M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, (A)Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children [a]among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2 He put the maids and their children [b]in front, and Leah and her children [c]next, and Rachel and Joseph [d]last. 3 But he himself passed on ahead of them and (B)bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and (C)fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “[e]Who are these with you?” So he said, “(D)The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maids came near [f]with their children, and they bowed down. 7 Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. 8 And he said, “What do you mean by (E)all this company which I have met?” And he said, “(F)To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “(G)I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, [g]for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11 Please take my [h](H)gift which has been brought to you, (I)because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have [i]plenty.” Thus he urged him and he took it.
12 Then [j]Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13 But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are [k]a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at (J)Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “[l]What need is there? (K)Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 Jacob journeyed to [m](L)Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.
Jacob Settles in Shechem
18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of (M)Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from (N)Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. 19 (O)He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred [n]pieces of money. 20 Then he erected there an altar and called it [o]El-Elohe-Israel.
Parable of the Sower and Soils
4 (A)He began to teach again (B)by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that (C)He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in (D)parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 And He was saying, “(E)He who has ears to hear, [a]let him hear.”
10 As soon as He was alone, [b]His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but (F)those who are outside get everything (G)in parables, 12 so that (H)while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”
Explanation
13 (I)And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately (J)Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they [c]fall away. 18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of (K)the [d]world, and the (L)deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and (M)bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
21 And He was saying to them, “(N)A lamp is not brought to be put under a [e]basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22 (O)For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23 (P)If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. [f](Q)By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 (R)For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
Parable of the Seed
26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he immediately [g](S)puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 (T)And He said, “How shall we [h](U)picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that (V)the birds of the [i]air can nest under its shade.”
33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them (W)without a parable; but He was (X)explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Jesus Stills the Sea
35 (Y)On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 [j]Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them (Z)in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and (AA)rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [k]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you [l]afraid? (AB)Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
The Jews Destroy Their Enemies
9 Now (A)in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on (B)the thirteenth [a]day (C)when the king’s command and edict [b]were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. 2 (D)The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, (E)for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3 Even all the princes of the provinces, (F)the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king’s business [c]assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai (G)became greater and greater. 5 Thus (H)the Jews struck all their enemies with [d]the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, 7 and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 (I)the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but (J)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa [e]was reported to the king. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! (K)Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done.” 13 Then said Esther, “If it pleases the king, (L)let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed (M)three hundred men in Susa, but (N)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16 Now (O)the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces (P)assembled, to defend their lives and [f]rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This was done on (Q)the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and (R)on the fourteenth [g]day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
18 But the Jews who were in Susa (S)assembled on the thirteenth and (T)the fourteenth [h]of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth [i]day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in (U)the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a [j](V)holiday for rejoicing and feasting and (W)sending portions of food to one another.
The Feast of Purim Instituted
20 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day [k]of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews [l]rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was (X)turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a [m]holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and (Y)sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and (Z)had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25 But (AA)when it came [n]to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter (AB)that his wicked scheme which he had [o]devised against the Jews, (AC)should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the [p]gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. [q]And (AD)because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and [r]made a custom for themselves and for their [s]descendants and for (AE)all those who allied themselves with them, so that [t]they would not fail (AF)to celebrate these two days according to their [u]regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to [v]fail from among the Jews, or their memory [w]fade from their [x]descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, (AG)daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm (AH)this second letter about Purim. 30 He sent letters to all the Jews, (AI)to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31 to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their [y]descendants with [z]instructions (AJ)for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32 The command of Esther established these [aa]customs for (AK)Purim, and it was written in the book.
Mordecai’s Greatness
10 Now King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the (AL)coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the [ab]accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai (AM)to which the king [ac]advanced him, are they not written in (AN)the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was (AO)second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, (AP)one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation.
Justification by Faith Evidenced in Old Testament
4 What then shall we say that Abraham, [a]our forefather (A)according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified [b]by works, he has something to boast about, but (B)not [c]before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “(C)Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who (D)works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but (E)believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “(F)Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
8 “(G)Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not (H)take into account.”
9 Is this blessing then on [d](I)the circumcised, or on [e]the uncircumcised also? For (J)we say, “(K)Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it credited? While he was [f]circumcised, or [g]uncircumcised? Not while [h]circumcised, but while [i]uncircumcised; 11 and he (L)received the sign of circumcision, (M)a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [j]he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be (N)the father of (O)all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which [k]he had while uncircumcised.
13 For (P)the promise to Abraham or to his [l]descendants (Q)that he would be heir of the world was not [m]through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For (R)if those who are [n]of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for (S)the Law brings about wrath, but (T)where there is no law, there also is no violation.
16 For this reason it is [o]by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with (U)grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to (V)all the [p]descendants, not only to [q]those who are of the Law, but also to [r](W)those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is (X)the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “(Y)A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, (Z)who gives life to the dead and [s](AA)calls into being (AB)that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become (AC)a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “(AD)So shall your [t]descendants be.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now (AE)as good as dead since (AF)he was about a hundred years old, and (AG)the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, (AH)giving glory to God, 21 and (AI)being fully assured that (AJ)what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore (AK)it was also credited to him as righteousness. 23 Now (AL)not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those (AM)who believe in Him who (AN)raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was (AO)delivered over because of our transgressions, and was (AP)raised because of our justification.
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