M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
6 ¶ The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too tight for us.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and each one take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell. And he answered, Go.
3 And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy slaves. And he answered, I will go.
4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down the wood.
5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water, and he cried and said, Alas, master! It was borrowed.
6 And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he showed him the place. Then he cut down a stick and cast it in there and caused the iron to swim.
7 And he said unto him, Take it. And he put out his hand and took it.
8 ¶ Then the king of Syria warred against Israel and took counsel with his slaves, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware to not pass through such and such a place, for the Syrians are going there.
10 Then the king of Israel sent to the place, which the man of God told him and warned him of and kept himself from there, not once nor twice.
11 Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled over this thing, and he called his slaves and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?
12 Then one of his slaves said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
13 ¶ And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and take him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
14 So he sent horsemen and chariots there and a great host, who came by night and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early to go forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horsemen and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! What shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not; for those that are with us are more than those that are with them.
17 And Elisha prayed and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horsemen and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD and said, Smite these people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria.
20 And when they came into Samaria, Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them; would thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and return to their master.
23 And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 ¶ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad, king of Syria, gathered all his host and went up and besieged Samaria.
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria as they besieged it until an ass’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried unto him, saying, Save me, my lord, O king.
27 And he said, If the LORD does not save thee, from where shall I save thee? Out of the threshingfloor, or out of the winepress?
28 And the king said unto her, What ails thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
29 So we boiled my son and ate him. And I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him. But she has hid her son.
30 And when the king heard the words of the woman, he rent his clothes; and he passed by like this upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall remain upon him today.
32 And Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man unto him. But before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door; is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; for what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
3 ¶ The Word is faithful, If anyone desires the office of a bishop, {to be a pastor or elder in the congregation} he desires a difficult ministry.
2 It is expedient, therefore, that the bishop be blameless, the husband of only one wife, vigilant, temperate, of worldly affections mortified, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 not given to wine, not hurtful, not greedy of dishonest gain, but gentle, not contentious, not covetous;
4 one that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all integrity;
5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God?)
6 not a novice, lest being puffed up, he fall into judgment of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of those who are outside lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 ¶ Likewise the deacons must be honest, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of dishonest gain;
9 holding the mystery of the faith together with a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them minister, if they are blameless.
11 The wives likewise are to be honest, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of only one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For those that minister well purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14 ¶ These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly
15 But if I tarry long, that thou may know how it is expedient to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
10 ¶ In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia the Word was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the Word was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the Word, and had intelligence in the vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three weeks of days.
3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither did flesh nor wine come into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all until the three weeks of days were fulfilled.
4 And in the twenty-fourth day of the first month as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 and lifting up my eyes, I saw, and behold a man clothed in linens, whose loins were girded with very pure gold:
6 his body was like the stone of Tarsis turquoise, and his face as a bolt of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to brilliant brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of an army.
7 And only I, Daniel, saw that vision: for the men that were with me did not see the vision; but a great fear fell upon them, and they fled and hid themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, for my strength was turned into dismay, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet I heard the voice of his words, and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I placed into a deep sleep on my face, and my face was toward the ground.
10 ¶ And, behold, a hand touched me and caused me to move upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, Daniel, O man greatly beloved, pay attention to the words that I shall speak unto thee, and stand up upon thy feet: for I am sent now unto thee. And as he was speaking this with me, I was trembling.
12 And he said unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst give thy heart to understand and to afflict thy soul before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come because of thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days: and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I am come to make thee know what shall befall thy people in the latter days, for there shall still be vision for several days.
15 And as he was speaking such words unto me, I looked toward the ground and became dumb.
16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the son of man touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said unto him that stood before me, O my Lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.
17 For how can the slave of my Lord talk with my Lord? for as for me, for in that instant I had no more strength in me, neither was there any breath left in me.
18 Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he comforted me,
19 and said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be of good cheer, and be well. And as he spoke unto me, I was strengthened and said, Let my Lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
20 Then said he, Knowest thou why I have come unto thee? Because now I must return to fight with the prince of the Persians; and when I am gone forth, next the prince of Grecia shall come.
21 But I will interpret unto thee that which is written in the scripture of truth: and there is no one that holds with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
ALEPH.
1 ¶ Blessed are those who walk in the perfect way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are those that keep his testimonies and that seek him with their whole heart.
3 For those who do no iniquity walk in his ways.
4 ¶ Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 O that my ways were ordered to keep thy statutes!
6 Then I shall not be ashamed, when I have insight unto all thy commandments.
7 ¶ I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
8 I will keep thy statutes; O do not utterly forsake me.
BETH.
9 ¶ With what shall a young man cleanse his way? when he shall keep thy word.
10 ¶ With my whole heart I have sought thee; O let me not err from thy commandments.
11 ¶ Thy spoken word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.
12 ¶ Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
13 ¶ With my lips I have declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as above all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy ways.
16 I will delight myself in thy statutes; I will not forget thy words.
GIMEL.
17 ¶ Deal bountifully with thy slave that I may live and keep thy word.
18 ¶ Open my eyes, and I shall behold the wonders of thy law.
19 ¶ I am a stranger in the earth; hide not thy commandments from me.
20 ¶ My soul is broken from desiring thy judgments at all times.
21 ¶ Thou hast reprehended the proud; cursed are those who err from thy commandments.
22 ¶ Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept thy testimonies.
23 ¶ Princes also sat and spoke against me as thy slave spoke according to thy statutes.
24 ¶ For thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International