M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Deborah and Barak Deliver from Canaanites
4 Then (A)the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of (B)Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in (C)Harosheth-hagoyim. 3 The sons of Israel cried to the Lord; for he had nine hundred (D)iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years.
4 Now Deborah, a [a]prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to [b]sit under the (E)palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 Now she sent and summoned (F)Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “[c]Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. 7 I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his [d]many troops to the river Kishon, and (G)I will give him into your hand.’” 8 Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, (H)for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak called (I)Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up [e](J)with him; Deborah also went up with him.
11 Now Heber (K)the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the sons of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away as the [f]oak in (L)Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
12 Then they told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 Sisera called together all his chariots, (M)nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from (N)Harosheth-hagoyim to the river Kishon. 14 Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands; [g]behold, (O)the Lord has gone out before you.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 (P)The Lord [h]routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; (Q)not even one was left.
17 Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a [i]rug. 19 (R)He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a [j]bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20 He said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’” 21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, (S)took a tent peg and [k]seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. 22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered [l]with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.
23 So (T)God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the sons of Israel. 24 The hand of the sons of Israel pressed heavier and heavier upon Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had [m]destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan.
Saul Persecutes the Church
8 (A)Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day a great persecution [a]began against (B)the church in Jerusalem, and they were all (C)scattered throughout the regions of Judea and (D)Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But (E)Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and (F)dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Therefore, those (G)who had been scattered went about [b](H)preaching the word. 5 (I)Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming [c]Christ to them. 6 The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the [d]signs which he was performing. 7 For in the case of many who had (J)unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been (K)paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was (L)much rejoicing in that city.
9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing (M)magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, (N)claiming to be someone great; 10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “(O)This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” 11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his (P)magic arts. 12 But when they believed Philip (Q)preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being (R)baptized, men and women alike. 13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed (S)signs and (T)great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.
14 Now when (U)the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them (V)Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them (W)that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had (X)not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been (Y)baptized [e]in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they (Z)began laying their hands on them, and they were (AA)receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could (AB)obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have (AC)no part or portion in this [f]matter, for your heart is not (AD)right before God. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, (AE)if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in (AF)the [g]bondage of iniquity.” 24 But Simon answered and said, “(AG)Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
An Ethiopian Receives Christ
25 So, when they had solemnly (AH)testified and spoken (AI)the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were (AJ)preaching the gospel to many villages of the (AK)Samaritans.
26 But (AL)an angel of the Lord spoke to (AM)Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to (AN)Gaza.” ([h]This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went; and (AO)there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he (AP)had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his [i]chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then (AQ)the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this [j]chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“(AR)He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He does not open His mouth.
33 “(AS)In humiliation His judgment was taken away;
Who will [k]relate His [l]generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.”
34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip (AT)opened his mouth, and (AU)beginning from this Scripture he (AV)preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! (AW)What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 [[m]And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the [n]chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, (AX)the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, [o]but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip [p]found himself at [q](AY)Azotus, and as he passed through he (AZ)kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to (BA)Caesarea.
The Deceitful Heart
17 The (A)sin of Judah is written down with an (B)iron stylus;
With a diamond point it is (C)engraved upon the tablet of their heart
And on the horns of [a]their altars,
2 As they remember their (D)children,
So they remember their altars and their [b](E)Asherim
By (F)green trees on the high hills.
3 O (G)mountain of Mine in the countryside,
I will (H)give over your wealth and all your treasures for booty,
Your high places for sin throughout your borders.
4 And you will, even of yourself, (I)let go of your inheritance
That I gave you;
And I will make you serve your (J)enemies
In the (K)land which you do not know;
For you have (L)kindled a fire in My anger
Which will burn forever.
5 Thus says the Lord,
“(M)Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes (N)flesh his [c]strength,
And whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 “For he will be like a (O)bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A (P)land of salt [d]without inhabitant.
7 “(Q)Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose (R)trust is the Lord.
8 “For he will be like a (S)tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of (T)drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.
9 “The (U)heart is more (V)deceitful than all else
And is desperately (W)sick;
Who can understand it?
10 “I, the Lord, (X)search the heart,
I test the [e]mind,
Even (Y)to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the [f]results of his deeds.
11 “As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid,
So is he who (Z)makes a fortune, but unjustly;
In the midst of his days it will forsake him,
And in [g]the end he will be a (AA)fool.”
12 (AB)A glorious throne on high from the beginning
Is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O Lord, the (AC)hope of Israel,
All who (AD)forsake You will be put to shame.
Those who turn [h]away on earth will be (AE)written down,
Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord.
14 (AF)Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;
(AG)Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my (AH)praise.
15 Look, they keep (AI)saying to me,
“Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come now!”
16 But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You,
Nor have I longed for the woeful day;
(AJ)You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips
Was in Your presence.
17 Do not be a (AK)terror to me;
You are my (AL)refuge in the day of disaster.
18 Let those who persecute me be (AM)put to shame, but as for me, (AN)let me not be put to shame;
Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed.
(AO)Bring on them a day of disaster,
And crush them with twofold destruction!
The Sabbath Must Be Kept
19 Thus the Lord said to me, “Go and stand in the [i]public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20 and say to them, ‘(AP)Listen to the word of the Lord, (AQ)kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: 21 Thus says the Lord, “(AR)Take heed for yourselves, and (AS)do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day (AT)nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I (AU)commanded your [j]forefathers. 23 Yet they (AV)did not listen or incline their ears, but (AW)stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.
24 “But it will come about, if you (AX)listen attentively to Me,” declares the Lord, “to (AY)bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, (AZ)but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, 25 (BA)then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes (BB)sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this (BC)city will be inhabited forever. 26 They will come in from the (BD)cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the (BE)lowland, from the hill country and from the (BF)Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord. 27 But (BG)if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then (BH)I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will (BI)devour the palaces of Jerusalem and (BJ)not be quenched.”’”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
3 (A)He (B)entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 (C)They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, (D)so that they might accuse Him. 3 He *said to the man with the withered hand, “[a]Get up and come forward!” 4 And He *said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 After (E)looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began [b]conspiring with the (F)Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
7 (G)Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and (H)a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from (I)Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of (J)Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9 (K)And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10 for He had (L)healed many, with the result that all those who had (M)afflictions pressed around Him in order to (N)touch Him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are (O)the Son of God!” 12 And He (P)earnestly warned them not to [c]tell who He was.
The Twelve Are Chosen
13 And He *went up on (Q)the mountain and *(R)summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16 And He appointed the twelve: (S)Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17 and [d]James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of [e]James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and [f]James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the [g]Zealot; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.
20 And He *came [h](T)home, and the (U)crowd *gathered again, (V)to such an extent that they could not even eat [i]a meal. 21 When (W)His own [j]people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “(X)He has lost His senses.” 22 The scribes who came down (Y)from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by [k](Z)Beelzebul,” and “(AA)He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 (AB)And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in (AC)parables, “How can (AD)Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 If (AE)Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but [l]he is finished! 27 (AF)But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.
28 “(AG)Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but (AH)whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31 (AI)Then His mother and His brothers *arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. 32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” 33 Answering them, He *said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, “(AJ)Behold My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever (AK)does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.