M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Family Line of Issachar
7 The sons of Issachar were
Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. The total number of sons was four.
2 The sons of Tola were
Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam and Samuel. They were the leaders of their families. The total number of fighting men who were listed in the history of the family line of Tola was 22,600. That was when David was king.
3 The son of Uzzi was
Izrahiah.
The sons of Izrahiah were
Michael, Obadiah, Joel and Ishiah. All five of them were chiefs. 4 According to their family history, 36,000 of their men were ready for battle. That’s because they had many wives and children.
5 The total number of fighting men who belonged to all the family groups of Issachar was 87,000. The men were listed in their family history.
The Family Line of Benjamin
6 The three sons of Benjamin were
Bela, Beker and Jediael.
7 The sons of Bela were
Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They were the leaders of their families. The total number of sons was five. Their family history listed 22,034 fighting men.
8 The sons of Beker were
Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth and Alemeth. All of them were the sons of Beker. 9 Their family history listed the leaders of their families. It also listed 20,200 fighting men.
10 The son of Jediael was
Bilhan.
The sons of Bilhan were
Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish and Ahishahar. 11 All these sons of Jediael were the leaders of their families. There were 17,200 fighting men who were ready to go to war.
12 The Shuppites and Huppites belonged to the family line of Ir. The Hushites belonged to the family line of Aher.
The Family Line of Naphtali
13 The sons of Naphtali were
Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. They belonged to the family line of Bilhah.
The Family Line of Manasseh
14 Here is the family line of Manasseh.
He had a concubine who was from the land of Aram. She had Asriel and Makir by him. Makir was the father of Gilead. 15 Makir married a woman from among the Huppites and Shuppites. He had a sister named Maakah. Another member of Manasseh’s family line was Zelophehad. All he had was daughters. 16 Makir’s wife Maakah had a son by him. She named the boy Peresh. He had a brother named Sheresh. The sons of Sheresh were Ulam and Rakem.
17 The son of Ulam was
Bedan.
These were the members of the family line of Makir, the son of Manasseh. Gilead was the son of Makir.
18 Gilead’s sister was Hammoleketh. She was the mother of Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah.
19 The sons of Shemida were
Ahian, Shechem, Likhi and Aniam.
The Family Line of Ephraim
20 Here are the members of the family line of Ephraim.
Shuthelah was Ephraim’s son.
Bered was Shuthelah’s son.
Tahath was Bered’s son.
Eleadah was Tahath’s son.
Tahath was Eleadah’s son.
21 Zabad was Tahath’s son.
And Shuthelah was Zabad’s son.
Men from Gath killed Ezer and Elead when they went down to steal their livestock. 22 Their father Ephraim mourned for them for many days. His relatives came to comfort him. 23 Then he slept with his wife. She became pregnant and had a baby boy. Ephraim named him Beriah. That’s because something bad had happened in his family. 24 His daughter was Sheerah. She built Lower and Upper Beth Horon. She also built Uzzen Sheerah.
25 Rephah was Beriah’s son.
Resheph was Rephah’s son.
Telah was Resheph’s son.
Tahan was Telah’s son.
26 Ladan was Tahan’s son.
Ammihud was Ladan’s son.
Elishama was Ammihud’s son.
27 Nun was Elishama’s son.
And Joshua was the son of Nun.
28 The lands and settlements of the members of Ephraim’s line included Bethel and the villages around it. Naaran was on the east. Gezer and its villages were on the west. The lands and settlements included Shechem. They also included the villages around Shechem all the way to Ayyah and its villages. 29 Along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo and Dor, together with their villages. The members of the family line of Joseph lived in these towns. Joseph was the son of Israel.
The Family Line of Asher
30 The sons of Asher were
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. They had a sister named Serah.
31 The sons of Beriah were
Heber and Malkiel. Malkiel was the father of Birzaith.
32 Heber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham and their sister Shua.
33 The sons of Japhlet were
Pasak, Bimhal and Ashvath.
They were Japhlet’s sons.
34 The sons of Shomer were
Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah and Aram.
35 The sons of Shomer’s brother Helem were
Zophah, Imna, Shelesh and Amal.
36 The sons of Zophah were
Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran and Beera.
38 The sons of Jether were
Jephunneh, Pispah and Ara.
39 The sons of Ulla were
Arah, Hanniel and Rizia.
40 All of them were members of the family line of Asher. They were the leaders of their families. They were fine men. They were brave fighting men. They were outstanding leaders. The total number of men who were ready for battle was 26,000. They were listed in their family history.
The Family History of Saul
8 Benjamin was the father of
Bela. Bela was his first son.
Ashbel was his second son. Aharah was the third.
2 Nohah was the fourth. And Rapha was the fifth.
3 The sons of Bela were
Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan and Huram.
6 Here are the members of the family line of Ehud. They were the leaders of the families who were living in Geba. Later, they were taken away from their own land. They were forced to go to Manahath. 7 The sons of Ehud were
Naaman, Ahijah and Gera. Gera took them away from their land. He was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.
8 Sons were born to Shaharaim in Moab. That happened after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. 9 His wife Hodesh had sons by him. Their names were Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam, 10 Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. His sons were the leaders of their families. 11 His wife Hushim had Abitub and Elpaal by him.
12 The sons of Elpaal were
Eber, Misham and Shemed. Shemed built Ono and Lod and the villages around it. 13 Beriah and Shema were also sons of Elpaal. They were the leaders of the families who were living in Aijalon. Beriah and Shema drove out the people who were living in Gath.
14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ishpah and Joha were the sons of Beriah.
17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah and Jobab were other sons of Elpaal.
19 Jakim, Zikri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei.
22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zikri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.
26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah and Zikri were the sons of Jeroham.
28 All these men were the leaders of their families. They were listed as chiefs in their family history. They lived in Jerusalem.
29 Jeiel lived in the city of Gibeon. He was the father of Gibeon.
Jeiel had a wife named Maakah. 30 His oldest son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zeker 32 and Mikloth. Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. Mikloth and Shimeah also lived in Jerusalem. They lived near their relatives.
33 Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.
34 The son of Jonathan was
Merib-Baal. Merib-Baal was the father of Micah.
35 The sons of Micah were
Pithon, Melek, Tarea and Ahaz. 36 Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. 37 Moza was the father of Binea. Raphah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Raphah’s son. And Azel was Eleasah’s son.
38 Azel had six sons. Their names were
Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. All of them were the sons of Azel.
39 Here are the sons of Azel’s brother Eshek.
Ulam was his first son. Jeush was the second. Eliphelet was the third. 40 The sons of Ulam were brave fighting men. They could use a bow. They had many sons and grandsons. The total number of sons and grandsons was 150.
All these men belonged to the family line of Benjamin.
Faith That Produces Action
11 Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see. 2 That is what the people of long ago were praised for.
3 We have faith. So we understand that everything was made when God commanded it. That’s why we believe that what we see was not made out of what could be seen.
4 Abel had faith. So he brought to God a better offering than Cain did. Because of his faith Abel was praised as a godly man. God said good things about his offerings. Because of his faith Abel still speaks. He speaks even though he is dead.
5 Enoch had faith. So he was taken from this life. He didn’t die. “He couldn’t be found, because God had taken him away.” (Genesis 5:24) Before God took him, Enoch was praised as one who pleased God. 6 Without faith it is impossible to please God. Those who come to God must believe that he exists. And they must believe that he rewards those who look to him.
7 Noah had faith. So he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. Because of his faith Noah showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God.
8 Abraham had faith. So he obeyed God. God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his own. So he went. He did it even though he didn’t know where he was going. 9 Because of his faith he made his home in the land God had promised him. Abraham was like an outsider in a strange country. He lived there in tents. So did Isaac and Jacob. They received the same promise he did. 10 Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations. He was waiting for the city that God planned and built. 11 And Sarah had faith. So God made it possible for her to become a mother. She became a mother even though she was too old to have children. But Sarah believed that the God who made the promise was faithful. 12 Abraham was past the time when he could have children. But many children came from that one man. They were as many as the stars in the sky. They were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. No one could count them.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They didn’t receive the things God had promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a long way off. They openly said that they were outsiders and strangers on earth. 14 People who say things like that show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 What if they had been thinking of the country they had left? Then they could have returned to it. 16 Instead, they longed for a better country. They wanted a heavenly one. So God is pleased when they call him their God. In fact, he has prepared a city for them.
17 Abraham had faith. So when God tested him, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham had held on tightly to the promises. But he was about to offer his one and only son. 18 God had said to him, “Your family line will continue through Isaac.” (Genesis 21:12) Even so, Abraham was going to offer him up. 19 Abraham did this, because he believed that God could even raise the dead. In a way, he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 Isaac had faith. So he blessed Jacob and Esau. He told them what was ahead for them.
21 Jacob had faith. So he blessed each of Joseph’s sons. He blessed them when he was dying. Because of his faith he worshiped God. Jacob worshiped as he leaned on the top of his walking stick.
22 Joseph had faith. So he spoke to the people of Israel about how they would leave Egypt someday. When his death was near, he spoke about where to bury his bones.
23 Moses’ parents had faith. So they hid him for three months after he was born. They saw he was a special child. They were not afraid of the king’s command.
24 Moses had faith. So he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. That happened after he had grown up. 25 He chose to be treated badly together with the people of God. He chose not to enjoy sin’s pleasures. They only last for a short time. 26 He suffered shame because of Christ. He thought it had great value. Moses considered it better than the riches of Egypt. He was looking ahead to his reward. 27 Because of his faith, Moses left Egypt. It wasn’t because he was afraid of the king’s anger. He didn’t let anything stop him. That’s because he saw the God who can’t be seen. 28 Because of his faith, Moses was the first to keep the Passover Feast. He commanded the people of Israel to sprinkle blood on their doorways. He did it so that the destroying angel would not touch their oldest sons.
29 The people of Israel had faith. So they passed through the Red Sea. They went through it as if it were dry land. The Egyptians tried to do it also. But they drowned.
30 Israel’s army had faith. So the walls of Jericho fell down. It happened after they had marched around the city for seven days.
31 Rahab, the prostitute, had faith. So she welcomed the spies. That’s why she wasn’t killed with those who didn’t obey God.
32 What more can I say? I don’t have time to tell about all the others. I don’t have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah. I don’t have time to tell about David and Samuel and the prophets. 33 Because of their faith they took over kingdoms. They ruled fairly. They received the blessings God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions. 34 They put out great fires. They escaped being killed by swords. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became powerful in battle. They beat back armies from other countries. 35 Women received back their dead. The dead were raised to life again. There were others who were made to suffer greatly. But they refused to be set free. They did this so that after death they would be raised to an even better life. 36 Some were made fun of and even whipped. Some were held by chains. Some were put in prison. 37 Some were killed with stones. Some were sawed in two. Some were killed by swords. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor. They were attacked. They were treated badly. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains. They lived in caves. They lived in holes in the ground.
39 All these people were praised because they had faith. But none of them received what God had promised. 40 That’s because God had planned something better for us. So they would only be made perfect together with us.
Mourn and Turn Back to the Lord
5 People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message. Hear my song of sadness about you. I say,
2 “The people of Israel have fallen.
They will never get up again.
They are deserted in their own land.
No one can lift them up.”
3 Here is what the Lord and King says to Israel.
“A thousand soldiers will march out from a city.
But only a hundred will return.
A hundred soldiers will march out from a town.
But only ten will come back.”
4 The Lord speaks to the people of Israel. He says,
“Look to me and live.
5 Do not look to Bethel.
Do not go to Gilgal.
Do not travel to Beersheba.
The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners.
Nothing will be left of Bethel.”
6 Israel, look to the Lord and live.
If you don’t, he will sweep through
the tribes of Joseph like a fire.
It will burn everything up.
And Bethel won’t have anyone to put it out.
7 There are people among you who turn what is fair into something bitter.
They throw down to the ground what is right.
8 The Lord made the Pleiades and Orion.
He turns midnight into sunrise.
He makes the day fade into night.
He sends for the waters in the clouds.
Then he pours them out on the surface of the land.
His name is the Lord.
9 With a flash of light he destroys places of safety.
He tears down cities
that have high walls around them.
10 There are people among you who hate anyone who stands for justice in court.
They hate those who tell the truth.
11 You make poor people pay tax on their straw.
You also tax their grain.
So, even though you have built stone houses,
you won’t live in them.
You have planted fruitful vineyards.
But you won’t drink the wine they produce.
12 I know how many crimes you have committed.
You have sinned far too much.
Among you are people who crush those who have done no wrong.
They accept money from people who want special favors.
They take away the rights of poor people in the courts.
13 So those who are wise keep quiet in times like these.
That’s because the times are evil.
14 Look to what is good, not to what is evil.
Then you will live.
And the Lord God who rules over all
will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil and love good.
Do what is fair in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God who rules over all
will have mercy on you.
After all, you are the only ones left
in the family line of Joseph.
16 The Lord God rules over all. The Lord says,
“People will weep in all the streets.
They will be very sad in every market place.
Even farmers will be told to cry loudly.
People will mourn for the dead.
17 Workers will cry in all the vineyards.
That’s because I will punish you,”
says the Lord.
The Day of the Lord Is Coming
18 How terrible it will be for you
who long for the day of the Lord!
Why do you want it to come?
That day will be dark, not light.
19 It will be like a man running away from a lion
only to meet a bear.
He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall
only to be bitten by a snake.
20 The day of the Lord will be dark, not light.
It will be very black.
There won’t be a ray of sunlight anywhere.
21 The Lord says,
“I hate your holy feasts.
I can’t stand them.
Your gatherings stink.
22 You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings.
But I will not accept them.
You bring your best friendship offerings.
But I will not even look at them.
23 Take the noise of your songs away!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 I want you to treat others fairly.
So let fair treatment roll on
just as a river does!
Always do what is right.
Let right living flow along
like a stream that never runs dry!
25 “People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
for 40 years in the desert?
26 Yes. But you have honored the place
where your king worshiped other gods.
You have carried the stands
the statues of your gods were on.
You have lifted up the banners
of the stars you worship as gods.
You made all those things for yourselves.
27 So I will send you away
as prisoners beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord.
His name is God Who Rules Over All.
Luke Writes an Orderly Report
1 Many people have attempted to write about the things that have taken place among us. 2 Reports of these things were handed down to us. There were people who saw these things for themselves from the beginning. They saw them and then passed the word on. 3 With this in mind, I myself have carefully looked into everything from the beginning. So I also decided to write down an orderly report of exactly what happened. I am doing this for you, most excellent Theophilus. 4 I want you to know that the things you have been taught are true.
The Coming Birth of John the Baptist
5 Herod was king of Judea. During the time he was ruling, there was a priest named Zechariah. He belonged to a group of priests named after Abijah. His wife Elizabeth also came from the family line of Aaron. 6 Both of them did what was right in the sight of God. They obeyed all the Lord’s commands and rules faithfully. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was not able to have any. And they were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah’s group was on duty. He was serving as a priest in God’s temple. 9 He happened to be chosen, in the usual way, to go into the temple of the Lord. There he was supposed to burn incense. 10 The time came for this to be done. All who had gathered to worship were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. The angel was standing at the right side of the incense altar. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was amazed and terrified. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a child. It will be a boy, and you must call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you. His birth will make many people very glad. 15 He will be important in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or other such drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will have the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will bring peace between parents and their children. He will teach people who don’t obey to be wise and do what is right. In this way, he will prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is old too.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I serve God. I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will have to be silent. You will not be able to speak until after John is born. That’s because you did not believe my words. They will come true at the time God has chosen.”
21 During that time, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the temple. They wondered why he stayed there so long. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple. They knew this because he kept gesturing to them. He still could not speak.
23 When his time of service was over, he returned home. 24 After that, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She stayed at home for five months. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days, he has been kind to me. He has taken away my shame among the people.”
The Coming Birth of Jesus
26 In the sixth month after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. 27 He was sent to a virgin. The girl was engaged to a man named Joseph. He came from the family line of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel greeted her and said, “The Lord has blessed you in a special way. He is with you.”
29 Mary was very upset because of his words. She wondered what kind of greeting this could be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you. 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king like his father David of long ago. 33 The Son of the Most High God will rule forever over his people. They are from the family line of Jacob. That kingdom will never end.”
34 “How can this happen?” Mary asked the angel. “I am a virgin.”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God. 36 Your relative Elizabeth will have a child even though she is old. People thought she could not have children. But she has been pregnant for six months now. 37 That’s because what God says will always come true.”
38 “I serve the Lord,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me just as you said it would.” Then the angel left her.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.