M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Seventh Day
2 With this, the universe[a] was[b] completed, including all of its vast array.[c] 2 By the seventh day, God had completed the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he stopped working on[d] everything that he had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God stopped working on[e] everything that he had been creating.
Humans in the Garden
4 These are the records of the universe at its[f] creation. On the day that the Lord God made the universe,[g] 5 no shrubs had yet grown in the meadows of the earth and no vegetation had sprouted,[h] because the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there were no human beings[i] to work the ground. 6 Instead, an underground stream[j] would arise out of the earth and water the surface of the ground. 7 So the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground, breathed life into his lungs,[k] and the man became a living being.
8 The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, toward[l] the east, where he placed the man whom he had formed. 9 The Lord God caused every tree that is both beautiful[m] and suitable for food to spring up out of the ground. The tree of life was also in the middle of the garden, along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides, becoming four branches. 11 The name of the first one is Pishon—it winds through the entire land of Havilah,[n] where there is gold. 12 The gold of that land is pure;[o] bdellium[p] and onyx are also found[q] there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon—[r] it winds through the entire land of Cush.[s] 14 The third river is named the Tigris— it flows to the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden in order to have him work it and guard[t] it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man: “You may freely eat from every tree of the garden, 17 but you are not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because you will certainly die during the day that you eat from it.”
The Creation of the Woman
18 Later, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the woman[u] to be an authority[v] corresponding[w] to him.” 19 After the Lord God formed from the ground every wild animal[x] and every bird that flies, he brought each of them[y] to the man to see what he would call it. Whatever the man called each living creature became its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds that fly, and to each of earth’s animals,[z] but there was not found a strength[aa] corresponding[ab] to him, 21 so the Lord God caused a deep sleep to overshadow the man.
When the man[ac] was asleep, he removed one of the man’s[ad] ribs and closed up the flesh where it had been. 22 Then the Lord God formed the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 So the man exclaimed,
“At last! This is
bone from my bones
and flesh from my flesh.
This one will be called ‘Woman,’
because she was taken from Man.”[ae]
24 (Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they will become one flesh.) 25 Even though both the man and his wife were naked, they were not ashamed about it.[af]
The Visit of the Wise Men
2 After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign[a] of King Herod, wise men[b] arrived in Jerusalem from the east 2 and asked, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[c] and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, as was all of Jerusalem. 4 He called together all the high priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah[d] was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because that is what was written by the prophet:
6 ‘O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
because from you will come a ruler
who will shepherd[e] my people Israel.’”[f]
7 Then Herod secretly called together the wise men, found out from them the time the star had appeared, 8 and sent them to Bethlehem. He told them,[g] “As you go, search carefully for the child. When you find him, tell me so that I, too, may go and worship him.”
9 After listening to the king, they set out, and the star they had seen in the east[h] went ahead of them until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were ecstatic with joy. 11 After they went into the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, they fell down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasure sacks and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they left for their own country by a different road.
The Escape to Egypt
13 After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt,” he said. “Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.” 14 So Joseph[i] got up, took the child and his mother, and left at night for Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death in order to fulfill what was declared by the Lord[j] through the prophet when he said, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.”[k]
The Massacre of the Infants
16 Herod flew into a rage when he learned that he had been tricked by the wise men, so he ordered the execution of all the male children in Bethlehem and all its neighboring regions, who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then what was declared by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said,
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah:
wailing and great mourning.
Rachel was crying for her children.
She refused to be comforted,
because they no longer existed.”[l]
The Return to Nazareth
19 But after Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up,” he said. “Take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill[m] the child are dead.”
21 So Joseph[n] got up, took the child and his mother, and went into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, after having been warned in a dream. So he left for the region of Galilee 23 and settled in a town called Nazareth in order to fulfill what was said by the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”[o]
A List of Those who Returned(A)
2 Here is a list[a] of descendants of the province of Judah[b] who returned from the captivity, from those who had been exiled. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken them to Babylon. They came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each one to his town, 2 along with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah,[c] Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar,[d] Bigvai, Rehum,[e] and Baanah. Here is the enumeration of:
The Men of Israel:
3 Descendants of[f] Parosh: 2,172
4 Descendants of Shephatiah: 372
5 Descendants of Arah: 775[g]
6 Descendants of Pahath-moab; that is, through Jeshua and Joab: 2,812[h]
7 Descendants of Elam: 1,254
8 Descendants of Zattu: 945[i]
9 Descendants of Zaccai: 760
10 Descendants of Bani:[j] 642[k]
11 Descendants of Bebai: 623[l]
12 Descendants of Azgad: 1,222[m]
13 Descendants of Adonikam: 666[n]
14 Descendants of Bigvai: 2,056[o]
15 Descendants of Adin: 454[p]
16 Descendants of Ater through Hezekiah: 98
17 Descendants of Bezai: 323[q]
18 Descendants of Jorah:[r] 112
19 Descendants of Hashum: 223[s]
20 Descendants of Gibbar:[t] 95
21 Descendants of exiles from[u] Bethlehem: 123
22 People from[v] Netophah: 56[w]
23 People from Anathoth: 128
24 Descendants of exiles from Azmaveth:[x] 42
25 Descendants of exiles from Kiriath-arim;[y] that is, Chephirah and Beeroth: 743
26 Descendants of exiles from Ramah and Geba: 621
27 People from Michmas: 122
28 People from Bethel and Ai: 223[z]
29 Descendants of exiles from Nebo: 52
30 Descendants of exiles from Magbish: 156
31 Descendants of exiles from the other Elam: 1,254
32 Descendants of exiles from Harim: 320
33 Descendants of exiles from Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 725[aa]
34 Descendants of exiles from Jericho: 345
35 Descendants of exiles from Senaah: 3,630[ab]
36 The Priests:
Descendants of Jedaiah from the household of Jeshua: 973
37 Descendants of Immer: 1,052
38 Descendants of Pashhur: 1,247
39 Descendants of Harim: 1,017
40 The Descendants of Levi:
Descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel; that is, descendants of Hodaviah:[ac] 74
41 The Singers:
Descendants of Asaph: 128[ad]
42 The Descendants of the Gatekeepers:
Descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, totaling: 139[ae]
43 The Temple Servants:[af]
Descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, and Tabbaoth.
44 Descendants of Keros, Siaha,[ag] and Padon.
45 Descendants of Lebanah, Hagabah, and Akkub.[ah]
46 Descendants of Hagab, Shalmai, and Hanan.
47 Descendants of Giddel, Gahar, and Reaiah.
48 Descendants of Rezin, Nekoda, and Gazzam.
49 Descendants of Uzza, Paseah, and Besai.
50 Descendants of Asnah,[ai] Meunim, and Nephusim.
51 Descendants of Bakbuk, Hakupha, and Harhur.
52 Descendants of Bazluth, Mehida, and Harsha.
53 Descendants of Barkos, Sisera, and Temah.
54 Descendants of Neziah and Hatipha.
55 The Descendants of Solomon’s Servants:
Descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth,[aj] and Peruda.[ak]
56 Descendants of Jaalah,[al] Darkon, and Giddel.
57 Descendants of Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, and Ami.[am]
58 All of the Temple Servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants numbered 392.
Non-Documented Persons(B)
59 Here is a list of returnees from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer who could not prove their ancestry and lineage from Israel:
60 Descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda: 652[an]
61 Descendants of the Priests:
Descendants of Habaiah, Hakkoz,[ao] and Barzillai, who married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that name.
62 These people searched for their ancestral registrations but they couldn’t be located. Accordingly, they were assigned an “unclean” status and couldn’t be priests. 63 Governor Zerubbabel[ap] also ruled that they shouldn’t eat anything holy until a priest arose with Urim and Thummim.[aq]
64 The entire assembly numbered 42,360, 65 not including 7,337 male and female servants, along with 200[ar] singing men and women. 66 In addition, they had 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Gifts for the Temple(C)
68 When they arrived at the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families contributed toward building the Temple of God on its former site. 69 They contributed to the treasury for this work in accordance with their ability: 61,000 golden drachma, 5,000 units[as] of silver, and 100 priestly robes. 70 As a result, the priests, descendants of Levi, certain people, the singers, door-keepers, and the Temple Servants were able to settle in their original cities, with the rest of the Israelis in their cities.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2 When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated,[a] all of them were together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw tongues like flames[b] of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign[c] languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.
5 Now devout Jews from every nation on earth[d] were living in Jerusalem. 6 When that sound came, a crowd quickly gathered, startled because each one heard the disciples[e] speaking in his own language. 7 Stunned and amazed, they asked, “All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren’t they? 8 So how is it that each one of us hears them speaking in his own native language:[f] 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome, 11 Cretans, and Arabs, listening to them talk in our own languages about the great deeds of God?”
12 All of them continued to be stunned and puzzled, and they kept asking one another, “What can this mean?”
13 But others kept saying in derision, “They’re drunk on sweet wine!”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up among the eleven apostles[g] and raised his voice to address them:
“Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words. 15 These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it’s only nine o’clock in the morning.[h] 16 Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.[i]
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will even pour out my Spirit
on my slaves, men and women alike,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will display wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below:
blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark,
and the moon turn to blood,
before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.[j]
21 Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord[k] will be saved.’[l]
22 “Fellow Israelis, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth[m] was a man authenticated to you by God through miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through him among you, as you yourselves know. 23 After he was arrested according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified this very man and killed him using the hands of lawless men. 24 But God raised him up, putting an end to the suffering of death,[n] since it was impossible for him to be held by it, 25 since David says about him,
‘I always keep my eyes on the Lord,[o]
for he is at my right hand
so that I cannot be shaken.
26 That is why my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices,
yes, even my body still rests securely in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades[p]
or allow your Holy One to experience decay.
28 You have made the ways of life known to me,
and you will fill me with gladness in your presence.’[q]
29 “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and that his tomb is among us to this day. 30 Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him with an oath to put one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he looked ahead and spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah:[r]
32 “It was this very Jesus whom God raised—and we’re all witnesses of that. 33 He has been exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit,[u] and has caused you to experience what you are seeing and hearing. 34 After all, David did not go up to heaven, but he said,
36 “Therefore, let all the people[x] of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!”[y]
37 When the crowd that had gathered[z] heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter answered them, “Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah[aa] for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.[ab] 39 For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are distant, whom the Lord our God may call to himself.”
40 Using many different expressions, Peter[ac] continued to testify and to plead: “Be saved,” he urged them, “from this corrupt generation!” 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to their number.
Life among the Believers
42 The believers[ad] continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer.[ae] 43 A sense of fear[af] came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were united and shared everything with one another.[ag] 45 They made it their practice to sell their possessions and goods and to distribute the proceeds[ah] to anyone who was in need. 46 United in purpose, they went to the Temple every day, ate at each other’s homes, and shared their food with glad and humble hearts. 47 They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.
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