M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
30 Rachel saw that she could not have children for Jacob, and she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and asked, “Can I take the place of Elohim, who has kept you from having children?”
3 She said, “Here’s my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her. She can have children for me, and I can build a family for myself through her.” 4 So she gave him her slave Bilhah as his wife, and Jacob slept with her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Jacob. 6 Rachel said, “Now Elohim has judged in my favor. He has heard my prayer and has given me a son.” So she named him Dan [He Judges].
7 Rachel’s slave Bilhah became pregnant again and gave birth to a second son for Jacob. 8 Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle[a] with my sister, and I have won!” So she named him Naphtali [My Struggle].
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as his wife. 10 Leah’s slave Zilpah gave birth to a son for Jacob. 11 Leah said, “I’ve been lucky!” So she called him Gad [Luck].
12 Leah’s slave Zilpah gave birth to her second son for Jacob. 13 Leah said, “I’ve been blessed! Women will call me blessed.” So she named him Asher [Blessing].
14 During the wheat harvest Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrakes.[b] He brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 Leah replied, “Isn’t it enough that you took my husband? Are you also going to take my son’s mandrakes?”
Rachel said, “Very well, Jacob can go to bed with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 As Jacob was coming in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You are to sleep with me,” she said. “You are my reward for my son’s mandrakes.” So he went to bed with her that night. 17 Elohim answered Leah’s prayer. She became pregnant and gave birth to her fifth son for Jacob. 18 Leah said, “Elohim has given me my reward because I gave my slave to my husband.” So she named him Issachar [Reward].
19 She became pregnant again and gave birth to her sixth son for Jacob. 20 Leah said, “Elohim has presented me with a beautiful present. This time my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun [Honor].
21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then Elohim remembered Rachel. Elohim answered her prayer and made it possible for her to have children. 23 So she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “Elohim has taken away my disgrace.” 24 She named him Joseph [May He Give Another] and said, “May Yahweh give me another son.”
Jacob’s Flocks Prosper
25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me go home to my own country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I’ve worked, and let me go. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”
27 Laban replied, “Listen to me. I’ve learned from the signs I’ve seen that Yahweh has blessed me because of you.” 28 So he offered, “Name your wages, and I’ll pay them.”
29 Jacob responded, “You know how much work I’ve done for you and what has happened to your livestock under my care. 30 The little that you had before I came has grown to a large amount. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I’ve been. When can I do something for my own family?”
31 Laban asked, “What should I give you?”
“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob answered. “Instead, do something for me, then I’ll go back to taking care of and watching your flocks again. 32 Let me go through all of your flocks today and take every speckled or spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33 My honesty will speak for itself whenever you come to check on my wages. Any goat I have that isn’t speckled or spotted or any lamb that isn’t black will be considered stolen.”
34 Laban answered, “Agreed. We’ll do as you’ve said.” 35 However, that same day Laban took out the striped and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats (every one with white on it), and every black lamb. He had his sons take charge of them. 36 He traveled three days away from Jacob. Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Then Jacob took fresh-cut branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled the bark on them in strips of white, uncovering the white which was on the branches.[c] 38 He placed the peeled branches in the troughs directly in front of the flocks, at the watering places where the flocks came to drink. When they were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. Then they gave birth to young that were striped, speckled, or spotted.
40 Jacob separated the rams from the flock and made the rest of the sheep face any that were striped or black in Laban’s flocks. So he made separate herds for himself and did not add them to Laban’s flocks. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flocks were in heat, Jacob would lay the branches in the troughs in front of them so that they would mate by the branches. 42 But when the flocks in heat were weak, he didn’t lay down the branches. So the weaker ones belonged to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob. 43 As a result, Jacob became very wealthy. He had large flocks, male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.
John Prepares the Way(A)
1 This is the beginning of the Good News about Yeshua Christ, the Son of God.
2 The prophet Isaiah wrote,
“I am sending my messenger ahead of you
to prepare the way for you.”
3 “A voice cries out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord!
Make his paths straight!’”
4 John the Baptizer was in the desert telling people about a baptism of repentance[a] for the forgiveness of sins. 5 All Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
6 John was dressed in clothes made from camel’s hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
7 He announced, “The one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John Baptizes Jesus(B)
9 At that time Yeshua came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 As Yeshua came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit coming down to him as a dove. 11 A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”
Satan Tempts Jesus(C)
12 At once the Spirit brought him into the desert, 13 where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. He was there with the wild animals, and the angels took care of him.
Calling of the First Disciples(D)
14 After John had been put in prison, Yeshua went to Galilee and told people the Good News of God. 15 He said, “The time has come, and the kingdom of God is near. Change the way you think and act, and believe the Good News.”
16 As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. 17 Yeshua said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed him.
19 As Yeshua went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets to go fishing. 20 He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Yeshua.
Jesus Forces an Evil Spirit out of a Man(E)
21 Then they went to Capernaum. On the next day of worship, Yeshua went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority.
23 At that time there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. He shouted, 24 “What do you want with us, Yeshua from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 Yeshua ordered the spirit, “Keep quiet, and come out of him!” 26 The evil spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out of him with a loud shriek.
27 Everyone was stunned. They said to each other, “What is this? This is a new teaching that has authority behind it! He gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him.”
28 The news about him spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus Cures Simon’s Mother-in-Law and Many Others(F)
29 After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew. James and John went with them. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. The first thing they did was to tell Yeshua about her. 31 Yeshua went to her, took her hand, and helped her get up. The fever went away, and she prepared a meal for them.
32 In the evening, when the sun had set, people brought to him everyone who was sick and those possessed by demons. 33 The whole city had gathered at his door. 34 He cured many who were sick with various diseases and forced many demons out of people. However, he would not allow the demons to speak. After all, they knew who he was.
Spreading the Good News in Galilee(G)
35 In the morning, long before sunrise, Yeshua went to a place where he could be alone to pray. 36 Simon and his friends searched for him. 37 When they found him, they told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38 Yeshua said to them, “Let’s go somewhere else, to the small towns that are nearby. I have to spread the Good News in them also. This is why I have come.”
39 So he went to spread the Good News in the synagogues all over Galilee, and he forced demons out of people.
Jesus Cures a Man with a Skin Disease(H)
40 Then a man with a serious skin disease came to him. The man fell to his knees and begged Yeshua, “If you’re willing, you can make me clean.”[b]
41 Yeshua felt sorry for him, reached out, touched him, and said, “I’m willing. So be clean!”
42 Immediately, his skin disease went away, and he was clean.
43 Yeshua sent him away at once and warned him, 44 “Don’t tell anyone about this! Instead, show yourself to the priest. Then offer the sacrifices which Moses commanded as proof to people that you are clean.”
45 When the man left, he began to talk freely. He spread his story so widely that Yeshua could no longer enter any city openly. Instead, he stayed in places where he could be alone. But people still kept coming to him from everywhere.
6 That night the king could not sleep. So he told a servant to bring the official daily records, and they were read to the king. 2 The records showed how Mordecai had informed him that Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had plotted a rebellion against King Xerxes.
3 The king asked, “How did I reward and promote Mordecai for this?”
The king’s personal staff replied, “Nothing was done for him.”
4 The king asked, “Who is in the courtyard?” At that moment, Haman came through the courtyard to the king’s palace to ask the king about hanging Mordecai on the pole he had prepared for him.
5 The king’s staff answered him, “Haman happens to be standing in the courtyard.”
“Let him come in,” the king said.
6 So Haman came in. The king then asked him, “What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to reward?”
Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to reward more than me?” 7 So Haman told the king, “This is what should be done: 8 The servants should bring a royal robe that the king has worn and a horse that the king has ridden, one that has a royal crest on its head. 9 Give the robe and the horse to one of the king’s officials, who is a noble. Put the robe on the man whom the king wishes to reward and have him ride on the horse in the city square. The king’s servants are also to shout ahead of him, ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to reward.’”
10 The king told Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse as you said. Do this for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Do not omit anything you have said.”
11 So Haman took the robe and the horse. He put the robe on Mordecai and had him ride in the city square, shouting ahead of him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to reward.”
12 After that, Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried home. He was in despair and covered his head. 13 There, Haman began to relate in detail to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his counselors and his wife Zeresh told him, “You are starting to lose power to Mordecai. If Mordecai is of Jewish descent, you will never win out over him. He will certainly lead to your downfall.”
14 While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the dinner Esther had prepared.
Greeting
1 From Paul, a servant of Yeshua Christ, called to be an apostle and appointed to spread the Good News of God.
2 (God had already promised this Good News through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 3 This Good News is about his Son, our Lord Yeshua Christ.[a] In his human nature he was a descendant of David. 4 In his spiritual, holy nature he was declared the Son of God. This was shown in a powerful way when he came back to life. 5 Through him we have received God’s kindness[b] and the privilege of being apostles who bring people from every nation to the obedience that is associated with faith. This is for the honor of his name. 6 You are among those who have been called to belong to Yeshua Christ.)
7 To everyone in Rome whom God loves and has called to be his holy people.
Good will[c] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua Christ are yours!
Paul’s Prayer and Desire to Visit Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Yeshua Christ for every one of you because the news of your faith is spreading throughout the whole world. 9 I serve God by spreading the Good News about his Son. God is my witness that I always mention you 10 every time I pray. I ask that somehow God will now at last make it possible for me to visit you. 11 I long to see you to share a spiritual blessing with you so that you will be strengthened. 12 What I mean is that we may be encouraged by each other’s faith.
13 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to visit you. However, until now I have been kept from doing so. What I want is to enjoy some of the results of working among you as I have also enjoyed the results of working among the rest of the nations. 14 I have an obligation to those who are civilized and those who aren’t, to those who are wise and those who aren’t. 15 That’s why I’m eager to tell you who live in Rome the Good News also.
16 I’m not ashamed of the Good News. It is God’s power to save everyone who believes, Jews first and Greeks as well. 17 God’s approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.”
God’s Anger against Sinful Humanity
18 God’s anger is revealed from heaven against every ungodly and immoral thing people do as they try to suppress the truth by their immoral living. 19 What can be known about God is clear to them because he has made it clear to them. 20 From the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse. 21 They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness. 22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools. 23 They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for statues that looked like mortal humans, birds, animals, and snakes.
24 For this reason God allowed their lusts to control them. As a result, they dishonor their bodies by sexual perversion with each other. 25 These people have exchanged God’s truth for a lie. So they have become ungodly and serve what is created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen!
26 For this reason God allowed their shameful passions to control them. Their women have exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 Likewise, their men have given up natural sexual relations with women and burn with lust for each other. Men commit indecent acts with men, so they experience among themselves the punishment they deserve for their perversion.
28 And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things. 29 Their lives are filled with all kinds of sexual sins, wickedness, and greed. They are mean. They are filled with envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, haughty, arrogant, and boastful. They think up new ways to be cruel. They don’t obey their parents, 31 don’t have any sense, don’t keep promises, and don’t show love to their own families or mercy to others. 32 Although they know God’s judgment that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do these things but also approve of others who do them.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.