M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Sins by Numbering Israel
21 (A)Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “(B)Go, count Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their total count.” 3 But Joab said, “(C)May Yahweh add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” 4 Nevertheless, the king’s word stood strong against Joab. So, Joab went out and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 And Joab gave the total count of the [a]census of the people to David. And (D)all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. 6 (E)But he did not [b]number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s [c]command was abominable to Joab.
7 And this thing was displeasing in the sight of God, so He struck Israel. 8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. (F)But now, please take away the iniquity of Your slave, for I have acted very foolishly.”
9 And Yahweh spoke to (G)Gad, David’s (H)seer, saying, 10 “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “I [d]am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do that to you.”’” 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Take for yourself 12 (I)either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your adversaries, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of Yahweh destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ So now, see what word I should return to Him who sent me.” 13 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me now fall into the hand of Yahweh, (J)for His compassions are exceedingly abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
14 (K)So Yahweh [e]sent a pestilence against Israel; and 70,000 men of Israel fell. 15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, Yahweh saw and [f](L)relented concerning the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough! Now relax your hand.” And the angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of [g]Ornan the Jebusite. 16 Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of Yahweh standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, (M)covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 And David said to God, “Is it not I who [h]commanded to number the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done a great evil; (N)but these sheep, what have they done? O Yahweh my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”
David Erects an Altar
18 (O)Then the angel of Yahweh said to Gad to say to David, that David should go up and erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of Yahweh. 20 Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 Then David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and bowed his [i]face to the ground [j]before David. 22 Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the [k]site of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to Yahweh; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be checked from being upon the people.” 23 And Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give everything.” 24 However, King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not lift up what is yours to Yahweh, or offer a burnt offering [l]which costs me nothing.” 25 So (P)David gave Ornan [m]600 shekels of gold by weight for the [n]site. 26 Then David built there an altar to Yahweh and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to Yahweh and (Q)He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then Yahweh spoke to the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that Yahweh had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29 (R)Now the tabernacle of Yahweh, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time. 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of Yahweh.
As Living Stones, God’s Chosen Family
2 Therefore, (A)laying aside all [a]malice and all deceit and [b]hypocrisy and [c]envy and all [d](B)slander, 2 (C)like newborn babies, long for the [e](D)pure [f]milk of the word, so that by it you may (E)grow [g]in respect to salvation, 3 if you have (F)tasted [h](G)the kindness of the [i]Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been (H)rejected by men, but is [j]choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 (I)you also, as living stones, [k]are being built up as a (J)spiritual house for a holy (K)priesthood, to (L)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in [l]Scripture:
“(M)Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a (N)precious corner stone,
And he who believes upon [m]Him will not be put to shame.”
7 (O)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
8 and,
“(R)A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
(S)They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, (T)and to this stumbling they were also appointed.
9 But you are (U)a chosen family, a royal (V)priesthood, a (W)holy nation, (X)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (Y)out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 (Z)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 (AA)Beloved, (AB)I urge you as (AC)sojourners and exiles to abstain from (AD)fleshly lusts which wage (AE)war against the soul, 12 (AF)by keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing which they (AG)slander you as evildoers, they may [n]because of your good works, as they observe them, (AH)glorify God (AI)in the day of [o]visitation.
Be Subject to Authority
13 (AJ)Be subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent [p]by him (AK)for the punishment of evildoers and the (AL)praise of those who do good. 15 For [q](AM)such is the will of God that by doing good you may (AN)silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as (AO)free people, and [r]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as (AP)slaves of God. 17 (AQ)Honor all people, (AR)love the [s]brethren, (AS)fear God, (AT)honor the [t]king.
18 (AU)Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and (AV)considerate, but also to those who are [u]crooked. 19 For this finds [v]favor, if for the sake of (AW)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unrighteously. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure? But if (AX)when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this finds favor with God.
Christ, Our Example
21 For to this (AY)you have been called, (AZ)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you (BA)an example that you should follow in His steps, 22 who (BB)did no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 who being (BC)reviled, was not reviling in return; while suffering, He was uttering no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. 24 Who Himself [w](BD)bore our sins in His body on the (BE)tree, so that (BF)having died to [x]sin, we might live to righteousness; (BG)by His [y]wounds you were (BH)healed. 25 For you were (BI)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the (BJ)Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Jonah’s Anger
4 But this was a great evil to Jonah, and he became (A)angry. 2 And he (B)prayed to Yahweh and said, “Ah! O Yahweh, was not this my word to myself while I was still in my own land? Therefore I went ahead to (C)flee to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a (D)gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning evil. 3 So now, O Yahweh, please (E)take my [a]life from me, for death is (F)better to me than life.” 4 And Yahweh said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
5 Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of the city. And there he made a booth for himself and (G)sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. 6 So Yahweh God appointed a [b]plant, and it came up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his miserable evil. And Jonah was [c]extremely glad about the plant. 7 But God appointed a worm at the [d]breaking of dawn the next day, and it struck the plant, and [e]it (H)dried up. 8 Then it happened that as the sun rose up, God appointed a scorching (I)east wind, and the (J)sun struck down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and asked with all his soul to die and said, “(K)Death is better to me than life.”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” 10 Then Yahweh said, “You had pity on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which [f]came to be overnight and perished [g]overnight. 11 So should I not (L)have pity on Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not (M)know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many [h](N)animals?”
The Twelve Disciples Sent Out
9 (A)And calling the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to (B)preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “(C)Take nothing for your journey, (D)neither a staff, nor a [a]bag, nor bread, nor money; nor have two [b]tunics apiece. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there [c]until you leave that city. 5 And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, (E)shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And departing, they were going [d]throughout the villages, (F)proclaiming the gospel and healing everywhere.
7 (G)Now (H)Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that (I)John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that (J)Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. 9 And Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded, but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And (K)he kept trying to see Him.
10 (L)And when the apostles returned, they recounted to Him all that they had done. (M)Taking them with Him, He slipped away by Himself to a city called (N)Bethsaida. 11 But when the crowds became aware of this, they followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
12 Now the day [e]was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and obtain lodging and find provisions, for here we are in a desolate place.” 13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them [f]sit down (O)in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all [g]sit down. 16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. And He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied; and [h]the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve (P)baskets full.
Peter Confesses Jesus Is the Christ
18 (Q)And it happened that while He was (R)praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” 20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “(S)The [i]Christ of God.” 21 But He [j](T)warned them and directed them not to tell this to anyone, 22 (U)saying, “(V)The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
Take Up Your Cross
23 And He was saying to them all, “(W)If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For (X)whoever wishes to save his [k]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [l]life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and (Y)loses or forfeits himself? 26 (Z)For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I say to you truthfully, (AA)there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 (AB)Now it happened some eight days after these words, that taking along (AC)Peter and John and James, He (AD)went up on the mountain (AE)to pray. 29 And it happened that while He was (AF)praying, the appearance of His face (AG)became different, and His clothing became white and [m]gleaming. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him, and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who, appearing in [n]glory, were speaking of His [o](AH)departure which He was about to fulfill at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions (AI)had been overcome with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. 33 And it happened that as they were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “(AJ)Master, it is good for us to be here; (AK)let us make three [p]booths: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—(AL)not realizing what he was saying. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud [q]formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then (AM)a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “(AN)This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” 36 And when the voice [r]had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And (AO)they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
Jesus Casts Out a Demon
37 (AP)Now it happened on the next day, that when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my [s]only one, 39 and behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth, and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40 And I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” 41 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 Now while he was still approaching, the demon [t]slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all astonished at the (AQ)majesty of God.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
(AR)But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “Put these words into your ears; (AS)for the Son of Man is going to be [u]delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But (AT)they [v]did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
Who Is the Greatest?
46 (AU)Now an argument [w]started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, (AV)knowing [x]what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48 and said to them, “(AW)Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; (AX)for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
49 (AY)And John answered and said, “(AZ)Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him, (BA)for he who is not against you is [y]for you.”
51 Now it happened that when the days for (BB)Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face (BC)to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the (BD)Samaritans to [z]make arrangements for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, (BE)because [aa]He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples (BF)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to (BG)command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, [ab][and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 (BH)And as they were going along the road, (BI)someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the [ac]air have [ad]nests, but (BJ)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “(BK)Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and (BL)proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but (BM)first permit me to say farewell to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “(BN)No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
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