M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Ammonites Humiliate David’s Messengers
19 And it happened that after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites[a] died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites,[b] to Hanun, to comfort him. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites[c] said to Hanun, “Do you think[d] because David sent comforters to you that David honors your father? Is it not for the purpose of exploring so as to overthrow and spy out the land that his servants have come to you?” 4 So Hanun took the servants of David and shaved them and cut off their garments at the middle, up to the buttocks, and sent them away. 5 And they went and told David concerning the men, and he inquired of them, for the men were very disgraced. And the king said, “Dwell in Jericho until your beards grow out; then return.”
6 And when the Ammonites[e] saw that they made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites[f] sent one thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves horses and chariots from Aram-Naharaim, Aram-Maacah, and Zobah. 7 And they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his people, and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites[g] were gathered from their cities and came to the battle. 8 And when David heard, he sent Joab and the entire army of mighty warriors. 9 And the Ammonites[h] went out and took up positions for battle at the entrance of the city. And the kings who had come were alone in the field.
10 When Joab saw that there was a battle line[i] against him at the front and the back, he chose from among the chosen men in Israel and arranged them to meet Aram. 11 And the remainder of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother, and they were arranged to meet the Ammonites.[j] 12 And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, then you must be a help to me, but if the Ammonites[k] are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong! Let us strengthen ourselves on behalf of our people and on behalf of the cities of our God. And may Yahweh do what is good in his eyes.” 14 And Joab and the people who were with him drew near before Aram for battle, and they fled before him. 15 And when the Ammonites[l] saw that Aram had fled, they also fled before Abishai his brother, and they came to the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 And when Aram saw that they were defeated before Israel, they sent messengers and brought out Aram, who was from beyond the Euphrates,[m] with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer before them. 17 And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. And he came to them and was arrayed against them. Then David was arrayed to meet Aram in battle, and they fought with him. 18 And Aram fled before Israel. And David killed from Aram the men of seven thousand chariots and forty thousand foot soldiers, and he put to death Shophach the commander of the army. 19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and became servants to him. So Aram was no longer willing to help the Ammonites.[n]
The Capture of Rabbah
20 And it happened that in the spring time of year,[o] the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led the troops of the army and destroyed the land of the Ammonites.[p] And he came and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah and destroyed it. 2 And David took the crown of their king from his head and found it to weigh a talent of gold. And in it was a precious stone. Then it was placed upon the head of David. And he brought out the booty of the city, a large amount. 3 And the people who were in it he brought out, and he set them to work with saws and iron implements and axes.[q] Thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites.[r] Then David returned, and all the nation went with him.
The Philistine Giants Slain
4 And after this there arose a war in Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim. And they were subdued. 5 And again there was war with the Philistines. And Elhanan son of Jair struck down Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6 And again there was war in Gath. And there was a very tall[s] man there, and he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all.[t] He himself was also a descendant of the Rephaim. 7 And he taunted Israel, but Jehonathan son of Shimea, brother of David, struck him down. 8 These were born to the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Greeting
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen[a] who are residing temporarily in the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
A New Birth to a Living Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 into an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, 6 in which you rejoice greatly, although[b] now for a short time, if necessary,[c] you are distressed by various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more valuable than gold that is passing away, but is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom, although you[d] have not seen, you love; in whom now you believe, although you[e] do not see him, and you rejoice greatly with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining the goal of your faith, the salvation of your[f] souls.
10 Concerning this[g] salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace meant for you sought and made careful inquiry, 11 investigating for what person or which time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he[h] testified beforehand to the sufferings with reference to Christ and the glories after these things, 12 to whom it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you with reference to the same things which now have been announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which[i] angels desire to look.
Be Holy in All Your Conduct
13 Therefore, when you have prepared your minds for action[j] by[k] being self-controlled, put your hope completely in the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former desires you used to conform to[l] in your ignorance, 15 but as the one who called you is holy, you yourselves be holy in all your conduct, 16 for it is written, “You will be holy, because I am[m] holy.”[n][o] 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of your temporary residence, 18 because you[p] know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your ancestors not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb 20 who was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has been revealed in these last times for you 21 who through him are believing in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from the heart,[q] 23 because you[r] have been born again, not from perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For
“all flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flower of the grass.
The grass withers and the flower falls off,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever[s].”[t]
And this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
The People of Nineveh Repent at Jonah’s Proclamation
3 And the word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up! Go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the message that I am telling you.” 3 So Jonah got up[a] and went to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was an extraordinarily great city[b]—a journey of three days across.[c] 4 And Jonah began to go into the city a journey of one day, and he cried out and said, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be demolished!”[d] 5 And the people of Nineveh believed in God, and they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least important.[e]
The King’s Proclamation
6 And the news reached the king of Nineveh, and he rose from his throne and removed his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. 7 And he had a proclamation made, and said,
“In Nineveh, by a decree of the king and his nobles:
“No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything! They must not eat, and they must not drink water! 8 And the human beings and the animals must be covered with sackcloth! And they must call forcefully to God, and each must turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his[f] hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind and turn from his blazing anger[g] so that[h] we will not perish.”
10 And God saw their deeds—that they turned from their evil ways—and God changed his mind about the evil that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it.[i]
Some Women Accompany Jesus
8 And it happened that afterward[a] also he was going about from one town and village to another preaching and proclaiming the good news concerning the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him, 2 and some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza (Herod’s household manager), and Susanna, and many others who were helping to support them from their possessions.
The Parable of the Sower
4 And while[b] a large crowd was gathering and they were going to him from town after town, he spoke by means of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed, and while he was sowing, some seed[c] fell on the side of the path and was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it. 6 And other seed fell on the rock, and when it[d] came up, it withered, because it did not have moisture. 7 And other seed fell in the midst of the thorn plants, and the thorn plants grew up with it[e] and[f] choked it. 8 And other seed fell on the good soil, and when it[g] came up, it produced a hundred times as much grain.” As he[h] said these things, he called out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Reason for the Parables
9 And his disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 And he said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are in parables, so that
‘Seeing they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.’[i]
The Parable of the Sower Interpreted
11 Now the parable means this: the seed is the word of God, 12 and those beside the path are the ones who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and[j] be saved. 13 And those on the rock are those who receive the word with joy when they hear it,[k] and these do not have enough root, who believe for a time and in a time of testing fall away. 14 And the seed that fell into the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear and as they[l] go along are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bear fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed on the good soil—these are the ones who, after[m] hearing the word, hold fast to it[n] with a noble and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.
The Parable of the Lamp
16 “And no one, after[o] lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar or puts it[p] under a bed, but puts it[q] on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that will not become evident, and nothing hidden that will never be known and come to light. 18 Therefore consider how you listen, for whoever has, to him more will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away from him.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
19 Now his mother and brothers came to him, and they were not able to meet with him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to see you.” 21 But he answered and[r] said to them, “These are my mother and my brothers—the ones who hear the word of God and do it.[s]
Calming of a Storm
22 Now it happened that on one of the days both he and his disciples got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they set sail, 23 and as[t] they were sailing, he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were being swamped and were in danger. 24 And they came and[u] woke him up, saying, “Master, master! We are perishing!” So he got up and[v] rebuked the wind and the billowing waves of water and they ceased, and it became calm. 25 And he said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and[w] were astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him?”
A Demon-possessed Gerasene Healed
26 And they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And as[x] he got out on the land, a certain man from the town met him[y] who had demons and for a considerable time had not worn clothes and did not live in a house, but among the tombs. 28 And when he[z] saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do I have to do with you,[aa] Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, and he was bound with chains and shackles and[ab] was guarded, and breaking the bonds he would be driven by the demon into the deserted places.) 30 So Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered into him. 31 And they began imploring[ac] him that he would not order them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding there on the hill, and they implored him that he would permit them to enter into those pigs. And he permitted them. 33 So the demons came out of the man and[ad] entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed headlong down the steep slope into the lake and were drowned. 34 And when[ae] the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and reported it[af] in the town and in the countryside. 35 So they went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting there clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it[ag] reported to them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. 37 And all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, because they had been seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and[ah] returned. 38 And the man from who the demons had gone out was begging him to stay with him, but he sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home and tell all that God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.
A Woman Healed and a Daughter Raised
40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him. 41 And behold, a man who was named[ai] Jairus came, and this man was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at the feet of Jesus and[aj] began imploring[ak] him to come to his house, 42 because he had[al] an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.
Now as he was going, the crowds were pressing against him. 43 And a woman who was suffering from hemorrhages[am] for twelve years (who, although she[an] had spent all her[ao] assets on physicians, was not able to be healed by anyone) 44 came up behind him and[ap] touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her hemorrhaging[aq] stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched me?” And when they[ar] all denied it,[as] Peter said, “Master, the crowds are pressing you hard and crowding you!”[at] 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, because I know power has gone out from me.” 47 And when[au] the woman saw that she did not escape notice, she came trembling and falling down before him. In the presence of all the people, she told for what reason she had touched him, and that she was healed immediately. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
49 While[av] he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue ruler’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead! Trouble the Teacher no longer!” 50 But Jesus, when he[aw] heard this,[ax] replied to him, “Do not be afraid! Only believe, and she will be healed.” 51 Now when he[ay] came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him except Peter and John and James and the father and mother of the child. 52 And they were all weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep! For she is not dead, but is sleeping.” 53 And they began laughing[az] at him, because they[ba] knew that she was dead. 54 But he took her hand and[bb] called, saying, “Child, get up.” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately, and he ordered something[bc] to be given to her to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.
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