M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Death of Israel
50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians (A)embalmed Israel. 3 Now forty days were [a]required for [b]it, for [c]such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians (B)wept for him seventy days.
4 When the days of [d]mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak [e]to Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘(C)My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave (D)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” 6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. 9 There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the [f]threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they (E)lamented there with a very great and [g]sorrowful lamentation; and he [h]observed seven days mourning for his father. 11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at [i]the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a [j]grievous [k]mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named [l]Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
Burial at Machpelah
12 Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in (F)the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a [m]burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “(G)What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they [n]sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and (H)fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, (I)you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [o]this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; (J)I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke [p]kindly to them.
Death of Joseph
22 Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were (K)born on Joseph’s knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “(L)I am about to die, but God will surely [q]take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He [r]promised on oath to (M)Abraham, to (N)Isaac and to (O)Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely [s]take care of you, and (P)you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and [t]he was (Q)embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
John the Baptist Preaches
3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when (A)Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and (B)Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of (C)Annas and (D)Caiaphas, (E)the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all (F)the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“(G)The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.
5 ‘(H)Every ravine will be filled,
And every mountain and hill will be [a]brought low;
The crooked will become straight,
And the rough roads smooth;
6 (I)And all [b]flesh will (J)see the salvation of God.’”
7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “(K)You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and (L)do not begin to say [c]to yourselves, ‘(M)We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so (N)every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “(O)Then what shall we do?” 11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to (P)share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12 And some (Q)tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “[d]Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or (R)accuse anyone falsely, and (S)be content with your wages.”
15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were [e]wondering in their hearts about John, (T)as to whether he was [f]the Christ, 16 (U)John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you [g]with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His (V)winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with (W)unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. 19 But when (X)Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of (Y)Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which (Z)Herod had done, 20 Herod also added this to them all: (AA)he locked John up in prison.
Jesus Is Baptized
21 (AB)Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was (AC)praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “(AD)You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
Genealogy of Jesus
23 (AE)When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, [h]as was supposed, the son of (AF)Joseph, [i]the son of [j]Eli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of [k]Hesli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, (AG)the son of Zerubbabel, the son of [l]Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of [m]Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of [n]Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 (AH)the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of [o]Salmon, the son of [p]Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of [q]Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, (AI)the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of [r]Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of [s]Heber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, (AJ)the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Job Says Friends Are Sorry Comforters
16 Then Job [a]answered,
2 “I have heard many such things;
[b](A)Sorry comforters are you all.
3 “Is there no limit to (B)windy words?
Or what plagues you that you answer?
4 “I too could speak like you,
If [c]I were in your place.
I could compose words against you
And (C)shake my head at you.
5 “I could strengthen you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
Job Says God Shattered Him
6 “If I speak, (D)my pain is not lessened,
And if I hold back, what has left me?
7 “But now He has (E)exhausted me;
You have laid (F)waste all my company.
8 “You have shriveled me up,
(G)It has become a witness;
And my (H)leanness rises up against me,
It testifies to my face.
9 “His anger has (I)torn me and [d]hunted me down,
He has (J)gnashed at me with His teeth;
My (K)adversary [e]glares at me.
10 “They have (L)gaped at me with their mouth,
They have [f](M)slapped me on the cheek with contempt;
They have (N)massed themselves against me.
11 “God hands me over to ruffians
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12 “I was at ease, but (O)He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His (P)target.
13 “His (Q)arrows surround me.
Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;
He pours out (R)my gall on the ground.
14 “He (S)breaks through me with breach after breach;
He (T)runs at me like a warrior.
15 “I have sewed (U)sackcloth over my skin
And (V)thrust my horn in the dust.
16 “My face is flushed from (W)weeping,
(X)And deep darkness is on my eyelids,
17 Although there is no (Y)violence in my hands,
And (Z)my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no resting place for my cry.
19 “Even now, behold, (AA)my witness is in heaven,
And my [g]advocate is (AB)on high.
20 “My friends are my scoffers;
(AC)My eye [h]weeps to God.
21 “O that a man might plead with God
As a man with his neighbor!
22 “For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way (AD)of no return.
Job Says He Has Become a Byword
17 “My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished,
The [i](AE)grave is ready for me.
2 “(AF)Surely mockers are with me,
And my eye [j]gazes on their provocation.
3 “Lay down, now, a pledge (AG)for me with Yourself;
Who is there that will [k]be my guarantor?
4 “For You have [l](AH)kept their heart from understanding,
Therefore You will not exalt them.
5 “He who (AI)informs against friends for a share of the spoil,
The (AJ)eyes of his children also will languish.
6 “But He has made me a (AK)byword of the people,
And I am [m]one at whom men (AL)spit.
7 “My eye has also grown (AM)dim because of grief,
And all my (AN)members are as a shadow.
8 “The upright will be appalled at this,
And the (AO)innocent will stir up himself against the godless.
9 “Nevertheless (AP)the righteous will hold to his way,
And (AQ)he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
10 “But come again all of [n]you now,
For I (AR)do not find a wise man among you.
11 “My (AS)days are past, my plans are torn apart,
Even the wishes of my heart.
12 “They make night into day, saying,
‘The light is near,’ in the presence of darkness.
13 “If I look for (AT)Sheol as my home,
I [o]make my bed in the darkness;
14 If I call to the (AU)pit, ‘You are my father’;
To the (AV)worm, ‘my mother and my sister’;
15 Where now is (AW)my hope?
And who regards my hope?
16 “[p]Will it go down with me to Sheol?
Shall we together (AX)go down into the dust?”
Servants of Christ
4 Let a man regard us in this manner, as (A)servants of Christ and (B)stewards of (C)the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required [a]of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human [b]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I (D)am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this (E)acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore (F)do not go on [c]passing judgment before [d]the time, but wait (G)until the Lord comes who will both (H)bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s (I)praise will come to him from God.
6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed (J)what is written, so that no one of you will (K)become [e]arrogant (L)in behalf of one against the other. 7 For who regards you as superior? (M)What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
8 You are (N)already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men (O)condemned to death; because we (P)have become a spectacle to the world, [f]both to angels and to men. 10 We are (Q)fools for Christ’s sake, but (R)you are prudent in Christ; (S)we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both (T)hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, (U)working with our own hands; when we are (V)reviled, we bless; when we are (W)persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to [g]conciliate; we have (X)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
14 I do not write these things to (Y)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved (Z)children. 15 For if you were to have countless (AA)tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in (AB)Christ Jesus I (AC)became your father through the (AD)gospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be (AE)imitators of me. 17 For this reason I (AF)have sent to you (AG)Timothy, who is my (AH)beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, (AI)just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some have become [h](AJ)arrogant, as though I were not (AK)coming to you. 19 But I (AL)will come to you soon, (AM)if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the [i]words of those who are (AN)arrogant but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does (AO)not consist in [j]words but in power. 21 What do you desire? (AP)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.