M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Elimelech’s Family in Moab
1 It came to pass in the days when judges were governing, there was a famine in the land. A man went from the town of Bethlehem[a] in Judah to dwell in the region of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and his two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephratites from Bethlehem in Judah. They came to the region of Moab and remained there.
3 Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women—one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth, and they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then those two, Mahlon and Chilion, also died. So the woman was left without her children and her husband.
6 Then she got up, along with her daughters-in-law to return from the region of Moab, because in the region of Moab she had heard that Adonai had taken note of His people and given them food. 7 So she left the place where she was, along with her two daughters-in-law, and they started out on the road to return to the land of Judah.
8 So Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to your mother’s house. May Adonai show you the same kindness that you have shown to the dead and to me. 9 May Adonai grant that you find rest, each of you in the house of her own husband.” Then she kissed them and they wept loudly.
10 “No!” they said to her, “we will return with you to your people.”
11 Now Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters! Why should you go with me? Do I have more sons in my womb who could become your husbands? 12 Go home, my daughters! I am too old to have a husband. Even if I were to say that there was hope for me and I could get married tonight, and then bore sons, 13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you therefore hold off getting married? No, my daughters, it is more bitter for me than for you—for the hand of Adonai has gone out against me!”
14 Again they broke into loud weeping. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth clung to her. 15 She said, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Return, along with your sister-in-law!”
Ruth’s Covenant With Naomi
16 Ruth replied,
“Do not plead with me to abandon you,
to turn back from following you.
For where you go, I will go,
and where you stay, I will stay.
Your people will be my people,
and your God my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
May Adonai deal with me, and worse,
if anything but death comes between me and you!”
18 When she saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she no longer spoke to Ruth about it.
19 So the two of them went on until they arrived in Bethlehem. As soon as they arrived in Bethlehem the whole city was excited because of them, and the women asked, “Is this Naomi?”
20 “Do not call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara—since Shaddai has made my life bitter. [b] 21 I went away full, but Adonai has brought me back empty. Why should you call me Naomi, since Adonai has testified against me and Shaddai has brought calamity on me?”
22 So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess returned from the region of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Defense Before King Agrippa
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. 2 “Concerning all I am accused of by the Judean leaders, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you that I am about to make my defense today— 3 since you are especially knowledgeable about all Jewish customs and issues. Therefore I beg you to listen patiently to me.
4 “Now all the Jewish people have known my manner of life ever since my youth, starting from the beginning in my own nation and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known about me for a long time—if they were willing to testify—that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
6 “Yet now I stand here being judged for the hope in the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 It is the promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jewish people, O King! 8 Why is it judged incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 “In fact, I myself thought it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Yeshua ha-Natzrati. 10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. Not only did I lock up many of the kedoshim in prisons by the authority I received from the ruling kohanim, but I cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. 11 I tried to cause them to blaspheme by punishing them often in the synagogues. In furious rage against them, I persecuted them even in foreign cities.
12 “While journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the ruling kohanim, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the road a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against goads!’
15 “Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“And the Lord said, ‘I am Yeshua—whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up, and stand on your feet.[a] For I have appeared to you for this purpose—to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things you have seen as well as to the things I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will rescue you[b] from your own people, and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes—so they may turn from darkness to light[c] and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive release from sins as well as a place among those who are made holy through trusting in Me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Rather, I kept declaring—first to those in Damascus, and then Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also the Gentiles—that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with that repentance.
21 “For this reason some Judeans seized me in the Temple and tried to put me to death. 22 Since I have had God’s help, to this day I have stood here testifying to both small and great. I am saying nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to happen— 23 that the Messiah was to suffer and that, being first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and to the nations.[d]”
24 As Paul was thus making his defense, Festus says with a loud voice, “You’re crazy, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25 But Paul declares, “I am not insane, most noble Festus! Rather I am speaking the sober truth. 26 For the king knows about these things, and I speak freely to him, since I am convinced that none of these things escape his notice—for this was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do believe!”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time you are trying to persuade me to be Messianic!”[e]
29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would pray to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today would be such as I am—except for these chains!”
30 Then the king stood up, as well as the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them. 31 When they had gone away, they began talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”
32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Baruch Reads Jeremiah’s Scroll
36 Now it happened in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of King Josiah of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from Adonai, saying: 2 “Take a megillah scroll, and write in it all the words that I have spoken to you about Israel, about Judah, and about all the nations from the day I spoke to you—from the days of Josiah until this day. 3 Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity that I am planning to do to them, in order that they may turn, each one from his evil way. Then I would forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
4 So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote from Jeremiah’s mouth, all the words that Adonai had spoken to him, into a megillah scroll. 5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying: “I am detained; I cannot go into the House of Adonai. 6 So you go and read in the megillah—which you have written from my mouth, the words of Adonai—in the ears of the people, in the House of Adonai, on a fast day. You should also read them in the ears of all Judah coming from their towns. 7 Perhaps they will present their supplication before Adonai, and each one will turn from his wicked way. For great is the anger and fury that Adonai has pronounced against this people.”
8 So Baruch son of Neriah did according to all that the prophet Jeremiah commanded him, reading from the book the words of Adonai in the House of Adonai.
9 Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of King Josiah of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before Adonai—all the people in Jerusalem and all the people that came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem. 10 Then Baruch read from the scroll the words of Jeremiah in the House of Adonai, in the chamber of Gemariah son of the scribe Shaphan, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the House of Adonai, in the ears of all the people.
11 Now when Micaiah son of Gemariah son of Shaphan, had heard from the scroll all the words of Adonai, 12 he went down to the scribe’s chamber of the king’s palace. All the officials sat there—the scribe Elishama, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the officials. 13 Then Micaiah reported to them all the words that he had heard Baruch reading out of the scroll in the ears of the people.
14 All the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah son of Shelemiah son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying: “Bring in your hand the megillah which you read in the ears of the people and come.”
So Baruch son of Neriah brought the megillah in his hand and went to them. 15 Then they said to him: “Sit down now, and read it in our ears.” So Baruch read it in their ears.
16 After they had heard all the words, they turned to each other in fear, then said to Baruch: “We will surely report all these words to the king.” 17 They also asked Baruch, saying: “Tell us now, how did you write all these words? At his dictation?”
18 Then Baruch answered them: “He pronounced all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink into the scroll.”
19 Then the officials said to Baruch: “Go, hide yourself—you and Jeremiah—and let no one know where you are.”
20 Then they went to the king in the courtyard, after they had deposited the megillah in the chamber of the scribe Elishama. They reported all the words in the ears of the king.
21 So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the megillah, and he brought it out of the chamber of the scribe Elishama. Jehudi read it in the ears of the king and all the officials who were standing by the king.
22 Since it was the ninth month, the king was residing in the winter house, with a fireplace burning before him. 23 Now as soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns, he cut it with the scribe’s knife and tossed it into the fire that was in the fireplace, until the whole megillah was consumed in the fire in the fireplace. 24 Yet neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words were afraid, nor tore their clothes. 25 Moreover Elnatan, Delaiah and Gemariah entreated the king not to burn the megillah, but he would not listen to them.
26 Then the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, along with Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah—but Adonai hid them.
27 Then the word of Adonai came to Jeremiah, after the king had burned the megillah with the words that Baruch had written at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying: 28 “Take yet another megillah, and write in it all the original words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned up. 29 About King Jehoiakim of Judah you will say, thus says Adonai: ‘You have burned this megillah, saying, “Why have you written in it, saying the king of Babylon will surely come and destroy this land and will bring an end to both man and beast from it?” ’”
30 Therefore thus says Adonai about King Jehoiakim of Judah: “He will have no one to sit on the throne of David. Moreover, his dead body will be tossed out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. 31 I will also punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity, and I will bring on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the people of Judah all the calamity that I have pronounced against them—but they did not listen.”
32 Then Jeremiah took another megillah and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, who wrote in it from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll which King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned up in the fire—and added to them many similar words.
Message for Baruch
45 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a scroll from the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 thus says Adonai, the God of Israel, concerning you, Baruch: “you said: 3 ‘Oy to me now! For Adonai has added sorrow to my pain. I am worn out with my groaning, and I find no rest.’”
4 Thus shall you say to him, thus says Adonai: “Behold, what I have built I will tear down, and what I have planted I will uproot—the whole land. 5 But you, are you expecting great things for yourself? Seek no more! For I am about to bring calamity on all flesh”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“but I will grant you your soul as spoil in all places where you may go.”
Our Righteous Judge
Psalm 9
1 For the music director, to the tune of “The Death of the Son,” a psalm of David.
2 I will praise Adonai with my whole heart.
I will tell about all Your wonders.
3 I will be glad and rejoice in You.
I will sing praise to Your Name, Elyon!
4 When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before You.
5 For You upheld my right and my cause.
You sat upon the throne, judging righteously.
6 You rebuked the nations,
You destroyed the wicked—
blotting out their name forever and ever.
7 The enemy is finished, in ruins forever.
You overturned their cities—
even the memory of them has perished.
8 But Adonai reigns forever.
He established His throne for judgment.
9 He judges the world in righteousness
and governs the peoples justly.
10 Adonai is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a high tower in times of trouble.
11 Those who know Your Name trust You—
for You, Adonai, never have forsaken those who seek You.
12 Sing praises to Adonai, who dwells in Zion.
Declare His deeds among the peoples.
13 He who avenges blood remembers.
He will not forget the cry of the afflicted.
14 Be compassionate to me, Adonai.
See my affliction from those hating me.
Lift me up from the gates of death.
15 Then I will tell all your praises
in the gates of the daughter of Zion,
rejoicing in Your salvation.
16 The nations sank into the pit they made.
The net they hid caught their own foot.
17 Adonai is known for executing judgment.
The wicked one is trapped in the work of his own hands.
Selah
18 The wicked will turn to Sheol,
as will all the nations that forget God.
19 For the needy will not forever be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
20 Arise, Adonai, do not let man triumph.
Let the nations be judged before You.
21 Strike them with terror, Adonai.
Let the nations know they are only human. Selah
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.