◀ All Reading Plans / M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan / Family: 1 Samuel 1; Romans 1. Secret: Jeremiah 39; Psalms 13–14. (New American Bible (Revised Edition))

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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The classic M'Cheyne plan--read the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms or Gospels every day.

Duration: 365 days

1 Samuel 1

I. The Last Judges, Eli and Samuel

Chapter 1

Elkanah and His Family at Shiloh. ¹There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.^(A) ²He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³Each year this man went up from his city to worship and offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were ministering as priests of the Lord.^(B) ⁴When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice, he used to give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, ⁵but he would give a double portion to Hannah because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.^(C) ⁶Her rival,^[a] to upset her, would torment her constantly, since the Lord had closed her womb.^(D) ⁷Year after year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah would provoke her, and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.^[b] ⁸Elkanah, her husband, would say to her: “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why are you not eating? Why are you so miserable? Am I not better for you than ten sons?”^(E)

Hannah’s Prayer. ⁹Hannah rose after one such meal at Shiloh, and presented herself before the Lord; at the time Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. ¹⁰In her bitterness she prayed to the Lord, weeping freely, ¹¹and made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the hardship of your servant, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life. No razor shall ever touch his head.”^[c]^(F) ¹²As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth, ¹³for Hannah was praying silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli, thinking she was drunk, ¹⁴said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” ¹⁵“No, my lord!” Hannah answered. “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my heart to the Lord. ¹⁶Do not think your servant a worthless woman; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” ¹⁷Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have requested.” ¹⁸She replied, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes,” and left. She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared downhearted. ¹⁹Early the next morning they worshiped before the Lord, and then returned to their home in Ramah. When they returned Elkanah had intercourse with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.

Hannah Bears a Son. ²⁰She conceived and, at the end of her pregnancy, bore a son whom she named Samuel.^[d] “Because I asked the Lord for him.” ²¹The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vows, ²²Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, “Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the Lord and leave him there forever.”^[e] ²³Her husband Elkanah answered her: “Do what you think best; wait until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord fulfill his word!” And so she remained at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.^(G)

Hannah Presents Samuel to the Lord. ²⁴Once he was weaned, she brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah^[f] of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the house of the Lord in Shiloh. ²⁵After they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the child to Eli. ²⁶Then Hannah spoke up: “Excuse me, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here near you, praying to the Lord. ²⁷I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. ²⁸Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” Then they worshiped there before the Lord.

Romans 1

I. Address

Chapter 1

Greeting.^[a] ¹Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,^[b] called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God,^(A) ²which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures,^(B) ³^[c]the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,^(C) ⁴but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.^(D) ⁵^[d]Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,^(E) ⁶among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;^(F) ⁷to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.^[e] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(G)

Thanksgiving. ⁸First, I give thanks^[f] to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is heralded throughout the world.^(H) ⁹God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in proclaiming the gospel of his Son, that I remember you constantly,^(I) ¹⁰^[g]always asking in my prayers that somehow by God’s will I may at last find my way clear to come to you.^(J) ¹¹For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened,^(K) ¹²that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine. ¹³I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,^[h] that I often planned to come to you, though I was prevented until now, that I might harvest some fruit among you, too, as among the rest of the Gentiles.^(L) ¹⁴To Greeks^[i] and non-Greeks alike, to the wise and the ignorant, I am under obligation; ¹⁵that is why I am eager to preach the gospel also to you in Rome.^(M)

II. Humanity Lost Without the Gospel

God’s Power for Salvation.^[j] ¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek.^(N) ¹⁷For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;^[k] as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.”^(O)

Punishment of Idolaters. ¹⁸^[l]The wrath^[m] of God^[n] is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness^(P) of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. ¹⁹For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them.^(Q) ²⁰Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.^(R) As a result, they have no excuse; ²¹for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.^(S) ²²While claiming to be wise,^(T) they became fools ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.^(U)

²⁴Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts^[o] for the mutual degradation of their bodies.^(V) ²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.^(W) ²⁶Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, ²⁷and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.^(X) ²⁸And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. ²⁹^(Y)They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. They are gossips ³⁰and scandalmongers and they hate God. They are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wickedness, and rebellious toward their parents. ³¹They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³²Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.^(Z)

Footnotes

1:1–7 In Paul’s letters the greeting or praescriptio follows a standard form, though with variations. It is based upon the common Greco-Roman epistolary practice, but with the addition of Semitic and specifically Christian elements. The three basic components are: name of sender; name of addressee; greeting. In identifying himself, Paul often adds phrases to describe his apostolic mission; this element is more developed in Romans than in any other letter. Elsewhere he associates co-workers with himself in the greeting: Sosthenes (1 Corinthians), Timothy (2 Corinthians; Philippians; Philemon) Silvanus (1 Thessalonians—2 Thessalonians). The standard secular greeting was the infinitive chairein, “greetings.” Paul uses instead the similar-sounding charis, “grace,” together with the Semitic greeting šālôm (Greek eirēnē), “peace.” These gifts, foreshadowed in God’s dealings with Israel (see Nm 6:24–26), have been poured out abundantly in Christ, and Paul wishes them to his readers. In Romans the Pauline praescriptio is expanded and expressed in a formal tone; it emphasizes Paul’s office as apostle to the Gentiles. Rom 1:3–4 stress the gospel or kerygma, Rom 1:2 the fulfillment of God’s promise, and Rom 1:1, 5 Paul’s office. On his call, see Gal 1:15–16; 1 Cor 9:1; 15:8–10; Acts 9:1–22; 22:3–16; 26:4–18.
1:1 Slave of Christ Jesus: Paul applies the term slave to himself in order to express his undivided allegiance to the Lord of the church, the Master of all, including slaves and masters. “No one can serve (i.e., be a slave to) two masters,” said Jesus (Mt 6:24). It is this aspect of the slave-master relationship rather than its degrading implications that Paul emphasizes when he discusses Christian commitment.
1:3–4 Paul here cites an early confession that proclaims Jesus’ sonship as messianic descendant of David (cf. Mt 22:42; 2 Tm 2:8; Rev 22:16) and as Son of God by the resurrection. As “life-giving spirit” (1 Cor 15:45), Jesus Christ is able to communicate the Spirit to those who believe in him.
1:5 Paul recalls his apostolic office, implying that the Romans know something of his history. The obedience of faith: as Paul will show at length in chaps. 6–8 and 12–15, faith in God’s justifying action in Jesus Christ relates one to God’s gift of the new life that is made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the activity of the holy Spirit (see especially Rom 8:1–11).
1:7 Called to be holy: Paul often refers to Christians as “the holy ones” or “the saints.” The Israelite community was called a “holy assembly” because they had been separated for the worship and service of the Lord (see Lv 11:44; 23:1–44). The Christian community regarded its members as sanctified by baptism (Rom 6:22; 15:16; 1 Cor 6:11; Eph 5:26–27). Christians are called to holiness (1 Cor 1:2; 1 Thes 4:7), that is, they are called to make their lives conform to the gift they have already received.
1:8 In Greco-Roman letters, the greeting was customarily followed by a prayer. The Pauline letters usually include this element (except Galatians and 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy) expressed in Christian thanksgiving formulas and usually stating the principal theme of the letter. In 2 Corinthians the thanksgiving becomes a blessing, and in Ephesians it is preceded by a lengthy blessing. Sometimes the thanksgiving is blended into the body of the letter, especially in 1 Thessalonians. In Romans it is stated briefly.
1:10–12 Paul lays the groundwork for his more detailed statement in Rom 15:22–24 about his projected visit to Rome.
1:13 Brothers is idiomatic for all Paul’s “kin in Christ,” all those who believe in the gospel; it includes women as well as men (cf. Rom 4:3).
1:14 Greeks and non-Greeks: literally, “Greeks and barbarians.” As a result of Alexander’s conquests, Greek became the standard international language of the Mediterranean world. Greeks in Paul’s statement therefore means people who know Greek or who have been influenced by Greek culture. Non-Greeks were people whose cultures remained substantially unaffected by Greek influences. Greeks called such people “barbarians” (cf. Acts 28:2), meaning people whose speech was foreign. Roman citizens would scarcely classify themselves as such, and Nero, who was reigning when Paul wrote this letter, prided himself on his admiration for Greek culture. Under obligation: Paul will expand on the theme of obligation in Rom 13:8; 15:1, 27.
1:16–17 The principal theme of the letter is salvation through faith. I am not ashamed of the gospel: Paul is not ashamed to proclaim the gospel, despite the criticism that Jews and Gentiles leveled against the proclamation of the crucified savior; cf. 1 Cor 1:23–24. Paul affirms, however, that it is precisely through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus that God’s saving will and power become manifest. Jew first (cf. Rom 2:9–10) means that Jews especially, in view of the example of Abraham (Rom 4), ought to be the leaders in the response of faith.
1:17 In it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith: the gospel centers in Jesus Christ, in whom God’s saving presence and righteousness in history have been made known. Faith is affirmation of the basic purpose and meaning of the Old Testament as proclamation of divine promise (Rom 1:2; 4:13) and exposure of the inability of humanity to effect its salvation even through covenant law. Faith is the gift of the holy Spirit and denotes acceptance of salvation as God’s righteousness, that is, God’s gift of a renewed relationship in forgiveness and power for a new life. Faith is response to God’s total claim on people and their destiny. The one who is righteous by faith will live: see note on Hb 2:4.
1:18–3:20 Paul aims to show that all humanity is in a desperate plight and requires God’s special intervention if it is to be saved.
1:18–32 In this passage Paul uses themes and rhetoric common in Jewish-Hellenistic mission proclamation (cf. Wis 13:1–14:31) to indict especially the non-Jewish world. The close association of idolatry and immorality is basic, but the generalization needs in all fairness to be balanced against the fact that non-Jewish Christian society on many levels displayed moral attitudes and performance whose quality would challenge much of contemporary Christian culture. Romans themselves expressed abhorrence over devotion accorded to animals in Egypt. Paul’s main point is that the wrath of God does not await the end of the world but goes into action at each present moment in humanity’s history when misdirected piety serves as a facade for self-interest.
1:18 The wrath of God: God’s reaction to human sinfulness, an Old Testament phrase that expresses the irreconcilable opposition between God and evil (see Is 9:11, 16, 18, 20; 10:4; 30:27). It is not contrary to God’s universal love for his creatures, but condemns Israel’s turning aside from the covenant obligations. Hosea depicts Yahweh as suffering intensely at the thought of having to punish Israel (Hos 11:8–9). God’s wrath was to be poured forth especially on the “Day of Yahweh” and thus took on an eschatological connotation (see Zep 1:15).
1:24 In order to expose the depth of humanity’s rebellion against the Creator, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts. Instead of curbing people’s evil interests, God abandoned them to self-indulgence, thereby removing the facade of apparent conformity to the divine will. Subsequently Paul will show that the Mosaic law produces the same effect; cf. Rom 5:20; 7:13–24. The divine judgment expressed here is related to the theme of hardness of heart described in Rom 9:17–18.

Jeremiah 39

Chapter 39

The Capture of Jerusalem. When Jerusalem was taken, ¹in the ninth year of Zedekiah,^(A) king of Judah, in the tenth month,^[a] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his army marched against Jerusalem and placed it under siege. ²In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the fourth month,^[b] the city wall was breached. ³All the princes of the king of Babylon came and took their seats at the middle gate: Nergal-sharezer of Simmagir, a chief officer; Nebushazban, a high dignitary; and all the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.^[c] ⁴When Zedekiah, king of Judah, and all his warriors saw this, they fled, leaving the city at night by way of the king’s garden,^[d] through a gate between the two walls. He went in the direction of the Arabah,^(B) ⁵but the Chaldean army pursued them; they caught up with Zedekiah in the wilderness near Jericho and took him prisoner. They brought him to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in Riblah,^[e] in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced sentence upon him.^(C) ⁶The king of Babylon executed the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his very eyes; the king of Babylon also executed all the nobles of Judah.^(D) ⁷He then blinded Zedekiah and bound him in chains to bring him to Babylon.^(E)

⁸The Chaldeans set fire to the king’s house and the houses of the people and tore down the walls of Jerusalem.^(F) ⁹Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, deported to Babylon the rest of the people left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the workers.^(G) ¹⁰But Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, left in the land of Judah some of the poor who had nothing and at the same time gave them vineyards and farms.^(H)

Jeremiah Released to Gedaliah’s Custody. ¹¹Concerning Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, gave these orders through Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard: ¹²“Take him and look after him; do not let anything happen to him. Whatever he may ask, you must do for him.”^(I) ¹³Thereupon Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, and Nebushazban, a high dignitary, and Nergal-sharezer, a chief officer, and all the nobles of the king of Babylon, ¹⁴had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard and entrusted to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to bring him home. And so he remained among the people.^(J)

A Word of Comfort for Ebed-melech. ¹⁵While Jeremiah was still imprisoned in the court of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: ¹⁶Go, tell this to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: See, I am now carrying out my words against this city, for evil and not for good; this will happen in your presence on that day.^(K) ¹⁷But on that day I will deliver you—oracle of the Lord; you shall not be handed over to the men you dread. ¹⁸I will make certain that you escape and do not fall by the sword. Your life will be your spoils of war because you trusted in me—oracle of the Lord.^(L)

Psalm 13-14

Psalm 13^[a]

Prayer for Help

¹For the leader. A psalm of David.

I

²How long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me?
    How long will you hide your face from me?^(A)
³How long must I carry sorrow in my soul,
    grief in my heart day after day?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

II

⁴Look upon me, answer me, Lord, my God!
Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death,
⁵Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,”
lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.^(B)

III

⁶But I trust in your mercy.
Grant my heart joy in your salvation,
I will sing to the Lord,
for he has dealt bountifully with me!^(C)

Psalm 14^[b]

A Lament over Widespread Corruption

¹For the leader. Of David.

I

The fool says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”
Their deeds are loathsome and corrupt;
    not one does what is good.^(D)
²The Lord looks down from heaven
    upon the children of men,^(E)
To see if even one is wise,
    if even one seeks God.^(F)
³All have gone astray;
    all alike are perverse.
Not one does what is good,
    not even one.^(G)

II

⁴Will these evildoers never learn?
    They devour my people as they devour bread;^(H)
    they do not call upon the Lord.^(I)
⁵They have good reason, then, to fear;
    God is with the company of the just.
⁶They would crush the hopes of the poor,
    but the poor have the Lord as their refuge.

III

⁷^(J)Oh, that from Zion might come
the salvation of Israel!
Jacob would rejoice, and Israel be glad
when the Lord restores his people!^[c]

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

I. The Last Judges, Eli and Samuel

Chapter 1

Footnotes

Cross references

I. Address

Chapter 1

II. Humanity Lost Without the Gospel

Footnotes

Cross references

Chapter 39

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 13^[a]

Prayer for Help

I

II

III

Psalm 14^[b]

A Lament over Widespread Corruption

I

II

III

Footnotes

Cross references

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M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

I. The Last Judges, Eli and Samuel

Chapter 1

Footnotes

Cross references

I. Address

Chapter 1

II. Humanity Lost Without the Gospel

Footnotes

Cross references

Chapter 39

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 13[a]

Prayer for Help

I

II

III

Psalm 14[b]

A Lament over Widespread Corruption

I

II

III

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 13^[a]

Psalm 14^[b]