M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Issachar’s Children
7 Issachar had four sons. Their names were Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.
2 Tola’s sons were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel. They were leaders of their families. In the family history of Tola’s descendants, 22,600 men were listed as fighting men. This was during the time David was king.
3 Uzzi’s son was Izrahiah.
Izrahiah’s sons were Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Isshiah. All five of them were leaders. 4 Their family history shows they had 36,000 men ready to serve in the army. This was because they had many women and children.
5 The records of the family groups of Issachar show there were 87,000 fighting men.
Benjamin’s Children
6 Benjamin had three sons. Their names were Bela, Beker and Jediael.
7 Bela had five sons. Their names were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They were leaders of their families. Their family history shows they had 22,034 fighting men.
8 Beker’s sons were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. They all were Beker’s sons. 9 Their family history listed the family leaders and 20,200 fighting men.
10 Jediael’s son was Bilhan.
Bilhan’s sons were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. 11 All these sons of Jediael were leaders of their families. They had 17,200 fighting men ready to serve in the army.
12 The Shuppites and Huppites were descendants of Ir. And the Hushites were descendants of Aher.
Naphtali’s Children
13 Naphtali’s sons were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. They were Bilhah’s grandsons.
Manasseh’s Children
14 These are Manasseh’s descendants: Manasseh had an Aramean slave woman. She was the mother of Asriel and Makir. Makir was Gilead’s father. 15 Makir took a wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister was named Maacah. His second son was named Zelophehad. Zelophehad had only daughters. 16 Makir’s wife Maacah had a son whom she named Peresh. Peresh’s brother was named Sheresh. Sheresh’s sons were Ulam and Rakem.
17 Ulam’s son was Bedan.
These were the sons of Gilead. Gilead was Makir’s son. Makir was Manasseh’s son. 18 Makir’s sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah.
19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.
Ephraim’s Children
20 These are the names of Ephraim’s descendants. Ephraim’s son was Shuthelah. Shuthelah’s son was Bered. Bered’s son was Tahath. Tahath’s son was Eleadah. Eleadah’s son was Tahath. 21 Tahath’s son was Zabad. Zabad’s son was Shuthelah.
Ezer and Elead went to Gath to steal the people’s cows and sheep. So some men who grew up in that city killed Ezer and Elead. 22 Their father Ephraim cried for them many days. And his family came to comfort him. 23 Then he had intimate relations with his wife again. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ephraim named his son Beriah[a] because of the bad things that had happened to his family. 24 Ephraim’s daughter was Sheerah. She built Lower Beth Horon and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah.
25 Rephah was Ephraim’s son. Resheph was Rephah’s son. Telah was Resheph’s son. Tahan was Telah’s son. 26 Ladan was Tahan’s son. Ammihud was Ladan’s son. Elishama was Ammihud’s son. 27 Nun was Elishama’s son. Joshua was the son of Nun.
28 Ephraim’s descendants lived in these lands and cities: Bethel and the villages near it, Naaran on the east, Gezer and the villages near it on the west, and Shechem and the villages near it. These villages went all the way to Ayyah and its villages. 29 Along the borders of Manasseh’s land were the towns of Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor. There were also villages near them. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.
Asher’s Children
30 Asher’s sons were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah.
31 Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malkiel. Malkiel was Birzaith’s father.
32 Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer and Hotham and their sister Shua.
33 Japhlet’s sons were Pasach, Bimhal and Ashvath. They were Japhlet’s children.
34 Japhlet’s brother was Shomer. Shomer’s sons were Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram.
35 Shomer’s brother was Hotham. Hotham’s sons were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal.
36 Zophah’s sons were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera.
38 Jether’s sons were Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara.
39 Ulla’s sons were Arah, Hanniel and Rizia.
40 All these men were descendants of Asher. They were leaders of their families. They were powerful warriors and outstanding leaders. Their family history lists that they had 26,000 soldiers ready to serve in the army.
The Family History of King Saul
8 Benjamin was the father of Bela. Bela was Benjamin’s first son. Ashbel was his second son. Aharah was his third son. 2 Nohah was Benjamin’s fourth son, and Rapha was his fifth son.
3 Bela’s sons were Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan and Huram.
6 These were the descendants of Ehud. They were leaders of their families in Geba. They were forced to leave their homes and move to Manahath. 7 Ehud’s descendants were Naaman, Ahijah and Gera. Gera forced them to leave their homes. He was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.
8-11 Shaharaim and his wife Hushim had sons named Abitub and Elpaal. In Moab Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. Shaharaim and his wife Hodesh had these children: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. These sons were leaders of their families.
12-13 Elpaal’s sons were Eber, Misham, Shemed, Beriah and Shema. Shemed built the towns of Ono and Lod and the villages around them. Beriah and Shema were leaders of the families living in Aijalon. These sons forced the people who lived in Gath to leave.
14 Beriah’s sons were Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ishpah and Joha.
17 Elpaal’s sons were Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab.
19 Shimei’s sons were Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath.
22 Shashak’s sons were Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah and Penuel.
26 Jeroham’s sons were Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zicri.
28 The family histories show that all these men were leaders of their families. They lived in Jerusalem.
29 Jeiel lived in the town of Gibeon, where he was the leader. His wife was named Maacah. 30 Jeiel’s first son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zeker 32 and Mikloth. Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. These sons also lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.
33 Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. And Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.
34 Jonathan’s son was Merib-Baal. Merib-Baal was Micah’s father.
35 Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, Tarea and Ahaz. 36 Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. 37 Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Raphah’s son. And Azel was Eleasah’s son.
38 Azel had six sons. Their names were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All these were Azel’s sons.
39 Azel’s brother was Eshek. Eshek’s first son was Ulam. Jeush was his second son, and Eliphelet was his third son. 40 Ulam’s sons were mighty warriors who could use a bow and arrow well. They had many sons and grandsons. There were 150 of them in all.
All these men were Benjamin’s descendants.
Faith
11 Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. 2 People who lived in the past became famous because of faith.
3 It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God’s command. This means that what we see was made by something that cannot be seen.
4 It was by faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God said he was pleased with the gifts Abel offered. So God called Abel a good man because of his faith. Abel died, but through his faith he is still speaking.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken to heaven. He never died. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. Before he was taken, the Scripture says that he was a man who truly pleased God. 6 Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him.
7 It was by faith Noah heard God’s warnings about things that he could not yet see. He obeyed God and built a large boat to save his family. By his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.
8 It was by faith Abraham obeyed God’s call to go to another place that God promised to give him. He left his own country, not knowing where he was to go. 9 It was by faith that he lived in the country God promised to give him. He lived there like a visitor who did not belong. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who had received that same promise from God. 10 Abraham was waiting for the city[a] that has real foundations—the city planned and built by God.
11 He was too old to have children, and Sarah was not able to have children. It was by faith that Abraham was made able to become a father. Abraham trusted God to do what he had promised.[b] 12 This man was so old that he was almost dead. But from him came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. They are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore that cannot be counted.
13 All these great men died in faith. They did not get the things that God promised his people. But they saw them coming far in the future and were glad. They said that they were like visitors and strangers on earth. 14 When people say such things, then they show that they are looking for a country that will be their own country. 15 If they had been thinking about that country they had left, they could have gone back. 16 But those men were waiting for a better country—a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God. For he has prepared a city for them.
17 It was by faith that Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice. God made the promises to Abraham. But God tested him. And Abraham was ready to offer his own son as a sacrifice. 18 God had said, “The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.”[c] 19 Abraham believed that God could raise the dead. And really, it was as if Abraham got Isaac back from death.
20 It was by faith that Isaac blessed the future of Jacob and Esau. 21 It was by faith that Jacob blessed each one of Joseph’s sons. He did this while he was dying. Then he worshiped as he leaned on the top of his walking stick.
22 It was by faith that Joseph spoke about the Israelites leaving Egypt while he was dying. He told them what to do with his body.
23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born. They saw that Moses was a beautiful baby. And they were not afraid to disobey the king’s order.
24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of the king of Egypt’s daughter. 25 He chose to suffer with God’s people instead of enjoying sin for a short time. 26 He thought that it was better to suffer for the Christ than to have all the treasures of Egypt. He was looking only for God’s reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left Egypt. He was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses continued strong as if he could see the God that no one can see. 28 It was by faith that Moses prepared the Passover and spread the blood on the doors. It was spread so that the one who brings death would not kill the firstborn sons of Israel.
29 It was by faith that the people crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land. The Egyptians also tried to do it, but they were drowned.
30 It was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell. They fell after the people had marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days.
31 It was by faith that Rahab, the prostitute, welcomed the spies and was not killed with those who refused to obey God.
32 Do I need to give more examples? I do not have time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33 Through their faith they defeated kingdoms. They did what was right and received what God promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 stopped great fires and were saved from being killed with swords. They were weak, and yet were made strong. They were powerful in battle and defeated other armies. 35 Women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom. They did this so that they could be raised from death to a better life. 36 Some were laughed at and beaten. Others were tied and put into prison. 37 They were killed with stones and they were cut in half.[d] They were killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor, abused, and treated badly. 38 The world was not good enough for them! They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the earth.
39 All these people are known for their faith. But none of them received what God had promised. 40 God planned to give us something better. Then they would be made perfect, but only together with us.
Israel Needs a Change of Heart
5 Listen to this funeral song that I sing about you, people of Israel.
2 “Israel has fallen.
It will not rise up again.
It was left alone in the land.
There is no one to lift it up.”
3 This is what the Lord God says:
“If 1,000 soldiers leave a city,
only 100 will return.
If 100 soldiers leave a city,
only 10 will return.”
4 This is what the Lord says to the nation of Israel:
“Come to me and live.
5 But do not look in Bethel.
Do not go to Gilgal,
and do not go down to Beersheba.
The people of Gilgal will be taken away as captives.
And Bethel will become nothing.”
6 Come to the Lord and live.
If you don’t, he will destroy the descendants of Joseph as a fire would.
The fire will burn.
But there will be no one to put it out for Bethel.
7 You change the justice of the courts into something unfair.
You reject what is right.
8 God is the one who made the star groups Pleiades and Orion.
He changes darkness into the morning light.
And he changes the day into the dark night.
He calls for the waters of the sea
to pour out on the earth.
The Lord is his name.
9 He destroys the protected city.
And he ruins the strong, walled city.
10 You hate those who speak in court against evil.
And you hate those who tell the truth.
11 You walk on poor people.
You force them to give you grain.
You have built fancy houses of cut stone.
But you will not live in them.
You have planted beautiful vineyards.
But you will not drink the wine from them.
12 It is because I know your many crimes.
I know your terrible sins.
You hurt people who do right.
You accept money to do wrong.
You keep the poor from getting justice in court.
13 In such times the wise man will keep quiet,
because it is a bad time.
14 Try to do good, not evil.
Then you will live.
And the Lord God of heaven’s armies will be with you
just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil and love good.
Be fair in the courts.
Maybe the Lord God of heaven’s armies will be kind
to the people of Joseph who are left alive.
16 This is what the Lord, the Lord God of heaven’s armies, says:
“People will be crying in all the public places.
They will be saying, ‘Oh, no!’ in the streets.
They will call the farmers to come and weep.
They will pay people to cry out loud for them.
17 People will be crying in all the vineyards.
This is because I will pass among you to punish you,” says the Lord.
The Lord’s Day of Judging
18 How terrible it will be for you who want
the Lord’s day of judging to come.
Why do you want that day to come?
It will bring darkness for you, not light.
19 It will be like a man who runs from a lion
and meets a bear.
It will be like him going into his house
and putting his hand on the wall.
And then a snake bites him.
20 So the Lord’s day of judging will bring darkness, not light.
It will be a time of sadness, not joy.
21 The Lord says, “I hate and reject your feasts.
I cannot stand your religious meetings.
22 You offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings.
But I won’t accept them.
You bring the best fellowship offerings.
But I will ignore them.
23 Take the noise of your songs away from here!
I won’t listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice flow like a river.
Let goodness flow like a never-ending stream.
25 “People of Israel, you did not bring me sacrifices and offerings
while you traveled in the desert for 40 years.
26 But now you will have to carry with you
your king, the false god Sakkuth,
and Kaiwan your idol
and the idols of your other star gods you have made.
27 This is because I will send you away as captives beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord. His name is God of heaven’s armies.
Luke Writes About Jesus’ Life
1 To Theophilus:
Many have tried to give a history of the things that happened among us. 2 They have written the same things that we learned from others—the people who saw those things from the beginning and served God by telling people his message. 3 I myself studied everything carefully from the beginning, your Excellency.[a] I thought I should write it out for you. So I put it in order in a book. 4 I write these things so that you can know that what you have been taught is true.
Zechariah and Elizabeth
5 During the time Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. He belonged to Abijah’s group.[b] Zechariah’s wife came from the family of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth truly did what God said was good. They did everything the Lord commanded and told people to do. They were without fault in keeping his law. 7 But Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children. Elizabeth could not have a baby; and both of them were very old.
8 Zechariah was serving as a priest before God for his group. It was his group’s time to serve. 9 According to the custom of the priests, he was chosen to go into the Temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 There were a great many people outside praying at the time the incense was offered. 11 Then, on the right side of the incense table, an angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah. 12 When he saw the angel, Zechariah was confused and frightened. 13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to a son. You will name him John. 14 You will be very happy. Many people will be happy because of his birth. 15 John will be a great man for the Lord. He will never drink wine or beer. Even at the time John is born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will help many people of Israel return to the Lord their God. 17 He himself will go first before the Lord. John will be powerful in spirit like Elijah. He will make peace between fathers and their children. He will bring those who are not obeying God back to the right way of thinking. He will make people ready for the coming of the Lord.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is old, too.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand before God. God sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news. 20 Now, listen! You will not be able to talk until the day these things happen. You will lose your speech because you did not believe what I told you. But these things will really happen.”
21 Outside, the people were still waiting for Zechariah. They were surprised that he was staying so long in the Temple. 22 Then Zechariah came outside, but he could not speak to them. So they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Zechariah could not speak. He could only make signs to them. 23 When his time of service as a priest was finished, he went home.
24 Later, Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant. She did not go out of her house for five months. Elizabeth said, 25 “Look what the Lord has done for me! My people were ashamed[c] of me, but now the Lord has taken away that shame.”
The Virgin Mary
26-27 During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you.”
29 But Mary was very confused by what the angel said. Mary wondered, “What does this mean?”
30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is pleased with you. 31 Listen! You will become pregnant. You will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and people will call him the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor. 33 He will rule over the people of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen? I am a virgin!”
35 The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. The baby will be holy. He will be called the Son of God. 36 Now listen! Elizabeth, your relative, is very old. But she is also pregnant with a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months. 37 God can do everything!”
38 Mary said, “I am the servant girl of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!” Then the angel went away.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.