M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Samson’s Marriage
14 Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he came [a]back and told his father and [b]mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” 3 Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your [c](A)relatives, or among all [d]our people, that you go to (B)take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she [e]looks good to me.” 4 However, his father and mother did not know that (C)it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 (D)The Spirit of the Lord [f]came upon him mightily, so that (E)he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7 So he went down and talked to the woman; and she [g]looked good to Samson. 8 When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. 9 So he scraped [h]the honey into his [i]hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.
10 Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. 11 When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
Samson’s Riddle
12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me now (F)propound a riddle to you; if you will indeed tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty (G)changes of clothes. 13 But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propound your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 So he said to them,
“Out of the eater came something to eat,
And out of the strong came something sweet.”
But they could not tell the riddle in three days.
15 Then it came about on the [j]fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “(H)Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, (I)or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?” 16 Samson’s wife wept before him and said, “(J)You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have propounded a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or mother; so should I tell you?” 17 However she wept before him seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,
“What is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have found out my riddle.”
19 Then (K)the Spirit of the Lord [k]came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house. 20 But Samson’s wife was (L)given to his companion who had been his [l]friend.
Paul at Corinth
18 After these things he left (A)Athens and went to (B)Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named (C)Aquila, a native of (D)Pontus, having recently come from (E)Italy with his wife (F)Priscilla, because (G)Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and (H)they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. 4 And he was reasoning (I)in the synagogue every (J)Sabbath and trying to persuade (K)Jews and Greeks.
5 But when (L)Silas and Timothy (M)came down from (N)Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly (O)testifying to the Jews that (P)Jesus was the [a]Christ. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he (Q)shook out his garments and said to them, “Your (R)blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go (S)to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left there and went to the house of a man named [b]Titius Justus, (T)a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. 8 (U)Crispus, (V)the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord (W)with all his household, and many of the (X)Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by (Y)a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 But while Gallio was (Z)proconsul of (AA)Achaia, (AB)the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before (AC)the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to (AD)the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to (AE)open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15 but if there are (AF)questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16 And he drove them away from (AG)the judgment seat. 17 And they all took hold of (AH)Sosthenes, (AI)the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of (AJ)the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.
18 Paul, having remained many days longer, (AK)took leave of (AL)the brethren and put out to sea for (AM)Syria, and with him were (AN)Priscilla and (AO)Aquila. In (AP)Cenchrea [c]he (AQ)had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. 19 They came to (AR)Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered (AS)the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but (AT)taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again (AU)if God wills,” he set sail from (AV)Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at (AW)Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to (AX)Antioch.
Third Missionary Journey
23 And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the (AY)Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
24 Now a Jew named (AZ)Apollos, an (BA)Alexandrian by birth, [d]an eloquent man, came to (BB)Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in (BC)the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with (BD)the baptism of John; 26 and [e]he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when (BE)Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him (BF)the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wanted to go across to (BG)Achaia, (BH)the brethren encouraged him and wrote to (BI)the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly [f]helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating (BJ)by the Scriptures that (BK)Jesus was the [g]Christ.
The Nations to Submit to Nebuchadnezzar
27 In the beginning of the reign of [a](A)Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying— 2 thus says the Lord to me—“Make for yourself (B)bonds and (C)yokes and put them on your neck, 3 and send [b]word to the king of (D)Edom, to the king of (E)Moab, to the king of the sons of (F)Ammon, to the king of (G)Tyre and to the king of (H)Sidon [c]by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, 5 “(I)I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth (J)by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will (K)give it to the one who is [d]pleasing in My sight. 6 Now I (L)have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (M)My servant, and I have given him also the (N)wild animals of the field to serve him. 7 (O)All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson (P)until the time of his own land comes; then (Q)many nations and great kings will [e]make him their servant.
8 “It will be, that the nation or the kingdom which (R)will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the (S)sword, with famine and with pestilence,” declares the Lord, “until I have destroyed [f]it by his hand. 9 But as for you, (T)do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your [g]dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 For they prophesy a (U)lie to you in order to (V)remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out and you will perish. 11 But the nation which will (W)bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will (X)let remain on its land,” declares the Lord, “and they will till it and dwell in it.”’”
12 I spoke words like all these to (Y)Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why will you (Z)die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and pestilence, as the Lord has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 So (AA)do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a (AB)lie to you; 15 for (AC)I have not sent them,” declares the Lord, “but they (AD)prophesy falsely in My name, in order that I may (AE)drive you out and that you may perish, (AF)you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the (AG)vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon’; for they are prophesying a (AH)lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city (AI)become a ruin? 18 But (AJ)if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now (AK)entreat the Lord of hosts that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. 19 For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the (AL)pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he (AM)carried into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem, 22 ‘They will be (AN)carried to Babylon and they will be there until the (AO)day I visit them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will (AP)bring them [h]back and restore them to this place.’”
Things to Come
13 (A)As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, “Teacher, behold [a]what wonderful stones and [b]what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? (B)Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”
3 As He was sitting on (C)the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, (D)Peter and [c]James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the [d]sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘(E)I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 “But [e]be on your guard; for they will (F)deliver you to the [f]courts, and you will be flogged (G)in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10 (H)The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 (I)When they [g]arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and [h]have them put to death. 13 (J)You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
14 “But (K)when you see the (L)abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 (M)The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19 For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred (N)since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20 Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no [i]life would have been saved; but for the sake of the [j]elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is [k]the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22 for false Christs and (O)false prophets will arise, and will show [l](P)signs and (Q)wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.
The Return of Christ
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, (R)the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, 25 (S)and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in [m]the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see (T)the Son of Man (U)coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send forth the angels, and (V)will gather together His [n]elect from the four winds, (W)from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.
28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, [o]recognize that [p]He is near, right at the [q]door. 30 Truly I say to you, this [r]generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 (X)But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
33 “Take heed, (Y)keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time [s]will come. 34 (Z)It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and [t]putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 Therefore, (AA)be on the alert—for you do not know when the [u]master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or (AB)when the rooster crows, or (AC)in the morning— 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you (AD)asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all, ‘(AE)Be on the alert!’”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.