M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
1 James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings.
Endure Your Trials With Joy, Asking God For Wisdom And Viewing Life From His Standpoint
2 Regard it all joy, my brothers, whenever you fall-into[a] various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith is producing endurance. 4 And let endurance be having its complete[b] work in order that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. 5 And if any of you is lacking wisdom, let him be asking from the God giving generously to all and not reproaching[c], and it will be given to him. 6 But let him be asking in faith, not doubting[d] at all. For the one doubting is like a surge of the sea being blown-by-wind and tossed. 7 For let that person not be supposing that he will receive anything from the Lord— 8 a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 And let the lowly[e] brother be boasting in his height, 10 and the rich one in his lowliness, because he will pass-away like a flower of grass. 11 For the sun rose with the burning-heat and dried-up the grass, and its flower fell-off and the beauty of its appearance perished. In this manner also the rich one will fade-away in his pursuits. 12 Blessed[f] is the man who endures the trial, because having become[g] approved, he will receive the crown of [h] life which He promised to the ones loving Him.
But Temptation To Evil Comes From Within, Not From God
13 Let no one being tempted be saying that “I am being tempted by[i] God”. For God is not-tempted by evils. And He Himself tempts no one, 14 but each one is tempted by[j] his own desire while being drawn-away[k] and enticed[l]. 15 Then the desire, having conceived, gives-birth to sin. And the sin, having been fully-formed[m], brings-forth death. 16 Do not be deceived!
Receive God’s Lifegiving Gift of The Implanted Word With Gentleness Toward Others, Not Anger
My[n] beloved brothers, 17 every good gift-giving[o] and every perfect gift-given is from-above, coming down from the Father of lights[p], with Whom there is no variation[q] or shadow[r] of turning. 18 Having willed[s] it, He brought[t] us forth by the word of truth so that we might be a kind-of firstfruit of His creatures. 19 You know[u] this, my beloved brothers, but[v] let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow into anger. 20 For the anger of a man does not produce[w] the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore having laid-aside all filthiness and abundance[x] of badness, receive with gentleness the implanted word being able to save your souls.
But Be Doers of The Word, Not Hearers Only
22 But be[y] doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding[z] yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man considering[aa] the face of his birth[ab] in a mirror. 24 For he considered himself and has gone-away and immediately forgot[ac] what-sort of man he was. 25 But the one having looked into the perfect law of liberty and having continued, not having become a forgetful[ad] hearer, but a doer of work— this one will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks that he is religious while not bridling[ae] his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion[af] of this one is worthless[ag]. 27 This is pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father— to be looking-after orphans and widows in their affliction; to be keeping oneself unspotted by the world.
In The Fifteenth Year of Tiberius, John Is Sent Out By God
3 Now in the fifteenth[a] year of the government of Tiberius[b] Caesar— Pontius Pilate[c] being-governor of Judea, and Herod[d] being-tetrarch[e] of Galilee, and Philip[f] his brother being tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias being tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in-the-time-of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas— the word of God came to[g] John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.
John Proclaims a Baptism of Repentance, In Fulfillment of Isaiah
3 And he went into all the surrounding-region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it has been written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet [in Isa 40:3-5], “A voice of one shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; be making His paths straight. 5 Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be made-low. And the crooked paths will become straight, and the rough will become smooth paths. 6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God’”. 7 Therefore he was saying to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers— who showed[h] you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say within[i] yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’. For I say to you that God is able to raise-up children for Abraham from these stones! 9 And indeed the axe is already lying[j] at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”.
The People Ask John What They Should Do To Produce Fruit Worthy of Repentance
10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “What then should we do?” 11 And having responded, he was saying to them, “Let the one having two tunics[k] give to the one not having, and let the one having food be doing likewise”. 12 And tax collectors also came to be baptized. And they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 And the one said to them, “Be collecting nothing more than the amount having been commanded”. 14 And ones serving-as-soldiers also were questioning him, saying, “And us, what should we do?” And he said to them, “Do not violently-extort[l] anyone, nor extort-with-false-charges. And be content with your wages[m]”.
John Says One More Powerful Is Coming, Who Will Baptize With The Spirit And Fire
15 And while the populace was waiting-in-expectation and all were pondering in their hearts about John— if perhaps he might be the Christ— 16 John responded, saying to everyone, “I am baptizing you with[n] water, but the One more powerful than me is coming, of Whom I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with[o] the Holy Spirit and fire[p]— 17 Whose winnowing-tool is in His hand so as to clean-out[q] His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with an inextinguishable fire”. 18 So indeed, while also exhorting many other things, he was announcing-good-news-to the people.
Herod Locked Up John In Prison
19 But Herod the tetrarch— while being rebuked[r] by him concerning Herodias[s], the wife of his brother, and concerning all the evil things which Herod did— 20 also added this to everything: he also locked-up John in prison.
Jesus Was Baptized When All The People Were Baptized
21 And it came about when[t] all the people were baptized, Jesus also having been baptized and praying, that the heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in a bodily form like[u] a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son. With You I was[v] well-pleased”.
At About Age Thirty, Jesus Begins His Ministry
23 And Jesus Himself was, [when] beginning His ministry, about thirty years old, being a son, as it was being supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Aminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing