M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Israelites Cross the Jordan
3 Joshua rose early in the morning, and they set out from Acacia Grove.[a] And they came up to the Jordan, he and all the Israelites,[b] and they spent the night there before they crossed over. 2 At the end of the three days the officers passed through the midst of the camp, 3 and they commanded the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God you must set out from your place and go after it. 4 But there will be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits in measurement.[c] Do not come near it, so that you may know the way that you must go, for you have not passed on this way before.”[d] 5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, because tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders in your midst.” 6 And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.”[e] And they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.[f]
7 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will begin exalting you in the sight[g] of all Israel, that they may know that I was with Moses, and I will be with you. 8 You will command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘At the moment that you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you will stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 And Joshua said to the Israelites,[h] “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.” 10 Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is in your midst, and he will certainly drive out the Canaanites from before you,[i] and the Hittites, Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth[j] is about to cross over ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 So then, take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.[k] 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh, Lord of all the earth,[l] rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off upstream,[m] and they will stand still in one heap.
14 And it happened, when the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were ahead of the people.[n] 15 When those carrying the ark came up to the Jordan, and the priests carrying the ark dipped their feet in the edge of the water (the Jordan was flowing over its banks during all the days of harvest), 16 the waters flowing down from above stood still; they stood up in one heap very far from Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while the waters flowing down to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea,[o] were completely cut off;[p] and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 And the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on the dry land in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation finished crossing the Jordan.
A Prayer for Restoration
A song of ascents.[a]
126 When Yahweh restored the fortunes[b] of Zion,[c]
we were like dreamers.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
Then they said among the nations,
“Yahweh has done great things for these people.”
3 Yahweh has done great things for us;
we are glad.
4 Restore, O Yahweh, our fortunes[d]
like the streams in the Negeb.[e]
5 Those who sow with tears
shall reap with rejoicing.
6 He who diligently goes out with weeping,
carrying the seed bag,
shall certainly come in with rejoicing,
carrying his sheaves.
A Prayer for Protection and Prosperity
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.[f]
127 Unless Yahweh builds a house,
its builders labor at it in vain.
Unless Yahweh guards a city,
a guard watches in vain.
2 It is in vain for you who rise early and sit late,
eating the bread of anxious toil,
when thus he[g] provides[h] for his beloved in his sleep.[i]
3 Look, children[j] are the heritage[k] of Yahweh;
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so are the children[l] of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.[m]
They shall not be put to shame
when they speak with enemies at the gate.
Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears Yahweh
A song of ascents.[n]
128 Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh,
who walks in his ways.
2 You will indeed eat of the labor of your hands;
you will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within[o] your house.
Your children[p] will be like olive shoots
about your table.
4 Look, for thus shall a man be blessed
who fears Yahweh.[q]
5 May Yahweh bless you from Zion,
that you may see the good of Jerusalem
all the days of your life,
6 and that you may see your children’s children.
May peace be upon Israel.
Yahweh’s Day of Vengeance
63 Who is this, coming from Edom,
from Bozrah in bright red garments?
Who is this honored in his garment,
lying down in his great strength?
“It is I, speaking in justice,
mighty[a] to save!”
2 Why are your garments[b] red,
and your garments like he who treads in the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
and there was no man from the peoples with me.
And I trod them in my anger,
and I trampled them in my wrath,
and spattered their juice on my garments,
and stained all my clothing,
4 for the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year of my blood-vengeance has come!
5 And I looked, but[c] there was no helper,
and I was appalled, but[d] there was no one who sustains,
so[e] my arm came to assist me,
and my wrath was what[f] sustained me.
6 And I trampled peoples in my anger,
and I made them drunk in my wrath,
and I brought their juice down to the earth.”
Remembering Yahweh’s Mercy
7 I will mention the loyal love of Yahweh, the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has done for us,
and the greatness of goodness to the house of Israel that he has done to them according to his mercy and the abundance of his loyal love.
8 And he said, “Surely my people are children; they will not break faith.” And he became a Savior to them.
9 In all their distress, there was no distress,[g]
and the messenger of his presence[h] saved them,
in his love and compassion he himself redeemed them,
and he lifted them up,
and he supported them all the days of old.
10 But[i] they were the ones who[j] rebelled,
and they grieved his Holy Spirit,[k]
so[l] he became an enemy to them;[m]
he himself fought against them.
11 Then[n] his people remembered the days of old, of Moses.
Where is the one who led up them from the sea with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who puts his Holy Spirit[o] inside him,
12 who made[p] his magnificent arm move at[q] the right hand of Moses,
who divided[r] the waters before them,[s]
to make an everlasting name for himself,
13 who led[t] them through the depths?
They did not stumble like a horse in the desert;
14 like cattle in the valley that goes down, the Spirit of Yahweh gave him rest,[u]
so you lead your people to make a magnificent name for yourself.
Prayer for Mercy
15 Look from heaven,
and see from the lofty residence of your holiness and glory.
Where are your zeal and strength?
Your compassion[v] and mercy to me hold themselves back.
16 For you are our father, although Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, Yahweh are our father,
Our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 Why do you make us wander, Yahweh?
You harden our heart from your ways so that we do not fear[w] you.
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance.
18 Your holy people[x] took possession for a little while;
our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 We have been since antiquity; you did not rule them;
they were not called by your name.[y]
A Question from John the Baptist
11 And it happened that when Jesus had finished giving orders to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their towns. 2 Now when[a] John[b] heard in prison the deeds of Christ, he sent word[c] by his disciples 3 and[d] said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered and[e] said to them, “Go and[f] tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news announced to them.[g] 6 And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.”
7 Now as[h] these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. 9 But why did you go out? To see a prophet?[i] Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! 10 It is this man about whom it is written:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’[j]
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim[k] it. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it,[l] he is Elijah, the one who is going to come. 15 The one who has ears, let him hear!
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, 17 saying,
‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance;
we sang a lament and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”[m]
Woes Pronounced on Unrepentant Towns
20 Then he began to reproach the towns in which the majority of his miracles had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24 Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”
A Yoke That Is Easy
25 At that time Jesus answered and[n] said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.[o] 26 Yes, Father, for to do so was your gracious will.[p] 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom[q] the Son wants to reveal him.[r] 28 Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light.”
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software