M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
God Provides for Hagar and Ishmael
21 Yahweh came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised. 2 So she became pregnant, and at the exact time Elohim had promised, she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. 3 Abraham named his newborn son Isaac. 4 When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as Elohim had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.
6 Sarah said, “Elohim has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have predicted to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet, I have given him a son in his old age.”
8 The child grew and was weaned. On the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham held a big feast. 9 Sarah saw that Abraham’s son by Hagar the Egyptian was laughing at Isaac. 10 She said to Abraham, “Get rid of this slave and her son, because this slave’s son must never share the inheritance with my son Isaac.” 11 Abraham was upset by this because of his son Ishmael. 12 But Elohim said to Abraham, “Don’t be upset about the boy and your slave. Listen to what Sarah says because through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name. 13 Besides, I will make the slave’s son into a nation also, because he is your child.”
14 Early the next morning Abraham took bread and a container of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder. He also gave her the boy and sent her on her way. So she left and wandered around in the desert near Beersheba. 15 When the water in the container was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went about as far away as an arrow can be shot and sat down. She said to herself, “I don’t want to watch the boy die.” So she sat down and sobbed loudly.
17 Elohim heard the boy crying, and the Messenger of Elohim called to Hagar from heaven. “What’s the matter, Hagar?” he asked her. “Don’t be afraid! Elohim has heard the boy crying from the bushes. 18 Come on, help the boy up! Take him by the hand, because I’m going to make him into a great nation.”
19 Elohim opened her eyes. Then she saw a well. She filled the container with water and gave the boy a drink.
20 Elohim was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became a skilled archer. 21 He lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother got him a wife from Egypt.
Abraham’s Agreement with Abimelech
22 At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “Elohim is with you in everything you do. 23 Now, swear an oath to me here in front of Elohim that you will never cheat me, my children, or my descendants. Show me and the land where you’ve been living the same kindness that I have shown you.”
24 Abraham said, “I so swear.”
25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well which Abimelech’s servants had seized. 26 Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this. You didn’t tell me, and I didn’t hear about it until today.”
27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement. 28 Then Abraham set apart seven female lambs from the flock. 29 Abimelech asked him, “What is the meaning of these seven female lambs you have set apart?”
30 Abraham answered, “Accept these lambs from me so that they may be proof[a] that I dug this well.” 31 This is why that place is called Beersheba,[b] because both of them swore an oath there.
32 After they made the treaty at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and went back to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and worshiped Yahweh, El Olam, there. 34 Abraham lived a long time in the land of the Philistines.
A Story about Vineyard Workers
20 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing to pay the workers the usual day’s wages, he sent them to work in his vineyard. 3 About 9 a.m. he saw others standing in the marketplace without work. 4 He said to them, ‘Work in my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So they went.
5 “He went out again about noon and 3 p.m. and did the same thing. 6 About 5 p.m. he went out and found some others standing around. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day long without work?’
7 “‘No one has hired us,’ they answered him.
“He said to them, ‘Work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told the supervisor, ‘Call the workers, and give them their wages. Start with the last, and end with the first.’
9 “Those who started working about 5 p.m. came, and each received a day’s wages. 10 When those who had been hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them received a day’s wages. 11 Although they took it, they began to protest to the owner. 12 They said, ‘These last workers have worked only one hour. Yet, you’ve treated us all the same, even though we worked hard all day under a blazing sun.’
13 “The owner said to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me on a day’s wages? 14 Take your money and go! I want to give this last worker as much as I gave you. 15 Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Or do you resent my generosity towards others?’
16 “In this way the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
For the Third Time Jesus Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life(A)
17 When Yeshua was on his way to Jerusalem, he took the twelve apostles aside and said to them privately, 18 “We’re going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. They will condemn him to death 19 and hand him over to foreigners. They will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him. But on the third day he will be brought back to life.”
A Mother Makes a Request(B)
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Yeshua with her two sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor.
21 “What do you want?” he asked her.
She said to him, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
22 Yeshua replied, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink?”
“We can,” they told him.
23 Yeshua said to them, “You will drink my cup. But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. My Father has already prepared these positions for certain people.”
24 When the other ten apostles heard about this, they were irritated with the two brothers. 25 Yeshua called the apostles and said, “You know that the rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over people. 26 But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. 27 Whoever wants to be most important among you will be your slave. 28 It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”
Jesus Gives Two Blind Men Their Sight(C)
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Yeshua. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Yeshua was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 The crowd told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 Yeshua stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 They told him, “Lord, we want you to give us our eyesight back.”
34 Yeshua felt sorry for them, so he touched their eyes. Their sight was restored at once, and they followed him.
10 [a]The following people sealed the agreement: Governor Nehemiah (son of Hacaliah), Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchiah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9 These were the Levites: Jeshua (son of Azaniah), Binnui (of the sons of Henadad), Kadmiel, 10 and their relatives Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 These were the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
28 The rest of the people took an oath. These people included the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the inhabitants of the land for the sake of Elohim’s Teachings. Their wives, sons, daughters, and everyone who is capable of understanding also took an oath. 29 They joined their relatives, the nobles, in binding themselves with a curse and an oath to follow Elohim’s teachings given by Moses, Elohim’s servant. They also bound themselves to follow all the commandments, rules, and regulations of Yahweh our Adonay.
30 We will not allow our daughters to marry the inhabitants of the land or allow their daughters to marry our sons. 31 If the inhabitants of the land bring merchandise or grain to sell on the day of worship, we won’t buy anything from them on the day of worship or any other holy day. During the seventh year, we won’t plant the fields or collect any debts.
32 Also, we take upon ourselves the obligation to give an eighth of an ounce of silver every year for worship in our Elohim’s temple: 33 for rows of the bread of the presence, and for the daily grain offerings and daily burnt offerings, on the weekly days of worship, and on the New Moon Festivals, and at the appointed annual festivals, for the holy gifts and offerings for sin that make peace with God for Israel, and for all the other work in the temple of our Elohim.
34 We priests, Levites, and laypeople have drawn lots to decide the order in which the heads of our families should bring wood to our Elohim’s temple to burn on the altar of Yahweh our Elohim at appointed times every year according to the directions in the Teachings. 35 We have drawn lots to decide who should bring the first produce harvested and the first fruit from every tree each year to Yahweh’s temple. 36 Following the directions in the Teachings, we have drawn lots to decide who should bring the firstborn of our sons, our cattle, and our flocks to the priests serving in our Elohim’s temple. 37 Also, we have drawn lots to decide who should bring the best of our coarse flour, contributions, fruit from every tree, new wine, and olive oil to the priests, to the storerooms. We will bring for the Levites one-tenth of the produce from our fields, because the Levites are the ones who collect one-tenth of the produce from all our farm communities. 38 A priest—one of Aaron’s descendants—should be with the Levites when they collect the tenth. Then the Levites should bring one-tenth of these tenths to our Elohim’s temple, into the rooms of the storehouses there. 39 The Israelites and the Levites should bring into the storerooms their contributions of grain, new wine, and olive oil. They should bring these products to the place where the utensils of the holy place are and where the priests who serve and the gatekeepers and the singers are. We won’t neglect our Elohim’s temple.
20 When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said goodbye, and left for Macedonia. 2 He went through that region and spoke many words of encouragement to the people. Then he went to Greece 3 and stayed there for three months.
Paul in Troas
When Paul was going to board a ship for Syria, he found out that the Jews were plotting to kill him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 Sopater (son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia accompanied Paul. 5 All these men went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. 6 After the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we boarded a ship at Philippi. Five days later we joined them in Troas and stayed there for seven days.
7 On Sunday we met to break bread. Paul was discussing Scripture with the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 (Many lamps were lit in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)
9 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. As Paul was talking on and on, Eutychus was gradually falling asleep. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was dead when they picked him up. 10 Paul went to him, took him into his arms, and said, “Don’t worry! He’s alive!” 11 Then Eutychus went upstairs again, broke the bread, and ate. Paul talked with the people for a long time, until sunrise, and then left.
12 The people took the boy home. They were greatly relieved that he was alive.
Paul’s Trip to Miletus
13 We went ahead to the ship and sailed for the city of Assos. At Assos, we were going to pick up Paul. He had made these arrangements, since he had planned to walk overland to Assos. 14 When Paul met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to the city of Mitylene. 15 We sailed from there. On the following day we approached the island of Chios. The next day we went by the island of Samos, and on the next day we arrived at the city of Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible.
Paul Meets with the Spiritual Leaders from Ephesus
17 From Miletus Paul sent messengers to the city of Ephesus and called the spiritual leaders[a] of the church to meet with him in Miletus. 18 When they were with him, he said to them, “You know how I spent all my time with you from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19 I humbly served the Lord, often with tears in my eyes. I served the Lord during the difficult times I went through when the Jews plotted against me. 20 I didn’t avoid telling you anything that would help you, and I didn’t avoid teaching you publicly and from house to house. 21 I warned Jews and Greeks to change the way they think and act and to believe in our Lord Yeshua.
22 “I am determined to go to Jerusalem now. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 However, the Holy Spirit warns me in every city that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me. 24 But I don’t place any value on my own life. I want to finish the race I’m running. I want to carry out the mission I received from the Lord Yeshua—the mission of testifying to the Good News of God’s kindness.[b]
25 “Now I know that none of you whom I told about the kingdom of God will see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am not responsible for the spiritual death of any of you. 27 I didn’t avoid telling you the whole plan of God. 28 Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops[c] to be shepherds for God’s church which he acquired with his own blood. 29 I know that fierce wolves will come to you after I leave, and they won’t spare the flock. 30 Some of your own men will come forward and say things that distort the truth. They will do this to lure disciples into following them. 31 So be alert! Remember that I instructed each of you for three years, day and night, at times with tears in my eyes.
32 “I am now entrusting you to God and to his message that tells how kind he is. That message can help you grow and can give you the inheritance that is shared by all of God’s holy people.
33 “I never wanted anyone’s silver, gold, or clothes. 34 You know that I worked to support myself and those who were with me. 35 I have given you an example that by working hard like this we should help the weak. We should remember the words that the Lord Yeshua said, ‘Giving gifts is more satisfying than receiving them.’”
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. 37 Everyone cried a lot as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him. 38 The thought of not seeing Paul again hurt them most of all. Then they took Paul to the ship.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.