M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
33 And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia, and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids:
2 And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last.
3 And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times until his brother came near.
4 Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept.
5 And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me thy servant.
6 Then the handmaids and their children came near, and bowed themselves.
7 Lia also with her children came near, and bowed down in like manner, and last of all Joseph and Rachel bowed down.
8 And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord.
9 But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself.
10 And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be gracious to me,
11 And take the blessing, which I have brought thee, and which God hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother's earnest pressing him,
12 And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey.
13 And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die.
14 May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in Seir.
15 Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight.
16 So Esau returned, that day, the way that he came, to Seir.
17 And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents.
18 And he passed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town:
19 And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem for a hundred lambs.
20 And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel.
4 And again he began to teach by the sea side; and a great multitude was gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a ship, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude was upon the land by the sea side.
2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine:
3 Hear ye: Behold, the sower went out to sow.
4 And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up.
5 And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth.
6 And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And some fell upon good ground; and brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased and yielded, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.
9 And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And when he was alone, the twelve that were with him asked him the parable.
11 And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand: lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
13 And he saith to them: Are you ignorant of this parable? and how shall you know all parables?
14 He that soweth, soweth the word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, and as soon as they have heard, immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
17 And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized.
18 And others there are who are sown among thorns: these are they that hear the word,
19 And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless.
20 And these are they who are sown upon the good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and yield fruit, the one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.
21 And he said to them: Doth a candle come in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be made manifest: neither was it made secret, but that it may come abroad.
23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
24 And he said to them: Take heed what you hear. In what measure you shall mete, it shall be measured to you again, and more shall be given to you.
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, that also which he hath shall be taken away from him.
26 And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the earth,
27 And should sleep, and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring, and grow up whilst he knoweth not.
28 For the earth of itself bringeth forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full corn in the ear.
29 And when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30 And he said: To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? or to what parable shall we compare it?
31 It is as a grain of mustard seed: which when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth:
32 And when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the birds of the air may dwell under the shadow thereof.
33 And with many such parables, he spoke to them the word, according as they were able to hear.
34 And without parable he did not speak unto them; but apart, he explained all things to his disciples.
35 And he saith to them that day, when evening was come: Let us pass over to the other side.
36 And sending away the multitude, they take him even as he was in the ship: and there were other ships with him.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that the ship was filled.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, sleeping upon a pillow; and they awake him, and say to him: Master, doth it not concern thee that we perish?
39 And rising up, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Peace, be still. And the wind ceased: and there was made a great calm.
40 And he said to them: Why are you fearful? have you not faith yet? And they feared exceedingly: and they said one to another: Who is this (thinkest thou) that both wind and sea obey him?
9 So on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which as we have said above is called Adar, when all the Jews were designed to be massacred, and their enemies were greedy after their blood, the case being altered, the Jews began to have the upper hand, and to revenge themselves of their adversaries.
2 And they gathered themselves together in every city, and town, and place, to lay their hands on their enemies, and their persecutors. And no one durst withstand them, for the fear of their power had gone through every people.
3 And the judges of the provinces, and the governors, and lieutenants, and every one in dignity, that presided over every place and work, extolled the Jews for fear of Mardochai:
4 For they knew him to be prince of the palace, and to have great power: and the fame of his name increased daily, and was spread abroad through all men's mouths.
5 So the Jews made a great slaughter of their enemies, and killed them, repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them:
6 Insomuch that even in Susan they killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Aman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews: whose names are these:
7 Pharsandatha, and Delphon, and Esphatha,
8 And Phoratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
9 And Phermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Jezatha.
10 And when they had slain them, they would not touch the spoils of their goods.
11 And presently the number of them that were killed in Susan was brought to the king.
12 And he said to the queen: The Jews have killed five hundred men in the city of Susan, besides the ten sons of Aman: how many dost thou think they have slain in all the provinces? What askest thou more, and what wilt thou have me to command to be done?
13 And she answered: If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews, to do to morrow in Susan as they have done to day, and that the ten sons of Aman may be hanged upon gibbets.
14 And the king commanded that it should be so done. And forthwith the edict was hung up in Susan, and the ten sons of Aman were hanged.
15 And on the fourteenth day of the month Adar the Jews gathered themselves together, and they killed in Susan three hundred men: but they took not their substance.
16 Moreover through all the provinces which were subject to the king's dominion the Jews stood for their lives, and slew their enemies and persecutors: insomuch that the number of them that were Billed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and no man took any of their goods.
17 Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with them all of the slaughter, and on the fourteenth day they left off. Which they ordained to be kept holy day, so that all times hereafter they should celebrate it with feasting, joy, and banquets.
18 But they that were killing in the city of Susan, were employed in the slaughter on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month: and on the fifteenth day they rested. And therefore they appointed that day to be a holy day of feasting and gladness.
19 But those Jews that dwelt in towns not walled and in villages, appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for banquets and gladness, so as to rejoice on that day, and send one another portions of their banquets and meats.
20 And Mardochai wrote all these things, and sent them comprised in letters to the Jews that abode in all the king's provinces, both those that lay near and those afar off,
21 That they should receive the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always at the return of the year should celebrate them with solemn honour:
22 Because on those days the Jews revenged themselves of their enemies, and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy, and that these should be days of feasting and gladness, in which they should send one to another portions of meats; and should give gifts to the poor.
23 And the Jews undertook to observe with solemnity all they had begun to do at that time, which Mardochai by letters had commanded to be done.
24 For Aman, the son of Amadathi of the race of Agag, the enemy and adversary of the Jews, had devised evil against them, to kill them and destroy them: and had cast Phur, that is, the lot.
25 And afterwards Esther went in to the king, beseeching him that his endeavours might be made void by the king's letters: and the evil that he had intended against the Jews, might return upon his own head. And so both he and his sons were hanged upon gibbets.
26 And since that time these days are called Phurim, that is, of lots: because Phur, that is, the lot, was cast into the urn. And all things that were done, are contained in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this book:
27 And the things that they suffered, and that were afterwards changed, the Jews took upon themselves and their seed, and upon all that had a mind to be joined to their religion, so that it should be lawful for none to pass these days without solemnity: which the writing testifieth, and certain times require, as the years continually succeed one another.
28 These are the days which shall never be forgot: and which all provinces in the whole world shall celebrate throughout all generations: neither is there any city wherein the days of Phurim, that is, of lots, must not be observed by the Jews, and by their posterity, which is bound to these ceremonies.
29 And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mardochai the Jew, wrote also a second epistle, that with all diligence this day should be established a festival for the time to come.
30 And they sent to all the Jews that were in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of king Assuerus, that they should have peace, and receive truth,
31 And observe the days of lots, and celebrate them with joy in their proper time: as Mardochai and Esther had appointed, and they undertook them to be observed by themselves and by their seed, fasts, and cries, and the days of lots,
32 And all things which are contained in the history of this book, which is called Esther.
10 And king Assuerus made all the land, and all the islands of the sea tributary.
2 And his strength and his empire, and the dignity and greatness wherewith he exalted Mardochai, are written in the books of the Medes, and of the Persians:
3 And how Mardochai of the race of the Jews, was next after king Assuerus: and great among the Jews, and acceptable to the people of his brethren, seeking the good of his people, and speaking those things which were for the welfare of his seed.
4 Then Mardochai said: God hath done these things.
5 I remember a dream that I saw, which signified these same things: and nothing thereof hath failed.
6 The little fountain which grew into a river, and was turned into a light, and into the sun, and abounded into many waters, is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen.
7 But the two dragons are I and Aman.
8 The nations that were assembled are they that endeavoured to destroy the name of the Jews.
9 And my nation is Israel, who cried to the Lord, and the Lord saved his people: and he delivered us from all evils, and hath wrought great signs and wonders among the nations:
10 And he commanded that there should be two lots, one of the people of God, and the other of all the nations.
11 And both lots came to the day appointed already from that time before God to all nations:
12 And the Lord remembered his people, and had mercy on his inheritance.
13 And these days shall be observed in the month of Adar on the fourteenth, and fifteenth day of the same month. with all diligence, and joy of the people gathered into one assembly, throughout all the generations hereafter of the people of Israel.
4 What shall we say then that Abraham hath found, who is our father according to the flesh.
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.
4 Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, yet believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reputed to justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.
6 As David also termeth the blessedness of a man, to whom God reputeth justice without works:
7 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin.
9 This blessedness then, doth it remain in the circumcision only, or in the uncircumcision also? For we say that unto Abraham faith was reputed to justice.
10 How then was it reputed? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the justice of the faith, which he had, being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, being uncircumcised, that unto them also it may be reputed to justice:
12 And might be the father of circumcision; not to them only, that are of the circumcision, but to them also that follow the steps of the faithful, that is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.
13 For not through the law was the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world; but through the justice of faith.
14 For if they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, the promise is made of no effect.
15 For the law worketh wrath. For where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
16 Therefore is it of faith, that according to grace the promise might be firm to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written: I have made thee a father of many nations,) before God, whom he believed, who quickeneth the dead; and calleth those things that are not, as those that are.
18 Who against hope believed in hope; that he might be made the father of many nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed be.
19 And he was not weak in faith; neither did he consider his own body now dead, whereas he was almost an hundred years old, nor the dead womb of Sara.
20 In the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust; but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God:
21 Most fully knowing, that whatsoever he has promised, he is able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was reputed to him unto justice.
23 Now it is not written only for him, that it was reputed to him unto justice,
24 But also for us, to whom it shall be reputed, if we believe in him, that raised up Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead,
25 Who was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification.
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