M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
12 And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites,[a] saying, “What is between you and me that you have come to me to make war against my land?” 13 And the king of the Ammonites[b] said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel took my land from the Arnon up to the Jabbok and the Jordan when they came up from Egypt; so then, restore it peacefully.” 14 Once again Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites,[c] 15 and he said to him, “Thus says Jephthah, ‘Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites,[d] 16 because when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea[e] and went to Kadesh. 17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let us cross through your land,” but the king of Edom would not listen. And they also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he was not willing. So Israel stayed in Kadesh. 18 Then they traveled through the wilderness, went around the land of Edom and Moab, and came to the east[f] side of the land of Moab, and they[g] encamped beyond the Arnon; and they did not go into the territory of Moab because the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites,[h] king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us cross through your land to our country.’[i] 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to cross through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people and then encamped at Jahaz; and he made war with Israel. 21 And Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; and Israel occupied all the land of the Amorites[j] inhabiting that land. 22 They occupied all the territory of the Amorites[k] from the Arnon up to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness up to the Jordan. 23 So then Yahweh, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites[l] from before his people Israel, and you want to possess it? 24 Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gave you to possess? Whoever Yahweh our God has driven out before us, we will possess it. 25 So then, are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel, or did he ever make war against them? 26 When Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the towns that are along the Arnon,[m] for three hundred years,[n] why did you not recover them at that time? 27 I have not sinned against you; but you are the one who is doing wrong by making war against me. Let Yahweh judge[o] today between the Israelites[p] and the Ammonites.”[q] 28 But the king of the Ammonites[r] did not listen to the message that Jephthah sent to him.
Jephthah Makes a Vow
29 And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through to the Ammonites.[s] 30 And Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh, and he said, “If indeed you will give the Ammonites[t] into my hand, 31 whatever[u] comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the Ammonites[v] will be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it as a burnt offering.” 32 And Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites[w] to make war against them; and Yahweh gave them into his hand. 33 And he defeated them with a very great blow, from Aroer as far as Minnith, twenty towns,[x] up to Abel Keramim. And the Ammonites[y] were subdued before the Israelites.[z]
34 Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and behold his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and dancing. She was his only child; he did not have a son or daughter except her. 35 And the moment he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Ah! My daughter, you have caused me to bow down, and you have become my trouble. I made an oath[aa] to Yahweh, and I cannot take it back.” 36 She said to him, “My father, you made an oath[ab] to Yahweh. Do to me according to what has gone out from your mouth, since Yahweh gave vengeance to you against your enemies, the Ammonites.”[ac] 37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: grant me two months so that I may go wander[ad] on the mountains and lament over my virginity, I and my companions. 38 And he said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months, and she went with her friends, and she lamented over her virginity on the mountains. 39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, and he did to her according to his vow; and she did not sleep with a man.[ae] And it became an annual custom in Israel 40 for the daughters of Israel to go and lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for forty days of the year.
The Jerusalem Council
15 And some men came down from Judea and[a] began teaching[b] the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after[c] there was no little strife and debate by Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue. 3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and[d] passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers. 4 And when they[e] arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them[f] to observe the law of Moses!”
6 Both the apostles and the elders assembled to deliberate concerning this matter. 7 And after[g] there was much debate, Peter stood up and[h] said to them, “Men and brothers, you know that in the early days[i] God chose among you through my mouth that the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by[j] giving them[k] the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. 9 And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 So now why are you putting God to the test by[l] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same[m] way those also are.” 12 And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Men and brothers, listen to me! 14 Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After these things I will return
and build up again the tent of David that has fallen,
and the parts of it that had been torn down I will build up again
and will restore it,
17 so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles[n] who are called by my name,[o]
says the Lord,[p] who makes these things 18 known from of old.’[q]
19 Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but we should write a letter to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, because he[r] is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
The Letter from the Council
22 Then it seemed best to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas who was called Barsabbas and Silas, men who were leaders among the brothers— 23 writing this letter[s] to be delivered by them:[t]
The apostles and the elders, brothers.
To the brothers who are from among the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
Greetings!
24 Because we have heard that some have gone out from among us—to whom we gave no orders—and[u] have thrown you into confusion by words upsetting your minds,[v] 25 it seemed best to us, having reached a unanimous decision,[w] and[x] having chosen men, to send them[y] to you together with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to place on you no greater burden except these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from food sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you[z] keep yourselves from these things[aa] you will do well.
Farewell.
The Letter Is Delivered to Antioch
30 So when[ab] they were sent off, they came down to Antioch, and after[ac] calling together the community, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they[ad] read it[ae] aloud, they rejoiced at the encouragement. 32 Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers by a long message. 33 And after[af] spending some time, they were sent away in peace from the brothers to those who had sent them.[ag] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas Disagree and Part Company
36 And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Come then,let us return and[ah] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also, 38 but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work. 39 And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark and[ai] sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and[aj] departed, after[ak] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. 41 And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Two Baskets of Figs
24 Yahweh showed me, and look, there were two baskets of figs placed before[a] the temple of Yahweh—after Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, with the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen, and the smiths,[b] from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon. 2 The one basket had very good figs, like early figs,[c] and the other basket had very bad figs that could not be eaten because of their bad quality. 3 And Yahweh asked me, “What are you seeing, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs—the good figs, very good, and the bad figs, very bad, that cannot be eaten because of their bad quality.”
4 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,[d] 5 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles[e] of Judah whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 For I will set my eyes[f] on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. And I will build them and not annihilate them, and I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 And I will give to them a heart to know me, that I am Yahweh, and they will be my people,[g] and I will be their God,[h] for they will return to me with the whole of their heart.
8 But like the bad figs that cannot be eaten because of their bad quality—for thus says Yahweh—so I will treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who live in the land of Egypt. 9 And I will make them as a terror, an evil to all the kingdoms of the earth, as a disgrace and a proverb, as a taunt and a curse, in all the places where I will drive them. 10 And I will send among them the sword, the famine, and the plague, until they perish from the land that I gave to them and their ancestors.’”[i]
On Divorce
10 And from there he set out and[a] came to the region of Judea and the other side of the Jordan, and again crowds came together to him. And again, as he was accustomed to do,[b] he began to teach[c] them. 2 And they asked[d] him if it was permitted for a man to divorce his[e] wife, in order to[f] test him. 3 And he answered and[g] said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 So they said, “Moses permitted a man[h] to write a certificate of divorce and to send her[i] away.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. 6 But from the beginning of creation ‘he made them male and female.[j] 7 Because of this a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife,[k] 8 and the two will become one flesh,’[l] so that they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”
10 And in the house again the disciples began to ask[m] him about this. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and[n] marries another, she commits adultery.”
Little Children Brought to Jesus
13 And they were bringing young children to him so that he could touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when[o] Jesus saw it,[p] he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the young children come to me. Do not forbid them, for to such belongs[q] the kingdom of God. 15 Truly I say to you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a young child will never enter into it.” 16 And after[r] taking them[s] into his arms, he blessed them, placing his[t] hands on them.
A Rich Young Man
17 And as[u] he was setting out on his way, one individual ran up and knelt down before him and[v] asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?” 18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”[w] 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all that you have, and give the proceeds[x] to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.” 22 But he looked gloomy at the statement and[y] went away sorrowful, because he had[z] many possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and[aa] said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for[ab] those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were astounded at his words. But Jesus answered and[ac] said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter into the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were very astounded, saying to one another, “And who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and[ad] said, “With human beings it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields on account of me and on account of the gospel 30 who will not[ae] receive a hundred times as much now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, together with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time
32 Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going on ahead of them. And they were astounded, but those who were following him[af] were afraid. And taking aside the twelve again, he began to tell them the things that were about to happen to him: 33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him,[ag] and after three days he will rise.”
A Request by James and John
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and[ah] said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want that I do[ai] for you?” 37 So they said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup that I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when they[aj] heard this,[ak] the ten began to be indignant about James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to himself and[al] said to them, “You know that those who are considered to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their people in high positions exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be most prominent among you must be the slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
A Blind Man Healed at Jericho
46 And they came to Jericho. And as[am] he was setting out from Jericho along with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. 47 And when he[an] heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 And many people warned him that he should be quiet. But he was crying out even more loudly,[ao] “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and[ap] said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man and[aq] said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.” 50 And he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and[ar] came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered him and[as] said, “What do you want me to do[at] for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabboni,[au] that I may regain my sight.” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” And immediately he regained his sight and began to follow[av] him on the road.
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