M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Elijah Flees to Horeb
19 Now Ahab told Jezebel(A) everything Elijah had done and how he had killed(B) all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely,(C) if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”(D)
3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran(E) for his life.(F) When he came to Beersheba(G) in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush,(H) sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life;(I) I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.(J)
All at once an angel(K) touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty(L) days and forty nights until he reached Horeb,(M) the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave(N) and spent the night.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”(O)
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous(P) for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,(Q) torn down your altars,(R) and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,(S) and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain(T) in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”(U)
Then a great and powerful wind(V) tore the mountains apart and shattered(W) the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire,(X) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.(Y) 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face(Z) and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,(AA) and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael(AB) king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint(AC) Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha(AD) son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah(AE) to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael,(AF) and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.(AG) 18 Yet I reserve(AH) seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed(AI) him.”
The Call of Elisha
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak(AJ) around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,”(AK) he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen(AL) and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.(AM)
Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica
2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you(A) was not without results.(B) 2 We had previously suffered(C) and been treated outrageously in Philippi,(D) as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.(E) 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,(F) nor are we trying to trick you.(G) 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.(H) We are not trying to please people(I) but God, who tests our hearts.(J) 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed(K)—God is our witness.(L) 6 We were not looking for praise from people,(M) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles(N) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.(O) 7 Instead, we were like young children[a] among you.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,(P) 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God(Q) but our lives as well.(R) 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked(S) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone(T) while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses,(U) and so is God,(V) of how holy,(W) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,(X) 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy(Y) of God, who calls(Z) you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually(AA) because, when you received the word of God,(AB) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators(AC) of God’s churches in Judea,(AD) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people(AE) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus(AF) and the prophets(AG) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles(AH) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.(AI) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.[b]
Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians
17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),(AJ) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.(AK) 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan(AL) blocked our way.(AM) 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown(AN) in which we will glory(AO) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?(AP) Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory(AQ) and joy.
Daniel’s Training in Babylon
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim(A) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar(B) king of Babylon(C) came to Jerusalem and besieged it.(D) 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried(E) off to the temple of his god in Babylonia[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.(F)
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility(G)— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome,(H) showing aptitude for every kind of learning,(I) well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language(J) and literature of the Babylonians.[b] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine(K) from the king’s table.(L) They were to be trained for three years,(M) and after that they were to enter the king’s service.(N)
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,(O) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.(P) 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;(Q) to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.(R)
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile(S) himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor(T) and compassion(U) to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink.(V) Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test(W) your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”(X) 14 So he agreed to this and tested(Y) them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.(Z) 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.(AA)
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding(AB) of all kinds of literature and learning.(AC) And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.(AD)
18 At the end of the time(AE) set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.(AF) 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians(AG) and enchanters in his whole kingdom.(AH)
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.(AI)
Psalm 105(A)
1 Give praise to the Lord,(B) proclaim his name;(C)
make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him,(D) sing praise to him;(E)
tell of all his wonderful acts.(F)
3 Glory in his holy name;(G)
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face(H) always.
5 Remember the wonders(I) he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,(J)
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,(K)
his chosen(L) ones, the children of Jacob.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant(M) forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,(N)
the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it(O) to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:(P)
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan(Q)
as the portion you will inherit.”(R)
12 When they were but few in number,(S)
few indeed, and strangers in it,(T)
13 they wandered from nation to nation,(U)
from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress(V) them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:(W)
15 “Do not touch(X) my anointed ones;
do my prophets(Y) no harm.”
16 He called down famine(Z) on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.(AA)
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,(AB)
his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold(AC) came to pass,
till the word(AD) of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.(AE)
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes(AF) as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.(AG)
23 Then Israel entered Egypt;(AH)
Jacob resided(AI) as a foreigner in the land of Ham.(AJ)
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous(AK) for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned(AL) to hate his people,
to conspire(AM) against his servants.
26 He sent Moses(AN) his servant,
and Aaron,(AO) whom he had chosen.(AP)
27 They performed(AQ) his signs(AR) among them,
his wonders(AS) in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness(AT) and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against(AU) his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood,(AV)
causing their fish to die.(AW)
30 Their land teemed with frogs,(AX)
which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke,(AY) and there came swarms of flies,(AZ)
and gnats(BA) throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,(BB)
with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines(BC) and fig trees(BD)
and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke,(BE) and the locusts came,(BF)
grasshoppers(BG) without number;(BH)
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn(BI) in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,(BJ)
and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
because dread of Israel(BK) had fallen on them.
39 He spread out a cloud(BL) as a covering,
and a fire to give light at night.(BM)
40 They asked,(BN) and he brought them quail;(BO)
he fed them well with the bread of heaven.(BP)
41 He opened the rock,(BQ) and water gushed out;
it flowed like a river in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise(BR)
given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,(BS)
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations,(BT)
and they fell heir to what others had toiled(BU) for—
45 that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws.(BV)
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