M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Family of Issachar

7 The four sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. ² The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel, heads of their fathers’ houses. Tola’s sons were powerful soldiers among the people of their day. There were 22,600 of these men in the days of David. ³ The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Isshiah. All five of them were leaders. ⁴ With them by their families and by their fathers’ houses were 36,000 men ready to fight. For they had many wives and sons. ⁵ Their brothers among all the families of Issachar were powerful soldiers. There were 87,000 of them, whose names were written down by their families.

The Families of Benjamin and Naphtali

⁶ The three sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher and Jediael. ⁷ The five sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They were heads of their fathers’ houses and powerful soldiers. There were 22,034 of them, whose names were written down by their families. ⁸ The sons of Becher were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher. ⁹ Their names were written down by their families. They were heads of their fathers’ houses, 20,200 powerful soldiers. ¹⁰ The son of Jediael was Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. ¹¹ All these were sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers’ houses. They were 17,200 powerful soldiers, who were ready to go out with the army to battle. ¹² Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir. Hushim was the son of Aher.

¹³ The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

The Family of Manasseh West of the Jordan River

¹⁴ Manasseh’s sons were Asriel and Machir the father of Gilead. Their mother was the Aramaean woman who acted as Manasseh’s wife. ¹⁵ Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah. The name of the second was Zelophehad. And Zelophehad had daughters. ¹⁶ Machir’s wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and gave him the name Peresh. His brother’s name was Sheresh. And his sons were Ulam and Rakem. ¹⁷ The son of Ulam was Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. ¹⁸ His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. ¹⁹ The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.

The Family of Ephraim

²⁰ Ephraim’s sons were Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, ²¹ Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in the land killed Ezer and Elead, because they came down to take their cattle. ²² Their father Ephraim was filled with sorrow for many days. And his brothers came to comfort him. ²³ Then he went in to his wife and she was able to have a child and gave birth to a son. Ephraim gave him the name Beriah, because trouble had come upon his house. ²⁴ Beriah’s daughter was Sheerah. She built both parts of Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheerah. ²⁵ Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, ²⁶ Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, ²⁷ Nun his son, and Joshua his son.

²⁸ Their cities and their lands were Bethel with its towns, Naaran to the east, Gezer to the west with its towns, and Shechem with its towns as far as Ayyah with its towns. ²⁹ Beside the land of the sons of Manasseh, they lived in Beth-shean with its towns, Taanach with its towns, Megiddo with its towns, and Dor with its towns. In these cities lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel.

The Family of Asher

³⁰ The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. ³¹ The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith. ³² Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and their sister Shua. ³³ The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath. These were the sons of Japhlet. ³⁴ The sons of Shemer were Ahi, Rohgah, Jehubbah and Aram. ³⁵ The sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal. ³⁶ The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, ³⁷ Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. ³⁸ The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispa and Ara. ³⁹ The sons of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel and Rizia. ⁴⁰ All these were the sons of Asher and heads of the fathers’ houses. They were chosen men and powerful soldiers, leaders of the king’s sons. There were 26,000 of them, whose names were written down by their families for fighting in war.

The Family of King Saul

8 Benjamin was the father of Bela his first-born, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third, ² Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth. ³ Bela’s sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud, ⁴ Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, ⁵ Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. ⁶ The sons of Ehud were the heads of fathers’ houses of the people of Geba. They were taken away to Manahath. ⁷ Their names were Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera, that is, Heglam, who was the father of Uzza and Ahihud. ⁸ Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had sent away Hushim and Baara his wives. ⁹ By his wife Hodesh he became the father of Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, ¹⁰ Jeuz, Sachia and Mirmah. These were his sons. They were heads of fathers’ houses. ¹¹ By his wife Hushim he became the father of Abitub and Elpaal. ¹² The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with its towns. ¹³ Elpaal was the father of Beriah and Shema also. They were heads of fathers’ houses of the people of Aijalon, who drove away the people of Gath. ¹⁴ Elpaal’s other sons were Ahio, Shashak and Jeremoth. ¹⁵ Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, ¹⁶ Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the sons of Beriah. ¹⁷ Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, ¹⁸ Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. ¹⁹ Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, ²⁰ Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, ²¹ Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. ²² Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, ²³ Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, ²⁴ Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, ²⁵ Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. ²⁶ Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, ²⁷ Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. ²⁸ These were heads of the fathers’ houses by their families. They were leaders who lived in Jerusalem.

²⁹ Gibeon’s father Jeiel lived in Gibeon. The name of Jeiel’s wife was Maacah. ³⁰ His sons were Abdon his first-born, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, ³¹ Gedor, Ahio and Zecher, ³² and Mikloth the father of Shimeah. They lived with their brothers in Jerusalem beside their other brothers. ³³ Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal. ³⁴ The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal. Merib-baal was the father of Micah. ³⁵ The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tarea and Ahaz. ³⁶ Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. ³⁷ Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. ³⁸ The names of Azel’s six sons were Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. ³⁹ The sons of his brother Eshek were Ulam his first-born, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. ⁴⁰ The sons of Ulam were powerful soldiers. They fought with the bow. And they had 150 sons and grandsons. All these were the sons of Benjamin.

Faith

11 Now faith is being sure we will get what we hope for. It is being sure of what we cannot see. ² God was pleased with the men who had faith who lived long ago.

³ Through faith we understand that the world was made by the Word of God. Things we see were made from what could not be seen.

⁴ Because Abel had faith, he gave a better gift in worship to God than Cain. His gift pleased God. Abel was right with God. Abel died, but by faith he is still speaking to us.

⁵ Because Enoch had faith, he was taken up from the earth without dying. He could not be found because God had taken him. The Holy Writings tell how he pleased God before he was taken up. ⁶ A man cannot please God unless he has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.

⁷ Because Noah had faith, he built a large boat for his family. God told him what was going to happen. His faith made him hear God speak and he obeyed. His family was saved from death because he built the boat. In this way, Noah showed the world how sinful it was. Noah became right with God because of his faith in God.

⁸ Because Abraham had faith, he obeyed God when God called him to leave his home. He was to go to another country that God promised to give him. He left his home without knowing where he was going. ⁹ His faith in God kept him living as a stranger in the country God had promised to him. Isaac and Jacob had received the same promise. They all lived in tents together. ¹⁰ Abraham was looking to God and waiting for a city that could not be moved. It was a city planned and built by God.

¹¹ Because Sarah had faith, she was able to have a child long after she was past the age to have children. She had faith to believe that God would do what He promised. ¹² Abraham was too old to have children. But from this one man came a family with as many in it as the stars in the sky and as many as the sand by the sea.

¹³ These people all died having faith in God. They did not receive what God had promised to them. But they could see far ahead to all the things God promised and they were glad for them. They knew they were strangers here. This earth was not their home. ¹⁴ People who say these things show they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ They did not think about the country they had come from. If they had, they might have gone back. ¹⁶ But they wanted a better country. And so God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has made a city for them.

¹⁷ Because Abraham had faith, when he was tested, he gave his son Isaac as a gift on the altar in worship. God had made a promise to Abraham that He would give him a son. And yet Abraham was willing to give his only son as a gift on the altar in worship. ¹⁸ God had said to Abraham, “Your family will come from Isaac.” ^{(A) 19} Abraham believed God was able to bring Isaac back to life again. And so it may be said that Abraham did receive him back from death.

²⁰ Because Isaac had faith, he said that good would come to Jacob and Esau in the future. ²¹ Because Jacob had faith, he said that good would come to each of Joseph’s sons as he was dying. He used his walking stick to hold him up as he prayed to God.

²² Because Joseph had faith, he spoke of the Jews leaving the country of Egypt. He was going to die soon, and he told them to bury his body in the country where they were going.

²³ Because of faith, Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months. They saw that he was a beautiful child. They were not afraid of the king when he said that all baby boys should be killed.

²⁴ Because Moses had faith, he would not be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he grew up. ²⁵ He chose to suffer with God’s people instead of having fun doing sinful things for awhile. ²⁶ Any shame that he suffered for Christ was worth more than all the riches in Egypt. He kept his eyes on the reward God was going to give him.

²⁷ Because Moses had faith, he left Egypt. He was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses did not turn from the right way but kept seeing God in front of him. ²⁸ Because Moses had faith, he told all the Jews to put blood over their doors. Then the angel of death would pass over their houses and not kill their oldest sons.

²⁹ Because the Jews had faith, they went through the Red Sea as if they were on dry ground. But when the people of Egypt tried to go through, they were all killed by the water.

³⁰ Because the Jews had faith, the walls of the city of Jericho fell down after the Jews had walked around the city for seven days. ³¹ Because Rahab had faith, she was kept from being killed along with those who did not obey God. She was a woman who sold the use of her body. But she helped the men who had come in secret to look over the country.

There Were Many More Who Had Faith in God

³² What more should I say? There is not enough time to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthah and of David and of Samuel and of the early preachers. ³³ It was because these people had faith that they won wars over other countries. They were good leaders. They received what God promised to them. They closed the mouths of lions ³⁴ and stopped fire that was burning. They got away from being killed with swords. They were made strong again after they had been weak and sick. They were strong in war. They made fighting men from other countries run home. ³⁵ It was because some women had faith that they received their dead back to life. Others chose to be beaten instead of being set free, because they would not turn against God. In this way, they would be raised to a better life. ³⁶ Others were talked against. Some were beaten. Some were put in chains and in prison. ³⁷ They were killed by stones being thrown at them. People were cut in pieces. They were tested. They were killed with swords. They wore skins of sheep and goats and had nothing they could call their own. They were hungry and sick. Everyone was bad to them. ³⁸ They walked around in deserts and in mountains. They looked for caves and holes in the earth to live in. They were too good for this world. ³⁹ It was because of their faith that God was pleased with them. But they did not receive what God had promised. ⁴⁰ God had planned something better for us. These men could not be made perfect without us.

A Call to Turn from Sin

5 Hear this word, O people of Israel, this song of sorrow which I sing for you: ² “The young pure woman Israel has fallen, and she will not rise again. She is left alone on her land. There is no one to raise her up.” ³ For the Lord God says, “The city of Israel that sends out a thousand soldiers will have a hundred left. And the one that sends out a hundred will have ten left.”

⁴ The Lord says to the people of Israel, “Look for Me and live. ⁵ But do not look for Bethel. Do not go to Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be taken away to a strange land, and Bethel will come to nothing.” ⁶ Look for the Lord and live, or He will break out like fire in the family of Joseph. It will destroy, and no one in Bethel will be able to stop it. ⁷ You turn what is right into something bitter. You throw what is right and good down to the earth.

⁸ The Lord made the stars of Pleiades and Orion. He changes darkness into morning, and turns day into night. He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the earth. The Lord is His name. ⁹ He destroys the strong, so that the strong city is laid waste.

¹⁰ They hate him who speaks strong words in the gate. They hate him who speaks the truth. ¹¹ You crush the poor under foot and make them pay taxes with their grain. Because of this, even though you have built houses of cut stone, you will not live in them and even though you have planted beautiful grape-fields, you will not drink their wine. ¹² For I know that you have done much wrong and your sins are many. You make trouble for those who are right and good, and you take pay in secret for wrong-doing. You will not be fair to the poor. ¹³ The wise man keeps quiet at such a time, for it is a sinful time.

¹⁴ Look for good and not sin, that you may live. Then the Lord God of All will be with you, just as you have said. ¹⁵ Hate sin, and love good. And let what is fair be done at the gate. It may be that the Lord God of All will show kindness to those left of Joseph.

The Day of the Lord

¹⁶ So the Lord, the Lord God of All, says, “There is a loud crying in the city. In all the streets they say, ‘It is bad! It is bad!’ They call the farmers to cry in sorrow. They call those whose work is to cry over the dead to sing songs of sorrow. ¹⁷ And there are cries of sorrow in all the grape-fields, because I will pass among you,” says the Lord.

¹⁸ It is bad for you who want the day of the Lord to come. For what will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light. ¹⁹ It will be as when a man runs away from a lion and is met by a bear. It will be as when a man goes home and rests with his hand against the wall, and gets bitten by a snake. ²⁰ Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, very dark with nothing bright in it?

²¹ “I hate your special suppers. I will have nothing to do with them. And I am not pleased with your religious meetings. ²² Even if you give Me burnt gifts and grain gifts in worship, I will not receive them. I will not even look at the peace gifts of your fat animals. ²³ Take the noise of your songs away from Me. I will not listen to the sound of your harps. ²⁴ But let what is fair roll down like waters. Let what is right and good flow forever like a river.

²⁵ “O people of Israel, was it to Me you gave gifts of animals and grain on the altar for forty years in the desert? ²⁶ You also carried with you Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun your star god, the false gods you made for yourselves. ²⁷ So I will make you go as prisoners to the other side of Damascus,” says the Lord, Whose name is the God of All.

Luke Writes to Theophilus

1 Many people have written about the things that have happened among us. ² Those who saw everything from the first and helped teach the Good News have passed these things on to us. ³ Dear Theophilus, I have looked with care into these things from the beginning. I have decided it would be good to write them to you one after the other the way they happened. ⁴ Then you can be sure you know the truth about the things you have been taught.

An Angel Tells of the Birth of John the Baptist

⁵ When Herod was king of the country of Judea, there was a Jewish religious leader named Zacharias. He worked for Abijah. His wife was of the family group of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ They were right with God and obeyed the Jewish Law and did what the Lord said to do. ⁷ They had no children because Elizabeth was not able to have a child. Both of them were older people.

⁸ Zacharias was doing his work as a religious leader for God. ⁹ The religious leaders were given certain kinds of work to do. Zacharias was chosen to go to the house of God to burn special perfume. ¹⁰ Many people stood outside praying during the time the special perfume was burning.

¹¹ Zacharias saw an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar where the special perfume was burning. ¹² When he saw the angel, Zacharias was troubled and afraid. ¹³ The angel said to him, “Zacharias, do not be afraid. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son. You are to name him John. ¹⁴ You will be glad and have much joy. Many people will be happy because he is born. ¹⁵ He will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or any strong drink. Even from his birth, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ Many of the Jews will be turned to the Lord their God by him. ¹⁷ He will be the one to go in the spirit and power of Elijah before Christ comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children. He will teach those who do not obey to be right with God. He will get people ready for the Lord.” ^(A)

Zacharias Does Not Believe the Angel

¹⁸ Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I know this for sure? I am old and my wife is old also.” ¹⁹ The angel said to him, “My name is Gabriel. I stand near God. He sent me to talk to you and bring to you this good news. ²⁰ See! You will not be able to talk until the day this happens. It is because you did not believe my words. What I said will happen at the right time.”

²¹ The people outside were waiting. They were surprised and wondered why Zacharias stayed so long in the house of God. ²² When he came out, he could not talk to them. They knew he had seen something special from God while he was in the house of God. He tried to talk to them with his hands but could say nothing. ²³ When his days of working in the house of God were over, he went to his home.

The Lord Did What He Promised

²⁴ Some time later Elizabeth knew she was to become a mother. She kept herself hidden for five months. She said, ²⁵ “This is what the Lord has done for me. He has looked on me and has taken away my shame from among men.”

Gabriel Speaks to Mary

²⁶ Six months after Elizabeth knew she was to become a mother, Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth. Nazareth was a town in the country of Galilee. ²⁷ He went to a woman who had never had a man. Her name was Mary. She was promised in marriage to a man named Joseph. Joseph was of the family of David. ²⁸ The angel came to her and said, “You are honored very much. You are a favored woman. The Lord is with you. *You are chosen from among many women.”

²⁹ When she saw the angel, she was troubled at his words. She thought about what had been said. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. ³¹ See! You are to become a mother and have a Son. You are to give Him the name Jesus. ³² He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the place where His early father David sat. ³³ He will be King over the family of Jacob forever and His nation will have no end.”

³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen? I have never had a man.” ³⁵ The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you. The power of the Most High will cover you. The holy Child you give birth to will be called the Son of God.

³⁶ “See, your cousin Elizabeth, as old as she is, is going to give birth to a child. She was not able to have children before, but now she is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For God can do all things.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “I am willing to be used of the Lord. Let it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel went away from her.