M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

33 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. ² And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. ³ And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. ⁴ And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. ⁵ And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children whom God hath graciously given thy servant. ⁶ Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. ⁷ And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. ⁸ And he said, What meanest thou by all this company which I met? And he said, To find favor in the sight of my lord. ⁹ And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; let that which thou hast be thine. ¹⁰ And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; ^[a]forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. ¹¹ Take, I pray thee, my ^[b]gift that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have ^[c]enough. And he urged him, and he took it. ¹² And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. ¹³ And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. ¹⁴ Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. ¹⁵ And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find favor in the sight of my lord. ¹⁶ So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. ¹⁷ And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called ^[d]Succoth.

¹⁸ And Jacob came ^[e]in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. ¹⁹ And he bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred ^[f]pieces of money. ²⁰ And he erected there an altar, and called it ^[g]El-Elohe-Israel.

4 And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land. ² And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, ³ Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow: ⁴ and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. ⁵ And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: ⁶ and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. ⁸ And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. ⁹ And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁰ And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables. ¹¹ And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: ¹² that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them. ¹³ And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables? ¹⁴ The sower soweth the word. ¹⁵ And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. ¹⁶ And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. ¹⁸ And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word, ¹⁹ and the cares of the ^[a]world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. ²⁰ And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

²¹ And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand? ²² For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. ²³ If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. ²⁴ And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more shall be given unto you. ²⁵ For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.

²⁶ And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; ²⁷ and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. ²⁸ The earth ^[b]beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ But when the fruit ^[c]is ripe, straightway he ^[d]putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.

³⁰ And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth? ^31 [e]It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth, ³² yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof.

³³ And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it; ³⁴ and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things.

³⁵ And on that day, when even was come, he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side. ³⁶ And leaving the multitude, they take him with them, even as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And there ariseth a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling. ³⁸ And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake him, and say unto him, Teacher, carest thou not that we perish? ³⁹ And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful? have ye not yet faith? ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

9 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule over them (whereas it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them), ² the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them was fallen upon all the peoples. ³ And all the princes of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and they that did the king’s business, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai was fallen upon them. ⁴ For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai waxed greater and greater. ⁵ And the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they would unto them that hated them. ⁶ And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. ⁷ And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, ⁸ and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, ⁹ and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha, ¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy, slew they; but on the spoil they laid not their hand.

¹¹ On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. ¹² And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. ¹³ Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. ¹⁴ And the king commanded it so to be done: and a decree was given out in Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. ¹⁵ And the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men in Shushan; but on the spoil they laid not their hand. ¹⁶ And the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of them that hated them seventy and five thousand; but on the spoil they laid not their hand.

¹⁷ This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. ¹⁸ But the Jews that were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. ¹⁹ Therefore do the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

²⁰ And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, ²¹ to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, ²² as the days wherein the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. ²³ And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; ²⁴ because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; ²⁵ but when the matter came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

²⁶ Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come unto them, ²⁷ the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing thereof, and according to the appointed time thereof, every year; ²⁸ and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the remembrance of them ^[a]perish from their seed.

²⁹ Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all ^[b]authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. ³⁰ And he sent letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, ³¹ to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had ordained for themselves and for their seed, in the matter of the fastings and their cry. ³² And the commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

10 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. ² And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? ³ For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

4 What then shall we say ^[a]that Abraham, ^[b]our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified ^[c]by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. ³ For what saith the scripture? ^[d]And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ⁴ Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. ⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. ⁶ Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works, ⁷ saying,

⁹ Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision: ¹¹ and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them; ¹² and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision. ¹³ For not ^[f]through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect: ¹⁵ for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ¹⁶ For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷ (as it is written, ^[g]A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. ¹⁸ Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, ^[h]So shall thy seed be. ¹⁹ And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body ^[i]now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s ^[j]womb; ²⁰ yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. ²² Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him; ²⁴ but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.