M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
19 After this, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 David said, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father’s death. So the servants of David came into the land of the Ammonites to comfort Hanun.
3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, Do you think that David has sent comforters to you because he honors your father? Have his servants not come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?
4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, cut off their garments in the middle near their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When David was told how the men were served, he sent to meet them, for [they] were greatly shamed and embarrassed. The king said, Stay in Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return.
6 When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves hateful to David, Hanun and [his people] sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia and Aram-maacah and Zobah.
7 So they hired 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his troops, who came and pitched before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered from their cities and came to battle.
8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty men.
9 And the Ammonites came out and lined up in battle array before the entrance of the city [Medeba], and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose from all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.
11 The rest of the soldiers he delivered to Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites.
12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you.
13 Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves courageously for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.
14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him.
15 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab’s brother, and entered into the city [Medeba]. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and drew forth the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head.
17 It was told to David, and he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan and drew up his army against them. So when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians 7,000 men in chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and killed Shophach the commander of the army.
19 When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him; nor would the Syrians any longer help the Ammonites.
20 After the end of the year, when kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the army and devastated the land of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. Joab smote Rabbah and overthrew it.
2 David took their king’s crown from off his head and found that it weighed a talent of gold and that precious stones were in it. It was set upon David’s head. He brought also very much spoil out of the city of Rabbah.
3 He brought out the people who were in it and set them at cutting with saws, iron wedges, and axes. So David dealt with all the Ammonite cities. And David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.
4 After this, there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant, and they were subdued.
5 There was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6 And again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and each foot. He also was born to the giant.
7 And when he reproached and defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, slew him.
8 These were born to the giant [clan] in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants.
1 Peter, an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, [writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be [a]realized in and through Christ, [b]freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts].
3 Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that [c]final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.
6 [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations,
7 So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.
8 Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.
9 [At the same time] you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 The prophets, who prophesied of the grace (divine blessing) which was intended for you, searched and inquired earnestly about this salvation.
11 They sought [to find out] to whom or when this was to come which the Spirit of Christ working within them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow [them].
12 It was then disclosed to them that the services they were rendering were not meant for themselves and their period of time, but for you. [It is these very] things which have now already been made known plainly to you by those who preached the good news (the Gospel) to you by the [same] Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Into these things [the very] angels long to look!
13 So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.
14 [Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].
15 But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.
16 For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.(A)
17 And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short].
18 You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold,
19 But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.
20 It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined and foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you.
21 Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God.
22 Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart.
23 You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal [d]origin ([e]seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.
24 For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off,
25 But the Word of the Lord ([f]divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you.(B)
3 And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach and cry out to it the preaching that I tell you.
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city of three days’ journey [sixty miles in circumference].
4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!
5 So the people of Nineveh believed in God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth [in penitent mourning], from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6 For word came to the king of Nineveh [of all that had happened to Jonah, and his terrifying message from God], and he arose from his throne and he laid his robe aside, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh, By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed nor drink water.
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who can tell, God may turn and revoke His sentence against us [when we have met His terms], and turn away from His fierce anger so that we perish not.(A)
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God revoked His [sentence of] evil that He had said that He would do to them and He did not do it [for He was comforted and eased concerning them].
8 Soon afterward, [Jesus] went on through towns and villages, preaching and bringing the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve [apostles] were with Him,
2 And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had been expelled;
3 And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager; and Susanna; and many others, who ministered to and provided for [a]Him and them out of their property and personal belongings.
4 And when a very great throng was gathering together and people from town after town kept coming to Jesus, He said in a parable:
5 A sower went out to sow seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the traveled path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it up.
6 And some [seed] fell on the rock, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away because it had no moisture.
7 And other [seed] fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it [off].
8 And some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times [as great]. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him [b]consider and understand by hearing!
9 And when His disciples asked Him the meaning of this parable,
10 He said to them, To you it has been given to [come progressively to] know (to recognize and understand more strongly and clearly) the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that, [though] looking, they may not see; and hearing, they may not comprehend.(A)
11 Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.
12 Those along the traveled road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and carries away the message out of their hearts, that they may not believe ([c]acknowledge Me as their Savior and devote themselves to Me) and be saved [here and hereafter].
13 And those upon the rock [are the people] who, when they hear [the Word], receive and welcome it with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation fall away (withdraw and stand aloof).
14 And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection).
15 But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just ([d]noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.
16 No one after he has lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a [dining table] couch; but he puts it on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
17 For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open.
18 Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and [e]guesses and [f]supposes that he has will be taken away.
19 Then Jesus’ mother and His brothers came along toward Him, but they could not get to Him because of the crowd.
20 And it was told Him, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to have an interview with You.
21 But He answered them, My mother and My brothers are those who listen to the Word of God and do it!
22 One of those days He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, Let us go across to the other side of the lake. So they put out to sea.
23 But as they were sailing, He fell off to sleep. And a [g] whirlwind revolving from below upwards swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in great danger.
24 And the disciples came and woke Him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And He, being thoroughly awakened, [h]censured and [i]blamed and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there came a calm.
25 And He said to them, [Why are you so fearful?] Where is your faith (your trust, your confidence in Me—in My veracity and My integrity)? And they were seized with alarm and profound and reverent dread, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He commands even wind and sea, and they obey Him?
26 Then they came to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27 Now when Jesus stepped out on land, there met Him a certain man out of the town who had [was possessed by] demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but in the tombs.
28 And when he saw Jesus, he raised a deep (terrible) cry [from the depths of his throat] and fell down before Him [in terror] and shouted loudly, What have You [to do] with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? [[j]What have we in common?] I beg You, do not torment me!
29 For Jesus was already commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had snatched and held him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and fetters, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilderness (desert).
30 Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he answered, Legion; for many demons had entered him.
31 And they begged [Jesus] not to command them to depart into the Abyss (bottomless pit).(B)
32 Now a great herd of swine was there feeding on the hillside; and [the demons] begged Him to give them leave to enter these. And He allowed them [to do so].
33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep cliff into the lake and were drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told it in the town and in the country.
35 And [people] went out to see what had occurred, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right (sound) mind; and they were seized with alarm and fear.
36 And those [also] who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was restored [to health].
37 Then all the people of the country surrounding the Gerasenes’ district asked [Jesus] to depart from them, for they were possessed and suffering with dread and terror; so He entered a boat and returned [to the west side of the Sea of Galilee].
38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging and [k]praying that he might accompany Him and be with Him, but [Jesus] sent him away, saying,
39 Return to your home, and recount [the story] of how many and great things God has done for you. And [the man] departed, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
40 Now when Jesus came back [to Galilee], the crowd received and welcomed Him gladly, for they were all waiting and looking for Him.
41 And there came a man named Jairus, who had [for a [l]long time] been a director of the synagogue; and falling at the feet of Jesus, he begged Him to come to his house,
42 For he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As [Jesus] went, the people pressed together around Him [almost suffocating Him].
43 And a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years [m]and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone,
44 Came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased.
45 And Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? When all were denying it, Peter [n]and those who were with him said, Master, the multitudes surround You and press You on every side!
46 But Jesus said, Someone did touch Me; for I perceived that [healing] power has gone forth from Me.
47 And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling, and, falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him and how she had been instantly cured.
48 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your confidence and trust in Me) has made you well! Go (enter) [o]into peace ([p]untroubled, undisturbed well-being).
49 While He was still speaking, a man from the house of the director of the synagogue came and said [to Jairus], Your daughter is dead; do not [q]weary and trouble the Teacher any further.
50 But Jesus, on hearing this, answered him, Do not be seized with alarm or struck with fear; simply believe [[r]in Me as able to do this], and she shall be made well.
51 And when He came to the house, He permitted no one to enter with Him except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother.
52 And all were weeping for and bewailing her; but He said, Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.
53 And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing full well that she was dead.
54 And grasping her hand, He called, saying, Child, arise [[s]from the sleep of death]!
55 And her spirit returned [[t]from death], and she arose immediately; and He directed that she should be given something to eat.
56 And her parents were amazed, but He charged them to tell no one what had occurred.
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