M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Cain and Abel
4 Later, Adam[a] had sexual relations with[b] his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have given birth to[c] a male child—the Lord.”[d] 2 And she did it again, giving birth to his brother Abel. Abel shepherded flocks and Cain became a farmer.[e]
3 Later, after a while, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit that he had harvested,[f] 4 while Abel brought the best parts[g] of some of the firstborn from his flock. The Lord looked favorably upon Abel and his offering, 5 but he did not look favorably upon Cain and his offering.
When Cain became very upset and[h] depressed, 6 the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you so upset? Why are you[i] depressed? 7 If you do what is appropriate,[j] you’ll be accepted, won’t you? But if you don’t do what is appropriate,[k] sin is crouching near your doorway, turning toward you. Now as for you, will you take dominion over it?”[l]
8 Instead, Cain told his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the wilderness.”[m] When they were outside in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Later, the Lord asked Cain, “Where’s your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”
10 “What did you do?” God[n] asked. “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you’re more cursed than the ground, which has opened[o] to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 Whenever you work the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you, and you’ll wander throughout the earth as a fugitive.”
13 “My punishment is too great to bear,” Cain told the Lord. 14 “You’re driving me from the soil[p] today. I’ll be hidden from you, and I’ll wander throughout the earth as a fugitive. In the future,[q] whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 The Lord told him, “This won’t happen, because whoever kills you[r] will suffer seven times the vengeance.” Then the Lord placed a sign on Cain so that no one finding him would kill him. 16 After this, Cain left the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
From Cain to Lamech
17 Later, Cain had sexual relations with[s] his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain[t] founded a city and named it after[u] his son Enoch. 18 Irad was born to Enoch. Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 Later, Lamech married two wives. One was named Adah and the other was named[v] Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who became the ancestor of those who live in tents and herd[w] livestock. 21 His brother was named Jubal; he became the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and the flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, who became a forger of bronze and iron work. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah. 23 Lamech told his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to what I have to say:
You wives of Lamech, hear what I’m announcing!
I’ve killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for bruising me.
24 For if Cain is being avenged seven times,
then Lamech will be avenged[x] 77 times.”
25 Later on, after Adam had sexual relations with[y] his wife, she gave birth to a son and named him[z] Seth, because
“God granted[aa] me another offspring to replace Abel,
since Cain murdered him.”
26 Seth also fathered a son, whom he named Enosh. At that time, profaning[ab] the name of the Lord began.
Jesus is Tempted by Satan(A)
4 After this, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. 2 After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he finally became hungry.
3 Then the tempter came. “Since[a] you are the Son of God,” he said, “tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But he answered, “It is written,
‘One must not live on bread alone,
but on every word coming
out of the mouth of God.’”[b]
5 Then the Devil took him to the Holy City[c] and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. 6 He told Jesus,[d] “Since[e] you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written,
‘God[f] will put his angels in charge of you,’
and,
‘With their hands they will hold you up,
so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’”[g]
7 Jesus responded to him, “It is also written, ‘You must not tempt the Lord[h] your God.’”[i]
8 Once more the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, along with their splendor. 9 He told Jesus,[j] “I will give you all these things if you will bow down and worship me!”
10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away,[k] Satan! Because it is written,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”[l]
11 So the Devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee(B)
12 Now when Jesus[m] heard that John had been arrested, he went back to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 in order to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
15 “O Land of Zebulun and Land of Naphtali,
on the road to the sea, across the Jordan,
Galilee of the unbelievers![n]
16 The people living[o] in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those living[p] in the land and shadow of death,
a light has risen.”[q]
17 From then on, Jesus began to announce, “Repent, because the kingdom from[r] heaven is near!”
Jesus Calls Four Fishermen(C)
18 While Jesus[s] was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon (also[t] called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen. 19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fishers of people!” 20 So at once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers—James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee repairing their nets. When he called them, 22 they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Ministers to Many People(D)
23 Then he went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness among the people. 24 His fame spread throughout Syria, and people[u] brought to him everyone who was sick—those afflicted with various diseases and pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralyzed—and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[v] Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan followed him.
A Plot to Hinder the Work
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the descendants of the Babylonian[a] captivity had built their Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families[b] with this message: “Let’s build along with you, because, like you, we seek your God, as do you, and we’ve been making sacrifices to him since the reign of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the families[c] of Israel replied, “You have no part in our plans for[d] building a temple to our God, because we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, in accordance with the decree issued by King Cyrus, king of Persia.”
The Plot Succeeds—for a While
4 After this, the non-Israeli inhabitants[e] of the land undermined[f] the people of Judah, harassing them in their construction work 5 by bribing their consultants in order to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia until Darius became king.[g]
6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, they lodged a formal accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 While Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their co-conspirators wrote in the Aramaic language and script to King Artaxerxes of Persia.
Aramaic:[h]
8 Governor Rehum and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
9 From Governor Rehum
Shimshai the scribe
The rest of their colleagues—
Judges, envoys, officials, Persians, the people of Erech, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, the Elamites) 10 and many other nations whom the great and honorable Osnappar deported and resettled in Samaria and in the rest of the province beyond the Euphrates[i] River.
11 This is the text of the letter they sent.
To: King Artaxerxes
From: Your servants, the men of the province beyond the Euphrates[j] River.
12 May the king be advised that the Jews who came from you to us have reached Jerusalem and are rebuilding a rebellious and wicked city, having completed its walls and repaired its foundations.
13 May the king be further advised that if this city is rebuilt and its walls erected, its citizens[k] will refuse to pay tributes, taxes, and tariffs, thereby restricting royal revenues.
14 Now, because we are royal employees[l] and are committed to preserving the reputation of the king, we have written to the king and have declared its contents to be true,[m] 15 urging[n] that a search may be made in the official registers of your predecessors.[o] You will discover in the registers that[p] this city is a rebellious city, that it is damaging to both kings and provinces, that it has been moved to sedition from time immemorial, and that because of this it was destroyed.
16 We certify to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will lose your land holdings in the province beyond the Euphrates[q] River.
The Response of Ahasuerus
17 The king replied:
To: Governor Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues living in Samaria, and the remainder living beyond the Euphrates[r] River.
Greetings:[s]
18 The memorandum you sent to us has been read and carefully considered.[t] 19 Pursuant to my edict, an investigation has been undertaken. It is noted that this city has fomented rebellion against kings from time immemorial, and that rebellion and sedition has occurred in it.
20 Powerful kings have reigned over Jerusalem, including ruling over all lands beyond the Euphrates[u] River. Furthermore, taxes, tribute, and tolls have been paid to them.
21 Accordingly, issue an order to force these men to cease their work[v] so that this city is not rebuilt until you receive further notice from me.
22 Be diligent and take precautions so that you do not neglect your responsibility in this matter. Why should the kingdom sustain any more damage?
Reconstruction Ceases
23 As soon as a copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, to Shimshai the scribe, and to their colleagues, they traveled quickly to Jerusalem and compelled the Jews to cease by force of arms. 24 As a result, work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem ceased and did not begin again until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Peter and John are Tried before the Jewish Council
4 While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the Temple guards, and the Sadducees came to them. 2 They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John[a] were teaching the people and announcing that Jesus had been resurrected[b] from the dead. 3 So they arrested them and placed them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard their message believed, and the men grew to number about 5,000.
5 The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes met in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John,[c] Alexander, and the rest of the high priest’s family. 7 They made Peter and John[d] stand in front of them and began asking, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
8 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told them, “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed, 10 you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. 11 He is
‘the stone that was rejected by you builders,
which has become the cornerstone.’[e]
12 There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when the Jewish leaders[f] saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could not say anything against them. 15 So they ordered them to leave the Council[g] and began to discuss the matter among themselves. 16 They said, “What should we do with these men? For it’s obvious to everybody living in Jerusalem that an unmistakable sign has been done by them, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to keep it from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in this name.”
18 So they called Peter and John[h] back in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, 20 for we cannot stop talking about what we’ve seen and heard.”
21 So they threatened Peter and John[i] even more and then let them go. They couldn’t find any way to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened, 22 since the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than 40 years old.
The Believers Pray for Boldness
23 After they were released, Peter and John[j] went to their fellow believers[k] and told them everything the high priests and the elders had said. 24 When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, you made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25 You said by the Holy Spirit through the voice of our ancestor, your servant David,
‘Why do the unbelievers[l] rage,
and the people devise useless plots?
26 The kings of the earth take their stand,
and rulers meet together against the Lord[m]
and against his Messiah.’[n]
27 For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers[o] and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 28 to carry out everything that your hand and will had predetermined to take place. 29 Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow your servants to speak your word boldly 30 as you stretch out your hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak messages from[p] God boldly.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32 Now all the believers were one in heart and soul, and nobody called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything they owned. 33 With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was on them all, 34 since none of them needed anything, because everyone who had land or houses would sell them and bring the money received for the things sold 35 and lay it at the apostles’ feet. Then it was distributed to anyone who needed it. 36 One man,[q] Joseph, a descendant of Levi and a native of Cyprus, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (the name[r] means “a son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field that belonged to him, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
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