M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Wine Taster and the Baker
40 Some time later, the Egyptian king’s baker and wine taster did something their master didn’t like. 2 So Pharaoh became angry with his two officials, the chief wine taster and the chief baker. 3 He put them in prison in the house of the captain of the palace guard. It was the same prison where Joseph was kept. 4 The captain put Joseph in charge of those men. So Joseph took care of them.
Some time passed while they were in prison. 5 Then each of the two men had a dream. The men were the Egyptian king’s baker and wine taster. They were being held in prison. Both of them had dreams the same night. Each of their dreams had its own meaning.
6 Joseph came to them the next morning. He saw that they were sad. 7 They were Pharaoh’s officials, and they were in prison with Joseph in his master’s house. So he asked them, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 “We both had dreams,” they answered. “But no one can tell us what they mean.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Only God knows what dreams mean. Tell me your dreams.”
9 So the chief wine taster told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me. 10 There were three branches on the vine. As soon as it budded, it flowered. And bunches of ripe grapes grew on it. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand. I took the grapes. I squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup. Then I put the cup in his hand.”
12 “Here’s what your dream means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 In three days Pharaoh will let you out of prison. He’ll give your job back to you. And you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand. That’s what you used to do when you were his wine taster. 14 But when everything is going well with you, remember me. Do me a favor. Speak to Pharaoh about me. Get me out of this prison. 15 I was taken away from the land of the Hebrews by force. Even here I haven’t done anything to be put in prison for.”
16 The chief baker saw that Joseph had given a positive meaning to the wine taster’s dream. So he said to Joseph, “I had a dream too. There were three baskets of bread on my head. 17 All kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh were in the top basket. But the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 “Here’s what your dream means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 In three days Pharaoh will cut your head off. Then he will stick a pole through your body and set the pole up. The birds will eat your flesh.”
20 The third day was Pharaoh’s birthday. He had a feast prepared for all his officials. He brought the chief wine taster and the chief baker out of prison. He did it in front of his officials. 21 He gave the chief wine taster’s job back to him. Once again the wine taster put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But Pharaoh had a pole stuck through the chief baker’s body. Then he had the pole set up. Everything happened just as Joseph had told them when he explained their dreams.
23 But the chief wine taster didn’t remember Joseph. In fact, he forgot all about him.
Jesus Teaches About Divorce
10 Jesus left that place and went into the area of Judea and across the Jordan River. Again crowds of people came to him. As usual, he taught them.
2 Some Pharisees came to test Jesus. They asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?”
3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.
4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a letter of divorce and send her away.”
5 “You were stubborn. That’s why Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ (Genesis 1:27) 7 ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. 8 The two of them will become one.’ (Genesis 2:24) They are no longer two, but one. 9 So no one should separate what God has joined together.”
10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “What if a man divorces his wife and gets married to another woman? He commits adultery against her. 12 And what if she divorces her husband and gets married to another man? She commits adultery.”
Little Children Are Brought to Jesus
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on them to bless them. But the disciples told them to stop. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was angry. He said to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. 15 What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in his arms. He placed his hands on them to bless them.
Rich People and the Kingdom of God
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him. He fell on his knees before Jesus. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God. 19 You know what the commandments say. ‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not be a false witness. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’ ” (Exodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20)
20 “Teacher,” he said, “I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “You are missing one thing,” he said. “Go and sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22 The man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he was very rich.
23 Jesus looked around. He said to his disciples, “How hard it is for rich people to enter God’s kingdom!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter God’s kingdom! 25 Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for someone who is rich to enter God’s kingdom!”
26 The disciples were even more amazed. They said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With people, this is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus replied. “Has anyone left home or family or fields for me and the good news? 30 They will receive 100 times as much in this world. They will have homes and families and fields. But they will also be treated badly by others. In the world to come they will live forever. 31 But many who are first will be last. And the last will be first.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem. Jesus was leading the way. The disciples were amazed. Those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the 12 disciples to one side. He told them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said. “The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will make fun of him and spit on him. They will whip him and kill him. Three days later he will rise from the dead!”
James and John Ask Jesus for a Favor
35 James and John came to Jesus. They were the sons of Zebedee. “Teacher,” they said, “we would like to ask you for a favor.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right hand in your glorious kingdom. Let the other one sit at your left hand.”
38 “You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup of suffering I drink? Or can you go through the baptism of suffering I must go through?”
39 “We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink. And you will go through the baptism I go through. 40 But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those they are prepared for.”
41 The other ten disciples heard about it. They became angry at James and John. 42 Jesus called them together. He said, “You know about those who are rulers of the Gentiles. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. 43 Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. 44 And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. 45 Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. They were leaving the city. A large crowd was with them. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging. His name was Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus means Son of Timaeus. 47 He heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. So he began to shout, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”
48 Many people commanded him to stop. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call for him.”
So they called out to the blind man, “Cheer up! Get up on your feet! Jesus is calling for you.” 50 He threw his coat to one side. Then he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to be able to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus. “Your faith has healed you.” Right away he could see. And he followed Jesus along the road.
Job’s Reply
6 Job replied,
2 “I wish my great pain could be weighed!
I wish all my suffering could be weighed on scales!
3 I’m sure it would weigh more than the grains of sand on the seashore.
No wonder I’ve been so quick to speak!
4 The Mighty One has shot me with his arrows.
I have to drink their poison.
God’s terrors are aimed at me.
5 Does a wild donkey cry out when it has enough grass?
Does an ox call out when it has plenty of food?
6 Is food that doesn’t have any taste eaten without salt?
Is there any flavor in the sap of a mallow plant?
7 I refuse to touch that kind of food.
It makes me sick.
8 “I wish I could have what I’m asking for!
I wish God would give me what I’m hoping for!
9 I wish he would crush me!
I wish he would just cut off my life!
10 Then I’d still have one thing to comfort me.
It would be that I haven’t said no to the Holy One’s commands.
That would give me joy in spite of my pain that never ends.
11 “I’m so weak that I no longer have any hope.
Things have gotten so bad that I can’t wait for help anymore.
12 Am I as strong as stone?
Is my body made out of bronze?
13 I don’t have the power to help myself.
All hope of success has been taken away from me.
14 “A person shouldn’t stop being kind to a friend.
Anyone who does that stops showing respect for the Mighty One.
15 But my friends have stopped being kind to me.
They are like streams that only flow for part of the year.
They are like rivers that flow over their banks
16 when the ice begins to break up.
The streams rise when the snow starts to melt.
17 But they stop flowing when the dry season comes.
They disappear from their stream beds when the weather warms up.
18 Groups of traders turn away from their usual paths.
They go off into the dry and empty land.
And they die there.
19 Traders from Tema look for water.
Traveling merchants from Sheba also hope to find it.
20 They become troubled because they had expected to find some.
But when they arrive at the stream beds,
they don’t find any water at all.
21 And now, my friends, you haven’t helped me either.
You see the horrible condition I’m in.
And that makes you afraid.
22 I’ve never said, ‘Give me something to help me.
Use your wealth to set me free.
23 Save me from the power of my enemy.
Rescue me from the power of mean people.’
24 “Teach me. Then I’ll be quiet.
Show me what I’ve done wrong.
25 Honest words are so painful!
But your reasoning doesn’t prove anything.
26 Are you trying to correct what I’m saying?
Are you treating my hopeless words like nothing but wind?
27 You would even cast lots for those whose fathers have died.
You would even trade away your closest friend.
28 “But now please look at me.
Would I tell you a lie right here in front of you?
29 Stop what you are saying. Don’t be so unfair.
Think it over again.
You are trying to take my honesty away from me.
30 Has my mouth spoken anything that is evil?
Do my lips say things that are hateful?”
10 Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them. 2 I can tell you for certain that they really want to serve God. But how they are trying to do it is not based on knowledge. 3 They didn’t know that God’s power makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way. 4 Christ has fulfilled everything the law was meant to do. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.
5 Moses writes about how the law could help a person do what God requires. He writes, “The person who does these things will live by them.” (Leviticus 18:5) 6 But the way to do what God requires must begin by having faith in him. Scripture says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ ” (Deuteronomy 30:12) That means to go up into heaven and bring Christ down. 7 “And do not say, ‘Who will go down into the grave?’ ” (Deuteronomy 30:13) That means to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 But what does it say? “The message is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 30:14) This means the message about faith that we are preaching. 9 Say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved. 10 With your heart you believe and are made right with God. With your mouth you say what you believe. And so you are saved. 11 Scripture says, “The one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Isaiah 28:16) 12 There is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is Lord of all. He richly blesses everyone who calls on him. 13 Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32)
14 How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them? 15 And how can anyone preach without being sent? It is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Isaiah 52:7)
16 But not all the people of Israel accepted the good news. Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Isaiah 53:1) 17 So faith comes from hearing the message. And the message that is heard is the message about Christ. 18 But I ask, “Didn’t the people of Israel hear?” Of course they did. It is written,
“Their voice has gone out into the whole earth.
Their words have gone out from one end of the world to the other.” (Psalm 19:4)
19 Again I ask, “Didn’t Israel understand?” First, Moses says,
“I will use people who are not a nation to make you jealous.
I will use a nation that has no understanding to make you angry.” (Deuteronomy 32:21)
20 Then Isaiah boldly speaks about what God says. God said,
“I was found by those who were not trying to find me.
I made myself known to those who were not asking for me.” (Isaiah 65:1)
21 But Isaiah also speaks about what God says concerning Israel. God said,
“All day long I have held out my hands.
I have held them out to a stubborn people who do not obey me.” (Isaiah 65:2)
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