M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
2 So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all that is in them. 2 On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God honored the seventh day and made it holy, because in it He rested from all His work which He had done.
The Garden of Eden
4 This is the story of the heavens and the earth when they were made, in the day the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 Now no bush of the field was yet on the earth. And no plant of the field had started to grow. For the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth. And there was no man to work the ground. 6 But a fog came from the earth and watered the whole top of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God made man from the dust of the ground. And He breathed into his nose the breath of life. Man became a living being. 8 The Lord God planted a garden to the east in Eden. He put the man there whom He had made. 9 And the Lord God made to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasing to the eyes and good for food. And He made the tree of life grow in the center of the garden, and the tree of learning of good and bad.
10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. And from there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is Pishon. It flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 The gold of that land is good. Bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon. It flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris. It flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work the ground and care for it. 16 The Lord God told the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden. 17 But do not eat from the tree of learning of good and bad. For the day you eat from it you will die for sure.”
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper that is right for him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God made every animal of the field and every bird of the sky. He brought them to the man to find out what he would call them. And whatever the man called a living thing, that was its name. 20 Adam gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field. But there was no helper found that was right for Adam. 21 So the Lord God put the man to sleep as if he were dead. And while he was sleeping, He took one of the bones from his side and closed up the place with flesh. 22 The Lord God made woman from the bone which He had taken from the man. And He brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother, and will be joined to his wife. And they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both without clothes and were not ashamed.
Wise Men Visit the Young Child Jesus
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in the country of Judea. It was the time when Herod was king of that part of the country. Soon after Jesus was born, some wise men who learned things from stars came to Jerusalem from the East. 2 They asked, “Where is the King of the Jews Who has been born? We have seen His star in the East. We have come to worship Him.”
3 King Herod heard this. He and all the people of Jerusalem were worried. 4 He called together all the religious leaders of the Jews and the teachers of the Law. Herod asked them where Christ was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea. The early preacher wrote, 6 ‘You, Bethlehem of Judah, are not the least of the leaders of Judah. Out of you will come a King Who will lead My people the Jews.’” (A)
7 Then Herod had a secret meeting with the men who learned things from stars. He asked them about what time the star had been seen. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and find the young Child. When you find Him, let me know. Then I can go and worship Him also.”
9 After the king had spoken, they went on their way. The star they had seen in the East went before them. It came and stopped over the place where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with much joy.
11 They went into the house and found the young Child with Mary, His mother. Then they got down before Him and worshiped Him. They opened their bags of riches and gave Him gifts of gold and perfume and spices. 12 Then God spoke to them in a dream. He told them not to go back to Herod. So they went to their own country by another road.
Joseph Goes to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. He said, “Get up. Take the young Child and His mother to the country of Egypt. Go as fast as you can! Stay there until you hear from Me. Herod is going to look for the young Child to kill Him.” 14 During the night he got up and left with the young Child and His mother for Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. This happened as the Lord had said through an early preacher, “I called My Son out of Egypt.” (B)
Herod Had All the Young Boys Killed
16 Herod learned that the wise men had fooled him. He was very angry. He sent men to kill all the young boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and in all the country near by. He decided to do this from what he had heard from the wise men as to the time when the star was seen. 17 Then it happened as the early preacher Jeremiah said it would happen. 18 He said, “The sound of crying and much sorrow was heard in Ramah. Rachel was crying for her children. She would not be comforted because they were dead.” (C)
Joseph Goes from Egypt to Nazareth (D)
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt. 20 He said, “Get up. Take the young Child and His mother and go into the land of the Jews. Those who tried to kill the young Child are dead.” 21 Joseph got up. He took the young Child and His mother and came into the land of the Jews. 22 Joseph heard that Archelaus was the king of the country of Judea. Herod, the father of Archelaus, had died. Joseph was afraid to go there. God told him in a dream to go to the country of Galilee and he went. 23 Joseph stayed in a town called Nazareth. It happened as the early preachers said it would happen. They said, “Jesus will be called a Nazarene.”
Families Who Returned
2 These are the people who left the land of Babylon and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city. Their families had been taken away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. 2 These people returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of Israel: 3 2,172 sons of Parosh, 4 372 sons of Shephatiah, 5 775 sons of Arah, 6 2,812 sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 7 1,254 sons of Elam, 8 945 sons of Zattu, 9 760 sons of Zaccai, 10 642 sons of Bani, 11 623 sons of Bebai, 12 1,222 sons of Azgad, 13 666 sons of Adonikam, 14 2,056 sons of Bigvai, 15 454 sons of Adin, 16 98 sons of Ater, 17 323 sons of Bezai, 18 112 sons of Jorah, 19 223 sons of Hashum, 20 95 sons of Gibbar, 21 123 sons of Bethlehem, 22 56 sons of Netophah, 23 128 sons of Anathoth, 24 42 sons of Azmaveth, 25 743 sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 26 621 sons of Raman and Geba, 27 122 sons of Michmas, 28 223 sons of Bethel and Ai, 29 52 sons of Nebo, 30 156 sons of Magbish, 31 1,254 sons of the other Elam, 32 320 sons of Harim, 33 725 sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 34 345 sons of Jericho, 35 3,630 sons of Senaah.
36 The religious leaders: 973 sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 37 1,052 sons of Immer, 38 1,247 sons of Pashhur, 39 1,017 sons of Harim.
40 The Levites: 74 sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah. 41 The singers: 128 sons of Asaph. 42 The sons of the gate-keepers: 139 of the sons of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai.
43 The men who worked in the house of the Lord: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44 the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, 46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shalmai, the sons of Hanan, 47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, 48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, 49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, 50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, 51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 52 the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
55 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, 56 the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Ami. 58 All the servants of the house of the Lord, and all the sons of Solomon’s servants, were 392.
59 Now these are the men who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer. But they were not able to show that their fathers and they were children of Israel: 60 652 sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda. 61 And the sons of the religious leaders: the sons of Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name. 62 These men looked for their names among the names of all the families, but could not find them. So they were thought of as being unclean, and were not allowed to work as religious leaders. 63 And the leader told them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a religious leader learned God’s will by the Urim and Thummin.
64 There were 42,360 people in all, 65 besides the 7,337 men servants and women servants, and 200 singing men and women. 66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
68 When they came to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the family groups gave a free-will gift for the house of God to be built again on the same place. 69 As they were able, they gave 61,000 gold-pieces and 5,000 silverpieces and 100 coats for the religious leaders, for the work to be done.
70 So the religious leaders, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gate-keepers and the servants of the Lord’s house lived in their own cities, and all Israel lived in their cities.
The Holy Spirit Comes On the Followers of Jesus
2 The followers of Jesus were all together in one place fifty days after the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. 2 All at once there was a sound from heaven like a powerful wind. It filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw tongues which were divided that looked like fire. These came down on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they began to speak in other languages which the Holy Spirit made them able to speak.
5 There were many religious Jews staying in Jerusalem. They were from every country of the world. 6 When they heard this strange sound, they gathered together. They all listened! It was hard for them to believe they were hearing words in their own language. 7 They were surprised and wondered about it. They said to each other, “Are not these Galileans who are speaking? 8 How is it that each one of us can hear his own language? 9 We are Parthians and Medes, Elamites and from the countries of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and in the countries of Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene. Some have come from the city of Rome. Some are Jews by birth and others have become Jews. 11 Some are also men of the countries of Crete and Arabia. They are speaking of the powerful works of God to all of us in our own language!” 12 They were all surprised and wondered about this. They said to each other, “What can this mean?” 13 But others laughed and made fun, saying, “These men are full of new wine.”
Peter Preaches—What Joel Said Would Happen Has Happened
14 Then Peter stood up with the eleven missionaries and spoke with a loud voice, “Men of the country of Judea and all of you who are living in Jerusalem, I want you to know what is happening. So listen to what I am going to say. 15 These men are not drunk as you think. It is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 The early preacher Joel said this would happen. 17 God says, ‘In the last days I will send My Spirit on all men. Then your sons and daughters will speak God’s Word. Your young men will see what God has given them to see. Your old men will dream dreams. 18 Yes, on those I own, both men and women, I will send My Spirit in those days. They will speak God’s Word. 19 I will show powerful works in the sky above. There will be things to see in the earth below like blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will turn dark and the moon will turn to blood before the day of the Lord. His coming will be a great and special day. 21 It will be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved from the punishment of sin.’ (A)
Peter Preaches—Jesus Shows Who He Is by What He Did
22 “Jewish men, listen to what I have to say! You knew Jesus of the town of Nazareth by the powerful works He did. God worked through Jesus while He was with you. You all know this. 23 Jesus was handed over to sinful men. God knew this and planned for it to happen. You had sinful men take Him and nail Him to a cross. 24 But God raised Him up. He allowed Him to be set free from the pain of death. Death could not hold its power over Him.
Peter Preaches—Jesus Shows Who He Is by What He Said
25 “David said this about Him, ‘I can see the Lord before me all the time. He is at my right side so that I do not need to be troubled. 26 I am glad and my tongue is full of joy. My body rests in hope. 27 You will not leave my soul in death. You will not allow Your Holy One to be destroyed. 28 You have shown me the ways of life. I will be full of joy when I see Your face.’ (B)
29 “Brothers, I can tell you in plain words that our early father David not only died but was buried. We know where his grave is today. 30 He was one who spoke for God. He knew God had made a promise to him. From his family Christ would come and take His place as King. 31 He knew this before and spoke of Christ being raised from the dead. Christ’s soul would not be left in hell. His body would not be destroyed. 32 Jesus is this One! God has raised Him up and we have all seen Him.
33 “This Jesus has been lifted up to God’s right side. The Holy Spirit was promised by the Father. God has given Him to us. That is what you are seeing and hearing now! 34 It was not David who was taken up to heaven, because he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right side, 35 for those who hate You will be a place to rest Your feet.”’ (C) 36 The whole Jewish nation must know for sure that God has made this Jesus, both Lord and Christ. He is the One you nailed to a cross!”
They Ask Peter What They Should Do
37 When the Jews heard this, their hearts were troubled. They said to Peter and to the other missionaries, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Be sorry for your sins and turn from them and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you and your children. It is to all people everywhere. It is to as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40 He said many other things. He helped them understand that they should keep themselves from the sinful people of this day. 41 Those who believed what he said were baptized. There were about 3,000 more followers added that day.
The First Church
42 They were faithful in listening to the teaching of the missionaries. They worshiped and prayed and ate the Lord’s supper together. 43 Many powerful works were done by the missionaries. Surprise and fear came on them all. 44 All those who put their trust in Christ were together and shared what they owned. 45 As anyone had need, they sold what they owned and shared with everyone. 46 Day after day they went to the house of God together. In their houses they ate their food together. Their hearts were happy. 47 They gave thanks to God and all the people respected them. The Lord added to the group each day those who were being saved from the punishment of sin.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.