M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Zebah and Zalmunna

8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What have you done to us by not calling us to go and wage war against Midian?” They argued heatedly with him.

² He said to them, “What have I done now compared to you? Are not the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim better than the harvest of Abiezer? ³ It was into your hands that God gave the Midianite commanders, Oreb and Zeeb. What was I able to do compared to you?” When Gideon said this, their anger against him cooled down.

⁴ Then Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted but still pursuing. ⁵ He said to the men of Sukkoth, “Please give some loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”

⁶ The officials of Sukkoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands that we should give bread to your army?”

⁷ So Gideon said, “Because of this, when the Lord gives Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will tear your bodies with desert thorns and briers.”

⁸ He went up from there to Peniel and spoke to them in the same way. The men of Peniel answered him just as the men of Sukkoth had. ⁹ So he also said to the men of Peniel, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”

¹⁰ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies, about fifteen thousand survivors; they were all who were left of all the army of the Kedemites, for one hundred twenty thousand arms-bearing men had fallen. ¹¹ Gideon went up on the route of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the camp while the army was off guard. ¹² Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and Gideon chased after them. He captured Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, and the entire army was terrified.

¹³ Gideon son of Joash returned from battle by the Pass of Heres. ¹⁴ He captured a young man from among the men of Sukkoth and asked him to write the names of the leaders and elders of Sukkoth, seventy-seven men. ¹⁵ Then he came to the men of Sukkoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me. You said, ‘Have you subjugated Zebah and Zalmunna that we should give bread to your weary army?’ ” ¹⁶ He took the city elders and disciplined the men of Sukkoth with thorns and briers of the wilderness. ¹⁷ He tore down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the city.

¹⁸ Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?”

They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like the son of a king.”

¹⁹ He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had allowed them to live, I would not kill you.” ²⁰ Gideon said to his firstborn Jether, “Rise and kill them!” Yet the young man did not draw his sword because he was afraid, for he was still a young man.

²¹ Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “You get up and attack us, for a man is judged by his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna and took the crescent-shaped ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

Gideon’s Ephod

²² Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you, and your son, and your grandson, for you have saved us from the hands of Midian.”

²³ Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” ²⁴ Gideon continued, “I have a request to make of you, that each man would give me an earring from his spoils.” (Their enemy had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

²⁵ They said, “We will certainly give them.” So they spread out a cloak, and each man threw a ring of his spoils there. ²⁶ The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was seventeen hundred gold shekels.^[a] This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, and purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, as well as the chains hanging on the necks of their camels. ²⁷ Gideon used these things to make an ephod. He put it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves to it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.

²⁸ The Midianites were humbled before the children of Israel and did not lift their heads high again. The land had peace for forty years in the days of Gideon.

The Death of Gideon

²⁹ Jerub-Baal son of Joash went to his house and lived there. ³⁰ Gideon had seventy sons, for he had many wives. ³¹ His concubine who lived in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelek. ³² Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

³³ After Gideon died, the children of Israel turned again to prostitute themselves with the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god. ³⁴ The children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of their enemies around them, ³⁵ and they did not keep faith with the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon), for all the good he had done for Israel.

James Killed and Peter Imprisoned

12 About that time King Herod extended his hands to harm certain ones from the church. ² He killed James the brother of John with the sword. ³ Seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also. This happened during the Days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him before the people after the Passover.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed to God without ceasing for him.

Peter Delivered From Prison

⁶ The very night when Herod would have brought him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. And the guards before the door were securing the prison. ⁷ And suddenly an angel of the Lord approached him, and a light shone in the prison. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Rise up, quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.

⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put your sandals on.” And he did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” ⁹ He went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they had passed the first and the second guards, they came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened to them by itself. And they went out and went forward one street. And immediately the angel left him.

¹¹ When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I certainly know that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

¹² Realizing this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. ¹³ As Peter knocked at the door of the porch, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, from joy she did not open the door, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the door.

¹⁵ They said to her, “You are insane.” But she insisted that it was really so. So they said, “It is his angel.”

¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking. And when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ Motioning to them with his hand to be quiet, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

¹⁸ Now when day came, there was a great disturbance among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ When Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.

Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

The Death of Herod

²⁰ Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. But they came to him in unity, and having made Blastus, the king’s personal servant, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country.

²¹ On an appointed day, Herod, dressed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave a public speech to them. ²² The mob shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!” ²³ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴ But the word of God spread and increased.

²⁵ When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their ministry, they returned from Jerusalem and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

Zedekiah’s Request Denied

21 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malkijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, ² “Please inquire of the Lord for us. For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, so that the enemy withdraws from us.”

³ Then Jeremiah said to them: Thus you shall say to Zedekiah: ⁴ Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands with which you fight against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. ⁵ I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. ⁶ I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great pestilence. ⁷ Afterwards, says the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And he will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them or have pity or mercy.

⁸ To this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: See, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. ⁹ He who abides in this city will die by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence. But he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he will live, and he will have his own life as booty. ¹⁰ For I have set My face against this city for disaster and not for good, says the Lord. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.

Message to the House of David

¹¹ Concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear the word of the Lord, ¹² O house of David; thus says the Lord:

The Tradition of the Elders^(A)

7 The Pharisees and certain scribes who came from Jerusalem gathered around Him. ² When they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, ritually unwashed hands, they found fault. ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands ritually, do not eat, keeping the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the market, unless they wash, they do not eat. And there are many other traditions which they have received and observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze vessels and dining couches.

⁵ So the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

⁶ He answered, “Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written:

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

⁹ And He said to them, “You full well reject the commandment of God so that you may keep your own tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’^[b] and, ‘Whoever curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’^{[c] 11} But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “It is Corban,” that is to say, “What you would have profited from me is a gift to God,” he shall be free.’ ¹² Then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition, which you have delivered. And you do many similar things.”

¹⁴ When He had called all the people to Him, He said, “Listen to Me, every one of you, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing from outside a man that by entering him can defile him. But the things which come out of the man are what defile him. ¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁷ When He had left the people and entered the house, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. ¹⁸ He said to them, “Are you so without understanding also? Do you not know that anything from the outside that enters a man cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not enter his heart, but into his stomach, and goes out into the sewer, thus purifying all foods?”

²⁰ And He said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, murder, ²² theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride and foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith^(B)

²⁴ From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house and would have no one know it. Yet He could not be hidden. ²⁵ For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet. ²⁶ The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she begged Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ Jesus said to her, “Let the children first be filled. For it is not fitting to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁸ She answered, “Yes, Lord. Yet the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ Then He said to her, “For this answer, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

³⁰ When she had come to her house, she found the demon had gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

The Deaf and Mute Man Healed

³¹ Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. ³² They brought to Him one who was deaf and had difficulty speaking. And they pleaded with Him to put His hand on him.

³³ He took him aside from the crowd, and put His fingers into his ears, and spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴ Looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” ³⁵ Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosened, and he spoke correctly.

³⁶ He ordered them to tell no one. But the more He ordered them, the more they greatly proclaimed it. ³⁷ They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”