M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
21 Also the sons of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, and said, None of us shall give to the sons of Benjamin a wife of his daughters. (At Mizpeh the Israelites had sworn, and said, None of us shall give any of his daughters for a wife to the Benjaminites.)
2 And all came to the house of God in Shiloh, and they sat in the sight of him till to eventide, and they raised their voice, and began to weep with great yelling, (And now when they all came to Bethel in the presence of God, they sat before him until the evening, and they raised up their voices, and began to weep with great yelling,)
3 and said, Lord God of Israel, why is this evil done in thy people, that today one lineage be taken away of us? (and they said, Lord God of Israel, why is this evil done among thy people, that today one tribe was taken away from us?)
4 Soothly in the tother day they rised early, and builded an altar, and offered there burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices, (And the next day they rose up early, and built an altar there, and offered burnt sacrifices, and peace offerings,)
5 and said, Who of all the lineages of Israel went not up into the host of the Lord? For when they were in Mizpeh, they had bound themselves with a full great oath, that they that failed (to go up) thence should be (made) dead. (and they said, Who out of all the tribes of Israel did not go up to the gathering unto the Lord? For when they were in Mizpeh, they had bound themselves with a very great, or a very solemn, oath, that anyone who failed to go up there should be put to death.)
6 And the sons of Israel were led by penance on their brother Benjamin, and began to say, One lineage of Israel is taken away; (And the Israelites felt great remorse, or regret, over their kinsmen the Benjaminites, and said again, Today one of Israel’s tribes was taken from us;)
7 whereof shall they take wives? certainly all we have sworn in common, that we shall not give our daughters to them. (where shall they get wives? for we have all sworn in common, that we shall not give any of our daughters to them.)
8 Then they said, Who is it of all the lineages of Israel, that went not up to the Lord in Mizpeh? And lo! the dwellers of Jabesh of Gilead were found, that they were not in that host. (And again they said, Who is it out of all of Israel’s tribes, who did not go up unto the Lord at Mizpeh? And lo! the inhabitants of Jabesh of Gilead were found, that they had not been in that gathering.)
9 Also in that time, when they were in Shiloh, none of them was found there. (And there at Bethel, when the men were numbered, or were listed, none of the sons of Jabesh of Gilead was found to be there.)
10 Therefore they sent ten thousand (of the) strongest men, and commanded to them, Go ye, and smite the dwellers of Jabesh of Gilead by the sharpness of sword, as well the wives as the little children of them. (And so they sent twelve thousand of their strongest men, and commanded to them, Go ye, and strike down the people of Jabesh of Gilead with thy sharp swords, and their wives as well as their little children.)
11 And this thing shall be to you, that ye shall keep; slay ye all of male kind, and the women that have known men fleshly; reserve ye the virgins/but keep ye the maidens. (And this word shall be to you, that ye shall obey; kill ye all the males, and the women who have fleshly known men; but reserve ye the virgins/but keep ye the maidens.)
12 And four hundred virgins, that knew not the bed of (a) man, were found (among the people) of Jabesh of Gilead; and they brought them to the tents in Shiloh, into the land of Canaan.
13 And Israel sent messengers to the sons of Benjamin, that were in the stone of Rimmon; and they commanded to them, that they should receive those women in peace. (And then the Israelites sent messengers to the Benjaminites, who were at the Rock of Rimmon; and they agreed to make peace.)
14 And the sons of Benjamin came (back) in that time, and the daughters of Jabesh of Gilead were given to them to wives; for they found none other women, which they should give to them in like manner. (And then the Benjaminites came back, and the daughters of Jabesh of Gilead were given to them for wives; but they found no other women, whom they could give to them in like manner.)
15 And all Israel sorrowed greatly, and did penance on the slaying of one lineage of Israel. (And all Israel greatly sorrowed, and had great remorse, or regret, over the killing of one of the tribes of Israel.)
16 And the greater men in birth said, What shall we do to the other men, that have not taken wives? All the women in the lineage of Benjamin have fallen down, (And the men of great age, that is, the elders, said, What shall we do for the other men who have not received wives? For all the women in the tribe of Benjamin have been killed,)
17 and it is to us to purvey with great care and great study, that one lineage be not done away from Israel. (and it is for us to find a way, so that one tribe be not done away from Israel.)
18 We may not give our daughters to them, for we be bound with an oath and cursing, by which we said, Be he cursed that giveth of his daughters (for) a wife to Benjamin.
19 And they took counsel, and said, Lo! the solemnity of the Lord is in Shiloh, (after) the year’s turning about, that is set at the north coast of the city of Bethel, and at the east coast of the way that goeth from Bethel to Shechem, and at the south of the city of Lebonah. (And they took counsel, and said, Lo! the Feast of the Lord shall soon be in Shiloh, after the year’s turning about, yea, that city which is north of the city of Bethel, and to the east on the way that goeth from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of the city of Lebonah.)
20 And they commanded to the sons of Benjamin, and said, Go ye, and be ye hid in [the] vineries; (And they commanded to the Benjaminites, and said, Go ye, and be ye hid there in the vineyards;)
21 and when ye see [the] daughters of Shiloh go forth by custom to lead dances, go ye out of the vineries suddenly, and ravish ye them, each man one wife, and go ye into the land of Benjamin. (and when ye see the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance, quickly go ye out of the vineyards, and seize ye them, each man one wife, and then go ye back to the land of Benjamin.)
22 And when the fathers and brethren of them shall come, and begin to complain and plead against you, we shall say to them, Have ye mercy of them; for we took not from a man his wife in battle, neither ye gave (them) to them, (so) why ye shall be blamed in time. (And when their fathers and their brothers shall come to you, and begin to complain and plead against you, ye shall say to them, Have ye mercy on us; for we did not take a wife from any man in battle, nor did ye give them to us, and so ye shall not be blamed for breaking the oath.)
23 And the sons of Benjamin did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they ravished wives to them, each man one wife, of them that led (the) dances. And they went into their possession, and builded cities, and dwelled in those. (And the Benjaminites did as it was commanded to them, and by their number they seized wives for themselves, each man one wife, out of those who led the dances. And then they went back to their possessions, and builded cities, and lived in them.)
24 And the sons of Israel turned again, by their lineages and families, into their tabernacles. (And the Israelites returned, by their tribes and families, to their inheritances, or their possessions.)
25 In those days was no king in Israel, but each man did that thing, that seemed rightful to himself. (In those days there was no king in Israel, but each person did what seemed right to himself.)
25 Therefore when Festus came into the province, after the third day he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 And the princes of priests, and the worthiest of the Jews went to him against Paul [And the prince of priests, and the first of Jews went to him against Paul], and prayed him,
3 and asked grace against him, that he should command him to be led to Jerusalem; and they set ambush to slay him in the way [setting ambush to slay him in the way].
4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept in Caesarea; soothly that he himself should proceed more advisedly [soothly that he himself should go forth more ripely, or hastily].
5 Therefore he said, They that in you be mighty, come down together; and if any crime is in the man, accuse they him [accuse him].
6 And he dwelled among them no more than eight either ten days, and came down to Caesarea [Soothly he dwelling among them no more than eight or ten days, came down to Caesarea]; and the tother day he sat for doomsman, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was brought forth, Jews stood about him, which came down from Jerusalem, putting against him many and grievous causes, which they might not prove.
8 For Paul yielded reason in all things, That neither against the law of Jews, neither against the temple, neither against the emperor [neither against Caesar], I sinned any thing.
9 But Festus would do grace to the Jews, and answered to Paul, and said [Forsooth Festus willing to give grace to the Jews, answering to Paul, said], Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be deemed of these things before me?
10 And Paul said, At the doom place of the emperor I stand [At the doom place of Caesar I stand], where it behooveth me to be deemed. I have not harmed the Jews, as thou knowest well.
11 For if I have harmed, either done any thing worthy death, I forsake not to die; but if nothing of those is, that they accuse me, no man may give me to them. I appeal to the emperor.[a]
12 Then Festus spake with the council, and answered, To the emperor thou hast appealed, to the emperor thou shalt go [To Caesar thou hast appealed, to Caesar thou shalt go].
13 And when some days were passed, Agrippa king, and Bernice came down to Caesarea, to welcome Festus [to greet well Festus].
14 And when they dwelled there many days, Festus showed to the king of Paul, and said, A man is left bound of Felix [saying, Some man is left bound of Felix],
15 of which, when I was at Jerusalem, princes of priests and the elder men of the Jews came to me, and asked damnation against him [asking damnation against him].
16 To whom I answered, That it is not custom to Romans, to damn any man, before that he that is accused have his accusers present, and take place of defending, to put away the crimes, that be put against him.[b]
17 Therefore when they came together hither, without any delay, in the day following I sat for doomsman, and commanded the man to be brought.
18 And when his accusers stood [Of whom when the accusers stood nigh], they said no cause, of which things I had suspicion of evil.
19 But they had against him some questions of their vain worshipping [of their vain worshipping, or religion], and of one Jesus dead, whom Paul affirmed to live.
20 And I doubted of such manner questions, and said, Whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be deemed of these things?
21 But for Paul appealed, that he should be kept to the knowing of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept, till I send him to the emperor [till I shall send him to Caesar].
22 And Agrippa said to Festus, I myself would hear the man. And he said, To morrow thou shalt hear him. [Soothly Agrippa said to Festus, And I myself would hear the man. To morrow, he said, thou shalt hear him.]
23 And on the tother day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great desire [when Agrippa and Bernice came with much ambition, or pride of state], and entered into the auditorium, with tribunes and the principal men of the city, when Festus bade, Paul was brought.
24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men that be with us, ye see this man, of which all the multitude of Jews prayed me at Jerusalem, and asked, and cried, that he should live no longer[c].
25 But I found, that he had done nothing worthy of death; and I deemed to send him to the emperor, for he appealed this thing [soothly him appealing this thing to the emperor, I deemed to send].
26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
27 For it is seen to me without reason, to send a bound man, and not to signify the cause of him.
35 The word that was made of the Lord to Jeremy, in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, and said, (The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremiah, in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, and said,)
2 Go thou to the house of Rechabites, and speak thou to them; and thou shalt bring them into the house of the Lord, into one chamber of [the] treasuries, and thou shalt give to them to drink wine. (Go thou to the house of the Rechabites, and speak thou to them; and thou shalt bring them into the House of the Lord, into one of the chambers, or one of the rooms, and thou shalt give them some wine to drink.)
3 And I took Jaazaniah, the son of Jeremy, son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all the sons of him, and all the house of Rechabites. (And I went to Jaazaniah, the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brothers, and all their sons, and all the house of the Rechabites.)
4 And I led them into the house of the Lord, to the treasury of the sons of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, the man of God; which treasury was beside the treasury of [the] princes, (and) above the treasury of Maaseiah, son of Shallum, that was keeper of the vestiary. (And I led them into the House of the Lord, to the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, the man of God; which chamber was beside the chamber of the leaders, and above the chamber of Maaseiah, the son of Shallum, who was the guard, or the door-keeper.)
5 And I setted before the sons of the house of Rechabites pecks, and great cups full of wine; and I said to them, Drink ye (some) wine.
6 And they answered, We shall not drink wine; for why Jonadab, our father, the son of Rechab, commanded to us, and said, Ye shall not drink wine, ye and your sons, till into without end;
7 and ye shall not build an house, and ye shall not sow seed, and ye shall not plant vines, neither (ye) shall have (any), but ye shall dwell in tabernacles in all your days (but ye shall live in tents all your lives), (so) that ye (may) live many days on the face of [the] earth, in which ye go in pilgrimage.
8 Therefore we obeyed to the voice of Jonadab, our father, the son of Rechab, in all things which he commanded to us; so that we drank not wine in all our days, we, and our women, our sons, and (our) daughters;
9 and we builded not houses to dwell (in), and we had not a vinery, and a field, and seed; (and we did not build any houses to live in, and we do not have any vineyards, or any fields, or any seed;)
10 but we dwelled in tabernacles (but we lived in tents), and were obeying, and did by all things, which Jonadab, our father, commanded to us.
11 But when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had ascended to this land, we said, Come ye, and enter we into Jerusalem, from the face of the host of Chaldees, and from the face of the host of Syria; and we dwelled in Jerusalem. (But when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came into this land, we said, Come ye, and go we to Jerusalem, away from the Chaldean army, and away from the Syrian army; and so we stayed in Jerusalem.)
12 And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, and said,
13 The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, Go thou, and say to the men of Judah, and to the dwellers of Jerusalem, Whether ye shall not take teaching, that ye obey to my words, saith the Lord? (The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith these things, Go thou, and say to the people of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Shall ye not receive teaching, or instruction, so that ye obey my words? saith the Lord.)
14 The words of Jonadab, son of Rechab, had the mastery, which he commanded to his sons, that they should not drink wine; and they drink not, unto this day; for they obeyed to the commandment of their father; but I spake to you, and I rose (up) full early, and spake, and ye obeyed not to me.
15 And I sent to you all my servants (the) prophets, and I rose (up) full early, and I sent, and said, Be ye converted, each man from his worst way, and make ye good your studies, and do not ye follow alien gods, neither worship ye them, and ye shall dwell in the land, which I gave to you, and to your fathers; and ye bowed not [in] your ear, neither heard me. (And I sent my servants the prophets to all of you, yea, I rose up very early, and I sent them, and I said, Each person, turn ye away from his worst ways, and do ye good deeds, and do not ye follow strange, or foreign, gods, nor worship ye them, and then ye shall live in the land, which I gave to you, and to your forefathers; but ye bowed not in your ear, nor did ye listen to me.)
16 Therefore the sons of Jonadab, son of Rechab, made steadfast the commandment of their father, which he commanded to them; but this people obeyed not to me.
17 Therefore the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, Lo! I shall bring on Judah, and on all the dwellers of Jerusalem (and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem), all the torment which I spake against them; for I spake to them, and they heard not; I called them, and they answered not to me.
18 Forsooth Jeremy said to the house of Rechabites, The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, For that that ye obeyed to the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his commandments, and did all things, which he commanded to you;
19 therefore the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, A man of the generation of Jonadab, son of Rechab, shall not fail standing in my sight in all days. (and so the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith these things, One of the descendants of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, shall always stand before me.)
7 For the ignorance of David, which he sang to the Lord, on the words of (the) Ethiopian, the son of Benjamin. My Lord God, I have hoped in thee; make thou me safe from all that pursue me, and deliver thou me. (For the sin of ignorance by David, which he sang to the Lord, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. My Lord God, I put my trust in thee; save thou me from all who persecute me, and rescue thou me.)
2 Lest any time he as a lion ravish my soul; while none there is that again-buyeth, neither that maketh safe. (Lest any time they tear me apart like a lion; when there is no one who can save me.)
3 My Lord God, if I did this thing, if wickedness is in mine hands, or works (if there is wickedness, or a stain, upon my hands, or deeds);
4 if I yielded to men yielding to me evils, fall I by deserving void from mine enemies; (if I gave back evil to those who first did good to me, let me deservedly fall before my enemies;)
5 mine enemy pursue he my soul, and take he, and defoul my life in earth; and bring my glory into dust. (let my enemy persecute me, and take hold of me, and tread me down into the ground; and bring my honour down into the dust, or down into the dirt.)
6 Lord, rise thou up in thine ire; and be thou raised (up) in the coasts of mine enemies. And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the commandment, which thou hast commanded (And, my Lord God, rise thou up in the justice, or in the judgement, which thou hast commanded);
7 and the synagogue of peoples shall (en)compass thee. And for this go thou again on high; (and the congregation of the people shall surround thee. And for them, go thou again on high;)
8 the Lord deemeth peoples. Lord, deem thou me by my rightfulness; and by mine innocence on me. (and then let the Lord judge the people. Lord, judge thou me according to my righteousness; and the innocence which is in me.)
9 The wickedness of sinners be ended; and thou, God, seeking the hearts, that is, thoughts, and reins, that is, delightings, shall (ad)dress a just man. (Let the wickedness of the sinners be ended; and thou, O God, who judgeth our thoughts, and our desires, shall direct the righteous.)
10 My just help is of the Lord; that maketh safe rightful men in heart. (My righteous help is from the Lord; who saveth the upright in heart.)
11 The Lord is a just judge, strong and patient; whether he is wroth by all days? (The Lord is a righteous judge; every day he is angry with the wicked.)
12 If ye be not converted (If they be not turned from their evil ways), he shall flourish his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 And therein he hath made ready the vessels of death; he hath fully made his arrows with burning things.
14 Lo! the wicked hath conceived sorrow; he painfully hath brought forth unrightfulness, and he hath childed wickedness. (Lo! he who is wicked hath conceived many ways to bring sorrow; yea, he hath painfully brought forth unrighteousness, and he hath birthed wickedness.)
15 He opened a pit, and digged it out; and he fell into the ditch which he made. (He opened a pit, and dug it out; but he himself shall fall into the ditch, which he hath made.)
16 His sorrow shall be turned into his head; and his wickedness shall come down into his neck. (His sorrow shall return onto his own head; and his wickedness shall come down onto his own neck.)
17 I shall acknowledge to the Lord by his rightfulness; and I shall sing to the name of the highest Lord. (I shall praise the Lord for his righteousness; and I shall sing to the name of the Most High Lord.)
8 To the overcomer, for pressers, the psalm of David. Lord, thou art our Lord; thy name is full wonderful in all [the] earth. For thy great doing is raised up, above (the) heavens. (To the overcomer, at the winepresses, the song of David. Lord, thou art our Lord; thy name is most wonderful in all the earth. And thy great doing is raised up, above the heavens.)
2 Of the mouth of young children, not speaking and sucking milk, thou hast made perfect praising, for thine enemies; that thou destroy the enemy and the avenger. (Out of the mouths of young children, who do not speak, but who suck milk, thou hast rebuked thy mighty enemies; yea, thou hast destroyed the enemy and the avenger.)
3 For I shall see thine heavens, the works of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, which thou hast founded.
4 What is a man, that is mankind, that thou art mindful of him; either the son of a virgin [or the son of man], for thou visitest him? (What is a man, that is humankind, that thou art mindful of him; or who is the son of a man, that thou should care about him?)
5 Thou hast made him a little less than (the) angels; (but) thou hast crowned him with glory and honour,
6 and thou hast ordained him above the works of thine hands. Thou hast made subject all things under his feet; (and thou hast ordained him over all thy creatures. Yea, thou hast put all things under his feet;)
7 all sheep and oxen, furthermore and the beasts of the field; (all the sheep and the oxen, and furthermore, the beasts of the fields, that is, the wild beasts;)
8 the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, (and all the other creatures) that pass by the paths of the sea. (and the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and all the other creatures that go along the paths of the sea.)
9 Lord, our Lord; how wonderful is thy name in all [the] earth.
2001 by Terence P. Noble