M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

19 In those days was no king in Israel. A man was a deacon, dwelling in the side of the hill of Ephraim, the which took a (secondary) wife of Bethlehem of Judah. (In those days there was no king in Israel. And there was a man who was a Levite, living far back, or deep, in the hill country of Ephraim, who took a secondary wife, or a concubine, of Bethlehem in Judah.)

² And she did fornication on him, and turned again into the house of her father in Bethlehem, and she dwelled at him four months. (And she did fornication against him/And she was angry with him, and returned to her father’s house in Bethlehem, and she stayed with him for four months.)

³ And her husband followed her, and he would be reconciled to her, and to speak fair with her, and to lead her again with him; and he had in his company a servant, and twain asses (And then her husband came to her, to be reconciled with her, and to speak kindly to her, and to bring her home again with him; and he had in his company a servant, and two donkeys). And she received him, and brought him into her father’s house; and when his wife’s father had heard this, and saw him, he ran gladly to him, and embraced the man.

⁴ And the husband of the daughter dwelled in the house of his wife’s father (for) three days, and ate and drank at home with him.

⁵ And the fourth day, the deacon rose by night, and would have gone forth; whom his wife’s father held, and said to him, Taste thou first a little bread, and comfort thy stomach, and so thou shalt go forth. (And on the fourth day, the Levite rose early, and desired to go home; but his wife’s father took hold of him, and said to him, Eat thou first a little bread, and comfort thy stomach, and then thou shalt go forth.)

⁶ And they sat together, and ate, and drank. And the father of the damsel said to his daughter’s husband, I beseech thee, that thou dwell here today (I beseech thee, that thou stay here today), and that we be glad together.

⁷ And he rose, and began to desire to go; and nevertheless, his wife’s father held him again meekly, and made him to dwell with him. (And the Levite rose up, and desired to go; but his wife’s father meekly held onto him again, and made him stay there with him.)

⁸ And when the morrowtide was made, the deacon made him(self) ready to go (on) his way; to whom his wife’s father said again, I beseech thee, that thou take a little meat, and make thee strong till the day increase, and afterward go thou forth. Then they ate together (And so they ate together again).

⁹ And the young man rose to go forth with his wife, and with the servant; to whom the father of his wife spake again, Behold thou, that the day is far forth gone toward the [sun] going down, and it nigheth to the eventide; dwell thou with me also today, and lead thou with me a glad day, and tomorrow thou shalt go forth, that thou go into thine house. (And then the young man rose up to go forth with his concubine, and with his servant; but his wife’s father spoke to him again, and said, See thou, that the day hath gone far toward the sun going down, and it nigheth to the evening; stay thou here with me also this night, and have thou a happy evening with me, and tomorrow thou shalt go forth, and go to thy house.)

¹⁰ (But) The daughter’s husband would not assent to his words; but he went forth at once, and came (over) against Jebus, which by another name is called Jerusalem; and he led with him two asses charged, and his [secondary] wife (and he went with his two laden donkeys, and his concubine, and his servant).

¹¹ And now they were beside Jebus, and the day was changed into night. And the servant said to his lord, Come thou, I beseech thee, bow we [down] to the city of Jebus, and dwell we therein (let us turn in to the city of Jebus, and stay we there).

¹² To whom his lord answered, I shall not enter into the city of an alien folk, which is not of the sons of Israel, but I shall pass forth into Gibeah; (To whom his lord answered, I shall not go into the city of a foreign people, who be not Israelites, but I shall go forth to Gibeah;)

¹³ and when I shall come thither, we shall dwell therein, or else in the city of Ramah.

¹⁴ Therefore they passed Jebus, and took the way begun. And the sun went down to them beside Gibeah, which is in the lineage of Benjamin (And the sun went down on them when they reached Gibeah, which is in the tribe of Benjamin);

¹⁵ and (so) they turned (in) to Gibeah, that they would dwell there. Whither when they had entered, they sat in the street of the city, and no man would receive them to harbour (but no one would give them any lodging).

¹⁶ And lo! an eld man turned again from the field, and from his work in the eventide, and appeared to them, which also himself was of the hill of Ephraim, and he dwelled a pilgrim in Gibeah. And men of that country were of the sons of Benjamin. (And lo! an old man returned from the field, from his work in the evening, and appeared before them, and he was also from the hill country of Ephraim, but now he lived in Gibeah. But men of that place were Benjaminites.)

¹⁷ And when the eld man raised up his eyes, he saw a man sitting with his fardels in the street of the city; and he said to him, From whence comest thou? and whither goest thou?

¹⁸ Which answered to him, We went forth from Bethlehem of Judah, and we go to our place, which is in the side of the hill of Ephraim (which is deep in the hill country of Ephraim), from whence we went (out) to Bethlehem; and now we go to the house of God, and no man will receive us under his roof,

¹⁹ and we have provender and hay into meat of our asses, and bread and wine into mine uses, and of thine handmaid, and of the servant which is with me; we have no need to anything, but to harbour. (and we have provender and hay for food for our donkeys, and bread and wine for my use, and for my concubine, and for the servant who is with me; yea, we have no need of anything, except lodging.)

²⁰ To whom the eld man answered, Peace be with thee; I shall give (thee) all things, that be needful; only, I beseech, dwell thou not in the street (only, I beseech thee, do not thou stay in the street).

²¹ And he brought him into his house, and gave meat to the asses; and after that they washed their feet, he received them into feast. (And he brought them into his house, and gave him food for the donkeys; and after that they had washed their feet, he gave them dinner.)

²² (And) While they ate, and refreshed their bodies with meat and drink after the travail of their way, men of that city came, the sons of Belial, that is, (them) without (a) yoke, and they compassed the old man’s house (and they surrounded the old man’s house), and began to knock on the doors; and they cried to the lord of the house, and said, Lead out the man that entered into thine house, (so) that we (can) misuse him.

²³ And the eld man went out to them, and said, Do not ye, brethren, do not ye do this evil; for the man hath entered into mine harbour (for the man hath only entered into my house for lodging); and cease ye of this folly.

²⁴ I have a daughter virgin, and this man hath a [secondary] wife; and I shall bring out them to you, that ye make low them, and fulfill your lust (I have a daughter who is a virgin, and this man hath a concubine; and I shall bring them out to you, so that ye can make them low, and fulfill your lust); only, I beseech you, that ye work not this cursedness against kind with this man.

²⁵ (But) They would not assent to his words; the which thing the man seeing, he led out his [secondary] wife to them, and he betook to them her to be defouled. And when they had misused her all night, they let go her in the morrowtide. (But they would not assent to his words; and the Levite seeing that, he brought out his concubine to them, and he gave her over to them to be defiled. And when they had misused her all that night, they let her go in the morning.)

²⁶ And when the darknesses of night departed, the woman came to the door of the house, where her lord dwelled, and there she felled down.

²⁷ And when the morrowtide was made, the man (a)rose, and opened the door, for to go forth (on) his journey; and lo! his [secondary] wife lay at the door, her hands spread abroad in the threshold (and lo! his concubine lay at the door, with her hands spread abroad on the threshold).

²⁸ And he guessed her to rest (there), and spake to her, (and said,) Rise thou, and go we. And when she answered nothing, he understood that she was dead; and he took her, and put on the ass, and turned again into his house (and he took her, and put her on the donkey, and returned to his house).

²⁹ And when he entered into that house, he took a sword, and parted into twelve parts and gobbets, the dead body of the (secondary) wife, (together) [with her bones,] and sent (them) into all the terms of Israel. (And when he had entered into his house, he took a sword, or a knife, and cut the flesh and bones of the dead body of his concubine into twelve parts, or pieces, and then he sent them into all the corners of Israel.)

³⁰ And when all men had heard this, they cried, Never such a thing was done in Israel (And when all the people had heard of this, they cried, Such a thing was never done in Israel), from that day in which our fathers ascended from Egypt, till into [the] present time; say ye (the) sentence, and deem ye in common, what is needed to be done (to avenge this horrible deed).

23 And Paul beheld into the council, and said, Brethren [Paul forsooth beholding into the council, saith, Men brethren], I with all good conscience have lived before God, till into this day.

² And Ananias, prince of priests, commanded to men that stood nigh to him, that they should smite his mouth. [Soothly Ananias, prince of priests, commanded to men standing nigh, to smite his mouth.]

³ Then Paul said to him, Thou whited wall, God [shall] smite thee; thou sittest, and deemest me by the law, and against the law thou commandest me to be smitten. [Then Paul said to him, Thou wall made white, God shall smite thee; and thou sitting deemest me after the law, and against the law commandest me to be smitten.]

⁴ And they that stood nigh, said, Cursest thou the highest priest of God? [And they that stood nigh, said, Cursest thou the high priest of God?]

⁵ And Paul said, Brethren, I knew not, that he is [the] prince of priests; for it is written, Thou shalt not curse the prince of thy people.

⁶ But Paul knew, that one part was of Sadducees, and the other of Pharisees; and he cried in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am deemed of the hope and of the again-rising of dead men. [Forsooth Paul witting, for one part was of Sadducees, and the tother of Pharisees, he cried in the council, Men brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; of the hope and again-rising of dead I am deemed.]

⁷ And when he had said this thing, dissension was made betwixt [made between] the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was parted.

⁸ For Sadducees say, that no rising again of dead men is, neither angel, neither spirit; but Pharisees acknowledge ever either. [Forsooth Sadducees say, to be no rising again of dead, neither angel, neither spirit; forsooth Pharisees acknowledge both.]

⁹ And a great cry was made. And some of the Pharisees rose up [rised up], and fought, saying, We find nothing of evil in this man; what if a spirit, either an angel spake to him [what if a spirit spake to him, or angel]?

¹⁰ And when great dissension was made, the tribune dreaded, lest Paul should be drawn to pieces of them; and he commanded knights to go down, and to take him from the middle of them, and to lead him into the castles.^[a]

¹¹ And in the night following the Lord stood nigh to him, and said, Be thou steadfast; for as thou hast witnessed of me in Jerusalem, so it behooveth thee to witness also at Rome.

¹² And when the day was come, some of the Jews gathered them(selves), and made a vow, and said [saying], that they should neither eat, nor drink, till they slew Paul.

¹³ And there were more than forty men, that made this swearing together [that made this conjuration, or swearing together].

¹⁴ And they went to the princes of priests, and elder men, and said, With devotion we have avowed [us], that we shall not taste any thing, till we have slain Paul.

¹⁵ Now therefore make ye known to the tribune, with the council, that he bring him forth to you, as if ye should know something more certainly of him; and we be ready to slay him, before that he come [nigh].

¹⁶ And when the son of Paul's sister had heard the ambush, he came, and entered into the castles, and told to Paul. [Which thing when the son of Paul's sister had heard the ambush, or treason, he came, and entered into the castles, and told Paul.]

¹⁷ And Paul called to him one of the centurions, and said, Lead this young man to the tribune, for he hath something to show to him.

¹⁸ And he took him, and led to the tribune, and said, Paul, that is bound, prayed me to lead to thee this young man, that hath something to speak to thee.

¹⁹ And the tribune took his hand, and went with him asides half, and asked him, What thing is it, that thou hast to show to me?

²⁰ And he said, The Jews be accorded to pray thee, that to morrow thou bring forth Paul into the council, as if they should inquire something more certainly of him.

²¹ But believe thou not to them; for more than forty men of them ambush him, which have avowed, that they shall neither eat nor drink, till they slay him; and now they be ready, abiding thy promise.

²² Therefore the tribune let go the young man [Therefore the tribune left the young man], and commanded, that he should speak to no man, that he had made these things known to him.

²³ And he called together two centurions, and he said to them, Make ye ready two hundred knights, that they go to Caesarea, and horsemen seventy, and spearmen two hundred, from the third hour of the night.

²⁴ And make ye ready an horse, for Paul to ride on, to lead him safe to Felix, the president^[b]. For the tribune dreaded, lest the Jews would take him by the way, and slay him, and afterward he might be challenged, as he had taken money.

²⁵ [And] He wrote to him an epistle, containing these things.

²⁶ Claudius Lysias to the best Felix, president, health.

²⁷ This man that was taken of the Jews, and began to be slain, I came upon them with mine host, and delivered him from them, when I knew that he was a Roman.^[c]

²⁸ And I would know the cause, which they putted against him; and I led him to the council of them. [And I willing to know the cause, which they put against him, led him into the council of them.]

²⁹ And I found, that he was accused of questions of their law, but he had no crime worthy the death, either bonds. [Whom I found to be accused of questions of the law of them, forsooth having no crime worthy the death, or bonds.]

³⁰ And when it was told me of the ambush, that they arrayed for him, I sent him to thee, and I warned also the accusers, that they say at thee. Farewell.^[d]

³¹ And so the knights, as they were commanded [Soothly knights, after thing commanded to them], took Paul, and led him by night into Antipatris.

³² And in the day following, when the horsemen were left, that [they] should go with him, they turned again to the castles.

³³ And when they came to Caesarea, they took the epistle to the president, and they set also Paul before him. [Which when they came to Caesarea, and took the epistle to the president, they set before him also Paul.]

³⁴ And when he had read, and asked, of what province he was, and knew that he was of Cilicia,

³⁵ I shall hear thee, he said, when thine accusers [shall] come. And he commanded him to be kept in the moot hall of Herod.

33 And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, in the second time, when he was closed yet in the porch of the prison, and said, (And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremiah the second time, when he was yet enclosed in the courtyard of the prison, and said,)

² The Lord saith these things, The Lord is name of him that shall do, and form, and make ready that thing; (The Lord saith these things, he who made, and formed, and established the earth, yea, the Lord is his name;)

³ Cry thou to me, and I shall hear thee, and I shall tell to thee great things, and steadfast (and I shall tell thee great and steadfast things), which thou knowest not.

⁴ For the Lord God of Israel saith these things to the houses of this city, and to the houses of the king(s) of Judah, that be destroyed, and to the strongholds, and to the sword of men (For the Lord God of Israel saith these things about the houses of this city, and the house of the king of Judah, that shall be destroyed, by men from strongholds, wielding their swords;)

⁵ coming to fight with Chaldees, and to fill those houses with carrions of men, which I smote in my strong vengeance, and in mine indignation; and I hid my face from this city, for all the malice of them. (some shall fight against the Chaldeans, but they shall still fill those houses with the dead bodies of the people, whom I shall strike down in my strong vengeance, and in my indignation; and I hid my face from this city, for all their malice.)

⁶ Lo! I shall close together to them a wound and health (But now, I shall close up their wounds, and give them health, or healing), and I shall make them whole, and I shall show to them the beseeching of peace and of truth;

⁷ and I shall convert the conversion of Judah, and I shall convert the conversion of Jerusalem, and I shall build them [up] (again), as at the beginning. (and I shall restore the fortunes of Judah, and the fortunes of Jerusalem, and I shall rebuild them, like they were before, or at the beginning.)

⁸ And I shall cleanse them from all their wickedness, in which they sinned to me, and I shall be merciful to all the wickednesses of them, in which they trespassed to me, and forsook me. (And I shall cleanse them from all their wickedness, in which they sinned against me, and I shall be merciful to them regarding all their wickednesses, in which they trespassed against me, and deserted me.)

⁹ And they shall be to me into a name, and into joy, and into praising, and into full out joying to all folks of (the) earth, that heard (of) all the goods which I shall do to them; and they shall dread, and shall be troubled in all (the) goods, and in all the peace, which I shall do to them. (And they shall be for me a source of joy, and of praising, and of rejoicing, before all the nations of the earth, that shall hear of all the good things which I shall do for them; and those nations shall have fear, and shall tremble, over all the good things, and all the peace, which I have brought to them.)

¹⁰ The Lord saith these things, Yet in this place, which ye say to be forsaken, for no man is, neither beast, in the cities of Judah, and in the gates of Jerusalem, that be desolate, without man, and without dweller, and without beast, (The Lord saith these things, Yet again in this place, which ye say to be deserted, for there be no people, or beasts, in the cities of Judah, and within the gates of Jerusalem, which be desolate, without any people, yea, without any inhabitants, and without any beasts,)

¹¹ the voice of joy shall be heard, and the voice of gladness, the voice of spouse, and the voice of spousess, the voice of men, saying, Acknowledge ye to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his mercy is without end, and of men bearing vows into the house of the Lord; for I shall bring again the conversion of the land, as at the beginning, saith the Lord. (the sound of joy shall be heard, and the sound of happiness, the voice of the spouse, and the voice of the spousess, yea, the voice of people saying, Acknowledge ye to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his mercy is forever, as the people carry their vows, or thank offerings, into the House of the Lord; for I shall restore the fortunes of the land, as they once were, saith the Lord.)

¹² The Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet in this forsaken place, without man, and without beast, and in all cities thereof, shall be a dwelling place of shepherds, (and) of flocks lying (down). (The Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet in this deserted place, without any people, and without any beasts, and in all its cities, shall be a dwelling place for shepherds, where their flocks can lie down.)

¹³ And in the cities in [the] hilly places, and in the cities in [the] field places, and in the cities that be at the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the compass of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, yet flocks shall pass, at the hand of the numberer, saith the Lord. (And in the cities in the hills, and in the cities on the plains, or in the Negeb, and in the cities that be at the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and all around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, once again the flocks shall pass under the hand of the numberer, saith the Lord.)

¹⁴ Lo! days come, saith the Lord, and I shall raise (up) the good word, which I spake to the house of Israel, and to the house of Judah.

¹⁵ In those days, and in that time, I shall make the seed of rightfulness to burgeon to David, and he shall make doom and rightfulness in [the] earth. (In those days, and at that time, I shall make the Seed of righteousness to burgeon unto David, and He shall make justice and right/judgement and righteousness in all the land.)

¹⁶ In those days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell trustily; and this is the name which they shall call him, Our rightful Lord [The Lord our rightwise(ness)]. (In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell trustily; and the name of the city shall be The Lord is our Righteousness.)

¹⁷ For the Lord saith these things, A man of David shall not perish, that shall sit on the throne of the house of Israel; (For the Lord saith these things, A man of David shall always sit on the throne of the house of Israel;)

¹⁸ and of [the] priests and deacons, a man shall not perish from (before) my face, that shall offer burnt sacrifices, and burn sacrifices, and slay sacrifice(s), in all days. (and a priest of the Levites shall always offer the burnt sacrifices to me, and shall burn the sacrifices, and shall kill the sacrifices.)

¹⁹ And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, and said,

²⁰ The Lord saith these things, If my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, may be made void, that the day and the night be not in his time; (The Lord saith these things, Only if my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, could ever be made void, so that the day and the night be not at their proper time;)

²¹ and my covenant with David, my servant, may be voided, that of him be no son, that shall reign in his throne, and no deacons, and priests, my ministers; (then could my covenant with my servant David be made void, so that there would no longer be any of his sons, who shall reign on his throne, and no longer any priests of the Levites, who shall be my ministers;)

²² as the stars of (the) heaven(s) may not be numbered, and the gravel of the sea may not be meted, so I shall multiply the seed of David, my servant, and (the) deacons, my ministers. (for as the host of heaven cannot be numbered, and as the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I shall multiply in number the descendants of my servant David, and my ministers, the Levites.)

²³ And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, and said,

²⁴ Whether thou hast not seen, that this people spake, saying, Two kindreds which the Lord chose, be cast away, and (so) they (have) despised my people, for it is no more a folk before them. (Hast thou not heard, what this people said, saying, Two families which the Lord chose, now be cast away, and so they have despised my people, for it is no more a nation before them.)

²⁵ The Lord saith these things, If I setted not my covenant betwixt day and night, and if I setted not laws to heaven and earth; (But the Lord saith these things, If I had not made my covenant between day and night, and if I had not made my laws in the heavens and on the earth;)

²⁶ soothly and I shall cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David, my servant, that I take not (any) of the seed of him (to be) princes of the seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; for I shall bring again the conversion of them, and I shall have mercy on them. (then truly I would cast away the descendants of Jacob, and of my servant David, so that I would not take any of his descendants to be the rulers over the descendants of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; but now I shall restore their fortunes, and I shall have mercy on them.)

3 The psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Absalom, his son. Lord, why be they multiplied that trouble me? many men rise against me. (The song of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. Lord, why be there so many who trouble me? why be there so many who rise up against me?)

² Many men say of my soul, None health there is to him in his God. (Many say of me, There is no help for him from his God.)

³ But thou, Lord, art mine up-taker; my glory, and enhancing mine head. (But thou, Lord, art my defender; my glory, and the one who lifteth up my head.)

⁴ With my voice I cried to the Lord; and he heard me from his holy hill. (I cried to the Lord with my voice; and he answered me from his holy hill.)

⁵ I slept, and rested, and I rose up; for the Lord received me (for the Lord had protected me).

⁶ I shall not dread thousands of people (en)compassing me; (I shall not fear even thousands of people surrounding me;)

⁷ Lord, arise thou; my God, make me safe. For thou hast smitten all men being adversaries to me without cause; thou hast all-broken the teeth of sinners. (Lord, rise thou up; my God, save me. Thou hast struck down all who be my adversaries; thou hast broken all the teeth of the sinners.)

⁸ Health is of the Lord; and thy blessing is on thy people. (Victory is from the Lord/Salvation, or deliverance, is from the Lord; and thy blessing is upon thy people.)

4 To the victory in organs, the psalm of David. When I inwardly called, God of my rightwiseness heard me; in tribulation thou hast alarged to me. Have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer. (To victory, on instruments, the song of David. Please answer me when I call thee, O God of my righteousness. For when I was in trouble, thou set me free, or at large. So have thou mercy on me; and hear thou my prayer.)

² Sons of men, how long be ye of heavy heart? why love ye vanity, and seek leasing? (Sons and daughters of men, how long shall ye insult me? why love ye empty and futile, or worthless, things, and go after lies?)

³ And know ye, that the Lord hath made marvellous his holy man; the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him. (And know ye, that the Lord hath chosen the holy man for his own/that the Lord hath shown me his wondrous love; and that the Lord shall hear me, when I shall cry to him.)

⁴ Be ye wroth, and do not ye sin; and for those evils to which ye say in your hearts and in your beds, be ye compunct. (Be ye angry, but sin ye not; and have ye remorse for the evils which ye say in your hearts, and in your beds.)

⁵ Sacrifice ye the sacrifice of rightfulness/Offer ye an offering of rightfulness, and hope ye in the Lord; (Offer ye a righteous sacrifice, and trust ye in the Lord;)

⁶ many say, Who showed good things to us? Lord, the light of thy cheer is marked upon us; (many say, Who hath shown us any good thing? Lord, shine the light of thy face upon us!)

⁷ thou hast given gladness in mine heart. They be multiplied of the fruit of wheat, and of wine; and of their oil. (But thou hast put more gladness in my heart, than they have ever had; yea, even when their corn, and their wine, were plentiful.)

⁸ In peace in the same thing; I shall sleep, and take rest. For thou, Lord; hast set me singularly in hope/hast set me only in hope. (And so I shall lie down in peace; and sleep. For thou alone, Lord, hast given me hope/hast made me safe.)