M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Battle Against Jericho
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests together and said to them, “Carry the Holy Box of the Lord. Tell seven priests to carry the trumpets and march in front of it.”
7 Then Joshua ordered the people, “Now go! March around the city. The soldiers with weapons will march in front of the Holy Box of the Lord.”
8 After Joshua finished speaking to the people, the seven priests with the trumpets began marching before the Lord, blowing the trumpets as they marched. The priests carrying the Lord’s Holy Box followed them. 9 The soldiers with weapons marched in front of the priests who were blowing the horns. And the rest of the men walked behind the Holy Box, marching and blowing their trumpets. 10 Joshua had told the people not to give a war cry. He said, “Don’t shout. Don’t say a word until the day I tell you. Then you will shout.”
11 So Joshua made the priests carry the Holy Box of the Lord around the city one time. Then they went back to the camp and spent the night there.
12 Early the next morning Joshua got up, and the priests carried the Lord’s Holy Box again. 13 The seven priests with the trumpets marched in front of the Lord’s Holy Box, blowing their trumpets. The soldiers with weapons marched in front of them. The rest of the people marched behind the Lord’s Holy Box. During the whole time they marched, the priests were blowing the trumpets. 14 On the second day, they all marched around the city one time. And then they went back to the camp. They continued to do this every day for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at dawn and marched around the city seven times. They marched in the same way they had marched on the days before, but on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 The seventh time they marched around the city, the priests blew their trumpets. Then Joshua gave the command: “Now, shout! The Lord is giving you this city! 17 The city and everything is to be destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone in her house will be left alive. These people must not be killed because she helped the two spies. 18 Remember, we must destroy everything else. Don’t take anything. If you take anything and bring it into our camp, you yourselves will be destroyed, and you will cause trouble for the rest of our people. 19 All the things made from silver, gold, bronze, and iron belong to the Lord. They must be put in the Lord’s treasury.”
20 So then the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the trumpets, they began shouting. The walls fell down, and the people ran up into the city. So the Israelites defeated that city. 21 The people destroyed everything in the city. They destroyed everything that was living there. They killed the young and old men, the young and old women, and the cattle, sheep, and donkeys.
22 Joshua talked to the two spies. He said, “You made a promise to the prostitute. So go to her house and bring her out and all those who are with her.”
23 So the two men went into the house and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, all her family, and all those who were with her. They put all the people in a safe place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then the Israelites burned the whole city and everything in it except for the things made from silver, gold, bronze, and iron. They put these things in the Lord’s treasury. 25 Joshua saved Rahab the prostitute, her family, and all those who were with her. Joshua let them live because Rahab helped the spies Joshua had sent out to Jericho. Rahab still lives among the Israelites today.
26 At that time Joshua made this important promise. He said,
“Whoever rebuilds Jericho
will be in danger from the Lord.
When he lays the foundation,
he will lose his oldest son.
When he sets up the gates,
he will lose his youngest son.”[a]
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and Joshua became famous throughout the whole country.
135 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Praise him, you servants of the Lord,
2 you who serve in the Lord’s Temple,
in the courtyard of the Temple of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, because he is good.
Praise his name, because it brings such joy!
4 The Lord chose Jacob to be his own.
Yes, he chose Israel to be his own people.
5 I know the Lord is great!
Our Lord is greater than all the gods!
6 The Lord does whatever he wants,
in heaven and on earth, in the seas and the deep oceans.
7 He brings the clouds from the other side of the earth.
He sends the lightning and the rain,
and he opens the doors to release the winds.
8 He destroyed the firstborn males of the people in Egypt and their animals.
9 He did great wonders and miracles in Egypt.
He used them against Pharaoh and his officials.
10 He defeated many nations
and killed powerful kings.
11 He defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms in Canaan.
12 Then he gave their land to Israel, his people.
13 Lord, your name will be famous forever!
Lord, people will remember you forever and ever.
14 The Lord defends his people;
he is kind to his servants.
15 The gods of other nations are only gold and silver idols
that people have made.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak.
They have eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear.
They have mouths, but no breath.
18 Those who make idols and trust in them
will become just like the idols they have made.
19 Family of Israel, praise the Lord!
Aaron’s family, praise the Lord!
20 Levi’s family, praise the Lord!
All you who worship the Lord, praise the Lord!
21 The Lord should be praised from Zion,
from Jerusalem, his home.
Praise the Lord!
136 Praise the Lord because he is good.
His faithful love will last forever.
2 Praise the God of gods!
His faithful love will last forever.
3 Praise the Lord of lords!
His faithful love will last forever.
4 Praise him who alone does wonderful miracles!
His faithful love will last forever.
5 Praise the one who used wisdom to make the skies!
His faithful love will last forever.
6 He spread the land over the sea.
His faithful love will last forever.
7 He made the great lights.
His faithful love will last forever.
8 He made the sun to rule the day.
His faithful love will last forever.
9 He made the moon and stars to rule the night.
His faithful love will last forever.
10 He killed the firstborn males in Egypt, both men and animals.
His faithful love will last forever.
11 He took Israel out of Egypt.
His faithful love will last forever.
12 He used his powerful arms and strong hands.
His faithful love will last forever.
13 He split the Red Sea into two parts.
His faithful love will last forever.
14 He led Israel through the sea.
His faithful love will last forever.
15 He drowned Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea.
His faithful love will last forever.
16 He led his people through the desert.
His faithful love will last forever.
17 He defeated powerful kings.
His faithful love will last forever.
18 He defeated strong kings.
His faithful love will last forever.
19 He defeated Sihon king of the Amorites.
His faithful love will last forever.
20 He defeated Og king of Bashan.
His faithful love will last forever.
21 He gave their land to Israel.
His faithful love will last forever.
22 He gave it as a gift to Israel, his servant.
His faithful love will last forever.
23 He remembered us when we were defeated.
His faithful love will last forever.
24 He saved us from our enemies.
His faithful love will last forever.
25 He provides food for all living things.
His faithful love will last forever.
26 Praise the God of heaven!
His faithful love will last forever.
God Will Judge All Nations
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is where I rest my feet.
So do you think you can build a house for me?
Do I need a place to rest?
2 I am the one who made all things.
They are all here because I made them,” says the Lord.
“These are the people I care for:
the poor, humble people who obey my commands.
3 Some people kill bulls as a sacrifice,
but they also beat people.
They kill sheep as a sacrifice,
but they also break the necks of dogs.
They offer up grain offerings,
but they also offer the blood of pigs.[a]
They burn incense,
but they also love their worthless idols.
They choose their own ways,
and they love their terrible idols.
4 So I decided to use their own tricks.
I will punish them using what they are most afraid of.
I will do this because I called to them,
but they did not answer.
I spoke to them,
but they did not listen.
They did what I said is evil.
They chose to do what I did not like.”
5 You who obey the Lord’s commands,
listen to what he says:
“Your brothers hated you.
They turned against you because you followed me.
Your brothers said, ‘When the Lord shows his glory,
then we will rejoice with you.’
But they will be punished.”
Punishment and a New Nation
6 Listen! There is a loud noise coming from the city and from the Temple. It is the Lord punishing his enemies. He is giving them the punishment they deserve.
7-8 “A woman does not give birth before she feels the pain. A woman must feel the pain of childbirth before she can see the boy she gives birth to. Who ever heard of such a thing? In the same way, no one ever saw a new world begin in one day. No one has ever heard of a new nation that began in one day. But when Zion feels the pain, she will give birth to her children. 9 In the same way, I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born.”
The Lord says this: “I promise that if I cause you the pain of birth, I will not stop you from having your new nation.” Your God said this.
10 Jerusalem and all her friends, be happy!
All of you who were sad for her, be happy and rejoice with her!
11 Be happy that you will receive mercy
like milk coming from her breast.
Jerusalem’s “milk” will satisfy you!
You will drink it and enjoy her glory.
12 This is what the Lord says:
“Look, I will give Jerusalem peace that will flow in like a river.
Wealth from all the nations will come flowing into her like a flood.
And like little babies, you will drink that ‘milk.’
I will hold you in my arms,
and bounce you on my knees.
13 I will comfort you like a mother comforting her child.
You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14 When you see these things, you will be happy.
You will be free and grow like grass.
The Lord’s servants will see his power,
but his enemies will see his anger.
15 Look, the Lord is coming with fire.
His armies are coming with clouds of dust.
He is angry,
and he will punish his enemies with flames.
16 The Lord will judge the people
and will punish them with fire and his sword.
There will be many people killed by the Lord.
17 The Lord says, “These are the people who wash themselves and make themselves pure so that they can go into their special gardens[b] to worship their idols. They follow each other into the gardens to eat meat from pigs, rats, and other dirty things. But they will all be destroyed together.
18 “They have evil thoughts and do evil things, so I am coming to punish them. I will gather all nations and all people. Everyone will be gathered together to see my Glory.[c] 19 I will put a mark on some of the people. I will send some of these saved people to the nations of Tarshish, Libya,[d] Lud[e] (the land of archers), Tubal,[f] Greece, and all the faraway lands. Those people have never heard my teachings. They have never seen my Glory. So the saved people will tell the nations about my glory. 20 And they will bring all your brothers and sisters from those other nations to my holy mountain[g] Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. Your brothers and sisters will ride on horses, mules, camels, and in chariots and wagons. They will be like the gifts that the Israelites bring on clean plates to the Temple of the Lord. 21 I will also choose some of these people to be priests and Levites.” The Lord himself said this.
The New Heavens and the New Earth
22 The Lord says, “I will make a new world—new heavens and a new earth—that will last forever. In the same way, your names and your children will always be with me. 23 Everyone will come to worship me on every worship day; they will come every Sabbath and every first day of the month.[h] This is what I, the Lord, have said.
24 “Whoever goes out of the city will see the dead bodies of those who sinned against me. The worms eating those bodies will never die, and the fires burning them will never go out. It will be horrible to anyone who sees it.”
Herod Thinks Jesus Is John the Baptizer(A)
14 About that time, Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard what the people were saying about Jesus. 2 So he said to his servants, “This man is really John the Baptizer. He must have risen from death, and that is why he can do these miracles.”
How John the Baptizer Was Killed
3 Before this time, Herod had arrested John. He had him chained and put in prison. He arrested John because of Herodias, the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. 4 John had told him, “It is not right for you to be married to Herodias.” 5 Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the people. They believed that John was a prophet.
6 On Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for him and his group. Herod was very pleased with her. 7 So he promised that he would give her anything she wanted. 8 Herodias told her daughter what to ask for. So she said to Herod, “Give me the head of John the Baptizer here on this plate.”
9 King Herod was very sad. But he had promised to give the daughter anything she wanted. And the people eating with Herod had heard his promise. So he ordered what she asked to be done. 10 He sent men to the prison, where they cut off John’s head. 11 And the men brought John’s head on a plate and gave it to the girl. Then she took the head to her mother, Herodias. 12 John’s followers came and got his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what happened.
Jesus Feeds More Than 5000(B)
13 When Jesus heard what happened to John, he left in a boat. He went alone to a place where no one lived. But the people heard that Jesus had left. So they left their towns and followed him. They went by land to the same place he went. 14 When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd of people. He felt sorry for them, and he healed the ones who were sick.
15 Late that afternoon, the followers came to Jesus and said, “No one lives in this place. And it is already late. Send the people away so they can go to the towns and buy food for themselves.”
16 Jesus said, “The people don’t need to go away. You give them some food to eat.”
17 The followers answered, “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish.”
18 Jesus said, “Bring the bread and the fish to me.” 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked into the sky and thanked God for the food. Then he broke the bread into pieces, which he gave to the followers, and they gave the food to the people. 20 Everyone ate until they were full. When they finished eating, the followers filled twelve baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. 21 There were about 5000 men there who ate. There were also women and children who ate.
Jesus Walks on Water(C)
22 Then Jesus made the followers get into the boat. He told them to go to the other side of the lake. He said he would come later. He stayed there to tell everyone they could go home. 23 After Jesus said goodbye to the people, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. It was late, and he was there alone. 24 By this time the boat was already a long way from shore. Since the wind was blowing against it, the boat was having trouble because of the waves.
25 Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus’ followers were still in the boat. Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water. 26 When they saw him walking on the water, it scared them. “It’s a ghost!” they said, screaming in fear.
27 But Jesus quickly spoke to them. He said, “Don’t worry! It’s me! Don’t be afraid.”
28 Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 Jesus said, “Come, Peter.”
Then Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. 30 But while Peter was walking on the water, he saw the wind and the waves. He was afraid and began sinking into the water. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”
31 Then Jesus caught Peter with his hand. He said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”
32 After Peter and Jesus were in the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the followers in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “You really are the Son of God.”
Jesus Heals Many Sick People(D)
34 After they crossed the lake, they came to the shore at Gennesaret. 35 Some men there saw Jesus and knew who he was. So they sent word to the other people throughout that area that Jesus had come. The people brought all their sick people to him. 36 They begged Jesus to let them only touch the edge of his coat to be healed. And all the sick people who touched his coat were healed.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International