M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
A Decision Is Made About the Tribe of Benjamin
21 The men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” 2 And the people of Bethel came and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted their voices and wept bitterly.[a] 3 And they said, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has it happened today in Israel that one tribe is lacking from Israel?” 4 On the next day the people rose early, and they built there an altar and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. 5 And the Israelites[b] said, “Who in the assembly has not come up from all the tribes of Israel to Yahweh?” For a solemn oath was taken concerning whoever did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah, saying, “He will certainly be put to death.” 6 But the Israelites[c] had compassion for Benjamin, their relatives,[d] and they said, “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel. 7 What will we do for them—for the ones being left over—for wives? For we have sworn by Yahweh not to give to them our daughters as wives.”
8 They asked, “Which one is there from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” And behold, no one came from Jabesh-gilead to the camp, to the assembly. 9 The people were counted, and no one was there from the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead. 10 And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men from the troops, and they commanded them, saying, “Go, strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword,[e] and the women and children. 11 This is the thing you will do: you will destroy[f] every man and every woman who had sex with a man.”[g] 12 And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins[h] who had not had sex with a man,[i] and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the congregation sent and spoke all this to the descendants[j] of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they assured them they would not be hurt.[k] 14 And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave to them the women whom they kept alive from Jabesh-gilead; but they were not enough for them.
15 And the people felt sorry for Benjamin because Yahweh weakened the tribes of Israel.[l] 16 So the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do for the remaining ones for wives, since the women from Benjamin have been destroyed?” 17 And they said, “There must be a remnant for Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel. 18 But we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” (For the Israelites[m] swore, saying, “Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.”) 19 And they said, “Look, the annual feast of Yahweh is in Shiloh, which is to the north of Bethel, east[n] of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah. 20 They instructed the descendants[o] of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in ambush in the vineyards, 21 and watch and look; when the daughters of Shiloh dance in the dances, come out from the vineyards and seize for yourselves a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And if their fathers or their brothers complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Allow us to have them, because we did not capture a wife for each man in the battle, and because you did not give them to them, or else[p] you would have been guilty.’” 23 The descendants[q] of Benjamin did likewise, and they took wives for each of them from the dancers whom they seized, and they went and returned to their territory, and they rebuilt the cities and they lived in them. 24 So the Israelites[r] dispersed from there at that time according to tribe and family; and they went out from there, each one to their own territory. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel; each one did what was right in his own eyes.
Paul Appeals to Caesar
25 Now when[a] Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him, 3 asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, because they[b] were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way. 4 Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself was about to go there[c] in a short time. 5 So he said, “Let those among you who are prominent go down with me,[d] and[e] if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 And after he[f] had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat and[g] gave orders for Paul to be brought. 7 And when[h] he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges that they were not able to prove, 8 while[i] Paul said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!” 9 But Festus, because he[j] wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered and[k] said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these things?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. 11 If then I am doing wrong[l] and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid[m] dying. But if there is nothing true of the things which these people are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 Then Festus, after[n] discussing this[o] with his[p] council, replied, “You have appealed to Caesar—to Caesar you will go!”
Festus Asks King Agrippa for Advice
13 Now after[q] some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. 14 And while they were staying there many days, Festus laid out the case against Paul to the king, saying, “There is a certain man left behind by Felix as a prisoner, 15 concerning whom when[r] I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented evidence, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 To them[s] I replied that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before the one who had been accused met his[t] accusers face to face and received an opportunity for a defense concerning the accusation. 17 Therefore, when[u] they had assembled here, I made[v] no delay; on the next day I sat down on the judgment seat and[w] gave orders for the man to be brought. 18 When they[x] stood up, his[y] accusers began bringing[z] no charge concerning him[aa] of the evil deeds that I was suspecting, 19 but they had some issues with him concerning their own religion, and concerning a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive. 20 And because[ab] I was at a loss with regard to the investigation concerning these things, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and to be judged there concerning these things. 21 But when[ac] Paul appealed that he be kept under guard for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I gave orders for him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 So Agrippa said to Festus, “I want to hear the man myself also.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
23 So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pageantry and entered into the audience hall, along with military tribunes and the most prominent men of the city. And when[ad] Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole population of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he must not live any longer. 25 But I understood that he had done nothing deserving death himself, and when[ae] this man appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him.[af] 26 I do not have anything definite to write to my[ag] lord about him.[ah] Therefore I have brought him before you all[ai]—and especially before you, King Agrippa—so that after[aj] this preliminary hearing has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to indicate the charges against him.”
The Faithfulness of the Rechabites
35 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, saying,[a] 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak with them, and bring them to the house of Yahweh into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” 3 So I took Jaazaniah, the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers, and all his sons, and the whole of the house of the Rechabites, 4 and I brought them to the house of Yahweh, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was beside the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah, the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
5 Then I set[b] before[c] the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” 6 But they answered, “We will not drink wine, for Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our ancestor,[d] commanded us, saying,[e] ‘You shall not drink wine, you or your children, forever.[f] 7 And you shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed, and you shall not plant a vineyard, and it shall not be for you, but in tents you shall live all your days, so that you may live many days on the surface of the land where you are dwelling as aliens.’ 8 And we obeyed the voice of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our ancestor,[g] in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 and not to build houses for our living, and there is not vineyard, or field, or seed for us. 10 But we have lived in tents, and we have obeyed, and we have done all that Jehonadab, our ancestor,[h] commanded us. 11 But then[i] at the coming up against the land of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, then we said, ‘Come and let us go to Jerusalem before[j] the army of the Chaldeans, and before[k] the army of the Arameans.’[l] That is why we are living in Jerusalem.”
12 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,[m] 13 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Go and say to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Can you not learn a lesson to listen to my words?” declares[n] Yahweh. 14 “The words of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, that he commanded his descendants[o] to not drink, have been carried out, and they have not drunk until this day, for they have obeyed the command of their ancestor.[p] But I have spoken to you over and over again,[q] and you have not listened to me. 15 And I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, I have sent them over and over again,[r] saying,[s] ‘Turn back please each one from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and you must not go after other gods to serve them, so that you may live[t] on the land that I gave to you and to your ancestors.’[u] But you did not incline your ear and you did not listen to me. 16 For the descendants[v] of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, have carried out the command of their ancestor[w] that he commanded them, but this people did not listen to me.”
17 Therefore[x] thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Look, I am going to bring to Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem every disaster that I have spoken against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, and I have called to them and they have not answered.”’” 18 But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have listened to the command of Jonadab your ancestor,[y] and you have kept all his commands, and you have done all that he commanded you,’ 19 therefore[z] thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘A man will not be cut off for Jonadab, the son of Rechab, to stand before me[aa] always.’”[ab]
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
A Shiggaion[a] of David which he sang to Yahweh
on account of Cush, a Benjaminite.[b]
7 O Yahweh, my God, in you I have taken refuge.
Save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me.
2 Or else he will tear me apart like a lion,
ripping to pieces, with none to deliver.
3 O Yahweh, my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my ally[c] with harm,
or if I have plundered my enemy without cause,
5 let the enemy of my soul pursue,
and overtake and trample my life into the ground,
and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6 Rise up, O Yahweh, in your anger,
and lift yourself up against the wrath[d] of my oppressors,
and awake for me,
since you have commanded judgment.
7 And let the assembly of peoples surround you,
and over it return on high.
8 Yahweh judges the nations.
O Yahweh, vindicate me
according to my innocence[e] and according to my integrity within me.
9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous,
and test the hearts and innermost being, O righteous God.
10 My shield is with God
who saves the upright of heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and a God who has indignation every day.
12 If he[f] does not repent, he[g] will sharpen his sword.
He has bent his bow and he has strung[h] it.
13 And he has prepared for him weapons of death.
He has made his arrows fiery shafts.
14 See, he[i] travails with[j] evil.
He is pregnant with trouble,
and he gives birth to deception.
15 He makes a pit and digs it out,
then falls in the trap he has made.
16 His trouble comes back on his head,
and his violence comes down on his skull.
17 I will thank Yahweh according to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of Yahweh, the Most High.
Yahweh’s Glory in Creation
For the music director, on the Gittith.[k] A psalm of David.[l]
8 Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,
who put your splendor above the heavens.
2 From the mouth of children and infants you have founded[m] strength
on account of your enemies,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
4 what is a human being that you think of him?
and a child of humankind that you care for him?
5 And you made him a little lower than heavenly beings,[n]
and with glory and with majesty you crowned him.
6 You make him over the works of your hands;
all things you have placed under his feet:
7 sheep and cattle, all of them,
and also the wild animals of the field,
8 the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,
everything that passes along the paths of seas.
9 Yahweh, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all of the earth!
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