M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
11 Forsooth (all) the land was of one language, and of the same speech. [Forsooth the (whole) earth was of one lip, and of the same words.]
2 And when they went forth from the east, they found a field in the land of Shinar, and they dwelled therein.
3 And one said to his neighbour (And they said to one another), Come ye, and make we tilestones, and bake we those with fire; and they had tile for stones, and pitch, either strong glue, for mortar;
4 and they said, Come ye, and make we to us a city and a tower, whose highness stretch till to (the) heaven(s); and make we solemn our name, before that we be parted into all lands. (and they said, Come ye, and let us make a city, and a tower whose height shall stretch up to the sky; and make we our name well-known, or else we shall soon be parted from each other into all the earth.)
5 Forsooth the Lord came down to see the city, and the tower, which the sons of Adam builded (which the sons of men were building).
6 And he said, Lo! the people is one, and one language is to all, and they have begun to make this; neither they shall cease of their thoughts, till they [ful]fill those in work (and they shall not cease from their thoughts, until they have fulfilled them in deed);
7 therefore come ye, go we down, and shame we there the tongue of them, that each man hear not the voice of his neighbour. (and so come ye, let us go down there, and confuse their tongues, so that each person shall not be able to understand their neighbour’s voice.)
8 And so the Lord separated them from that place into all (the) lands; and they ceased to build the city.
9 And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, for the language of all [the] earth was confounded there; and from thence the Lord scattered them on the face of all countries (and from there the Lord scattered them over all the face of the earth).
10 These be the generations of Shem (These be the descendants of Shem). Shem was an hundred years (old) when he begat Arphaxad, two years after the great flood.
11 And Shem lived after that he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
12 Forsooth Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and (then) begat Salah;
13 and Arphaxad lived after that he begat Salah three hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. (and Arphaxad lived after that he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.)
14 And Salah lived thirty years, and (then) begat Eber;
15 and Salah lived after that he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
16 Soothly Eber lived four and thirty years, and (then) begat Peleg;
17 and Eber lived after that he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
18 Also Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu; (And Peleg lived thirty years, and then begat Reu;)
19 and Peleg lived after that he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and (then) begat Serug;
21 and Reu lived after that he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
22 Soothly Serug lived thirty years, and (then) begat Nahor;
23 and Serug lived after that he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
24 Forsooth Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and (then) begat Terah;
25 and Nahor lived after that he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and (then) begat Abram[a], Nahor, and Haran.
27 Soothly these be the generations of Terah (These be the descendants of Terah). Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Forsooth Haran begat Lot;
28 and Haran died before Terah, his father, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of Chaldees (in Ur of the Chaldeans, later called Babylon).
29 Forsooth Abram and Nahor wedded wives; the name of the wife of Abram was Sarai, and the name of the wife of Nahor was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, (the) father of Milcah, and (also the) father of Iscah. (And Abram and Nahor wedded wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.)
30 Soothly Sarai was barren, and had no children.
31 And so Terah took Abram, his son, and Lot, the son of Haran, his son, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram, his son, and led them out of Ur of Chaldees, that they should go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelled there. (And Terah took his son Abram, and Lot, the son of his son Haran, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and led them out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and lived there.)
32 And the days of Terah were made two hundred years and five, and he was dead in Haran. (And all the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and then he died in Haran.)
10 And when his twelve disciples were called together, he gave to them power of unclean spirits, to cast them out of men, and to heal every languor, and sickness. [And the twelve disciples called together, he gave to them power of unclean spirits, that they should cast them out, and that they should heal all ache, and all sickness.]
2 And these be the names of the twelve apostles; the first, Simon, that is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James of Zebedee, and John, his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, publican; and James [of] Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 Simon Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, that betrayed Christ [and Judas Iscariot, which betrayed him].
5 Jesus sent these twelve, and commanded them, and said [commanding to them, and saying], Go ye not into the way of heathen men, and enter ye not into the cities of Samaritans;
6 but rather go ye to the sheep of the house of Israel, that have perished. [but rather go ye to the sheep of the house of Israel, that perished.]
7 And go ye, and preach ye, and say, that the kingdom of heavens shall approach; [Soothly ye going preach, saying, for the kingdom of heavens shall nigh;]
8 heal ye sick men, raise ye dead men, cleanse ye mesels [cleanse ye leprous men], cast ye out devils; freely ye have taken, freely give ye.
9 Do not ye wield gold, nor silver, nor money in your girdles,
10 not a scrip in the way, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor a staff; for a workman is worthy his meat. [neither a scrip in the way, neither two coats, neither shoes, neither a rod; for a workman is worth his meat.]
11 Into whatever city or castle ye shall enter, ask ye who therein is worthy, and there dwell ye, till ye go out.
12 And when ye go into an house, greet ye it, and say [Forsooth ye entering into an house, greet ye, or salute ye, it, saying], Peace to this house.
13 And if that house be worthy, your peace shall come on it; but if that house be not worthy, your peace shall turn again to you.
14 And whoever receiveth not you, nor heareth your words, go ye forth from that house or city, and sprinkle off the dust of your feet.[a]
15 Truly I say to you, it shall be more sufferable to the land of men of Sodom and of Gomorrha [of Sodom and Gomorrha] in the day of judgment, than to that city.
16 Lo! I send you as sheep in the middle of wolves; therefore be ye sly as serpents, and simple as doves.[b]
17 But be ye ware of men, for they shall take you in councils, and they shall beat you in their synagogues;
18 and to mayors, or presidents, and to kings, ye shall be led for me, in witnessing to them, and to heathen men.
19 But when they take you, do not ye think, how or what thing ye shall speak [But when they shall take, or betray, you, do not ye think, how or what ye shall speak], for it shall be given to you in that hour, what ye shall speak;
20 for it be not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father, that speaketh in you.
21 And the brother shall betake the brother into death, and the father the son, and [the] sons shall rise against [their] father and mother, and shall torment them by death [and shall torment them to death].
22 And ye shall be in hate to all men for my name; but he that shall dwell still into the end, shall be made safe. [And ye shall be in hatred to all men for my name; forsooth he that shall continue till into the end, shall be safe.]
23 And when they pursue you in this city, flee ye into another. Truly I say to you, ye shall not end the cities of Israel, before that man's Son come [till that man's Son come].
24 The disciple is not above the master [The disciple is not above his master], nor the servant above his lord;
25 it is enough to the disciple, that he be as his master, and to the servant as his lord. If they have called the husbandman Beelzebub [If they have called the husbandman, or the father of (the) household, Beelzebub], how much more his household members?
26 Therefore dread ye not them; for nothing is hid [for nothing is covered, or hid], that shall not be showed; and nothing is privy, that shall not be known.
27 That thing that I say to you in darknesses, say ye in the light; and preach ye on houses [and preach ye upon roofs], that thing that ye hear in the ear.
28 And do not ye dread them that slay the body; for they be not able to slay the soul; but rather dread ye him, that be able to destroy both soul and body into hell. [And do not ye dread them that slay the body; truly they be not able to slay the soul; but rather dread ye him, that be able to lose both soul and body into hell.]
29 Whether two sparrows be not sold for an halfpenny? and one of them shall not fall on the earth without your Father.
30 And all the hairs of your head be numbered.
31 Therefore do not ye dread; ye be better than many sparrows.
32 Therefore every man that shall acknowledge me before men, [and] I shall acknowledge him before my Father that is in heavens.
33 But he that shall deny me before men, and I shall deny him before my Father that is in heavens [and I shall deny him before my Father which is in heavens].
34 Do not ye deem, that I came to send peace into earth [Do not ye deem, that I came to send peace into the earth]; I came not to send peace, but sword.
35 For I came to part a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the son's wife against the husband's mother;
36 and the enemies of a man be they, that be at home with him.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy to me [is not worthy of me].
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy to me [is not worthy of me].
39 He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for me, shall find it.
40 He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall take the meed of a prophet [shall receive the meed of a prophet]. And he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall take the meed of a just man [shall receive the meed of a just man].
42 And whoever giveth drink to one of these least a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his meed.
10 Therefore while Ezra prayed so, and besought God, and wept, and lay (down) before the temple of God, a full great company of Israel (a very great crowd of Israelites), of men, and of women, and of children, was gathered together to him; and the people wept with much weeping.
2 And Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered, and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have wedded wives, alien women, of the peoples of the land. And now, for penance is in Israel on this thing, (And Shechaniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered, and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have wedded wives, foreign women, of the peoples of the land. And now, for there is penance in Israel for this thing,)
3 make we (a) bond of peace with the Lord our God, and cast we away all our alien wives, and them that be born of those wives, by the will of the Lord; and of them that dread the commandment of our God, be it done by the law. (let us make a covenant with the Lord our God to cast away, that is, to send away, all our foreign wives, and those who were born of those wives, according to thy counsel, my lord, and the counsel of those who fear the command of our God/who revere the command of our God; yea, let it be done according to the Law.)
4 Rise thou up, it pertaineth to thee to deem, and we shall be with thee; be thou comforted, and do thus. (Rise thou up, it pertaineth to thee to judge this, and we shall be with thee; be thou strengthened, and do thus.)
5 Then Ezra rose up, and charged greatly the princes of (the) priests, and deacons, and all Israel, to do after this word; and they swore thereto. (Then Ezra rose up, and greatly charged the leaders of the priests, and the Levites, and all the Israelites, to do this thing; and they swore that they would do it.)
6 And Ezra rose up before the house of God, and he went to the bed [place] of Johanan, the son of Eliashib, and he entered [in] thither; he ate not bread, nor drank water; for he bewailed the trespassing of them, that were come from the captivity.
7 And a voice of them was sent into Judah and Jerusalem (And so the word was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem), to all the sons of (the) captivity, that they should be gathered together in Jerusalem;
8 and [that] each man that cometh not thither (with)in three days, by the counsel of the princes and of [the] elder men, all his chattel shall be taken away from him, and he shall be cast away from the company of (the) transmigration (and he shall be cast out, or sent away, from those who have returned from the captivity).
9 Therefore all the men of Judah and of Benjamin came together into Jerusalem in three days; that is the ninth month, in the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of God’s house, and trembled for (the) sin, and for (the) rain. (And so all the men of Judah and of Benjamin came together in Jerusalem within the three days; that was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the square of God’s House, that is, in the Temple Square, and trembled because of the sin, and because of the rain.)
10 And Ezra, the priest, rose up, and said to them, Ye have trespassed, and ye have wedded wives, alien women, that ye should lay to, or increase, upon the trespass of Israel. (And Ezra, the priest, rose up, and said to them, Ye have trespassed, and ye have wedded wives, foreign women, and so ye have increased Israel’s trespass, or sin.)
11 Now therefore give ye acknowledging to the Lord God of our fathers, and do ye his pleasance, and be ye separated from the peoples of the land, and from your alien wives. (And so now make ye a confession to the Lord God of our fathers, and do ye his pleasure, or his will, and be ye separated from the peoples of the land, and from all your foreign wives.)
12 And all the multitude answered, and said with [a] great voice, By thy word to us, so be it done.
13 Nevertheless for the people is much, and the time of rain is, and we suffer not to stand withoutforth, and it is not [the] work of one day, neither of twain; for we have sinned greatly in this word; (But for the people be many, and it is the time of much rain, and we be not able to stand here outside, and this is not the work of one day, nor of two; for we have greatly sinned in this thing;)
14 (let) princes be ordained in all the multitude, and (let) all men in our cities, that have wedded alien wives, come in times ordained, and with them come the elder men, by city and city, and the judges of the people, till the wrath of our God be turned away from us upon this sin. (let the leaders come to all the multitude, and let all the men in our cities, who have wedded foreign wives, come in the time ordained, and the elders come with them, by city and city, and the judges of the people, until the anger of our God be turned away from us for this sin.)
15 Therefore Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah, the son of Tikvah, stood upon this thing; and Meshullam, and Shabbethai, deacons, helped them. (And so only Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah, the son of Tikvah, stood against this; and Meshullam, and Shabbethai, a Levite, supported them.)
16 And the sons of (the) transmigration did so. And Ezra, the priest, and the men, that were princes of families, went into the houses of their fathers, and all men by their names; and they sat in the first day of the tenth month, for to inquire (of) the thing. (And so the sons of the captivity did this. And Ezra, the priest, selected the men, from those who were the leaders of the families of their tribes, all of them by their names; and they began on the first day of the tenth month, to inquire into the matter.)
17 And all men were ended, that is, the causes of all men were determined, that had wedded alien wives, till to the first day of the first month. (And they finished their inquiry, concerning all the men who had wedded foreign wives, by the first day of the first month of the new year.)
18 And there were found of the sons of priests, that had wedded alien wives; of the sons of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brethren, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. (And there were found of the sons of the priests, who had wedded foreign wives; of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his kinsmen, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.)
19 And they gave their hands, that is, (they) confirmed with a solemn oath, that they should cast out their wives, and that they should offer for their trespass a ram of [the] sheep. (And they gave their hands, that is, they confirmed with a solemn pledge, that they would cast out, or send away, their wives, and that they would offer a ram of the sheep for their trespass.)
20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, and Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 And of the sons of deacons (And of the sons of the Levites); Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah; he is called Kelita; Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 And of [the] singers, Eliashib; and of [the] porters, Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. (And of the singers, Eliashib; and of the guards, or the doorkeepers, Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.)
25 And of Israel, of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And of the sons of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, and Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
30 And of the sons of Pahath; Moab, Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, and Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. (And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, and Maaseiah, Mattaniah, and Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.)
31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 And of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35 Benaiah, and Bedeiah, and Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, and Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38 and Bani, and Binnui, and Shimei,
39 and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All these had taken alien, or heathen, wives, and of them were women, that had bore children. (All these had taken foreign wives, and some of these women had brought forth children.)
10 A man was in Caesarea [Forsooth some man was in Caesarea], Cornelius by name, a centurion of the company of knights, that is said of Italy;
2 a religious man, and dreading the Lord, with all his household; doing many alms to the people, and praying the Lord evermore.
3 This saw in a vision openly, as in the ninth hour of the day [or noon], an angel of God entering in to him, and saying to him, Cornelius.
4 And he beheld him, and was adread, and said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thine almsdeeds have ascended up into mind, in the sight of the Lord.
5 And now send thou men into Joppa [And now send men into Joppa], and call one Simon, that is named Peter.
6 This is harboured at a man, Simon, currier [currier, or tanner], whose house is beside the sea. This shall say to thee, what it behooveth thee to do.
7 And when the angel that spake to him, was gone away, he called two men of his house, and a knight that dreaded the Lord, which were at his bidding.[a]
8 And when he had told to them all these things, he sent them into Joppa.
9 And on the day following, while they made journey, and approached to the city [and nighed to the city], Peter went up into the highest place of the house to pray, about the sixth hour.
10 And when he was hungered [And when he hungered], he would have eaten. But while they made ready, a ravishing of the Spirit felled on him [an excess of soul, or ravishing of Spirit, fell on him];
11 and he saw heaven opened, and a vessel coming down, as a great sheet with four corners, to be let down from heaven into earth, [and he saw heaven opened, and some vessel coming down, as a great sheet with four cords, for to be sent down from heaven to earth,]
12 in which were all four-footed beasts, and creeping [things] of the earth, and volatiles of heaven [and volatiles of heaven, either of the air].
13 And a voice was made to him, Rise thou, Peter, and slay, and eat.[b]
14 And Peter said, Lord, forbid [Lord, far be it from me], for I never eat any common thing and unclean.
15 And again the second time the voice was made to him, That thing that God hath cleansed, say thou not unclean [That thing that God hath cleansed, thou shalt not say unclean].
16 And this thing was done by thrice; and at once [and anon] the vessel was received again into heaven.
17 And while that Peter doubted within himself, what the vision was that he saw, lo! the men, that were sent from Cornelius, sought the house of Simon, and stood at the gate. [And the while Peter within himself doubted, what the vision was which he saw, lo! the men, that were sent from Cornelius, seeking the house of Simon, stood nigh at the gate.]
18 And when they had called, they asked if Simon, that is named Peter [that was named Peter], had there harbour.
19 And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Lo! three men seek thee.
20 Therefore rise thou, and go down, and go with them, and doubt thou nothing [and go with them, nothing doubting], for I sent them.
21 And Peter came down to the men, and said, Lo! I am, whom ye seek; what is the cause, for which ye be come [for which ye have come]?
22 And they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man, and dreading God, and having good witnessing of all the folk of Jews, took answer of an holy angel, to call thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
23 Therefore he led them in, and received in harbour; and that night they dwelled with him. And in the day following he rose, and went forth with them; and some of the brethren followed him from Joppa [and some of brethren from Joppa followed him], that they be witnesses to Peter.
24 And the tother day he entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius abode them, with his cousins, and necessary friends, that were called together [Forsooth Cornelius abode them, with his cousins, and necessary friends called together].
25 And it was done, when Peter was come in [when Peter had entered], Cornelius came meeting him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26 But Peter raised him, and said, Arise thou, also I myself am a man, as thou. [Peter soothly raised him, saying, Rise, and I myself am a man, as and thou.]
27 And he spake with him, and went in, and found many that were come together. [And he speaking with him, entered in, and found many that came together.]
28 And he said to them, Ye know, how abominable it is to a Jew, to be joined either to come to an alien [Ye know, how abominable it is to a man Jew, to be joined or to come to an alien]; but God showed to me, that no man say a man common, either unclean [or unclean].
29 For which thing I came, when I was called, without doubting. Therefore I ask you, for what cause have ye called me?
30 And Cornelius said, To day, four days into this hour, I was praying and fasting in the ninth hour in mine house. And lo! a man stood before me in a white cloak, [And Cornelius saith, From the fourth day passed till to this hour, I fasting was praying in the ninth hour in mine house. And lo! a man stood before me in a white cloth,]
31 and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine almsdeeds be in mind in the sight of God.
32 Therefore send thou into Joppa [Therefore send into Joppa], and call Simon, that is named Peter; this is harboured in the house of Simon currier, beside the sea. This, when he shall come, shall speak to thee.
33 Therefore at once [Therefore anon] I sent to thee, and thou didest well in coming to us. Now therefore we all be present in thy sight, to hear the words, whatever be commanded to thee of the Lord.
34 And Peter opened his mouth, and said, In truth I have found, that God is no acceptor of persons;
35 but in each folk he that dreadeth God, and worketh rightwiseness, is accept to him [is accepted to him].
36 God sent a word to the children of Israel, showing peace by Jesus Christ; this is Lord of all things [this is the Lord of all men].
37 Ye know the word that is made through all Judaea, and began at Galilee [forsooth beginning from Galilee], after the baptism that John preached, Jesus of Nazareth;
38 how God anointed him with the Holy Ghost, and virtue; which passed forth in doing well [which passed forth in well-doing], and healing all men oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.
39 And we be witnesses of all things, which he did in the country of Jews, and of Jerusalem [and Jerusalem]; whom they slew, hanging on a tree.
40 And God raised this in the third day, and gave him to be made known,
41 not to all the people, but to witnesses before-ordained of God; to us that ate and drank with him, after that he rose again from death [from dead].
42 And he commanded to us to preach to the people, and to witness, that he it is, that is ordained of God doomsman of the quick and of the dead [that is ordained of God doomsman of quick and dead].
43 To this all prophets bear witnessing [To this all prophets bear witness], that all men that believe in him, shall receive remission of sins by his name.
44 And yet while that Peter spake these words, the Holy Ghost felled [fell] on all that heard the word.
45 And the faithful men of circumcision, that came with Peter, wondered [And the faithful of circumcision wondered, that came with Peter], that also into nations the grace of the Holy Ghost is shed out.
46 For they heard them speaking in languages [Forsooth they heard them speak with tongues, or languages], and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,
47 Whether any man may forbid water, that these be not baptized, that have also received the Holy Ghost as we [that have received the Holy Ghost as and we]?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they prayed him, that he should dwell with them some days.
2001 by Terence P. Noble