M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Destruction of Jericho
6 So Nun’s son Joshua called for the priests. “Pick up the Ark of the Covenant,” he told them, “and have seven priests carry seven trumpets made from rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.”
7 He told the army, “Go out and encircle the city. Have the armed men march out in front of the ark of the Lord.”
8 And so, just as Joshua had commanded, seven of the priests went forward, carrying the seven trumpets made of rams’ horns in the Lord’s presence, blowing the trumpets while the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 Armed men preceded the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and a rear guard followed the ark, while the trumpets continued to blow.
10 Joshua issued orders to the army: “You are not to shout or even let your voice be heard. Don’t utter a word until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So the ark of the Lord was taken once around the city, then they went back to camp and spent the night there.[a]
12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests picked up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests who carried the seven trumpets made from rams’ horns preceded the ark of the Lord, blowing their trumpets constantly. The armed men preceded them, and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets continued to blow. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and then went back to camp. They did this for six days. 15 They rose early at dawn on the seventh day and marched around the city seven times, just as they had before, except that on that day only they marched around the city seven times.
16 As they completed the seventh time, after the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua told the army, “Shout, because the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city—along with everything in it—is to be turned over to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone who is with her in her house may live, because she hid the scouts we sent. 18 Now as for you, everything has been turned over for destruction. Don’t covet or take any of these things. Otherwise, you’ll make the camp of Israel itself an object worthy of destruction, and bring trouble on it. 19 But everything made of silver and gold, and vessels made of bronze and iron are set apart to the Lord. They are to go into the treasury of the Lord.”
20 So the army shouted and the trumpets were blown again. As soon as the army heard the sound of the trumpets, they shouted loudly and the wall collapsed. The army charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. 21 They turned over everyone in the city for destruction and executed them,[b] including both men and women, young and old, and oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
22 Joshua told the two men who had scouted the land, “Go into the prostitute’s home and bring her out of it, along with everyone who is with her, just as you promised her.” 23 So the young men who had been scouts went in and brought Rahab out, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and everyone else who was with her. They brought her entire family out and set them outside the camp of Israel. 24 Then the army set fire to the city and to everything in it, except that they reserved the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron for the treasury of the Lord. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, along with her family and everyone who was with her. Her family[c] has lived in Israel ever since, because she hid the scouts whom Joshua sent to observe Jericho.
Joshua Curses the Rebuilding of Jericho
26 Then Joshua made everyone[d] take the following oath at that time. He said:
“Cursed in the presence of the Lord is the man
who restores and rebuilds this city of Jericho!
He will lay its foundation at the cost of[e] his firstborn,
and at the cost of[f] his youngest he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and as a result, Joshua’s[g] reputation spread throughout the land.
Praising God for His Graciousness
135 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord,
2 you who are standing in the Lord’s Temple,
in the courtyards of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord,
because the Lord is good;
Sing to his name,
for he is gracious.
4 It is Jacob whom the Lord chose for himself—
Israel as his personal possession.
5 Indeed, I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord[a] surpasses all gods.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all its[b] deep regions.
7 He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth,
fashioning lightning for the rain,
bringing the wind from his storehouses.
8 It was the Lord[c] who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
9 He sent signs and wonders among you, Egypt,
before[d] Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations,
killing many kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, king of Bashan,
and every kingdom of Canaan—
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.
13 Your name, Lord, exists forever,
and your reputation, Lord, throughout the ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people,
and he will show compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
worked by[e] the hands of human beings.
16 Mouths are attributed to them,
but they cannot speak;
sight is attributed to them,
but they cannot see;
17 ears are attributed to them,
but they do not hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who craft them—
and all[f] who trust in them—
will become like them.
19 House of Israel, bless the Lord!
House of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 House of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who lives in Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
God’s Gracious Love
136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
4 To the one who alone does great and wondrous things,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
5 to the one who by wisdom made the heavens,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
6 to the one who spread out the earth over the waters,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
7 to the one who made the great lights,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
8 the sun to illumine[g] the day,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
9 and the moon and stars to illumine[h] the night,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
10 to the one who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
12 with a strong hand and an active[i] arm,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
13 To the one who split the Reed[j] Sea in two
for his gracious love is everlasting—
14 and made Israel pass through the middle of it,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
15 and cast Pharaoh and his armies into the Reed[k] Sea,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
16 To the one who led his people into the wilderness,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
17 to the one who struck down great kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
18 and killed famous kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
19 including Sihon king of the Amorites,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
20 and Og king of Bashan,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
22 to Israel his servant as a possession,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
23 He it is who remembered us in our lowly circumstances,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
24 and rescued us from our enemies,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
25 He gives food to all creatures,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the God of Heaven,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
The Worship that God Commands
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house[a] that you would build for me,
and where will my resting place be?
2 All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came into being,”
declares the Lord.
“But this is the one to whom I will look favorably:
to the one who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and who[b] trembles at[c] my message.
3 “Whoever slaughters an ox
is just like[d] one who kills a human being;
whoever sacrifices a lamb
is just like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is just like one who offers pig’s blood;
and whoever makes a memorial offering of frankincense
is just like one who blesses an idol.
Yes, these have chosen their own ways,
and they take delight in their contaminated actions.
4 Therefore[e] I, too, will choose harsh treatment for them,
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no[f] one answered;
when I spoke, they didn’t listen;
but they did what I consider to be evil,
and chose what doesn’t please me.”
The Lord Vindicates Zion
5 “Hear this message from the Lord,
you who tremble at his words:[g]
“Your own brothers who hate you
and exclude you because of my name
have said: ‘Let the Lord be glorified;
he will see[h] your joy,’
yet it is they who will be put to shame.
6 “Listen to that uproar in[i] the city!
Listen to that noise from the Temple!
It is the sound of the Lord
paying back retribution to his enemies!
7 “Before she goes into labor she gives birth;
before her pains come upon her
she has delivered[j] a son.
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
And[k] who ever sees[l] such things?
Can a country be born in a single day,
or can a nation be brought forth in a single moment?
Yet no sooner was Zion in labor
than she delivered her children.
9 Am I to open the womb and not deliver?”
asks[m] the Lord.
“And when I bring to delivery, am I to close[n] the womb?”
asks your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be happy for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in gladness,
all you who mourn over her,
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
at her consoling breasts,
and so that you may drink deeply and take delight
from her glorious bosom.”
The Rule of God
12 This[o] is what the Lord says:
“See, I will extend prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
and you will nurse,
and you[p] will be carried on her hip,[q]
and bounced upon her knees.
13 Like a child whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 And when you look, your hearts will rejoice
and your bodies will flourish like grass;
and it will be made known
that the Lord’s hand is with his servants,
but his fury is with his enemies.
15 “Take notice! The Lord will come with fire,
and his chariot[r] will be[s] like a whirlwind,
to pay back his anger—yes, his anger!—[t] in fury,
and his menacing rebukes[u] in flames of fire.
16 For with fire and with his sword the Lord will proceed to judgment[v] on all humanity,[w]
and those slain by the Lord will be many.”
17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves,[x] following the one at the center of those who eat the meat of pigs, disgusting things,[y] and rats, are all alike,”[z] says[aa] the Lord. 18 “But as for me, I know their actions and their thoughts. Come[ab] and gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.
19 “I will put up signs[ac] among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations—to Tarshish, Libya,[ad] and Lydia,[ae] (who draw the bow),[af] to Tubal and Greece,[ag] to the far off coastlands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. Then they will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 They will bring all—yes, all!—[ah] of your kindred from all the nations to[ai] my holy mountain Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots, in wagons, and on mules—yes, even on mules!—[aj] and on camels,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelis bring a grain offering in a clean vessel to the Lord’s house. 21 Then I will also select some of them for myself[ak] as priests and as Levites,”[al] says the Lord.
22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I am about to make
will endure before me,” says the Lord,
“so will your descendants and your name endure.
23 And from New Moon to New Moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,[am]
all[an] humanity will come to worship before me,”
says the Lord.
24 “Then they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of the people who rebelled against me. For their worm will not die, nor will their fire be extinguished, and they will remain an object of revulsion to all[ao] humanity.”
The Death of John the Baptist(A)
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch,[a] hearing about the fame of Jesus, 2 told his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why these miracles are being done by him.” 3 Herod had arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s[b] wife.
4 John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Although Herod[c] wanted to kill him, he was afraid of the crowd, since they regarded John[d] as a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday celebration was held, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests.[e] She pleased Herod 7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked for. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me, right here on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.” 9 Under pressure because of his promises and his assembled guests, the king ordered that it be done. 10 So he sent word[f] and had John beheaded in prison. 11 His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother. 12 When John’s[g] disciples came, they carried off the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds More than Five Thousand People(B)
13 When Jesus heard this, he left that place and went[h] by boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of it and followed him on foot from the neighboring[i] towns. 14 When he got out of the boat,[j] he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them and healed their sick. 15 When evening had come, the disciples went to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and it’s already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
16 But Jesus told them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 They told him, “We don’t have anything here except five loaves of bread and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them[k] to the crowds. 20 All of them ate and were filled. Then the disciples[l] picked up what was left of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 Now those who had eaten were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Sea(C)
22 Jesus[m] immediately had the disciples get into a boat and cross to the other side ahead of him, while he sent the crowds away. 23 After dismissing the crowds, he went up on a hillside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 By this time the boat was in the middle of the sea[n] and was being battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. 25 Shortly before dawn,[o] Jesus[p] came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and cried out, “It’s a ghost!” And they screamed in terror.
27 “Have courage!” Jesus immediately told them. “It’s me. Stop being afraid!”
28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.”
29 Jesus[q] said, “Come on!” So Peter got down out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came[r] to Jesus.
30 But when he noticed the strong[s] wind, he was frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Lord, save me!”
31 At once Jesus reached out his hand, caught him, and asked him, “You who have so little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 As they got into the boat, the wind stopped blowing.
33 Then the men in the boat began to worship Jesus,[t] saying, “You certainly are the Son of God!”
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret(D)
34 They crossed over and came ashore at Gennesaret. 35 When the men of that place recognized Jesus,[u] they sent word[v] throughout that region and brought him everyone who was sick. 36 They kept begging him to let them touch just the tassel of his garment, and everyone who touched it was completely healed.
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