M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Ai Given to Israel
8 Now Yahweh said to Joshua, “(A)Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, (B)I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 So you shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king; you shall (C)take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. [a]Set an ambush for the city behind it.”
3 So Joshua rose with all the people of war to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose 30,000 men, valiant warriors, and sent them out at night. 4 And he commanded them, saying, “See, you are (D)going to ambush the city from behind [b]it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will come near the city. And it will be that when they come out to meet us as at the first, (E)we will flee before them. 6 And they will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ So we will flee before them. 7 And you shall rise from your ambush and take possession of the city, for Yahweh your God will give it into your hand. 8 Then it will be that when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do it (F)according to the word of Yahweh. See, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua spent that night among the people.
10 Now Joshua (G)rose early in the morning and mustered the people, and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai. 11 Then all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near and arrived in front of the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. 12 And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between (H)Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the [c]city. 13 So they set the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. 14 Now it happened that when the king of Ai saw it, the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled (I)by the way of the wilderness. 16 And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and (J)were drawn away from the city. 17 So not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel, and they forsook the city, leaving it open, and pursued Israel.
18 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “(K)Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19 Then the men in ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire. 20 Then the men of Ai turned [d]back and looked, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to the sky, and they had no place to flee this way or that, for the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned against the pursuers. 21 But Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city ascended. So they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 [e]And the others came out from the city to meet them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel, [f]some on this side and some on that side; and they struck them down until [g]there was (L)no one remaining for him who survived or escaped. 23 But they seized the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
24 Now it happened that when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them fell by the edge of the sword until they were completely destroyed, then all Israel turned back to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 (M)So all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000—all the [h]people of Ai. 26 For Joshua (N)did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted to destruction all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 (O)Israel took only the cattle and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of Yahweh which He had commanded Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it (P)a heap forever, a desolation until this day. 29 (Q)And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua gave a command, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate and raised over it a great heap of stones that stands to this day.
30 Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, on (R)Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, (S)an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to Yahweh and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And he (T)wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which [i]he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. 33 (U)And all Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, the sojourner as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of (V)Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had given a command at first to bless the people of Israel. 34 Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in (W)the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel (X)with the women and the little ones and the sojourners who were [j]going among them.
Where Can I Go from Your Spirit?
For the choir director. Of David. A Psalm.
139 O Yahweh, You have (A)searched me and known me.
2 You (B)know [a]when I sit down and [b]when I rise up;
You (C)understand my thought from afar.
3 You [c](D)scrutinize my [d]path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 [e]Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Yahweh, You (E)know it all.
5 You have (F)enclosed me behind and before,
And You have (G)put Your hand upon me.
6 Such (H)knowledge is (I)too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 (J)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (K)If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, (L)You are there.
9 If I lift up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will (M)lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the (N)darkness will (O)bruise me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the (P)darkness is not too dark for You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
(Q)Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 For You (R)formed my [f]inward parts;
You (S)wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [g]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
(T)Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [h](U)frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And (V)intricately woven in the (W)depths of the earth;
16 Your (X)eyes have seen my unshaped substance;
And in (Y)Your book all of them were written
The (Z)days that were formed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious are Your (AA)thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would (AB)outnumber the sand.
When (AC)I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh that You would (AD)slay the wicked, O God!
(AE)O (AF)men of bloodshed, depart from me.
20 For they (AG)speak [i]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [j](AH)take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not (AI)hate those who hate You, O Yahweh?
And do I not (AJ)revile those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
Judah Transgresses Against Yahweh
2 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 2 “Go and (A)call out in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh,
“I remember concerning you the (B)lovingkindness of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
(C)Your walking after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3 Israel was (D)holy to Yahweh,
The (E)first of His produce.
(F)All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares Yahweh.’”
4 Hear the word of Yahweh, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says Yahweh,
“(G)What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after (H)vanity and became vain?
6 They did not say, ‘Where is Yahweh
Who (I)brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who (J)led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of the shadow of death,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no man inhabited?’
7 I brought you into the (K)fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and (L)defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.
8 The (M)priests did not say, ‘Where is Yahweh?’
And those who handle the law (N)did not know Me;
The [a]shepherds also transgressed against Me,
And the (O)prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after (P)things that did not profit.
9 “Therefore I will yet (Q)contend with you,” declares Yahweh,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.
10 For (R)cross to the coastlands of [b]Kittim and see,
And send to (S)Kedar and perceive closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!
11 Has a nation changed gods
Though (T)they were not gods?
But My people have (U)changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, (V)O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid, be very devastated,” declares Yahweh.
13 “For My people have done two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The (W)fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves (X)cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
14 “Is Israel (Y)a slave? Or is he a homeborn slave?
Why has he become plunder?
15 The young (Z)lions have roared at him;
They have given forth their voice.
And they have (AA)made his land a desolation;
His cities have been turned into ruin, without inhabitant.
16 Also the [c]men of (AB)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have [d]shaved the (AC)top of your head.
17 Have you not (AD)done this to yourself
By your forsaking Yahweh your God
When He (AE)led you in the way?
18 But now what are you doing (AF)on the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of the [e](AG)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the [f]River?
19 (AH)Your own evil will chastise you,
And your (AI)acts of faithlessness will reprove you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and (AJ)bitter
For you to forsake Yahweh your God,
And (AK)the dread of Me is not in you,” declares Lord Yahweh of hosts.
20 “For long ago [g](AL)I broke your yoke
And tore off your bonds;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every (AM)high hill
And under every green tree
You have lain down as a harlot.
21 Yet I (AN)planted you a choice vine,
A completely true seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the (AO)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22 Although you (AP)wash yourself with lye
And [h]use much soap,
The (AQ)stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
23 “(AR)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not walked after the (AS)Baals’?
Look at your way in the (AT)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel (AU)entangling her ways,
24 A (AV)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her [i]heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from being barefoot
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘(AW)It is [j]hopeless!
No! For I have (AX)loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’
26 “As the (AY)thief is shamed when he is found,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes,
And their priests and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their (AZ)back to Me
And not their face;
But in the (BA)time when their evil comes they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’
28 But where are your (BB)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can (BC)save you
In the time when your evil comes;
For (BD)according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have (BE)all transgressed against Me,” declares Yahweh.
30 “(BF)In vain I have struck your sons;
They received no discipline.
Your (BG)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 O generation, [k]behold the word of Yahweh.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel
Or a (BH)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘(BI)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have (BJ)forgotten Me
Days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even [l]the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
The (BK)lifeblood of the innocent needy;
You did not find them (BL)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will (BM)enter into judgment with you
Because you (BN)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you (BO)despise Him so much
In changing your way?
Also, (BP)you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by (BQ)Assyria.
37 From this place also you will go out
With (BR)your hands on your head;
For Yahweh has rejected (BS)those in whom you trust,
And you will not succeed with them.”
The Pharisees and Sadducees Test Jesus
16 (A)And the (B)Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him, they (C)asked Him to show them [a]a sign from heaven. 2 But He replied to them, “[b](D)When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ (E)Do you know how to discern the [c]appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? 4 (F)An evil and adulterous generation eagerly seeks for [d]a sign; and [e]a sign will not be given it, except the [f]sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.
5 And coming to the other side of the sea, the disciples had forgotten to bring bread. 6 And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and (G)beware of the [g]leaven of the (H)Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 Now they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “(I)You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand or remember (J)the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up? 10 Or (K)the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up? 11 How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But (L)beware of the [h]leaven of the (M)Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the (N)Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter Confesses Jesus Is the Christ
13 (O)Now when Jesus came into the district of (P)Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that (Q)the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say (R)John the Baptist; and others, [i](S)Elijah; but still others, [j]Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are [k](T)the Christ, (U)the Son of (V)the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, (W)Simon [l]Bar-Jonah, because (X)flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are [m](Y)Peter, and upon this [n]rock I will build My church; and the gates of (Z)Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you (AA)the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and (AB)whatever you bind on earth [o]shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth [p]shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 (AC)Then He [q]warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the [r](AD)Christ.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
21 (AE)From that time [s]Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and (AF)suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “[t]God forbid it, Lord! This shall never [u]happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, (AG)Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on [v]God’s interests, but man’s.”
Take Up Your Cross
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and (AH)take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For (AI)whoever wishes to save his [w]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [x]life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the (AJ)Son of Man (AK)is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and (AL)will then [y]repay each one according to his [z]deeds.
28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the (AM)Son of Man (AN)coming in His kingdom.”
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