M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
20 The kingdom of heaven is like this. A man owned a farm. Early in the morning he went out to look for men to work on his farm.
2 He agreed to pay them a day's wages and sent them out to his farm.
3 `About nine o'clock he went out again. He saw some men standing around at the market. They were not working.
4 He said to them, "You go out to work on the farm too. I will pay you what is right." And they went to work.
5 `The man went out again at twelve o'clock and at three o'clock. He did the same as he had done before.
6 `About five o'clock he went out again and found other men standing around. He said to them, "Why have you been standing here all day? Why are you not working?"
7 They said, "No man has asked us to work." So he said to them, "You go out to work on the farm too."
8 `When evening came, the man who owned the farm said to his manager, "Call the workmen and pay them. Begin with those who came last and end with those who came first."
9 Each of the men who started work at five o'clock was paid a day's wages.
10 Those who started work first thought they would get more than that. But they also were paid a day's wages.
11 They took it, but they were angry and talked against the man who owned the farm.
12 `They said, "These men came last, and worked only one hour. Yet you paid them the same as you paid us. We worked all day, when the sun was hot."
13 `But he said to one of them, "My friend, I am not doing any wrong to you. You agreed that I should pay you a day's wages. Did you not?
14 Take your money and go. I want to give the last man the same pay as I gave you.
15 It is my own money. Can I not do with it as I like? Do you think it is a wrong thing for me to be kind?"
16 `In the same way, people who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.'
17 On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples with him, away from the people.
18 He said to them, `We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and scribes. They will judge him and say he must die.
19 They will give him over to rulers who are not Jews. They will make fun of him. They will beat him and nail him to a cross. On the third day, he will be raised.'
20 Then Zebedee's wife came with her sons to Jesus. She bowed down in front of him and asked him to do something for her.
21 Jesus asked, `What do you want me to do for you?' The woman said, `These are my two sons. Promise that in your kingdom one may sit at your right and the other at your left.'
22 But Jesus said, `You do not know what you are asking for. Can you drink from the cup that I will drink?' `Yes,' they said. `We can.'
23 Then Jesus said to them, `You will drink what I drink. But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or at my left. My Father has planned who will sit there.'
24 When the other ten disciples heard about it, they were angry with the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to him and said, `You know that those who rule over countries make their people obey them. The great men will tell the others what to do.
26 But that is not the way it is among you. Anyone among you who wants to be great will help the others.
27 Anyone among you who wants to be first will be a servant to the others.
28 The Son of Man did not come to have others help him. But he came to help others. He came to give his life to make many people free.'
29 As Jesus and the disciples left the city of Jericho, many people followed him.
30 Two blind men were sitting by the road. They heard that Jesus was passing that way. So they shouted, `Sir, you are the Son of David. Help us!'
31 The people said to them, `Be quiet!' But they shouted louder, `Sir, Son of David! Help us!'
32 Jesus stopped and called the men to him. He asked, `What do you want me to do for you?'
33 They said, `Sir, we want to see.'
34 Jesus was very sorry for them as he shared in their suffering. He touched their eyes, and right then they were able to see. They went with him.
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.
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