M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt by the Ishmaelites. And Potiphar, an Egyptian leader, the head of the soldiers of Pharaoh’s house, bought him from the Ishmaelites. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and all went well with him. He was in the house of his boss the Egyptian. 3 Now his boss saw that the Lord was with him. He saw how the Lord made all that Joseph did go well. 4 So Joseph found favor in his eyes, and worked only for him. Potiphar made him the one to watch over his house and take care of all that he owned. 5 And from the time that he watched over his house and all he owned, the Lord brought good to the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord brought good upon all that he owned in the house and in the field. 6 So he put all he owned in Joseph’s care. Having Joseph near, he did not need to think about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was strong and good-looking. 7 The time came when his boss’s wife saw him, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he would not do it. He said to his boss’s wife, “See, with me near, my boss does not worry about anything in the house. He has put all he owns in my care. 9 There is no one more important in this house than I. And he has held nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this sinful thing, and sin against God?”
10 She spoke to Joseph day after day. But he did not listen to her. He would not lie with her or be with her. 11 Then one day Joseph went into the house to do his work. None of the men of the house were inside. 12 She caught him by his coat, saying, “Lie with me!” But he ran out of the house leaving the coat in her hand. 13 When she saw that he had left his coat in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called the men of her house. And she said to them, “See, this Hebrew has been brought to us to make fun of us. He came in to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 When he heard my loud cry, he left his coat with me and ran outside.”
16 She kept his coat with her until his boss came home. 17 Then she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came to me to lie with me. 18 But when I called out in a loud voice, he left his coat with me and ran outside.” 19 When his boss heard his wife’s story and her words, “This is what your servant did to me,” he became very angry. 20 So Joseph’s boss took him and put him in prison, the place where the men who did wrong against the king were put in chains. So there he was in prison.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him kindness. He gave him favor in the eyes of the man who watched over the prison. 22 The head of the prison put all the men who were in prison into Joseph’s care. So whatever was done there was because of Joseph. 23 The head of the prison did not worry about anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him. The Lord made all go well with whatever Joseph did.
A Look at What Jesus Will Be Like (A)
9 Jesus said to them, “For sure I tell you, some standing here will not die until they see the holy nation of God come with power!”
2 Six days later Jesus took Peter and James and John with Him. He led them up to a high mountain by themselves. Jesus was changed as they looked at Him. 3 His clothes did shine. They were as white as snow. No one on earth could clean them so white. 4 Moses and Elijah were seen talking to Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents to worship in. One will be for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 Peter did not know what to say. They were very much afraid.
7 A cloud came over them and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My much-loved Son. Listen to Him.” 8 At once they looked around but saw no one there but Jesus.
9 They came down from the mountain. Then Jesus said with strong words that they should tell no one what they had seen. They should wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept those words to themselves, talking to each other about what He meant by being raised from the dead.
11 They asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He said to them, “For sure, Elijah will come first and get things ready. Is it not written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and that men will have nothing to do with Him? (B) 13 But I say to you, Elijah has already come. They did to him whatever they wanted to do. It is written that they would.”
A Boy with a Demon Is Healed (C)
14 When Jesus came back to His followers, He saw many people standing around them. The teachers of the Law were arguing with them. 15 The people saw Jesus and were surprised and ran to greet Him. 16 Jesus asked the teachers of the Law, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 One of the people said, “Teacher, I brought my son to You. He has a demon in him and cannot talk. 18 Wherever the demon takes him, it throws him down. Spit runs from his mouth. He grinds his teeth. He is getting weaker. I asked Your followers to put the demon out but they could not.”
19 He said, “You people of this day have no faith. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.” 20 They brought the boy to Jesus. The demon saw Jesus and at once held the boy in his power. The boy fell to the ground with spit running from his mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” The father said, “From the time he was a child. 22 Many times it throws him into the fire and into the water to kill him. If You can do anything to help us, take pity on us!” 23 Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask Me that? The one who has faith can do all things.” 24 At once the father cried out. He said with tears in his eyes, “Lord, I have faith. Help my weak faith to be stronger!” 25 Jesus saw that many people were gathering together in a hurry. He spoke sharp words to the demon. He said, “Demon! You who cannot speak or hear, I say to you, come out of him! Do not ever go into him again.” 26 The demon gave a cry. It threw the boy down and came out of him. The boy was so much like a dead man that people said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him and he stood up.
28 When Jesus went into the house, His followers asked Him when He was alone, “Why could we not put out the demon?” 29 He said to them, “The only way this kind of demon is put out is by prayer and by going without food so you can pray better.”
Jesus Tells of His Death the Second Time (D)
30 From there Jesus and His followers went through the country of Galilee. He did not want anyone to know where He was. 31 He taught His followers, saying, “The Son of Man will be handed over to men. They will kill Him. Three days after He is killed, He will be raised from the dead.” 32 They did not understand what He said and were afraid to ask Him.
Jesus Teaches about the Faith of a Child (E)
33 They came to the city of Capernaum and were in the house. Jesus asked His followers, “What were you arguing about along the road?” 34 They did not answer. They had been arguing along the road about who was the greatest. 35 Jesus sat down and called the followers to Him. He said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all. He will be the one to care for all.”
36 Jesus took a child and stood it among them. Then He took the child up in His arms and said to the followers, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name, receives Me. Whoever will receive Me, receives not Me, but Him Who sent Me.”
Jesus Speaks Sharp Words against the Followers
38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone putting out demons in Your name. We told him to stop because he was not following us.” 39 Jesus said, “Do not stop him. No one who does a powerful work in My name can say anything bad about Me soon after. 40 The person who is not against us is for us. 41 For sure, I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name because you belong to Christ will not lose his reward from God. 42 Whoever is the reason for one of these little ones who believes in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large stone put around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand is the reason you fall into sin, cut it off. It is better to go into life without a hand, than to have two hands and go into the fire of hell that cannot be put out. 44 *There is where their worm never dies and the fire cannot be put out. 45 If your foot is the reason you fall into sin, cut it off. It is better to go into life with only one foot, than to have two feet and go into the fire of hell that cannot be put out. 46 *There is where their worm never dies and the fire cannot be put out. 47 If your eye is the reason you fall into sin, take it out. It is better to go into the holy nation of God with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. 48 There is where their worm never dies and the fire is never put out.
49 “Everyone will be made cleaner and stronger with fire. 50 Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can it be made to taste like salt again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other.”
Eliphaz Keeps On Talking
5 “Call now. Is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn? 2 To be bitter kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the child-like. 3 I have seen the fool taking root, but right away his house was cursed. 4 His sons are far from being safe. They are destroyed in the gate, and there is no one to help them. 5 The hungry eat the food of his field. They take it even out of the thorns. And the thirsty want his riches. 6 For suffering does not come from the dust. Trouble does not grow out of the ground. 7 But man is born to trouble, as fire goes up.
8 “But as for me, I would look to God. I would put my troubles before God. 9 He does great things, too great for us to understand. He does too many wonderful things for us to number. 10 He gives rain on the earth and sends water on the fields. 11 He puts those who are in low places up to high places. Those who are filled with sorrow are lifted to where they are safe. 12 He troubles the plans of those who try to fool people, so that their hands cannot do what they plan. 13 God gets them into a trap when they use their own wisdom. And the plans of the wise are brought to a quick end. 14 They meet with darkness during the day, and feel their way at noon as in the night. 15 But He saves from the sword those in need. He saves the poor from the power of the strong. 16 So those who have no hope, have hope, and what is not right and good must shut its mouth.
17 “See, happy is the man to whom God speaks strong words. So do not hate the strong teaching of the All-powerful. 18 He punishes, but He gives comfort. He hurts, but His hands heal. 19 He will take you out of six troubles. Yes, in seven, nothing will hurt you. 20 He will keep you from death in times of no food, and from the power of the sword in war. 21 You will be hidden from the punishment of the tongue. You will not be afraid of being destroyed when danger comes. 22 You will laugh at danger and times of no food. And you will not be afraid of wild animals. 23 For you will be in agreement with the stones of the field. And the animals of the field will be at peace with you. 24 You will know that your tent is safe. You will look over what you have and see that nothing is gone. 25 You will know also that your children and children’s children will be many. They will be as the grass of the earth. 26 You will come to the grave in full strength, like the grain gathered in when it is time. 27 See, this is what we have found, and it is true. Hear it, and know for yourself.”
9 I am telling the truth because I belong to Christ. The Holy Spirit tells my heart that I am not lying. 2 I have much sorrow. The pain in my heart never leaves. 3 I could even wish that I might be kept from being with Christ if that would help my people to be saved from the punishment of sin. They are of my own flesh and blood. 4 They are Jews and are the people God chose for Himself. He shared His shining-greatness with them and gave them His Law and a way to worship. They have His promises. 5 The early preachers came from this family. Christ Himself was born of flesh from this family and He is over all things. May God be honored and thanked forever. Let it be so.
6 I am not saying that God did not keep His promises. Not all the Jews are people God chose for Himself. 7 Not all of Abraham’s family are children of God. God told Abraham, “Only the family of Isaac will be called your family.”(A) 8 This means that children born to Abraham are not all children of God. Only those that are born because of God’s promise to Abraham are His children. 9 This was the promise God made: “About this time next year I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” (B) 10 Not only this, but there was Rebecca also. Rebecca gave birth to two sons at the same time. Both of them were sons of Isaac. 11 Even before the two sons were born, we see God’s plan of choosing. God could choose whom He wanted. It could not be changed because of anything the older son tried to do about it. It was before either one had done anything good or bad. 12 Rebecca was told, “The older son will work for the younger son.” 13 The Holy Writings say, “I loved Jacob, but hated Esau.” (C)
14 What about it then? Can we say that God is not fair? No, not at all! 15 God said to Moses, “I will have loving-kindness and loving-pity for anyone I want to.” (D) 16 These good things from God are not given to someone because he wants them or works to get them. They are given because of His loving-kindness. 17 The Holy Writings say to Pharaoh, “I made you leader for this reason: I used you to show My power. I used you to make My name known over all the world.” (E) 18 So God has loving-kindness for those He wants to. He makes some have hard hearts if He wants to.
19 But you will ask me, “Why does God blame men for what they do? Who can go against what God wants?” 20 Who are you to talk back to God? A pot being made from clay does not talk to the man making it and say, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 The man making the pots has the right to use the clay as he wants to. He can make two pots from the same piece of clay. One can have an important use. The other one can be of little use. 22 It may be that God wants to show His power and His anger against sin. He waits a long time on some men who are ready to be destroyed. 23 God also wanted to show His shining-greatness to those He has given His loving-kindness. He made them ready for His shining-greatness from the beginning. 24 We are the ones He chose. He did not only choose Jews. He also chose some from among the people who are not Jews. 25 In the Book of Hosea He says, “Those who are not My people, I will call, ‘My people.’ Those who are not loved, I will call, ‘My loved ones.’” (F) 26 “And where it said, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called sons of the living God.” (G) 27 Isaiah says this about the Jews, “Even if there are as many Jews as the sand by the sea, only a few of them will be saved from the punishment of sin. 28 For the Lord will do on earth what He says in His Word. He will work fast when He says what will happen here.” (H) 29 Isaiah said also, “If God had not left some of the Jews, we would have all been destroyed like the people who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.” (I)
30 What are we to say about these things? The people who are not Jews were not made right with God by the Law. They were made right with God because they put their trust in Him. 31 The Jews tried to be right with God by obeying the Law, but they did not become right with God. 32 Why? Because they did not put their trust in God. They tried to be right with God by working for it. They tripped over the most important Stone (Christ). 33 The Holy Writings say, “See! I put in Jerusalem a Stone that people will trip over. It is a Rock that will make them fall. But the person who puts his trust in the Rock (Christ) will not be put to shame.” (J)
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