not be proud of one of God’s teachers more than another. 7 What are you so puffed up about? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you are so great, and as though you have accomplished something on your own?
8 You seem to think you already have all the spiritual food you need. You are full and spiritually contented, rich kings on your thrones, leaving us far behind! I wish you really were already on your thrones, for when that time comes you can be sure that we will be there, too, reigning with you. 9 Sometimes I think God has put us apostles at the very end of the line, like prisoners soon to be killed, put on display at the end of a victor’s parade, to be stared at by men and angels alike.
10 Religion has made us foolish, you say, but of course you are all such wise and sensible Christians! We are weak, but not you! You are well thought of, while we are laughed at. 11 To this very hour we have gone hungry and thirsty, without even enough clothes to keep us warm. We have been kicked around without homes of our own. 12 We have worked wearily with our hands to earn our living. We have blessed those who cursed us. We have been patient with those who injured us. 13 We have replied quietly when evil things have been said about us. Yet right up to the present moment we are like dirt underfoot, like garbage.
14 I am not writing about these things to make you ashamed, but to warn and counsel you as beloved children. 15 For although you may have ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, remember that you have only me as your father. For I was the one who brought you to Christ when I preached the Gospel to you. 16 So I beg you to follow my example and do as I do.
17 That is the very reason why I am sending Timothy—to help you do this. For he is one of those I won to Christ, a beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord. He will remind you of what I teach in all the churches wherever I go.
18 I know that some of you will have become proud, thinking that I am afraid to come to deal with you. 19 But I will come, and soon, if the Lord will let me, and then I’ll find out whether these proud men are just big talkers or whether they really have God’s power. 20 The Kingdom of God is not just talking; it is living by God’s power. 21 Which do you choose? Shall I come with punishment and scolding, or shall I come with quiet love and gentleness?
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.