M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 9
1 Thus all Israel was listed in family lists, and these are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.(A)
Now Judah had been exiled to Babylon because of its treachery. 2 [a](B)The first to settle again in their cities and dwell there were certain Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.(C)
Jerusalemites. 3 In Jerusalem lived Judahites and Benjaminites; also Ephraimites and Manassites. 4 Among the Judahites was Uthai, son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, one of the sons of Perez, son of Judah. 5 Among the Shelanites were Asaiah, the firstborn, and his sons. 6 Among the Zerahites were Jeuel and six hundred and ninety of their relatives. 7 Among the Benjaminites were Sallu, son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah, 8 as well as Ibneiah, son of Jeroham; Elah, son of Uzzi, son of Michri; Meshullam, son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah. 9 Their kindred of various families were nine hundred and fifty-six. All those named were heads of their ancestral houses.
10 Among the priests were Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin; 11 Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God; 12 Adaiah, son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah; Maasai, son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer. 13 Their brothers, heads of their ancestral houses, were one thousand seven hundred and sixty, valiant in the work of the service of the house of God.
14 Among the Levites were Shemaiah, son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, one of the sons of Merari; 15 Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah, son of Mica, son of Zichri, a descendant of Asaph; 16 Obadiah, son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, a descendant of Jeduthun; and Berechiah, son of Asa, son of Elkanah, whose family lived in the villages of the Netophathites.
17 The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers; Shallum was the chief. 18 Previously they had stood guard at the king’s gate on the east side; now they became gatekeepers for the encampments of the Levites. 19 Shallum, son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, a descendant of Korah, and his brothers of the same ancestral house of the Korahites had as their assigned task the guarding of the threshold of the tent, just as their fathers had guarded the entrance to the encampment of the Lord. 20 Phinehas, son of Eleazar, had been their chief in times past; the Lord was with him.(D) 21 Zechariah, son of Meshelemiah, guarded the gate of the tent of meeting.(E) 22 In all, those who were chosen for gatekeepers at the threshold were two hundred and twelve. They were inscribed in the family records of their villages. David and Samuel the seer had established them in their position of trust. 23 Thus they and their sons kept guard over the gates of the house of the Lord, the house which was then a tent. 24 The gatekeepers were stationed at the four sides, to the east, the west, the north, and the south.(F) 25 Their brothers who lived in their own villages took turns in assisting them for seven-day periods,(G) 26 while the four chief gatekeepers were on permanent duty. These were the Levites who also had charge of the chambers and treasures of the house of God. 27 They would spend the night near the house of God, for it was in their charge and they had the duty of opening it each morning.
28 Some of them had charge of the vessels used there, tallying them as they were brought in and taken out. 29 Others were appointed to take care of the utensils and all the sacred vessels, as well as the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense, and the spices. 30 It was the sons of priests, however, who mixed the spiced ointments.(H) 31 (I)Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with preparing the cakes. 32 Benaiah the Kohathite, one of their brothers, was in charge of setting out the showbread each sabbath.(J)
33 These were the singers and the gatekeepers, family heads over the Levites. They stayed in the chambers when free of duty, for day and night they had to be ready for service. 34 These were the levitical family heads by their generations, chiefs who dwelt in Jerusalem.
II. The History of David
Genealogy of Saul. 35 (K)Jeiel, the founder of Gibeon, dwelt in Gibeon; his wife’s name was Maacah. 36 His firstborn son was Abdon; then came Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. These, too, with their relatives, dwelt opposite their relatives in Jerusalem. 39 Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. 40 The son of Jonathan was Meribbaal, and Meribbaal became the father of Micah. 41 The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. 42 Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri became the father of Moza. 43 Moza became the father of Binea, whose son was Rephaiah, whose son was Eleasah, whose son was Azel. 44 Azel had six sons, whose names were Azrikam, his firstborn, Ishmael, Sheariah, Azariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.
Chapter 10
Death of Saul and His Sons. 1 (L)Now the Philistines went to war against Israel, and Israel fled before them, and they fell, slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons. When the Philistines had struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul, 3 the fury of the battle converged on Saul. Then the archers hit him, and he was severely wounded.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through; otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me.” But the armor-bearer, badly frightened, refused, so Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell upon his sword and died. 6 Thus Saul, and his three sons, his whole house, died together. 7 When all the Israelites in the valley saw that Saul and his sons had fled and that they had died, they abandoned their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came and lived in those cities.
8 On the following day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped him, and took his head and his armor; these they sent throughout the land of the Philistines to bring the good news to their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of their gods, but his skull they impaled at the temple of Dagon.
Burial of Saul. 11 When all the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their warriors set out, recovered the corpses of Saul and his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak of Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.(M)
13 [b]Thus Saul died because of his treason against the Lord in disobeying his word, and also because he had sought counsel from a ghost,(N) 14 rather than from the Lord. Therefore the Lord took his life, and turned his kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse.(O)
Chapter 12
God Our Father.[a] 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us[b] and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.(A) 3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. 5 You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord(B)
or lose heart when reproved by him;
6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
7 Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?(C) 8 If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. 9 Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live?(D) 10 They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. 11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.(E)
12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.(F) 13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.(G)
Penalties of Disobedience. 14 (H)Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 [c]See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled,(I) 16 that no one be an immoral or profane person like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.(J) 17 For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit his father’s blessing, he was rejected because he found no opportunity to change his mind, even though he sought the blessing with tears.(K)
18 [d]You have not approached that which could be touched[e](L) and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm 19 and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them,(M) 20 for they could not bear to hear the command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.”(N) 21 Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”(O) 22 No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering,(P) 23 and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,[f] and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect,(Q) 24 and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently[g] than that of Abel.(R)
25 See that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much more in our case if we turn away from the one who warns from heaven.(S) 26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only earth but heaven.”(T) 27 That phrase, “once more,” points to [the] removal of shaken, created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.(U) 28 Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.(V) 29 For our God is a consuming fire.(W)
Chapter 6
Third Woe
1 Woe to those who are complacent in Zion,
secure on the mount of Samaria,
Leaders of the first among nations,
to whom the people of Israel turn.
2 Pass over to Calneh and see,
go from there to Hamath the great,
and down to Gath[a] of the Philistines.
Are you better than these kingdoms,
or is your territory greater than theirs?
3 You who would put off the day of disaster,
yet hasten the time of violence!
4 Those who lie on beds of ivory,
and lounge upon their couches;
Eating lambs taken from the flock,
and calves from the stall;
5 Who improvise to the music of the harp,
composing on musical instruments like David,
6 Who drink wine from bowls,
and anoint themselves with the best oils,
but are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph;
7 Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile,
and the carousing of those who lounged shall cease.
8 The Lord God has sworn by his very self—
an oracle of the Lord, the God of hosts:
I abhor the pride of Jacob,
I hate his strongholds,
and I will hand over the city with everything in it;(A)
9 Should there remain ten people
in a single house, these shall die.
10 When a relative or one who prepares the body picks up the remains
to carry them out of the house,
If he says to someone in the recesses of the house,
“Is anyone with you?” and the answer is, “No one,”
Then he shall say, “Silence!”
for no one must mention the name of the Lord.[b](B)
11 Indeed, the Lord has given the command
to shatter the great house to bits,
and reduce the small house to rubble.
12 Can horses run over rock,
or can one plow the sea with oxen?
Yet you have turned justice into gall,
and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,(C)
13 You who rejoice in Lodebar,
and say, “Have we not, by our own strength,
seized Karnaim[c] for ourselves?”
14 Look, I am raising up against you, house of Israel—
oracle of the Lord, the God of hosts—
A nation[d] that shall oppress you
from Lebo-hamath even to the Wadi Arabah.
Mary Visits Elizabeth. 39 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,(A) 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.(B) 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord[a] should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed[b] that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”(C)
The Canticle of Mary. 46 (D)And Mary said:[c]
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;(E)
47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior.(F)
48 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.(G)
49 The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.(H)
50 His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.(I)
51 He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.(J)
52 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.(K)
53 The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.(L)
54 He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,(M)
55 according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”(N)
56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
The Birth of John.[d] 57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.(O) 59 [e]When they came on the eighth day to circumcise(P) the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.”(Q) 61 But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.(R) 65 Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The Canticle of Zechariah. 67 Then Zechariah his father, filled with the holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
68 [f]“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited and brought redemption to his people.(S)
69 [g]He has raised up a horn for our salvation
within the house of David his servant,(T)
70 even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old:
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,(U)
72 to show mercy to our fathers(V)
and to be mindful of his holy covenant(W)
73 and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father,(X)
and to grant us that, 74 rescued from the hand of enemies,
without fear we might worship him 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.(Y)
76 And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord[h] to prepare his ways,(Z)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God(AA)
by which the daybreak from on high[i] will visit us(AB)
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.(AC)
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.