M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jacob Blesses His Sons
49 Then Jacob called his sons to him. He said, “Come here to me. I will tell you what will happen to you in the future.
2 “Come together and listen, sons of Jacob.
Listen to Israel, your father.
3 “Reuben, my first son, you are my strength.
Your birth showed I could be a father.
You have the highest position among my sons.
You are the most powerful.
4 But you are uncontrolled like water.
So you will no longer lead your brothers.
This is because you got into your father’s bed.
You shamed me by having physical relations with my slave girl.
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
They used their swords to do violence.
6 I will not join their secret talks.
I will not meet with them to plan evil.
They killed men because they were angry.
And they crippled oxen just for fun.
7 May their anger be cursed, because it is too violent.
May their violence be cursed, because it is too cruel.
I will divide them up among the tribes of Jacob.
I will scatter them through all the tribes of Israel.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You will grab your enemies by the neck.
Your brothers will bow down to you.
9 Judah is like a young lion.
You have returned from killing, my son.
Like a lion, he stretches out and lies down to rest.
No one is brave enough to wake him.
10 Men from Judah’s family will be kings.
Someone from Judah will always be on the throne.
Judah will rule until the real king comes.
And the nations will obey him.
11 He ties his donkey to a grapevine.
He ties his young donkey to the best branch.
He can afford to use wine to wash his clothes.
He even uses grape juice to wash his robes.
12 His eyes are bright from drinking wine.
His teeth are white from drinking milk.
13 “Zebulun will live near the sea.
His shore will be a safe place for ships.
His land will reach as far as Sidon.
14 “Issachar is like a strong donkey.
He lies down while carrying his load.
15 He will see his resting place is good.
He will see how pleasant his land is.
Then he will put his back to the load.
He will become a slave.
16 “Dan will rule his own people
like the other tribes in Israel.
17 Dan will be like a snake by the side of the road.
He will be like a dangerous snake lying near the path.
That snake bites a horse’s leg.
And the rider is thrown off backward.
18 “Lord, I wait for your salvation.
19 “Robbers will attack Gad.
But he will defeat them and drive them away.
20 “Asher’s land will grow much good food.
He will grow food fit for a king.
21 “Naphtali is like a female deer that runs free.
She has beautiful fawns.
22 “Joseph is like a grapevine that produces much fruit.
He is like a healthy vine watered by a spring.
He is like a vine whose branches grow over the wall.
23 Men attack him violently with arrows.
They shoot at him angrily.
24 But he aims his bow well.
His arms are made strong.
He gets his power from the Mighty God of Jacob.
He gets his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
25 Your father’s God helps you.
God All-Powerful blesses you.
He blesses you with rain from above.
He blesses you with water from springs below.
He blesses you with many babies born to your wives.
He blesses you with many young ones born to your animals.
26 The blessings of your father are greater
than the blessings of the oldest mountains.
They are greater than the good things of the long-lasting hills.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph.
May they rest on the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers.
27 “Benjamin is like a hungry wolf.
In the morning he eats what he has caught.
In the evening he divides what he has taken.”
28 These are the 12 tribes of Israel. And this is what their father said to them. He gave each son the blessing that was right for him. 29 Then Israel gave them a command. He said, “I am about to die. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 30 That cave is in the field of Machpelah east of Mamre. It is in the land of Canaan. Abraham bought that field from Ephron the Hittite for a burying place. 31 Abraham and Sarah his wife are buried there. Isaac and Rebekah his wife are buried there. I buried my wife Leah there. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittite people.” 33 After Jacob finished talking to his sons, he lay down. He put his feet back on the bed, took his last breath and died.
The Birth of Jesus
2 At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that they must list their names in a register. 2 This was the first registration[a] taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone went to their own towns to be registered.
4 So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This town was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. 5 Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (Mary was now pregnant.) 6 While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son. There were no rooms left in the inn. So she wrapped the baby with cloths and laid him in a box where animals are fed.
Some Shepherds Hear About Jesus
8 That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. 9 An angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and suddenly they became very frightened. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, because I am bringing you some good news. It will be a joy to all the people. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is Christ, the Lord. 12 This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a feeding box.”
13 Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel. All the angels were praising God, saying:
14 “Give glory to God in heaven,
and on earth let there be peace to the people who please God.”[b]
15 Then the angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. We will see this thing the Lord told us about.”
16 So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph. 17 And the shepherds saw the baby lying in a feeding box. Then they told what the angels had said about this child. 18 Everyone was amazed when they heard what the shepherds said to them. 19 Mary hid these things in her heart; she continued to think about them. 20 Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything that they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.
21 When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised, and he was named Jesus. This name had been given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22 The time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the law of Moses taught about being made pure.[c] They took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 It is written in the law of the Lord: “Give every firstborn male to the Lord.”[d] 24 Mary and Joseph also went to offer a sacrifice, as the law of the Lord says: “You must sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons.”[e]
Simeon Sees Jesus
25 A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was a good man and very religious. He was waiting for the time when God would help Israel. The Holy Spirit was in him. 26 The Holy Spirit told Simeon that he would not die before he saw the Christ promised by the Lord. 27 The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to do what the law said they must do. 28 Then Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God:
29 “Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant,
die in peace as you said.
30 I have seen your Salvation[f] with my own eyes.
31 You prepared him before all people.
32 He is a light for the non-Jewish people to see.
He will bring honor to your people, the Israelites.”
33 Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what Simeon had said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, “Many in Israel will fall and many will rise because of this child. He will be a sign from God that many people will not accept. 35 The things they think in secret will be made known. And the things that will happen will make your heart sad, too.”
Anna Sees Jesus
36 Anna, a prophetess, was there at the Temple. She was from the family of Phanuel in the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. She had once been married for seven years. 37 Then her husband died and she lived alone. She was now 84 years old. Anna never left the Temple. She worshiped God by going without food and praying day and night. 38 She was standing there at that time, thanking God. She talked about Jesus to all who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem.
Joseph and Mary Return Home
39 Joseph and Mary finished doing everything that the law of the Lord commanded. Then they went home to Nazareth, their own town in Galilee. 40 The little child began to grow up. He became stronger and wiser, and God’s blessings were with him.
Jesus As a Boy
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. 42 When Jesus was 12 years old, they went to the feast as they always did. 43 When the feast days were over, they went home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Joseph and Mary traveled for a whole day. They thought that Jesus was with them in the group. Then they began to look for him among their family and friends, 45 but they did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem to look for him there. 46 After three days they found him. Jesus was sitting in the Temple with the religious teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and wise answers. 48 When Jesus’ parents saw him, they were amazed. His mother said to him, “Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were very worried about you. We have been looking for you.”
49 Jesus asked, “Why did you have to look for me? You should have known that I must be where my Father’s work is!” 50 But they did not understand the meaning of what he said.
51 Jesus went with them to Nazareth and obeyed them. His mother was still thinking about all that had happened. 52 Jesus continued to learn more and more and to grow physically. People liked him, and he pleased God.
Eliphaz Answers Job
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “A wise man would not answer with empty words.
He would not fill his stomach with hot, east wind.
3 He would not argue with useless words.
He would not make speeches that have no value.
4 But you even break down the worship of God.
You stand in the way of those who pray to him.
5 Your sin teaches your mouth what to say.
You use the same words as people who trick others.
6 It is your own mouth, not mine, that shows you are wicked.
Your own lips speak as a witness against you.
7 “You are not the first man ever born.
You were not born before the hills were made.
8 You cannot listen in on God’s secret advice.
You cannot limit wisdom to yourself.
9 You don’t know any more than we know.
You don’t understand any more than we understand.
10 Old people with gray hair are on our side.
They are men even older than your father.
11 The comfort God gives you is not enough for you,
even when words are spoken gently to you.
12 Your heart has carried you away from God.
Your eyes flash with anger.
13 You speak out your anger against God.
And these words pour out of your mouth.
14 “How can man be pure?
How can a person born to a woman be good?
15 God places no trust in his holy ones.
Even the heavens are not pure in his eyes.
16 And man is even less than they are. He is terrible and rotten.
He drinks up evil as if it were water!
17 “Job, listen to me, and I will tell you about it.
I will tell you what I have seen.
18 These are things wise men have told.
Their ancestors told them these things, and they have hidden nothing.
19 (The land was given to their fathers only.
No foreigner lived among them.)
20 The evil man suffers pain all his life.
The cruel man suffers during all the years saved up for him.
21 Terrible sounds fill his ears.
When things seem to be going well, robbers attack him.
22 The evil person gives up trying to escape from the darkness.
It has been decided that he will die by the sword.
23 He wanders around. He will become food for vultures.
He knows death will soon come.
24 Worry and suffering terrify him.
They overwhelm him. They seem like a king ready to attack.
25 This is because he shakes his fist at God.
He tries to get his own way against God All-Powerful.
26 He stubbornly charges at God
with a thick, strong shield.
27 “The evil person’s face is covered with fat.
His waist is fat with flesh.
28 He will live in towns that are ruined.
He will live in houses where no one lives.
They are houses that are crumbling into ruins.
29 The evil person will no longer get rich.
And the riches he has will not last.
The things he owns will no longer spread over the land.
30 He will not escape the darkness.
A flame will dry up his branches.
God’s breath will carry that evil person away.
31 The evil person should not fool himself by trusting what is useless.
If he does, he will get nothing in return.
32 His branch will dry up before it finishes growing.
It will not even become green.
33 He will be like a vine whose grapes are pulled off before they are ripe.
He will be like an olive tree that loses its blossoms.
34 People without God can produce nothing.
Fire will destroy the tents of people who take money to do evil.
35 They plan trouble and give birth to evil.
Their hearts plan ways to trick people.”
Following Men Is Wrong
3 Brothers, in the past I could not talk to you as I talk to spiritual people. I had to talk to you as I would to people of the world—babies in Christ. 2 The teaching I gave you was like milk, not solid food. I did this because you were not ready for solid food. And even now you are not ready. 3 You are still not spiritual. You have jealousy and arguing among you. This shows that you are not spiritual. You are acting like people of the world. 4 One of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos.” When you say things like this, you are acting like worldly people.
5 Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do. 6 I planted the seed of the teaching in you, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made the seed grow. 7 So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important, because he is the One who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. And each will be rewarded for his own work. 9 We are workers together for God. And you are like a farm that belongs to God.
And you are a house that belongs to God. 10 Like an expert builder I built the foundation of that house. I used the gift that God gave me to do this. Others are building on that foundation. But everyone should be careful how he builds. 11 The foundation has already been built. No one can build any other foundation. The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone can build on that foundation, using gold, silver, jewels, wood, grass, or straw. 13 But the work that each person does will be clearly seen, because the Day[a] will make it plain. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test every man’s work. 14 If the building that a man puts on the foundation still stands, he will get his reward. 15 But if his building is burned up, he will suffer loss. The man will be saved, but it will be as if he escaped from a fire.
16 You should know that you yourselves are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you. 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him, because God’s temple is holy. You yourselves are God’s temple.
18 Do not fool yourselves. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this world, he should become a fool. Then he can become truly wise, 19 because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. It is written in the Scriptures, “He catches wise men in their own clever traps.”[b] 20 It is also written in the Scriptures, “The Lord knows what people think. He knows they are just a puff of wind.”[c] 21 So you should not brag about men. All things are yours: 22 Paul, Apollos and Peter; the world, life, death, the present, and the future—all these things are yours. 23 And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.