M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Crossing the Jordan
3 Joshua started early the next morning and left the Acacia Grove[a] with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing. 2 After three days the officers went through the camp(A) 3 and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests,(B) you are to break camp and follow it. 4 But keep a distance of about a thousand yards[b] between yourselves and the ark. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,(C) because the Lord will do wonders(D) among you tomorrow.” 6 Then he said to the priests, “Carry the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
7 The Lord spoke to Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel,(E) so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses.(F) 8 Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the water,[c] stand in the Jordan.”
9 Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” 10 He said, “You will know that the living God is among you(G) and that he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hethites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites(H) 11 when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth(I) goes ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe.(J) 13 When the feet[d] of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s water, its water will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass.”(K)
14 When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant(L) ahead of the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season.(M) But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge 16 and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as[e] Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah(N)—the Dead Sea—was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan,(O) while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
Psalm 126
Zion’s Restoration
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,[a]
we were like those who dream.(A)
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then,(B)
and our tongues with shouts of joy.(C)
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”(D)
3 The Lord had done great things for us;
we were joyful.(E)
4 Restore our fortunes,[b] Lord,
like watercourses in the Negev.(F)
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with shouts of joy.(G)
6 Though one goes along weeping,
carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy,
carrying his sheaves.(H)
Psalm 127
The Blessing of the Lord
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1 Unless the Lord builds a house,
its builders labor over it in vain;(I)
unless the Lord watches over a city,
the watchman stays alert in vain.(J)
2 In vain you get up early and stay up late,
working hard to have enough food—
yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves.[c](K)
3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,
offspring, a reward.(L)
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons born in one’s youth.(M)
5 Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.(N)
They will never be put to shame
when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.(O)
Psalm 128
Blessings for Those Who Fear God
A song of ascents.
1 How happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!(P)
2 You will surely eat
what your hands have worked for.(Q)
You will be happy,
and it will go well for you.(R)
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house,
your children, like young olive trees
around your table.(S)
4 In this very way
the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed.(T)
The Lord’s Day of Vengeance
63 Who is this coming from Edom(A)
in crimson-stained garments from Bozrah—
this one who is splendid in his apparel,
striding in his formidable[a] might?
It is I, proclaiming vindication,[b]
powerful to save.
2 Why are your clothes red,
and your garments like one who treads a winepress?(B)
3 I trampled the winepress alone,
and no one from the nations was with me.
I trampled them in my anger
and ground them underfoot in my fury;
their blood spattered my garments,
and all my clothes were stained.
4 For I planned the day of vengeance,(C)
and the year of my redemption[c] came.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help,(D)
and I was amazed that no one assisted;
so my arm accomplished victory for me,
and my wrath assisted me.
6 I crushed nations in my anger;
I made them drunk with my wrath(E)
and poured out their blood on the ground.(F)
Remembrance of Grace
7 I will make known the Lord’s faithful love
and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,
because of all the Lord has done for us—
even the many good things
he has done for the house of Israel,
which he did for them based on his compassion
and the abundance of his faithful love.
8 He said, “They are indeed my people,
children who will not be disloyal,”
and he became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering, he suffered,[d](G)
and the angel of his presence saved them.
He redeemed them
because of his love and compassion;(H)
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of the past.(I)
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit.(J)
So he became their enemy
and fought against them.
11 Then he[e] remembered the days of the past,
the days of Moses and his people.
Where is he who brought them out of the sea
with the shepherds[f] of his flock?
Where is he who put his Holy Spirit among the flock?
12 He made his glorious strength
available at the right hand of Moses,
divided the water before them(K)
to make an eternal name for himself,
13 and led them through the depths
like a horse in the wilderness,
so that they did not stumble.
14 Like cattle that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them[g] rest.
You led your people this way
to make a glorious name for yourself.
Israel’s Prayer
15 Look down from heaven and see(L)
from your lofty home—holy and beautiful.
Where is your zeal and your might?
Your yearning[h] and your compassion
are withheld from me.
16 Yet you are our Father,
even though Abraham does not know us
and Israel doesn’t recognize us.
You, Lord, are our Father;
your name is Our Redeemer(M)
from Ancient Times.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray from your ways?
You harden our hearts so we do not fear[i] you.(N)
Return, because of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
18 Your holy people had a possession[j]
for a little while,
but our enemies have trampled down
your sanctuary.(O)
19 We have become like those you never ruled,
like those who did not bear your name.(P)
John the Baptist Doubts
11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.(A) 2 Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples(B) 3 and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (C)
4 Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,(D) 6 and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”(E)
7 As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?(F) 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.(G) 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared,[c] but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence,[d] and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.(I) 15 Let anyone who has ears[e] listen.(J)
An Unresponsive Generation
16 “To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to other children:
17 We played the flute for you,
but you didn’t dance;
we sang a lament,
but you didn’t mourn![f]
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’(K) 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard,(L) a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’(M) Yet wisdom is vindicated[g] by her deeds.”[h]
20 Then he proceeded to denounce the towns where most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin!(N) Woe to you, Bethsaida!(O) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,(P) they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment(Q) than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades.(R) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest
25 At that time Jesus said,(S) “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.(T) 26 Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure.[i] 27 All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires[j] to reveal him.(U)
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(V) 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,(W) because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.(X) 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
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