M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Abram Rescues Lot
14 In the days that Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim, 2 they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these were joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea). 4 For twelve years they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and conquered all the country of the Amalekites and also the Amorites who lived in Hazezon Tamar.
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out, and they joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell in them, and the rest fled to the hill country. 11 Then they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and departed. 12 They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshkol and Aner, and these were allies with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants born in his own house, and pursued them as far as Dan. 15 During the night he divided his men to attack them and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the possessions, along with his relative Lot and his possessions, and also the women and the people.
Melchizedek Blesses Abram
17 After his return from the defeat of Kedorlaomer and the kings who had joined with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator[a] of heaven and earth;
20 and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the goods for yourself.”
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing that is yours, not a thread or a sandal strap; lest you say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept only that which my men have eaten and the portion that belongs to the men who went with me, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.”
The Parable of the Sower(A)
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Great crowds assembled around Him, so that He went into a boat and sat there. And the whole assembly stood on the shore. 3 Then He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 While he sowed, some seeds fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 But other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they did not have deep soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And because they did not take root, they withered away. 7 Some seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 But other seeds fell into good ground and produced grain: a hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much. 9 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables(B)
10 The disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered them, “It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For to him who has, will more be given, and he will have abundance. But from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables:
‘Because they look, but do not see.
And they listen, but they do not hear, neither do they understand.’[a]
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:
‘By hearing, you will hear and shall not understand,
and seeing, you will see and shall not perceive;[b]
15 for this people’s heart has grown dull.
Their ears have become hard of hearing,
and they have closed their eyes,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts,
and turn, and I should heal them.’[c]
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.
The Parable of the Sower Explained(C)
18 “Therefore listen to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one who received seed beside the path. 20 But he who received the seed on rocky ground is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, eventually he falls away. 22 He also who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit. Some produce a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24 He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 But when the shoots had sprung up and produced fruit, the weeds also appeared.
27 “So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “He said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’
“The servants said to him, ‘Will you then have us go and gather them up?’
29 “But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the weeds, you pull up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(D)
31 He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. 32 This indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is the greatest among herbs and is a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman took and mixed in sixty pounds[d] of meal until it had leavened the whole batch.”
The Use of Parables(E)
34 Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables. And without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will say things which have been kept secret since the foundation of the world.”[e]
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
37 He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.
40 “Therefore as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil, 42 and will throw them into a fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun[f] in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid. And with joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, they drew it to shore, sat down, and gathered the good into baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Treasures New and Old
51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all of these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who is discipled for the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is master of the household who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth(F)
53 When Jesus finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 When He came to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is He not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”
58 And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Rebuilding the Wall
3 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and erected its doors. From the Tower of the Hundred to the Tower of Hananel, they sanctified the wall. 2 Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zakkur the son of Imri built.
3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate, constructing its beams, erecting its doors, and installing locks and bars for it. 4 Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz made repairs. Next to him, Meshullam the son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel made repairs. Next to him Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. 5 Next to them the Tekoites made repairs, but their noblemen would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.
6 Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate. They constructed its beams, erected its doors, and installed locks and bars for it. 7 Next to them repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, places under the authority of the governor of the province Beyond the River. 8 Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananiah, the son of one of the apothecaries, made repairs, and they repaired Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Next to him Rephaiah the son of Hur, commander of half of the Jerusalem district, made repairs. 10 Next to him Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs across from his house. Next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11 Malkijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Furnaces. 12 Next to them Shallum the son of Hallohesh, commander of the other half of the Jerusalem district, made repairs along with his daughters.
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it, erected its doors, and installed locks and bars for it, plus repaired one thousand cubits[a] along on the wall to the Dung Gate.
14 But the Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah the son of Rekab, commander of the Beth Hakkerem district. He rebuilt it, and erected its doors, and installed the locks and bars for it.
15 Moreover, Shallun the son of Kol-Hozeh, commander of the Mizpah district, made repairs to the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, covered it, erected its doors, and installed the locks and bars for it. He also repaired the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, commander of half of the Beth Zur district, made repairs as far as the area across from the Tomb of David plus to the constructed pool and to the house of the mighty.
17 After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to them Hashabiah, commander of half of the Keilah district, made repairs in his area. 18 After him their brothers, under Binnui the son of Henadad, commander of the other half of the Keilah district, made repairs. 19 Next to them Ezer the son of Jeshua, commander of Mizpah, made repairs to another section across from the ascent to the armory at the corner. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the corner to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of it.
22 After him the priests, the men of the surrounding plain, made repairs. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs across from their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah made repairs beside his house. 24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section from the house of Azariah as far as the corner plus the corner tower. 25 Palal the son of Uzai made repairs across from the corner and to the tower protruding out of the king’s upper house next to the courtyard of the guards. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs. 26 The temple servants living in Ophel made repairs from opposite the Water Gate eastward to the protruding tower. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section across from the great protruding tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
28 Up to the Horse Gate the priests made repairs—each one across from his house. 29 After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired across from his house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shekaniah, who was keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After them Meshullam the son of Berekiah made repairs across from his chamber. 31 After him Malkijah the goldsmith’s son made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants. This was across from the Mustering Gate extending as far as the upper room of the corner tower. 32 Between the upper room of the corner tower and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
Barnabas and Saul Commissioned
13 In the church that was in Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they worshipped the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
The Apostles Preach in Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John as an assistant.
6 When they had gone through the whole island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet, whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (which is his name by interpretation) opposed them, trying to divert the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him and said, 10 “You son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness, full of deceit and of all fraud, will you not cease perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now, look! The hand of the Lord is against you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”
Immediately mist and darkness fell on him, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed and was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia
13 Now when Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 But they departed from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.”
16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt, and with great power He led them out of it. 18 For about forty years He endured their conduct in the desert. 19 When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land as an inheritance by lot.
20 “After about four hundred and fifty years, God gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they requested a king. And God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 When He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, of whom He testified, saying, ‘I have found David[a] the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will fulfill My entire will.’[b]
23 “From this man’s descendants God has raised a Savior for Israel, Jesus, according to His promise. 24 Before His coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But look! He is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’[c]
26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those of you who fear God, the word of this salvation has been sent to us. 27 Because those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, did not know Him, in condemning Him they have fulfilled the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found in Him no cause worthy of death, yet they asked Pilate to have Him killed. 29 When they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree and placed Him in a tomb. 30 But God raised Him from the dead, 31 and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people.
32 “We preach to you good news: The promise which was made to the fathers, 33 God has fulfilled to us, their children, raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
‘You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father.’[d]
34 That He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way:
‘I will give You the holy and sure blessings of David.’[e]
35 So He says in another Psalm:
‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay.’[f]
36 “For after David had served by the counsel of God in his own generation, he fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw decay. 37 But He whom God raised up saw no decay.
38 “Therefore, brothers, let it be known to you that through this Man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses. 40 Therefore beware, lest what is spoken of in the prophets come upon you:
41 ‘Look, you scoffers,
marvel and perish!
For I will perform a work in your days
which you will never believe,
even if someone declares it to you.’[g]”
42 When Paul and Barnabas went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles asked that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, blaspheming and contradicting what Paul was saying.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas boldly said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first. But seeing you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For thus has the Lord commanded us:
‘I have established you to be a light of the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’[h]”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And all who were ordained to eternal life believed.
49 The word of the Lord was spread throughout the entire region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city, and raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them from their region. 51 So they shook off the dust of their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.