M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jephthah’s Dialogue with the Ammonites
12 Afterwards, Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to ask him, “What’s your dispute between us that prompted you to come and attack my land?”
13 The king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, “We’re here[a] because Israel took away my land from the Arnon River as far as the Jabbok River and as far as the Jordan River when they came up from Egypt! So restore it as a gesture of good will.”[b]
14 But Jephthah sent additional messengers again to the king of the Ammonites 15 and they informed him, “This is Jephthah’s response:
‘Israel didn’t seize the land of Moab nor the land of the Ammonites. 16 Here’s what happened:[c] When Israel came up from Egypt, passed through the desert to the Red[d] Sea, and arrived at Kadesh, 17 Israel sent a delegation to the king of Edom and asked him, “Please let us pass through your territory.”
‘But the king of Edom wouldn’t listen. So they also sent word to the king of Moab, but he wouldn’t consent, either. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 18 Then they went through the desert, circumventing the territory belonging to Edom and Moab. They encamped on the other side of the Arnon River, but never entered the territory of Moab because the Arnon River is the border of Moab.
19 ‘Then Israel sent a delegation to Sihon, king of the Amorites and king of Heshbon. Israel requested of him, “Please let us pass through your territory to our place.” 20 But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his territory, so he assembled his entire army, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his entire army into the control of Israel, and defeated them. As a result, Israel took control over the entire land of the Amorites, who were living in that country. 22 They took possession of the entire territory of the Amorites from the Arnon River as far as the Jabbok River and from the desert as far as the Jordan River.
23 ‘Now then, since the Lord God of Israel expelled the Amorites right in front of his people Israel, are you going to control their territory? 24 Don’t you control what your god Chemosh gives you? In the same way, we’ll take control of whomever the Lord our God has driven out in front of us. 25 Also ask yourselves:[e] do you have a better case[f] than Zippor’s son Balak, king of Moab? Did he ever have a quarrel with Israel or ever win a[g] fight against them? 26 When Israel was living in Heshbon and its surrounding villages, in Aroer and its surrounding villages, and in all the cities that line the banks of the Arnon River these past three hundred years, why didn’t you retake them during that time? 27 I haven’t sinned against you, but you are acting wrongly against me by declaring war on me. May the Lord, the Judge, sit in judgment today between the Israelis and the Ammonites.’”
28 But the king of the Ammonites wouldn’t heed the message that Jephthah had sent to him.
Jephthah’s Vow
29 The Spirit of the Lord came[h] on Jephthah, so he swept through Gilead and the territory of[i] Manasseh, then swept through Mizpah in Gilead, and from Mizpah in Gilead he proceeded toward where the Ammonites were encamped. 30 Jephthah made this solemn vow to the Lord: “If you truly give the Ammonites into my control, 31 then if I return from the Ammonites without incident,[j] whatever comes[k] out the doors of my house to meet me will become the Lord’s, and I will offer it[l] up as a burnt offering.”
32 Then Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites and attacked them. The Lord gave them into his control. 33 He attacked them from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith—twenty cities in all[m]—even as far as Abel-keramim. As a result, the Ammonites were subdued right in front of the Israelis. 34 When Jephthah arrived at his home in Mizpah—surprise!—it was his daughter who came out to meet him, playing tambourines and dancing. She was his one and only child. Except for her, he had no other son or daughter. 35 When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and cried out, “Oh no! My daughter! You have terribly burdened me! You’ve joined those who are causing me trouble, because I’ve given my word[n] to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it.[o]
36 She told him, “My father, you have given your word[p] to the Lord. Do to me according to what has come out of your own mouth, considering that the Lord has paid back your enemies, the Ammonites.” 37 Then she continued talking with her father, “Do this for me: leave me alone by myself for two months. I’ll go up to the mountains and cry there because I’ll never marry.[q] My friends and I will go.”[r]
38 So he said, “Go!” He sent her away for two months. She left with her friends and cried there on the mountains because she would never marry.[s] 39 Later, after the two months were concluded, she returned to her father, and he fulfilled what he had solemnly vowed—and she never married.[t] That’s how the custom arose in Israel 40 that for four days out of every year the Israeli women would go to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite in commemoration.
Controversy about the Law
15 Then some men came down from Judea and started to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the Law of Moses, you can’t be saved.” 2 Paul and Barnabas had quite a dispute and argument with them. So Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They were sent on their way by the church, and as they were going through Phoenicia and Samaria they told of the conversion of the gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done through them. 5 But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The gentiles[a] must be circumcised and ordered to keep the Law of Moses.”
6 So the apostles and the elders met to look into this claim. 7 After a lengthy debate, Peter stood up and told them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days, God chose me to be the one among you through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows everyone’s heart, showed them he approved by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between them and us, because of their faith-cleansed hearts. 10 So why do you test God by putting on the disciples’ neck a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we could carry? 11 We certainly believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[b] that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole crowd was silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul tell about all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the gentiles. 13 After Paul and Barnabas[c] had finished speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me: 14 Simeon[d] has explained how God first showed his concern for the gentiles by taking from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,
16 ‘“After this, I will come back
and set up David’s fallen tent again.
I will restore its ruined places
and set it up again
17 so that the rest of the people may search for the Lord,
including all the gentiles who are called by my name,’
declares the Lord.[e]
‘He is the one who has been doing these things
18 that have been known from long ago.’[f]
19 “Therefore, I have decided that we should not trouble these gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write to them to keep away from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from anything strangled,[g] and from blood.[h] 21 After all, Moses has had people to proclaim him in every city for generations, and on every Sabbath his books are[i] read aloud in the synagogues.”
The Reply of the Church
22 Then the apostles, the elders, and the whole church decided to choose some of their men to send with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. These were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, who were leaders among the brothers. 23 They wrote this letter for them to deliver:[j]
“From:[k] The apostles and the elders, your brothers
To: Their gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.
Greetings. 24 We have heard that some men, coming from us without instructions from us, have said things to trouble you and have unsettled you.[l] 25 So we have unanimously decided to choose men and send them to you with our dear Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.[m] 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas to tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any burden but these essential requirements: 29 to keep away from food sacrificed to idols, from blood,[n] from anything strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you avoid these things, you will do well. Goodbye.”
30 So the men were sent on their way and arrived in Antioch. They gathered the congregation together and delivered the letter. 31 When the people[o] read it, they were pleased with how the letter encouraged them. 32 Then Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, said a lot to encourage and strengthen the brothers. 33 After staying there for some time, they were sent back with a greeting[p] from the brothers to those who had sent them.[q] 35 Both Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch to teach and proclaim the word of the Lord, as did many others.
Paul and Barnabas Disagree
36 A few days later, Paul told Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take along John, who was called Mark, 38 but Paul did not think it was right to take along the man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and who had not gone with them into the work. 39 The disagreement was so sharp that they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, 40 while Paul chose Silas and left after the brothers had entrusted him to the grace of the Lord.[r] 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia and strengthened the churches.
Two Baskets of Figs
24 After Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken Jehoiakim’s son Jeconiah,[a] king of Judah, along with the officials[b] of Judah, the craftsmen, and the smiths from Jerusalem into exile, and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed right in front of the Temple of the Lord. 2 One basket contained very good figs like the first figs that ripen on the tree. The other basket contained very bad figs that were too bad to be eaten. 3 The Lord told me, “What do you see?”
I replied, “Figs. The good figs are very good, and the bad figs are very bad. They’re too bad to be eaten.”
4 Then this message from the Lord came to me: 5 “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I’ll regard as good the exiles of Judah whom I sent from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I’ll look at them with good intentions, and I’ll bring them back to this land. I’ll build them up. I won’t tear them down; I’ll plant them and not rip them up. 7 I’ll give them the ability[c] to know me, for I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God when they return to me with all their heart.
8 “‘Like the bad figs that are too bad to be eaten—for this is what the Lord says—so I’ll give up on Zedekiah king of Judah, along with his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem that is left in this land, and those living in the land of Egypt. 9 I’ll make them into a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth; into a cause for contempt, into a byword, into a taunt, and into a curse in all the places to which I drive them. 10 I’ll send the sword, famine, and plague against them until they’re completely destroyed from the land which I gave them and their ancestors.’”
Teaching about Divorce(A)
10 Then Jesus[a] left that place and went into the territory of Judea on the other side[b] of the Jordan. Crowds gathered around him as usual, and he began to teach them again as was his custom. 2 Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 “What did Moses command you?” he responded.
4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to divorce her.”[c]
5 But Jesus told them, “It was because of your hardness of heart that he wrote this command for you. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God[d] made them male and female.’[e] 7 That’s why ‘a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[f] So they’re no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate.”
10 Back in the house, the disciples asked him about this again. 11 So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman[g] divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Jesus Blesses the Little Children(B)
13 Some people[h] were bringing little children to Jesus[i] to have him touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought[j] them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he became furious and told them, “Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these. 15 I tell all of you[k] with certainty, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16 Then after he had hugged the children,[l] he tenderly blessed them as he laid his hands on them.
A Rich Man Comes to Jesus(C)
17 As Jesus[m] was setting out again,[n] a man ran up to him, knelt down in front of him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Nobody is good except for one—God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Never murder.’[o] ‘Never commit adultery.’[p] ‘Never steal.’[q] ‘Never give false testimony.’[r] ‘Never cheat.’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’”[s]
20 The man[t] replied to him, “Teacher, I have obeyed all of these since I was a young man.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. Then he told him, “You’re missing one thing. Go and sell everything you own, give the money[u] to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.” 22 Shocked at this statement, the man[v] went away sad, because he had many possessions.
Salvation and Reward(D)
23 Then Jesus looked around and told his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were startled by these words, but Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their wealth[w] to get into the kingdom of God! 25 It’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples[x] were utterly amazed and asked one another,[y] “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “For humans it’s impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”
28 Then Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “I tell all of you[z] with certainty, there is no one who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the gospel 30 who will not receive a hundred times as much here in this world—homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with persecution—as well as eternal life in the age to come. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
32 Now Jesus and his disciples[aa] had been on the road going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus walking ahead of them. They were astonished, and the others who followed were afraid.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time(E)
Once again, Jesus[ab] took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “Pay attention! We’re going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and the scribes, and they’ll condemn him to death. Then they’ll hand him over to the unbelievers,[ac] 34 and they’ll make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he’ll be raised.”
The Request of James and John(F)
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus[ad] and told him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.”
36 He asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
37 They asked him, “Let us sit in your glory, one on your right and one on your left.”
38 But Jesus told them, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink from the cup that I’m going to drink from or be baptized with the baptism with which I’m going to be baptized?”
39 They told him, “We can.”
Jesus told them, “You will drink from the cup that I’m going to drink and be baptized with the baptism with which I’m going to be baptized. 40 But it’s not up to me to grant you a seat at my right or my left. Those positions have already been prepared for others.”
41 When the ten other disciples[ae] heard this, they began to be furious with James and John. 42 Jesus called his disciples[af] and told them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers among the unbelievers[ag] lord it over them, and their superiors act like tyrants over them. 43 That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to everyone, 45 because even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus(G)
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus,[ah] his disciples, and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus) was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many people sternly told him to be quiet, but he started shouting even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 So Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!”
So they called the blind man and told him, “Have courage! Get up. He’s calling you.” 50 He threw off his coat, jumped up, and went to Jesus.
51 Then Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man told him, “Rabbouni,[ai] I want to see again.”
52 Jesus told him, “Go. Your faith has made you well.” At once the man[aj] could see again, and he began to follow Jesus[ak] down the road.
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