M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Census and Plague
21 Then satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel. 2 So David told Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan. Then bring me a report so I may know their number.”
3 But Joab said, “May Adonai multiply His people 100 times over! But my master the king, are they not all my master’s servants? Why does my master require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” 4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and finally came back to Jerusalem.
5 Joab gave the number of the census of the people to David: in all Israel there were 1,100,000 sword-wielding men; Judah had 470,000 sword-wielding men. 6 But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king’s word was detestable to Joab. 7 But God was displeased with this thing and He struck Israel.
8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. But now, I entreat you, take away the guilt of Your servant for I have behaved very foolishly.”
9 Then Adonai spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying: 10 “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says Adonai, “I offer you three things; choose one of them and I will bring it upon you.”’”
11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Thus says Adonai: ‘Select for yourself 12 either three years of famine, or three months being swept away from before your adversaries and the sword of your enemies overtaking you or three days of the sword of Adonai, pestilence in the land and the angel of Adonai ravaging throughout all the territories of Israel. Now, consider what I should reply to the one who sent me.’”
13 David said to Gad, “I am in a great anguish! Let me fall into the hand of Adonai for His compassion is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
14 So Adonai sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel fell. 15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but while he was doing so, Adonai saw and was grieved over the calamity. He said to the destroying angel, “Enough! Now withdraw your hand!”
The angel of Adonai was then standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16 David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of Adonai standing between the earth and the heaven with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded to count the people? I alone am the one who sinned and behaved wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand, Adonai my God, be against me and against my father’s house, but do not let the plague be on Your people.”
18 So the angel of Adonai told Gad to instruct David that David should go up and build an altar to Adonai on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up by the word of Gad, which he spoke in the Name of Adonai. 20 While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel. His four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 When David came to Ornan, Ornan looked up and saw David. He went out from the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan: “Give me the site of this threshing floor that I may build an altar to Adonai. Sell it to me for full price, so the plague on the people may be stopped.”
23 Then Ornan said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever seems good in his eyes. Look, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”
24 King David said to Ornan, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. For I will not take for Adonai what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that cost me nothing.”
25 So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the place. 26 David built there an altar to Adonai and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called on Adonai and He answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then Adonai commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.
28 At that time, when David saw that Adonai had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29 For the Tabernacle of Adonai, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon. 30 But David could not go before it to seek God for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of Adonai.
Living Stones
2 So get rid of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all lashon ha-ra. 2 As newborn babes, long for pure spiritual milk,[a] so that by it you may grow toward salvation— 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. [b] 4 As you come to Him, a living stone[c] rejected by men but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house—a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua. 6 For it says in Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone,
a chosen, precious cornerstone.
Whoever trusts in Him
will never be put to shame.”[d]
7 Now the value is for you who keep trusting; but for those who do not trust,
“The stone which the builders rejected—
this One has become the chief cornerstone,”[e]
8 and
“a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”[f]
They stumble because they are disobeying the word—to this they were also appointed. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.[g]
10 Once you were “not a people,”
but now you are “God’s people.”
You were shown “no mercy,”
but now you have been shown “mercy.”[h]
11 Loved ones, I urge you as strangers and sojourners to keep away from the fleshly cravings that war against the soul. 12 Keep your conduct honorable among the Gentiles. Then while they speak against you as evildoers, they may—from noticing your good deeds—glorify God in the day of visitation.
Respect and Order
13 For the Lord’s sake, submit yourselves to every human authority—whether to a king as supreme, 14 or to governors sent by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is God’s will, that you silence the ignorance of foolish men by doing good. 16 Live as free people, but not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Rather, live as God’s slaves. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 Slaves, with all respect submit yourselves to your masters—not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For this finds favor if, for the sake of conscience toward God, someone endures grief from suffering undeservedly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and get a beating, you endure? But if you endure when you do good and suffer for it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you were called to this, because Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in His footsteps:
22 “He committed no sin,
nor was any deceit found in His mouth.”[i]
23 When He was abused, He did not return the abuse.[j] While suffering, He made no threats. Instead, He kept entrusting Himself to the One who judges righteously. 24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, removed from sins, might live for righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.”[k]
25 For you like sheep were going astray,[l]
but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Jonah’s Displeasure at God’s Mercy
4 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he resented it. 2 So he prayed to Adonai and said, “Please, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my own country? That’s what I anticipated, fleeing to Tarshish—for I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and full of kindness, and relenting over calamity. 3 So please, Adonai, take my soul from me—because better is my death than my life.”
4 Yet Adonai said, “Is it good for you to be so angry?”
5 So Jonah went out from the city and sat east of the city. There He made a sukkah and he sat under it, in the shade, until he saw what would happen in the city. 6 Then Adonai God prepared a plant and it grew up over Jonah, to give shade over his head to spare him from his discomfort. So Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But God at dawn the next day prepared a worm that crippled the plant and it withered away. 8 When the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint. So he implored that his soul would die, saying, “My death would be better than my life!”
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it good for you to be so angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said, “I am angry enough to die!”
10 But Adonai said, “You have pity on the plant for which you did no labor or make it grow, that appeared overnight and perished overnight. So shouldn’t I have pity on Nineveh—the great city that has in it more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left—as well as many animals?”
Sending Out the Twelve
9 Now when Yeshua called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no travel bag, no bread, no money, nor even to have two shirts. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and depart from there. 5 And whoever does not receive you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a witness against them.” 6 So they went out and began traveling throughout the villages, proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard all that was happening. He was very confused, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 but others that Elijah had appeared, and others that some prophet from among the ancients had arisen. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.
A Hungry Crowd in a Desolate Place
10 When the emissaries returned, they described to Yeshua all they had done. Then He took them along and withdrew privately to a city named Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out and followed Him. So Yeshua welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those in need of healing.
12 Now the day began to wind down, and the twelve came and said to Yeshua, “Send the crowd away, so they might go into the nearby villages and countryside and find food and lodging; for we are in a desolate place here.”
13 But Yeshua said to them, “You give them something to eat!”
But they said, “We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish, unless we go to buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men.
Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Have the people recline in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so, and all reclined. 16 And He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, He offered the bracha and broke them. And He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 Then they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of the fragments.
Secrets Revealed to the Disciples Alone
18 Once when Yeshua was praying alone and His disciples were near, He put a question to them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 They replied, “John the Immerser, but others Elijah, and others that some prophet from among the ancients has arisen.”
20 Then He said to them, “But who do you that say I am?”
Then Peter answered and said, “The Messiah of God.”
21 But Yeshua warned them, and He ordered them not to tell this to anyone, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
23 Then Yeshua was saying to everyone, “If anyone wants to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25 “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. [a] 27 But I tell you truthfully, there are some standing here who will never taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Glorified on a Mountain
28 About eight days after these teachings, Yeshua took Peter, John, and Jacob with Him and went up the mountain to pray. 29 While He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothing flashed like white lightning. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah. 31 Appearing in glory, they were speaking of Yeshua’s departure, which was about to take place in Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and those with him were overcome with sleep. But when they awakened, they saw Yeshua’s glory and the two men standing with Him. 33 And as they were leaving Yeshua, Peter said to Him, “Master, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s make three sukkot: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying.
34 While he was yet saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the One I have chosen. Listen to Him!” [b] 36 And after the voice happened, Yeshua was found alone. They kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
Coming Down from the Mountaintop
37 On the next day as they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Yeshua. 38 Suddenly a man from the crowd shouted out loudly, saying, “Teacher, I’m begging You to look at my son, for he’s my only child! 39 You see, a spirit takes hold of him, and he immediately screams. It throws him into convulsions with frothing. It hardly ever leaves him—it’s crushing him! 40 I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”
41 Then answering, Yeshua said, “O faithless and twisted generation,[c] how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 And while the boy was still approaching Yeshua, the demon knocked him down to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Yeshua rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and restored him to his father. 43 And all were amazed at the mighty power of God. But as everyone was marveling at all He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “Put these words into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this statement; it was yet concealed from them so they could not grasp it. And they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
46 Now a dispute began between the disciples as to who might be the greatest among them. 47 But Yeshua, knowing the reasoning of their heart, took a child and set him by His side. 48 He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in My name, welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the One who sent Me. The one who is the least among all of you is the one who is great.”
49 John replied, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he doesn’t follow along with us.”
50 Yeshua said to him, “Do not stop him, for he who is not against you is for you.”
Samaria Turns Yeshua Away
51 When the days were approaching for Him to be taken up, Yeshua was determined to go up to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers before Him, and they went and entered a Samaritan village to make His arrangements. 53 But they did not receive Him, because He was focused on going up to Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples Jacob and John saw this, they said, “Master, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them[d]?” 55 But Yeshua turned and rebuked them.[e]
56 Then they moved on to another village. 57 As they were traveling on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 But Yeshua said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 He said to another, “Follow Me.”
But that one said, “First let me go and bury my father.”
60 But Yeshua said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Then another also said, “I will follow You, Master, but first let me say goodbye to those in my home.”
62 But Yeshua said to him, “No one who has put his hand to the plow and looked back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.