M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Defeating Northern Kings
11 When Jabin king of Hazor [C the largest and best fortified of the Canaanite cities] heard about all that had happened, he sent messages to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Acshaph. 2 He sent messages to the kings in the northern ·mountains [hill country] and also to the kings in the ·Jordan Valley [or Arabah] south of ·Lake Galilee [L Kinnereth] and in the ·western foothills [lowlands; L Shephelah]. He sent a message to the king of ·Naphoth [or the heights of] Dor in the west [C the coastal plain south of Mount Carmel] 3 and to the kings of the Canaanites in the east and in the west. He sent messages to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the ·mountains [hill country]. Jabin also sent one to the Hivites, who lived below Mount Hermon in the area of Mizpah [C a coalition of the northern cities of Palestine]. 4 So the armies of all these kings came together with their horses and chariots [C a great challenge to the Israelites, who only had foot soldiers]. There were as many soldiers as grains of sand on the seashore [Gen. 22:17].
5 All of these kings met together at the waters of Merom [C probably modern Meirun, eight miles northwest of the Sea of Galilee], joined their armies together into one camp, and made plans to fight against the Israelites.
6 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, because at this time tomorrow I will give them to you. You will ·cripple [hamstring] their horses and burn all their chariots.”
7 So Joshua and his whole army surprised the enemy [10:9] by attacking them at the waters of Merom. 8 The Lord ·handed them over to [L gave them into the hand of] Israel. They chased them to Greater Sidon, Misrephoth Maim, and the Valley of Mizpah in the east [C locations north and west of the battle]. Israel fought until none of the enemy was left alive. 9 Joshua did what the Lord said to do; he ·crippled [hamstrung] their horses and burned their chariots [C Israel did not take the horses and chariots to use themselves, in order to show their trust in God; Ps. 20:7].
10 Then Joshua went back and captured the city of Hazor and ·killed [L struck with the sword] its king. (Hazor had been the leader of all the kingdoms that fought against Israel.) 11 Israel ·killed [L struck with the sword] everyone in Hazor, ·completely destroying them [devoting them to destruction; 2:10; 6:21]; no one was left ·alive [L that breathed]. Then they burned Hazor itself.
12 Joshua captured all of these cities, ·killed [L struck with the edge of the sword] all of their kings, and ·completely destroyed [devoted to destruction; v. 11] everything in these cities. He did this just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. 13 But the Israelites did not burn any cities that were built on their mounds [C so Israel could immediately occupy these strategically important cities; Deut. 6:10–11], except Hazor; only that city was burned by Joshua. 14 The ·people [L sons; children] of Israel kept for themselves ·everything [the plunder/spoil] they found in the cities, including all the animals. But they ·killed [L struck with the edge of the sword] all the people there; they left no one ·alive [L that breathed]. 15 Long ago the Lord had commanded his servant Moses to do this, and then Moses had commanded Joshua to do it [Deut. 7:1–6; 20:16–18]. Joshua ·did everything [L left nothing undone that] the Lord had commanded Moses.
16 So Joshua defeated all the people in the land [C a general statement, since not every city was taken; 17:16; Judg. 1]. He had control of the mountains and ·the area of southern Canaan [L all the Negev], all the areas of Goshen, the ·western foothills [lowlands; L Shephelah], and the ·Jordan Valley [or Arabah]. He controlled the ·mountains [hill country] of Israel and ·all the hills near them [or its lowlands/L Shephelah]. 17 ·Joshua controlled all the land from [L …from] Mount Halak near ·Edom [L Seir] to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon, below Mount Hermon. Joshua also captured all the kings in the land and killed them. 18 He ·fought [waged war] against them for ·many years [a long time; L many days]. 19 The people of only one city in all the land had made a peace ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with Israel—the Hivites living in Gibeon. All the other cities were defeated in war. 20 The Lord ·made those people stubborn [L hardened their hearts; Ex. 8:15] so they would fight against Israel and ·he could completely destroy them [would be devoted to destruction; 2:10; 6:17] without mercy. This is what the Lord had commanded Moses to do.
21 Now Joshua fought the Anakites [or Anakim; Num. 13:33] who lived in the ·mountains [hill country] of Hebron, Debir, Anab, Judah, and Israel, and he completely destroyed them and their towns. 22 There were no Anakites left living in the land of the Israelites ·and only a few were left [or though some remained] in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. 23 Joshua took control of all the ·land of Israel [L land] as the Lord had ·told Moses to do [or promised Moses] long ago. He gave the land to Israel, ·because he had promised it to them [L as an inheritance]. ·Then Joshua divided the land among the tribes of Israel [L …according to their tribal divisions], and ·there was peace in the land [the land had rest from war].
A Prayer for Victory
Of David.
144 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, my Rock [61:2],
who trains ·me [L my hands] for war,
who trains ·me [L my fingers] for battle.
2 ·He protects me like a strong, walled city, and he loves me [L He is my loyal one and my fortress].
He is my ·defender [stronghold] and my ·Savior [rescuer],
my shield ·and my protection [L in whom I find refuge].
He ·helps me keep my people under control [L subdues my people under me].
3 Lord, ·why are people important to you [L what are people that you care about them]?
·Why do you even think about human beings [L What are human beings that you think about them; 8:4]?
4 People are like ·a breath [vapor; 39:5, 11; 62:9; Eccl. 1:2];
their ·lives [L days] are like passing shadows [102:11; 109:23; Eccl. 6:12].
5 Lord, ·tear open [bend] the ·sky [heavens] and come down.
Touch the mountains so they will smoke [18:9; Ex. 19:11, 18–19].
6 Send the lightning and scatter ·my enemies [L them].
Shoot your arrows and ·force them away [rout them; 18:14].
7 ·Reach down [L Send forth your hand] from above.
·Save me [Set me free] and ·rescue [protect] me ·out of this sea of enemies [L from the mighty waters; C symbolizing chaos],
from ·these [L the hand/power of] foreigners.
8 ·They are liars [L Their mouths speak vanities/falsehood];
·they are dishonest [L their right hand is a false right hand].
9 God, I will sing a new song [C celebrating victory; 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3] to you;
I will ·play [make a psalm] to you on the ten-stringed harp.
10 You give ·victory [salvation] to kings.
You ·save [set free] your servant David from ·cruel [evil] swords.
11 ·Save me [Set me free], ·rescue [protect] me from ·these [L the hand/power of the] foreigners.
·They are liars [L Their mouths speak vanities/falsehood]; ·they are dishonest [L their right hand is a false right hand].
12 Let our sons in their youth
·grow like plants [or be like full-grown plants; C robust and vital; 128:3].
Let our daughters be
like the ·decorated [cut] ·stones [or pillars] in the ·Temple [or palace; C stately and beautiful].
13 Let our barns be filled
with crops of all kinds.
Let our sheep in the fields have
thousands and tens of thousands of lambs.
14 Let our cattle be ·strong [well fed; or heavy with young].
Let ·no one break in [L there be no breach; or no miscarriage; C in the city walls].
Let there be no ·war [L going out; C in war or exile, or perhaps referring to premature birth],
no screams in our ·streets [public areas].
15 ·Happy [Blessed] are ·those [L the people] who are like this;
·happy [blessed] are the people whose God is the Lord.
No One Is Right
5 The Lord says, “·Walk [or Run] up and down the streets of Jerusalem.
Look around and ·discover [know] these things.
Search the public squares of the city.
If you can find one person who does ·honest [just] things,
who ·searches for the truth [or seeks to be faithful],
I will forgive this city.
2 Although the people say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’
they ·don’t really mean it [L swear/take an oath falsely].”
3 Lord, ·don’t you [L do your eyes] look for ·truth [faithfulness] in people?
You struck ·the people of Judah [L them],
but they didn’t feel any ·pain [anguish].
You ·crushed [consumed] them,
but they refused to ·learn what is right [L take your correction/instruction].
·They became more stubborn [L Their faces became harder] than a rock;
they refused to ·turn back to God [L return; repent].
4 But I thought,
“These are only the poor, ·foolish people [L they have no sense].
They ·have not learned [L do not know] the ·way [path] of the Lord
and ·what their God wants them to do [L the ordinances/judgments of their God].
5 So I will go to the ·leaders [great; or rich]
and talk to them.
Surely they ·understand [L know] the ·way [path] of the Lord
and ·know what God wants them to do [L the ordinances/judgments of their God].”
But even ·the leaders [L they] had all joined together to break their yoke [C abandoning God];
they had snapped off their ropes [C rejecting their dependence on God; 2:20].
6 So a lion from the forest will ·attack [L strike] them.
A wolf from the desert will ·kill [destroy] them.
A leopard is ·waiting for [L watching] them near their towns.
It will ·tear to pieces [make prey of] anyone who comes out of the city,
because the people of Judah have ·sinned [rebelled; transgressed] greatly.
·They have wandered away from the Lord many times [Their apostasies are great].
7 The Lord said, “·Tell me why I should [L How can I…?] forgive you.
Your children have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me
and have ·made promises [L sworn] to those who are not gods at all [C idols].
I ·gave your children everything they needed [L satisfied/sated them],
but they still ·were like an unfaithful wife to me [committed adultery].
They ·spent much time in [frequented; trooped to] houses of prostitutes.
8 They are like well-fed horses filled with ·sexual desire [lust];
each one ·wants [L neighs after] another man’s wife [3:6–10].
9 Shouldn’t I punish them [C the people of Judah] for doing these things?” says the Lord.
“Shouldn’t I ·give a nation such as this the punishment [L get revenge on a nation as] it deserves?
10 “Go along and ·cut down [destroy] her [C Judah’s] ·vineyards [rows of vines; Is. 5:1–7],
but do not ·completely destroy them [L make a complete end; 4:27].
Cut off its branches [C representing the people],
because they do not belong to the Lord.
11 The ·families [L houses] of Israel and Judah
have been completely ·unfaithful [traitorous; treasonous] to me,” says the Lord.
12 Those people have lied about the Lord
and said, “He will not do anything to us!
·Nothing bad [No evil/trouble/harm] will happen to us!
We will never see ·war [L sword] or ·hunger [famine]!
13 The prophets are wind [C empty];
the word [C of God] is not in them.
Let the bad things they say happen to them.”
14 So this is what the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Because they have spoken this word [C that God would not punish them].
the words I ·give you [L place in your mouth] will be like fire,
and these people will be like wood that it ·burns up [consumes; devours].
15 Listen, ·family [L house] of Israel,” says the Lord,
“I will soon bring a nation from far away ·to attack [L against] you.
It is an ·old [ancient] nation that has ·lasted [endured] a long time [C Babylon].
·The people there speak a language [Its language/L tongue] you do not know [C Aramaic or Akkadian];
you cannot ·understand [L hear] what they say.
16 Their ·arrows bring death [L quiver is like an open grave].
All their people are strong warriors.
17 They will ·eat [consume; devour] your crops and your food.
They will ·eat [consume; devour] your sons and daughters.
They will ·eat [consume; devour] your flocks and herds.
They will ·eat [consume; devour] your ·grapes [L vines] and ·figs [L fig trees].
They will destroy with their swords
the ·strong, walled [fortified] cities you ·trust [have confidence in].
18 “Yet even ·then [L in those days],” says the Lord, “I will not ·destroy you completely [L make a complete end; v. 10; 4:27]. 19 When the people [C of Judah] ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us [C his acts of judgment]?’ then give them this answer: ‘You have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord and served foreign gods [C idols] in your own land. So now you will serve ·foreigners [L strangers] in a land that does not belong to you.’
20 “·Announce this message [Proclaim this] to the ·family [L house] of Jacob [C Israel],
and ·tell it to the nation of [L make this heard in] Judah:
21 Hear this message, you foolish people who have no ·sense [L heart].
They have eyes, but they don’t really see.
They have ears, but they don’t really listen [C God’s people are like the idols they worship; Ps. 115:6; 135:17].
22 ·Surely you are afraid of me [L Do you not fear me?],” says the Lord.
“·You should shake with fear [L Do you not tremble…?] in my presence.
I am the one who ·made the beaches [L set sand] to be a border for the sea,
a ·border [limit] the water can never go past.
·The waves may pound the beach [L They may rise and fall], but they can’t win over it.
·They [L The waves] may roar, but they cannot go beyond it.
23 But this people [C of Judah] ·are stubborn and have turned against me [L have a stubborn and rebellious heart].
They have turned aside and gone away from me.
24 They do not say ·to themselves [L in their hearts],
‘We should fear the Lord our God [Prov. 1:7],
who gives us ·autumn [early] and ·spring [late] rains in their seasons,
who ·makes sure we have the harvest at the right time [brings us unfailingly the weeks appointed for harvests].’
25 But your ·evil [iniquities] has kept these [C rain and harvest] away.
Your sins have kept you from enjoying good things.
26 There ·are wicked men [L wicked are found] among my people.
Like ·those who make nets for catching birds [fowlers],
they set their traps to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of ·lies [deceit].
They have become ·powerful [great] and rich.
28 They have grown fat and sleek.
There is no end to the evil things they do.
They do not judge justly.
They won’t plead the case of the orphan [Ex. 22:22–24; Deut. 10:18; 24:17, 19–21; 27:19]
or help the poor be judged fairly [Ex. 22:25–27; 23:6, 11; Deut. 15:11].
29 Shouldn’t I punish them [C the people of Judah] for doing these things?” says the Lord.
“Shouldn’t I ·give a nation such as this the punishment [L get revenge on a nation as] it deserves [v. 9]?
30 “A terrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land [C of Judah]:
31 The prophets ·speak lies [L prophesy falsely; Deut. 18:14–22],
and the priests ·take power [rule] ·into their own hands [or by their hand/control],
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do when the end comes?
Jesus Teaches About Divorce(A)
19 After Jesus ·said all these things [L finished these words; see 7:28], he left Galilee and went into the ·area [region] of Judea ·on the other side of [beyond] the Jordan River. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus ·and tried to trick [to trap/test] him. They asked, “Is it ·right [lawful; C according to the law of Moses] for a man to divorce his wife for any reason he chooses?”
4 Jesus answered, “·Surely you have [L Haven’t you…?] read in the Scriptures: ·When God made the world, ‘he [L From the beginning, the Creator] made them male and female’ [Gen. 1:27; 5:2]. 5 And God said, ‘So a man will leave his father and mother and be ·united with [joined to] his wife, and the two will become ·one body [as though they were one person; T one flesh; Gen. 2:24].’ 6 So they are no longer two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them.”
7 The Pharisees asked, “Why then did Moses give a command for a man to divorce his wife by giving her ·divorce papers [a certificate of divorce/dismissal; Deut. 24:1]?”
8 Jesus answered, “Moses ·allowed [permitted] you to divorce your wives because ·you refused to accept God’s teaching [L of your hard-heartedness], but ·divorce was not allowed in the beginning [or this was not God’s intention at creation; L from the beginning it was not like this]. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman ·is guilty of [commits] adultery.[a] ·The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if his wife has sexual relations with another man [L …except in the case of sexual immorality].”
10 The ·followers [disciples] said to him, “If that is the ·only reason a man can divorce his wife [situation/case between a husband and wife], it is better not to marry.”
11 Jesus answered, “Not everyone can accept this ·teaching [word], but ·God has made some able to accept it [or only those given this gift of celibacy; L only to those whom it has been given]. 12 ·There are different reasons why some men cannot marry [L For…]. Some men were born ·without the ability to become fathers [L as eunuchs]. Others were made ·that way later in life [L eunuchs] by other people [C males would sometimes be castrated as punishment, or to serve in harems]. And some men have ·given up marriage because [L made themselves eunuchs for the sake] of the kingdom of heaven [C through abstinence, not necessarily castration]. ·But the person who can marry should accept this teaching about marriage [or The person who can accept this teaching about not marrying should accept it].”
Jesus Welcomes Children(B)
13 Then the people brought their little children to Jesus so he could ·put [lay] his hands on them [C an act of blessing] and pray for them. [L But] His ·followers [disciples] ·told them to stop [scolded/rebuked them], 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t ·stop [hinder] them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people who are like these children [C meaning humble and dependent].” 15 After Jesus ·put [lay] his hands on the children [C a sign of blessing; Mark 10:16], he left there.
A Rich Young Man’s Question(C)
16 [At that time; L And look/T behold] A man came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what ·good thing [good deed; L good] must I do to have ·life forever [eternal life]?”
17 Jesus answered, “Why do you ask me about what is good? Only ·God [L one] is good. But if you want to ·have life forever [have eternal life; L enter life], ·obey [keep] the ·commands [commandments].”
18 The man asked, “Which commands?”
Jesus answered, “‘You must not murder anyone; you must not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery; you must not steal; you must not ·tell lies about your neighbor [testify falsely; T bear false witness]; 19 honor your father and mother [Ex. 20:12–16; Deut. 5:16–20]; and love your neighbor as you love yourself [Lev. 19:18].’”
20 The young man said, “I have ·obeyed [kept carefully; guarded] all these things. What ·else do I need to do [L do I still lack]?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be ·perfect [complete], then go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he left ·sorrowfully [grieving], because he ·was rich [had many possessions].
23 Then Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 ·Yes [L Again], I tell you that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God [C meaning it is impossible, by human effort; see v. 26].”
25 When Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] heard this, they were ·very surprised [astonished] and asked, “Then who can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “·For people [Humanly speaking,] this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
27 Peter said to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. So what will we ·have [get]?”
28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, ·when the age to come has arrived [at the renewal of the world; L in the regeneration], the Son of Man [Dan. 7:13–14] will sit on his ·great [glorious] throne. All of you who followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And all those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother,[b] children, or ·farms [fields] ·to follow me [L for my name’s sake] will ·get much more than they left [L receive a hundred times as much], and they will ·have life forever [L inherit eternal life]. 30 [L But] Many who are first now will be last in the future. And many who are last now will be first in the future.
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