M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Joseph Visits His Ill Father
48 Some time later, somebody informed Joseph, “Your father is ill!” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him to visit Jacob.[a]
2 As soon as Jacob was informed, “Look! Your son Joseph has come to visit you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed.
3 Jacob reminded Joseph, “God Almighty revealed himself to me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me. 4 He told me, ‘Pay attention! I’m going to make you fruitful and numerous. I’m going to build you into a vast nation of people and then I’ll give this land to your descendants[b] for an eternal possession.’ 5 You have two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to be with you, whom I now take as my own. Ephraim and Manasseh are mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 Your descendants[c] are to be reckoned as yours, but are to be referred to among the names of their brothers in their respective[d] inheritances.
7 “Now as for me, Rachel died after I arrived in Canaan from Paddan, much to my sorrow. While I was on my journey to Ephrathah (also known as Bethlehem), I buried her there.”
Joseph Seeks Blessings for His Sons
8 Just then, Israel saw Joseph’s sons and asked, “Who are these?”
9 “These are my sons,” Joseph replied.[e] “God gave them to me here in Egypt.”[f]
“Please bring them close to me,” Jacob[g] said, “so I can bless them.”
10 Now Israel’s eyesight had become poor[h] from age. Because he couldn’t see well, Joseph brought them close to him, and Israel[i] kissed them both and embraced them. 11 Then he told Joseph, “I never thought I’d see you again, and now God has allowed me to see your children as well!”
12 Joseph took them off his knees and then bowed low with his face to the ground. 13 Then he brought them both close to his father,[j] placing Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on Ephraim’s head (he was the younger son) and laying his left hand on Manasseh’s head (even though Manasseh was the firstborn).
Israel Blesses Joseph’s Sons
15 Then Israel blessed Joseph by saying:
“May the God in whose presence
my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has continued shepherding me
my whole life even until today,
16 the angel who has been rescuing[k] me
from all sorts of evil,
bless these young men.
May my name continue to live on within them,
including the names
of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac,
and may they grow into a vast multitude
throughout the earth.”
17 But Joseph observed that his father had laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head. That displeased him, so he grabbed his father’s hand and started to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 “No, father, this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused. “I know,” he said. “I know. He’s going to produce a large nation, and he’s going to be very great. However, his younger brother will become even greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
20 That very day, Jacob[l] blessed them with this blessing:[m]
“By you Israel will extend this blessing:
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
By doing this, he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel told Joseph, “Pay attention! I’m about to die, but God will be with you. He’ll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors. 22 I’m assigning you one portion more than your brothers from the land that I confiscated from the control[n] of the Amorites in battle.”[o]
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 Later on,[a] Mary set out for a Judean city in the hill country. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby jumped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she loudly exclaimed, “How blessed are you among women, and how blessed is the infant in[b] your womb! 43 Why should this happen to me, to have the mother of my Lord visit me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 How blessed is this woman who believed that what the Lord told her would be fulfilled!”
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Then Mary said,
“My soul praises the greatness of the Lord!
47 My spirit exults in God, my Savior,
48 because he has looked favorably on his humble servant.
From now on, all generations will call me blessed,
49 because the Almighty has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
50 His mercy lasts from generation to generation
for those who fear him.
51 He displayed his mighty power with his arm.
He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart.[c]
52 He pulled powerful rulers from their thrones
and lifted up humble people.
53 He filled hungry people with good things
and sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful,
55 according to the promise he made[d] to our ancestors—
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
56 Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth[e] about three months and then went back home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they went to circumcise the child. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said, “Absolutely not! He must be named John.”
61 Their friends[f] told her, “None of your relatives has that name.”
62 So they motioned to the baby’s[g] father to see what he wanted to name him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And everyone was amazed.
64 Suddenly, Zechariah could open his mouth,[h] his tongue was set free, and he began to speak and to praise God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and throughout the hill country of Judea all these things were being discussed. 66 Everyone who heard about it kept thinking what had happened and asked, “What will this child become?” because it was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him.
The Prophecy of Zechariah
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!
He has taken care of his people and has set them free.
69 He has raised up a mighty Savior[i] for us
from the family of his servant David,
70 just as he promised long ago
through the mouth of his holy prophets
71 that he would save us from our enemies
and from the grip of all who hate us.
72 He has shown mercy to our ancestors
and remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.
He granted us 74 deliverance from our enemies’ grip
so that we could serve him without fear
75 and be holy and righteous before him all of our days.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
because you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way
77 and to give his people knowledge of salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
his light[j] from on high has visited us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death’s shadow,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 Now the child continued to grow and to become spiritually strong.[k] He lived in the wilderness until the day he appeared in Israel.
Human Beings Live and Die
14 Human beings born by women
are short-lived[a] and full of trouble.
2 He springs up[b] like a flower and then withers.[c]
Like a shadow, he disappears[d] and doesn’t last.
3 Indeed, have you opened your eyes on one like this—
to bring me into a legal fight with you?
4 Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean thing?
No one!
5 Since his days have been determined,
the number of his months is known to you.
You’ve set his limit
and he cannot exceed it.
6 Look away from him and leave him alone,
so he can enjoy his time, like a hired worker.”
Death is Certain
7 “There is hope for the tree, if it is cut down,
that it will sprout again,
and that its shoots won’t stop growing.
8 Even if its roots have grown ancient in the earth,
and its stump begins to rot[e] in the ground,
9 the presence[f] of water will make it to bud
so that it sprouts new branches like a young plant.
10 “But when a person[g] dies and wastes away,
when a person[h] breathes his last, where will he be?
11 As water disappears from the sea,
or water evaporates from a river,
12 so also a person[i] lies down and does not get up;
they won’t awaken until the heavens are no more,
nor will they arise from their sleep.”
There is Life after Death
13 “Won’t you keep me safe in the afterlife?[j]
Conceal me until your anger subsides.
Set an appointment for me,
then remember me.
14 If a human being[k] dies, will he live again?
I will endure the entire time of my assigned service,
until I am changed.[l]
15 You’ll call and I’ll answer you;
you’ll long for your creatures that your hands have made.[m]
16 Then you’ll certainly count every step I took,
but you won’t keep an inventory of my sin.
17 My transgressions would be sealed up in a bag;
you would cover over my sins.
18 “Mountains fall and crumble;
rocks are dislodged from their places.
19 Water wears away stones;
floods wash away topsoil from the land—
but you destroy the hope of human beings just like that!
20 You overpower him once and for all, and then he departs;
you change his appearance and then send him away.
21 “If his children are honored, he doesn’t know it;
if they become insignificant, he never perceives it.
22 He feels only his own pain,[n]
and grieves only for himself.”
Preaching in the Power of God
2 When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come and tell you about God’s secret[a] with rhetorical language or wisdom. 2 For while I was with you I resolved to know nothing except Jesus the Messiah,[b] and him crucified. 3 It was in weakness, fear, and great trembling that I came to you. 4 My message and my preaching were not accompanied by clever, wise words, but by a display of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.
God’s Spirit Reveals Everything
6 However, when we are among mature people, we do speak a message of[c] wisdom, but not the wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are passing off the scene. 7 Instead, we speak about God’s wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began[d] for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood it, because if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
the things that God has prepared
for those who love him.”[e]
10 But[f] God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.
11 Is there anyone who can understand his own thoughts except his own inner spirit? In the same way, no one can know the thoughts of God except God’s Spirit. 12 Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we can understand the things that were freely given to us by God. 13 We don’t speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words[g] taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people.[h] 14 A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the things of God’s Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can’t understand them because they are spiritually evaluated. 15 The spiritual person evaluates everything but is subject to no one else’s evaluation. 16 For
However, we have the mind of the Messiah.[k]
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