M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
4 Forsooth Adam knew Eve his wife, which conceived, and childed Cain, and said, I have gotten a man by God. (And Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived, and bare Cain, and she said, Now, with the Lord’s help, I have begotten a man.)
2 And again she childed his brother Abel. Forsooth Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was an earth-tiller. (And then she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer, who worked the soil.)
3 Soothly it was done after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord of the fruits of the earth[a];
4 and Abel offered of the first engendered of his flock, and of the fatness of those. And the Lord beheld to Abel and to the gifts of him;
5 soothly he beheld not to Cain and to his gifts. And Cain was wroth greatly, and his cheer felled down (And Cain was greatly angered, and his face fell).
6 And the Lord said to him, Why art thou wroth, and why felled down thy face?
7 Whether not if thou shalt do well, thou shalt receive well; but if thou doest evil, thy sin shall be present anon in the gates? but the desire thereof, that is, of sin, shall be under thee, and thou shalt be lord thereof. (If thou shalt do well, then thou shalt be accepted; but if thou doest evil, then at once thy sin shall be present at the gates, and the desire of sin shall take thee under, and so thou must be lord of it, or rule over it.)
8 And Cain said to Abel, his brother, Go we out (But then Cain said to his brother Abel, Walk with me). And when they were in the field, Cain rose (up) against his brother Abel, and killed him.
9 And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? Which answered, I know not; whether I am the keeper of my brother? (And the Lord said to Cain, Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered, How do I know; am I my brother’s keeper?)
10 And God said to Cain, What hast thou done? the voice of the blood of thy brother crieth to me from [the] earth (the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth out to me from the earth).
11 Now therefore thou shalt be cursed on [the] earth, that opened his mouth, and received of thine hand the blood of thy brother. (And so now thou shalt be cursed on the earth, that hath opened its mouth, and received thy brother’s blood from thy hand.)
12 When thou shalt work the earth, it shall not give his fruits to thee; thou shalt be unstable of dwelling, and fleeing about on [the] earth, in all the days of thy life. (When thou shalt work the earth, it shall not give its fruits to thee; thou shalt be of unstable dwelling, and fleeing about on the earth, all the days of thy life.)
13 And Cain said to the Lord, My wickedness is more than that I deserve forgiveness (for); (And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is more than that I can bear;)
14 lo! today thou castest me out from the face of the earth; and I shall be hid from thy face, and I shall be unstable of dwelling, and fleeing about in (the) earth; therefore each man that shall find me shall slay me. (lo! today thou castest me out from the face of the earth; and I shall be hid from thy face, and I shall be of unstable dwelling, and fleeing about on the earth; and any man who findeth me shall slay me.)
15 And the Lord said to him, It shall not be done so, but each man that shall slay Cain shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a sign in Cain, that each man that should find him should not slay him. (And the Lord said to him, It shall not be done so, but any man who shall kill Cain shall be punished seven times. And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that any man who would find him would not kill him.)
16 And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and dwelled fleeing about in [the] earth, at the east coast of Eden, that is, of (the) earthly paradise. (And so Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod, to the east of the Garden of Eden, that is, to the east of Paradise on earth.)
17 Forsooth Cain knew his wife, which conceived, and childed Enoch; and Cain builded a city, and called the name thereof of the name of his son, Enoch (and Cain built a city, and named it after his son Enoch).
18 Forsooth Enoch begat Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael; and Mehujael begat Methusael; and Methusael begat Lamech;
19 that took two wives, the name to the one wife was Adah, and the name to the other was Zillah. (and Lamech took two wives, and his first wife was named Adah, and the other was named Zillah.)
20 And Adah begat Jabal, that was the father of (the) dwellers in tents, and of shepherds;
21 and the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of the singers in harp and organ. (and his brother’s name was Jubal; and he was the father of the players of harps and of organs.)
22 And Zillah begat Tubalcain, that was an hammer-beater, and [a] smith on all works of brass and of iron (who used a hammer, and was a smith of all things made out of bronze and of iron); forsooth the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Ye wives of Lamech, hear my voice, and harken (to) my word(s); for I have slain a man by my wound(ing), and a young waxing man by my violent beating (for I have killed a man with my wounding, and a young man with my violent beatings);
24 (if) vengeance shall be given sevenfold of Cain, forsooth of Lamech seventy times seven times. (if vengeance shall be given seven times for Cain, then for Lamech it shall be seventy-seven times.)
25 Also yet Adam knew his wife, and she childed a son, and called his name Seth[b], and said, God hath put to me another seed for Abel, whom Cain killed. (And Adam knew his wife, and she bare a son, and named him Seth, for Eve said, God hath given me another child for Abel, whom Cain killed.)
26 But also a son was born to Seth, which son he called Enos; this began to call inwardly the name of the Lord. (And a son was born to Seth, whom he called Enos; and his generation began to inwardly call on the Lord’s name.)
4 Then Jesus was led of a Spirit into desert, to be tempted of the fiend [to be tempted of the devil].
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he hungered.
3 And the tempter came nigh, and said to him, If thou be God's Son [If thou art the Son of God], say that these stones be made loaves.
4 Which answered, and said to him, It is written, Not only in bread liveth man, but in each word that cometh forth of God's mouth. [Which answering said to him, It is written, A man liveth not in bread alone, but in every word that cometh forth from the mouth of God.]
5 Then the fiend took him into the holy city, and setted him on the pinnacle of the temple, [Then the devil took him into the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple,]
6 and said to him, If thou art God's Son, send thee adown [and said to him, If thou art the Son of God, send thee down]; for it is written, That to his angels he commanded of thee, and they shall take thee in [the] hands, lest peradventure thou hurt thy foot at a stone.
7 Again Jesus said to him, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt thy Lord God. [Again Jesus said to him, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.]
8 Again the fiend [Again the devil] took him [up] into a full high hill, and showed to him all the realms of the world, and the joy of them [and the glory of them];
9 and said to him, All these I shall give to thee, if thou fall down and worship me.
10 Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship thy Lord God [for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God], and to him alone thou shalt serve.
11 Then the fiend left him [Then the devil left him]; and lo! angels came nigh, and served to him.
12 But when Jesus had heard that John was taken, he went into Galilee.
13 And he left the city of Nazareth, and came [And the city of Nazareth left, he came], and dwelt in the city of Capernaum, beside the sea, in the coasts [in the ends] of Zabulon and Nephthalim,
14 that it should be fulfilled, that was said by Esaias, the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea over Jordan, of Galilee of heathen men,
16 the people that walked in darknesses saw great light [the people that dwelt in darknesses saw great light], and while men sat in the country of [the] shadow of death, light arose to them [light is sprung to them].
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and [to] say, Do ye penance, for the kingdom of heavens shall come nigh [for the realm of heaven hath nighed].
18 And Jesus walked beside the sea of Galilee, and saw two brethren [Soothly Jesus, walking beside the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren], Simon, that is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting nets [sending a net] into the sea; for they were fishers.
19 And he said to them, Come ye after me, and I shall make you to be made fishers of men.
20 And at once [And anon] they left their nets, and followed him.
21 And he went forth from that place, and saw twain other brethren [And he going forth from that place, saw two other brethren], James of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a ship with Zebedee, their father, amending their nets, and he called them.
22 And at once [Soothly anon] they left the nets and the father, and followed him.
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues of them, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every languor and each sickness among the people [and healing all sorrow, or ache, and all sickness in the people].
24 And his fame went into all Syria; and they brought to him all that were at mal-ease, and that were taken with diverse languors and torments, and them that had fiends, and lunatic men, and men in palsy [and they brought to him all men having evil, taken with diverse sores and torments, and them that had devils, and lunatic men, and men in the palsy], and he healed them.
25 And there followed him much people of Galilee [And there followed him many companies of Galilee], and of Decapolis, and of Jerusalem, and of Judaea, and of beyond Jordan.
4 And the enemies of Judah and of Benjamin heard, that the sons of (the) captivity builded a temple to the Lord God of Israel;
2 and they came to Zerubbabel, and to the princes of (the) fathers, and said to them, Build we with you, for so as ye do, we seek your God (and they came to Zerubbabel, and to the leaders of the families, and said to them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God, as ye do); lo! we have offered sacrifices (to him) from the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assur, that brought us hither into this land.
3 And Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the other princes of the fathers of Israel, said to them, It is not to us and to you, that we build an house to our God; but we us-selves alone shall build an house to the Lord our God, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us. (And Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the other leaders of the families of the tribes of Israel, said to them, It is of no concern to thee, that we build a House for our God; yea, we shall build by ourselves the House for the Lord our God, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.)
4 And it was done, that the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building. (And then it was done, that the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Judah, and made them afraid to continue building.)
5 And they hired counsellors against the Jews, that they should destroy the counsel, or purpose, of the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, and unto the realm of Darius, king of Persia. (And they bribed court officials to work against the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, the king of Persia, and into the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.)
6 And in the realm of Ahasuerus, he is (also) called Artaxerxes, in the beginning of his realm, they writed accusing against the dwellers of Judah and of Jerusalem; (And then in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, who is also called Artaxerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote accusations against the inhabitants of Judah and of Jerusalem;)
7 and in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam wrote, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and others, that were in the counsel of them, to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. And the epistle of accusing was written in the language of Syria, and it was read in the word of Syria. (yea, in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and their counsellors, or their officials, wrote to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. And their letter of accusation was written in the Aramaic language, and it was read aloud in Aramaic.)
8 Rehum, B’el T’em, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote such an epistle from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, [on this manner]; (And Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, also wrote a letter from Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, in this manner;)
9 Rehum, B’el T’em, and Shimshai, the scribe, and [the] other counsellors of them (From Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their counsellors, or their officials), (the) Dinaites, Apharsathchites, and Tarpelites, Apharistes, Archevites, men of Babylon, Susanchites, Dehavites, (and) men of Elam,
10 and others of heathen men, which the great and glorious Asnapper translated, and made them to dwell in the cities of Samaria, and in other countries beyond the flood, in peace. (and others of the heathen, whom the great and glorious Asnapper carried off captive, and made them live in the cities of Samaria, and in other places in the province west of the Euphrates River, peace to you.)
11 This is the exemplar of the epistle, that they sent to the king. To Artaxerxes, king, thy servants, men beyond the flood, say health to thee. (This is the text of the letter that they sent to the king. To King Artaxeres, from thy servants, we men here in the province west of the Euphrates River, who desire good health and prosperity for thee.)
12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews, which went up from thee, be come to us in Jerusalem, a rebel and full evil city, which they build (again), and they make the ground walls thereof, and they array the walls above. (Be it known to the king, that the Jews, who left thee, have come to us here in Jerusalem, yea, a rebellious and very evil city, which they now rebuild, and they have laid the foundations, and now raise up the walls on top of them.)
13 Now therefore be it known to the king, that if that city be builded (again), and the walls thereof be restored, they shall not give tribute, and toll, and annual rents, and this trespass, or harm, shall come to the king. (And so now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt, and its walls be restored, then they will not pay tribute, or taxes, or tolls, or annual rents, and that this harm shall come to the king.)
14 Therefore we be mindful of the salt, that is, of meats made savory with salt, that we ate in thy palace, and for we held it unleaveful to see the harms of the king (and for we found it unacceptable to see the king harmed in any way), therefore we have sent and told (this) to the king;
15 that thou account (for) and seek in the books of [the] stories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find (it) written in (the) chronicles, and (then) thou shalt know, that that city Jerusalem is a rebel city, and that it harmeth kings and provinces, and that battles be raised therein of eld days; wherefore also that city was destroyed. (and that if thou search in the books of the stories of thy fathers, thou shalt find it written in The Chronicles, and then thou shalt know, that this city Jerusalem hath long been a rebellious city, and that it harmeth kings and provinces, and that battles be raised up there from days of old, or the olden days; and for that reason the city was destroyed.)
16 We tell to the king, that if that city be builded (again), and the walls thereof be restored, thou shalt not have possession beyond the flood. (We say to the king, that if that city is rebuilt, and its walls be restored, then thou shalt not have power, or authority, in the province west of the Euphrates River.)
17 The king sent word to Rehum, B’el T’em, and to Shimshai, the scribe, and to others that were in the counsel of them, to the dwellers of Samaria, and to others beyond the flood, and said, Health and peace. (And the king sent word by a letter, saying, To Rehum, the chancellor, and to Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and to their counsellors, or to their officials, who be inhabitants of Samaria, and to the others who live throughout the province west of the Euphrates River, health and peace to all of you.)
18 The accusing (The accusation), which ye sent to us, was read openly before me;
19 and it was commanded of me, and they reckoned, and they found, that that city rebelleth of eld days against kings, and dissensions and battles be raised therein; (and I commanded that they search in The Chronicles, and indeed they found, that that city in days of old rebelled against kings, and dissensions and battles were raised up there;)
20 for why there were in Jerusalem full strong kings, which also were lords of all the country that is beyond the flood; also those kings took tribute, and toll, and rents. (for there were very strong kings in Jerusalem, who were also lords of all the province that is west of the Euphrates River; and those kings took tribute, or taxes, and tolls, and rents.)
21 Now therefore hear ye the sentence, that ye forbid those men to build, and that that city be not builded (again), till if peradventure it be commanded of me. (And so now listen ye to my decree, which is, that ye forbid those men to continue to build, and that that city not be rebuilt, unless, and until, I command it to be done.)
22 See ye, that this behest be not fulfilled negligently, and evil increase little and little against (the) kings. (See ye, that this command be not carelessly fulfilled, for then evil would increase little by little against the king.)
23 Therefore the exemplar of the commandment of king Artaxerxes was read before Rehum, B’el T’em, and Shimshai, the scribe, and their counsellors; and they went in haste into Jerusalem to the Jews, and they forbade them to build, with arm and might. (And so when the text of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their counsellors, or their officials, they went in haste to the Jews in Jerusalem, and with might and arms, or weapons, they forbade them to continue building.)
24 Then the work of God’s house in Jerusalem was left [off], and it was not made till to the second year of the realm of Darius, king of Persia. (And so the work on the House of God in Jerusalem was stopped, and it was not started again until the second year of the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.)
4 And while they spake to the people, the priests and the magistrates of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,
2 and sorrowed [sorrowing], that they taught the people, and told in Jesus the again-rising from death [from dead].
3 And they laid hands on them, and putted them into ward into the morrow; for it was then eventide.[a]
4 But many of them that had heard the word, believed; and the number of men was made five thousands [five thousand].
5 And amorrow it was done [Forsooth in the morrow it was done], that the princes of them, and elder men and scribes were gathered in Jerusalem;
6 and Annas, prince of priests, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and how many ever were of the kind of priests [and how many ever were of the kindred of priests].
7 And they set them in the middle, and asked, In what virtue, either in what name [or in what name], have ye done this thing?
8 Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them, Ye princes of the people, and ye elder men, hear ye [Ye princes of the people, and elder men, hear].
9 If we to day be deemed in the good deed of a sick man, in whom this man is made safe [in which this man is made safe],
10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from death, in this this man standeth whole before you [whom God raised from dead men, in him this man standeth whole before you].
11 This is the stone, which was reproved of you building, which is made into the head of the corner;
12 and health is not in any other. For neither other name under heaven is given to men, in which it behooveth us to be made safe.
13 And they saw the steadfastness of Peter and of John, and when it was found that they were men unlettered, and lay men [that there were men without letters, and idiots], they wondered, and they knew them that they were with Jesus.
14 And they saw the man that was healed, standing with them, and they might nothing gainsay. [And seeing the man standing with them, that was healed, they might nothing against-say.]
15 But they commanded them to go forth without the council. And they spake together,
16 and said [saying], What shall we do to these men? for [soothly] the sign is made known by them to all men, that dwell at Jerusalem; it is open, and we be not able to deny [and we may not deny].
17 But that it be no more published into the people, menace we to them, that they speak no more in this name to any man.
18 And they called them, and commanded to them [And they calling them announced to them], that on no manner they should speak, neither teach [nor teach], in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered, and said to them, If it be rightful in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, deem ye.
20 For we must needs speak those things, that we have seen and heard. [Forsooth we may not not speak the things that we have seen and heard.]
21 And they menaced them, and let them go, and found not how they should punish them, for the people; for all men clarified that thing that was done in that that was befallen.[b]
22 For the man was more than forty years old, in whom this sign of healing was made [in whom this sign of health was made].
23 And when they were delivered, they came to their fellows, and told to them, how great things the princes of priests and the elder men had said to them.[c]
24 And when they heard, with one heart they raised voice to the Lord, and said, Lord, thou that madest heaven and earth, sea, and all things that be in them,
25 which saidest by the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David, thy child, Why heathen men gnashed with teeth together, and the peoples thought vain things? [which by the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David, thy child, saidest, Why heathen men wrathed, or beat with teeth together, and peoples thought vain things?]
26 Kings of the earth stood nigh, and princes came together into one, against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For verily Herod and Pontius Pilate, with heathen men, and peoples of Israel, came together in this city against thine holy child Jesus, whom thou anointedest, [For they came together verily in this city against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou anointedest, Herod and Pontius Pilate, with heathen men, and peoples of Israel,]
28 to do the things, that thine hand and thy counsel deemed to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold into the threatenings of them, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all trust [and give to thy servants with all trust to speak thy word],
30 in that thing that thou hold forth thine hand, that healings and signs and wonders be made by the name of thine holy Son Jesus. [in that thing that thou hold forth thine hand, healths and signs and wonders to be made by the name of thine holy Son Jesus.]
31 And when they had prayed, the place was moved, in which they were gathered; and all were filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake the word of God with trust.
32 And of the multitude of men believing was one heart and one will [one heart and one soul, or will]; neither any man said any thing of those things that he wielded to be his own, but all things were common to them.
33 And with great virtue the apostles yielded witnessing of the again-rising of Jesus Christ our Lord, and great grace was in all them [and great grace was in them all].
34 For neither any needy man was among them, for how many ever were possessors of fields, either of houses [for how many ever were possessors of fields, or houses], they sold, and brought the prices of those things that they sold,
35 and laid before the feet of the apostles. And it was parted to each, as it was need to each.
36 Forsooth Joseph, that was named Barnabas of [the] apostles, that is to say, the son of comfort, of the lineage of Levi, a man of Cyprus,[d]
37 when he had a field, sold it, and brought the price, and laid it before the feet of the apostles.
2001 by Terence P. Noble