M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Groups of the Priests
24 These were the groups of Aaron’s sons:
Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. And they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. 3 David separated the family groups of Eleazar and Ithamar into two different groups. Each group had certain duties it had been given. Zadok and Ahimelech helped David. Zadok was a descendant of Eleazar. And Ahimelech was a descendant of Ithamar. 4 There were more leaders from Eleazar’s family than from Ithamar’s. There were 16 leaders from Eleazar’s family. And there were 8 leaders from Ithamar’s family. 5 Men were chosen from Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s families by throwing lots. Some men from each family were chosen to be in charge of the Holy Place. And some men from each family were chosen to serve as priests.
6 Shemaiah son of Nethanel was the secretary. He was from the tribe of Levi. Shemaiah recorded the names of those descendants in front of King David and these officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. The work was divided by lots among the families of Eleazar and Ithamar. The following men with their groups were chosen.
7 The first one chosen was Jehoiarib. The second was Jedaiah. 8 The third was Harim. The fourth was Seorim. 9 The fifth was Malkijah. The sixth was Mijamin. 10 The seventh was Hakkoz. The eighth was Abijah. 11 The ninth was Jeshua. The tenth was Shecaniah. 12 The eleventh was Eliashib. The twelfth was Jakim. 13 The thirteenth was Huppah. The fourteenth was Jeshebeab. 14 The fifteenth was Bilgah. The sixteenth was Immer. 15 The seventeenth was Hezir. The eighteenth was Happizzez. 16 The nineteenth was Pethahiah. The twentieth was Jehezkel. 17 The twenty-first was Jakin. The twenty-second was Gamul. 18 The twenty-third was Delaiah. The twenty-fourth was Maaziah.
19 These were the groups chosen to serve in the Temple of the Lord. They obeyed the rules Aaron had given them. The Lord, the God of Israel, had given those rules to Aaron.
The Other Levites
20 These are the names of the rest of Levi’s descendants:
Shubael was a descendant of Amram. And Jehdeiah was a descendant of Shubael.
21 Isshiah was the first son of Rehabiah.
22 From the Izhar family group, there was Shelomoth. And Jahath was a descendant of Shelomoth.
23 Hebron’s first son was Jeriah. Amariah was his second son. Jahaziel was his third son, and Jekameam was his fourth.
24 Uzziel’s son was Micah. Micah’s son was Shamir. 25 Isshiah was Micah’s brother. Isshiah’s son was Zechariah.
26 Merari’s descendants were Mahli and Mushi. Merari’s son was Jaaziah. 27 Jaaziah son of Merari had sons named Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri. 28 Mahli’s son was Eleazar. But Eleazar did not have any sons.
29 Kish’s son was Jerahmeel.
30 Mushi’s sons were Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth.
These are the Levites, listed by their families. 31 They were chosen for special jobs by throwing lots. They did this just as their relatives, the priests, had done. The priests were Aaron’s descendants. They threw lots in front of King David, Zadok and Ahimelech. The leaders of the families of the priests and Levites were also there. The families of the oldest brother and the youngest brother were treated the same.
The Music Groups
25 David and the commanders of the army chose some men to preach. They chose some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun. They were to preach God’s message and play harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is a list of the men who served in this way:
2 Asaph’s sons who served were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. King David chose Asaph to preach. And Asaph directed his sons.
3 Jeduthun’s sons who served were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah. There were six of them, and Jeduthun directed them. He preached. And he used a harp to give thanks and praise to the Lord.
4 Heman’s sons who served were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth. There were also Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer. And there were Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. 5 All these men were sons of Heman, David’s seer. God promised to make Heman strong. So Heman had many sons. God gave him 14 sons and 3 daughters. 6 Heman directed all his sons in making music for the Temple of the Lord. They used cymbals, lyres and harps. That was their way of serving in the Temple of God. And King David was in charge of Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman. 7 These men and their relatives from the Levites were trained in music. They were skilled in making music for the Lord. There were 288 of them. 8 Everyone threw lots to choose the time his family was to serve at the Temple. The young and the old had to throw lots. The teacher and the student had to throw lots.
9 First, 12 men were chosen from Joseph, his sons and relatives. Joseph was from the family of Asaph.
Second, 12 men were chosen from Gedaliah, his sons and relatives.
10 Third, 12 men were chosen from Zaccur, his sons and relatives.
11 Fourth, 12 men were chosen from Izri, his sons and relatives.
12 Fifth, 12 men were chosen from Nethaniah, his sons and relatives.
13 Sixth, 12 men were chosen from Bukkiah, his sons and relatives.
14 Seventh, 12 men were chosen from Jesarelah, his sons and relatives.
15 Eighth, 12 men were chosen from Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives.
16 Ninth, 12 men were chosen from Mattaniah, his sons and relatives.
17 Tenth, 12 men were chosen from Shimei, his sons and relatives.
18 Eleventh, 12 men were chosen from Azarel, his sons and relatives.
19 Twelfth, 12 men were chosen from Hashabiah, his sons and relatives.
20 Thirteenth, 12 men were chosen from Shubael, his sons and relatives.
21 Fourteenth, 12 men were chosen from Mattithiah, his sons and relatives.
22 Fifteenth, 12 men were chosen from Jerimoth, his sons and relatives.
23 Sixteenth, 12 men were chosen from Hananiah, his sons and relatives.
24 Seventeenth, 12 men were chosen from Joshbekashah, his sons and relatives.
25 Eighteenth, 12 men were chosen from Hanani, his sons and relatives.
26 Nineteenth, 12 men were chosen from Mallothi, his sons and relatives.
27 Twentieth, 12 men were chosen from Eliathah, his sons and relatives.
28 Twenty-first, 12 men were chosen from Hothir, his sons and relatives.
29 Twenty-second, 12 men were chosen from Giddalti, his sons and relatives.
30 Twenty-third, 12 men were chosen from Mahazioth, his sons and relatives.
31 Twenty-fourth, 12 men were chosen from Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives.
The Flock of God
5 Now I have something to say to the elders in your group. I am also an elder. I myself have seen Christ’s sufferings. And I will share in the glory that will be shown to us. I beg you to 2 take care of God’s flock, his people, that you are responsible for. Watch over it because you want to, not because you are forced to do it. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because you want money. 3 Do not be like a ruler over people you are responsible for. Be good examples to them. 4 Then when Christ, the Head Shepherd, comes, you will get a crown. This crown will be glorious, and it will never lose its beauty.
5 In the same way, younger men should be willing to be under older men. And all of you should be very humble with each other.
“God is against the proud,
but he gives grace to the humble.” Proverbs 3:34
6 So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.
8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy. And he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. 9 Refuse to give in to the devil. Stand strong in your faith. You know that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are having the same sufferings you have.
10 Yes, you will suffer for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling. He is the God who gives all grace. He called you to share in his glory in Christ. That glory will continue forever. 11 All power is his forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 I wrote this short letter with the help of Silas. I know that he is a faithful brother in Christ. I wrote to comfort and encourage you. I wanted to tell you that this is the true grace of God. Stand strong in that grace.
13 The church in Babylon sends you greetings. They were chosen the same as you. Mark, my son in Christ, also greets you. 14 Give each other a kiss of Christian love when you meet.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
The Leaders of Israel Are Guilty of Evil
3 Then I said,
“Listen, leaders of the people of Jacob.
Listen, you rulers of the nation of Israel.
You should know how to decide cases fairly.
2 But you hate good and love evil.
You skin my people alive.
You tear the flesh off their bones.
3 You are destroying my people.
You skin them and break their bones.
You chop them up in pieces
like meat to put in the pot.
4 Then you will pray to the Lord.
But he won’t answer you.
He will hide his face from you,
because you have done evil.”
5 The Lord says this about the prophets who teach his people the wrong way of living:
“If someone gives these prophets food to eat,
they shout, ‘Peace!’
But if he doesn’t give them food,
they prepare for war against him.
6 So it will become like night to the prophets.
They won’t have any visions from the Lord.
It will become dark for them.
They won’t be able to tell what will happen in the future.
The sun is about to set for the prophets.
Their days will become dark.
7 The seers will be ashamed.
The people who see the future will be embarrassed.
Yes, all of them will cover their mouths.
This is because there will be no answer from God.”
Micah Is an Honest Prophet of God
8 But the Lord’s Spirit has filled me
with power and strength to preach fairness.
I will tell the people of Jacob how they have turned against God.
I will tell the people of Israel how they have done wrong.
9 Leaders of Jacob and rulers of Israel,
listen to me.
You hate fairness.
You destroy what is right.
10 You build Jerusalem by murdering people.
You build it with the sins you do.
11 The judges in Jerusalem take money
to decide who wins in court.
The priests in Jerusalem only teach for pay.
The prophets only look into the future when they get paid.
But yet those leaders say,
“The Lord is with us.
Nothing bad will happen to us.”
12 Because of you,
Jerusalem will be plowed like a field.
Jerusalem will become a pile of rocks.
The hill on which the Temple stands will be covered with bushes.
Don’t Be Like the Pharisees
12 Many thousands of people had gathered. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to them, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees. They are hypocrites. 2 Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. 3 The things you say in the dark will be told in the light. The things you have whispered in an inner room will be shouted from the top of the house.”
Fear Only God
4 Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of people. People can kill the body, but after that they can do nothing more to hurt you. 5 I will show you the One to fear. You should fear him who has the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, he is the One you should fear.
6 “When five sparrows are sold, they cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. 7 Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.
Don’t Be Ashamed of Jesus
8 “I tell you, if anyone stands before others and says that he believes in me, then I will say that he belongs to me. I will say this before the angels of God. 9 But if anyone stands before others and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that he does not belong to me. I will say this before the angels of God.
10 “If a person says something against the Son of Man, he can be forgiven. But a person who says bad things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 “When men bring you into the synagogues before the leaders and other important men, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say. 12 At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”
Jesus Warns Against Selfishness
13 One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.”
14 But Jesus said to him, “Who said that I should be your judge or decide how to divide the property between you two?” 15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life is not measured by the many things he owns.”
16 Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop of food. 17 The rich man thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones! I will put all my grain and other goods together in my new barns. 19 Then I can say to myself, I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’
20 “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be for anyone who stores things up only for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Don’t Worry
22 Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live. Don’t worry about the clothes you need for your body. 23 Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes. 24 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t save food in houses or barns. But God takes care of them. And you are worth much more than birds. 25 None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it. 26 If you cannot do even the little things, then why worry about the big things? 27 Look at the wild flowers. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 God clothes the grass in the field like that. That grass is living today, but tomorrow it will be thrown into the fire. So you know how much more God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 29 Don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it. 30 All the people in the world are trying to get those things. Your Father knows that you need them. 31 The thing you should seek is God’s kingdom. Then all the other things you need will be given to you.
Don’t Trust in Money
32 “Don’t fear, little flock. Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell the things you have and give to the poor. Get for yourselves purses that don’t wear out. Get the treasure in heaven that never runs out. Thieves can’t steal it in heaven, and moths can’t destroy it. 34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
Always Be Ready
35 “Be ready! Be dressed for service and have your lamps shining. 36 Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The servants immediately open the door for him. 37 Those servants will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that his servants are ready and waiting for him. I tell you the truth. The master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table. Then the master will serve them. 38 Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be happy when he comes in and finds them still waiting.
39 “Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, then the owner would not allow the thief to enter his house. 40 So you also must be ready! The Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”
Who Is the Trusted Servant?
41 Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?”
42 The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? Who is the servant the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time? 43 When the master comes and finds his servant doing the work he gave him, that servant will be very happy. 44 I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns. 45 But what will happen if the servant is evil and thinks that his master will not come back soon? That servant will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink and get drunk. 46 Then the master will come when that servant is not ready. It will be a time when the servant is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who don’t obey.
47 “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows! 48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. Everyone who has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more.”
Jesus Causes Division
49 Jesus continued speaking, “I came to set fire to the world. I wish it were already burning! 50 I must be baptized with a different kind of baptism.[a] I feel very troubled until it is over. 51 Do you think that I came to give peace to the world? No! I came to divide the world! 52 From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 A father and son will be divided: The son will be against his father. The father will be against his son. A mother and her daughter will be divided: The daughter will be against her mother. The mother will be against her daughter. A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law will be divided: The daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law will be against her daughter-in-law.”
Understanding the Times
54 Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds coming up in the west, you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And soon it begins to rain. 55 When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right. 56 Hypocrites! You can understand the weather. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?
Settle Your Problems
57 “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? 58 When someone is suing you, and you are going with him to court, try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t settle it, he may take you to the judge. The judge might turn you over to the officer. And the officer might throw you into jail. 59 You will not get out of there until they have taken everything you have.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.