M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Adam’s Ten Descendants—Adam to Noah(A)
5 This is the written account of Adam and his descendants.
When Elohim created humans,
he made them in the likeness of Elohim.
2 He created them male and female.
He blessed them and called them humans
when he created them.
3 When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, in his own image. He named him Seth. 4 After Adam became the father of Seth, he lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Adam lived a total of 930 years; then he died.
6 When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Seth lived a total of 912 years; then he died.
9 When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Enosh lived a total of 905 years; then he died.
12 When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Kenan lived a total of 910 years; then he died.
15 When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years; then he died.
18 When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Jared lived a total of 962 years; then he died.
21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with Elohim for 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with Elohim; then he was gone because Elohim took him.
25 When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Methuselah lived a total of 969 years; then he died.
28 When Lamech was 182 years old, he became the father of a son. 29 He named him Noah [Relief], and said, “This child will bring us relief from the work and painful labor of our hands since Yahweh has cursed the ground.” 30 After Lamech became the father of Noah, he lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Lamech lived a total of 777 years; then he died.
32 When Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The Sermon on a Mountain:
The Beatitudes
5 When Yeshua saw the crowds, he went up a mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them:
3 “Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
4 Blessed are those who mourn.
They will be comforted.
5 Blessed are those who are gentle.
They will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval.
They will be satisfied.
7 Blessed are those who show mercy.
They will be treated mercifully.
8 Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure.
They will see God.
9 Blessed are those who make peace.
They will be called God’s children.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you,
lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven!
The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways.
God’s People Make a Difference in the World(A)
13 “You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.
14 “You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. 16 In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.
Jesus Fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures
17 “Don’t ever think that I came to set aside Moses’ Teachings or the Prophets. I didn’t come to set them aside but to make them come true. 18 I can guarantee this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a period nor a comma will disappear from the Scriptures before everything has come true. 19 So whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches what the commands say will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I can guarantee that unless you live a life that has God’s approval and do it more faithfully than the experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus Talks about Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Never murder. Whoever murders will answer for it in court.’ 22 But I can guarantee that whoever is angry with another believer[a] will answer for it in court. Whoever calls another believer an insulting name will answer for it in the highest court. Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire.
23 “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you, 24 leave your gift at the altar. First go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift.
25 “Make peace quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court with him. Otherwise, he will hand you over to the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. 26 I can guarantee this truth: You will never get out until you pay every penny of your fine.
About Sexual Sin
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Never commit adultery.’ 28 But I can guarantee that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart.
29 “So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it go into hell.
31 “It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice.’ 32 But I can guarantee that any man who divorces his wife for any reason other than unfaithfulness makes her look as though she has committed adultery. Whoever marries a woman divorced in this way makes himself look as though he has committed adultery.
About Oaths
33 “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Never break your oath, but give to the Lord what you swore in an oath to give him.’ 34 But I tell you don’t swear an oath at all. Don’t swear an oath by heaven, which is God’s throne, 35 or by the earth, which is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, which is the city of the great King. 36 And don’t swear an oath by your head. After all, you cannot make one hair black or white. 37 Simply say yes or no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.
Love Your Enemies(B)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to oppose an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn your other cheek to him as well. 40 If someone wants to sue you in order to take your shirt, let him have your coat too. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. 42 Give to everyone who asks you for something. Don’t turn anyone away who wants to borrow something from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. 45 In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust. 46 If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? Even the tax collectors do that! 47 Are you doing anything remarkable if you welcome only your friends? Everyone does that! 48 That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Work Resumed on the Temple
5 The prophet Haggai and Zechariah, grandson of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of Israel’s Elah, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel, who was Shealtiel’s son, and Jeshua, who was Jozadak’s son, began to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem. Elah’s prophets were with them and supported them.
3 At the same time, Governor Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and their group went to the Jews and asked them, “Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?” 4 They also asked the Jews for the names of the men who were working on this building.
5 But the leaders of the Jews were under Elah’s watchful eye. They couldn’t be stopped until Darius received a report and sent a reply to it.
Permission Requested from Darius
6 Here is a copy of the letter Governor Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai and his group (the Persians west of that river) sent to King Darius. 7 They sent him the following report:
To King Darius,
We wish you peace and prosperity in everything you do.
8 Your Majesty should know that we went to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great Elah. The temple is being built with large stones and with wooden beams laid in its walls. The builders are doing an excellent job and making rapid progress. 9 We asked their leaders the following question: “Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?” 10 For your information, we also asked them for their names so that we would have a record of the men who were their leaders. 11 This was their reply to us:
“We are the servants of the Elah of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was originally built many years ago by a great king of Israel. 12 But because our ancestors made the Elah of heaven angry, he handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (a Chaldean). So Nebuchadnezzar destroyed this temple and deported its people to Babylon.
13 “However, in the first year of the reign of King Cyrus of Babylon, Cyrus gave permission for Elah’s temple to be rebuilt. 14 In addition, Cyrus took out of a temple in Babylon the gold and silver utensils that belonged to Elah’s temple. (Nebuchadnezzar had taken them out of Elah’s temple in Jerusalem and brought them into a temple in Babylon.) Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. 15 Cyrus told him, ‘Take these utensils. Place them in the temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild Elah’s temple on its original site.’ 16 Then Sheshbazzar laid the foundation of Elah’s temple in Jerusalem. The temple has been under construction from that time until now, but it still isn’t finished.”
17 If it pleases Your Majesty, allow someone to search the king’s archives in Babylon to determine whether King Cyrus gave permission for the temple of Elah to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then please send us Your Majesty’s decision on this matter.
Ananias and Sapphira
5 A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some property. 2 They agreed to hold back some of the money they had pledged and turned only part of it over to the apostles.
3 Peter asked, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill you with the idea that you could deceive the Holy Spirit? You’ve held back some of the money you received for the land. 4 While you had the land, it was your own. After it was sold, you could have done as you pleased with the money. So how could you do a thing like this? You didn’t lie to people but to God!”
5 When Ananias heard Peter say this, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard about his death was terrified. 6 Some young men got up, wrapped his body in a sheet, carried him outside, and buried him.
7 About three hours later Ananias’ wife arrived. She didn’t know what had happened. 8 So Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?”
She answered, “Yes, that was the price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “How could you and your husband agree to test the Lord’s Spirit? Those who buried your husband are standing at the door, and they will carry you outside for burial.”
10 Immediately, she dropped dead in front of Peter. When the young men came back, they found Sapphira dead. So they carried her outside and buried her next to her husband. 11 The whole church and everyone else who heard about what had happened were terrified.
The Apostles Perform Many Miracles
12 The people saw the apostles perform many miracles and do amazing things. The believers had a common faith in Yeshua as they met on Solomon’s Porch. 13 None of the other people dared to join them, although everyone spoke highly of them. 14 More men and women than ever began to believe in the Lord. 15 As a result, people carried their sick into the streets. They placed them on stretchers and cots so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some sick people as he went by. 16 Crowds from the cities around Jerusalem would gather. They would bring their sick and those who were troubled by evil spirits, and each person was cured.
The Apostles’ Trial in Front of the Jewish Council
17 The chief priest and the whole party of the Sadducees who were with him were extremely jealous. So they took action 18 by arresting the apostles and putting them in the city jail. 19 But at night an angel from the Lord opened the doors to their cell and led them out of the prison. 20 The angel told them, “Stand in the temple courtyard, and tell the people everything about life in Christ.”
21 Early in the morning, after they had listened to the angel, the apostles went into the temple courtyard and began to teach.
The chief priest and those who were with him called together the Jewish council, that is, all the leaders of Israel. They also sent men to the prison to get the apostles. 22 When the temple guards arrived at the prison, they didn’t find the apostles. The guards came back and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors. However, when we opened the doors, we found no one inside.” 24 When the officer of the temple guards and the chief priests heard this, they were puzzled about what could have happened.
25 Then someone told them, “The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courtyard. They’re teaching the people.”
26 Then the officer of the temple guards went with some of his men to bring back the apostles without using force. After all, the officer and his guards were afraid that the people would stone them to death for using force. 27 When they brought back the apostles, they made them stand in front of the council. The chief priest questioned them. 28 He said, “We gave you strict orders not to mention Yeshua’s name when you teach. Yet, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings. You want to take revenge on us for putting that man to death.”
29 Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than people. 30 You murdered Yeshua by hanging him on a cross. But the God of our ancestors brought him back to life. 31 God used his power to give Yeshua the highest position as leader and savior. He did this to lead the people of Israel to him, to change the way they think and act, and to forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When the men on the council heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute the apostles. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up. He was a highly respected expert in Moses’ Teachings. He ordered that the apostles should be taken outside for a little while.
35 Then he said to the council, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you do with these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared. He claimed that he was important, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were scattered. The whole movement was a failure.
37 “After that man, at the time of the census, Judas from Galilee appeared and led people in a revolt. He, too, died, and all his followers were scattered.
38 “We should keep away from these men for now. We should leave them alone. I can guarantee that if the plan they put into action is of human origin, it will fail. 39 However, if it’s from God, you won’t be able to stop them. You may even discover that you’re fighting against God.”
40 The council took his advice. They called the apostles, beat them, ordered them not to speak about the one named Yeshua, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the council room. They were happy to have been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for speaking about Yeshua. 42 Every day in the temple courtyard and from house to house, they refused to stop teaching and telling the Good News that Yeshua is the Messiah.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.