M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Floating Axe Head

6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we are living with you is too small for us. ² Let us go to the Jordan and take from there one beam per man, and let us make for ourselves a place to live there.”

And Elisha said, “Go.”

³ Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.”

And he said, “I will come.” ⁴ So he went with them.

And they came to the Jordan and cut down trees. ⁵ But as one was cutting down a tree, the axe head fell into the water. He cried, “Ah, master! It was borrowed.”

⁶ Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and he made the iron float. ⁷ So Elisha said, “Pick it up.” And he reached out his hand and took it.

The Blinded Arameans Captured

⁸ Then the king of Aram was fighting against Israel, and he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place will be my camp.”

⁹ But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, saying, “Take care not to pass through this place, for the Arameans are marching down there.” ¹⁰ The king of Israel sent word to the place of which the man of God spoke. He warned him and was on his guard there more than once.

¹¹ The mind of the king of Aram was troubled by this, so he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me who among us sides with the king of Israel?”

¹² Then one of his servants said, “No one, my lord, O king. Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

¹³ He said, “Go and see where he is, so that I may send for him and take him.” And it was told to him, “He is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ So he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ When a servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, a force surrounded the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What will we do?”

¹⁶ And he said, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than with them.”

¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

¹⁸ When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this people with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

¹⁹ Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and let me bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria.

²⁰ When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men and let them see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.

²¹ The king of Israel said to Elisha when he saw them, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

²² And he said, “You shall not kill them. Did you capture with your sword and with your bow those whom you want to kill? Set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink and then go to their master.” ²³ So he prepared for them a great banquet. When they had eaten and had drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the Aramean raiders did not enter into the land of Israel again.

Ben-Hadad Besieges Samaria

²⁴ After this, Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army, went up, and besieged Samaria. ²⁵ There was a great famine in Samaria, and they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels^[a] of silver, and one-fourth of a kab^[b] of dove droppings for five shekels^[c] of silver.

²⁶ As the king of Israel was walking across the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord king.”

²⁷ He said, “If the Lord will not help you, how can I help you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” ²⁸ And the king said to her, “What is wrong with you?”

And she said, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son and let us eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ ²⁹ So we boiled my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.”

³⁰ When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And since he was walking across the city wall, the people saw that he had sackcloth on his body underneath. ³¹ Then he said, “So may God do to me, and even more, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat stands on his shoulders after today.”

³² Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger, but before the messenger came to him, Elisha said to the elders, “Are you aware that this son of a murderer has sent a man to take off my head? When the messenger enters, shut the door and hold it against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

³³ And while he was speaking with them, the messenger came down to him, and then the king said, “This calamity is of the Lord! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?”

Qualifications of Overseers

3 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the office of an overseer, he desires a good work. ² An overseer then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach; ³ not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money, but patient, not argumentative, not covetous; ⁴ and one who manages his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence. ⁵ For if a man does not know how to manage his own house, how will he take care of the church of God? ⁶ He must not be newly converted, so that he does not become prideful and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover he must have a good reputation among those who are outsiders, so that he does not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Qualifications of Deacons

⁸ Likewise deacons must be serious, not insincere, not given to much wine, not greedy, ⁹ keeping the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. ¹⁰ And let them first be tested; then, being found blameless, let them serve as deacons.

¹¹ Likewise, their wives must be serious, not slanderers, sober, and faithful in all things.

¹² Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own houses well. ¹³ For those who have served well in the office of deacon purchase for themselves good standing and great boldness in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Our Religion

¹⁴ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you shortly, ¹⁵ but if I am delayed, you might know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ Without question, great is the mystery of godliness:

Daniel’s Vision of a Man

10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar, and the message was true and one of great conflict. And he understood the message and had understanding of the vision.

² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³ I ate no tasty food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river which is Tigris, ⁵ I lifted up my eyes and looked and saw a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with the fine gold of Uphaz. ⁶ His body also was like beryl, and his face had the appearance of lightning, and his eyes were like lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet were like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.

⁷ I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. ⁸ Therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, and my countenance grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. ⁹ Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words, then I was in a deep sleep on my face with my face toward the ground.

Prophecies of Persia and Greece

¹⁰ But then a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands. ¹¹ He said to me, “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you now.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹² Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. For from the first day that you set your heart to understand this and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to make you understand what shall befall your people in the latter days. For the vision is yet for many days.”

¹⁵ When he had spoken such words to me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became mute. ¹⁶ Then one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, because of the vision, sorrows have come upon me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ How can the servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? And as for me, there remains no strength in me now, nor is there any breath left in me.”

¹⁸ Then again, the one having the appearance of a man came and touched me, and he strengthened me. ¹⁹ He said, “O man, greatly beloved, do not fear. Peace be unto you. Be strong and courageous!”

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

²⁰ Then he said, “Do you understand why I have come to you? But now I shall return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, then truly the prince of Greece will come. ²¹ But I will show you what is inscribed in the Scripture of Truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces, except Michael your prince.

Psalm 119

א Aleph

ב Beth

ג Gimel