M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Death of Sarah
23 Sarah lived 127 years. These were the years of Sarah’s life. 2 Then Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. And Abraham had sorrow for Sarah and cried for her. 3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife, and said to the sons of Heth, 4 “I am a stranger living among you for a time. Give me some of your land so I may bury my wife.” 5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, 6 “Listen to us, my lord. You are a powerful ruler among us. Bury your wife in the best of our graves. None of us will keep his grave from you for burying your wife.” 7 So Abraham stood up and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing to have me bury my wife, hear me, and ask Zohar’s son Ephron for me. 9 Ask him to give me the grave of Machpelah which he has at the other side of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price in front of you, for a place to bury my wife.”
10 Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham so what he said could be heard by the sons of Heth and all who came in through the gate of his city. 11 He said, “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field. And I give you the grave that is in it. I give it to you in front of the sons of my people. Bury your wife.”
12 Abraham bowed to the people of the land. 13 He said to Ephron so that all the people of the land heard it, “Listen to me if you will. I will give you the price of the field. Receive it from me, that I may bury my wife there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred pieces of silver. What is that between me and you? So bury your wife.”
16 Abraham listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver which he had said and was heard by the sons of Heth to be the price, four hundred pieces of silver. He weighed it in the same way those who buy and sell weighed it at that time. 17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah east of Mamre, the field and grave that was in it, and all the trees within the sides of the field, were handed over 18 to Abraham for his own. It was handed over in front of the sons of Heth and all who came in through the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the grave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the grave in it were handed over to Abraham by the sons of Heth for a place to bury his wife.
The Picture-Story of the Marriage Supper
22 Again Jesus spoke to them in picture-stories. He said, 2 “The holy nation of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding supper for his son. 3 He sent his servants to tell the people, who had been asked, to come to the supper. But the people did not want to come.
4 “He sent other servants, saying to them, ‘Tell those who have been asked to come, “See! My supper is ready. My cows and fat calves are killed. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding supper!”’ 5 But they did not listen and went on working. One went to his farm. Another went to his store. 6 The others took hold of his servants, and hurt them and killed them.
7 “When the king heard this, he was very angry. He sent his soldiers to put those to death who had killed his servants. He burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding supper is ready. Those who were asked to come to the supper were not good enough. 9 Go out into the roads and as many people as you can find, ask them to come to the wedding supper.’
10 “The servants went out into the roads and brought all they could find, both bad and good. The wedding supper room was full of people. 11 The king came in to see those who had come. He saw one man who did not have on wedding supper clothes. 12 He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding supper clothes?’ The man could not speak! 13 Then the king said to his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him out into the darkness. In that place there will be loud crying and grinding of teeth.’ 14 For many are called but few are chosen.”
The Proud Religious Law-Keepers Try to Trap Jesus (A)
15 Then the proud religious law-keepers got together to think how they could trap Jesus in His talk. 16 They sent their followers to Jesus with some of King Herod’s men. They asked, “Teacher, we know that You are true. We know that You are teaching the truth about God. We know You are not afraid of what men think or say about You. 17 Tell us what You think of this. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 Jesus knew their sinful thoughts and said, “You pretend to be someone you are not! Why do you try to trap Me? 19 Show Me a piece of money.” They brought Him a piece. 20 Jesus said to them, “Whose picture is this? Whose name is on it?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Pay to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar. Pay to God the things that belong to God.” 22 When they heard this, they were surprised and wondered about it. Then they went away from Him.
They Ask about Being Raised from the Dead (B)
23 The same day some people from the religious group who believe no one will be raised from the dead came to Jesus. They asked, 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man should die without having children, then his brother must marry his wife. He should have children for his brother.’ (C) 25 There were seven brothers with us. The first was married but died before he had any children. The second brother then married the first brother’s wife. 26 The second brother died and the same with the third and on to the seventh. 27 Then the woman died also. 28 When people are raised from the dead, whose wife will she be of the seven? They all had her for a wife.”
29 Jesus said to them, “You are wrong because you do not know the Holy Writings or the power of God. 30 After people are raised from the dead, they do not marry. They are like the angels in heaven. 31 Have you not read what God said to you about those who are raised from the dead? He said, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” (D) 33 When the people heard this, they were surprised and wondered about His teaching.
The Great Law (E)
34 The proud religious law-keepers got together when they heard that the religious group of people who believe no one will be raised from the dead were not able to talk anymore to Jesus. 35 A proud religious law-keeper who knew the Law tried to trap Jesus. He said, 36 “Teacher, which one is the greatest of the Laws?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest of the Laws. 39 The second is like it, ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ 40 All the Laws and the writings of the early preachers depend on these two most important Laws.”
41 The proud religious law-keepers were gathered together. Then Jesus asked, 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” 43 Jesus said to them, “Then how is it that David, being led by the Holy Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’? He said, 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right side until I make those who hate You a place to rest Your feet.”’ (F) 45 If David calls Him ‘Lord,’ then how can He be the Son of David?” 46 No one could answer a word, and after that day no one asked Him anything.
The Religious Leaders and Levites
12 These are the religious leaders and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua. There were Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the religious leaders and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was over the songs of giving thanks. 9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood beside them in their work. 10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. 11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan. Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
12 In the days of Joiakim the religious leader, these were the heads of the family groups: Meraiah of Seraiah, Hananiah of Jeremiah, 13 Meshullam of Ezra, Jehohanan of Amariah, 14 Jonathan of Malluchi, Joseph of Shebaniah, 15 Adna of Harim, Helkai of Meraioth, 16 Zechariah of Iddo, Meshullam of Ginnethon, 17 Zichri of Abijah, Piltai of Moadiah of Miniamin, 18 Shammua of Bilgah, Jehonathan of Shemaiah, 19 Mattenai of Joiarib, Uzzi of Jedaiah, 20 Kallai of Sallai, Eber of Amok, 21 Hashabiah of Hilkiah, and Nethanel of Jedaiah.
22 As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the heads of the family groups were written down. So were the religious leaders in the rule of Darius the Persian. 23 The sons of Levi, the heads of the family groups, were written down in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. 24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers beside them. Each group praised and gave thanks, as David the man of God had told them. 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gate-keepers. They watched at the store-houses of the gates. 26 These men worked in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the ruler and of Ezra the religious leader and writer.
Nehemiah Sets Apart the Jerusalem Wall for God
27 At the special time to praise God for the wall of Jerusalem, they looked for all the Levites in the places where they lived and brought them to Jerusalem so they might join them at this special time with happiness. They sang songs of thanks and other songs as timbrels and harps were played. 28 So the sons of the singers were gathered from the land around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Nethophathites, 29 from Beth-gilgal, and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth. For the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30 The religious leaders and the Levites made themselves holy, and they made the people, the gates, and the wall holy.
31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall. And I picked two large groups of singers to give thanks. One group was to go to the right on top of the wall to the Waste Gate. 32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them, 33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and some of the sons of the religious leaders blowing horns. Then followed Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph, 36 and his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the objects that David the man of God had made for playing music. And Ezra the writer went before them. 37 At the Well Gate they went straight up the steps of the city of David, by the steps of the wall above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.
38 The second group went to the left. I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of Stoves, to the Wide Wall. 39 They went above the Gate of Ephraim, by the Old Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Watchmen. 40 Then the two groups stood in the house of God. So did I and half of the leaders with me, 41 and the religious leaders, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with the horns, 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. 43 On that day they gave many good gifts and were glad because God had given them great joy. Even the women and children were filled with joy, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.
44 On that day men were chosen for the work of the store-rooms for the gifts, the first-fruits, and the tenth part for the Lord. They were to gather into them from the fields near the towns what was to be given by the Law to the religious leaders and Levites. For Judah was filled with joy because of the religious leaders and Levites who did the work. 45 They did the work of their God and the work of making everything clean from sin, together with the singers and the gate-keepers. They did as David and his son Solomon had told them. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph, long ago, there were leaders of the singers, and songs of praise and thanks to God. 47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave what was to be given to the singers and gate-keepers each day. They set apart what was for the Levites. And the Levites set apart what was for the sons of Aaron.
Paul Tells of His Past Life
22 Paul said, “Brothers and fathers, listen to what I have to say to you.” 2 When they heard him speak to them in their own language, they stopped making noise. Then he said,
3 “I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in the country of Cilicia. When I was a young man, I lived here in Jerusalem. I went to Gamaliel’s school and learned all about the Law of our early fathers. I worked hard for God as you all do today.
4 “I worked hard and killed men and women who believed as I believe today. I put them in chains and sent them to prison. 5 The head religious leader and the leaders of the people can tell you this is true. I got letters from them to take to our Jewish brothers in the city of Damascus. I was going there to put the Christians in chains and bring them to Jerusalem where they would be beaten.
The Change in Paul’s Life on the Damascus Road
6 “I was near Damascus. All at once, about noon, I saw a bright light from heaven shining around me. 7 I fell to the ground. A voice said to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you work so hard against Me?’ 8 I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the One you are working against.’ 9 Those who were with me saw the light. But they did not hear Him speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘Lord, what should I do?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up! Go to Damascus. You will be told what to do there.’
11 “I could not see because of the bright light. Those who were with me had to lead me by the hand until we came to Damascus. 12 Ananias lived there. He obeyed the Law and was respected by all the Jews. 13 He came and stood near me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ At once I was able to see him. 14 Then Ananias said, ‘The God of our fathers chose you to know what He wants done. He chose you to see Jesus Christ, the One Right with God, and to hear His voice. 15 You are to tell all men what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on His name.’
Paul Is Called to Work with the People Who Are Not Jews
17 “I came back to Jerusalem. When I was praying in the house of God, I had a dream. 18 I saw Him as He said to me, ‘Get out of Jerusalem! They will not listen to you when you tell them about Me!’ 19 I said, ‘Lord, they know I took Christians out of every Jewish place of worship. I had them beaten and put in prison. 20 Also when Stephen was killed, I stood there and watched them throw stones at him. Those who threw the stones had me watch their coats.’ 21 The Lord said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the people who are not Jews.’ ” 22 They listened to him until he said that. Then they all cried out with loud voices, “Kill him! Take such a man from the earth! He should not live!” 23 They kept on calling out. Then they pulled off their coats and threw dust in the air.
Paul Tells Who He Is
24 The captain told them to bring Paul into the soldiers’ building. He told his soldiers to find out from Paul, by beating him, why the people were crying out against him. 25 As they tied him up, Paul said to the soldier, “Does the law say that you can beat a Roman citizen when no one has said he is guilty?”
26 When the soldier heard this, he told it to the captain. He said, “Listen! What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.” 27 The captain came and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul said, “Yes!” 28 The captain said, “I had to pay a lot of money to be a citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.” 29 Those who were going to beat him left him at once. The captain was also afraid when he heard that Paul was a Roman citizen because he had him tied.
Paul Stands in Front of the Religious Leaders’ Court
30 The next day they took off the chains that were holding Paul. The captain wanted to know why the Jews wanted to kill him. So the captain told the head religious leaders to gather for their court. They brought Paul and put him in front of them.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.