M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Genealogy of Issachar(A)
7 The four descendants of Issachar included[a] Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. 2 Tola’s descendants included Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, leaders of their ancestral house of Tola, who were valiant warriors during their lifetimes. During the life of David, they numbered 22,600. 3 Uzzi fathered Izrahiah, and Izrahiah fathered Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, all five of them leaders. 4 In addition to them, according to their ancestral records were 36,000 members of their trained army by their generations, because they had many wives and children. 5 As recorded in their genealogy, a total of 87,000 trained warriors belonged to all of the clans of Issachar.
Genealogy of Benjamin(B)
6 Benjamin’s three descendants included Bela, Becher, and Jediael.
7 Bela’s five descendants included Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, who were leaders of their ancestral households. Valiant warriors, their enrollment totaled 22,034 according to their genealogies.
8 Becher’s descendants included Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were descendants of Becher, 9 and their genealogical enrollment totaled 20,200 valiant warriors, delineated according to their generations as leaders of their ancestral households.
10 Jediael fathered Bilhan, and Bilhan’s descendants included Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All these were descendants through Jediael according to the heads of their ancestral households. Their valiant warriors totaled 17,200 equipped and ready for battle.
12 In addition, Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, and the Hushites were[b] descended from Aher.
Genealogy of Naphtali(C)
13 Naphtali’s descendants included Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, descended through Bilhah.
Genealogy of Manasseh
14 Manasseh’s descendants included Asriel, whom his Aramean mistress bore, along with Machir, who fathered Gilead. 15 Machir chose wives for his sons[c] Huppim and for Shuppim. He had a sister named Maacah. His second son[d] was named Zelophehad, and Zelophehad fathered only[e] daughters.[f] 16 Machir’s wife Maacah bore a son whom she named Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem. 17 Ulam’s son was Bedan. These were the children of Machir’s son Gilead, who was also a descendant of Manasseh. 18 His sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19 Shemida’s sons included Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
Genealogy of Ephraim
20 Ephraim’s descendants included Shuthelah, his son Bered, his son Tahath, his son Eleadah, his son Tahath, 21 his son Zabad, his son Shuthelah, his son Ezer, and Elead. The people of Gath, who were native to the land, killed them when[g] they came down to raid their cattle. 22 So their father Ephraim mourned many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 Later, Ephraim had marital relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son, whom he named Beriah,[h] because his household had been visited with disaster.
24 His daughter Sheerah built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, along with Uzzen-sheerah. 25 Rephah was also his descendant,[i] as were Resheph, Telah, Tahan, 26 Ladan, Ammihud, Elishama, 27 Nun, and Joshua. 28 Their possessions and settlements included Bethel and its towns,[j] Naaran to the east, Gezer and its towns to the west, Shechem and its towns as far as Ayyah and its towns 29 along the borders of the descendants of Manasseh, Beth-shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, and Dor and its towns. In these lived the descendants of Israel’s son Joseph.
Genealogy of Asher(D)
30 Asher’s descendants included Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.
31 Beriah’s descendants included Heber and Malchiel, who fathered Birzaith. 32 Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and their sister Shua.
33 Japhlet’s descendants included Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were the descendants of Japhlet.
34 Shemer’s descendants included Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.
35 His brother Helem’s descendants included Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.
36 Zophah’s descendants included Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.
38 Jether’s descendants included Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.
39 Ulla’s descendants included Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.
40 All of these were men of Asher, leaders of ancestral households, choice valiant mighty warriors, and chiefs among princes. Their enrolled genealogies for battle conscription[k] totaled 26,000 men.
Genealogy of Benjamin(E)
8 Benjamin fathered Bela his firstborn, Ashbel his second born, Aharah his third born, 2 Nohah his fourth born, and Rapha his fifth born.
3 Bela’s descendants included[l] Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.
6 Ehud’s descendants, who were leaders of their ancestral households in Geba and who were taken into exile to Manahath, included: 7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera (also known as Heglam), who fathered Uzza and Ahihud.
8 Shaharaim fathered sons in the land of Moab after he had divorced[m] his wives Hushim and Baara. 9 By his wife Hodesh he fathered Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 10 Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons and leaders of ancestral households.
11 He also fathered his sons Abitub and Elpaal by Hushim.
12 Elpaal’s descendants included Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod, along with its towns),[n] 13 Beriah and Shema, leaders of ancestral households in Aijalon who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath, 14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, and Eder.
16 Beriah’s descendants included Michael, Ishpah, and Joha.
17 Elpaal’s descendants included Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab.
19 Shimei’s descendants included Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath.
22 Shashak’s descendants included Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel.
26 Jeroham’s descendants included Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri.
28 All of these were the leaders of ancestral households, chiefs according to their generations. They lived in Jerusalem.
29 Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon, and his wife was named Maacah. 30 His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, 32 and Mikloth, who fathered Shimeah. Now these also lived with their relatives across town in Jerusalem from[o] their other[p] relatives.
33 Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.[q]
34 Jonathan fathered Merib-baal and Merib-baal fathered Micah.
35 Micah’s descendants included Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
36 Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah and Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri fathered Moza. 37 Moza fathered Binea, and Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.
38 Azel had six sons. Their names were Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan—all of these were the sons of Azel. 39 The sons of his brother Eshek included Ulam his firstborn, Jeush his second, and Eliphelet his third. 40 Ulam’s descendants were valiant warriors and archers. They had 150 children and grandchildren, all descendants of Benjamin.
The Meaning of Faith
11 Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about[a] and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.[b] 2 By faith our ancestors won approval.
3 By faith we understand that time was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are invisible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did,[c] and by faith[d] he was declared to be righteous, since God himself accepted his offerings. And by faith[e] he continues to speak, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away without experiencing death. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he won approval as one who pleased God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, reverently prepared an ark to save his family, and by faith[f] he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who also inherited the same promise, 10 because he was waiting for the city with permanent foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith Sarah, even though she was old and barren, received the strength to conceive, because she was convinced that the one who had made the promise was faithful. 12 Abraham[g] was as good as dead, yet from this one man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 All these people died having faith. They did not receive the things that were promised, yet they saw them in the distant future and welcomed them, acknowledging that they were strangers and foreigners on earth. 14 For people who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking about what they had left behind, they would have had an opportunity to go back. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac—he who had received the promises was about to offer his unique son[h] in sacrifice, 18 about whom it had been said, “It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you.”[i] 19 Abraham[j] was certain that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did get Isaac[k] back in this way.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons “and worshipped while leaning[l] on the top of his staff.”
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelis and gave them instructions about burying[m] his bones.
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and were not afraid of the king’s order.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 because he preferred being mistreated with God’s people to enjoying the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He thought that being insulted for the sake of the Messiah[n] was of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, without being afraid of the king’s anger, and he persevered because he saw the one who is invisible.
28 By faith he established the Passover and the sprinkling of blood to keep the destroyer of the firstborn from touching the people.[o]
29 By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not die with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies with a greeting of[p] peace.
32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, received promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 put out raging fires, escaped death by[q] the sword, found strength in weakness, became powerful in battle, and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received their dead raised back to life. Other people were brutally tortured, but refused to be ransomed, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Still others endured taunts and floggings, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death, sawed in half, and killed with swords. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins. They were needy, oppressed, and mistreated. 38 The world wasn’t worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and from caves to holes in the ground.
39 All these people won approval for their faith but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us, so that they would not be perfected without us.
A Lament for Israel
5 “Hear this accusation[a] that I am bringing against you:
‘A dirge, house of Israel:
2 Fallen is Israel the virgin—never to rise again!
She is abandoned on her own land,
with no one to raise her up.’
3 “For this is what the Lord God says:
‘The city that is sending out a thousand
will have a hundred left;
The city[b] that is sending out a hundred
will have ten left of the house of Israel.’”
Seek God, and Live
4 “For this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:
‘Seek me and live,
5 but don’t seek Bethel.
Don’t go to Gilgal,
and don’t pass over to Beer-sheba.
Because Gilgal will surely go into captivity,[c]
and Bethel will come to nothing.
6 ‘Seek the Lord and live!
Otherwise, he may break out like a fire in the house of Joseph
and devour Bethel,[d]
and there will be no one to extinguish it.
7 Those of you who are making justice taste bitter,[e]
and who have thrown righteousness to the ground:
8 Seek[f] the one who fashions the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns the deep darkness[g] into morning,
who darkens day into night,
who calls out to the waters of the sea,
pouring them out onto the surface of the earth—
the Lord is his name.
9 It is he who is raining sudden destruction
upon the strong like lightning,[h]
so that ruin comes upon the fortress.
10 They have hated those who are presenting their cases in court,[i]
detesting the one who speaks truthfully.
11 ‘Therefore, since you trample the poor continuously,
taxing his grain,
building houses of stone in which you won’t live
and planting fine vineyards from which you won’t drink—
12 and because I know that your transgressions are many,
and your sins are numerous
as you oppose the righteous,
taking bribes as a ransom,
and turning away the poor in court[j]—
13 therefore the prudent person remains silent at such a time,
for the time is evil.
14 ‘Pursue good and not evil,
so that you may live,
and this is what will happen:[k]
The Lord God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you,
as you have been claiming.
15 Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in court—[l]
perhaps the Lord, the God of the Heavenly Armies,
will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph.’”
16 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of the Heavenly Armies, the Lord, says:
‘There will be dirges in all of the streets;
and in all of the highways they will cry out in anguish.[m]
They will call the farmer to mourning
and those who lament[n] to grieve.
17 And in all of the vineyards there will be mourning
when I pass through your midst,’
says the Lord.”
The Fearful Day of the Lord
18 “Woe to those who are craving the Day of the Lord!
How is it to your benefit, this Day of the Lord?
It’s a day of[o] darkness to you, and not light.
19 It will be like a man who runs from a lion,
only to encounter a bear;
or who comes home, leans his hand against a wall,
and a serpent bites him!
20 Will not the Day of the Lord be darkness, and not light—
pitch black at that, without a ray of sunshine?”
Let Justice Roll On
21 “I hate—I despise—your festival days,
and your solemn convocations stink.[p]
22 And[q] if you send up burnt offerings to me
as well as your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
nor will I consider your peace offerings of fattened cattle.
23 Spare me your noisy singing—
I will not listen to your musical instruments.[r]
24 “But let justice roll on like many[s] waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing river.
25 “Was it to me that you brought offerings and gifts
in the desert for 40 years, house of Israel?
26 And you carried the tent of your king[t]—
and Saturn,[u] your star god idols[v] that you crafted for yourselves.
27 So I will cause you to be taken captive beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord,
whose name is God of the Heavenly Armies.
Luke’s Dedication to Theophilus
1 Since many people have attempted to write an orderly account of the events that have transpired among us, 2 just as they were passed down to us by those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning, 3 I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
The Birth of John the Baptist is Foretold
5 During the reign[a] of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was barren and because both of them were getting old.[b]
8 When Zechariah[c] was serving with his division of priests in God’s presence, 9 he was chosen by lot to go into the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense, according to the custom of the priests. 10 And the entire congregation of people was praying outside at the time when the incense was burned.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the incense altar. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled, and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel told him, “Stop being afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy,[d] and many people will rejoice at his birth, 15 because he will be great in the Lord’s presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring many of Israel’s descendants back to the Lord their God. 17 He is the one who will go before the Lord[e] with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord.”
18 Then Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this, since I am an old man, and my wife is getting older?”[f]
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to announce this good news to you. 20 But because you did not believe my announcement, which will be fulfilled at its proper time,[g] you will become silent and unable to speak until the day this happens.”
21 Meanwhile, the people kept waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed in the sanctuary so long. 22 But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them but remained unable to speak. 23 When the days of his service were over, he went home.
24 After this,[h] his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and remained in seclusion for five months. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord did for me when he looked favorably on me and took away my public disgrace.”
The Birth of Jesus is Foretold
26 Now in the sixth month of her pregnancy,[i] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant[j] of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel[k] came to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”[l] 29 Startled by his statement, she tried to figure out what his greeting meant.
30 Then the angel told her, “Stop being afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31 Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen, since I have not had relations with[m] a man?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God. 36 And listen! Elizabeth, your relative, has herself conceived a son in her old age, this woman who was rumored to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 Nothing is impossible with respect to any of God’s promises.”
38 Then Mary said, “Truly I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you have said happen to me.” Then the angel left her.
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