M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
21 ¶ And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times as many more as they are; but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s slaves? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guiltiness unto Israel?
4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And they found in all Israel eleven times one hundred thousand men that drew sword, and of Judah four hundred seventy thousand men that drew sword.
6 Among these the Levites and the sons of Benjamin were not counted, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7 ¶ And God was also displeased with this word; therefore, he smote Israel.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing; but now, I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy slave, for I have done very foolishly.
9 And the LORD spoke unto Gad, David’s seer, saying,
10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, I offer thee three things: choose one of them that I will do unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David and said unto him, Thus hath the LORD said, Choose thee,
12 either three years’ famine or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while the sword of thine enemies overtakes thee or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the borders of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13 Then David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait; let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, for very great are his mercies, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel; and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of that evil and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the heaven and the earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18 ¶ Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to tell David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 And David went up according to the word of Gad, which he had spoken unto him in the name of the LORD.
20 And Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out of the threshingfloor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD; thou shalt grant it to me for the full price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes; I even give thee the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing instruments for wood and the wheat for the present; I give it all.
24 And King David said to Ornan, No, but I will truly buy it for the full price, for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and called upon the LORD, and he answered him from the heavens by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27 And when the LORD spoke to the angel, he put up his sword again into its sheath.
28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering were at that season in the high place at Gibeon,
30 but David could not go before it to enquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
2 ¶ Having therefore left all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all murmurings,
2 as newborn babes, desire the rational milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby in health;
3 if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is benevolent;
4 ¶ coming unto whom (is the living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious),
5 ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, well pleasing to God by Jesus, the Christ.
6 Therefore, also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion the chief corner stone, chosen, precious; and he that believes on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you, therefore, who believe he is precious; but unto those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to those who stumble at the word, not obeying in that for which they were ordained.
9 But ye are the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, an acquired people, that ye should show forth the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
10 Ye who in the time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, who in the time past had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from the carnal desires which war against the soul
12 and have your honest conversation among the Gentiles, so that, in that which they murmur about you as of evildoers, having witnessed your good works, they may glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 ¶ Therefore, be subject to every human ordinance that is of the Lord, whether it be to a king or to a superior,
14 and unto governors as unto those that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those that do well.
15 For this is the will of God, that in well doing ye may silence the ignorance of vain men,
16 as being free, yet not using your liberty to cover maliciousness, but as slaves of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and humane, but also to the unjust.
19 For this is due to grace, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it if, when ye are buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is due to grace from God.
21 Because for this were ye called: for the Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps
22 who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth,
23 who, when he was cursed, did not return the curse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him that judges righteously;
24 he himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose wound ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep that had gone astray, but are now converted unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
4 ¶ But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2 And he prayed unto the LORD and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was this not what I said when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hastened to flee unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou art a gracious God and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy, and dost repent when thou art come to take punishment.
3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me, for I would rather die than live.
4 Then the LORD said, Art thou so angry?
5 ¶ And Jonah went out of the city and sat towards the east side of the city, and there made him a booth and sat under it in the shade until he might see what would become of the city.
6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah that it might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his evil. So Jonah was exceeding glad for the gourd.
7 But God also prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd so that it withered.
8 And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah that he fainted and wished in his soul to die and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
9 And God said to Jonah, Art thou so angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
10 Then the LORD said, Thou hast had pity on the gourd for which thou hast not laboured, neither didst thou make it grow; which came up in a night and perished in a night:
11 And shall I not spare Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons, that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and many animals?
9 ¶ Then he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey: neither staves nor provision bag, neither bread, neither money, neither have two coats apiece.
4 And whatever house ye enter into, abide there and depart from there.
5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6 And they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing every where.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him, and he was perplexed because it was said of some that John was risen from the dead,
8 and of some, that Elijah had appeared, and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9 And Herod said, I have beheaded John, but who is this of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
10 ¶ And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him, and he received them and spoke unto them of the kingdom of God and healed those that had need of healing.
12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve and said unto him, Send the multitude away that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge and get victuals, for we are here in a desert place.
13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more than five loaves and two fishes, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.
14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down in companies of fifty.
15 And they did so and made them all sit down.
16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them and broke and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17 And they ate and were all filled, and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18 ¶ And it came to pass as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him, and he asked them, saying, Who do the people say that I am?
19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20 He said unto them, But who do ye say that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21 And he straitly charged them and commanded them not to tell anyone this,
22 saying, The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the elders and of the princes of the priests and scribes and be slain and be raised the third day.
23 And he said to them all, If anyone will come after me, let them deny themself and take up their cross {Gr. stauros – stake} daily and follow me.
24 For whosoever desires to save his soul shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his soul for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged if he gains the whole world, having destroyed himself or having suffered the loss of himself?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory and in his Father’s and of the holy angels.
27 But I tell you in truth, there are some standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God.
28 ¶ And it came to pass about eight days after these words, he took Peter and John and James and went up into the mountain to pray.
29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
30 And, behold, two men talked with him, who were Moses and Elijah,
31 who appeared in majesty and spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 But Peter and those that were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they awoke, they saw his glory and the two men that stood with him.
33 And it came to pass as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to remain here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elijah, not knowing what he said.
34 While he was speaking this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son; hear him.
36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days any of those things which they had seen.
37 ¶ And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the mountain, many people met him.
38 And, behold, a man of the multitude cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is my only child.
39 And, behold, a spirit takes him, and he suddenly cries out; and it throws him into convulsions with foaming, and with difficulty it departs from him, bruising him.
40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not.
41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you? Bring thy son here.
42 And as he was yet a coming, the demon threw him down into convulsions; but Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child and delivered him again to his father.
43 ¶ And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they all wondered at all the things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44 Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45 But they did not understand this word, and it was hid from them that they should not understand, and they feared to ask him regarding this.
46 Then there arose a dispute among them, which of them should be the greatest.
47 But Jesus, seeing the thoughts of their heart, took a child and set him by him,
48 and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receives me, and whosoever shall receive me receives him that sent me; for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us.
50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us.
51 ¶ And it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem
52 and sent messengers before his face; and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him.
53 And they did not receive him because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?
55 But he turned and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to lose men’s souls, but to save them. And they went to another village.
57 ¶ And it came to pass that as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the heaven have nests, but the Son of man has not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and declare the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid farewell those who are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No one having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.
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