M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
20 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba with the land of Gilead, unto the Lord in Mizpah.
2 And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword.
3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then said the children of Israel, “Tell us, how was this wickedness?”
4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was slain, answered and said, “I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me; and my concubine have they forced, so that she is dead.
6 And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
7 Behold, ye are all children of Israel. Give here your advice and counsel.”
8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, “We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.
9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up by lot against it;
10 and we will take ten men out of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.”
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What wickedness is this that is done among you?
13 Now therefore, deliver us the men, the children of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel.” But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel;
14 but the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men, lefthanded. Every one could sling stones at a hairbreadth and not miss.
17 And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of war.
18 And the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God and said, “Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.”
19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and set up again in battle array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.”
24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
26 Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came unto the house of God and wept, and sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
27 And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand.”
29 And Israel set liersinwait round about Gibeah.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite some of the people and kill, as at other times, in the highways (of which one goeth up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah in the field), about thirty men of Israel.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, “They are smitten down before us, as at the first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them from the city unto the highways.”
33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar; and the liersinwait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was near them.
35 And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men; all these drew the sword.
36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave way to the Benjamites, because they trusted in the liersinwait whom they had set against Gibeah.
37 And the liersinwait hastened and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liersinwait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
38 Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liersinwait that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
39 And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, “Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.”
40 But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
41 And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed; for they saw that evil had come upon them.
42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
43 Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them and trod them down with ease opposite Gibeah toward the sunrising.
44 And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men. All these were men of valor.
45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon; and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and pursued hard after them unto Gidom and slew two thousand men of them.
46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of valor.
47 But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months.
48 And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city and the beast, and all that came to hand. Also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.
24 And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders and with him a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.
2 And when Paul was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Seeing that by thee we enjoy much quietness, most noble Felix, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
3 we accept it always and in all places with all thankfulness.
4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear from us in thy clemency a few words.
5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
6 who also hath gone about profaning the temple. Him we took and would have judged according to our law.
7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
8 commanding his accusers to come unto thee, so that by examining him thyself, thou mayest have knowledge of all of these things whereof we accuse him.”
9 And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.
10 Then Paul, after the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered: “Inasmuch as I know that thou hast been for many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself.
11 For thou mayest understand that there have been yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.
12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither stirring up the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city.
13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
14 But this I confess unto thee, that according to the Way, which they call heresy, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
15 And I have hope in God, which they themselves also hold, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
16 And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.
17 “Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings,
18 whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, with neither crowd nor tumult.
19 These ought to have been here before thee to object if they had aught against me;
20 or else let these same say here if they have found any evildoing in me when I stood before the council,
21 unless it be for this one utterance that I cried out standing among them: ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am called into question by you this day.’”
22 And when Felix heard these things, having a more complete knowledge of that Way, he deferred the hearing and said, “When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.”
23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, but to let him have some liberties, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintances to minister or come unto him.
24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 And as Paul reasoned about righteousness, temperance, and the Judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, “Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient occasion I will call for thee.”
26 He hoped also that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him the oftener and communed with him.
27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’s position; and Felix, wanting to show the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
34 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities thereof, saying,
2 “Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
3 And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah. Thus saith the Lord of thee: Thou shalt not die by the sword,
5 but thou shalt die in peace; and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings who were before thee, so shall they burn incense for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, “Ah, lord!” For I have pronounced the word, saith the Lord.’”
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 when the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.
8 This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty unto them:
9 that every man should let his manservant and every man his maidservant, being a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, that none should be served by them, to wit: by a Jew, his brother.
10 Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant and every one his maidservant go free, that none should be served by them any more, then they obeyed and let them go.
11 But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go free to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
12 Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
13 “Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,
14 ‘At the end of seven years let go every man his brother, a Hebrew who hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee.’ But your fathers hearkened not unto Me, neither inclined their ear.
15 And ye had now turned, and had done right in My sight in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and ye had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.
16 But ye turned and polluted My name, and caused every man his servant and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
17 “Therefore thus saith the Lord: Ye have not hearkened unto Me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every man to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim a ‘liberty’ for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before Me when they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof—
19 the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—
20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the earth.
21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army which has gone up from you.
22 Behold, I will command, saith the Lord, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.”
5 Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation.
2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for unto Thee will I pray.
3 My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up.
4 For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with Thee.
5 The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight; Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies; the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy, and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is exceeding wickedness. Their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter with their tongue.
10 Destroy Thou them, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against Thee.
11 But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them; let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.
12 For Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt Thou compass him about as with a shield.
6 O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul is also sore vexed, but Thou, O Lord, how long?
4 Return, O Lord, deliver my soul! O save me for Thy mercies’ sake!
5 For in death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim, I water my couch with my tears.
7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.
10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sorely vexed; let them turn back and be put to shame suddenly.
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