M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Sun Stands Still
10 King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem eventually heard how Joshua had conquered Ai, utterly destroying it, doing to Ai and its king the same thing that he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were now living among them. 2 So they[a] were terrified, since Gibeon was a large city, comparable to one of the royal cities, was larger than Ai, and all of its men had been warriors.
3 So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. He told them, 4 “Come over and help me, and let’s attack Gibeon, because it made a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelis.” 5 So the five kings of the Amorites—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered their armies together and advanced with all of their armies toward Gideon, camped there, and laid siege to it.
6 The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal: “Don’t abandon your servants. Come quickly, save us, and help us, because all of the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have attacked us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, along with his entire fighting force of mighty warriors with him.
8 The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t fear them, because I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will withstand you.” 9 So after an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua attacked them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw the Amorites[b] into a panic right in front of the army[c] of Israel, which then slaughtered many of them at Gibeon. The Israeli army[d] chased them along the road that goes up to Beth-horon, striking them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 While they were fleeing in front of Israel and descending the slope of Beth-horon, the Lord rained down huge hailstones on them as far as Azekah, and they died. More died because of the hailstones than were killed by the Israelis in battle.[e] 12 Later that day, Joshua spoke to the Lord while the Lord was delivering the Amorites to the Israelis. This is what he said in the presence of Israel:
“Sun, be still over Gibeon!
Moon, stand in place[f] in the Aijalon Valley!”
13 So the sun remained still
and the moon stood in place
until the nation settled their score with their enemies.
This is recorded, is it not, in the book of Jashar?[g]
The sun stood in place
in the middle of the sky
and seemed not to be in a hurry
to set for nearly an entire day.
14 There has never been a day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord was fighting on behalf of Israel.
15 After this, Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal with the entire fighting force of[h] Israel.
Defeat of the Five Kings
16 Meanwhile, the five kings had fled and hidden themselves inside a cave at Makkedah. 17 Joshua was informed, “The five kings have been discovered hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 So Joshua gave an order, “Roll large stones up against the mouth of the cave and assign men to stand guard there, 19 but don’t stay there yourselves. Instead, pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t allow them to enter their cities, because the Lord your God has delivered them into your control.”
20 Now it came about that after Joshua and the Israelis had finished the battle,[i] destroying and scattering their survivors, who retreated into their fortified cities, 21 the entire army returned safely to Joshua’s encampment at Makkedah. No one could speak so much as a single word against any of the Israelis.
22 Then Joshua gave this order: “Unseal the mouth of the cave and bring out these five kings to me from the cave.”
23 So they did. They brought out these five kings to him from within the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 When they had brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel and spoke to the leaders of the men who had gone out to war along with him, “Come close and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks.
25 Joshua told the army,[j] “Don’t fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, because this is how the Lord will treat all of your enemies whom you fight.”
26 After this, Joshua struck those kings[k] down, executing them, and hanged them on five gallows[l] until sunset. 27 When evening had come, Joshua gave a command to remove the bodies[m] from the gallows[n] and bury them in the cave where they had hidden. The army[o] sealed the mouth of the cave with large stones that remain there to this very day.
The Southern Campaign
28 Joshua captured Makkedah that very day, and attacked both it and its king with swords, utterly destroying it along with every person in it, leaving no survivors. He dealt with the king of Makkedah the same way he had dealt with the king of Jericho.
29 Afterward, Joshua and all of Israel passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, where they fought against Libnah. 30 The Lord gave both it and its king into the control of Israel, and Joshua[p] executed both its king[q] and every person in it with swords, leaving no survivors. He dealt with the king the same way he had dealt with the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua and all of Israel passed from Libnah to Lachish, camped near it, and attacked it. 32 The Lord gave Lachish into the control of Israel, and Joshua captured it the next day. He declared war on the city and executed[r] everyone in it, the same way he had treated Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer appeared to help Lachish. So Joshua attacked him and his army, until he left no one remaining. 34 After this, Joshua, accompanied by all of Israel, proceeded from Lachish to Eglon, laid siege to it, and attacked it. 35 They captured it on that day, attacking it in battle. Then Joshua completely destroyed it that day, the same way he had dealt with Lachish.
36 Then Joshua, accompanied by all of Israel, left Eglon for Hebron, where they attacked it, 37 captured it, and executed its inhabitants—its king, all of its cities, and every person in it, leaving no one remaining, the same way he had dealt with Eglon. He completely destroyed it, along with everyone in it.
38 Then Joshua returned, accompanied by the entire fighting force of[s] Israel, to Debir, where they attacked it, 39 captured it, its king, and all of its villages. They executed them, totally destroying it and everyone in it, leaving no one remaining. He dealt with Debir and its king just as he had dealt with Hebron, treating them the same way he had dealt with Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered the entire land, the hill country, the Negev,[t] the Shephelah,[u] and the wilderness highlands, along with all of their kings. He left none of them remaining, but completely destroyed every living person, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 41 Joshua conquered them from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, including the entire territory of Goshen as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua conquered all of these kings and their territories in one campaign, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal, along with the entire fighting force of[v] Israel.
A Davidic Song, when he was in the cave.[a] A prayer.
A Call to God for Help
142 My voice cries out to the Lord;
my voice pleads for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint to him,
telling him all of my troubles.
3 Though my spirit grows faint within me,
you are aware of my path.
Wherever I go,
they have hidden a trap for me.
4 I look to my right[b] and observe—
no one is concerned about me.
There is nowhere I can go for refuge,
and no one cares for me.
5 So I cry to you, Lord,
declaring, “You are my refuge,
my only[c] possession while I am on this earth.”[d]
6 Pay attention to my cry,
for I have been brought very low.
Deliver me from my tormentors,
for they are far too strong for me.
7 Break me out of this prison,
so I can give thanks to your name.
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal generously with me.
A Davidic Song
Longing for God
143 Lord, hear my prayer;
pay attention to my request, because you are faithful;
answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant,
for no living person is righteous in your sight.
3 For those who oppose me are pursuing my life,
crushing me to the ground,
making me sit in darkness
like those who died long ago.
4 As a result, my spirit is desolate within me,
and my mind within me is appalled.
5 I remember the former times,
meditating on everything you have done.
I think about the work[e] of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands toward you,
longing for you like a parched land.
7 Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit is failing.
Do not hide your face from me;
otherwise, I will become like those who descend to the Pit.[f]
8 In the morning let me hear of your gracious love,
for in you I trust.
Cause me to know the way I should take,
because I have set my hope on you.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, Lord.
I have taken refuge in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
preserve my life.
Because you are righteous,
bring me out of trouble.
12 Because of your gracious love,
you will cut off my enemies.
You will destroy all who oppose me,
for I am your servant.
Instructions for True Repentance
4 “Israel, if you return to me,”
declares the Lord,
“Return to me,
remove your detestable idols from my presence,
and don’t waver.
2 If you swear, ‘as surely as the Lord lives,’
in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then nations will be blessed[a] by him,
and in him they will boast.”
3 For this is what the Lord says
to the men[b] of Judah and Jerusalem,
“Break up your unplowed ground,
and don’t sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord
and remove the foreskin of your heart,
you men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem,
or else my wrath will break out like fire
and burn with no one to put it out,
because of your evil deeds.”
Warning of the Coming Disaster
5 Declare in Judah, make known in Jerusalem, by saying,
“Blow the trumpet in the land, cry out, and say,
‘Gather together
and let’s go to the fortified cities!’
6 Raise a standard in the direction of Zion.
Flee! Don’t stand around!
For I’m bringing calamity from the north,
along with great destruction.
7 A lion has gone up from his thicket,
and a destroyer of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to make your land a waste.
Your cities will be ruined,
and without inhabitants.
8 So, put on sackcloth,
mourn and wail,
because the burning anger of the Lord
has not turned away from us.”
9 “On that day,” declares the Lord,
“the courage of the king and the leaders will fail.
The priests will be appalled
and the prophets astounded.”
10 Then I replied, “Ah, Lord God, you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem when you said, ‘You will have peace,’ while the sword is at their[c] throat!”
The Scorching Wind of Judgment
11 At that time, it will be told this people and to Jerusalem, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert is coming[d] toward my people, and it’s not for winnowing or cleansing. 12 A wind too strong for that is coming at my bidding.[e] Now I’m judging them as I speak.”
The People’s Response to Judgment
13 Look, he comes up like clouds,
and his chariots are like a whirlwind.
His horses are as swift as eagles.
Woe to us—we’re destroyed!
14 Jerusalem, wash your evil from your heart
so that you may be delivered.
How long will you harbor
evil schemes within you?
15 For a voice announces from Dan
and declares disaster from Mount Ephraim.
The Lord Speaks
16 “Tell the nations, ‘Here they come!’[f]
Proclaim to Jerusalem,
‘The besieging forces are coming from a distant land.
They cry out[g] against the cities of Judah.
17 They have surrounded her like those guarding a field
because they have rebelled against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your lifestyles and your actions
have brought these things on you.
This is your calamity—it is indeed bitter,
for it has reached your heart!”
Jeremiah’s Lament for His People
19 “My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain.
Oh, the aching[h] of my heart!
My heart pounds within me;
I cannot keep silent.
For I hear the sound of the trumpet,[i]
the alarm for war.
20 Disaster upon disaster is proclaimed,
for the entire land is devastated.
Suddenly, my tent is destroyed,
in a moment my curtains.
21 How long will I see the battle standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
The Lord’s Complaint about His People
22 “For my people are foolish,
they don’t know me.
They’re stupid children,
they have no understanding.
They’re skilled at doing evil,
but how to do good, they don’t know.”
A Vision of Chaos
23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void,[j]
at the heavens, and there was no light there.
24 I looked at the mountains; they were quaking,
and all the hills moved back and forth.
25 I looked, and no people were there.
All the birds of the sky had gone.
26 I looked, and the fruitful land[k] had become a desert.
All its towns were broken down
because of the Lord,
because of his burning anger.
27 For this is what the Lord says:
“The entire land will be devastated,
but I won’t completely destroy[l] it.
28 Because of this, the land will mourn,
and the heavens above will be dark.
Because I have spoken and decided,
I won’t turn back from doing it.”
A Lament for Zion
29 At the sound of the horseman and the archer
the entire city flees.
Its residents go into the thickets and climb among the rocks.
Every city is abandoned, and no one lives in them.
30 You are ruined! What are you doing
dressing in scarlet,
putting on golden ornaments,
and highlighting your eyes with makeup?
You are making yourself beautiful in vain.
Your lovers reject you—
they’re out to kill you.
31 I heard a cry like that of a woman in labor,
anguish like one giving birth to her firstborn,
the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for air,
stretching out her hand:
“Woe is me! I’m about to faint in front of killers!”
True Greatness(A)
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom from[a] heaven?”
2 Calling a little child forward, he had him stand among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell all of you[b] with certainty, unless you change[c] and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom from[d] heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom from[e] heaven, 5 and whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me.”
Causing Others to Sin(B)
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea. 7 How terrible it will be for the world due to its temptations to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin!
8 “So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell[f] fire.
10 “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you, their angels in heaven always have access to my Father in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man came to save the lost.”[g]
The Parable about the Faithful Shepherd(C)
12 “What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays, he leaves the 99 in the hills and goes to look for the one that has strayed, doesn’t he? 13 If he finds it, I tell all of you[h] with certainty that he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that haven’t strayed. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your[i] Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”
Dealing with a Brother who Sins(D)
15 “If your brother sins against you,[j] go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two others with you so that ‘every word may be confirmed by the testimony[k] of two or three witnesses.’[l] 17 If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation.[m] If he also ignores the congregation,[n] regard him as an unbeliever[o] and a tax collector.
18 “I tell all of you[p] with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited[q] in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted[r] in heaven. 19 Furthermore, I tell all of you[s] with certainty that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven, 20 because where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”
The Parable about an Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came up and asked him, “Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? Seven times?”
22 Jesus told him, “I tell you, not just seven times, but 77 times![t] 23 “That is why the kingdom from[u] heaven may be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he had begun to settle the accounts, a person who owed him 10,000 talents[v] was brought to him. 25 Because he couldn’t pay, his master ordered him, his wife, his children, and everything that he owned to be sold so that payment could be made. 26 Then the servant fell down and bowed low before him, saying, ‘Be patient[w] with me, and I will repay you everything!’ 27 The master of that servant had compassion and released him, canceling his debt.
28 “But when that servant went away, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[x] He grabbed him, seized him by the throat, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29 Then his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me and I will repay you!’ 30 But he refused and had him thrown into prison until he could repay the debt.
31 “When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were very disturbed and went and reported to their master everything that had occurred. 32 Then his master sent for him and told him, ‘You evil servant! I canceled that entire debt for you because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers until he could repay the entire debt. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive your brother from your hearts.”
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.