M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
24 ¶ And Abraham was old and well stricken in age, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said unto his eldest slave of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,
3 and I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;
4 but thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 And the slave said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land, must I therefore bring thy son again unto the land from which thou didst come?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware that thou not bring my son there again.
7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred and who spoke unto me and swore unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from there.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be free from this my oath; only do not bring my son there again.
9 Then the slave put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning that matter.
10 ¶ And the slave took ten camels of the camels of his master and departed with the best of what his master had in his hand; and he arose and went to Aram-naharaim, unto the city of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, O LORD, God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, to have a good encounter this day and show mercy unto my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the fountain of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out for water:
14 And let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels to drink also; let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy slave Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shown mercy unto my master.
15 And it came to pass before he had done speaking that, behold, Rebekah came out (who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother) with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known; and she went down to the fountain and filled her pitcher and was coming back up.
17 Then the slave ran to meet her and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord, and she hastened to let down her pitcher upon her hand and gave him drink.
19 And when she had finished giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also until they have finished drinking.
20 And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man marveled at her in silence, to see whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not.
22 And it came to pass as the camels had finished drinking that the man took a golden pendant of half a shekel weight and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold
23 and said, Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee; is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?
24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she gave birth unto Nahor.
25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and fodder enough and room to lodge in.
26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshipped the LORD.
27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD, God of my master Abraham, who has not lifted his mercy and his truth from my master, the LORD leading me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren.
28 And the damsel ran and told those of her mother’s house these things.
29 ¶ And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man to the fountain.
30 And it came to pass when he saw the pendant and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands, she said, Thus spoke the man unto me; then he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the fountain.
31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; why dost thou stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and the place for the camels.
32 Then the man came into the house, and Laban ungirded his camels and gave straw and fodder for the camels and water to wash his feet and the men’s feet that were with him.
33 And they set food before him to eat, but he said, I will not eat until I have told my errand. And he said unto him, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham’s slave.
35 And the LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold and menslaves and maidslaves and camels and asses.
36 And Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old, unto whom he has given all that he has.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;
38 but thou shalt go unto my father’s house and to my kindred and take from there a wife for my son.
39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.
40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my lineage and of my father’s house;
41 then shalt thou be free from this my oath, when thou hast come unto my lineage; and if they give her not unto thee, thou shalt be free from my oath.
42 And I came this day unto the fountain and said, O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if now thou dost prosper my way by which I go,
43 behold, I stand by the fountain of water; let it come to pass, therefore, that the virgin who comes forth to draw water unto whom I say, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;
44 and if she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels, let the same be the woman whom the LORD has prepared for my master’s son.
45 And before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down unto the fountain and drew water, and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
46 And she made haste and let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; so I drank, and she gave to drink unto the camels also.
47 And I asked her and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore unto him. Then I put the pendant over her nose and the bracelets upon her hands.
48 And I bowed down my head and worshipped the LORD and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of the truth to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.
49 And now if ye will deal in mercy and truth with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceeds from the LORD; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee; take her and go and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.
52 And it came to pass that when Abraham’s slave heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.
53 And the slave brought forth vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
54 ¶ And they ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and slept; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
55 Then her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
57 Then they said, We will call the damsel and enquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
59 So they sent away Rebekah, their sister, and her nurse and Abraham’s slave and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her, Thou art our sister; be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those who hate them.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels and followed the man; and the slave took Rebekah and went away.
62 ¶ And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the land of the Negev.
63 And Isaac had gone out to pray in the field at the evening hour; and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah also lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had asked the slave, What man is this that walks in the field to meet us? And the slave had said, This is my master; therefore she took a veil and covered herself.
66 Then the slave told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent and took Rebekah as his wife; and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
23 ¶ Then Jesus spoke to the multitude and to his disciples,
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have sat down in Moses’ seat;
3 therefore, whatever they bid you to observe, observe it and do it, but do not act according to their works, for they say and do not do it.
4 For they bind burdens that are heavy and grievous to bear and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But they do all their works that they may be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments
6 and love the first place at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues
7 and greetings in the markets and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But, as for you, desire not to be called Rabbi, for one is your Master, the Christ; and you are all brothers.
9 And call no one your father upon the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens.
10 Neither be ye called masters, for one is your Master, the Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 ¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens in front of men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye those that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses and for a pretence make long prayer; therefore, ye shall receive the greater judgment.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.
19 Ye fools and blind, for which one is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Whosoever therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it and by all things thereon.
21 And whosoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it and by Him that dwells therein.
22 And he that shall swear by the heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him that sits thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted that which is more important of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith; these were expedient for ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, who strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup or of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and incontinence.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whitewashed sepulchres, who indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the sepulchres of the righteous
30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Therefore ye are witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the judgment of hell?
34 ¶ Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes, and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, {Gr. stauroo – Hang on a stake} and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city,
35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that didst kill the prophets and stone those who are sent unto thee, how often I desired to gather thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me from now on until ye shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
13 ¶ On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and it was found written therein that the Ammonites and the Moabites should not come into the congregation of God forever
2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them; howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
4 And before this, Eliashib, the priest, had been the overseer of the chamber of the house of our God, and was related to Tobiah,
5 and he had prepared for him a great chamber, where before they had kept the present, the frankincense, the vessels, the tithe of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, to the singers and the porters and the offerings of the priests.
6 But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went unto the king, and after certain days I was sent by the king.
7 And I came to Jerusalem and understood the evil that Eliashib had done attending Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it grieved me sore; therefore, I cast forth all the household vessels of Tobiah out of the chamber.
9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I caused the vessels of the house of God to be brought there again, with the present and the frankincense.
10 ¶ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them and that the Levites and the singers, that did the work, had fled each one to his inheritance.
11 Then I contended with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil unto the store houses.
13 And I made treasurers over the store houses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my mercies that I have done for the house of my God and for its wards.
15 ¶ In those days I saw in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading asses with wine, grapes, figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I protested unto them the day in which they sold the food.
16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought fish and all manner of merchandise, and sold on the sabbath to the sons of Judah in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do and profane thus the sabbath day?
18 Did not your fathers do this, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19 And it came to pass, that when shadow came to the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened until after the sabbath; and I set some of my servants at the gates, that no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
20 So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I testified and protested against them and said unto them, Why do ye lodge about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on the sabbath.
22 And I told the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and that they should come and guard the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
23 ¶ In those days I also saw Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab;
24 and their sons spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and according to the language of each people; for they could not speak in the Jews’ language.
25 And I contended with them and cursed them and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, strange women caused even him to offend.
27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange women?
28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore, I chased him from me.
29 Remember them, O my God because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from all strangers and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, each one in his work,
31 and for the wood offering, at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
23 ¶ Then Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
2 And the prince of the priests, Ananias, commanded those that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whitewashed wall, for dost thou sit to judge me after the law and command me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4 And those that stood by said, Dost thou revile God’s high priest?
5 Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the prince of the priests, for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
6 ¶ But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, and of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
9 And there arose a great cry; and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man, but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
10 And when there arose a great dissension, the tribunal, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them and to bring him into the fortress.
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou also bear witness at Rome.
12 ¶ And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and they vowed under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty who had made this conspiracy.
14 And they came to the princes of the priests and the elders and said, We have made a vow of anathema that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the tribunal that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would enquire something more certain concerning him, and we, before he arrives, are ready to kill him.
16 And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered into the fortress and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him and said, Bring this young man unto the tribunal, for he has a certain thing to tell him.
18 So he took him and brought him to the tribunal and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who has something to say unto thee.
19 Then the tribunal took him by the hand and went with him aside privately and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee that thou would bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they would enquire something more certain of him.
21 But do not believe them, for more than forty of them lie in wait to ambush him, who have vowed under a curse that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him, and now they are ready, looking for a promise from thee.
22 So the tribunal then let the young man depart and charged him, See thou tell no one that thou hast showed these things to me.
23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night
24 and provide them beasts that they may set Paul on and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.
25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:
26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sends greeting.
27 This man was taken of the Jews and should have been killed by them; then I came with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.
28 And when I desired to know the cause of why they accused him, I brought him forth into their council,
29 whom I found to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
30 And when it was told me how the Jews lay in wait to ambush the man, I sent straightway to thee and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 On the next day they left the horsemen to go with him and returned to the fortress,
33 who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia,
35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.
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