M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
20 When everything was quiet, Paul called the disciples. He talked to them so they would not be afraid. Then he said goodbye and left. He went to Macedonia.
2 He went through that country and talked to the people. He helped them to believe more strongly. Then he went to Greece.
3 He stayed there for three months. When he was ready to go to Syria by boat, he heard that the Jewish leaders were planning to catch him. So he said, `I will go back through Macedonia.'
4 Some men went with him as far as Asia Minor. They were Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, and also Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia Minor.
5 These went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
6 After the days of the Passover Feast, we left Philippi by boat. Five days later we met them in Troas. We stayed there for seven days.
7-8 n the first day of the week the disciples met together to break bread. Paul was ready to leave the next day. He talked a long time to the people at the meeting until long into the night. They were gathered in an upstairs room with many lights.
9 A young man named Eutychus sat in the window. He became very sleepy. When Paul kept talking so long, Eutychus was very deep in sleep and fell down from the third floor. When the people picked him up he was dead.
10 Paul went down stairs. He lay on him and put his arms around him. `Do not fear,' he said. `He is alive.'
11 Then Paul went upstairs again. He broke bread and ate some food. He talked for a long time, until daybreak. After that, he left.
12 The people took the young man. They were very glad because he was alive.
13 We went by boat to the town of Assos. We were going to meet Paul there and take him on the boat. He told us to do that because he wanted to walk.
14 We met him at Assos, took him on the boat, and went to Mitylene.
15 Then we went by boat the next day and came to Chios. The next day we passed the town of Samos. We reached Miletus on the third day.
16 Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus. He did not want to spend time in Asia Minor. He kept going as fast as he could, because he hoped to be at the feast in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
17 He sent a message from Miletus to Ephesus to call the leaders of the church to come to him.
18 When they came, he said, `You know how I have lived all the time that I have been with you. I lived that way from the first day I came into Asia.
19 You know how I have served the Lord without being proud. And I have even cried for you. I served the Lord when I had troubles and when the leaders of the Jews tried to catch me.
20 I have not feared to tell you everything that would help you. I have taught you in meetings and in your homes.
21 I have told both the Jews and the Greeks to stop doing wrong things. I have told them to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 `And now I feel in my spirit that I must go to Jerusalem. I do not know what will happen to me there.
23 But in every city the Holy Spirit tells me I will be put in prison. I will have much trouble.
24 But none of these things trouble me. I do not try to save my life. All I want is to finish what I must do with joy. The work which the Lord Jesus gave me is to tell the good news that God is kind.
25 I know that you all will never see me again. I have told you about God's kingdom.
26 So I tell you today that if any one is lost, it is not my fault.
27 I have not feared to tell you all that God wants you to know.
28 `The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over his people. Watch yourselves. Like one who takes care of his sheep, so you must take care of the church people. They are the Lord's people. He gave his blood for them.
29 I know this, that there are people as bad as wild animals. After I leave you, they will come to you. They will trouble God's people.
30 Also, some men will come from among you. They will teach things that are not true. They want people to follow them.
31 So then, watch and remember this. For three years, through the night and in the day, I told every one of you to be careful. I even cried as I told you.
32 `And now, my brothers, I give you to God. I leave with you his word which brings blessing. That word is able to make you strong. It will give you your share in the good things of God promised by him. He gives these good things to people who are pure and holy.
33 I did not want anyone to give me money or clothes.
34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to pay for the things that I and my friends needed.
35 I have always shown you that you must work hard, as I have. You must help those who cannot work. By so doing you are remembering the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, "It makes you more happy to give something than to get something." '
36 When Paul had said this, he kneeled down and talked to God with them all.
37 They all cried much. They put their arms around his neck and kissed him.
38 They were sad most of all because he had said they would not see him again. And they went with him to the boat.
15 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, leaders, and the scribes talked together. They tied Jesus and took him before Pilate to be judged.
2 Pilate asked him, `Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, `Yes, I am.'
3 The chief priests brought many complaints against Jesus.
4 Then Pilate asked him, `Have you nothing to say? These people are bringing many complaints against you!'
5 But Jesus said nothing. Pilate was very much surprised about this.
6 At the feast Pilate used to let one prisoner free. He let the people choose the man they wanted to go free.
7 In the prison was a man named Barabbas. He had led some people who had been fighting in the city. He had killed a man.
8 The people started shouting. They asked Pilate to let one prisoner free, as he used to do.
9 Then Pilate asked, `Do you want me to let the King of the Jews go free?'
10 He knew that the chief priests did not like Jesus. He knew that was why they brought Jesus to him.
11 But the chief priests talked to the people. They told them to ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free.
12 Pilate asked them, `Then what shall I do with the man whom you call King of the Jews?'
13 They shouted back, `Nail him to a cross!'
14 Pilate then asked, `Why, what wrong thing has he done?' But they shouted even more, `Nail him to a cross!'
15 Pilate wanted to please the people, so he let Barabbas go free. He told the soldiers to beat Jesus and nail him to a cross.
16 The soldiers took Jesus to a room. They called all the soldiers together.
17 They put a red gown on Jesus. They made a big ring of thorns like a crown and put it on his head.
18 Then they began to speak to him as if he were a king. They shouted, `Greetings, King of the Jews!'
19 They hit him on the head with a stick and spat on him. They kneeled down before him as if to give him great respect.
20 When they had made fun of him, they took off the red gown and put his own clothes on him again. Then they took Jesus out of the city to nail him to a cross.
21 man was coming in from the farms. His name was Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. Alexander and Rufus were his sons. The soldiers caught Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross.
22 They took Jesus to Golgotha. That means the place of a head bone.
23 They wanted Jesus to drink wine mixed with something bitter. But Jesus would not drink it.
24 Then they nailed him to a cross. They gambled to see how they should divide Jesus' clothes.
25 It was nine o'clock in the morning when they nailed him on the cross.
26 They put the complaint they had against him above Jesus' head. It was, `The King of the Jews.'
27 They also nailed two bad men on crosses there. One was put on the right side of Jesus and one was put on the left side of Jesus.
28 The holy writings say, `He was counted as one of the bad people.' It came true.
29 The people who passed by said wrong things about him. They shook their heads and said, `Ha, ha! You are the man who said you could break down the temple and build it again in three days.
30 Save yourself and come down from the cross.'
31 The chief priests and the scribes also made fun of him. `He saved other people, but he cannot save himself!
32 If he is the Christ, the king of the people of Israel, he should come down from the cross now. We want to see it and believe!' The bad men who were also nailed to crosses said the same things to him.
33 About midday the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.
34 About three o'clock, Jesus called out loud, `Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' That means, `My God, my God, why have you left me alone?'
35 Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said, `Listen, he is calling for Elijah!'
36 One man ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink. He said, `We will see if Elijah will come and take him down!'
37 Then Jesus called out loud. Then he died.
38 The big cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom.
39 The captain who stood in front of Jesus saw that he died. He said, `Surely, this man was God's Son.'
40 Some women were watching from far away. Among these women were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome.
41 When Jesus was in Galilee, they came with him and helped him. Some other women who had come to Jerusalem with Jesus were also watching.
42 It was now evening of the day before the Sabbath.
43 Joseph of Arimathaea was a member of the court. He was a good man. He also was looking for the kingdom of God. He was not afraid, but went to Pilate and asked him for Jesus' body.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was dead already. He called the captain and asked him if Jesus was dead.
45 The captain told him that he was. Then Pilate let Joseph take the body.
46 Joseph went to buy some cloth. Then he took Jesus down and wrapped him in the cloth. He laid him in a grave that had been cut in a rock. Then he rolled a very big stone to close the grave.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where they laid Jesus.
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