M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Death of Abraham(A)
25 Then Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 And she bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5 Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living, he sent them away from his son Isaac eastward to the east country.
7 These are the years of Abraham’s life that he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived at Beer Lahai Roi.
Sons of Ishmael(B)
12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their peoples. 17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died; and he was gathered to his people. 18 They lived from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He died in the presence of all his relatives.
The Births of Jacob and Esau
19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son.
Abraham was the father of Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her, and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 Then the Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from your body;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24 Now when the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau. 26 After that his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
27 So the boys grew. Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a calm man, living in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Esau Sells His Birthright
29 Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field and he was famished. 30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me some of that red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
31 Then Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; of what use is the birthright to me?”
33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me this day.” So he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. Then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way.
Thus Esau despised his birthright.
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold(A)
24 Jesus departed from the temple and was leaving when His disciples came to show Him the temple buildings. 2 Jesus answered them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
Troubles and Persecutions(B)
3 As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled. For all these things must happen, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 Then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will rise and will deceive many. 12 Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation(C)
15 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’[a] spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 Let him who is in the field not return to take his clothes. 19 Woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse in those days! 20 Pray that your escape will not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then will be great tribulation, such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
22 “Unless those days were shortened, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Listen, I have told you beforehand.
26 “So, if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert,’ do not go there; or, ‘Look, He is in the private chambers,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
The Coming of the Son of Man(D)
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days,
‘the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from heaven,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’[b]
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree(E)
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: When its branch becomes tender and grows leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you shall see all these things, you know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
The Unknown Day and Hour(F)
36 “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and the other left.
42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come. 43 But know this, that if the owner of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for in an hour when you least expect, the Son of Man is coming.
The Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant(G)
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has made ruler over his household to give them food at the appointed time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master delays his coming,’ 49 and begins to strike his fellow servants and eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not look for him and in an hour he is not aware of 51 and will cut him in pieces and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Queen Vashti Deposed
1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, also called Xerxes, who reigned from India to Ethiopia, over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, 2 in those days, the palace where King Ahasuerus sat on the royal throne of his kingdom was in Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign, he prepared a feast for all his officials and his servants. So the army commanders of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the officials of the provinces were before him.
4 He unveiled the riches of his glorious kingdom and the costly luxury of his greatness for many days, one hundred and eighty days. 5 When these days were completed, the king prepared a seven-day feast for all the people present, from the greatest to the least, in the citadel of Susa. This feast was in the courtyard garden of the king’s palace 6 where white and blue linen hangings were fastened with cords of white and purple linen to silver rings and columns of marble. The gold- and silver-plated couches were on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. 7 They provided drinks in golden vessels (the vessels being diverse one from another) and royal wine in abundance, by the expense of the king. 8 In accordance with the law, the drinking was not mandatory, because the king had directed all the stewards of his house to serve according to every man’s pleasure.
9 Additionally, Vashti the queen prepared a feast for the women in the royal house of King Ahasuerus.
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas, the seven eunuchs attending to the needs of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with the royal crown, to unveil her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by his eunuchs. Therefore, the king grew very angry, and his wrath burned within him.
13 Then the king spoke to the wise men, who understood the times (for in this way the king would speak before all who understood law and judgment). 14 Those nearest him were Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memukan. They were the seven princes of Persia and Media and the king’s closest confidants who met with the king and held the highest rank in the kingdom.
15 “According to law, what should be done about Queen Vashti because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus when it was delivered by the eunuchs?”
16 And Memukan answered before the king and the princes, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For should this matter of the queen spread to all wives, then they would look with contempt on their husbands when it is reported that, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she never came.’ 18 This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media, who hear of the queen’s act, will say the same thing to all the king’s princes. Then there will be more contempt and wrath.
19 “If it pleases the king, let a royal decree be sent by him, and let it be written in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it may not be altered, that Vashti can never enter into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and that the king will give her royal position to another woman who is better than she. 20 When the king’s decree that he shall make is proclaimed throughout all his empire (for it is vast), then all the wives shall give honor to their husbands, both the prominent and lowly.”
21 The suggestion pleased the king and the princes, so the king did according to the word of Memukan. 22 He sent letters to all the king’s provinces, in the script of every province and in the language of every people group, bearing the message in the languages of his people that each man should rule over his own house.
The Case Against Paul
24 After five days Ananias the high priest arrived with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. They brought before the governor their charges against Paul. 2 When he was summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and your foresight is bringing reforms to this nation, 3 with all thankfulness, most excellent Felix, we always welcome it everywhere. 4 But not to detain you further, I beg you to briefly hear us in your patience.
5 “We have found this man a troublemaker, instigating riots among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple. So we seized him and wanted to judge him according to our law. 7 But the commander, Lysias, came to us and forcefully took him out of our hands, 8 ordering his accusers to come before you. By examining him yourself you will be able to learn about all these things concerning which we accuse him.”
9 The Jews assented, alleging these things to be true.
Paul’s Defense Before Felix
10 After the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul answered, “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully defend myself. 11 You may verify that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 They did not find me in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd. 13 They cannot prove the things concerning which they now accuse me. 14 However, I affirm that in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of my fathers and believe everything written in the Law and in the Prophets. 15 I have hope in God that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust, which they also expect. 16 In this do I always strive to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men.
17 “Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, 18 when some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a crowd nor an uproar. 19 They ought to be here before you to accuse me if they have any charges. 20 Or let these men say what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, 21 unless it is concerning this one statement which I cried out while standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead, I am being judged by you this day.’ ”
22 When Felix, who had more exact knowledge concerning the Way, had heard this, he adjourned the proceedings and said, “When Lysias the commander arrives, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he ordered the centurion to guard Paul, and to let him have liberty, and to forbid none of his own people from attending to him.
Paul Held in Custody
24 After several days, when Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ. 25 As he lectured about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix was afraid and answered, “For now, leave! When time permits, I will send for you.” 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. So he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix. And Felix, desiring to do the Jews a favor, left Paul imprisoned.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.