M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
23 Forsooth Sarah lived an hundred and seven and twenty years,
2 and died in the city of Arba (and then she died in Kiriatharba), which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to bewail and (to) beweep her.
3 And when he had risen from the office of the dead body, he spake to the sons of Heth, and said, (And when he had risen up from before his dead wife’s body, he said to the Hittites,)
4 I am a comeling and a pilgrim with you; give ye to me (the) right of [a] sepulchre with you, that I bury my dead body. (I am a newcomer and a foreigner among you; sell ye me some land for a burial place, so that I can bury my dead wife’s body on it.)
5 And the sons of Heth answered, and said, (And the Hittites answered, and said,)
6 Lord, hear thou us; thou art the prince of God with us; bury thou thy dead body in our chosen sepulchres, and no man shall be able to forbid thee, that not thou bury thy dead body in the sepulchre of him. (My lord, hear thou us; thou art the prince of God with us; bury thou thy dead wife’s body in the choicest of our burial places; none of us shall forbid thee, to bury thy dead wife’s body in his burial place.)
7 And Abraham [a]rose, and worshipped the people of the land, that is, the sons of Heth. (And Abraham arose, and bowed before the people of the land, that is, the Hittites.)
8 And he said to them, If it pleaseth your soul that I bury my dead body (If it pleaseth your soul that I bury my dead wife’s body here), hear ye me, and pray ye for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar,
9 that he give to me the double cave, which he hath in the uttermost part of his field; for sufficient money give he it to me before you into possession of [a] sepulchre. (that he give me the cave at Machpelah, which he hath in the uttermost part of his field, for the full price; yea, let him sell it to me for a possession of a burial place here among you.)
10 Forsooth Ephron dwelled in the midst of the sons of Heth (And Ephron happened to be sitting there in the midst of the other Hittites). And Ephron answered to Abraham, while all (the) men heard that entered [in] by the gate of that city, and (he) said,
11 My lord, it shall not be done so, but more harken thou (to) that that I say; I give to thee the field, and the cave which is therein, while the sons of my people be present; bury thou thy dead body. (My lord, it shall not be done so, but more harken thou to what I say; I give thee the field, and the cave which is in it, while the sons of my people be present; bury thou thy wife’s dead body there.)
12 Abraham worshipped before the Lord, and before the people of the land, (And Abraham bowed low before the people of the land,)
13 and he spake to Ephron, while his people stood about, (and said,) I beseech, that thou hear me; I shall give money (to thee) for the field, receive thou it, and so I shall bury my dead body in the field (and then I shall bury my dead wife’s body there in the field).
14 And Ephron answered,
15 My lord, hear thou me; the land which thou askest (for) is worth four hundred shekels of silver, that is the price betwixt me and thee; but (now) how much is this? bury thou thy dead body (so bury thou thy dead wife’s body there).
16 And when Abraham had heard this, he numbered (out) the money which Ephron asked (for), while the sons of Heth heard (And when Abraham had heard this, he counted out the money which Ephron had named, and which the other Hittites had also heard him say), (that is,) four hundred shekels of silver, and of proved common money.
17 And the field that was sometime of Ephron, in which field was a double den, beholding to Mamre, as well that field, as the den, and all the trees thereof, in all the terms thereof by compass, (And so the field that belonged to Ephron, which field was at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, that field, and the cave, and all the trees, within its boundaries all around,)
18 was confirmed to Abraham into (a) possession, while the sons of Heth saw, and all men that entered by the gate of that city. (was confirmed as Abraham’s possession, before the Hittites, and all the other men who came in by the city gate.)
19 And so Abraham buried Sarah, his wife, in the double den of the field, that beheld to Mamre; this is Hebron in the land of Canaan. (And so Abraham buried his wife Sarah, in the cave in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre; this is Hebron in the land of Canaan.)
20 And the field, and the den that was therein, was confirmed of the sons of Heth to Abraham, into possession of (a) sepulchre. (And the field, and the cave that was in it, were confirmed by the Hittites to be Abraham’s possession for a burial place.)
22 And Jesus answered, and spake again in parables to them, and said,
2 The kingdom of heavens is made like to a king that made weddings to his son. [The kingdom of heavens is like to a man king that made weddings to his son.]
3 And he sent his servants to call men that were bidden to the weddings, and they would not come.
4 Again he sent other servants, and said [saying], Say to the men that be bidden to the feast, Lo! I have made ready my meat, my bulls and my volatiles be slain [my bulls and my volatiles, or my fat beasts, be slain], and all things be ready; come ye to the weddings.
5 But they despised, and went forth, one into his town, another to his merchandise. [Soothly they despised, or reckoned not, and they went away, one into his vineyard, forsooth another to his merchandise.]
6 But [the] others held his servants, and tormented them, and slew [them].
7 But the king, when he had heard, was wroth; and he sent his hosts, and destroyed those man-quellers, and burnt their city.
8 Then he said to his servants [Then he saith to his servants], The weddings be ready, but they that were called to the feast, were not worthy.
9 Therefore go ye into the ends of ways, and whomever ye find, call ye to the weddings. [Therefore go ye to the outgoings, or ends, of ways, and whomever ye shall find, call to the weddings.]
10 And his servants went out into the ways, and gathered together all that they found, good and evil; and the bridal [and the weddings] was full-filled with men sitting at the meat.
11 And the king entered, to see men sitting at the meat; and he saw there a man not clothed with bride clothes [and he saw there a man not clothed with bridal clothes].
12 And he said to him, Friend, how enteredest thou hither without bride clothes [And he saith to him, Friend, how enteredest thou hither, not having bride clothes]? And he was dumb.
13 Then the king bade his ministers, Bind him both hands and feet, and send ye him into outer-more darknesses; there shall be weeping and grinding of teeth. [Then the king said to the ministers, His hands and feet bound, send ye him into utter-more darknesses; there shall be weeping and beating together of teeth.]
14 For many be called, but few be chosen.
15 Then Pharisees went away, and took a counsel to take Jesus in word. [Then Pharisees, going away, took a counsel, that they should take him in word.]
16 And they send to him their disciples, with Herodians, and said [saying], Master, we know, that thou art soothfast, and thou teachest in truth the way of God, and thou carest not of any man [and there is no care, or charge, to thee of any man], for thou beholdest not the person of men.
17 Therefore say to us, what seemeth to thee. Is it leaveful that tribute be given to the emperor, either nay[a]?
18 And when Jesus had known the wickedness of them, he said, Hypocrites, what tempt ye me?
19 Show ye to me the print of the money. And they brought to him a penny.
20 And Jesus said to them [And Jesus saith to them], Whose is this image, and the writing above?
21 They say to him, The emperor's. Then he said to them, Therefore yield ye to the emperor those things that be the emperor's, and to God those things that be of God.[b]
22 And they heard, and wondered; and they left him, and went away. [And they hearing wondered; and, him left, they went away.]
23 In that day Sadducees, that say there is no rising again to life [that say there is no rising again], came to him, and asked him,
24 and said, Master, Moses said, if any man is dead [saying, Master, Moses said, if any man be dead], not having a son, that his brother wed his wife, and raise seed to his brother.
25 And there were seven brethren to us; and the first wedded a wife, and is dead. And he had no seed, and left his wife to his brother; [Forsooth seven brethren were with us; and the first, a wife wedded, is dead. And he not having seed, left his wife to his brother;]
26 also the second, and the third, till to the seventh.
27 But the last of all, [also] the woman is dead.
28 Also in the rising again to life [Therefore in the rising again], whose wife of the seven shall she be? for all had her.
29 Jesus answered, and said to them, Ye err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the virtue of God.
30 For in the rising again to life, neither they shall wed, neither shall be wedded [For in the rising again, neither they wed, neither be wedded]; but they be as the angels of God in heaven.
31 And of the rising again of dead men, have ye not read, that [it] is said of the Lord, that saith to you [that it is said of the Lord, saying to you],
32 I am God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob? he is not God of dead men, but of living men.
33 And the people hearing [And the companies hearing], wondered on his teaching.
34 And the Pharisees heard that he had put silence to Sadducees, and came together.
35 And one of them, a teacher of the law, asked Jesus, and tempted him, [And one of them, a teacher of the law, asked Jesus, tempting him,]
36 Master, which is a great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said to him, Thou shalt love thy Lord God, of all thine heart, and in all thy soul, and in all thy mind [Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, of all thine heart, and of all thy soul, and in all thy mind].
38 This is the first and the most commandment.
39 And the second is like to this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 In these two commandments hangeth all the law and the prophets.
41 And when the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 and said [saying], What seemeth to you of Christ, whose son is he? They say to him, Of David.
43 He saith to them, How then David in spirit calleth him Lord, and saith [saying],
44 The Lord said to my Lord, Sit [thou] on my right half, till I put thine enemies a stool of thy feet?
45 Then if David calleth him Lord, how is he his son?
46 And no man might answer a word to him, neither any man was hardy from that day, to ask him more.
12 Soothly these were [the] priests and [the] deacons, that went up with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and with Joshua; Seraiah, Jeremy [Jeremiah], Ezra, (And these were the priests and the Levites, who went up with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, or Joshua; Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,)
2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Miamin,
5 Abiah, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah; these were the princes of priests and their brethren, in the days of Joshua. (Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah; these were the leaders of the priests and their kinsmen, in the days of Jeshua, or Joshua.)
8 Certainly deacons; Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, (and) Mattaniah, were over the hymns, they and their brethren; (And the Levites; Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his kinsmen, led the hymns;)
9 and Bakbukiah, and Unni, and the brethren of them, each man in his office. (and Bakbukiah, and Unni, and their kinsmen, who sang the response.)
10 And Joshua begat Joiakim (And Jeshua begat Joiakim), and Joiakim begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,
11 and Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.
12 And in the days of Joiakim these were the priests, and the princes of the families of priests; Seraiah, Meraiah; Jeremy, Hananiah; (And in the days of Joiakim these were the priests, and the leaders of the priestly families; of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;)
13 (of) Ezra, Meshullam; (of) Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 (of) Melicu, Jonathan; (of) Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 (of) Harim, Adna; (of) Meraioth, Helkai;
16 (of) Iddo, Zechariah; (of) Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 (of) Abiah, Zichri; (of) Miniamin, ([a]); and (of) Moadiah, Piltai;
18 (of) Bilgah, Shammua; (of) Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 (of) Joiarib, Mattenai; (of) Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 (of) Sallai, Kallai; (of) Amok, Eber;
21 (of) Hilkiah, Hashabiah; (of) Jedaiah, Nethaneel.
22 Deacons in the days of Eliashib, and of Joiada, and of Johanan, and of Jaddua, were written princes of families, and priests, in the realm of Darius king of Persia. (The leaders of the priestly families, in the days of Eliashib, and Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were written down until the reign of Darius the Persian.)
23 The sons of Levi, princes of families, were written in the book of the words of days, and unto the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. (But the leaders of the Levite families were written down in The Book of the Words of the Days, that is, in The Official Annals, only until the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.)
24 And the princes of deacons were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel; and the brethren of them by their whiles or times, that they should praise and acknowledge by the commandment of king David, the man of God, and they should keep evenly by order. (And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, who, along with their kinsmen, gave praise and thanks, each in their turn, the one group answering the other, by the command of King David, the man of God.)
25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, and Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, (and) Akkub, were keepers of the gates, and of the porches before the gates. (Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the guards, or the doorkeepers, standing guard at the gate-houses.)
26 These men were (serving) in the days of Joiakim, the son of Joshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah, the duke, and of Ezra, the priest and writer. (These men served in the days of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua, or Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah, the governor, and of Ezra, the priest and writer/the priest and teacher of the Law.)
27 Forsooth in the hallowing of the wall of Jerusalem they sought (out the) deacons of all their places, to bring them into Jerusalem, and to make the hallowing in gladness, in the doing of thankings, and in song, and in cymbals, and in psalteries, and in harps. (And for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites in all the places where they were, to bring them to Jerusalem, to celebrate the dedication with gladness, and thanksgiving, and with songs, and cymbals, and lutes, and harps.)
28 And the sons of (the) singers were gathered together, both from the field places about Jerusalem, and from the towns of Netophathi (and from the towns of the Netophathites),
29 and from the house of Gilgal, and from the country(sides) of Geba, and of Azmaveth; for the singers had builded towns to themselves in the compass of Jerusalem (for the singers had built towns for themselves all around Jerusalem).
30 And [the] priests and deacons were cleansed, and then they cleansed the people, and the gates, and the wall. (And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and then they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.)
31 And I made the princes of Judah to go up on the wall, and I ordained two great choirs, or companies, of men praising the Lord; and they went to the right side on the wall, to the gate of the dunghill. (And I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall, and I ordained two great choirs, or companies, of men to give praise to the Lord; and the first group went up on the wall to the right side, toward the Dung Gate.)
32 And Hoshaiah went after them, and the half part of the princes of Judah (and half of the leaders of Judah),
33 and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,
34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremy. [Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.]
35 And of the sons of priests singing in trumps; Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph. (And then came some of the priests blowing trumpets; namely, Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;)
36 And his brethren; Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, and Hanani, in the instruments of song of David, the man of God; and Ezra, the writer, before them, (and his kinsmen; Shemaiah, Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God; and Ezra, the writer/the teacher of the Law, went before them.)
37 in the gate of the well. And (the) men went up (over) against them, in the degrees of the city of David, in the going up of the wall, over the house of David, and unto the gate of the waters at the east coast. (And they went past the Fountain Gate, and then up the steps to the City of David, by the ascent to the city wall, past the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east side.)
38 And the second choir of men telling out thankings went over against (them), or on the other side, and I went after them; and half part of the people was on the wall, and on the tower of (the) ovens, and they went unto the broadest wall; (And the second choir of men who gave thanks went to the other side, that is, to the left, along the top of the wall, and I went after them, with half of the people; and they went past the Tower of the Ovens, or the Tower of the Furnaces, unto the Broad Wall;)
39 and over the gate of Ephraim, and over the eld gate, and over the gate of fishes, and over the tower of Hananeel, and over the tower of Meah, and they came unto the gate of (the) flock; and they stood still in the gate of keeping. (and then past the Ephraim Gate, and the Old Gate, or the Jeshanah Gate, and the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananeel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guardhouse/and they stopped near the Temple Gate.)
40 And the two choirs of men praising stood in the house of God, and I and the half part of (the) magistrates with me. (And then the two choirs of men who gave praise took their places in the House of God, along with me and half of the magistrates;)
41 And the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, in trumps; (and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, who were blowing their trumpets;)
42 and (also) Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer; and the singers sang clearly, and Jezrahiah, their sovereign also (and the singers, led by Jezrahiah, who sang clearly, and loudly).
43 And they offered in that day great sacrifices, and were glad; for God had made them glad with great gladness. But also their wives and their lawful children were joyful, and the gladness of Jerusalem was heard [a]far. (And that day, they offered great, or many, sacrifices, and were joyful; for God had made them very happy. And also their wives and their children were full of joy, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.)
44 Also they numbered in that day the men that were over the keeping places of the treasure(s), to receive (the) moist sacrifices, and the first fruits, and (the) tithes, that in (the) seemliness, or fairness, of doing of thankings to the Lord, (the) princes of the city should bring in by them, (for the) priests and deacons; for Judah was glad in (the) priests and deacons (that were) present. (And on that day men were ordained to take charge of the storerooms for the contributions, that is, to receive the offerings, and the first fruits, and the tithes; they were to gather in the portions, required by the Law, from all the fields near the cities, for the priests and the Levites; for all Judah was well pleased with the service of the priests and the Levites.)
45 And they kept the keeping of their God, (and) the keeping of cleansing; and (the) singers, and porters (did as well), by the commandment of David, and of Solomon, his son; (And they did the service of their God, and the rites of purification, as did the singers, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, after the commands of David, and his son Solomon;)
46 for in the days of David and of Asaph, from the beginning, princes of singers were ordained, praising in song, and acknowledging to God. (for from the days of David and of Asaph, yea, from the beginning, leaders were ordained over the singers, to lead the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.)
47 And all Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave parts to (the) singers and to (the) porters, by all the days; and they hallowed (a part for the) deacons, and the deacons hallowed (a part for) the sons of Aaron. (And in the days of Zerubbabel, and of Nehemiah, all Israel gave the portions, or the gifts, for the singers and the guards, or the doorkeepers, as each day required; and they dedicated a portion for the Levites, and the Levites dedicated a portion for the priests, the sons of Aaron.)
22 Brethren and fathers [Men, brethren and fathers], hear ye what reason I yield now to you.
2 And when some heard that in Hebrew tongue he spake to them, they gave the more silence. And he said,
3 I am a man a Jew, born at Tarsus of Cilicia, nourished and in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught by the truth of fathers' law, a lover of the law [nourished forsooth in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, learned after the truth of fathers' law, follower, or lover, of the law], as also ye all be to day.
4 And I pursued this way till to the death, binding [together] and betaking into holds men and women,
5 as the prince of priests yieldeth witnessing to me, and all the greatest of birth [and all the more in birth]. Of whom also I took epistles to brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring from thence men bound into Jerusalem, that they should be pained.
6 And it was done, while I went, and approached to Damascus, at midday suddenly from heaven a great plenty of light shone about me. [Forsooth it was done, while I went and nighed to Damascus, in the midday suddenly from heaven a copious light shone about me.]
7 And I felled down to the earth, and heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? It is hard to thee to kick against the prick [It is hard for thee for to kick against the prick].
8 And I answered, Who art thou Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest.
9 And they that were with me saw but the light [And they that were with me saw soothly the light], but they heard not the voice of him, that spake with me.
10 And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said to me, Rise thou, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be said to thee, of all things which it behooveth thee to do.
11 And when I saw not, for the clarity of that light, I was led by the hand of fellows, and I came to Damascus.
12 And a man, Ananias, that by the law had witnessing of all Jews dwelling in Damascus, [Forsooth some man, Ananias, after the law having witnessing of all Jews dwelling in Damascus,]
13 came to me, and stood nigh, and said to me, Saul, brother, behold. And I in the same hour beheld into him.
14 And he said, God of our fathers hath before-ordained thee, that thou shouldest know the will of him, and shouldest see the rightful man [and shouldest see just Christ], and hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things that thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now, what dwellest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, by the name of him called to help [Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, in-call the name of him].
17 And it was done to me, as I turned again into [to] Jerusalem, and prayed in the temple, that I was made in ravishing of soul,
18 and I saw him saying to me, Hie thou, and go out fast of Jerusalem, for they shall not receive thy witnessing of me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know, that I was closing together in prison, and beating by synagogues them that believed into thee [them that believed in thee].
20 And when the blood of Stephen, thy witness, was shed out [was shed], I stood nigh, and consented, and kept the clothes of men that slew him.
21 And he said to me, Go thou, for I shall send thee far to nations.
22 And they heard him till [to] this word; and they raised their voice, and said, Take away from the earth such a manner man; for it is not leaveful, that he live.
23 And when they cried, and cast away their clothes, and threw dust in the air,
24 the tribune commanded him to be led into the castles, and to be beaten with scourges, and to be tormented, that he knew [that he should know], for what cause they cried so to him.
25 And when they had bound him with cords, Paul said to a centurion standing nigh to him, Whether it is leaveful to you, to scourge a Roman, and uncondemned? [And when they had restrained him with bonds, or ropes, Paul said to a centurion standing nigh to him, If it is leaveful to you, to scourge a man Roman, and uncondemned?]
26 And when this thing was heard, the centurion went to the tribune, and told to him, and said [saying], What art thou to doing? for this man is a citizen of Rome [forsooth this man is a citizen Roman].
27 And the tribune came nigh, and said to him, Say thou to me, whether thou art a Roman [Forsooth the tribune coming to, said to him, Say thou to me, if thou art a Roman]? And he said, Yea.
28 And the tribune answered, I with much sum got this freedom. And Paul said, And I was born a citizen of Rome [And Paul saith, I soothly and am born].
29 Therefore at once [Therefore anon] they that should have tormented him, departed away from him. And the tribune dreaded, after that he knew, that he was a citizen of Rome, and for he had bound him [and that he had bound him].
30 But in the day following he would know more diligently, for what cause he were accused of the Jews, and unbound him, and commanded [the] priests and all the council to come together. And he brought forth Paul, and set him among them.
2001 by Terence P. Noble