M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

17 There was at that time a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Michas,

² Who said to his mother: The eleven hundred pieces of silver, which thou hadst put aside for thyself, and concerning which thou didst swear in my hearing, behold I have, and they are with me. And she said to him: Blessed be my son by the Lord.

³ So he restored them to his mother, who said to him: I have consecrated and vowed this silver to the Lord, that my son may receive it at my hand, and make a graven and a molten god, so now I deliver it to thee.

⁴ And he restored them to his mother: and she took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, to make of them a graven and a molten god, which was in the house of Michas.

⁵ And he separated also therein a little temple for the god, and made an ephod, and theraphim, that is to say, a priestly garment, and idols: and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he became his priest.

⁶ In those days there was no king in Israel, but every one did that which seemed right to himself.

⁷ There was also another young man of Bethlehem Juda, of the kindred thereof: and he was a Levite, and dwelt there.

⁸ Now he went out from the city of Bethlehem, and desired to sojourn wheresoever he should find it convenient for him. And when he was come to mount Ephraim, as he was on his journey, and had turned aside a little into the house of Michas,

⁹ He was asked by him whence he came. And he answered: I am a Levite of Bethlehem Juda, and I am going to dwell where I can, and where I shall find a place to my advantage.

¹⁰ And Michas said: Stay with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee every year ten pieces of silver, and a double suit of apparel, and thy victuals.

¹¹ He was content, and abode with the man, and was unto him as one of his sons.

¹² And Michas filled his hand, and had the young man with him, for his priest, saying:

¹³ Now I know God will do me good, since I have a priest of the race of the Levites.

21 And when it came to pass that, being parted from them, we set sail, we came with a straight course to Coos, and the day following to Rhodes, and from thence to Patara.

² And when we had found a ship sailing over to Phenice, we went aboard, and set forth.

³ And when we had discovered Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed into Syria, and came to Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

⁴ And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

⁵ And the days being expired, departing we went forward, they all bringing us on our way, with their wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and we prayed.

⁶ And when we had bid one another farewell, we took ship; and they returned home.

⁷ But we having finished the voyage by sea, from Tyre came down to Ptolemais: and saluting the brethren, we abode one day with them.

⁸ And the next day departing, we came to Caesarea. And entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him.

⁹ And he had four daughters, virgins, who did prophesy.

¹⁰ And as we tarried there for some days, there came from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

¹¹ Who, when he was come to us, took Paul's girdle: and binding his own feet and hands, he said: Thus saith the Holy Ghost: The man whose girdle this is, the Jews shall bind in this manner in Jerusalem, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

¹² Which when we had heard, both we and they that were of that place, desired him that he would not go up to Jerusalem.

¹³ Then Paul answered, and said: What do you mean weeping and afflicting my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but to die also in Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴ And when we could not persuade him, we ceased, saying: The will of the Lord be done.

¹⁵ And after those days, being prepared, we went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ And there went also with us some of the disciples from Caesarea, bringing with them one Mnason a Cyprian, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

¹⁷ And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸ And the day following, Paul went in with us unto James; and all the ancients were assembled.

¹⁹ Whom when he had saluted, he related particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰ But they hearing it, glorified God, and said to him: Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews that have believed: and they are all zealous for the law.

²¹ Now they have heard of thee that thou teachest those Jews, who are among the Gentiles, to depart from Moses: saying, that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor walk according to the custom.

²² What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

²³ Do therefore this that we say to thee. We have four men, who have a vow on them.

²⁴ Take these, and sanctify thyself with them: and bestow on them, that they may shave their heads: and all will know that the things which they have heard of thee, are false; but that thou thyself also walkest keeping the law.

²⁵ But as touching the Gentiles that believe, we have written, decreeing that they should only refrain themselves from that which has been offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangles, and from fornication.

²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day being purified with them, entered into the temple, giving notice of the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an oblation should be offered for every one of them.

²⁷ But when the seven days were drawing to an end, those Jews that were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands upon him, crying out:

²⁸ Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover hath brought in Gentiles into the temple, and hath violated this holy place.

²⁹ (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰ And the whole city was in an uproar: and the people ran together. And taking Paul, they drew him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

³¹ And as they went about to kill him, it was told the tribune of the band, That all Jerusalem was in confusion.

³² Who, forthwith taking with him soldiers and centurions, ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers they left off beating Paul.

³³ Then the tribune coming near, took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains: and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

³⁴ And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude. And when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

³⁵ And when he was come to the stairs, it fell out that he was carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the people.

³⁶ For the multitude of the people followed after, crying: Away with him.

³⁷ And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith to the tribune: May I speak something to thee? Who said: Canst thou speak Greek?

³⁸ Art not thou that Egyptian who before these days didst raise a tumult, and didst lead forth into the desert four thousand men that were murderers?

³⁹ But Paul said to him: I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. And I beseech thee, suffer me to speak to the people.

⁴⁰ And when he had given him leave, Paul standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. And a great silence being made, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying:

30 This is the word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, saying:

² Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: Write thee all the words that I have spoken to thee, in a book.

³ For behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Juda, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

⁴ And these are the words that the Lord hath spoken to Israel and to Juda:

⁵ For thus saith the Lord: We have heard a voice of terror: there is fear and no peace.

⁶ Ask ye, and see if a man bear children? why then have I seen every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman in labour, and all faces are turned yellow?

⁷ Alas, for that day is great, neither is there the like to it; and it is the time of tribulation to Jacob, but he shall be saved out of it.

⁸ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst his bands: and strangers shall no more rule over him:

⁹ But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them.

¹⁰ Therefore fear thou not, my servant Jacob, saith the Lord, neither be dismayed, O Israel: for behold, I will save thee from a country afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity: and Jacob shall return, and be at rest, and abound with all good things, and there shall be none whom he may fear:

¹¹ For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: for I will utterly consume all the nations, among which I have scattered thee: but I will not utterly consume thee: but I will chastise thee in judgment, that thou mayst not seem to thyself innocent.

¹² For thus saith the Lord: Thy bruise is incurable, thy wound is very grievous.

¹³ There is none to judge thy judgment to bind it up: thou hast no healing medicines.

¹⁴ All thy lovers have forgotten thee, and will not seek after thee: for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with a cruel chastisement: by reason of the multitude of thy iniquities, thy sins are hardened.

¹⁵ Why criest thou for thy affliction? thy sorrow is incurable: for the multitude of thy iniquity, and for thy hardened sins I have done these things to thee.

¹⁶ Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured: and all thy enemies shall be carried into captivity: and they that waste thee shall be wasted, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.

¹⁷ For I will close up thy scar, and will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord. Because they have called thee, O Sion, an outcast: This is she that hath none to seek after her.

¹⁸ Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring back the captivity of the pavilions of Jacob, and will have pity on his houses, and the city shall be built in her high place, and the temple shall be founded according to the order thereof.

¹⁹ And out of them shall come forth praise, and the voice of them that play: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be made few: and I will glorify them, and they shall not be lessened.

²⁰ And their children shall be as from the beginning, and their assembly shall be permanent before me: and I will visit against all that afflict them.

²¹ And their leader shall be of themselves: and their prince shall come forth from the midst of them: and I will bring him near, and he shall come to me: for who is this that setteth his heart to approach to me, saith the Lord?

²² And you shall be my people: and I will be your God.

²³ Behold the whirlwind of the Lord, his fury going forth, a violent storm, it shall rest upon the head of the wicked.

²⁴ The Lord will not turn away the wrath of his indignation, till he have executed and performed the thought of his heart: in the latter days you shall understand these things.

31 At that time, saith the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

² Thus saith the Lord: The people that were left and escaped from the sword, found grace in the desert: Israel shall go to his rest.

³ The Lord hath appeared from afar to me. Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore have I drawn thee, taking pity on thee.

⁴ And I will build thee again, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy timbrels, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

⁵ Thou shalt yet plant vineyards in the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and they shall not gather the vintage before the time.

⁶ For there shall be a day, in which the watchmen on mount Ephraim, shall cry: Arise, and let us go up to Sion to the Lord our God.

⁷ For thus saith the Lord: Rejoice ye in the joy of Jacob, and neigh before the head of the Gentiles: shout ye, and sing, and say: Save, O Lord, thy people, the remnant of Israel.

⁸ Behold I will bring them from the north country, and will gather them from the ends of the earth: and among them shall be the blind, and the lame, the woman with child, and she that is bringing forth, together, a great company of them returning hither.

⁹ They shall come with weeping: and I will bring them back in mercy: and I will bring them through the torrents of waters in a right way, and they shall not stumble in it: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the islands that are afar off, and say: He that scattered Israel will gather him: and he will keep him as the shepherd doth his flock.

¹¹ For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and delivered him out of the hand of one that was mightier than he.

¹² And they shall come, and shall give praise in mount Sion: and they shall flow together to the good things of the Lord, for the corn, and wine, and oil, and the increase of cattle and herds, and their soul shall be as a watered garden, and they shall be hungry no more.

¹³ Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, the young men and old men together: and I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them joyful after their sorrow.

¹⁴ And I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness: and my people shall be filled with my good things, saith the Lord.

¹⁵ Thus saith the Lord: A voice was heard on high of lamentation, of mourning, and weeping, of Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted for them, because they are not.

¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord: Let thy voice cease from weeping, and thy eyes from tears: for there is a reward for thy work, saith the Lord: and they shall return out of the land of the enemy.

¹⁷ And here is hope for thy last end, saith the Lord: and the children shall return to their own borders.

¹⁸ Hearing I heard Ephraim when he went into captivity: thou hast chastised me, and I was instructed, as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Convert me, and I shall be converted, for thou art the Lord my God.

¹⁹ For after thou didst convert me, I did penance: and after thou didst shew unto me, I struck my thigh: I am confounded and ashamed, because I have borne the reproach of my youth.

²⁰ Surely Ephraim is an honourable son to me, surely he is a tender child: for since I spoke of him, I will still remember him. Therefore are my bowels troubled for him: pitying I will pity him, saith the Lord.

²¹ Set thee up a watchtower, make to thee bitterness: direct thy heart into the right way, wherein thou hast walked: return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.

²² How long wilt thou be dissolute in deliciousness, O wandering daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth: A WOMAN SHALL COMPASS A MAN.

²³ Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As yet shall they say this word in the land of Juda, and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring back their captivity: The Lord bless thee, the beauty of justice, the holy mountain.

²⁴ And Juda and all his cities shall dwell therein together: the husbandmen and they that drive the flocks.

²⁵ For I have inebriated the weary soul: and I have filled every hungry soul.

²⁶ Upon this I was as it were awaked out of a sleep, and I saw, and my sleep was sweet to me.

²⁷ Behold the days come, saith the Lord: and I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Juda with the seed of men, and with the seed of beasts.

²⁸ And as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to throw down, and to scatter, and destroy, and afflict: so will I watch over them, to build up, and to plant them, saith the Lord.

²⁹ In those days they shall say no more: The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.

³⁰ But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that shall eat the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

³¹ Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:

³² Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt: the covenant which they made void, and I had dominion over them, saith the Lord.

³³ But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

³⁴ And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying: Know the Lord: for all shall know me from the least of them even to the greatest, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

³⁵ Thus saith the Lord, who giveth the sun for the light of the day, the order of the moon and of the stars, for the light of the night: who stirreth up the sea, and the waves thereof roar, the Lord of hosts is his name.

³⁶ If these ordinances shall fail before me, saith the Lord: then also the seed of Israel shall fail, so as not to be a nation before me for ever.

³⁷ Thus saith the Lord: If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I also will cast away all the seed of Israel, for all that they have done, saith the Lord.

³⁸ Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that the city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Hanameel even to the gate of the corner.

³⁹ And the measuring line shall go out farther in his sight upon the hill Gareb: and it shall compass Goatha,

⁴⁰ And the whole valley of dead bodies and of ashes, and all the country of death, even to the torrent Cedron, and to the corner of the horse gate towards the east, the Holy of the Lord: it shall not be plucked up, and it shall not be destroyed any more for ever.

16 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus.

² And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.

³ And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

⁴ And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great.

⁵ And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished.

⁶ Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him.

⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you.

⁸ But they going out, fled from the sepulchre. For a trembling and fear had seized them: and they said nothing to any man; for they were afraid.

⁹ But he rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

¹⁰ She went and told them that had been with him, who were mourning and weeping.

¹¹ And they hearing that he was alive, and had been seen by her, did not believe.

¹² And after that he appeared in another shape to two of them walking, as they were going into the country.

¹³ And they going told it to the rest: neither did they believe them.

¹⁴ At length he appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again.

¹⁵ And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

¹⁶ He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.

¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues.

¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.

¹⁹ And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God.

²⁰ But they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.