M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Elimelech Takes His Family to Live in Moab
1 And it happened in the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem of Judah went to reside[b] in the countryside of Moab—he and his wife and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephraimites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they went to the countryside of Moab and remained there.
3 But Elimelech the husband of Naomi died and she was left behind with her two sons.[c] 4 And they took[d] for themselves Moabite wives. The name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other was Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 But both[e] Mahlon and Kilion died, and the woman was left without her two sons and without her husband.
Naomi Returns with Ruth
6 And she got up, she and her daughters-in-law, and returned from the countryside of Moab, because she had heard in the countryside of Moab that Yahweh had come to the aid of[f] his people to give food to them. 7 So she set out from the place where she was[g] and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, each of you return to her mother’s house. May Yahweh show kindness to you[h] just as you did with the dead and with me. 9 May Yahweh grant that you[i] find a resting place, each in the house of her husband.” And she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and cried.
10 And they said to her, “No, we want to return with you to your people.” 11 And Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why do you still want to go with me?[j] Are there sons in my womb[k] that may be husbands for you? 12 Turn back, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband.[l] If I should think there is hope for me, even if I should have a husband this night, and even if I should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying?[m] No, my daughters, for it is far more bitter to me than to you. For the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me.” 14 And they lifted up their voices and cried again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. Return after your sister-in-law too.”
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge[n] me to leave you or to return from following you![o] For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. So may Yahweh do to me, and even more, unless[p] death separates you and me!”[q] 18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.[r]
19 So the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came[s] to Bethlehem, all of the town was stirred because of them. And they said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 And she said to them, “You should not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for Shaddai[t] has caused me to be very bitter.[u] 21 I went away full, but Yahweh brought me back empty-handed! Why call me Naomi when Yahweh has testified against me[v] and Shaddai[w] has brought calamity upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, returning from the countryside of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest of barley.
Paul Makes His Defense Before King Agrippa
26 So Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his[a] hand and[b] began to defend himself:[c]
2 “Concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that before you I am about to defend myself today, 3 because[d] you are especially acquainted with both all the customs and controversial questions with respect to the Jews. Therefore I beg you[e] to listen to me with patience.
4 “Now all the Jews know my manner of life from my youth, that had taken place from the beginning among my own people[f] and in Jerusalem, 5 having known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that in accordance with the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial on the basis of hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him[g] night and day. Concerning this hope I am being accused by the Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought incredible by you people[h] that God raises the dead? 9 Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many things opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene, 10 which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when[i] they were being executed, I cast my vote[j] against them.[k] 11 And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often and[l] tried to force[m] them[n] to blaspheme, and because I[o] was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing them[p] even as far as to foreign cities. 12 In this activity[q] I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and full power of the chief priests. 13 In the middle of the day along the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven, more than the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me. 14 And when[r] we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Aramaic language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads!’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet, because for this reason I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness both to the things in which you saw me and to the things in which I will appear to you, 17 rescuing you from the people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem and all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing deeds worthy of repentance. 21 On account of these things the Jews seized me in[s] the temple courts[t] and[u] were attempting to kill me.[v] 22 Therefore I have experienced help from God until this day, and[w] I stand here testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what both the prophets and Moses have said were going to happen, 23 that the Christ[x] was to suffer and that as the first of the resurrection from the dead, he was going to proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.”
24 And as[y] he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Your[z] great learning is driving[aa] you insane!”[ab] 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking words of truth and rationality. 26 For the king knows about these things, to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am not convinced that these things in any way have escaped[ac] his notice, because this was[ad] not done[ae] in a corner. 27 Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe.” 28 But Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?”[af] 29 And Paul replied, “I pray to God, whether in a short time or in a long time, not only you but also all those who are listening to me today may become such people as I also am, except for these bonds!”
30 Both the king and the governor got up, and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And as they[ag] were going out, they were talking to one another, saying, “This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll of Jeremiah’s Prophecies
36 And then[a] in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,[b] 2 “Take for yourself a scroll[c] and you must write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day that I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, and until this day. 3 Perhaps when the house of Judah hears all the disasters[d] that I am planning to do to them, then they may turn back each one from his evil way, and I will forgive their guilt and their sin.”
4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of Yahweh that he had spoken to him on a scroll.[e] 5 And Jeremiah instructed Baruch, saying,[f] “I am held back, I am not able to enter the temple of Yahweh. 6 So you must go and you shall read aloud from the scroll that you have written from my mouth the words of Yahweh in the hearing of the people in the temple of Yahweh on a day of fast, and also you shall read aloud in the hearing of all those of Judah who came from their towns. 7 Perhaps their plea will fall before[g] Yahweh and each one will turn away from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that Yahweh pronounced against this people.” 8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet instructed him, to read aloud from the scroll the words of Yahweh in the temple of Yahweh.
9 And then[h] in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the towns of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before[i] Yahweh. 10 Then Baruch read aloud from the scroll the words of Jeremiah in the temple of Yahweh, in the chamber of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, the secretary, in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple of Yahweh in the hearing of all the people.
11 When Micaiah, the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of Yahweh from the scroll, 12 he went down to the house of the king, to the chamber of the secretary, and look, all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, and Delaiah, the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan, the son of Achbor, and Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah, the son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard at the reading aloud of Baruch from the scroll in the hearing of the people.
14 Then all the officials sent Jehudi, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying,[j] “The scroll that you read aloud from in the hearing of the people, take it in your hand and come.” And Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and he came to them. 15 And they said to him, “Sit please and read it aloud in our hearing.” So Baruch read aloud in their hearing. 16 And then,[k] the moment of their hearing all the words, they turned to one another in alarm[l] and they said to Baruch, “We must certainly report all these words to the king!” 17 Then they asked Baruch, saying,[m] “Tell us please, how did you write all these words, from his mouth?” 18 And Baruch said to them, “From his mouth. He dictated to me all these words and I was writing on the scroll with the ink.” 19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and let not a man know where you are.”
20 And they went to the king, to the courtyard, and they put[n] the scroll for safe-keeping in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words in the hearing of the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to take the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and Jehudi read it aloud in the hearing of the king, and in the hearing of all the officials who stood next to the king. 22 Now the king was sitting in the quarters of the winter in the ninth month, and a fire-pot was burning before[o] him. 23 And then,[p] as Jehudi read three or four columns, he would cut it up in pieces with the knife of the scribe, and he would throw it[q] into the fire that was in the fire-pot until the whole of the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire-pot. 24 And the king and any of his servants who heard all these words were not startled, and they did not tear their garments. 25 And even when Elnathan, and Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel, the son of the king, and Seraiah, the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah, the son of Abdeel, to arrest Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but Yahweh hid them.
27 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah after the king burned the scroll and the words that Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,[r] 28 “Take again[s] for yourself another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, has burned. 29 And concerning Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, you shall say, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You have burned this scroll, saying,[t] ‘Why have you written in it, saying,[u] “The king of Babylon will certainly come and he will destroy this land, and he will cause to disappear from it humankind and animals”?’”[v] 30 Therefore[w] thus says Yahweh concerning Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, “There will not be for him one who sits on the throne of David. And his dead body will be thrown out to the heat in the day and to the frost in the night. 31 And I will punish him, and his offspring, and his servants for their guilt, and I will bring on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the people of Judah all the disaster with which I have threatened them, but they would not listen.”’” 32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the son of Neriah, the secretary, and he wrote on it from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, had burned in the fire, and furthermore was added to them many words like these.
A Message for Baruch
45 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch, the son of Neriah, at his writing these words on a scroll from the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, saying,[a] 2 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 ‘You said, “Woe please to me, for Yahweh has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary in my groaning and I do not find rest.”’ 4 Thus you will say to him: ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Look, what I have built I am about to tear down, and what I have planted I am about to pluck up, it is all the land. 5 And you, do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek great things,[b] for look, I am about to bring disaster upon all flesh,” declares[c] Yahweh, “but to you I will give your life as booty in all the places where you may go.”’”
Praise for Yahweh’s Justice
For the music director, according to Muth-labben.[a] A psalm of David.[b]
9 I will thank Yahweh with all my heart.
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you.
I will sing the praise of your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back,
they will stumble and perish because of your presence.
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne judging correctly.
5 You have rebuked the nations;
you have destroyed the wicked.
Their name you have blotted out
forever and ever.
6 The enemies are destroyed in ruins forever,
and you have uprooted their cities;
their very memory has perished.
7 But Yahweh sits enthroned forever.
He has established his throne for judgment.
8 And he will judge the world with righteousness.
He will judge the peoples with equity.
9 And Yahweh will be a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of distress.
10 And those who know your name will trust in you,
for you do not forsake those who seek you, O Yahweh.
11 Sing praises to Yahweh who sits enthroned[c] in Zion.
Tell his deeds among the peoples,
12 for he who avenges bloodshed[d] remembers them.
He does not forget the distressed cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O Yahweh.
See my suffering from those who hate me,
you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may tell of all your praises.
In the gates of the daughter of Zion
let me rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen in the pit that they made;
their foot is caught in the net that they hid.
16 Yahweh has made himself known;
he has executed judgment.
The wicked is snared by the work of his hands. Higgaion[e] Selah
17 The wicked shall turn back to Sheol,
all the nations forgetting God,
18 for the needy shall not always be forgotten;
the hope of the poor shall never perish.
19 Rise up, O Yahweh, let not humans[f] prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
20 O Yahweh, put them in fear.
Let the nations know they are merely human. Selah
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