M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

III. Return of the Transjordan Tribes and Joshua’s Farewell

Chapter 22

The Eastern Tribes Dismissed. ¹ At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh ² and said to them:^(A) “You have observed all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, and have listened to my voice in everything I commanded you. ³ For many years now, even until today, you have not abandoned your allies, but have taken care to observe the commands of the Lord, your God. ⁴ Now that the Lord, your God, has settled your allies as he promised them, you may return to your tents, to your own land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you, across the Jordan.^{(B) 5} But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you: love the Lord, your God,^(C) follow him in all his ways, keep his commandments, hold fast to him, and serve him with your whole heart and your whole self.” ⁶ Joshua then blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

⁷ (For, to half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had assigned land in Bashan;^(D) and to the other half Joshua had given a portion along with their allies west of the Jordan.) When Joshua sent them away to their tents and blessed them, ⁸ he said, “Now that you are returning to your own tents with great wealth, with abundant livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and with a very large supply of clothing, divide these spoils of your enemies with your allies there.”^{(E) 9} So the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and returned to the land of Gilead, their own land, which they had received according to the Lord’s command through Moses.^(F)

The Altar Beside the Jordan. ¹⁰ When the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built an altar there at the Jordan, an impressively large altar. ¹¹ The other Israelites heard the report:^(G) “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar” in the region of the Jordan facing the land of Canaan,^[a] across from the Israelites. ¹² When the Israelites heard this, they assembled at Shiloh, as the entire Israelite community to take military action against them.^[b]

Accusation of the Western Tribes. ¹³ The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead,^{(H) 14} and with him ten leaders, one from each tribe of Israel, each one the head of an ancestral house among the clans of Israel. ¹⁵ When these came to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead, they said to them: ¹⁶ “Thus says the whole community of the Lord: What act of treachery is this you have committed against the God of Israel? This day you have turned from following the Lord; by building an altar of your own you have rebelled against the Lord this day. ¹⁷ Is the iniquity of Peor not enough, by which we made ourselves impure, even to this day, and a plague came upon the community of the Lord?^{(I) 18} If today you turn away from following the Lord, and rebel against the Lord, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel! ¹⁹ If you consider the land you now possess unclean,^[c] cross over to the land the Lord possesses, where the tabernacle of the Lord stands, and share that with us. But do not rebel against the Lord, nor involve us in rebellion, by building an altar of your own in addition to the altar of the Lord, our God. ²⁰ When Achan, son of Zerah,^(J) acted treacherously by violating the ban, was it not upon the entire community of Israel that wrath fell? Though he was but a single man, he did not perish alone^[d] for his guilt!”

Reply of the Eastern Tribes. ²¹ The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the Israelite clans: ²² “The Lord is the God of gods. The Lord, the God of gods,^[e] knows and Israel shall know. If now we have acted out of rebellion or treachery against the Lord, our God, do not try to save us this day, ²³ and if we have built an altar of our own to turn from following the Lord, or to sacrifice burnt offerings, grain offerings, or communion sacrifices upon it, the Lord himself will exact the penalty. ²⁴ We did it rather out of our anxious concern lest in the future your children should say to our children: ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ For the Lord has placed the Jordan as a boundary between you and us, you Reubenites and Gadites. You have no share in the Lord.’ Thus your children would prevent ours from revering the Lord. ²⁶ So we thought, ‘Let us act for ourselves by building this altar of our own’—not for burnt offerings or sacrifice, ^27 (K)but as witness between us and you and our descendants, that we have the right to provide for the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and communion sacrifices. Now in the future your children cannot say to our children, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’ ²⁸ Our thought was that, if in the future they should speak thus to us or to our descendants, we could answer: ‘Look at the copy of the altar of the Lord which our ancestors made, not for burnt offerings or for sacrifices, but to witness^[f] between you and us.’ ²⁹ Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord or to turn now from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice in addition to the altar of the Lord, our God, which stands before his tabernacle.”

³⁰ When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community, the heads of the Israelite clans, heard what the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites had to say, they were satisfied. ³¹ Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the Manassites, “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst. Since you have not rebelled against the Lord by this act of treachery, you have delivered the Israelites from the hand of the Lord.”

³² Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, and the leaders returned from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the Israelites in the land of Canaan, and reported the matter to them. ³³ The report satisfied the Israelites, who blessed God and decided not to take military action against the Reubenites and Gadites nor to ravage the land where they lived.

³⁴ The Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar its name^[g] as a witness among them that the Lord is God.

Chapter 2

The Coming of the Spirit. ^1 [a]When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.^{(A) 2} And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind,^[b] and it filled the entire house in which they were.^{(B) 3} Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,^[c] which parted and came to rest on each one of them.^{(C) 4} And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,^[d] as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.^(D)

⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. ⁶ At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?^{(E) 8} Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? ⁹ We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, ¹¹ both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”^{(F) 12} They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.”^(G)

II. The Mission in Jerusalem

Peter’s Speech at Pentecost. ^14 [e]Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. ¹⁵ These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

²² You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.^{(J) 23} This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.^{(K) 24} But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.^{(L) 25} For David says of him:

²⁹ My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. ³⁰ But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,^{(O) 31} he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption.^{(P) 32} God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. ³³ Exalted at the right hand of God,^[f] he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you [both] see and hear.^{(Q) 34} For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:

³⁶ Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”^(S)

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”^{(T) 38} Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized,^[g] every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.^{(U) 39} For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”^{(V) 40} He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(W) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.^(X)

Communal Life.^{[h] 42 (Y)}They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.^{(Z) 43} Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.^{(AA) 44} All who believed were together and had all things in common;^{(AB) 45} they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. ⁴⁶ Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Chapter 11

Plea for Fidelity to the Covenant. ¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² Speak to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, ³ and say to them: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed be anyone who does not observe the words of this covenant,^{(A) 4} which I commanded your ancestors the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that iron furnace, saying: Listen to my voice and do all that I command you. Then you shall be my people, and I will be your God.^{(B) 5} Thus I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, the one you have today. “Amen, Lord,” I answered.

⁶ Then the Lord said to me: Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and obey them. ⁷ I warned your ancestors unceasingly from the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt even to this day: obey my voice. ⁸ But they did not listen or obey. They each walked in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, till I brought upon them all the threats of this covenant which they had failed to observe as I commanded them.^(C)

⁹ A conspiracy has been found, the Lord said to me, among the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ¹⁰ They have returned to the crimes of their ancestors who refused to obey my words. They also have followed and served other gods; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.^{(D) 11} Therefore, thus says the Lord: See, I am bringing upon them a disaster they cannot escape. Though they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.^{(E) 12} Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they have been offering incense. But these gods will give them no help whatever in the time of their disaster.^(F)

¹⁴ Now, you must not intercede for this people; do not raise on their behalf a cry or prayer! I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their disaster.^(H)

Sacrifices of No Avail

¹⁷ The Lord of hosts who planted you has decreed disaster for you because of the evil done by the house of Israel and by the house of Judah, who provoked me by sacrificing to Baal.^(I)

The Plot Against Jeremiah. ¹⁸ I knew it because the Lord informed me: at that time you showed me their doings.

¹⁹ Yet I was like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, not knowing that they were hatching plots against me: “Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered.”^(J)

²¹ Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life and say, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord; otherwise you shall die by our hand.”^{(L) 22} Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: I am going to punish them. The young men shall die by the sword; their sons and daughters shall die by famine.^{(M) 23} None shall be spared among them, for I will bring disaster upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment.^(N)

Chapter 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins.^{[a] 1} “Then^[b] the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ^2 [c]Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. ^11 [d](A)Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ ¹² But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ^13 (B)Therefore, stay awake,^[e] for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The Parable of the Talents.^{[f] 14 (C)}“It will be as when a man who was going on a journey^[g] called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents;^[h] to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately ¹⁶ the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. ¹⁷ Likewise, the one who received two made another two. ^18 [i]But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. ¹⁹ After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.^[j] He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ ^21 (D)His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ ²² [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ ²⁴ Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; ²⁵ so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ ²⁶ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!^[k] So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷ Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? ²⁸ Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. ^29 [l](E)For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ^30 [m]And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

The Judgment of the Nations.^{[n] 31 (F)}“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, ^32 (G)and all the nations^[o] will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ^35 (H)For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous^[p] will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ ^40 (I)And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ ^41 [q](J)Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ^42 (K)For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ ^44 [r]Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ ⁴⁵ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ ^46 (L)And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”