M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jacob’s Burial
50 When Jacob died, Joseph ·hugged [L fell on the face of] his father and cried over him and kissed him. 2 He commanded the doctors who served him to ·prepare his father’s body [embalm his father], so the doctors ·prepared Jacob’s body to be buried [L embalmed Israel; C another name for Jacob; 32:28]. 3 It took the doctors forty days to ·prepare his body [embalm him] (the usual time it took). And the Egyptians ·had a time of sorrow for Jacob that lasted [L wept over him for] seventy days.
4 When this time of ·sorrow had ended [L weeping passed], Joseph spoke to ·the king’s officers [L household of Pharaoh] and said, “If ·you think well of me [L I have found grace in your eyes], please ·tell this to the king [L speak now in the ear of Pharaoh]: 5 ‘When my father was near death, ·I made a promise to him [L my father made me swear] that I would bury him in a cave in the land of Canaan, in a burial place that he cut out for himself. So please let me go and bury my father, and then I will return.’ ”
6 ·The king [L Pharaoh] answered, “·Keep your promise. Go [L As he made you swear, go] and bury your father.”
7 So Joseph went to bury his father. All ·the king’s officers [L servants of Pharaoh], the elders of his ·court [L house], and all the elders of Egypt went with Joseph. 8 ·Everyone who lived with [L All the house of] Joseph and his brothers went with him, as well as ·everyone who lived with [L all the house of] his father. They left only their ·children [little ones], their flocks, and their herds in the land of Goshen [45:10]. 9 They went with Joseph in chariots and on horses. It was a very large ·group [camp].
10 When they came to ·the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or the threshing floor of the bramble], near the Jordan River, they ·cried loudly and bitterly for his father [L lamented there with a great and exceedingly strong lament]. Joseph’s time of ·sorrow [mourning] continued for seven days. 11 The people that lived in Canaan saw the ·sadness [mourning] at the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or threshing floor of the bramble] and said, “Those Egyptians are ·showing great sorrow [intense in their mourning]!” So now that place is named ·Sorrow of the Egyptians [or Abel-mizraim].
12 So Jacob’s sons did as their father commanded. 13 His sons carried ·his body [L him] to the land of Canaan and buried ·it [or him] in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham had bought this cave and field from Ephron the Hittite to use as a burial ·place [site]. 14 After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and everyone who had gone with him to bury his father.
The Brothers Fear Joseph
15 ·After Jacob [L The brothers of Joseph saw that their father had] died, ·Joseph’s brothers [L and they] said, “What if Joseph ·is still angry with [holds a grudge against] us? We did many wrong things to him. What if he plans to pay us back?” 16 So they ·sent a message to [instructed; commanded] Joseph that said, “Your father gave this command before he died. 17 He said to us, ‘You have done wrong and have sinned and done evil to Joseph. Tell Joseph to forgive you, his brothers.’ So now, Joseph, we beg you to forgive our wrong. We are the servants of the God of your father.” When Joseph received the message, he cried.
18 And his brothers went to him and bowed low before him and said, “We are your slaves.”
19 Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. ·Can I do what only God can do [Am I in the place of God]? 20 You meant ·to hurt [to harm; or evil against] me, but God ·turned your evil into [L meant it for] good to save the lives of many people, which is being done. 21 So don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your ·children [little ones].” So Joseph ·comforted [consoled; reassured] his brothers and spoke kind words to them.
22 Joseph continued to live in Egypt with all ·his father’s family [L the house of his father]. ·He died when he was [L Joseph lived until he was] one hundred ten years old. 23 ·During Joseph’s life Ephraim had children and grandchildren [L Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation], and Joseph’s son Manasseh had a son named Makir. ·Joseph accepted Makir’s children as his own [L The children of Makir were born on his knees].
The Death of Joseph
24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will ·take care of [provide for] you. He will ·lead you out of [bring you up from] this land to the land he ·promised [swore] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph had the sons of Israel ·make a promise [swear]. He said, “·Promise [Swear to] me that you will ·carry [bring up] my bones with you out of Egypt.”
26 Joseph died when he was one hundred ten years old. ·Doctors prepared his body for burial [L Doctors embalmed him], and then they put him in a coffin in Egypt.
The Preaching of John(A)
3 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar [C the Roman emperor, ad 14–37]. ·These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate, [L …when Pontius Pilate was] the ·ruler [or governor; C his official title was “prefect”; Pilate governed from ad 26–36] of Judea; Herod [C Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great], the ·ruler [L tetrarch; C the title meant “ruler of a fourth,” but came to be used of any minor ruler] of Galilee; Philip [C another son of Herod the Great], the ·ruler [L tetrarch] of Iturea and Traconitis; and Lysanias, the ·ruler [L tetrarch] of Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests [C Annas was the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas, the official high priest]. At this time, ·the word of [a message from] God came to John son of Zechariah in the ·desert [wilderness]. 3 He went all over the ·area [country; region] around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of ·changed hearts and lives [repentance] for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the ·book of [L book of the words/oracles of] Isaiah the prophet:
“This is a voice of one
who ·calls out [shouts; cries out] in the ·desert [wilderness]:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make ·the road straight [a clear path] for him.
5 Every ·valley [ravine; wadi] should be filled in,
and every mountain and hill should be made ·flat [level; low].
·Roads with turns [L Curved/T Crooked places] should be made straight,
and rough ·roads [paths; ways] should be made smooth.
6 And all ·people [humanity; T flesh] will ·know about [L see] the salvation of God [Is. 40:3–5]!’”
7 [L So; Therefore] To the crowds of people who came to be baptized by John, he said, “You ·are all snakes [T brood/offspring of vipers]! Who warned you to ·run [slither; L flee] away from God’s coming ·punishment [wrath; retribution]? 8 ·Do the things [L Produce the fruit] ·that show you really have changed your hearts and lives [that prove your repentance; L of repentance]. Don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father [C a claim to be God’s special people, since their ancestor Abraham was chosen and blessed by God; Gen. 12:1–3].’ [L For] I tell you that God could ·make [L raise up] children for Abraham from these rocks. 9 The ax ·is now ready to cut down [L already lies at the root of] the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire [C a metaphor for judgment against those who disobey God].”
10 The ·people [crowd] asked John, “Then what should we do?”
11 John answered, “If you have two ·shirts [tunics], share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that also [Is. 58:7].”
12 Even tax collectors came to John to be baptized [C tax collectors were despised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion]. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 John said to them, “Don’t take more taxes from people than ·you have been ordered to take [is prescribed/authorized].”
14 The soldiers asked John, “What about us? What should we do?”
John said to them, “Don’t ·force people to give you [extort] money, and don’t ·lie about them [make false accusations]. Be satisfied with the pay you get.”
15 Since the people were ·hoping [waiting expectantly] for the ·Christ [Messiah] to come, they [L all] wondered if John might be the ·one [L Christ; Messiah].
16 John answered everyone, “I baptize you with water, but there is one coming who is ·greater [more powerful; mightier] than I am. I am not ·good enough [fit; qualified] to untie [L the thong/strap of] his sandals [C a task of a servant or slave]. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 ·He will come ready [L The winnowing fork is in his hand] to ·clean the grain, separating the good grain from the chaff [L clear his threshing floor]. He will put ·the good part of the grain [L the grain/wheat] into his ·barn [storehouse], but he will burn the chaff with ·a fire that cannot be put out [never-ending/unquenchable fire; C a metaphor for judgment, when Jesus will separate the righteous from the wicked].” 18 And John continued to preach the ·Good News [Gospel], saying many other things to ·encourage [exhort] the people.
19 But John ·spoke against [criticized; rebuked] Herod [C Antipas], the ·governor [L tetrarch; 3:1], ·because of his sin with [L concerning] Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother [C Herod had divorced his wife and illicitly married the wife of his brother Philip; Lev. 18:16], and because of the many other evil things Herod did. 20 So Herod ·did something even worse [L added this to all his sins]: He ·put [locked; shut up] John in prison.
Jesus Is Baptized by John(B)
21 When all the people were being baptized by John, Jesus also was baptized. [L And] While Jesus was praying, heaven opened 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him in ·the form of [L bodily appearance like] a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my ·Son, whom I love [dearly beloved Son; Gen. 22:2; Ps. 2:7], ·and I am very pleased with you [in whom I take great delight [Is. 42:1].”
The Family History of Jesus(C)
23 When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years old. People thought that Jesus was Joseph’s son [C they were unaware of the virginal conception].
Joseph was the son of Heli [C “son” in Hebrew can mean “descendant,” so there may be gaps in the genealogy].
24 Heli was the son of Matthat.
Matthat was the son of Levi.
Levi was the son of Melki.
Melki was the son of Jannai.
Jannai was the son of Joseph.
25 Joseph was the son of Mattathias.
Mattathias was the son of Amos.
Amos was the son of Nahum.
Nahum was the son of Esli.
Esli was the son of Naggai.
26 Naggai was the son of Maath.
Maath was the son of Mattathias.
Mattathias was the son of Semein.
Semein was the son of Josech.
Josech was the son of Joda.
27 Joda was the son of Joanan.
Joanan was the son of Rhesa.
Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the son of Neri.
28 Neri was the son of Melki.
Melki was the son of Addi.
Addi was the son of Cosam.
Cosam was the son of Elmadam.
Elmadam was the son of Er.
29 Er was the son of Joshua.
Joshua was the son of Eliezer.
Eliezer was the son of Jorim.
Jorim was the son of Matthat.
Matthat was the son of Levi.
30 Levi was the son of Simeon.
Simeon was the son of Judah.
Judah was the son of Joseph.
Joseph was the son of Jonam.
Jonam was the son of Eliakim.
31 Eliakim was the son of Melea.
Melea was the son of Menna.
Menna was the son of Mattatha.
Mattatha was the son of Nathan.
Nathan was the son of David.
32 David was the son of Jesse.
Jesse was the son of Obed.
Obed was the son of Boaz.
Boaz was the son of Salmon.[a]
Salmon was the son of Nahshon.
33 Nahshon was the son of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the son of Admin.
Admin was the son of Arni.[b]
Arni was the son of Hezron.
Hezron was the son of Perez.
Perez was the son of Judah.
34 Judah was the son of Jacob.
Jacob was the son of Isaac.
Isaac was the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the son of Terah.
Terah was the son of Nahor.
35 Nahor was the son of Serug.
Serug was the son of Reu.
Reu was the son of Peleg.
Peleg was the son of Eber.
Eber was the son of Shelah.
36 Shelah was the son of Cainan.
Cainan was the son of Arphaxad.
Arphaxad was the son of Shem.
Shem was the son of Noah.
Noah was the son of Lamech.
37 Lamech was the son of Methuselah.
Methuselah was the son of Enoch.
Enoch was the son of Jared.
Jared was the son of Mahalalel.
Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.
38 Kenan was the son of Enosh.
Enosh was the son of Seth.
Seth was the son of Adam.
Adam was the son of God.
Job Answers Eliphaz
16 Then Job answered:
2 “I have heard many things like these.
You are all ·painful [or troublesome] comforters!
3 Will your ·long-winded speeches [L windy words] never end?
What ·makes [L provokes] you keep on ·arguing [L responding]?
4 I also could speak as you do
if you were in my place.
I could ·make great speeches [L join words] against you
and shake my head at you [C like wagging a finger at someone].
5 But, instead, I would ·encourage you [L strengthen you with my mouth],
and ·my words [L the words of my lips] would bring you ·relief [comfort].
6 “Even if I speak, my pain is not less,
and if I don’t speak, it still does not go away.
7 ·God, you have [L He has] surely ·taken away my strength [worn me out]
and ·destroyed [or stunned] ·my whole family [or everyone around me; L my assembly].
8 You have ·made me thin and weak [shriveled me up; or bound me],
·and this shows I have done wrong [L as a witness against me].
9 God ·attacks me and tears me with anger [L preys on me and hates me];
he ·grinds [gnashes] his teeth at me;
my enemy ·stares at me with his angry eyes [L sharpens his eyes at me].
10 People open their mouths ·to make fun of [L wide at] me
and hit my cheeks to ·insult [or reproach] me.
They ·join [congregate; assemble] together against me.
11 God has turned me over to evil people
and has ·handed [thrown] me over to the wicked.
12 ·Everything was fine with me [L I was at ease],
but God ·broke me into pieces [shattered me];
he ·held [grabbed; seized] me by the neck and ·crushed [mauled] me.
He has ·made me [set me up as] his target;
13 his archers surround me.
He ·stabs [L splits open] my kidneys without mercy;
he spills my ·blood [L gall] on the ground.
14 ·Again and again God attacks me [L He breaches me, breach after breach];
he runs at me like a soldier.
15 “I have sewed ·rough cloth over my skin to show my sadness [sackcloth over my skin; C traditional mourning clothes]
and have buried my ·face [L horn] in the dust [C a sign of grief; like an animal lowering its horn].
16 My face is red from crying;
I have ·dark circles [deep darkness] around my eyes.
17 Yet my hands have never done anything ·cruel [violent],
and my prayer is pure.
18 “Earth, please do not cover up my blood.
Don’t let my cry ever ·stop being heard [find a place of rest]!
19 Even now I have ·one who speaks for me [L a witness] in heaven;
the one who ·is on my side [L testifies for me] is high above.
20 ·The one who speaks for me is my friend [or My friends scorn me].
My eyes pour out tears to God.
21 He ·begs God [negotiates/arbitrates with God] on behalf of a human
as a person ·begs for [negotiates/arbitrates with] his friend.
22 “Only a few years will pass
before I go on the journey of no return [C at his death].
17 My spirit is broken;
the days of my life are ·almost gone [extinguished].
The grave is ·waiting [ready] for me.
2 Those who ·laugh [mock; scoff] at me surround me;
·I watch them insult me [L My eye dwells/lodges on their obstinate behavior].
3 “·God, make me a promise [L Make a pledge for me with yourself].
·No one will make a pledge for me [L Who else will clap hands with me; C a gesture that seals an agreement].
4 You have closed their minds to understanding.
·Do not let them win over me [L You will not let them triumph].
5 People might ·speak against [denounce] their friends for ·money [L a share; a piece of property],
but if they do, the eyes of their children ·go blind [L will fade].
6 “God has made my name a ·curse word [L proverb; byword; 1 Kin. 9:7; 2 Chr. 7:20; Ps. 44:14; Jer. 24:9; Ezek. 14:8; Joel 2:17];
people spit in my face.
7 My sight has grown ·weak [dim] because of my ·sadness [grief],
and my ·body [whole frame] is ·as thin as [L like] a shadow.
8 ·Honest [Virtuous] people are ·upset [depressed; desolated] about this;
·innocent [blameless] people are ·upset with [or aroused against] those who ·do wrong [or are godless].
9 But ·those who do right [the righteous] will ·continue to do right [L hold on to their way],
and those whose hands are ·not dirty with sin [L clean; C in a ritual sense] will grow stronger.
10 “But, all of you, come ·and try again [L back now]!
I ·do [or will] not find a wise person among you.
11 My days are gone, and my plans have been ·destroyed [L torn away],
along with the desires of my heart.
12 ·These men think night is [L They make night into] day;
·when it is dark, they say, ‘Light is near [L light is near the darkness].’
13 If the only home I hope for is ·the grave [L Sheol; C the place of the dead],
if I spread out my bed in darkness,
14 if I say to the ·grave [L pit], ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘You are my mother’ or ‘You are my sister,’
15 where, then, is my hope?
Who can see any hope for me?
16 Will hope go down to the gates of ·death [L Sheol; 17:13]?
Will we go down together into the dust?”
Apostles Are Servants of Christ
4 People should think of us as servants of Christ, ·the ones God has trusted with his [and stewards/household managers of God’s] ·secrets [mysteries]. 2 Now in this way ·those who are trusted with something valuable [stewards; household managers] must ·show they are worthy of that trust [L be found faithful]. 3 As for myself, ·I do not care [or it is of no consequence; L it is a minor thing] if I am judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. 4 I know of no wrong I have done, but this does not make me ·right before the Lord [innocent; acquitted; justified]. The Lord is the One who judges me. 5 So do not judge before the ·right [appointed] time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in darkness, and will make known the secret ·purposes [motives] of people’s hearts. Then God will ·praise [give appropriate commendation to] each one of them.
6 Brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself as examples so you could learn through us the meaning of the saying, “·Follow only [L Do not go beyond] ·what is written in the Scriptures [or what I have already written to you; L what is written].” Then you will not ·be more proud of one person than another [or arrogantly support one person over another]. 7 [L For] Who ·says you are better than others [made you so important; or sees anything different in you]? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you ·brag [boast] as if you did not ·receive it as a gift [L receive it]?
8 ·You think you already have everything you need [L Already you have been satisfied/filled up!; C the Corinthians believed they had reached a higher spiritual status because of their wisdom]. ·You think you are rich [L Already you are rich!]. You ·think you have become kings [have begun to reign…!] without us. I wish you really were ·kings [reigning] so we could ·be kings [reign] together with you. 9 But it seems to me that God has put us apostles ·in last place [or on display at the end of the procession], like those sentenced to die [C the image is of prisoners of war being led through the city in disgrace, condemned to die in the arena]. We are like a ·show [spectacle; display] for the whole world to see—angels and people. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are very wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You receive honor, but we are ·shamed [disgraced; dishonored]. 11 Even ·to this very hour [or now] we do not have enough to eat or drink or to wear. We are often beaten, and we have no homes in which to live. 12 We work hard with our own hands [C Paul earned his own living so as not to burden the church and to avoid accusations of profiting from the Gospel; 1 Thess. 2:9]. When people ·curse [insult; revile] us, we bless them. When they ·hurt [persecute] us, we ·put up with it [endure; persevere]. 13 When they ·tell evil lies about [slander] us, we ·speak nice words about them [answer gently; or humbly appeal; entreat]. Even today, we are treated as though we were the garbage of the world—·the filth of the earth [L everyone’s scum/filth; or scum/filth in everyone’s eyes].
14 I am not writing this to make you feel ashamed, but to ·warn [admonish; correct] you as my own ·dear [beloved] children. 15 For though you may have ten thousand ·teachers [guardians; tutors] in Christ, you do not have many fathers. [L For; Because] Through the ·Good News [Gospel] I became your father in Christ Jesus, 16 so I ·beg [urge; encourage; exhort] you, ·please follow my example [L be imitators of me]. 17 That is why I am sending to you Timothy, my ·dear [beloved] and faithful son in the Lord. He will ·help you remember [remind you about] my way of life in Christ Jesus, just as I teach it in all the churches everywhere.
18 Some of you have become ·proud [arrogant; puffed up], thinking that I will not come to you again. 19 But I will come to you very soon if the Lord ·wishes [wills; allows]. Then I will ·know [find out; learn] ·what the proud ones do, not what they say [L not just the talk/word of these arrogant people, but also their power], 20 because the kingdom of God ·is present [or consists] not in talk but in power. 21 Which do you want: that I come to you with ·punishment [L a rod] or with love and ·gentleness [or a gentle spirit]?
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