M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Abraham Deceives Abimelech
20 Abraham moved to the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was living in Gerar, 2 Abraham told everyone that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar sent men to take Sarah. 3 Elohim came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, “You’re going to die because of the woman that you’ve taken! She’s a married woman!” 4 Abimelech hadn’t come near her, so he asked, “Adonay, will you destroy a nation even if it’s innocent? 5 Didn’t he tell me himself, ‘She’s my sister,’ and didn’t she even say, ‘He’s my brother’? I did this in all innocence and with a clear conscience.”
6 “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience,” Elohim said to him in the dream. “In fact, I kept you from sinning against me. That’s why I didn’t let you touch her. 7 Give the man’s wife back to him now, because he’s a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you don’t give her back, you and all who belong to you are doomed to die.”
8 Early in the morning Abimelech called together all his officials. He told them about all of this, and they were terrified. 9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham and asked him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you that you would bring such a serious sin on me and my kingdom? You shouldn’t have done this to me.” 10 Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What were you thinking when you did this?”
11 Abraham said, “I thought that because there are no Elohim-fearing people in this place, I’d be killed because of my wife. 12 Besides, she is my sister—my father’s daughter but not my mother’s. She is also my wife. 13 When Elohim had me leave my father’s home and travel around, I said to her, ‘Do me a favor: Wherever we go, say that I’m your brother.’”
14 Then Abimelech took sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Look, here’s my land. Live anywhere you like.” 16 He said to Sarah, “Don’t forget, I’ve given your brother 25 pounds of silver. This is to silence any criticism against you from everyone with you. You’re completely cleared.”
17 Abraham prayed to Elohim, and Elohim healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could have children. 18 (Yahweh had made it impossible for any woman in Abimelech’s household to have children because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.)
A Discussion about Divorce and Celibacy(A)
19 When Yeshua finished speaking, he left Galilee and traveled along the other side of the Jordan River to the territory of Judea. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?”
4 Yeshua answered, “Haven’t you read that the Creator made them male and female in the beginning 5 and that he said, ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, and the two will be one’? 6 So they are no longer two but one. Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together.”
7 The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?”
8 Yeshua answered them, “Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you’re heartless. It was never this way in the beginning. 9 I can guarantee that whoever divorces his wife for any reason other than her unfaithfulness is committing adultery if he marries another woman.”
10 The disciples said to him, “If that is the only reason a man can use to divorce his wife, it’s better not to get married.”
11 He answered them, “Not everyone can do what you suggest. Only those who have that gift can. 12 For example, some men are celibate because they were born that way. Others are celibate because they were castrated. Still others have decided to be celibate because of the kingdom of heaven. If anyone can do what you’ve suggested, then he should do it.”
Jesus Blesses Children(B)
13 Then some people brought little children to Yeshua to have him bless them and pray for them. But the disciples told the people not to do that.
14 Yeshua said, “Don’t stop children from coming to me! Children like these are part of the kingdom of God.” 15 After Yeshua blessed them, he went away from there.
Eternal Life in the Kingdom(C)
16 Then a man came to Yeshua and said, “Teacher, what good deed should I do to gain eternal life?”
17 Yeshua said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, obey the commandments.”
18 “Which commandments?” the man asked.
Yeshua said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
20 The young man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments. What else do I need to do?”
21 Yeshua said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad because he owned a lot of property.
23 Yeshua said to his disciples, “I can guarantee this truth: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 I can guarantee again that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 He amazed his disciples more than ever when they heard this. “Then who can be saved?” they asked.
26 Yeshua looked at them and said, “It is impossible for people to save themselves, but everything is possible for God.”
27 Then Peter replied to him, “Look, we’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?”
28 Yeshua said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: When the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the world to come, you, my followers, will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who gave up homes, brothers or sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. 30 However, many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
A Day of Fasting and Confession
9 When the Israelites assembled on the twenty-fourth day of this month, they fasted, wore sackcloth, and threw dirt on their heads. 2 Those who were descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood and confessed their sins as well as the wicked things their ancestors had done. 3 They stood in their places, and for one-fourth of the day, they listened as the Book of the Teachings of Yahweh their Elohim was read, and for another fourth of the day, they confessed their sins and worshiped Yahweh their Elohim.
A Day of Prayer
4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chanani stood on the stairs built for the Levites and cried loudly to Yahweh their Elohim. 5 Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up, and thank Yahweh your Elohim:
Creation
From everlasting to everlasting your glorious name is praised
and lifted high above all blessing and praise.
6 You alone are Yahweh.
You made heaven, the highest heaven, with all its armies.
You made the earth and everything on it,
the seas and everything in them.
You give life to them all, and the armies of heaven worship you.
Abraham
7 You are Yahweh, the Elohim who chose Abram
and took him from Ur of the Chaldeans
and gave him the name Abraham.
8 You found that his heart was faithful to you.
You made a promise[a] to him to give the land of the Canaanites, Hittites,
Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites to his descendants.
You kept your promise because you are fair.
The Exodus
9 You saw how our ancestors suffered in Egypt,
and you heard them crying at the Red Sea.
10 You performed miraculous signs and did amazing things to Pharaoh
and all his servants and all the people in his land
because you knew how arrogantly
they were treating our ancestors.
You made a name for yourself, a name which remains to this day.
11 You divided the sea in front of them
so that they could walk through the sea on dry ground.
You threw into deep water those who pursued your people
as someone throws a stone into raging water.
Wandering in the Wilderness
12 You led them during the day by a column of smoke
and during the night by a column of fire to give them light
to see the way they should go.
13 You came from heaven to Mount Sinai
and spoke with them from heaven.
You gave them fair rules, trustworthy teachings,
and good laws and commandments.
14 You taught them about your holy day of worship.
You gave them commandments, laws, and teachings
through your servant Moses.
15 You gave them bread from heaven to satisfy their hunger
and made water flow from a rock to quench their thirst.
You told them to take possession of the land
that you swore you would give them.
16 But they—our own ancestors—acted arrogantly.
They became stubborn and wouldn’t obey your commands.
17 They refused to listen.
They forgot the miracles you performed for them.
They became stubborn and appointed a leader
to take them back to slavery in Egypt.
But you are a forgiving Elohim,
one who is compassionate, merciful, patient,
and always ready to forgive.
You never abandoned them,
18 even when they made a metal statue of a calf for themselves
and said, ‘This is your god who took you out of Egypt.’
They committed outrageous sins.
19 But because of your endless compassion,
you didn’t abandon them in the desert.
The column of smoke didn’t leave them during the day,
but it led them on their way.
The column of fire didn’t leave them during the night,
but it gave them light to see the way they should go.
20 You gave them your good Ruach to teach them.
You didn’t keep your manna to yourself.
You gave them water to quench their thirst.
21 You provided for them in the desert for 40 years,
and they had everything they needed.
Their clothes didn’t wear out, and their feet didn’t swell.
Conquest of Canaan
22 You gave kingdoms and nations to the Israelites
and assigned them their boundaries.
So they took possession of the land of Sihon,
the land of the king of Heshbon,
and the land of King Og of Bashan.
23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky.
You brought them into the land you told their parents to enter and possess.
24 Their children took possession of the land.
You defeated for them the Canaanites, who lived in the land.
You handed the Canaanite kings and their people over to them
to do whatever they wanted with the Canaanites.
25 The Israelites captured fortified cities and a rich land.
They took possession of houses filled with all sorts of good things,
cisterns, vineyards, olive trees,
and plenty of fruit trees.
So they ate and were satisfied and grew fat.
They enjoyed the vast supply of good things you gave them.
Israel’s Rebellion
26 But they were defiant and rebelled against you.
They threw your teachings over their shoulders
and killed your prophets who warned them to turn back to you.
They committed outrageous sins.
27 You handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer.
When they began to suffer, they cried to you.
You heard them from heaven.
You gave them saviors to rescue them from their enemies
because of your endless compassion.
28 As soon as they felt some relief,
they were again doing what you considered evil.
You abandoned them to their enemies, who conquered them.
They cried to you again, and you heard them from heaven.
You rescued them many times because of your compassion.
29 You warned them in order to bring them back to your teachings,
but they became arrogant and would not obey your commandments.
They sinned by not following your regulations.
If anyone follows them, he will find life in them.
But they gave you the cold shoulder,
became impossible to deal with, and wouldn’t listen.
30 You were patient with them for many years.
You warned them by your Ruach through your prophets.
However, they wouldn’t listen.
So you handed them over to the people in the surrounding nations.
31 But your compassion is endless.
You didn’t destroy them or abandon them.
You are a merciful and compassionate El.
The Present
32 And now, our Elohim, you are the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring El.
You faithfully keep your promises.
Do not consider all the hardships
that we have been going through as unimportant.
The hardships have come to our kings, leaders, priests, prophets,
ancestors, and all your people
from the time of the kings of Assyria until now.
33 But you were fair about everything that has happened to us.
You have been faithful, but we have been wicked.
34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors didn’t obey your teachings.
They didn’t pay attention to your commandments or the warnings
that you gave them.
35 When they lived in their own kingdom and enjoyed the many good things
that you gave them in a vast, fertile land
which was set in front of them, they didn’t serve you
or turn away from their wicked lives.
36 Look at us now. We’re slaves!
In the land you gave our ancestors,
they could eat its produce and enjoy its good things.
But now we’re slaves!
37 The many products from our land go to the kings you put over us.
This is because of our sins.
These kings have control over our bodies,
and they do as they please with our livestock.
We are in agony.[b]
An Agreement in Writing
38 “We are making a binding agreement and putting it in writing because of all this. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on the document.”
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces to get to the city of Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him, “No, we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”
3 Paul asked them, “What kind of baptism did you have?”
They answered, “John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.[a] John told people to believe in Yeshua, who was coming later.”
5 After they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Yeshua. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed. 7 About twelve men were in the group.
8 For three months Paul would go into the synagogue and speak boldly. He had discussions with people to convince them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and had nothing good to say in front of the crowd about the way of Christ, he left them. He took his disciples and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
11 God worked unusual miracles through Paul. 12 People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them.
13 Some Jews used to travel from place to place and force evil spirits out of people. They tried to use the name of the Lord Yeshua to force evil spirits out of those who were possessed. These Jews would say, “I order you to come out in the name of Yeshua, whom Paul talks about.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 But the evil spirit answered them, “I know Yeshua, and I’m acquainted with Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man possessed by the evil spirit attacked them. He beat them up so badly that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.
17 All the Jews and Greeks living in the city of Ephesus heard about this. All of them were filled with awe for the name of the Lord Yeshua and began to speak very highly about it. 18 Many believers openly admitted their involvement with magical spells and told all the details. 19 Many of those who were involved in the occult gathered their books and burned them in front of everyone. They added up the cost of these books and found that they were worth 50,000 silver coins. 20 In this powerful way the word of the Lord was spreading and gaining strength.
21 After all these things had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem by traveling through Macedonia and Greece. He said, “After I have been there, I must see Rome.” 22 So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed longer in the province of Asia.
A Riot in Ephesus
23 During that time a serious disturbance concerning the way of Christ broke out in the city of Ephesus.
24 Demetrius, a silversmith, was in the business of making silver models of the temple of Artemis. His business brought a huge profit for the men who worked for him. 25 He called a meeting of his workers and others who did similar work. Demetrius said, “Men, you know that we’re earning a good income from this business, 26 and you see and hear what this man Paul has done. He has won over a large crowd that follows him not only in Ephesus but also throughout the province of Asia. He tells people that gods made by humans are not gods. 27 There’s a danger that people will discredit our line of work, and there’s a danger that people will think that the temple of the great goddess Artemis is nothing. Then she whom all Asia and the rest of the world worship will be robbed of her glory.”
28 When Demetrius’ workers and the others heard this, they became furious and began shouting, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!” 29 The confusion spread throughout the city, and the people had one thought in mind as they rushed into the theater. They grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who traveled with Paul, and they dragged the two men into the theater with them.
30 Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but his disciples wouldn’t let him. 31 Even some officials who were from the province of Asia and who were Paul’s friends sent messengers to urge him not to risk going into the theater.
32 Some people shouted one thing while others shouted something else. The crowd was confused. Most of the people didn’t even know why they had come together. 33 Some people concluded that Alexander was the cause, so the Jews pushed him to the front. Alexander motioned with his hand to quiet the people because he wanted to defend himself in front of them. 34 But when they recognized that Alexander was a Jew, everyone started to shout in unison, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!” They kept doing this for about two hours.
35 The city clerk finally quieted the crowd. Then he said, “Citizens of Ephesus, everyone knows that this city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis. Everyone knows that Ephesus is the keeper of the statue that fell down from Zeus. 36 No one can deny this. So you have to be quiet and not do anything foolish. 37 The men you brought here don’t rob temples or insult our goddess. 38 If Demetrius and the men who work for him have a legal complaint against anyone, we have special days and officials to hold court. That’s where they should bring charges against each other. 39 If you want anything else, you must settle the matter in a legal assembly. 40 At this moment we run the risk of being accused of rioting today for no reason. We won’t be able to explain this mob.” 41 After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.[b]
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.