M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
9 Then Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem, to his mother’s brethren, and communed with them and with all the family and House of his mother’s father, saying,
2 “Please say, in the audience of all the men of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: that all the sons of Jerubbaal (seventy people) reign over you, or that one reigns over you?’ Remember, also, that I am your flesh and bone.”
3 Then his mother’s brethren spoke all these words about him in the audience of all the men of Shechem; and their hearts were moved to follow Abimelech. For they said, “He is our brother.”
4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the House of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
5 And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy people upon one stone. Still, Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, remained. For he hid himself.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, with all the House of Millo, and came and made Abimelech king on the plain where the stone was erected in Shechem.
7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and cried and said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
8 “The trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’
9 “But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my fatness with which they honor God and man and go to advance above the trees?’
10 “Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come! Be king over us!’
11 “But the fig tree answered them, ‘Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to advance above the trees?’
12 “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come! Be king over us!’
13 “But the vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my wine, by which I cheer God and man, and go to advance above the trees?’
14 “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come! Reign over us!’
15 “And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If you will indeed anoint me king over you, come and put your trust under my shadow. And if not, the fire shall come out of the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
16 “Now therefore, if you are true and incorruptible in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal, and with his House, and have done to him according to what his hands deserve
17 “(for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you out of the hands of Midian)—
18 “and you have risen up against my father’s House this day, and have killed his children (seventy people) upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—
19 “if you, then, have dealt truly and purely with Jerubbaal and with his House this day, then rejoice with Abimelech and let him rejoice with you!
20 “But if not, let a fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and the House of Millo. Also, let a fire come forth from the men of Shechem, and from the House of Millo, and consume Abimelech.”
21 And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech, his brother.
22 So, Abimelech reigned for three years over Israel.
23 But God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. And the men of Shechem broke their promise to Abimelech,
24 so that the cruelty toward the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and their blood might come and be laid upon Abimelech, their brother who had killed them, and upon the men of Shechem who had aided him to kill his brethren.
25 So the men of Shechem set men in waiting for him, on the tops of the mountains, who robbed all who passed that way by them. And it was told to Abimelech.
26 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brethren. And they went to Shechem. And the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 Therefore, they went out into the field and gathered in their grapes and trod them, and made merry, and went into the house of their gods, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, “Who is Abimelech? And who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal? And is not Zebul his officer? Serve rather the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. For why should we serve him?
29 “Now, I wish this people were under my hand. Then I would put away Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”
30 And when Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed, his wrath was kindled.
31 Therefore, he sent messengers to Abimelech privately, saying, “Behold, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brethren, have come to Shechem. And behold, they fortify the city against you.
32 “Now, therefore, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field,
33 “and rise early in the morning, as soon as the Sun is up, and assault the city. And when he and the people who are with him shall come out against you, do to him what you can.”
34 So Abimelech rose up by night, and all the people who were with him. And they lay in wait against Shechem, in four bands.
35 Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech and the folk who were with him rose up from lying in wait.
36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” And Zebul said to him, “The shadows of the mountains seem as men to you.”
37 And Gaal spoke again, and said, “See, people are coming down by the middle of the land, and another band comes by the way of the plain of Meonenim.”
38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where, now, is your mouth that said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Is not this the people that you have despised? Please go out, now, and fight with them.”
39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.
40 But Abimelech pursued him; and he fled before him. And many were overthrown and wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.
41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah. And Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, so that they would not dwell in Shechem.
42 And the next day, the people went out into the field, which was told to Abimelech.
43 And he took the people and divided them into three bands, and laid wait in the fields, and watched. And behold, the people had come out of the city. And he rose up against them and struck them.
44 And Abimelech, and the bands who were with him, rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And the two other bands ran upon all the people who were in the field and killed them.
45 And when Abimelech had fought against the city all that day, he took the city and killed the people who were in it, and destroyed the city, and sowed salt in it.
46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard it, they entered into a stronghold of the house of the god Berith.
47 And it was told to Abimelech, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48 And Abimelech got up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took axes with him and cut down boughs of trees, and took them, and bore them on his shoulder, and said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do likewise!”
49 Then, each of all the people also cut down his own bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire with them. So, all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and besieged Thebez, and took it.
51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women had fled there, and all the chiefs of the city, and shut themselves in, and went up to the top of the tower.
52 And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and went hard to the door of the tower to set it on fire.
53 But a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head and broke his skull.
54 Then Abimelech hastily called his page who bore his harness and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that men do not say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ And his page thrust him through, and he died.
55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each man departed to his own home.
56 Thus, God reckoned for the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in slaying his seventy brethren.
57 Also, God brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem upon their heads. So, upon them came the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal.
13 Now in the church that was in Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Simeon (called Niger), and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch) and Saul.
2 Now as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
3 Then they fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, and let them go.
4 And after they were sent forth by the Holy Ghost, they came down to Seleucia. And from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they also had John as their attendant.
6 So after they had gone through the island, to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer (a false prophet, a Jew) named Bar-Jesus,
7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He called Barnabas and Saul to him and asked to hear the Word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for such is the meaning of his name) opposed them and sought to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 Then Saul (who is also called Paul) being full of the Holy Ghost, stared at him,
10 and said, “O, child of the devil, the enemy of all righteousness, full of all subtlety and all mischief! Will you not cease to pervert the straight ways of the Lord?!
11 “Now, therefore, behold the hand of the Lord upon you! And you shall be blind, not seeing the Sun for a time!” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell on him. And he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what had been done, believed, and was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
13 Now when Paul and those who were with him had departed by ship from Paphos, they came to Perga of Pamphylia. Then John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
14 But when they left Perga, they came to Antioch of Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.
15 And after the reading of the Law and Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, speak.”
16 Then Paul stood up and beckoned with the hand, and said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, hear me!
17 “The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt in the land of Egypt. And with a high arm, He brought them out of there.
18 “And for about forty years, He endured their manners in the wilderness.
19 “And He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and divided their land to them by lot.
20 “Then afterward, He gave them Judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until the time of Samuel the Prophet.
21 “So after that, they desired a King. And God gave them Saul (the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin) for forty years.
22 “And after He had taken him away, he raised up David to be their King. Of whom He testified, saying, ‘I have found David of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all things that I will.
23 “Of this man’s seed, God has raised up the Savior Jesus, according to His promise to Israel.
24 “Before His coming, John had first preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 “And when John had fulfilled his course, he said, ‘Whom do you think that I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, whose shoe of His feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Men, brothers, children of the generation of Abraham, and whoever among you fears God, to you is the Word of this salvation sent.
27 “For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers - because they did not know Him, or even the words of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath - have fulfilled them in condemning Him.
28 “And even though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to kill Him.
29 “And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of Him, they took Him down from the tree, and put Him in a sepulcher.
30 “But God raised Him up from the dead.
31 “And He was seen by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem (who are his witnesses to the people) for many days.
32 “And we declare to you concerning the promise made to the fathers:
33 “that God has fulfilled it to us, their children, in that He raised up Jesus; even as it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son. This day have I begotten You.’
34 “And considering that He raised Him up from the dead, to return no more to decay, He has said this, ‘I will give you the holy things of David, which are faithful.’
35 “Therefore He also says in another place, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay.’
36 “For David - after he had served his time, by the counsel of God - slept, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.
37 “But He Whom God raised up, saw no decay.
38 “Therefore, be it known to you, brothers, that the forgiveness of sins is preached to you through this Man.
39 “And by Him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which the Law of Moses could not justify.
40 “Therefore beware, so that that which is spoken of in the Prophets does not come upon you:
41 ‘Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and vanish away. For I work a work in your days; a work which you shall not believe, if one should declare it you.’”
42 And when they had come out of the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles begged them to preach these words to them the next Sabbath.
43 Now, after the congregation had dispersed, many of the Jews (and proselytes who feared God) followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and encouraged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 And the next Sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the Word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the people, they were full of envy. And contradicting and blaspheming, they spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly, and said, “It was necessary that the Word of God should have been spoken first to you. But seeing you reject it - and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life - lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47 “For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light of the Gentiles, so that you should be for salvation to the end of the world.”
48 And when the Gentiles heard it, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord. And as many as were appointed to eternal life, believed.
49 Thus, the Word of the Lord was spread throughout the whole country.
50 But the Jews stirred up devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their region.
51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came to Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
22 Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the House of the king of Judah, and speak this thing there,
2 “and say, ‘Hear the Word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits upon the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter in by these gates!
3 ‘Thus says the LORD: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, and do not trouble the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow. Do no violence or shed innocent blood in this place.
4 “For if you do this thing, then the kings sitting upon the throne of David shall enter in by the gates of this House and ride upon chariots and upon horses, he and his servants and his people.
5 “But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself,” says the LORD, “that this House shall be waste.”
6 ‘For thus has the LORD, spoken upon the king’s House of Judah: “You are Gilead to Me, the head of Lebanon. Surely I will make you as a wilderness, as uninhabited cities.
7 “And I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons. And they shall cut down your chief cedar trees and cast them in the fire.
8 “And many nations shall pass by this city. And every man shall say to his neighbor, ‘Why has the LORD done this to this great city?’
9 “Then they shall answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods and served them.’”’”
10 Do not weep for the dead, and do not be moved for them. Weep for him who goes out. For he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned for Josiah, his father, who went out of this place: “He shall not return there.
12 “But he shall die in the place where they have led him captive and shall see this land no more.”
13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers without justice. He uses his neighbor without wages and gives him nothing for his work.
14 “He says, ‘I will build myself a wide house and large chambers.’ So he will make himself large windows and a ceiling with cedar and paint them with vermilion.
15 “Shall you reign because you close yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and prosper when he executed judgment and justice?
16 “When he judged the cause of the afflicted and the poor he prospered. Was not this because he knew Me,” says the LORD?
17 “But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for destruction.”
18 Therefore, thus says the LORD against Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament him, saying, ‘Ah, my brother,’ or ‘Ah sister.’ Nor shall they mourn for him, saying, ‘Ah, lord,’ or ‘Ah, his glory.’
19 “He shall be buried as a donkey is buried, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20 “Go up to Lebanon and cry! Shout in Bashan, and cry by the passages! For all your lovers are destroyed.
21 “I spoke to you when you were in prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, that you would not obey My Voice.
22 “The spirit shall feed all your shepherds. And your lovers shall go into captivity. And then you shall be ashamed of all your wickedness and confounded.
23 “You who dwell in Lebanon, and make your nest in the cedars, how beautiful shall you be when sorrows come upon you, as the sorrow of a woman in labor?
24 “As I live,” says the LORD, “though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet of My right Hand, yet would I pluck you from there.
25 “And I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life and into the hand of those whose faces you fear, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 “And I will cause them to carry you away, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born. And there you shall die.
27 “But to the land to which they desire to return, they shall not return to it.
28 “Is not this man, Coniah, a despised and broken idol or a vessel in which there is no pleasure? Why are they carried away, he and his seed, and cast out into a land that they do not know?
29 “O Earth, Earth, Earth! Hear the Word of the LORD!
30 “Thus says the LORD: ‘Write this man down as childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days. For there shall be no man from his seed who shall prosper and sit upon the throne of David or bear rule anymore in Judah.’”
8 In those days, when there was a very great multitude and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,
2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.
3 “And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they would faint on the way.” For some of them came from far away.
4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can we give them bread here in the wilderness?”
5 And He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”
6 Then He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks; broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them. And they set them before the people.
7 They had also a few small fishes. And when He had given thanks, He commanded them also to be set before them.
8 So they ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left.
9 And those who had eaten were about four thousand. So, He sent them away.
10 And soon, He entered into a ship with His disciples and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
11 And the Pharisees came forth and began to dispute with Him, seeking a sign of Heaven from Him, and tempting Him.
12 Then He sighed deeply in His Spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, a sign shall not be given to this generation.”
13 So He left them and went into the ship again and departed to the other side.
14 And they had forgotten to take bread with them and had only one loaf in the ship with them.
15 And He charged them, saying, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 And when Jesus knew it, He said to them, “Why do you reason ‘because we have no bread’? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Are your hearts still hardened?
18 “Do you have eyes and not see? And do you have ears and not hear? And do you not remember?
19 “When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “And when I broke seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of leftovers did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”
21 Then He said to them, “How is it that you do not understand?”
22 And He came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Him and asked Him to touch him.
23 Then he took the blind by the hand and led him out of the town; and spit in his eyes and put His hands upon him and asked him if he saw anything.
24 And he looked up, and said, “I see men, walking, like trees.”
25 After that, He put his hands upon his eyes again and made him look again. And his sight was restored. And he saw everyone clearly from far way.
26 And He sent him home to his house, saying, “Do not go into the town. And do not tell of this to anyone in the town.”
27 And Jesus went out with His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And along the way He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Whom do men say that I am?”
28 And they answered, “Some say, John Baptist. And some, Elijah. And some, one of the Prophets.”
29 And He said to them, “But whom do you say that I am?” Then Peter answered, and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
30 And He sharply charged them that they should tell no one about Him.
31 Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and would be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes; and be killed; and within three days, rise again.
32 And He spoke that thing boldly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 Then He turned back and looked at His disciples and rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not understand the things that are of God, but the things that are of man!”
34 And He called the people to Him, with His disciples, and said to them, “Whoever will follow Me, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 “For whoever will save his life, shall lose it. But whoever shall lose his life, for My sake, and the Gospel’s, shall save it.
36 “For what shall it profit a man, though he should win the whole world, if he loses his soul?
37 “Or what shall a man exchange for his soul?
38 “For whoever among this adulterous and sinful generation shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the Glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
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