M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
24 And Abraham was old, [and] advanced in age; and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put thy hand, I pray thee, under my thigh,
3 and I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou take not a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am dwelling;
4 but thou shalt go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land: must I, then, bring thy son again in any case to the land from which thou hast removed?
6 And Abraham said to him, Beware that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 Jehovah the God of the heavens, who took me out of my father's house, and out of the land of my nativity, and who has spoken to me, and who has sworn to me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land—he will send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife for my son thence.
8 And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be quit of this my oath: only, bring not my son thither again.
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore unto him concerning that matter.
10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; now all the treasure of his master was under his hand; and he arose and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water, at the time of the evening, when the women came out to draw [water].
12 And he said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, meet me, I pray thee, [with thy blessing] this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand [here] by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.
14 And let it come to pass, [that] the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, be she whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and hereby I shall know that thou hast dealt kindly with my master.
15 And it came to pass before he had ended speaking, that behold, Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and [she had] her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the maiden was very fair in countenance; a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, sip a little water out of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord! And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him to drink.
19 And when she had given him enough to drink, she said, I will draw [water] for thy camels also, until they have drunk enough.
20 And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw [water]; and she drew for all his camels.
21 And the man was astonished at her, remaining silent, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass when the camels had drunk enough, that the man took a gold ring, of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, ten [shekels] weight of gold,
23 and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room [in] thy father's house for us to lodge?
24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.
25 And she said to him, There is straw, and also much provender with us; also room to lodge.
26 And the man stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah,
27 and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren.
28 And the maiden ran and told these things to her mother's house.
29 And Rebecca had a brother, named Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, to the well.
30 And it came to pass when he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's hand, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man to me—that he came to the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels, by the well.
31 And he said, Come in, blessed of Jehovah! why standest thou outside? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
32 And the man came into the house; and he ungirded the camels, and gave the camels straw and provender, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him.
33 And there was set [meat] before him to eat; but he said, I will not eat until I have made known my business. And he said, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
35 And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and he has given him sheep and cattle, and silver and gold, and bondmen and bondwomen, and camels and asses.
36 And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master after she had grown old; and unto him has he given all that he has.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling;
38 but thou shalt by all means go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.
39 And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me?
40 And he said to me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way, that thou mayest take a wife for my son of my family, and out of my father's house.
41 Then shalt thou be quit of my oath, when thou shalt have come to my family. And if they give thee not [one], thou shalt be quit of my oath.
42 And I came this day to the well, and said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, if now thou wilt prosper my way on which I go,
43 behold, I stand by the well of water, and let it come to pass that the damsel who cometh forth to draw [water], and to whom I shall say, Give me, I pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher to drink,
44 and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels—that she should be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my master's son.
45 Before I ended speaking in my heart, behold, Rebecca came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder, and went down to the well, and drew [water]; and I said to her, Give me, I pray thee, to drink.
46 And she hasted and let down her pitcher from her [shoulder], and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. And I drank; and she gave the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. And I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.
48 And I stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah; and I blessed Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has led me the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.
49 And now, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; and I will turn to the right hand or to the left.
50 And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceeds from Jehovah: we cannot speak to thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebecca is before thee: take [her], and go away; and let her be wife of thy master's son, as Jehovah has said.
52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth before Jehovah.
53 And the servant brought forth silver articles, and gold articles, and clothing, and he gave [them] to Rebecca; and he gave to her brother, and to her mother, precious things.
54 And they ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and lodged. And they rose up in the morning; and he said, Send me away to my master.
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the maiden abide with us [some] days, or [say] ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said to them, Do not hinder me, seeing Jehovah has prospered my way: send me away, and I will go to my master.
57 And they said, Let us call the maiden and inquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebecca and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
59 And they sent away Rebecca their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebecca, and said to her, Thou art our sister; mayest thou become thousands of tens of thousands; and may thy seed possess the gate of their enemies!
61 And Rebecca arose, and her maids, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebecca, and went away.
62 And Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi; for he was dwelling in the south country.
63 And Isaac had gone out to meditate in the fields toward the beginning of evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming.
64 And Rebecca lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and she sprang off the camel.
65 And she had said to the servant, Who is the man that is walking in the fields to meet us? And the servant said, That is my master! Then she took the veil, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac led her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.
23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
3 all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
4 but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger.
5 And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [of their garments],
6 and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues,
7 and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But *ye*, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all *ye* are brethren.
9 And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens.
10 Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for *ye* do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
17 Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
19 [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift?
20 He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.
21 And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it.
22 And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance.
26 Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28 Thus also *ye*, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just,
30 and ye say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
32 and *ye*, fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
33 Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
34 Therefore, behold, *I* send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city;
35 so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon *you*, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate;
39 for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed [be] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord.
13 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and there was found written in it that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;
2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and with water, and had hired Balaam against them, to curse them; but our God turned the curse into blessing.
3 And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, who had the oversight of the chambers of the house of our God, a kinsman of Tobijah,
5 had prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they laid the oblations, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine and the oil, which was commanded for the Levites and the singers and the doorkeepers, and the heave-offerings of the priests.
6 And during all that [time] I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two-and-thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king; and after some time I obtained leave of the king.
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and observed the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobijah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it grieved me much, and I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobijah out of the chamber.
9 And I commanded, and they purified the chambers; and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, the oblation and the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given, and that the Levites and the singers that did the work had fled every one to his field.
11 Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
12 And all Judah brought the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil into the storehouses.
13 And I made storekeepers over the storehouses: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and subordinate to them, Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were esteemed faithful, and their office was to distribute to their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds which I have done for the house of my God, and for the charges thereof!
15 In those days I saw in Judah some treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading them on asses; as also wine, grapes and figs, and all manner of burdens; and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I protested in the day on which they sold the victuals.
16 Men of Tyre also dwelt therein, who brought fish and all manner of ware, and sold it on the sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 And I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing is this which ye do, profaning the sabbath day?
18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? And ye will bring more wrath against Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19 And it came to pass, that when it began to be dark in the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut; and I commanded that they should not be opened till after the sabbath. And I set [some] of my servants at the gates, so that no burden should be brought in on the sabbath day.
20 And the dealers and sellers of all kind of ware passed the night without Jerusalem once or twice.
21 And I testified against them, and said to them, Why do ye pass the night before the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came not on the sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to hallow the sabbath day. Remember this also for me, my God, and spare me according to thy great loving-kindness!
23 In those days also I saw Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab.
24 And their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair, and adjured them by God [saying], Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among the many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; but even him did foreign wives cause to sin.
27 And should we hearken to you to do all this great evil, to act unfaithfully to our God by marrying foreign wives?
28 And [one] of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; and I chased him from me.
29 Remember them, my God, for they are polluters of the priesthood, and of the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites!
30 And I purified them from all foreigners, and appointed the charges of the priests and the Levites, every one in his service;
31 and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good!
23 And Paul, fixing his eyes on the council, said, Brethren, I have walked in all good conscience with God unto this day.
2 But the high priest Ananias ordered those standing by him to smite his mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, God will smite thee, whited wall. And *thou*, dost thou sit judging me according to the law, and breaking the law commandest me to be smitten?
4 And those that stood by said, Dost thou rail against the high priest of God?
5 And Paul said, I was not conscious, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evilly of the ruler of thy people.
6 But Paul, knowing that the one part [of them] were of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees, cried out in the council, Brethren, *I* am a Pharisee, son of Pharisees: *I* am judged concerning the hope and resurrection of [the] dead.
7 And when he had spoken this, there was a tumult of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.
8 For Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but Pharisees confess both of them.
9 And there was a great clamour, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part rising up contended, saying, We find nothing evil in this man; and if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel …
10 And a great tumult having arisen, the chiliarch, fearing lest Paul should have been torn in pieces by them, commanded the troop to come down and take him by force from the midst of them, and to bring [him] into the fortress.
11 But the following night the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage; for as thou hast testified the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so thou must bear witness at Rome also.
12 And when it was day, the Jews, having banded together, put themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they should kill Paul.
13 And they were more than forty who had joined together in this oath;
14 and they went to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have cursed ourselves with a curse to taste nothing until we kill Paul.
15 Now therefore do ye with the council make a representation to the chiliarch so that he may bring him down to you, as about to determine more precisely what concerns him, and we, before he draws near, are ready to kill him.
16 But Paul's sister's son, having heard of the lying in wait, came and entered into the fortress and reported [it] to Paul.
17 And Paul, having called one of the centurions, said, Take this youth to the chiliarch, for he has something to report to him.
18 He therefore, having taken him with [him], led him to the chiliarch, and says, The prisoner Paul called me to [him] and asked me to lead this youth to thee, who has something to say to thee.
19 And the chiliarch having taken him by the hand, and having gone apart in private, inquired, What is it that thou hast to report to me?
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed together to make a request to thee, that thou mayest bring Paul down to-morrow into the council, as about to inquire something more precise concerning him.
21 Do not thou then be persuaded by them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have put themselves under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they kill him; and now they are ready waiting the promise from thee.
22 The chiliarch then dismissed the youth, commanding [him], Utter to no one that thou hast represented these things to me.
23 And having called to [him] certain two of the centurions, he said, Prepare two hundred soldiers that they may go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred light-armed footmen, for the third hour of the night.
24 And [he ordered them] to provide beasts, that they might set Paul on them and carry [him] safe through to Felix the governor,
25 having written a letter, couched in this form:
26 Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix, greeting.
27 This man, having been taken by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them, I came up with the military and took out [of their hands], having learned that he was a Roman.
28 And desiring to know the charge on which they accused him, I brought him down to their council;
29 whom I found to be accused of questions of their law, but to have no charge laid against him [making him] worthy of death or of bonds.
30 But having received information of a plot about to be put in execution against the man [by the Jews], I have immediately sent him to thee, commanding also his accusers to say before thee the things that are against him. [Farewell.]
31 The soldiers therefore, according to what was ordered them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris,
32 and on the morrow, having left the horsemen to go with him, returned to the fortress.
33 And these, having entered into Caesarea, and given up the letter to the governor, presented Paul also to him.
34 And having read [it], and asked of what eparchy he was, and learned that [he was] of Cilicia,
35 he said, I will hear thee fully when thine accusers also are arrived. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's praetorium.
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