M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Tribal Conflict Between Gilead and Ephraim
12 The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over and make war against the Ammonites,[a] and why did you not call us to go with you? We will burn down your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were engaged in great conflict with the Ammonites;[b] I called you, but you did not deliver me from their hand. 3 I saw that you would not deliver us; I risked my own life,[c] and I crossed over to the Ammonites,[d] and Yahweh gave them into my hand. Why have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4 Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and he made war with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” 5 Then Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan from Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” 6 they said to him, “Please say Shibboleth,” and if he said, “Sibboleth”—because he could not pronounce it[e] correctly—they grabbed him and executed him at the fords of Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand from Ephraim fell.
7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
8 After him Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons. He gave his thirty daughters away in marriage outside his clan and brought in from outside thirty young women for his sons. He judged Israel for seven years. 10 Then[f] Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. 12 Then[g] Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons that rode on seventy male donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years. 15 Then[h] Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim in the hill country of the Amalekites.[i]
Timothy Accompanies Paul and Silas
16 And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named[a] Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, 2 who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this one to go with him, and he took him[b] and[c] circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they went through the towns, they passed on to them to observe the rules that had been decided by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number every day.
Paul’s Vision of a Man of Macedonia
6 And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia.[d] 7 And when they[e] came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. 8 So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and[f] help us!” 10 And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
The Conversion of Lydia at Philippi
11 So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the city gate beside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and[g] spoke to the women assembled there. 14 And a certain woman named[h] Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a merchant dealing in purple cloth who showed reverence for God, was listening. The Lord opened her[i] heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged us,[j] saying, “If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house and[k] stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
16 And it happened that as[l] we were going to the place of prayer, a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination[m] met us, who was bringing a large profit to her owners by[n] fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us and[o] was crying out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” 18 And she was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out immediately.[p]
19 But when[q] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and[r] dragged them[s] into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they[t] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, because we[u] are Romans!” 22 And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing and[v] gave orders to beat them[w] with rods. 23 And after they[x] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them[y] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Having received such an order, he[z] put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.[aa]
The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer
25 Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and[ab] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds[ac] were unfastened. 27 And after[ad] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his[ae] sword and[af] was about to kill himself, because he[ag] thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!” 29 And demanding lights, he rushed in and, beginning to tremble,[ah] fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them outside and[ai] said, “Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!” 32 And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. 33 And he took them at that very hour of the night and[aj] washed their[ak] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his household.[al] 34 And he brought them up into his[am] house and[an] set a meal before them,[ao] and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household.
Paul and Silas Receive an Official Apology
35 And when it[ap] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, “Release those men.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul: “The chief magistrates have sent an order[aq] that you should be released. So come out now and[ar] go in peace!” 37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without due process—men who are Roman citizens—and[as] threw us[at] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves and[au] bring us out!” 38 So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid when they[av] heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 And they came and[aw] apologized to[ax] them, and after they[ay] brought them[az] out they asked them[ba] to depart from the city. 40 And when they[bb] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and when they[bc] saw them,[bd] they encouraged the brothers and departed.
Seventy Years of Servitude
25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,[a] 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah, the son of Amon, the king of Judah, even up to this day, these twenty-three years[b] the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you over and over again,[c] but you have not listened. 4 And though Yahweh has sent all his servants the prophets to you over and over again[d] you have not listened, and you have not inclined your ear to hear, 5 saying,[e] ‘Turn back please, each one from his evil way, and from the evil of your deeds, and live on the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your ancestors[f] from a long time back and until forever, 6 and you must not go after other gods to serve them, and to bow in worship to them, and you must not provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, then I will not do something bad to you.’ 7 ‘Yet you have not listened to me,’ declares[g] Yahweh, ‘so that you[h] have provoked me to anger with the work of your hands for your own harm.’
8 Therefore[i] thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 look, I am going to send and take all the clans[j] of the north,’ declares[k] Yahweh, ‘and I will send[l] to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations all around, and I will destroy them, and I will make them a horror, and an object of hissing, and everlasting ruins.[m] 10 And I will exterminate from them the sound of jubilation, and the sound of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. 11 And all this land will become a site of ruins, a desolation, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.[n]
The Cup of Wrath
12 And then[o] when the seventy years[p] are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares[q] Yahweh, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and I will make it an everlasting waste.[r] 13 And I will bring upon that land all my words that I have spoken against it, everything that is written in this scroll which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings will let them work, even them, and I will repay them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.’” 15 For thus said Yahweh, the God of Israel, to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand, and you must give it to all the nations to whom I am sending you to drink. 16 And they will drink, and they will stagger, and they will act like madmen because of the presence[s] of the sword that I am sending among them.”
17 So I took the cup from the hand of Yahweh and I gave it[t] to all the nations to whom Yahweh sent me to drink: 18 Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and its kings, and its officials, to make them a site of ruins, a horror, an object of hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and his servants, and his officials, and all his people; 20 and all the other[u] people; and all the kings of the land of Uz; and all the kings of the land of the Philistines—[v]Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; 21 Edom, and Moab, and the Ammonites;[w] 22 and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland that is across the sea; 23 and Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all those who are trimmed to the side; 24 and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the other[x] people who dwell in the desert;[y] 25 and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, each one to his brother, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach, he will drink after them.
27 “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink and become drunk, and vomit, and fall, and you must not rise because of the presence[z] of the sword that I am sending among you.”’ 28 And it will happen, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “You must certainly drink! 29 For look, on the city that is called by[aa] my name I am beginning to inflict harm, and you indeed, will you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares[ab] Yahweh of hosts.’
30 And you yourself shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them:
‘Yahweh will roar from on high,
and from his holy dwelling place[ac] he will give his voice.
He will roar mightily against his settlement,
a jubilant shout like those who tread grapes,
he will answer against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The rage of battle will resound to the end of the earth,
for there is a lawsuit of Yahweh against the nations.
He is entering into judgment with all wicked flesh,
he will give them to the sword,’ declares[ad] Yahweh.”
32 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“Look, disaster is going out from nation to nation,
and a great tempest is stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.
33 And the slain ones of Yahweh will be on that day
from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth,
and they will not be mourned,
and they will not be gathered,
and they will not be buried.
They will become like dung on the surface[ae] of the ground.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.
And roll about in mourning in the dust, O leaders[af] of the flock.
For your days of slaughter and your dispersions have arrived,
and you will fall like a vessel of desire.
35 And flight will perish from the shepherds,
and escape from the leaders[ag] of the flock.
36 A sound, the cry of distress of the shepherds
and the wailing of the leaders[ah] of the flock,
for Yahweh is despoiling their pasture.
37 And the peaceful settlements[ai] are devastated
because of the burning anger of Yahweh.[aj]
38 He has left his den like a lion,
for their land has become a horror,
because of the anger of the oppressors,
and because of his burning anger.”[ak]
The Triumphal Entry
11 And when they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village before you, and right away as you[a] enter into it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.[b] 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say[c] ‘The Lord has need of it, and will send it here again at once.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 So they told them, just as Jesus had said, and they allowed them to take it.[d] 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, and he sat on it. 8 And many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread[e] leafy branches they[f] had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went ahead and those who were following were shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord![g]
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”[h]
11 And he went into Jerusalem to the temple, and after[i] looking around at everything, because[j] the hour was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
A Barren Fig Tree Cursed
12 And on the next day as[k] they were departing from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And when he[l] saw from a distance a fig tree that had leaves, he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it. And when he[m] came up to it he found nothing except leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 And he responded and[n] said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you any more forever!”[o] And his disciples heard it.[p]
The Cleansing of the Temple
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered into the temple courts[q] and[r] began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple courts,[s] and overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling doves. 16 And he did not permit anyone to carry objects[t] through the temple courts.[u] 17 And he began to teach[v] and was saying to them, “Is it not written,
‘My house will be called a house of prayer
for all the nations,’[w]
but you have made it a cave of robbers!” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it,[x] and began considering[y] how they could destroy him. For they were afraid of him because the whole crowd was astounded by his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city.
The Barren Fig Tree Withered
20 And as they[z] passed by early in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 And Peter remembered and[aa] said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!” 22 And Jesus answered and[ab] said to them, “Have faith in God! 23 Truly I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it,[ac] and it will be done for you. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him,[ad] so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your sins.”[ae]
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as[af] he was walking in the temple courts,[ag] the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came up to him 28 and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority that you do these things?” 29 So Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer me!” 31 And they began to discuss[ah] this[ai] with one another, saying, “What should we say?[aj] If we say ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’”—they were afraid of the crowd, because they all looked upon John as truly a prophet.[ak] 33 And they replied to Jesus saying, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
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