M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Joshua Sends Spies to Jericho
2 From Shittim Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two men as spies. He told them, “Go, look at that country, especially the city of Jericho.” So they went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab to spend the night there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have entered the city tonight. They came to gather information about our land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent messengers to Rahab, who told her, “Bring out the men who came to your house. They came here to gather information about the entire land.”
4 But the woman had already taken the two men inside and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come here. But I didn’t know where they had come from. 5 When it was dark and the gate was just about to close, they left. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you’ll catch up with them.” 6 (She had taken them up to the roof and covered them with the flax which she had laid up there.)
7 The king’s men pursued them on the road leading to a shallow place to cross the Jordan River. As soon as the king’s men had left, the gate was closed.
8 Before the spies fell asleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof. 9 She said to them, “I know Yahweh will give you this land. Your presence terrifies us. All the people in this country are deathly afraid of you. 10 We’ve heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea in front of you when you left Egypt. We’ve also heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites, who ruled east of the Jordan River. We’ve heard how you destroyed them for the Lord. 11 When we heard about it, we lost heart. There was no courage left in any of us because of you. Yahweh your Elohim is the Elohim of heaven and earth. 12 Please swear by Yahweh that you’ll be as kind to my father’s family as I’ve been to you. Also give me some proof 13 that you’ll protect my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and their households, and that you’ll save us from death.”
14 The men promised her, “We pledge our lives for your lives. If you don’t tell anyone what we’re doing here, we’ll treat you kindly and honestly when Yahweh gives us this land.”
15 So she let them down by a rope from her window since her house was built into the city wall. (She lived in the city wall.) 16 She told them, “Go to the mountains so that the men who are pursuing you will not find you. Hide there for three days until they return to Jericho. Then you can go on your way.”
17 The men told her, “We will be free from the oath which you made us swear, if you tell anyone what we’re doing here. 18 When we invade your land, tie this red cord in the window through which you let us down. Also, gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. 19 Whoever leaves your house will be responsible for his own life. We will be free from that responsibility. But we will take responsibility if anyone inside your house is harmed. 20 If you tell anyone what we’re doing here, we will be free from the oath which you made us swear.”
21 “I agree,” she said. So she let them go and tied the red cord in the window.
22 The men went to the mountains and stayed there for three days until the king’s men returned to Jericho. The king’s men had searched for them all along the road but had not found them. 23 Then the two spies came down out of the mountains, crossed the Jordan River, and returned to Joshua, son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They told Joshua, “Yahweh has given us the whole country. The people who live there are deathly afraid of us.”
Psalm 123
A song for going up to worship.
1 I look up to you,
to the one who sits enthroned in heaven.
2 As servants depend on their masters,
as a maid depends on her mistress,
so we depend on Yahweh our Elohim
until he has pity on us.
3 Have pity on us, O Yahweh.
Have pity on us
because we have suffered more than our share of contempt.
4 We have suffered more than our share of ridicule
from those who are carefree.
We have suffered more than our share of contempt
from those who are arrogant.
Psalm 124
A song by David for going up to worship.
1 “If Yahweh had not been on our side . . .”
(Israel should repeat this.)
2 “If Yahweh had not been on our side when people attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger exploded against us.
4 Then the floodwaters would have swept us away.
An overflowing stream would have washed us away.
5 Then raging water would have washed us away.”
6 Thank Yahweh, who did not let them sink their teeth into us.
7 We escaped like a bird caught in a hunter’s trap.
The trap was broken, and we escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of Yahweh, the maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 125
A song for going up to worship.
1 Those who trust Yahweh are like Mount Zion,
which can never be shaken.
It remains firm forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so Yahweh surrounds his people now and forever.
3 A wicked ruler will not be allowed to govern
the land set aside for righteous people.
That is why righteous people do not use their power to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Yahweh, to those who are good,
to those whose motives are decent.
5 But when people become crooked,
Yahweh will lead them away with troublemakers.
Let there be peace in Israel!
Jerusalem’s Salvation Is Coming
62 For Zion’s sake I will not remain silent.
For Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until its righteousness shines like the dawn
and its salvation burns brightly like a torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness.
All kings will see your glory.
You will be given a new name
that Yahweh will announce.
3 Then you will be a beautiful crown in the hand of Yahweh,
a royal crown in the hand of your Elohim.
4 You will no longer be called Deserted,
and your land will no longer be called Destroyed.
But you will be named My Delight,
and your land will be named Married.
Yahweh is delighted with you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a woman,
so your sons will marry you.
As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so your Elohim will rejoice over you.
6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem.
They will never be silent day or night.
Whoever calls on Yahweh, do not give yourselves any rest,
7 and do not give him any rest until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it an object of praise throughout the earth.
8 Yahweh has sworn with his right hand and with his mighty arm,
“I will never again let your enemies eat your grain,
nor will foreigners drink the new wine which you made.”
9 Those who harvest grain
will eat it and praise Yahweh.
Those who gather grapes
will drink wine in my holy courtyards.
10 Go through! Go through the gates!
Prepare a way for the people!
Build up! Build up the highway!
Clear away the stones!
Raise a flag for the people!
11 Yahweh has announced to the ends of the earth:
“Tell my people Zion,
‘Your Savior is coming.
His reward is with him,
and the people he has won arrive ahead of him.’”
12 They will be called Holy People, Those Reclaimed by Yahweh,
and you will be called Sought After, a City Not Deserted.
Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles(A)
10 Yeshua called his twelve disciples and gave them authority to force evil spirits out of people and to cure every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first and foremost, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James (son of Alphaeus), and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Yeshua.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(B)
5 Yeshua sent these twelve out with the following instructions: “Don’t go among people who are not Jewish or into any Samaritan city. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel. 7 As you go, spread this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Cure the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse those with skin diseases, and force demons out of people. Give these things without charging, since you received them without paying.
9 “Don’t take any gold, silver, or even copper coins in your pockets. 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the trip, a change of clothes, sandals, or a walking stick. After all, the worker deserves to have his needs met.
11 “When you go into a city or village, look for people who will listen to you there. Stay with them until you leave that place. 12 When you go into a house, greet the family. 13 If it is a family that listens to you, allow your greeting to stand. But if it is not receptive, take back your greeting. 14 If anyone doesn’t welcome you or listen to what you say, leave that house or city, and shake its dust off your feet. 15 I can guarantee this truth: Judgment day will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city.
16 “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves. 17 Watch out for people who will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues. 18 Because of me you will even be brought in front of governors and kings to testify to them and to everyone in the world. 19 When they hand you over to the authorities, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. When the time comes, you will be given what to say. 20 Indeed, you’re not the ones who will be speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.
21 “Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. 22 Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who patiently endures to the end will be saved. 23 So when they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I can guarantee this truth: Before you have gone through every city in Israel, the Son of Man will come.
24 “A student is not better than his teacher. Nor is a slave better than his owner. 25 It is enough for a student to become like his teacher and a slave like his owner. If they have called the owner of the house Beelzebul,[a] they will certainly call the family members the same name. 26 So don’t be afraid of them. Nothing has been covered that will not be exposed. Whatever is secret will be made known. 27 Tell in the daylight what I say to you in the dark. Shout from the housetops what you hear whispered. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
29 “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission. 30 Every hair on your head has been counted. 31 Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “So I will acknowledge in front of my Father in heaven that person who acknowledges me in front of others. 33 But I will tell my Father in heaven that I don’t know the person who tells others that he doesn’t know me.
34 “Don’t think that I came to bring peace to earth. I didn’t come to bring peace but conflict. 35 I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A person’s enemies will be the members of his own family.
37 “The person who loves his father or mother more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. The person who loves a son or daughter more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. 38 Whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me doesn’t deserve to be my disciple. 39 The person who tries to preserve his life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for me will preserve it.
40 “The person who welcomes you welcomes me, and the person who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 The person who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. The person who welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives any of my humble followers a cup of cold water because that person is my disciple will certainly never lose his reward.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.