M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jacob’s Departure
28 Isaac summoned Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him: “Don’t take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father. Marry one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you(A) so that you become an assembly of peoples.(B) 4 May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham(C) so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”(D) 5 So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Esau noticed that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to get a wife there. When he blessed him, Isaac commanded Jacob, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.” 7 And Jacob listened to his father and mother and went to Paddan-aram. 8 Esau realized that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,(E) 9 so Esau went to Ishmael and married, in addition to his other wives, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. She was the sister of Nebaioth.
Jacob at Bethel
10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed:(F) A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it.(G) 13 Yahweh was standing there beside him,[a] saying, “I am Yahweh,(H) the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land that you are now sleeping on. 14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth,(I) and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.(J) 15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land,(K) for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”(L) 17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on top of it 19 and named the place Bethel,[b] though previously the city was named Luz.(M) 20 Then Jacob made a vow:(N) “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, if He provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s house,(O) then the Lord will be my God.(P) 22 This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to You a tenth of all that You give me.”(Q)
Jesus Handed Over to Pilate
27 When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.(A) 2 After tying Him up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate,[a] the governor.(B)
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.(C) 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.
“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!”
5 So he threw the silver into the sanctuary(D) and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not lawful(E) to put it into the temple treasury,[b] since it is blood money.”[c] 7 So they conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Blood Field” to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
They took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of Him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.(F)[d]
Jesus Faces the Governor
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor.(G) “Are You the King of the Jews?” the governor asked Him.
Jesus answered, “You have said it.”[e](H) 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He didn’t answer.(I)
13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear how much they are testifying against You?” 14 But He didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.(J)
Jesus or Barabbas
15 At the festival(K) the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.[f] 17 So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas,[g] or Jesus who is called Messiah?”(L) 18 For he knew they had handed Him over because of envy.
19 While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!”(M)
20 The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. 21 The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”
“Barabbas!” they answered.
22 Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?”
They all answered, “Crucify Him!”[h](N)
23 Then he said, “Why? What has He done wrong?”
But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him!” all the more.(O)
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere,[i] but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.[j] See to it yourselves!”(P)
25 All the people answered, “His blood be on us(Q) and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But after having Jesus flogged,[k] he handed Him over to be crucified.(R)
Mocked by the Military
27 Then(S) the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into headquarters and gathered the whole company around Him.(T) 28 They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet military robe.(U) 29 They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head. 31 When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.(V)
Crucified Between Two Criminals
32 As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced this man to carry His cross.(W) 33 When they came to a place called Golgotha(X) (which means Skull Place), 34 they gave Him wine[l] mixed with gall to drink. But when He tasted it, He would not drink it. 35 After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots.[m](Y) 36 Then they sat down and were guarding Him there. 37 Above His head they put up the charge against Him in writing:
THIS IS JESUS
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then two criminals[n] were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left.(Z) 39 Those who passed by were yelling insults at[o] Him, shaking their heads(AA) 40 and saying, “The One who would demolish the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”(AB) 41 In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders,[p] mocked Him and said, 42 “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel!(AC) Let Him[q] come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him![r] For He said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” 44 In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with Him kept taunting Him.(AD)
The Death of Jesus
45 From noon until three in the afternoon[s] darkness came over the whole land.[t](AE) 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá[u] sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken[v] Me?”(AF)[w]
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah!”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, and offered Him a drink.(AG) 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him!”
50 Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.(AH) 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary[x](AI) was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened(AJ) and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!”[y](AK)
55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him were there, looking on from a distance.(AL) 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.(AM)
The Burial of Jesus
57 When it was evening,(AN) a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple(AO) of Jesus. 58 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate ordered that it[z] be released. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb.(AP) 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.
The Closely Guarded Tomb
62 The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate(AQ) 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive He said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’(AR) 64 Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples(AS) may come, steal Him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “You have[aa] a guard of soldiers,”[ab] Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66 Then they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting the guard.[ac](AT)
Mordecai Appeals to Esther
4 When Mordecai learned all that had occurred,(A) he tore his clothes,(B) put on sackcloth and ashes,(C) went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly.(D) 2 He only went as far as the King’s Gate,(E) since the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the King’s Gate. 3 There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict(F) came. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.(G)
4 Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear.(H) She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. 5 Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to her, and dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what he was doing and why.[a] 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the King’s Gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews.(I)
8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people.(J) 9 Hathach came and repeated Mordecai’s response to Esther.
10 Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, 11 “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard(K) and who has not been summoned—the death penalty.(L) Only if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live.(M) I have not been summoned to appear before the king(N) for the last[b] 30 days.” 12 Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai.
13 Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. 14 If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place,(O) but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”(P)
15 Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days,(Q) day or night. I and my female servants will also fast(R) in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law.(S) If I perish, I perish.”(T) 17 So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had ordered him.
Sailing for Rome
27 When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment.(A) 2 So when we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.(B) 3 The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care.(C) 4 When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast[a] of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.(D) 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 Sailing slowly for many days, we came with difficulty as far as Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side[b] of Crete off Salmone. 8 With yet more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.
Paul’s Advice Ignored
9 By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Fast[c](E) was already over, Paul gave his advice 10 and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward damage and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.(F) 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete(G) open to the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.
Storm-Tossed Ship
13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 But not long afterward, a fierce wind called the “northeaster”[d] rushed down from the island. 15 Since the ship was caught and was unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 After running under the shelter of a little island called Cauda,[e] we were barely able to get control of the skiff. 17 After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Then, fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis,[f] they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along. 18 Because we were being severely battered by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo the next day.(H) 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s gear overboard with their own hands.
20 For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope that we would be saved was disappearing. 21 Since many were going without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss. 22 Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. 23 For this night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me,(I) 24 and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And, look! God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 Therefore, take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.(J) 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.”(K)
27 When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea,[g] and in the middle of the night the sailors thought they were approaching land.[h] 28 They took a sounding and found it to be 120 feet[i] deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be 90 feet[j] deep. 29 Then, fearing we might run aground in some rocky place, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come.
30 Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow. 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away.
33 When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For this has to do with your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head.”(L) 35 After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and when he broke it, he began to eat.(M) 36 They all became encouraged and took food themselves. 37 In all there were 276 of us on the ship.(N) 38 When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.
Shipwreck
39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could.(O) 40 After casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. 41 But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves.
42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.(P)
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