M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Samson Marries
14 And Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. 2 He went up and told his father and mother, and he said, “I saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines; so then, take her for me as a wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a wife among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our[a] people, that you must take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Take her for me because she pleases me.”[b] 4 His father and mother did not know that this was from Yahweh; he was seeking for an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling[c] in Israel.
5 And Samson and his father and mother went down to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah, and suddenly a young lion came roaring to meet him. 6 And the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one might tear apart a male kid goat (he was bare-handed).[d] But he did not tell his father and mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked to the woman, and she pleased Samson.[e] 8 And he returned after awhile to marry her,[f] and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and there was a swarm of wild honey bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands, and he went on, eating it as he went. And he went to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the body of the lion.
10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared there a feast, as young men were accustomed to doing this. 11 When they saw him, they took thirty companions, and they were with him. 12 And Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you can fully explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, I will give to you thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments. 13 But if you are unable to explain it to me, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments.” So they said to him, “Tell your riddle; let us hear it.” 14 He said to them,
“From the eater came out food,
From the strong came out sweet.”
But they were unable to explain the riddle for three days.
15 When it was the fourth[g] day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband and tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to rob us?” 16 And Samson’s wife wept before him, and she said, “You must hate me; you do not love me. You told the riddle to my people,[h] but you have not explained it to me.” He said to her, “I have not explained it to my father and mother. Why should I explain it to you?” 17 She wept before him the seven days of their feast; and it happened, because she nagged him, on the seventh day he explained it to her, and she told the riddle to her people.[i] 18 The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,
“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
you would not have found out my riddle.”
19 And the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and he went down to Ashkelon. He killed thirty men from them, and he took their belongings, and he gave festal garments to the ones that explained the riddle. He was angry,[j] and he went up to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion who was his best man.[k]
Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Corinth
18 After these things he departed from Athens and[a] went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named[b] Aquila, a native[c] of Pontus who had arrived recently from Italy along with[d] Priscilla his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome, and[e] he went to them. 3 And because he was practicing the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 And he argued in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade[f] both Jews and Greeks.
5 Now when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to be occupied with[g] the message, solemnly testifying to the Jews that the Christ[h] was Jesus. 6 And when[i] they resisted and reviled him,[j] he shook out his[k] clothes and[l] said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am guiltless! From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 7 And leaving there, he entered into the house of someone named[m] Titius Justus, a worshiper[n] of God whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, when they[o] heard about it,[p] believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent, 10 because I am with you and no one will attack you to harm you, because many people are mine in this city.” 11 So he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Paul Accused Before the Proconsul Gallio
12 Now when[q] Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one purpose against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law!” 14 But when[r] Paul was about to open his[s] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, I would have been justified in accepting[t] your complaint. 15 But if it is questions concerning a word and names and your own law,[u] see to it[v] yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and[w] began beating[x] him[y] in front of the judgment seat. And none of these things was a concern to Gallio.
Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria
18 So Paul, after[z] remaining many days longer, said farewell to the brothers and[aa] sailed away to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his[ab] head at Cenchrea, because he had taken a vow. 19 So they arrived at Ephesus, and those he left behind there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and[ac] discussed with the Jews. 20 And when[ad] they asked him[ae] to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent, 21 but saying farewell and telling them,[af] “I will return to you again if[ag] God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.
22 And when he[ah] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and[ai] went down to Antioch. 23 And after[aj] spending some time there, he departed, traveling through one place after another in the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
The Early Ministry of Apollos
24 Now a certain Jew named[ak] Apollos, a native[al] Alexandrian, arrived in Ephesus—an eloquent man who was well-versed in the scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being enthusiastic in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, although he[am] knew only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when[an] Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 27 And when[ao] he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him[ap] and[aq] wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he[ar] arrived, he[as] assisted greatly those who had believed through grace. 28 For he was vigorously refuting the Jews in public, demonstrating through the scriptures that the Christ[at] was Jesus.
Jeremiah Uses Fetters and Yokes to Illustrate His Message of Submission
27 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying[a]— 2 thus said Yahweh to me—“Make for yourself fetters and yokes and put them on your neck, 3 and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites,[b] and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon in the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem, to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. 4 And you must command them for their masters, saying,[c] ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, this you shall say to your masters: 5 “I have made the earth with humankind and animals[d] that are on the face of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and I give it to whomever is right in my eyes. 6 And now I myself have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and also the animals[e] of the field I have given to him to serve him. 7 And all the nations will serve him, and his son, and his grandson,[f] until the coming of the time of his own[g] land. Then many nations and great kings will let him work.
8 “But it will be that the nation or kingdom that will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, and with the famine, and with the plague,” declares[h] Yahweh, “until I have destroyed it with my hand. 9 And you, you must not listen to your prophets, and to your diviners, and to your dreamers, and to your interpreters of signs, and to your sorcerers who are saying,[i] ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 For they are prophesying to you a lie, so that you will be removed from your land, and I will drive you away, and you will perish. 11 But the nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and will serve him, yet will I leave it on its land,” declares[j] Yahweh, “and they will till it, and they will live in it.”’”
12 And I spoke words like these to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, saying,[k] “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. 13 Why should you die—you and your people—by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 And you must not listen to the words of the prophets who are speaking to you, saying,[l] ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you. 15 For I have not sent them,” declares[m] Yahweh, “but they are prophesying in my name falsely,[n] so that I will drive them away. And you will perish—you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.”
The Vessels of the Temple
16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying,[o] “Thus says Yahweh, ‘You must not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying,[p] “Look, the vessels of the house of Yahweh are about to be quickly brought back from Babylon”, for they are prophesying a lie to you. 17 And you must not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a site of ruins? 18 But if they are prophets, and if there is with them the word of Yahweh, let them please plead with Yahweh of hosts, that the vessels that are left over in the temple[q] of Yahweh, and the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, must not go to Babylon.’
19 For thus says Yahweh of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the stands, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, did not take when he deported Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with[r] all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Yahweh, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be brought to Babylon, and there they will stay until the day of my attending to them,’ declares[s] Yahweh. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’”
The Destruction of the Temple Predicted
13 And as[a] he was going out of the temple courts,[b] one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What great stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another stone that will not be thrown down!”
Signs of the End of the Age
3 And as[c] he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 So Jesus began to say to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you! 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many. 7 And when you hear about wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These things are the beginning of birth pains.
Persecution of Disciples Predicted
9 “But you, watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues and will have to stand before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.[d] 11 And when they arrest you and[e] hand you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you should say, but whatever is given to you at that hour, say this. For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his[f] child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the one who reads understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 15 The one[g] who is on his[h] housetop must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house, 16 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. 17 And woe to those who are pregnant[i] and to those who are nursing their babies[j] in those days! 18 But pray that it will not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be tribulation of such a kind as has not happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will happen. 20 And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved.[k] But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has shortened the days.
21 “And at that time if anyone should say to you, “Behold, here is the Christ,’ ‘Behold, there he is,’ do not believe him![l] 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce signs and wonders in order to mislead, if possible, the elect. 23 But you, watch out! I have told you everything ahead of time!
The Arrival of the Son of Man
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation,
‘the sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.’[m]
26 And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels, and will gather the[n] elect together from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its[o] leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know[p] that he is near, at the door. 30 Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place! 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Unknown Day and Hour
32 “But concerning that day or hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the Father. 33 Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is! 34 It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority—to each one his work—and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert. 35 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning— 36 lest he arrive suddenly and[q] find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be on the alert!”
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