M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Isaac Prays for Good to Come to Jacob

27 Isaac was now old, and had become blind. He called to his older son Esau, saying, “My son.” And Esau answered, “Here I am.” ² Isaac said, “See, I am old. I do not know when I will die. ³ Take your bow and arrows, and go out to the field to get meat for me. ⁴ Get some food ready for me that I love. Bring it to me to eat, so that before I die I will pray that good will come to you.”

⁵ And Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for meat to bring home, ⁶ Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father talking to your brother Esau. He said, ⁷ ’Bring me some meat. Make good-tasting food for me to eat. And before I die I will pray to the Lord for good to come to you.’ ⁸ So now, my son, listen to what I tell you to do. ⁹ Go to the flock and bring me two fat young goats. I will cook them into good-tasting food, just what your father loves to eat. ¹⁰ Then you will take it to your father for him to eat. So before he dies he will pray for good to come to you.”

¹¹ Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “But my brother Esau has much hair. And my skin is smooth. ¹² If my father touches me, he will think of me as one trying to fool him. Then he will bring a curse upon me instead of good.” ¹³ His mother said to him, “The curse will come upon me instead of you, my son. You do what I say, and go get them for me.” ¹⁴ So Jacob went and got them, and brought them to his mother. And his mother made good-tasting food, just what his father loved to eat. ¹⁵ Then Rebekah took the best clothes that belonged to her older son Esau, that were with her in the house. And she put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶ She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. ¹⁷ And she gave her son Jacob the bread and the good-tasting food she had made.

¹⁸ Then he went to his father and said, “My father.” Isaac said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” ¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your first-born. I have done as you told me. Sit up and eat the meat I brought, so you will pray that good will come to me.” ²⁰ But Isaac said to his son, “How have you found it so fast, my son?” And Jacob said, “Because the Lord your God made it happen.”

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know for sure if you are my son Esau or not.” ²² So Jacob came near his father Isaac. Isaac touched him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice. But the hands are Esau’s hands.” ²³ He did not know who he was, because his hands were covered with hair like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac prayed that good would come to him. ²⁴ Isaac said, “Is it true that you are my son Esau?” Jacob answered, “I am.” ²⁵ So Isaac said, “Bring it to me so I may eat the meat my son has made ready. And I will pray that good will come to you.” He brought it to him, and he ate. He brought him wine also, and he drank.

²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” ²⁷ So Jacob came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he prayed that good would come to him. He said, “The smell of my son is like the smell of a field that has received good from the Lord. ²⁸ May God give you from heaven water on the grass in the early morning, and the riches of the earth, and more than enough grain and new wine. ²⁹ May nations serve you, and the people bow down in front of you. Be the ruler of your brothers. May your mother’s sons bow down in front of you. Cursed be those who curse you, and may good come to those who honor you.”

³⁰ When Isaac had finished praying that good would come to Jacob, Jacob left his father Isaac. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting. ³¹ Then Esau made good-tasting food and brought it to his father, and said, “Sit up, my father, and eat the meat your son has made ready, so you will pray that good will come to me.” ³² His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your first-born, Esau.” ³³ Then Isaac shook all over, and he said, “Who was it then who killed an animal and brought meat to me? I ate all of it before you came! And I prayed that good would come to him! Yes, and good will come to him!”

³⁴ When he heard what his father said, Esau cried out with a loud and sad cry. He said to his father, “Pray that good will come to me also, O my father!” ³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother came in and fooled me. He has taken away the good that was to come to you.”

³⁶ Then Esau said, “Was it not right that he was given the name Jacob? Two times now he has taken what should have been mine. He took away my right as a first-born. And now he has taken away the good that was to come to me.” Then he said, “Can you not pray that good will come to me also?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “See, I have made him to rule over you. I have given him all his brothers as servants. I have given him grain and new wine to keep him alive and well. What then can I do for you, my son?”

³⁸ Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one prayer for good to come, my father? Pray that good will come to me also, O my father.” And Esau gave out a loud cry. ³⁹ Then his father Isaac answered him: “See, the place where you live will be away from the riches of the earth, and away from the water on the grass in the early morning. ⁴⁰ You will live by your sword and you will serve your brother. But when you break loose, you will throw his load off your back.”

Jacob Goes to Laban

⁴¹ Esau hated Jacob because his father had prayed that good would come to Jacob. Esau said to himself, “The days when I will have sorrow for the loss of my father are soon. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.” ⁴² But the words of her older son Esau were told to Rebekah. She called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “See, your brother Esau comforts himself by planning to kill you. ⁴³ So now, my son, do what I tell you. Get ready, and go at once to my brother Laban at Haran. ⁴⁴ Stay with him for a few days, until your brother’s anger goes away. ⁴⁵ When your brother’s anger against you is gone and he forgets what you did to him, then I will send for you and have you return from there. Why should I have sorrow for both of you in one day?”

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob marries one of the daughters of Heth, like these, from the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

Jesus Tells of His Death the Fourth Time ^(A)

26 When Jesus had finished all this teaching, He said to His followers, ² “You know that the special religious supper to remember how the Jews left Egypt is in two days. The Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to a cross.”

³ The religious leaders and the leaders of the people gathered at the house of the head religious leader. His name was Caiaphas. ⁴ They talked together how they might trap Jesus and kill Him. ⁵ But they said, “This must not happen on the day of the special supper. The people would be against it. They would make much trouble.”

Mary of Bethany Puts Special Perfume on Jesus ^(B)

⁶ Jesus was in the town of Bethany in the house of Simon. Simon had a very bad skin disease. ⁷ A woman came with a jar of perfume. She had given much money for this. As Jesus ate, she poured the perfume on His head. ⁸ When the followers saw it, they were angry. They said, “Why was this wasted? ⁹ This perfume could have been sold for much money and given to poor people.”

¹⁰ Jesus knew what they were saying. He said to them, “Why are you giving this woman trouble? She has done a good thing to Me. ¹¹ You will have poor people with you all the time. But you will not have Me with you all the time. ¹² She put this perfume on My body to make it ready for the grave. ¹³ For sure, I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in all the world, this woman will be remembered for what she has done.”

Judas Hands Jesus Over to Be Killed ^(C)

¹⁴ Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve followers. He went to the religious leaders of the Jews. ¹⁵ He said, “What will you pay me if I hand Jesus over to you?” They promised to pay him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From that time on Judas looked for a way to hand Jesus over to them.

Getting Ready for the Special Supper ^(D)

¹⁷ On the first day of the supper of bread without yeast the followers came to Jesus. They said, “What place do You want us to make ready for You to eat the supper of the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt?” ¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will eat the special supper at your house with My followers.”’” ¹⁹ The followers did as Jesus told them. They made things ready for this special supper.

The Last Special Supper ^(E)

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus sat with the twelve followers. ²¹ As they were eating, Jesus said, “For sure, I tell you, one of you will hand Me over.” ²² They were very sad. They said to Him one after the other, “Lord, is it I?” ²³ He said, “The one who will hand Me over is the one who has just put his hand with Mine in the dish. ²⁴ The Son of Man is going away as it is written of Him. It is bad for that man who hands the Son of Man over! It would have been better if he had not been born!” ²⁵ Judas was the one who was handing Jesus over. He said, “Teacher, am I the one?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it.”

The First Lord’s Supper ^(F)

²⁶ As they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread. He gave thanks and broke it in pieces. He gave it to His followers and said, “Take, eat, this is My body.” ²⁷ Then He took the cup and gave thanks. He gave it to them and said, “You must all drink from it. ²⁸ This is My blood of the New Way of Worship which is given for many. It is given so the sins of many can be forgiven. ²⁹ I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine again until that day when I will drink it new with you in the holy nation of My Father.” ³⁰ After they sang a song they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Tells How Peter Will Lie about Him ^(G)

³¹ Jesus said to them, “All of you will be ashamed of Me and leave Me tonight. For it is written, ‘I will kill the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be spread everywhere.’ ^{(H) 32} After I am raised from the dead, I will go before you to the country of Galilee.”

³³ Peter said to Jesus, “Even if all men give up and turn away because of You, I will never.” ³⁴ Jesus said to him, “For sure, I tell you, before a rooster crows this night, you will say three times you do not know Me.” ³⁵ Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never say I do not know You.” And all the followers said the same thing.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane ^(I)

³⁶ Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “You sit here while I go over there to pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him. He began to have much sorrow and a heavy heart. ³⁸ Then He said to them, “My soul is very sad. My soul is so full of sorrow I am ready to die. You stay here and watch with Me.”

³⁹ He went on a little farther and got down with His face on the ground. He prayed, “My Father, if it can be done, take away what is before Me. Even so, not what I want but what You want.”

⁴⁰ Then He came to the followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Were you not able to watch with Me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray so that you will not be tempted. Man’s spirit is willing, but the body does not have the power to do it.”

⁴² He went away again the second time. He prayed, saying, “My Father, if this must happen to Me, may whatever You want be done.” ⁴³ He came and found them asleep again. Their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ He went away from them the third time and prayed the same prayer.

⁴⁵ Then He came to His followers and asked them, “Are you still sleeping and getting your rest? As I speak, the time has come when the Son of Man will be handed over to sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up and let us go. See! The man who will hand Me over is near.”

Jesus Handed Over to Sinners ^(J)

⁴⁷ Judas, one of the twelve followers, came while Jesus was talking. He came with many others who had swords and sticks. They came from the religious leaders of the Jews and the leaders of the people. ⁴⁸ The man who handed Jesus over gave the men something to look for. He said, “The One I kiss is the One you want. Take Him!” ⁴⁹ At once Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Hello, Teacher,” and kissed Him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came and put their hands on Jesus and took Him.

⁵¹ One of those with Jesus took his sword. He hit the servant who was owned by the religious leader and cut off his ear. ⁵² Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back where it belongs. Everyone who uses a sword will die with a sword. ⁵³ Do you not think that I can pray to My Father? At once He would send Me more than 70,000 angels. ⁵⁴ If I did, how could it happen as the Holy Writings said it would happen? It must be this way.”

⁵⁵ Then Jesus said to the many people, “Have you come with swords and sticks to take Me as if I were a robber? I have been with you every day teaching in the house of God. You never put your hands on Me then. ⁵⁶ But this has happened as the early preachers said in the Holy Writings it would happen.” Then all the followers left Him and ran away.

Jesus Stands in Front of the Religious Leaders ^(K)

⁵⁷ Those who had taken Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas. He was the head religious leader. The teachers of the Law and the other leaders were gathered there. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed Him a long way behind while going to the house of the head religious leader. Then he went in and sat with the helpers to see what would happen.

⁵⁹ The religious leaders and the other leaders and all the court were looking for false things to say against Jesus. They wanted some reason to kill Him. ⁶⁰ They found none, but many came and told false things about Him. At last two came to the front. ⁶¹ They said, “This Man said, ‘I am able to destroy the house of God and build it up again in three days.’”

⁶² Then the head religious leader stood up. He said to Jesus, “Have You nothing to say? What about the things these men are saying against You?” ⁶³ Jesus said nothing. Then the head religious leader said to Him, “In the name of the living God, I tell You to say the truth. Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “What you said is true. I say to you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated on the right hand of the All-powerful God. You will see Him coming on the clouds of the sky.”

⁶⁵ Then the head religious leader tore his clothes apart. He said, “He has spoken as if He were God! Do we need other people to speak against Him yet? You have heard Him speak as if He were God! ⁶⁶ What do you think?” They said, “He is guilty of death!”

⁶⁷ Then they spit on His face. They hit Him with their hands. Others beat Him. ⁶⁸ They said, “Tell us, Christ, You Who can tell what is going to happen, who hit You?”

Peter Said He Did Not Know Jesus ^(L)

⁶⁹ Peter sat outside in the yard. A young servant-girl came to him. She said, “You were also with Jesus Who is from the country of Galilee!” ⁷⁰ But Peter lied in front of all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹ After he had gone out, another young servant-girl saw him. She said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷² Again he lied and swore, “I do not know this Man!” ⁷³ After a little while some of the people standing around came up to Peter and said, “For sure, you are one of them. You talk like they do.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to say bad words and swear. He said, “I do not know the Man!” At once a rooster crowed.

⁷⁵ Peter remembered the words Jesus had said to him, “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times you do not know Me.” Peter went outside and cried with loud cries.

Haman Wants to Destroy the Jews

3 After these things King Ahasuerus raised Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, to a more important duty. He was made to rule over all the princes who were with him. ² All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and gave honor to Haman, for the king had said that this should be done. But Mordecai did not bow down or give him honor. ³ Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why are you not obeying the king?” ⁴ They spoke to him each day, but he would not listen to them. So they told Haman to see if Mordecai’s reason was good enough. For he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or honor him, he was very angry. ⁶ But he did not want to only hurt Mordecai. They had told him who the people of Mordecai were and Haman wanted to destroy all the Jews. He wanted to destroy all the people of Mordecai in the whole nation of Ahasuerus.

⁷ In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, names were drawn in front of Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, the month of Adar. ⁸ Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people spread out among the people in all the parts of your nation whose laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not good for the king to let them stay. ⁹ If it pleases the king, let it be made known that they should be destroyed. And I will pay silver weighing as much as 10,000 men to those who do the king’s work, to be put into the king’s store-houses.” ¹⁰ Then the king took the special ring from his hand that he used for marking his name and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who hated the Jews. ¹¹ And the king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also. Do with them as you please.” ¹² Then the king’s writers were called on the thirteenth day of the first month. And all that Haman had said was written to the king’s rulers who were over each part of the land, and to the princes of each people. It was written to each part in its own writing, and in the language of each people. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and marked with the king’s special ring. ¹³ Men were sent with letters to all the king’s lands, to destroy, to kill, and to put an end to all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day. This was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. And they could take the things that belonged to the Jews. ¹⁴ The letters were to be made a law in every land to all the people so that they should be ready for this day. ¹⁵ The men went out with the letters in a hurry as the king told them. And the law was made known in the city of Susa where the king lived. While the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was troubled.

Paul Speaks to King Agrippa

26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now speak for yourself.” Paul lifted his hand and started to talk, ² “King Agrippa, the Jews have said many things against me. I am happy to be able to tell you my side of the story. ³ You know all about the Jewish ways and problems. So I ask you to listen to me until I have finished.

⁴ “All the Jews know about my life from the time I was a boy until now. I lived among my own people in Jerusalem. ⁵ If they would tell what they know, they would say that I lived the life of a proud religious law-keeper. I was in the group of proud religious law-keepers who tried to obey every law.

⁶ “And now I am on trial here because I trust the promise God made to our fathers. ⁷ This promise is what our twelve family groups of the Jewish nation hope to see happen. They worship God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that they are saying things against me. ⁸ Why do you think it is hard to believe that God raises people from the dead?

⁹ “I used to think I should work hard against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ I did that in Jerusalem. I put many of the followers in prison. The head religious leaders gave me the right and the power to do it. Then when the followers were killed, I said it was all right. ¹¹ I beat them and tried to make them speak against God in all the Jewish places of worship. In my fight against them, I kept going after them even into cities in other countries.

¹² “When I was going to Damascus to do this, I had the right and the power from the head religious leaders to make it hard for the followers. ¹³ I was on the road at noon. King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun. It was shining around me and the men with me. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in the Jewish language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you working so hard against Me? You hurt yourself by trying to hurt Me.’ ¹⁵ I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, the One you are working against. ¹⁶ Get up. Stand on your feet. I have chosen you to work for Me. You will tell what you have seen and you will say what I want you to say. This is the reason I have allowed you to see Me. ¹⁷ I will keep you safe from the Jews and from the people who are not Jews. I am sending you to these people. ¹⁸ You are to open their eyes. You are to turn them from darkness to light. You are to turn them from the power of Satan to the power of God. In this way, they may have their sins forgiven. They may have what is given to them, along with all those who are set apart for God by having faith in Me.’

¹⁹ “King Agrippa, I obeyed what I saw from heaven. ²⁰ First I told what I saw to those in Damascus and then in Jerusalem. I told it through all the country of Judea. I even preached to the people who are not Jews that they should be sorry for their sins and turn from them to God. I told them they should do things to show they are sorry for their sins.

²¹ “That is why the Jews took hold of me in the house of God and tried to kill me. ²² God has helped me. To this day I have told these things to the people who are well-known and to those not known. I have told only what the early preachers and Moses said would happen. ²³ It was that Christ must suffer and be the first to rise from the dead. He would give light to the Jews and to the other nations.”

²⁴ As Paul was speaking for himself, Festus cried out in a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! All your learning keeps you from thinking right!” ²⁵ Paul said, “Most respected Festus, I am not crazy. I am speaking the truth! ²⁶ The king knows about all this. I am free to speak to him in plain words. Nothing I have said is new to him. These things happened where everyone saw them. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the writings of the early preachers? I know that you believe them.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “In this short time you have almost proven to me that I should become a Christian!” ²⁹ Paul said, “My prayer to God is that you and all who hear me today would be a Christian as I am, only not have these chains!” ³⁰ King Agrippa and Festus and Bernice and those who sat with them got up. ³¹ As they left the courtroom, they said to each other, “This man has done nothing for which he should be kept in prison or be put to death.” ³² Agrippa told Festus, “This man could go free if he had not asked to be sent to Caesar.”