M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
30 When Rachel saw that she was not having children for Jacob, she ·envied [was jealous of] her sister Leah. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” 2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “·Can I do what only God can do [L Am I in the place of God]? He ·is the one who has kept you from having children [L has withheld the fruit of your womb].”
3 Then Rachel said, “Here is my slave girl Bilhah. ·Have sexual relations with [L Go to] her so she can ·give birth to a child for me [L bear a child on my knees]. Then I can ·have my own family [L be built up] through her.”
4 So Rachel gave Bilhah, her slave girl, to Jacob as a ·wife [or concubine], and he ·had sexual relations with [L went to] her. 5 Bilhah ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave Jacob a son. 6 Rachel said, “God has ·judged me innocent [vindicated me]. He has listened to my prayer and has given me a son,” so she named him Dan [C sounds like “he has judged” in Hebrew].
7 Bilhah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have ·struggled [or wrestled] hard with my sister, and I have won.” So she named that son Naphtali [C sounds like “my struggle/wrestling” in Hebrew].
9 Leah saw that she had stopped having children, so she gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob as a ·wife [or concubine]. 10 When Zilpah, the slave girl of Leah, ·got pregnant [conceived] and had a son, 11 Leah said, “·I am lucky [Good fortune],” so she named him Gad [C sounds like “lucky” in Hebrew]. 12 Zilpah, the slave girl of Leah, gave birth to another son, 13 and Leah said, “I am very ·happy [or blessed]! Now women will call me ·happy [or blessed],” so she named him Asher [C sounds like “happy/blessed” in Hebrew].
14 During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the field and found some mandrake plants [C an aphrodisiac, also thought to increase fertility] and brought them to his mother Leah. But Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 Leah answered, “·You have already [L Is it a minor matter that you have] taken away my husband, and now you are trying to take away my son’s mandrakes.”
But Rachel answered, “If you will give me your son’s mandrakes, you may ·sleep [L lie] with Jacob tonight.”
16 When Jacob came in from the field ·that night [in the evening], Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You will ·have sexual relations with [L come to] me tonight because I have ·paid for [bought; hired] you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob ·slept [L lay] with her that night.
17 Then God ·answered Leah’s prayer [L heard Leah], and she ·became pregnant [L conceived] again. She gave birth to a fifth son 18 and said, “God has given me what I ·paid for [bought; hired], because I gave my slave girl to my husband.” So Leah named her son Issachar [C sounds like “paid for” in Hebrew].
19 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to a sixth son. 20 ·She [L Leah] said, “God has given me a fine ·gift [dowry]. Now surely Jacob will ·honor [exalt] me, because I have given him six sons,” so she named him Zebulun [C sounds like “honor” in Hebrew]. 21 Later Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah [ch. 34].
22 Then God remembered Rachel and ·answered her prayer [L heard her], ·making it possible for her to have children [L and opened her womb]. 23 When she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to a son, she said, “God has taken away my ·shame [reproach],” 24 and she named him Joseph [C sounds like “he adds” in Hebrew]. Rachel said, “I wish the Lord would ·give [L add to] me another son.”
Jacob Tricks Laban
25 ·After the birth of [At the time that Rachel gave birth to] Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now ·let me [L send me away that I might] go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children and let me go. I have earned them by working for you, and you know that I have served you well.”
27 Laban said to him, “If I have ·pleased you [L found grace in your eyes], please stay. I ·know [or have learned by divination that] the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 ·Tell me what I should pay you [Name your price], and I will give it to you.”
29 Jacob answered, “You know that I have worked hard for you, and [L how] your ·flocks [herds; or cattle] have ·grown while I cared for them [L have done with me]. 30 When I came, you had little, but now you have ·much [L increased many times]. ·Every time I did something for you [Wherever I turned; L At my feet], the Lord blessed you. But when will I be able to do something for my own ·family [household; L house]?”
31 Laban asked, “Then what should I give you?”
Jacob answered, “I don’t want you to give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I will come back and ·take care of [L feed and watch] your flocks. 32 Today let me ·go [pass] through all your flocks. I will ·take [remove] every speckled or spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. That will be my ·pay [wage; hire]. 33 In the future ·you can easily see if I am honest [L my honesty/righteousness will answer for me]. When you come to look at my flocks, if I have any goat that isn’t speckled or spotted or any lamb that isn’t black, you will know I stole it.”
34 Laban answered, “Agreed! We will do what you ·ask [L say].” 35 But that day Laban ·took away [removed] all the male goats that had streaks or spots, all the speckled and spotted female goats (all those that had white on them), and all the black sheep. He told his sons to ·watch over [take charge of] them. 36 Then he took these animals to a place that was three days’ journey away from Jacob. Jacob ·took care of [pastured] all the flocks that were left.
37 So Jacob cut ·green [fresh] ·branches [rods] from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off some of the bark so that the ·branches [rods] had white stripes on them. 38 He put the ·branches [rods] in front of the flocks at the watering ·places [troughs]. When the animals came to drink, they ·also mated there [L were in heat], 39 so the flocks mated in front of the branches [rods]. Then the young that were born were streaked, speckled, or spotted [C since nothing in Jacob’s strategy would have produced this result, God must have done it]. 40 Jacob separated the young animals from the others, and he made them face the streaked and dark animals in Laban’s flock. Jacob kept his animals separate from Laban’s. 41 When the stronger animals in the flock were ·mating [L in heat], Jacob put the ·branches [rods] before their eyes so they would mate near the branches. 42 But when the ·weaker [feebler] animals ·mated [L were in heat], Jacob did not put the ·branches [rods] there. So the animals born from the ·weaker [feebler] animals were Laban’s, and those born from the stronger animals were Jacob’s. 43 In this way ·Jacob [L the man] became very rich. He had large flocks, many male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.
John Prepares for Jesus(A)
1 This is the beginning of the ·Good News [Gospel] ·about [of] Jesus Christ, the Son of God,[a] 2 as the prophet Isaiah wrote:
“[Look; T Behold,] I ·will send [am sending] my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way [Mal. 3:1].”
3 “This is a voice of one
who ·calls out [shouts; cries out] in the ·desert [wilderness]:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make ·the road straight [a clear path] for him [Is. 40:3].’”
4 John [C the Baptist] was baptizing people in the ·desert [wilderness] and preaching a baptism of ·changed hearts and lives [turning from sin; repentance] for the ·forgiveness [remission] of sins. 5 All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to him. They confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothes made from camel’s hair, had a leather belt around his waist [C reminiscent of the prophet Elijah; 2 Kin. 1:8], and ate locusts and wild honey [C signifies living off the land]. 7 This is what John preached to the people: “There is one coming after me who is ·greater [mightier; more powerful] than I; I am not ·good enough [fit; qualified] even to kneel down and untie [L the thong/strap of] his sandals [C a task of a servant or slave]. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus Is Baptized and Tested(B)
9 ·At that time [In those days] Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 Immediately, as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw ·heaven [the sky] ·open [split open]. The ·Holy Spirit [L Spirit] ·came down [descended] on him like a dove [C either in the form of a dove, or in bird-like descent], 11 and a voice came from heaven: “You are my ·Son, whom I love [dearly beloved Son; Ps. 2:7; Gen. 22:2], ·and I am very pleased with you [in whom I take great delight; Is. 42:1].”
12 ·Then [Immediately] the Spirit ·sent [drove; compelled] Jesus into the ·desert [wilderness]. 13 He was in the ·desert [wilderness] forty days [C analogous to Israel’s forty years] and was ·tempted [or tested] by Satan [C as both Adam and Eve and the nation Israel in the wilderness were tempted, but failed]. He was with the wild animals [C dangerous or perhaps Eden-like conditions], and the angels came and ·took care of [served; ministered to] him.
Jesus Announces the Good News(C)
14 After John was put in prison [C by Herod Antipas; cf. 6:14–29], Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the ·Good News [Gospel] ·from [about] God. 15 He said, “The ·right time has come [L time is fulfilled]. ·The kingdom of God [God’s sovereign rule] is ·near [at hand]. ·Change your hearts and lives [Turn from your sins; Repent] and believe the ·Good News [Gospel]!”
Jesus Chooses His First Followers(D)
16 When Jesus was walking by ·Lake Galilee [T the Sea of Galilee], he saw Simon [C Peter; cf. 3:16] and his brother Andrew ·throwing [casting] a net into the lake because they were fishermen. 17 Jesus said to them, “Come ·follow me [be my disciples], and I will ·make you [teach you how to] fish for people.” 18 So Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed him.
19 Going a little farther, Jesus saw two more brothers, ·James and John, the sons of Zebedee [L James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John]. They were in a boat, ·mending [preparing] their nets. 20 Jesus immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers and followed Jesus.
Jesus Forces Out an Evil Spirit(E)
21 Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] went to Capernaum [C a town on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee; it became Jesus’ home base]. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught ·like [as] a person who had authority, not ·like [as] ·their teachers of the law [the scribes; C experts in the law of Moses]. 23 Just then, a man was there in the synagogue who had an ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit in him. [C Demons were viewed as “unclean” or defiling spirit-beings.] He shouted, 24 “Jesus ·of Nazareth [the Nazarene]! ·What do you want with us? [Let us alone!; What business do we have with each other? L What to us and to you?] Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!”
25 Jesus ·commanded [reprimanded; rebuked] the evil spirit, “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” 26 The ·evil [defiling; L unclean] spirit ·shook the man violently [threw him into convulsions], gave a ·loud cry [shriek], and then came out of him.
27 The people were [L all] so amazed they asked each other, “What is happening here? This man is teaching something new, and with authority. He even gives ·commands [orders] to ·evil [defiling; L unclean; v. 23] spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And the ·news [report; fame] about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the area of Galilee.
Jesus Heals Many People(F)
29 As soon as Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] left the synagogue, they went to the home of Simon [C Peter; 3:16] and Andrew, together with James and John. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, and ·the people [L they; C either the people or the disciples] told Jesus about her. 31 So Jesus went to her bed, took her hand, and ·helped [raised] her up. The fever left her, and she began ·serving them [waiting on them; C presumably meal preparation].
32 That evening, after the sun went down, the people brought to Jesus all who were sick and ·had demons in them [were demon-possessed]. 33 The whole town gathered at the door. 34 Jesus healed many who had different kinds of sicknesses, and he ·forced many demons to leave people [L drove/cast out many demons]. But he would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was. [C They knew he was the Messiah; Jesus wanted to avoid premature publicity.]
35 [Very] Early the next morning, while it was still dark, Jesus ·woke [got up] and left the house. He went to a ·lonely [isolated; deserted] place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his ·friends [companions] went to look for Jesus. 37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus answered, “·We should [Let us] go to other towns around here so I can preach there too. That is the reason I came.” 39 So he went everywhere in Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and ·forcing [driving; casting] out demons.
Jesus Heals a Sick Man(G)
40 A man with ·a skin disease [T leprosy; C the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; Lev. 14] came to Jesus. He fell to his knees and begged Jesus, “You can ·heal me [L make me clean; C leprosy rendered a person ceremonially defiled (“unclean”), and so unable to participate in Israel’s religious life] if you ·will [are willing; want to].”
41 Jesus felt ·sorry[b] [compassion] for the man, so he reached out his hand and touched him and said, “I ·will [am willing; want to]. Be ·healed [L cleansed]!” 42 Immediately the ·disease [T leprosy] left the man, and he was ·healed [L cleansed].
43 Jesus told the man to go away at once, but he warned him strongly, 44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest. And offer the ·gift [offering; sacrifices] Moses commanded for ·people who are made well [L your cleansing; Lev. 14:1–32]. This will ·show the people [be a public testimony to; be evidence for] what I have done.” 45 The man left there, but he began to tell everyone that Jesus had healed him, and so he spread ·the news about Jesus [L the message/word]. As a result, Jesus could not enter a town ·if people saw him [publicly]. He stayed in ·places where nobody lived [secluded/deserted places], but people ·came [kept coming] to him from everywhere.
Mordecai Is Honored
6 That same night the ·king could not sleep [L king’s sleep fled]. So he gave an order for the ·daily court record [book of history/remembrances, the annals/chronicles] to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded that Mordecai had warned the king about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s ·officers [eunuchs] who guarded the doorway and who had ·planned [plotted] to ·kill [assassinate] the king.
3 The king asked, “What honor and ·reward [recognition; distinction; L greatness] have been given to Mordecai for this?”
The king’s ·personal servants [attendants] answered, “Nothing has been done for Mordecai.”
4 The king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s ·palace [L house]. He had come to ask the king about ·hanging [impaling] Mordecai on the ·platform [pole] he had prepared.
5 The king’s ·personal servants [attendants] said, “Haman is standing in the courtyard.”
The king said, “Bring him in.”
6 So Haman came in. And the king asked him, “What should be done for a man whom the king ·wants very much [delights] to honor?”
And Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king want to honor more than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “Do this for the man you ·want very much [delight] to honor. 8 Have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn. And also bring a horse with a royal ·crown [crest; emblem; insignia] on its head, a horse that the king himself has ridden. 9 Let the robe and the horse be given to one of the king’s most ·important [noble] ·men [officials]. Let ·them [or him] ·put the robe on [clothe; array; robe] the man the king ·wants [delights] to honor, and let ·them [or him] lead him on the horse through the city ·streets [square]. Let ·them [or him] announce: ‘This is what is done for the man whom the king ·wants [delights] to honor!’”
10 The king commanded Haman, “Go quickly. Take the robe and the horse just as you have said, and do all this for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king’s gate. Do not ·leave out [neglect; L let fall] anything you have ·suggested [recommended].”
11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, and he ·put the robe on [clothed; arrayed; robed] Mordecai. Then he led him on horseback through the city ·streets [square], announcing before Mordecai: “This is what is done for the man whom the king ·wants [delights] to honor!”
12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried home with his head covered in ·mourning [humiliation]. 13 He told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends everything that had happened to him.
Haman’s wife and ·advisers [wise friends] said, “You are ·starting to lose power to [L beginning to fall before] Mordecai. ·Since [or If] he is ·a Jew [L from the seed of the Jews], you cannot ·win [prevail; stand] against him. You will surely ·be ruined [fall before him].” 14 While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs came to Haman’s house and hurried him to the banquet Esther had prepared.
1 From Paul, a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of Christ Jesus. ·God called me [L …called] to be an ·apostle [messenger] and ·chose me [set me apart; appointed me] to tell the ·Good News [Gospel].
2 God promised this ·Good News [Gospel] ·long ago [beforehand; previously] through his prophets, as it is written in the Holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about God’s Son. ·As a man [or With reference to his earthly life; L According to the flesh], he was born ·from the family [a descendant; L of the seed] of David [2 Sam. 7:11–14]. 4 But through the Spirit of holiness [C a Jewish way of referring to the Holy Spirit] he was ·declared [or designated; appointed] to be God’s Son with great power by rising from the dead [C though eternally the Son of God, Jesus was appointed such “with power” at his resurrection; see Ps. 2:7; 110:1–2]. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through ·Christ [L whom], ·God gave me the special work of an apostle [L we have received apostleship; C “we” could be a formal way of saying “I,” or could refer to Paul and the other apostles], which was to lead ·people of all nations [the Gentiles] to ·believe and obey [or the obedience that comes from faith; or the obedience that is faith]. I do this work for ·him [L his name]. 6 And you who are in Rome are also among those [C Gentiles] called to belong to Jesus Christ.
7 To all of you in Rome whom God loves and has called to be ·his holy people [T saints]:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Prayer of Thanks
8 First I want to say that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because people everywhere in the world are talking about your faith. 9 God, whom I serve ·with my whole heart [in/with my spirit] ·by telling [or for the sake of; L in] the ·Good News [Gospel] about his Son, ·knows [L is my witness] that I ·always [continually; never cease to] mention you 10 every time I pray. I pray that now at last ·if God wants it [by God’s will] I will ·be allowed to come [succeed in coming] to you. 11 I ·want very much [long] to see you, to ·give [impart to; or share with] you some spiritual gift to make you strong. 12 I mean that I want us to ·help each other [be mutually encouraged/comforted] ·with the faith we have [by each other’s faith]. ·Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you [L …both yours and mine]. 13 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I ·planned [intended] many times to come to you, but ·this has not been possible [L have been hindered/ unsuccessful until now]. I wanted to come so that I could ·help you grow spiritually [L harvest some fruit among you] as I have ·helped the other [L among the rest of the] Gentiles.
14 I have a ·duty [obligation; debt] to all people—Greeks and ·those who are not Greeks [or barbarians; C this pairing could mean (1) ethnic Greeks and other Gentiles; (2) Greek speakers (people in the Roman empire) and non-Greek speakers (those outside the Roman empire); or (3) cultured people and uncultured people], the wise and the foolish [C perhaps contrasting educated with uneducated, or philosophically sophisticated (1 Cor. 1:18–31) with simple-minded]. 15 That is why I ·want so much [am so eager] to preach the ·Good News [Gospel] to you in Rome.
16 [L For] I am not ashamed of the ·Good News [Gospel], because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes—to save the Jews first, and then to save ·Gentiles [L the Greeks; C here meaning anyone who is not Jewish; contrast v. 14]. 17 The ·Good News [Gospel] shows ·how God makes people right with himself [or God’s righteous character; L the righteousness of/from God]—·that it begins and ends with faith [or that advances from one believing person to the next; or that begins with God’s faithfulness and results in people’s faith; L from faith to faith]. As the Scripture says, “But ·those who are right with God will live by faith [or those made righteous through faith will live (eternally); Hab. 2:4].”
All People Have Sinned
18 [L For] God’s ·anger [wrath; retribution] is ·shown [being revealed] from heaven against all the ·evil [ungodly] and ·wrong [wicked; unrighteous] things people do. By their ·own evil lives [wickedness; unrighteousness] they ·hide [suppress] the truth. 19 God ·shows [reveals] his ·anger [wrath; retribution] because ·some knowledge of [what can be known about] him has been made ·clear [plain; evident] to them. Yes, God has ·shown himself [revealed/disclosed it] to them. 20 For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and ·all the things that make him God [his divine nature]—have been clearly ·seen [perceived], understood through what God has made. So people have no excuse. 21 They knew God, but they did not give glory to God or thank him. Their thinking became ·useless [futile; pointless]. Their ·foolish [ignorant; uncomprehending] ·minds [L hearts] were ·filled with darkness [darkened]. 22 They claimed to be wise, but they became fools. 23 They ·traded [exchanged] the glory of ·God who lives forever [the immortal/imperishable God] for the worship of ·idols [images] made to look like ·earthly [mortal; perishable] people, birds, animals, and reptiles.
24 Because they did these things, God ·abandoned them to [allowed them to pursue; gave them over to] ·their sinful desires [L the desires of their hearts], resulting in ·sexual impurity [L uncleanness; impurity] and the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. 25 They ·traded [exchanged] the truth of God for ·a lie [or the lie; see Gen. 3:4–5] and worshiped and served ·the creation [or the creature; or created things] instead of the Creator, who ·should be praised [or is blessed] forever. Amen.
26 Because people did those things, God ·abandoned them to [allowed them to pursue; gave them over to] ·shameful [dishonorable; degrading] ·lusts [passions]. [L Their] Women ·stopped having natural sex and started having sex with other women [L exchanged natural (heterosexual) relations for unnatural ones]. 27 In the same way, men ·stopped having [abandoned] natural ·sex [L relations with women] and ·began wanting [L were inflamed in their lust for] each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and in ·their bodies [L themselves] they received the ·punishment [recompense; due penalty] for ·those wrongs [their error].
28 [L And since/just as] People did not ·think it was important [consider it worthwhile; see fit] to ·have a true knowledge of [or acknowledge] God. So God ·abandoned them to [allowed them to pursue; gave them over to] ·their own worthless thinking [a depraved/corrupted mind] to do things they should not do. 29 They are filled with every kind of ·sin [unrighteousness; injustice], ·evil [wickedness], ·selfishness [greed], and ·hatred [evil; malice; depravity]. They are full of ·jealousy [envy], murder, ·fighting [strife; quarreling], ·lying [deceit; treachery], and ·thinking the worst about each other [spite; maliciousness]. They are gossips 30 and ·say evil things about each other [slanderers; backstabbers]. They hate God. They are ·rude [insolent; haughty] and ·conceited [proud; arrogant] and ·brag about themselves [boastful]. They invent ways of doing evil. They do not ·obey [respect] their parents. 31 They are ·foolish [senseless; undiscerning], they ·do not keep their promises [or are covenant-breakers], and they show no ·kindness [love; affection] or ·mercy [pity] to others. 32 They know God’s ·law says [righteous decree; just requirement] that those who live like this should die. But they themselves not only continue to do these evil things, they ·applaud [approve of; encourage] others who do them.
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