M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

III. Further Stories of the Tribes of Dan and Benjamin

Chapter 17

Micah and the Levite. ¹ There was a man from the mountain region of Ephraim whose name was Micah. ^2 [a]He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you pronounced a curse and even said it in my hearing—I have that silver. I took it. So now I will restore it to you.” Then his mother said, “May my son be blessed by the Lord!” ³ When he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, she said, “I consecrate the silver to the Lord from my own hand on behalf of my son to make an idol overlaid with silver.”^{[b](A) 4} So when he restored the silver to his mother, she took two hundred pieces and gave them to the silversmith, who made of them an idol overlaid with silver. So it remained in the house of Micah. ⁵ The man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim,^[c](B) and installed one of his sons, who became his priest.^{(C) 6 [d]}In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.^(D)

⁷ There was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah, from the clan of Judah; he was a Levite residing there.^{(E) 8} The man set out from the city, Bethlehem of Judah, to take up residence wherever he could find a place. On his journey he came into the mountain region of Ephraim as far as the house of Micah. ⁹ “Where do you come from?” Micah asked him. He answered him, “I am a Levite, from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to take up residence wherever I can find a place.” ¹⁰ “Stay with me,” Micah said to him. “Be father and priest to me,^(F) and I will give you ten silver pieces a year, a set of garments, and your living.” He pressed the Levite, ¹¹ and he agreed to stay with the man. The young man became like one of his own sons. ^12 [e]Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, remaining in the house of Micah. ¹³ Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, since I have the Levite as my priest.”

Chapter 21

Arrival at Tyre. ^1 [a]When we had taken leave of them we set sail, made a straight run for Cos, and on the next day for Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² Finding a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went on board and put out to sea. ³ We caught sight of Cyprus but passed by it on our left and sailed on toward Syria and put in at Tyre where the ship was to unload cargo. ⁴ There we sought out the disciples and stayed for a week. They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to embark for Jerusalem. ⁵ At the end of our stay we left and resumed our journey. All of them, women and children included, escorted us out of the city, and after kneeling on the beach to pray, ⁶ we bade farewell to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

Arrival at Ptolemais and Caesarea. ⁷ We continued the voyage and came from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed a day with them. ⁸ On the next day we resumed the trip and came to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven,^[b] and stayed with him.^{(A) 9} He had four virgin daughters gifted with prophecy. ¹⁰ We had been there several days when a prophet named Agabus^[c] came down from Judea. ^11 (B)He came up to us, took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the holy Spirit: This is the way the Jews will bind the owner of this belt in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.”^{[d] 12} When we heard this, we and the local residents begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am prepared not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ^14 (C)Since he would not be dissuaded we let the matter rest, saying,^(D) “The Lord’s will be done.”^[e]

Paul and James in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ After these days we made preparations for our journey, then went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea came along to lead us to the house of Mnason, a Cypriot, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to stay. ^17 [f]When we reached Jerusalem the brothers welcomed us warmly. ¹⁸ The next day, Paul accompanied us on a visit to James, and all the presbyters were present. ¹⁹ He greeted them, then proceeded to tell them in detail what God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ They praised God when they heard it but said to him, “Brother, you see how many thousands of believers there are from among the Jews, and they are all zealous observers of the law. ²¹ They have been informed that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to abandon Moses and that you are telling them not to circumcise their children or to observe their customary practices. ²² What is to be done? They will surely hear that you have arrived. ^23 [g]So do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow.^{(E) 24} Take these men and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses^[h] that they may have their heads shaved. In this way everyone will know that there is nothing to the reports they have been given about you but that you yourself live in observance of the law. ^25 (F)As for the Gentiles who have come to believe, we sent them our decision that they abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage.”^{[i] 26} So Paul took the men, and on the next day after purifying himself together with them entered the temple to give notice of the day when the purification would be completed and the offering made for each of them.^(G)

Paul’s Arrest. ²⁷ When the seven days were nearly completed, the Jews from the province of Asia noticed him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and laid hands on him, ^28 (H)shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us. This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and what is more, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this sacred place.”^{[j] 29} For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him and supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰ The whole city was in turmoil with people rushing together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed. ³¹ While they were trying to kill him, a report reached the cohort commander^[k] that all Jerusalem was rioting. ³² He immediately took soldiers and centurions and charged down on them. When they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. ³³ The cohort commander came forward, arrested him, and ordered him to be secured with two chains; he tried to find out who he might be and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the mob shouted one thing, others something else; so, since he was unable to ascertain the truth because of the uproar, he ordered Paul to be brought into the compound. ³⁵ When he reached the steps, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob, ^36 [l](I)for a crowd of people followed and shouted, “Away with him!”

³⁷ Just as Paul was about to be taken into the compound, he said to the cohort commander, “May I say something to you?” He replied, “Do you speak Greek? ³⁸ So then you are not the Egyptian^[m] who started a revolt some time ago and led the four thousand assassins into the desert?”^{(J) 39} Paul answered, “I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; I request you to permit me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ When he had given his permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people; and when all was quiet he addressed them in Hebrew.^[n]

VI. Oracles of the Restoration of Israel and Judah

Chapter 30

The Restoration.^{[a] 1} This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write down on a scroll all the words I have spoken to you.^{(A) 3} For indeed, the days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah—oracle of the Lord. I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their ancestors, and they shall take possession of it.^(B)

⁴ These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and to Judah: ⁵ Thus says the Lord:

⁸ On that day—oracle of the Lord of hosts—I will break his yoke off your neck and snap your bonds. Strangers shall no longer enslave them;^{(E) 9} instead, they shall serve the Lord, their God, and David, their king,^[b] whom I will raise up for them.^(F)

Chapter 31

Good News of the Return

The Road of Return

End of Rachel’s Mourning

Summons to Return Home

²³ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: When I restore their fortunes in the land of Judah and in its cities, they shall again use this greeting: “May the Lord bless you, Tent of Justice, Holy Mountain!”^{(AH) 24} Judah and all its cities, the farmers and those who lead the flock shall dwell there together. ²⁵ For I will slake the thirst of the faint; the appetite of all the weary I will satisfy. ²⁶ At this I awoke and opened my eyes; my sleep was satisfying.^[h]

²⁷ See, days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of human beings and the seed of animals. ²⁸ As I once watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, to destroy, and to harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant—oracle of the Lord.^{(AI) 29} In those days they shall no longer say,

³⁰ but all shall die because of their own iniquity: the teeth of anyone who eats unripe grapes shall be set on edge.

The New Covenant.^{[j] 31} See, days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.^{(AK) 32} It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke my covenant, though I was their master—oracle of the Lord.^{(AL) 33} But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—oracle of the Lord. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.^{(AM) 34} They will no longer teach their friends and relatives, “Know the Lord!” Everyone, from least to greatest, shall know me—oracle of the Lord—for I will forgive their iniquity and no longer remember their sin.^(AN)

Certainty of God’s Promise

Jerusalem Rebuilt.^{[k] 38} See, days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when the city shall be rebuilt as the Lord’s,^(AQ) from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. ³⁹ A measuring line shall be stretched from there straight to the hill Gareb and then turn to Goah. ⁴⁰ The whole valley of corpses and ashes, all the terraced slopes toward the Wadi Kidron, as far as the corner of the Horse Gate at the east, shall be holy to the Lord. Never again shall the city be uprooted or demolished.

Chapter 16

The Resurrection of Jesus.^{[a] 1} When the sabbath was over,^(A) Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.^{(B) 2} Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. ³ They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. ⁵ On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed.^{(C) 6} He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.’”^{(D) 8} Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The Longer Ending^[b]

The Appearance to Mary Magdalene. [^9 (E)When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. ^10 (F)She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

The Appearance to Two Disciples. ^12 (G)After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. ¹³ They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.

The Commissioning of the Eleven. ^14 (H)[But] later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. ^15 (I)He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. ¹⁸ They will pick up serpents [with their hands], and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”^(J)

The Ascension of Jesus. ¹⁹ So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.^{(K) 20} But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.]^(L)

The Shorter Ending

[And they reported all the instructions briefly to Peter’s companions. Afterwards Jesus himself, through them, sent forth from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.]