M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Israel Oppressed by Midian
6 Then the sons of Israel (A)did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of (B)Midian seven years. 2 The [a]power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves (C)the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and [b]go against them. 4 So they would camp against them and (D)destroy the produce of the earth [c]as far as Gaza, and (E)leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in (F)like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. 6 So Israel was brought (G)very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord.
7 Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord on account of Midian, 8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and (H)he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of [d]slavery. 9 I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, 10 and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you (I)shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not [e]obeyed Me.”’”
Gideon Is Visited
11 Then (J)the angel of the Lord came and sat under the [f]oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the (K)Abiezrite as his son (L)Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But (M)now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord [g]looked at him and said, “(N)Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 (O)He said to Him, “O Lord, [h]how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in (P)Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 (Q)But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall [i]defeat Midian as one man.” 17 So [j]Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me (R)a sign that it is You who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”
19 Then Gideon went in and (S)prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an [k]ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket [l]and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the [m]oak and presented them. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and (T)fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord [n]vanished from his sight. 22 (U)When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, [o]he said, “Alas, O Lord [p]God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it [q]The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still (V)in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull [r]and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the [s](W)Asherah that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.
The Altar of Baal Destroyed
28 When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. 29 They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” 30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will [t]plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” 32 Therefore on that day he named him (X)Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in (Y)the valley of Jezreel. 34 So (Z)the Spirit of the Lord [u]came upon Gideon; and he (AA)blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, (AB)Zebulun, and Naphtali, and (AC)they came up to meet them.
Sign of the Fleece
36 Then Gideon said to God, “(AD)If You will deliver Israel [v]through me, as You have spoken, 37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel [w]through me, as You have spoken.” 38 And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “(AE)Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40 God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.
Cornelius’s Vision
10 Now there was a man at (A)Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was (B)called the Italian [a]cohort, 2 a devout man and (C)one who feared God with all his household, and (D)gave many [b]alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About (E)the [c]ninth hour of the day he clearly saw (F)in a vision (G)an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And (H)fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and [d]alms (I)have ascended (J)as a memorial before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to (K)Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named (L)Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his [e]servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to (M)Joppa.
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, (N)Peter went up on (O)the housetop about (P)the [f]sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he (Q)fell into a trance; 11 and he *saw (R)the [g]sky opened up, and an [h]object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and [i]crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the [j]air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, [k]kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, (S)Lord, for (T)I have never eaten anything [l]unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “(U)What God has cleansed, no longer consider [m]unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the [n]object was taken up into the [o]sky.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in [p]mind as to what (V)the vision which he had seen might be, behold, (W)the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on (X)the vision, (Y)the Spirit said to him, “Behold, [q]three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and (Z)accompany them [r]without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and (AA)God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, (AB)was divinely directed by a (AC)holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear [s](AD)a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
Peter at Caesarea
And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and (AE)some of (AF)the brethren from (AG)Joppa accompanied him. 24 On the following day he entered (AH)Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and [t](AI)worshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “(AJ)Stand up; I too am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and *found (AK)many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how (AL)unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet (AM)God has shown me that I should not call any man [u]unholy or unclean. 29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”
30 Cornelius said, “(AN)Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during (AO)the [v]ninth hour; and behold, (AP)a man stood before me in shining garments, 31 and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your [w]alms have been remembered before God. 32 Therefore send to (AQ)Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and you have [x]been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Gentiles Hear Good News
34 (AR)Opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most certainly understand now that (AS)God is not one to show partiality, 35 but (AT)in every nation the man who [y](AU)fears Him and [z]does what is right is welcome to Him. 36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, (AV)preaching [aa](AW)peace through Jesus Christ (He is (AX)Lord of all)— 37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 [ab]You know of (AY)Jesus of Nazareth, how God (AZ)anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, [ac](BA)and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for (BB)God was with Him. 39 We are (BC)witnesses of all the things He did both in the [ad]land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also (BD)put Him to death by hanging Him on a [ae]cross. 40 (BE)God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 (BF)not to all the people, but to (BG)witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us (BH)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He (BI)ordered us to [af]preach to the people, and solemnly to (BJ)testify that this is the One who has been (BK)appointed by God as (BL)Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him (BM)all the prophets bear witness that through (BN)His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, (BO)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the [ag]message. 45 (BP)All the [ah]circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been (BQ)poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them (BR)speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 “(BS)Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who (BT)have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he (BU)ordered them to be baptized (BV)in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
The Broken Jar
19 Thus says the Lord, “Go and buy a (A)potter’s earthenware (B)jar, and take some of the (C)elders of the people and some of the [a](D)senior priests. 2 Then go out to the (E)valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance of the potsherd gate, and (F)proclaim there the words that I tell you, 3 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O (G)kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold I am about to bring a (H)calamity upon this place, at which the (I)ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle. 4 Because they have (J)forsaken Me and have (K)made this an alien place and have burned [b]sacrifices in it to (L)other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the (M)blood of the innocent 5 and have built the (N)high places of Baal to burn their (O)sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My [c]mind; 6 therefore, behold, (P)days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this place will no longer be called (Q)Topheth or (R)the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter. 7 I will (S)make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and (T)I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life; and I will give over their (U)carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. 8 I will also make this city a (V)desolation and an object of hissing; (W)everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its [d]disasters. 9 I will make them (X)eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them.”’
10 “Then you are to break the (Y)jar in the sight of the men who accompany you 11 and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Just so will I (Z)break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will (AA)bury in Topheth [e]because there is no other place for burial. 12 This is how I will treat this place and its inhabitants,” declares the Lord, “so as to make this city like Topheth. 13 The (AB)houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be (AC)defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the (AD)houses on whose rooftops they burned [f]sacrifices to (AE)all the heavenly host and (AF)poured out drink offerings to other gods.”’”
14 Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the (AG)court of the Lord’s house and said to all the people: 15 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have (AH)stiffened their necks so (AI)as not to heed My words.’”
The Gerasene Demoniac
5 (A)They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of (B)the boat, immediately a man from the tombs (C)with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “[a](D)What business do we have with each other, Jesus, (E)Son of (F)the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is (G)Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding [b]nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They *came to Jesus and *observed the man who had been (H)demon-possessed sitting down, (I)clothed and (J)in his right mind, the very man who had had the “(K)legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the (L)demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to (M)implore Him to leave their region. 18 (N)As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been (O)demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might [c]accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “(P)Go home to your people and report to them [d]what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to (Q)proclaim in (R)Decapolis [e]what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Miracles and Healing
21 (S)When Jesus had crossed over again in (T)the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He [f]stayed (U)by the seashore. 22 (V)One of (W)the synagogue [g]officials named Jairus *came up, and on seeing Him, *fell at His feet 23 and *implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and (X)lay Your hands on her, so that she will [h]get well and live.” 24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.
25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— 27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His [i]cloak. 28 For she [j]thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will [k]get well.” 29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her (Y)affliction. 30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that (Z)the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, (AA)your faith has [l]made you well; (AB)go in peace and be healed of your (AC)affliction.”
35 While He was still speaking, they *came from the house of the (AD)synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” 36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the (AE)synagogue official, “(AF)Do not be afraid any longer, only [m]believe.” 37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except (AG)Peter and [n]James and John the brother of [o]James. 38 They *came to the house of the (AH)synagogue official; and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 39 And entering in, He *said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” 40 They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was. 41 Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, (AI)I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. 43 And He (AJ)gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.
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