M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Idolatry Leads to Servitude
3 (A)Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not [a]experienced any of the wars of Canaan; 2 only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might [b]be taught war, [c]those who had not [d]experienced it formerly). 3 These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and (B)the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as [e]Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for [f](C)testing Israel, to find out if they would [g]obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers [h]through Moses. 5 (D)The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; 6 and (E)they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7 The sons of Israel did (F)what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and (G)forgot the Lord their God and (H)served the Baals and the [i]Asheroth. 8 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of [j]Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
The First Judge Delivers Israel
9 When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, (I)Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 (J)The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of [k]Mesopotamia into his hand, so that [l]he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11 Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 Now the sons of Israel again (K)did evil in the sight of the Lord. So (L)the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and [m]defeated Israel, and they possessed (M)the city of the palm trees. 14 The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Ehud Delivers from Moab
15 But when the sons of Israel (N)cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by [n]him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 It came about when he had finished presenting the tribute, that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he said, “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. 20 Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. 21 Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. 22 The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.
24 When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “(O)He is only [o]relieving himself in the cool room.” 25 They waited until they [p]became anxious; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the [q]floor dead.
26 Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 It came about when he had arrived, that (P)he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. 28 He said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands.” So they went down after him and seized (Q)the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. 29 They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years.
Shamgar Delivers from Philistines
31 After him came (R)Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.
Stephen’s Defense
7 The high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2 And he said, “Hear me, (A)brethren and fathers! (B)The God of glory (C)appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in [a]Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘(D)Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 (E)Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in [b]Haran. (F)From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, (G)He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 But (H)God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would [c]be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and (I)after that they will come out and [d]serve Me in this place.’ 8 And He (J)gave him [e]the covenant of circumcision; and so (K)Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and (L)Isaac became the father of Jacob, and (M)Jacob of the twelve (N)patriarchs.
9 “The patriarchs (O)became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and (P)granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.
11 “Now (Q)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers [f]could find no food. 12 But (R)when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13 On the second visit (S)Joseph [g]made himself known to his brothers, and (T)Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 Then (U)Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, (V)seventy-five [h](W)persons in all. 15 And (X)Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 From there they were removed to [i](Y)Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of [j]Hamor in [k]Shechem.
17 “But as the (Z)time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, (AA)the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until (AB)there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 It was he who took (AC)shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would [l](AD)expose their infants and they would not survive. 20 It was at this time that (AE)Moses was born; and he was lovely [m]in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been set outside, (AF)Pharaoh’s daughter [n]took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all (AG)the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, (AH)it entered his [o]mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them [p]deliverance [q]through him, but they did not understand. 26 (AI)On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ 27 But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘(AJ)Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 28 (AK)You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29 At this remark, (AL)Moses fled and became an alien in the land of [r]Midian, where he (AM)became the father of two sons.
30 “After forty years had passed, (AN)an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘(AO)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. 33 (AP)But the Lord said to him, ‘(AQ)Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 (AR)I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; [s](AS)come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses whom they (AT)disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God [t]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the [u]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 (AU)This man led them out, performing (AV)wonders and [v]signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the (AW)wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘(AX)God will raise up for you a prophet [w]like me from your brethren.’ 38 This is the one who was in (AY)the [x]congregation in the wilderness together with (AZ)the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received (BA)living (BB)oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but (BC)repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 (BD)saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 41 [y]At that time (BE)they made a [z]calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in (BF)the works of their hands. 42 But God (BG)turned away and delivered them up to [aa]serve the [ab]host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘(BH)It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices (BI)forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? 43 (BJ)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god [ac]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’
44 “Our fathers had (BK)the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it (BL)according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 And having received it in their turn, our fathers (BM)brought it in with [ad]Joshua upon dispossessing the [ae]nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 (BN)David found favor in God’s sight, and (BO)asked that he might find a dwelling place for the [af]God of Jacob. 47 But it was (BP)Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 However, (BQ)the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
49 ‘(BR)Heaven is My throne,
And earth is the footstool of My feet;
What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord,
‘Or what place is there for My repose?
50 ‘(BS)Was it not My hand which made all these things?’
51 “You men who are (BT)stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 (BU)Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of (BV)the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers (BW)you have now become; 53 you who received the law as (BX)ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
Stephen Put to Death
54 Now when they heard this, they were (BY)cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being (BZ)full of the Holy Spirit, he (CA)gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing (CB)at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the (CC)heavens opened up and (CD)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had (CE)driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and (CF)the witnesses (CG)laid aside their robes at the feet of (CH)a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he (CI)called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then (CJ)falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, (CK)do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he [ag](CL)fell asleep.
Distresses Foretold
16 The word of the Lord also came to me saying, 2 “You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.” 3 For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their (A)mothers who bear them, and their (B)fathers who beget them in this land: 4 “They will (C)die of deadly diseases, they (D)will not be lamented or buried; they will be as (E)dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the (F)birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth.”
5 For thus says the Lord, “Do not enter a house of [a](G)mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have (H)withdrawn My peace from this people,” declares the Lord, “My (I)lovingkindness and compassion. 6 Both (J)great men and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, they will not be lamented, nor will anyone (K)gash himself or (L)shave his head for them. 7 Men will not (M)break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone’s father or mother. 8 Moreover you shall (N)not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink.” 9 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I am going to [b](O)eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.
10 “Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘(P)For what reason has the Lord declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 Then you are to say to them, ‘It is (Q)because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and have followed (R)other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. 12 You too have done evil, even (S)more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the (T)stubbornness of his own (U)evil heart, without listening to Me. 13 So I will (V)hurl you out of this land into the (W)land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will (X)serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no favor.’
God Will Restore Them
14 “(Y)Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who (Z)brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the (AA)land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.
16 “Behold, I am going to send for many (AB)fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will (AC)hunt them (AD)from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. 17 (AE)For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, (AF)nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. 18 I will first (AG)doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have (AH)polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their (AI)detestable idols and with their abominations.”
19 O Lord, my (AJ)strength and my stronghold,
And my (AK)refuge in the day of distress,
To You the (AL)nations will come
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Our fathers have inherited nothing but (AM)falsehood,
Futility and [c](AN)things of no profit.”
20 Can man make gods for himself?
Yet they are (AO)not gods!
The Paralytic Healed
2 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And (A)many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 (B)And they *came, bringing to Him a (C)paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to [a]get to Him because of the crowd, they (D)removed the roof [b]above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the (E)paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “[c]Son, (F)your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; (G)who can forgive sins [d]but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware [e]in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the (H)paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and (I)were glorifying God, saying, “(J)We have never seen anything like this.”
13 And He went out again by the seashore; and (K)all the [f]people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.
Levi (Matthew) Called
14 (L)As He passed by, He saw [g](M)Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He *said to him, “(N)Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
15 And it *[h]happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and [i]sinners [j]were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16 When (O)the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “(P)Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and [k]sinners?” 17 And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “(Q)It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
18 (R)John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they *came and *said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, [l]the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the (S)days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
21 “No one sews [m]a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise [n]the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. 22 No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
Question of the Sabbath
23 (T)And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while (U)picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, (V)why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of (W)Abiathar the high priest, and ate the [o]consecrated bread, which (X)is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, “(Y)The Sabbath [p]was made [q]for man, and (Z)not man [r]for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.