M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
5 All the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings by the sea heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed. And their hearts became weak. There was no spirit in them any more because of the people of Israel.
2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Make knives for yourselves out of hard stone. And cut the piece of skin from the sex part of the sons of Israel as before.” 3 So Joshua made knives of hard stone. Then he had the sons of Israel go through this religious act at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason why Joshua had them go through this religious act. All the males who had come out of Egypt, all the soldiers, had died in the desert on the way from Egypt. 5 All the people who came out went through this religious act. But all the people who were born in the desert on the way from Egypt had not gone through this religious act. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the desert, until all the men of war who came out of Egypt died, because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord. The Lord had promised them that He would not let them see the land He had promised to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So Joshua went through the religious act on their children, whom the Lord raised up in their place. For they had not gone through this religious act along the way. 8 When the whole nation had gone through this religious act, they stayed in their places among the tents until they were healed. 9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the shame of Egypt.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 The people of Israel stayed at Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. 11 On the very next day after the Passover, they ate some of the food of the land. They ate bread without yeast, and dry grain. 12 The bread from heaven stopped on the day after they had eaten some of the food of the land. So the people of Israel no longer had bread from heaven. But they ate food of the land of Canaan during that year.
13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing near him with his sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said, “Are you for us or for those who hate us?” 14 “No,” He said, “I have now come as Captain of the army of the Lord.” Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshiped, and said to Him, “What has my Lord to say to His servant?” 15 The Captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your shoes off your feet. For the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
6 Now the gates of Jericho were all shut because of the people of Israel. No one went out and no one came in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and soldiers. 3 Walk around the city. Have all the men of war go around the city once. Do this for six days. 4 Seven religious leaders will carry seven rams’ horns. They will walk in front of the special box of the agreement. Then on the seventh day you will walk around the city seven times. And the religious leaders will blow horns. 5 When you hear the long sound of the ram’s horn, all the people should call out with a loud noise. The wall of the city will fall to the ground. And then all the people will all go in the city.”
A Prayer for the House of God
132 O Lord, remember David and all of his suffering. 2 Remember how he swore to the Lord, and how he made a promise to the Powerful One of Jacob: 3 “For sure I will not go into my house or lie on my bed, 4 or let sleep come and close my eyes, 5 until I find a place for the Lord, a house of worship for the Powerful One of Jacob.”
6 See, we heard about it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar. 7 Let us go into the House of God. Let us worship at His feet. 8 Rise up, O Lord. Go to the place where You can rest, You and the special box of the Way of Worship which is Your strength. 9 Let Your religious leaders be dressed with what is right and good. And let those who belong to You sing for joy.
10 Because of David Your servant, do not turn away from Your chosen one. 11 The Lord has made a sure promise to David that He will never break: “I will set upon your throne your own children. 12 If your sons will keep My Law and My Word which I will teach them, then their sons will sit upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion. He has wanted it for a place to live: 14 “This is the place where I can rest forever. Here I will live, for I have wanted it. 15 I will give her many good things. I will give her poor people much bread. 16 I will dress her religious leaders with saving power. And those in her that belong to Me will sing for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow and will make a lamp ready for My chosen one. 18 I will dress those who hate him with shame. But the crown on him will shine.”
A Song of Praise
133 See, how good and how pleasing it is for brothers to live together as one! 2 It is like oil of great worth poured on the head, flowing down through the hair on the face, even the face of Aaron, and flowing down to his coat. 3 It is like the morning water of Hermon coming down upon the hills of Zion. For there the Lord has given the gift of life that lasts forever.
A Call to Praise
134 See, give honor and thanks to the Lord, all who work for the Lord, who stand during the night in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and give thanks to the Lord. 3 May the Lord bring good to you from Zion. He is the One Who made heaven and earth.
God’s Ways Are Right and Good
65 “I let Myself be looked for by those who did not ask for Me. I let Myself be found by those who did not look for Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that did not call on My name. 2 All day long I held out My hand to a people who would not obey Me and who worked against Me. They walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts. 3 These people always make Me angry, giving gifts of worship in gardens and burning special perfume on altars of clay blocks. 4 They sit among graves, and spend the night in secret places. They eat the flesh of pigs, and have boiled meat that is unclean in their pots. 5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself. Do not come near me. For I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in My nose, a fire that burns all the day. 6 See, it is written before Me: ‘I will not keep quiet, but I will pay them back. I will pay them back into their breast, 7 for both their own sins and the sins of their fathers,’” says the Lord. “Because they have burned special perfume on the mountains and have spoken against Me on the hills, I will give them into their breasts the full pay for what they have done.”
8 The Lord says, “New wine is found in the grapes, and one says, ‘Do not destroy them, for there is still some good in them.’ I will act in the same way for My servants, and not destroy them all. 9 I will bring children from Jacob, and one out of Judah who will have My mountains for a gift. They will be given to My chosen ones, and My servants will live there. 10 Sharon will become a field for flocks. And the valley of Achor will be a resting place for herds, for My people who look for Me. 11 But you who turn away from the Lord, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for the false god, Gad, and who fill cups of mixed wine for the false female goddess, Meni, 12 I will have your future be the sword. All of you will bow down to be killed. Because when I called, you did not answer. I spoke, but you did not hear. You did what was sinful in My eyes, and chose what did not please Me.”
13 So the Lord God says, “See, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. See, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. See, My servants will be glad, but you will be put to shame. 14 See, My servants will call out for joy with a glad heart. But you will cry out with pain in your heart and with a broken spirit. 15 And you will leave your name as a curse for My chosen ones. The Lord God will kill you, but My servants will be called by another name. 16 Anyone who has good things come to him in the land will have good things come to him by the God of truth. And he who makes a promise in the land will promise by the God of truth. The troubles of the past are forgotten, and are hidden from My eyes.
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “For, see, I will make new heavens and a new earth. The past things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and have joy forever in what I make. For see, I make Jerusalem for joy, and her people for happiness. 19 I will have joy in Jerusalem and be glad in My people. The voice of crying will no longer be heard in it, or the cry of trouble. 20 No more will there be in it a child who lives only a few days, or an old man who does not live many years. For the child will live to be a hundred years old. And the one who does not live a hundred years will be thought to be cursed. 21 They will build houses and live in them. They will plant grapes and eat their fruit. 22 They will not build a house and another live in it. They will not plant and another eat. For My people will live a long time, like the days of a tree. And for a long time My chosen ones will enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They will not work for nothing, or give birth to children and have trouble. For they will be the children of those who receive good from the Lord, and their children with them. 24 And it will be before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will eat together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. And dust will be the snake’s food. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.
Jesus Teaches with Picture-Stories (A)
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the shore of the lake. 2 Then He got in a boat and sat down because so many people had gathered around Him. Many people were standing on the shore.
The Picture-Story of the Man Who Planted Seeds
3 Jesus taught them many things by using picture-stories. He said, “A man went out to plant seeds. 4 As he planted the seeds, some fell by the side of the road. The birds came and ate the seeds. 5 Some seeds fell between rocks. The seeds came up at once because there was so little ground. 6 When the sun was high in the sky, they dried up and died because they had no root. 7 Some seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seeds room to grow. 8 Some seeds fell on good ground and gave much grain. Some gave one hundred times as much grain. Some gave sixty times as much grain. Some gave thirty times as much grain. 9 You have ears, then listen.”
Why Jesus Used Picture-Stories
10 The followers of Jesus came to Him and said, “Why do You speak to them in picture-stories?” 11 He said to the followers, “You were given the secrets about the holy nation of heaven. The secrets were not given to the others. 12 He who has will have more given to him. He will have even more than enough. But he who has little will have even that taken away from him.
13 “This is why I speak to them in picture-stories. They have eyes but they do not see. They have ears but they do not hear and they do not understand. 14 It happened in their lives as Isaiah said it would happen. He said, ‘You hear and hear but do not understand. You look and look but do not see. 15 The hearts of these people have become fat. They hear very little with their ears. They have closed their eyes. If they did not do this, they would see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts. Then they would be changed in their ways, and I would heal them.’ (B) 16 But how great are your eyes because they see. How great are your ears because they hear. 17 For sure, I tell you, that many early preachers and men right with God have wanted to see the things you see, but they did not see them. They wanted to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear them.
Jesus Tells about the Man Who Planted Seeds
18 “Listen to the picture-story of the man who planted seeds in the ground. 19 When anyone hears the Word about the holy nation and does not understand it, the devil comes and takes away what was put in his heart. He is like the seed that fell by the side of the road. 20 The seed which fell between rocks is like the person who receives the Word with joy as soon as he hears it. 21 Its root is not deep and it does not last long. When troubles and suffering come because of the Word, he gives up and falls away. 22 The seed which fell among thorns is like the person who hears the Word but the cares of this life, and the love for money let the thorns come up and do not give the seed room to grow and give grain. 23 The seed which fell on good ground is like the one who hears the Word and understands it. He gives much grain. Some seed gives one hundred times as much grain. Some gives sixty times as much grain. Some gives thirty times as much grain.”
The Picture-Story of the Good Seed and the Weed Seed
24 Jesus told them another picture-story. He said, “The holy nation of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. 25 During the night someone who hated him came and planted weed seed with the good seed in his field and went away. 26 When the good seed started to grow and give grain, weeds came up also.
27 “The servants of the man who planted the seed came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not plant good seed in your field? Why does it have weeds also?’ 28 The man who planted the seed said, ‘Someone who hates me has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Should we go and pull the weeds out from among the good grain?’ 29 He said, ‘No, because if you pull out the weeds, the good grain will come up also. 30 Let them grow together until the time to gather the grain. Then I will say to the workmen, “Gather the weeds first and put them together to be burned. Then gather the good grain into my building.”’”
The Picture-Story of the Mustard Seed
31 Jesus told them another picture-story. He said, “The holy nation of heaven is like mustard seed which a man planted in his field. 32 It is the smallest of seeds. But when it is full-grown, it is larger than the grain of the fields and it becomes a tree. The birds of the sky come and stay in its branches.”
The Picture-Story of the Yeast
33 Jesus gave them another picture-story. He said, “The holy nation of heaven is like yeast that a woman put into three pails of flour until it had become much more than at first.”
34 Jesus told all these things using picture-stories to the many people. He did not speak to them without using picture-stories. 35 It happened as the early preacher said it would happen, “I will open My mouth in picture-stories. I will tell things which have been kept secret from the beginning of the world.” (C)
Jesus Tells about the Weed Seed
36 After Jesus sent the people away, He went into the house. His followers came to Him and said, “Tell us what You mean by the picture-story of the weeds in the field.” 37 Jesus said, “He Who plants the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world. The good seeds are the children of the holy nation. The weeds are the children of the devil. 39 The devil is the one who got in and planted the weeds. The time to gather is the end of the world. The men who gather are the angels. 40 As the weeds are gathered together and burned in the fire, so will it be in the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send His angels. They will gather out of His holy nation all things that cause people to sin and those who do sin. 42 They will put them into a stove of fire. There will be loud crying and grinding of teeth. 43 Then the ones right with God will shine as the sun in the holy nation of their Father. You have ears, then listen!”
The Picture-Stories of the Gold Buried in the Field and of Buying a Pearl
44 “The holy nation of heaven is like a box of riches buried in a field. A man found it and then hid it again. In his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the holy nation of heaven is like a man who buys and sells. He is looking for good pearls. 46 When he finds one good pearl worth much money, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
The Picture-Story of the Fish Net
47 “The holy nation of heaven is like a big net which was let down into the sea. It gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, they took it to the shore. They sat down and put the good fish into pails. They threw the bad fish away. 49 It will be like this in the end of the world. Angels will come and take the sinful people from among those who are right with God. 50 They will put the sinful people into a stove of fire where there will be loud crying and grinding of teeth.”
51 Jesus asked them, “Have you understood all these picture-stories?” They said, “Yes, Lord!” 52 He said to them, “Every teacher of the Law who has become a follower of the holy nation of heaven is like a man who owns his house. He takes new and old riches from his house.”
They Do Not Believe in Jesus in Nazareth (D)
53 When Jesus had finished these picture-stories, He went away from there. 54 He came to His own town and taught them in their places of worship. They were surprised and wondered, saying, “Where did this Man get this wisdom? How can He do these powerful works? 55 Is not this the son of the man who makes things from wood? Is not Mary His mother? Are not James and Joseph and Simon and Judas His brothers? 56 And are not all His sisters here? Then where did He get all these things?” 57 And they were ashamed of Him and turned away because of Him. Jesus said to them, “One who speaks for God is shown no respect in his own town and in his own house.”
58 He did not do many powerful works there because they did not put their trust in Him.
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