M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Parting of Abram and Lot
13 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was with him. And Lot went with him to the Negev. 2 Now Abram was very wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went according to his journey from the Negev, then to Bethel, to the place where his tent was at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the beginning. And Abram called on the name of Yahweh there. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had herds and tents. 6 And the land could not support them[a] so as to live together, because their possessions were so many that[b] they were not able to live together. 7 And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of the livestock of Abram and the herdsmen of the livestock of Lot. Now at that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land. 8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there not be quarreling between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we men are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you want what is on the left, then I will go right; if you want what is on the right, I will go left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the whole plain of the Jordan, that all of it was well-watered land—this was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt in the direction of[c] Zoar. 11 So[d] Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan. And Lot journeyed from the east, and so they separated from each other.[e] 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled in the cities of the plain. And he pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were extremely wicked sinners against Yahweh.[f] 14 And Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are to the north, and to the south, and to the east and to the west, 15 for all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your descendants, forever. 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth which, if anyone were able to count the dust of the earth, your descendants would be so counted. 17 Arise, go through the length of the land and through its breadth, for I will give it to you.” 18 So[g] Abram pitched his tent, and he came and settled at the oaks of Mamre, which were at Hebron. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath
12 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck off heads of grain and eat them.[a] 2 But when[b] the Pharisees saw it,[c] they said to him, “Behold, your disciples are doing what it is not permitted to do on the Sabbath!” 3 So he said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those with him, 4 how he entered into the house of God and ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not permitted for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! 7 And if you had known what it means,[d] ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand Healed
9 And going on from there he came into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?” in order that they could accuse him. 11 But he said to them, “What man will there be among you who will have one sheep and if this one fell into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it[e] out? 12 Then to what degree is a man worth more than a sheep? So then, it is permitted to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand,” and he stretched it[f] out, and it was restored as healthy as the other one. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted[g] against him in order that they could destroy him.
God’s Chosen Servant
15 Now Jesus, when he[h] learned of it,[i] withdrew from there, and many[j] followed him, and he healed them all. 16 And he warned them that they should not reveal his identity,[k] 17 in order that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled, who said,
18 “Behold my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 A crushed reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish,
until he brings justice to victory.
21 And in his name the Gentiles[l] will hope.[m]
A House Divided Cannot Stand
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him. And he healed him so that the man who was mute could speak and see. 23 And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, “Perhaps this one is the Son of David!” 24 But the Pharisees, when they[n] heard it,[o] said, “This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!” 25 But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 And if Satan expels Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I expel demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons expel them?[p] For this reason they will be your judges! 28 But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you! 29 Or how can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he can thoroughly plunder his house. 30 The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. 31 For this reason I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven! 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the coming one!
Good Trees and Good Fruit or Bad Trees and Bad Fruit
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit is good, or make the tree bad and its fruit is bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things when you[q] are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person from his[r] good treasury brings out good things, and the evil person from his[s] evil treasury brings out evil things. 36 But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment! 37 For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!” 39 But he answered and[t] said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah! 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something[u] greater than Jonah is here! 42 The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something[v] greater than Solomon is here!
An Unclean Spirit Returns
43 “Now whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it.[w] 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ And when it[x] arrives it finds the house[y] unoccupied and swept and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and[z] live there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first. So it will be for this evil generation also!”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46 And[aa] while[ab] he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing there outside, desiring to speak to him. 47 And someone told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing there outside desiring to speak to you.” 48 But he answered and[ac] said to the one who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Behold my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
Nehemiah Sent
2 It happened in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. And I had never been sad before the king. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad since you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” And I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad when the city of my ancestors’[a] burial site[b] is ruined and her gates are consumed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of the heavens. 5 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your presence, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’[c] burial sites, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 With the queen sitting beside him, the king said to me, “How long will your journey be and when will you return?” So it pleased the king and he sent me, and I set for him an appointed time. 7 Then I said to the king, “If it is good for the king, let letters be given to me for the governors in the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass until I come to Judah. 8 Also, a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s land reserve, that he should give me timber for laying the beams for the gates of the citadel of the house and for the walls of the city, and for the house which I will enter.” And the king gave permission to me, according to the good hand of God on me.
9 I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and I gave them the letters of the king. Then the king sent troop commanders and horses with me. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and the Ammonite servant Tobiah heard this, they were greatly displeased[d] that a person had come to seek the welfare of the Israelites.[e]
Nehemiah Inspects the Walls and Decides to Restore Them
11 I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. 12 I got up during the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anybody what my God put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. No animal was with me except the animal that I was riding on. 13 I went out during the night at the gate of the valley by the Dragon spring and to the Dung Gate. And I examined the walls in Jerusalem and its gates that had been destroyed by the fire. 14 I crossed over to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount[f] to cross over. 15 So I went up by the valley during the night and was examining the wall. Then I returned and came to the Valley Gate and returned. 16 The prefects did not know where I had gone and what I was doing. I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the prefects, and the rest of the workers.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the misery that we are in, that Jerusalem is ruined and its gates burned by the fire. Come, build the walls of Jerusalem and we shall no longer be a disgrace.” 18 I told them of the good hand of my God that was upon me and surely the words of the king that were spoken to me. And they said, “Let us arise and build!” And they strengthened their hands for this good work. 19 But Sanballat the Horonite, the Ammonite servant Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard it, and they mocked and despised us, saying, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I answered and said to them, “The God of the heavens himself will let us succeed, and we his servants shall arise and build. But for you there is no share, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Herod Kills James and Imprisons Peter
12 Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm them.[a] 2 So he executed James the brother of John with a sword. 3 And when he[b] saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (Now this was during the feast[c] of Unleavened Bread.) 4 After he[d] had arrested him,[e] he also put him[f] in prison, handing him[g] over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out for public trial[h] after the Passover. 5 Thus Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer was fervently being made to God by the church for him.
Peter Rescued by an Angel
6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door were watching the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood near him,[i] and a light shone in the prison cell. And striking Peter’s side, he woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!”[j] And his chains fell off of his[k] hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals!” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me!” 9 And he went out and[l] was following him.[m] And he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision. 10 And after they[n] had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened for them by itself, and they went out and[o] went forward along one narrow street, and at once the angel departed from him.
11 And when[p] Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know truly that the Lord has sent out his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and all that the Jewish people expected!”[q] 12 And when he[r] realized this,[s] he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John (who is also called Mark), where many people were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when[t] he knocked at the door of the gateway, a female slave named[u] Rhoda came up to answer. 14 And recognizing Peter’s voice, because of her[v] joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and[w] announced that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting[x] it was so. And they kept saying,[y] “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter was continuing to knock, and when they[z] opened the door[aa] they saw him and were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his[ab] hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and to the brothers,” and he departed and[ac] went to another place.
18 Now when[ad] day came, there was not a little commotion among the soldiers as to what then had become of Peter. 19 And when[ae] Herod had searched for him and did not find him,[af] he questioned the guards and[ag] ordered that they be led away to execution. And he came down from Judea to Caesarea and[ah] stayed there.
Herod’s Gruesome Death
20 Now he was very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. So they came to him with one purpose, and after[ai] persuading Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,[aj] they asked for peace, because their country was supported with food from the king’s country. 21 So on an appointed day Herod, after[ak] putting on royal clothing and sitting down on the judgment seat, began to deliver a public address to them. 22 But the people began to call out loudly,[al] “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because[am] he did not give the glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and[an] died. 24 But the word of God kept on increasing[ao] and multiplying.
25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to[ap] Jerusalem when they[aq] had completed their[ar] service, having taken along with them[as] John (who is also called Mark).
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software