M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
10 Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and had destroyed it. Joshua had done the same thing to Ai and its king that he had done to Jericho and its king. Adoni-zedek heard that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them. 2 He was very much afraid. Because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the cities of a king. It was larger than Ai. All its men were strong. 3 So Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon. He said to them, 4 “Come and help me. Let us go fight against Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” 5 So the five kings of the Amorites, the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon, gathered together with all their armies. And they went and set up their tents by Gibeon, to fight against it.
6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the tents at Gilgal, saying, “Do not leave your servants alone. Hurry and help us. For all the kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal. He took with him all the men of war and all the strong soldiers. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. For I have given them into your hands. Not one of them will stand in front of you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them by surprise by traveling all night from Gilgal. 10 The Lord brought trouble upon the Amorites in front of Israel. He killed many of them at Gibeon, and went after them on the way up to Beth-horon. He killed them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 They ran from Israel. And while they ran from Beth-horon, the Lord made large hail-stones fall from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. More died from the hail-stones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord made the Amorites lose the war against the sons of Israel. He said, in the eyes of Israel, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon. O moon, stand still in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still and the moon stopped, until the nation punished those who fought against them. Is it not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the center of the sky. It did not hurry to go down for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man. For the Lord fought for Israel. 15 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the tents at Gilgal.
16 Now these five kings had run away and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 Joshua was told, “The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the opening of the cave. Then put men there to watch over them. 19 But do not stay there yourselves. Go after those who hate you. Follow after them and fight. Do not let them go into their cities. For the Lord your God has given them into your hand.” 20 Joshua and the sons of Israel finished killing many of them, until they were destroyed. Those who were left alive went into their strong cities. 21 Then all the people returned to Joshua at the tents at Makkedah in peace. No one said a word against any of the people of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 23 The five kings were brought to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. 24 When they brought those kings out to Joshua, he called for all the men of Israel. He said to the leaders of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came and put their feet on their necks. 25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or troubled. Be strong and have strength of heart. For the Lord will do this to all who hate you and fight against you.” 26 After this Joshua killed the kings. He hanged them on five trees, and they hung on the trees until evening. 27 When the sun went down, Joshua had them taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave where they had hidden. Large stones were put over the opening of the cave. And they are there to this day.
28 Joshua took Makkedah on that day. He destroyed it and its king with the sword. He destroyed all of it and every person in it. No one was left alive. He did the same to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua and all Israel went from Makkedah to fight against Libnah. 30 The Lord gave it and its king into the hands of Israel also. Joshua destroyed it and every person in it with the sword. He left no one alive. So he did the same to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Joshua and all Israel went from Libnah to Lachish. They stayed beside it and fought against it. 32 And the Lord gave Lachish into the hands of Israel. Joshua took it on the second day. He destroyed it and every person in it with the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
33 Horam king of Gezer came to help Lachish. But Joshua won the battle against him and his people. He left no one alive.
34 Joshua and all Israel went from Lachish to Eglon. They stayed beside it and fought against it. 35 And they took it on that day and destroyed it with the sword. He destroyed every person who was in it that day, just as he had done to Lachish.
36 Joshua and all Israel went from Eglon to Hebron. And they fought against it. 37 They took it and destroyed it. They destroyed its king, all its cities and all who were in it with the sword. He left no one alive, just as he had done to Eglon. He destroyed all of it and every person in it. 38 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to Debir. And they fought against it. 39 He took it, its king and all its cities. He destroyed them with the sword. Every person in it was destroyed. No one was left alive. He did the same to Debir and its king as he had done to Hebron and Libnah and their kings.
40 So Joshua won the war against the whole land, the hill country, the Negev, the valleys, the hill-sides, and all their kings. He left no one alive. He destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had told him. 41 Joshua killed them from Kadesh-barnea as far as Gaza. He killed them in all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon. 42 Joshua took all these kings and their lands at the same time. Because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua and all Israel returned to the tents at Gilgal.
A Prayer for Help
142 I cry with a loud voice to the Lord. I pray with my voice to the Lord. 2 I talk and complain to Him. I tell Him all my trouble. 3 When my spirit had grown weak within me, You knew my path. They have hidden a trap for me in the way where I walk. 4 Look to the right and see. For there is no one who thinks about me. There is no place for me to go to be safe. No one cares about my soul.
5 I cried out to You, O Lord. I said, “You are my safe place, my share in the land of the living. 6 Listen to my cry, for I am brought down. Save me from those who make it hard for me. For they are too strong for me. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to Your name. Those who are right and good will gather around me. For You will give much to me.”
A Prayer for Help
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord. Listen when I ask for help. Answer me because You are faithful and right. 2 Do not find Your servant guilty, for no man living is right and good in Your eyes. 3 For the one who hates me has made it hard for my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, like those who have been dead for a long time. 4 So my spirit grows weak within me. My heart within me is afraid.
5 I remember the days long ago. I think about all You have done. I think about the work of Your hands. 6 I put out my hands to You. My soul is thirsty for You like a dry land.
7 Hurry to answer me, O Lord! My spirit is becoming weak! Do not hide Your face from me, or I will become like those who go down to the grave. 8 Let me hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for I trust in You. Teach me the way I should go for I lift up my soul to You. 9 O Lord, take me away from those who hate me. I run to You to be safe.
10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Spirit lead me on a straight path. 11 Give me new life, O Lord, because of Your name. Bring me out of trouble because You are right and good. 12 In Your loving-kindness cut off those who hate me. Destroy all those who make it hard for my soul, for I am Your servant.
God Asks Israel to Turn from Its Sins
4 “If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “return to Me. If you will put away your false gods from Me and be faithful to Me, 2 and promise, ‘As the Lord lives,’ by what is true and right and good, then the nations will be happy in Him. And in Him they will have honor.”
3 For the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, “Break up your ground which has not been planted, and do not plant seeds among thorns. 4 Set yourselves apart to the Lord, and put away the flesh from your heart, men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Or My anger will go out like fire and burn with no one to stop it, because of the sinful things you do.”
Armies from the North Are Coming
5 Make it known in Judah and Jerusalem, and say, “Sound the horns in the land.” Cry out and say, “Gather together, and let us go into the strong cities made ready for battle.” 6 Lift up a flag toward Zion! Run to a safe place, do not stand still. For I am bringing much trouble from the north that will destroy much. 7 A lion has gone up from his secret place. A destroyer of nations has begun to move. He has gone out from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be destroyed and no people will live in them. 8 Cover yourselves with cloth made from hair because of this. Cry out in sorrow. For the burning anger of the Lord has not turned away from us. 9 “In that day,” says the Lord, “the heart of the king and the hearts of the rulers will become weak. The religious leaders will be filled with fear. And the men of God will be troubled and filled with wonder.”
10 Then I said, “O Lord God, for sure You have fooled these people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when in truth a sword brings danger to their lives.”
11 At that time it will be said to these people and Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the open hill-tops in the desert will come toward My people, but not to blow away what is of no worth, and not to make clean. 12 A wind too strong for this will come at My word. Now I will bring punishment against them.”
Armies Are All Around Judah
13 See, he comes up like clouds. His war-wagons come like the strong-wind. His horses are faster than eagles. It is bad for us, for we are destroyed!
14 Wash your heart from sin, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your sinful thoughts stay within you? 15 For a voice calls out from Dan, and tells of sin from Mount Ephraim. 16 “Tell it to the nations now! Make it known over all Jerusalem, saying, ‘An army is coming from a far country, and they lift up their voices against the cities of Judah. 17 They are against her all around, like watchmen of a field, because she has turned against Me,’ says the Lord. 18 “Your ways and what you do have brought these things to you. This is your sin. How bitter it is! It has touched your very heart!”
Jeremiah Feels Pain for His People
19 My soul, my soul! I am in pain! O, my heart! My heart is beating so hard! It cannot be quiet, for I hear the sound of the horn, telling of the coming war. 20 News of much trouble comes again and again, for the whole land is laid waste. All at once my tents and my curtains are destroyed. 21 How long must I see the flag and hear the sound of the horn? 22 “For My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are children who do not think, and they have no understanding. They know a lot about how to do sinful things, but they do not know how to do good.”
Jeremiah Saw What the Future Would Be Like
23 I looked on the earth and saw that it was an empty waste. I looked to the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I looked on the mountains and saw they were shaking, and all the hills moved this way and that. 25 I looked and saw that there were no people. And all the birds of the heavens had left. 26 I looked and saw that the rich land was a desert. All its cities were laid waste before the Lord and His burning anger.
27 For the Lord says, “The whole land will be laid waste, yet I will not destroy everything. 28 For the earth will be filled with sorrow and the heavens above will be dark, because I have spoken. I have planned it, and will not change My mind or turn back.” 29 Every city runs as they hear the sound of the horseman and the one who fights with arrows. They go among the trees and the rocks. Every city is left empty, and no one lives in them. 30 And you, O destroyed one, what will you do? Even when you dress in red, and wear objects of gold, and color your eyes to make them look bigger, you make yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers hate you, and want to kill you. 31 I heard a cry as of a woman in pain, as if she were giving birth to her first child. It was the cry of the people of Zion, working hard to breathe, holding out hands, and saying, “O, it is bad for me! I am losing strength in front of those who want to kill me.”
Jesus Teaches about the Faith of a Child (A)
18 At that time the followers came to Jesus. They said, “Who is the greatest in the holy nation of heaven?” 2 Jesus took a little child and put him among them. 3 He said, “For sure, I tell you, unless you have a change of heart and become like a little child, you will not get into the holy nation of heaven. 4 Whoever is without pride as this little child is the greatest in the holy nation of heaven. 5 Whoever receives a little child because of Me receives Me. 6 But whoever is the reason for one of these little children who believe in Me to fall into sin, it would be better for him to have a large rock put around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.
7 “It is bad for the world because of that which makes people sin. Men will be tempted to sin. But it is bad for the one who is the reason for someone to sin. 8 If your hand or your foot is the reason you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to go into life without a hand or a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the fire of hell. 9 If your eye is the reason you sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better for you to go into life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. 10 Be sure you do not hate one of these little children. I tell you, they have angels who are always looking into the face of My Father in heaven.
The Lost Sheep
11 “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 What do you think about this? A man has one hundred sheep and one of them is lost. Will he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to look for that one lost sheep? 13 If he finds it, for sure, I tell you, he will have more joy over that one, than over the ninety-nine that were not lost. 14 I tell you, My Father in heaven does not want one of these little children to be lost.
What to Do with a Brother Who Sins Against You
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him what he did without other people hearing it. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back again. 16 But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other people with you. Every word may be remembered by the two or three who heard. 17 If he will not listen to them, tell the trouble to the church. If he does not listen to the church, think of him as a person who is as bad as one who does not know God and a person who gathers taxes.
18 “For sure, I tell you, whatever you do not allow on earth will not have been allowed in heaven. Whatever you allow on earth will have been allowed in heaven. 19 Again I tell you this: If two of you agree on earth about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am with them.”
True Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and said, “Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him, up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I tell you, not seven times but seventy times seven!
23 “The holy nation of heaven is like a king who wanted to find out how much money his servants owed him. 24 As he began, one of the servants was brought to him who owed him very much money. 25 He could pay nothing that he owed. So the king spoke the word that he and his wife and his children and all that he had should be sold to pay what he owed. 26 The servant got down on his face in front of the king. He said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you all the money.’ 27 Then the king took pity on his servant and let him go. He told him he did not have to pay the money back.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of the other servants who owed him very little money. He took hold of his neck and said, ‘Pay me the money you owe me!’ 29 The other servant got down at his feet and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you all the money.’ 30 But he would not. He had him put in prison until he could pay the money.
31 “When his other servants saw what had happened, they were very sorry. They came and told the king all that was done. 32 Then the king called for the first one. He said, ‘You bad servant! I forgave you. I said that you would not have to pay back any of the money you owed me because you asked me. 33 Should you not have had pity on the other servant, even as I had pity on you?’ 34 The king was very angry. He handed him over to men who would beat and hurt him until he paid all the money he owed. 35 So will My Father in heaven do to you, if each one of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.”
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.