M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

21 Soothly Satan rose against Israel, and stirred David for to number Israel. (And Satan rose up against Israel, and stirred David to count the Israelites.)

² And David said to Joab, and to the princes of the people, Go ye, and number all Israel from Beersheba till to Dan, and bring ye the number to me, that I know what it is. (And David said to Joab, and to the leaders of the people, Go ye, and count up all Israel from Beersheba unto Dan, and bring ye the number to me, so that I know what it is.)

³ And Joab answered, The Lord increase his people an hundredfold more than they be; (but) my lord the king, whether (they) all be not thy servants? Why seeketh my lord this thing, that shall be areckoned into sin to Israel? (that shall be reckoned as a sin by Israel?)

⁴ But the word of the king had more the mastery; and Joab went out, and compassed all Israel, and turned again into Jerusalem. (But the word of the king had more the mastery; and Joab went out, and went all around Israel, and then returned to Jerusalem.)

⁵ And he gave to David the number of them, which he had compassed; and all the number of Israel was found a thousand thousand, and an hundred thousand of men, drawing out sword; forsooth of Judah were three hundred thousand, and seventy thousand warriors. (And he gave David the number of them, which he had counted; and all the number of Israel was found to be a thousand thousand, and a hundred thousand men drawing out the sword; and in Judah there were four hundred and seventy thousand warriors.)

⁶ But Joab numbered not Levi and Benjamin, for against his will he did the commandment of the king. (But Joab did not count the Levites and the Benjaminites, for he did the king’s commandment against his own will.)

⁷ Forsooth that thing that was commanded displeased the Lord, therefore he smote Israel. (But what was commanded displeased the Lord, and so he struck Israel.)

⁸ And David said to God, I have sinned greatly, that I would do this thing; I beseech thee, Lord, do thou away the wickedness of thy servant, for I did follily. (And David said to God, I have greatly sinned, that I would do this thing; I beseech thee, Lord, do thou away the wickedness of thy servant, for I did foolishly.)

⁹ And the Lord spake to Gad, the prophet of David, and said to him,

¹⁰ Go thou, and speak to David, and say to him, The Lord saith these things, I give to thee the choosing of three things; choose thou one which thou wilt, that I do to thee.

¹¹ And when Gad was come to David, he said to David, The Lord saith these things, Choose thou that that thou wilt of these (Choose thou what thou wilt from these three punishments),

¹² either pestilence three years, either that three months thou flee thine enemies, and be not able to escape their sword, either that the sword of the Lord and death reign three days in the land, and that the angel of the Lord slay in all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore see thou, what I shall answer to him that sent me. (either three years of famine, or for three months thou shalt flee thy enemies, and not be able to escape their swords, or for three days the sword of the Lord, that is, pestilence, shall reign in the land, and the angel of the Lord shall kill in all of Israel’s coasts. And so now say thou, what shall I answer to him who sent me.)

¹³ And David said to Gad, Anguishes oppress me on each part, but it is better to me (but it is better for me), that I fall into the hands of the Lord, for his merciful doings be many, then into the hands of men.

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord sent pestilence into Israel, and seventy thousand of men felled down of Israel. (And so the Lord sent pestilence into Israel, and seventy thousand Israelites died.)

¹⁵ Also the Lord sent an angel into Jerusalem, that he should smite it; and when it was smitten, the Lord saw, and had mercy upon the greatness of (the) evil; and he commanded to the angel that smote, and said, It sufficeth, now thine hand cease. And the angel of the Lord stood beside the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite. (And the Lord sent an angel into Jerusalem, to strike it; and when it was struck, the Lord saw, and had mercy on the greatness of the evil; and he commanded to the angel who struck it, and said, It sufficeth, now stay thy hand. And the angel of the Lord stood still beside the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.)

¹⁶ And David raised up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing betwixt heaven and (the) earth, and a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem. And both he and the greater men in birth were clothed with hair-shirts, and they fell down upon the earth (And both he and the men of great age, that is, the elders, were clothed with hair-shirts, and they fell down on the ground).

¹⁷ And David said to the Lord, Whether I am not he that commanded that the people should be numbered? I it am that sinned, I it am that did evil; what hath this flock deserved? My Lord God, I beseech thee, (let) thine hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father; but thy people be not smitten. (And David said to the Lord, Was it not I who commanded that the people should be counted? It is I who sinned, it is I who did the evil; what hath this flock done to deserve this? My Lord God, I beseech thee, let thy hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father; but do not let thy people be struck down.)

¹⁸ And the angel of the Lord commanded [to] Gad, that he should say to David, that he should go up, and build an altar to the Lord God in the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite. (And the angel of the Lord commanded to Gad, that he should say to David, that he should go up, and build an altar to the Lord God at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.)

¹⁹ Therefore David went up by the word of Gad, which he spake to him by the word of the Lord. (And so David went up by the word of Gad, which he spoke to him in the name of the Lord.)

²⁰ And when Ornan had beheld, and saw the angel, and his four sons with him had seen (him also), they hid them[selves], for in that time Ornan threshed wheat in the cornfloor. (And when Ornan, and his four sons who were with him, beheld, and saw the angel, his sons ran and hid themselves; for at that time Ornan threshed wheat at the threshing floor.)

²¹ Therefore when David came to Ornan, Ornan beheld David, and went forth from the cornfloor against him, and worshipped him lowly upon the ground. (And so when David came to Ornan, Ornan saw David, and went out from the threshing floor to greet him, and he bowed low before him, with his face to the ground.)

²² And David said to him, Give the place of the cornfloor to me, that I build therein an altar to the Lord; so (long as) that thou take as much silver as it is worth, and that the vengeance cease from the people. (And David said to him, Give me the place of the threshing floor, so that I can build on it an altar to the Lord; yea, take thou as much silver as it is worth; so only that this vengeance cease from destroying the people.)

²³ And Ornan said to David, Take thou it, and my lord the king do he whatever thing pleaseth him; but also I give oxen into burnt sacrifice, and instruments of wood, whereby corns be threshed, into sticks to be burnt, and wheat into sacrifice; I give gladly all these things. (And Ornan said to David, Take thou it, and my lord the king do he whatever thing pleaseth him; and also I give oxen for the burnt sacrifices, and the wooden instruments, with which the corns be threshed, for sticks to be burned, and wheat for the offering; I willingly, or I gladly, give you all these things.)

²⁴ And king David said to him, It shall not be done so, but I shall give to thee silver (for) as much as it is worth; for I ought not to take away from thee, and offer so to the Lord burnt sacrifices freely given. (And King David said to him, It shall not be done so, but I shall give thee as much silver as it is worth; for I ought not to take what is thine to give to the Lord, nor to offer burnt sacrifices given for free.)

²⁵ Therefore David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold of full just weight. (And so David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold of full just weight for the place.)

²⁶ And David builded there an altar to the Lord, and offered thereon burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices, and he inwardly called (on) God; and God heard him in fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt sacrifice. (And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered on it burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, and he inwardly called on God; and God answered him from heaven with fire on the altar of burnt sacrifice.)

²⁷ And the Lord commanded to the angel, and he turned his sword again into the sheath.

²⁸ Then anon David saw, that the Lord had heard him in the cornfloor of Ornan (the) Jebusite, and he offered there slain sacrifices. (And David saw at once, that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, and he offered slain sacrifices there.)

²⁹ Forsooth the tabernacle of the Lord, that Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt sacrifices, was in that tempest in the high place of Gibeon; (For the Tabernacle of the Lord, that Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt sacrifices, were at that time at the hill shrine in Gibeon;)

³⁰ and David might not go to the altar, to beseech God there, for he was afeared with full great dread (for he was afraid with a very great fear), seeing the sword of the angel of the Lord.

2 Therefore put ye away all malice, and all guile, and feignings, and envies, and all backbitings; [Therefore putting away all malice, and all guile, and simulations, or feignings, and envies, and all detractions;]

² as now born young children, reasonable, without guile, covet ye milk [of full teaching], that in it ye wax into health;

³ if nevertheless ye have tasted, that the Lord is sweet.

⁴ And approach ye to him, that is a living stone, and reproved of men [To whom ye going nigh, a quick stone, reproved soothly of men], but chosen of God, and honoured;

⁵ and yourselves as quick stones be ye above builded [and yourselves as quick stones be above builded] into spiritual houses, and an holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁶ For which thing the scripture saith, Lo! I shall set in Sion the highest corner stone, chosen and precious [For which thing the scripture holdeth, Lo! I shall put in Sion the highest stone, a corner stone, chosen, precious]; and he that shall believe in him, shall not be confounded.

⁷ Therefore honour to you that believe; but to men that believe not, the stone whom the builders reproved, this is made into the head of the corner;

⁸ and the stone of hurting, and the stone of stumbling, to them that offend to the word, neither believe it, in which they be set.^[a]

⁹ But ye be a chosen kin, a kingly priesthood, holy folk, a people of purchasing, that ye tell the virtues of him, that called you from darknesses into his wonderful light.

¹⁰ Which sometime were not a people of God, but now ye be the people of God; which had not mercy, but now ye have mercy.

¹¹ Most dear, I beseech you, as comelings and pilgrims, to abstain you from fleshly desires, that fight against the soul;

¹² and have ye your conversation good among heathen men [having your conversation, or life, good among heathen men], that in that thing that they backbite of you, as of misdoers, they behold you of good works, and glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹³ Be ye subject to each creature of man, for God; either to the king, as to him that is higher in state [as precellent, or more worthy in state],

¹⁴ either to dukes, as to those that be sent of him to the vengeance of misdoers, and to the praising of good men [forsooth to the praising of good deeds, or good men].

¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that ye do well, and make the unknowingness of unprudent men to be dumb. [For so is the will of God, that ye doing well, make the unknowingness of unwise men to be dumb.]

¹⁶ As free men, and not as having freedom the covering of malice, but as the servants of God.

¹⁷ Honour ye all men, love ye brotherhood, dread ye God, honour ye the king.

¹⁸ Servants, be ye subject in all dread to lords, not only to good and to mild [not only to good and mild], but also to tyrants.

¹⁹ For this is grace, if for conscience of God any man suffereth heavinesses, and suffereth unjustly. [Forsooth this is grace, if for conscience of God any man suffereth sorrows, or heavinesses, suffering unjustly.]

²⁰ For what grace is it, if ye sin, and be buffeted, and suffer? But if ye do well, and suffer patiently, this is grace with God.

²¹ For to this thing ye be called. For also Christ suffered for us, and left ensample to you [leaving to you example], that ye follow the steps of him.

²² Which did not sin, neither guile was found in his mouth.

²³ And when he was cursed, he cursed not [Which, when he was cursed, cursed not]; when he suffered, he menaced not; but he betook himself to him, that deemed him unjustly.

²⁴ And he himself bare our sins in his body on a tree [Which he himself suffered, or bare, our sins in his body on the tree], that we be dead to sins, and live to rightwiseness, by whose wan wound ye be healed.

²⁵ For ye were as sheep erring, but ye be now turned to the shepherd, and bishop of your souls.

4 And Jonah was tormented with great torment, and was wroth. (And Jonah was greatly tormented, and was very angry, about what happened.)

² And he prayed to the Lord, and said, Lord, I beseech, whether this is not my word, when I was yet in my land? For this thing I purposed for to flee into Tarshish; for I know, that thou, God, art meek and merciful, patient, and of much merciful doing, and forgiving of malice. (And he prayed to the Lord, and said, Lord, I beseech thee, was this not just what I said would happen, when I was still in my own land? For this very reason I fled to Tarshish; for I knew, that thou, God, art humble and merciful, patient, and of much merciful doing, and forgiving of malice.)

³ And now, Lord, I pray, take my life from me; for death is better to me than life.

⁴ And the Lord said, Guessest thou, whether thou art well wroth? (And the Lord said, Thinkest thou, that thou art right to be so angry?)

⁵ And Jonah went out of the city, and sat against the east of the city, and made to him a shadowing place there; and sat under it in shadow, till he saw what befell to the city. (And Jonah went out of the city, and sat down to the east of it, and made a place of shade for himself; and he sat there in the shadows/and he sat there in the shade, until he saw what befell the city.)

⁶ And the Lord God made ready an ivy, and it went upon the head of Jonah, that (a) shadow/that shade were on his head, and covered him; for he had travailed. And Jonah was glad on the ivy, with great gladness. (And the Lord God made ready some ivy, and it went up over Jonah’s head, so that a shadow, or some shade, was over his head, and it covered him; for he had laboured so. And Jonah was glad for the ivy, yea, with great gladness.)

⁷ And God made ready a worm, in the going up of gray day on the morrow; and it smote the ivy, and it dried up. (And then God made ready a worm, at the dawning of the day the next morning; and it struck, or attacked, the ivy, and it dried up, and died.)

⁸ And when the sun was risen, the Lord commanded to the hot wind and burning; and the sun smote on the head of Jonah, and he sweltered. And he asked to his soul that he should die, and said, It is better to me to die, than to live. (And when the sun was risen, the Lord commanded to the hot and burning wind; and the sun shone down upon Jonah’s head, and he sweated. And he said to himself that he wanted to die, yea, he said, It is better for me to die, than to live.)

⁹ And the Lord said to Jonah, Guessest thou, whether thou art well wroth on the ivy? And he said, I am well wroth, till to the death. (And the Lord said to Jonah, Thinkest thou, that thou art right to be so angry about the ivy? And he said, Yea, I am right to be so angry about it, unto the death!)

¹⁰ And the Lord said, Thou art sorry on the ivy, in which thou travailedest not, neither madest that it waxed, which was grown under one night, and perished in one night. (And the Lord said, Thou art sorry about, or thou art grieved over, the ivy, over which thou hast not laboured, nor madest that it grew, and furthermore which grew up in one night, and then perished in one night.)

¹¹ And shall I not spare the great city Nineveh, in which be more than sixscore thousand of men, which know not what is betwixt their right half and left half, and many beasts? (And yet should I not be sorry over, and so then spare the great city Nineveh, in which be more than one hundred and twenty thousand people, who know not their right hand from their left hand, yea, and the many beasts that also be there?)

9 And when the twelve apostles were called together, Jesus gave to them virtue and power on [upon] all devils, and that they should heal sicknesses.

² And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal sick men.

³ And he said to them, Nothing take ye in the way, neither a staff, nor scrip, neither bread, nor money^[a], and neither have ye two coats.

⁴ And into what house ye enter, dwell ye there, and go ye not out from thence. [And into whatever house ye shall enter, dwell ye there, and go ye not out thence.]

⁵ And whoever receive not you, go ye out of that city, and shake ye off the powder of your feet into witnessing on them. [And whoever shall not receive you, ye going out of that city shake off also the powder of your feet into witnessing upon them.]

⁶ And they went forth, and went about by castles, preaching [evangelizing] and healing every where.

⁷ And Herod [the] tetrarch heard all [the] things that were done of him, and he doubted, for that it was said of some men, that John was risen from death;^[b]

⁸ and of some men, that Elias had appeared; but of others, that one of the old prophets was risen.

⁹ And Herod said, I have beheaded John; and who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him.

¹⁰ And the apostles turned again, and told to him all things that they had done. And he took them, and went beside into a desert place, that is Bethsaida [the which is called Bethsaida].

¹¹ And when the people knew this, they followed him. And he received them, and spake to them of the kingdom of God; and he healed them that had need of cure [and healed them that had need of cure].

¹² And the day began to bow down, and the twelve came, and said to him, Let go the people [Leave the companies of people], that they go, and turn into the castles and towns, that be about, that they find meat [that they find meats], for we be here in a desert place.

¹³ And he said to them, Give ye to them to eat. And they said, There be not to us more than five loaves and two fishes, but peradventure that we go, and buy meats to all this people [and buy meats for all the company].

¹⁴ And the men were almost five thousand. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit to meat by companies, a fifty together.

¹⁵ And they did so, and they made all men sit to [the] meat.

¹⁶ And when he had taken the five loaves and two fishes, he beheld into heaven, and blessed them, and brake, and dealed to his disciples, that they should set before the companies.

¹⁸ And it was done, when he was alone praying, his disciples were with him, and he asked them, and said [saying], Whom say the people that I am?

¹⁹ And they answered, and said, John Baptist, others say Elias, and others say, one prophet of the former is risen [but others say, for one prophet of the former hath risen].

²⁰ And he said to them, But whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered, and said, The Christ of God [Simon Peter answering said, The Christ of God].

²¹ And he blaming them commanded that they should say to no man, [And he blaming them commanded them that they should say to no man these things,]

²² and said these things [saying], For it behooveth man's Son to suffer many things, and to be reproved of the elder men, and of the princes of priests [and princes of priests], and of the scribes, and to be slain, and the third day to rise again.

²³ And he said to all [men], If any [man] will come after me, deny he himself, and take he his cross every day [and take his cross every day], and follow he me.

²⁴ For he that will make his life safe shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for me, shall make it safe. [Soothly he that shall desire to make his life safe, shall lose it; for why he that shall lose his life for me, shall make it safe.]

²⁵ And what profiteth a man, if he win all the world, and lose himself, and do impairing of himself. [Forsooth what profiteth it to a man, if he win all the world, forsooth lose himself, and do impairing to himself.]

²⁶ For who so shameth me and my words, man's Son shall shame him, when he cometh in his majesty [For why who that shall shame me and my words, and man's Son shall shame him, when he shall come in his majesty], and of the Father's, and of the holy angels.

²⁷ And I say to you, verily there be some standing here, which shall not taste death, till they see the realm of God.

²⁸ And it was done after these words almost eight days, and he took Peter and James and John, and he ascended into an hill, to pray.

²⁹ And while he prayed, the likeness of his face was changed, and his clothing was white shining. [And the while he prayed, the likeness of his cheer was made other manner, and his clothing white shining.]

³⁰ And lo! two men spake with him, and Moses and Elias

³¹ were seen in majesty; and they said his going out, which he should fulfill in Jerusalem.

³² And Peter, and they that were with him, were heavy of sleep [were grieved, or heavied, with sleep], and they waking saw his majesty, and the two men that stood with him.

³³ And it was done, when they departed from him, Peter said to Jesus, Commander, it is good that we be here, and make we here three tabernacles, one to thee, and one to Moses, and one to Elias. And he knew not what he should say. [And it was done, when they departed from him, Peter saith to Jesus, Commander, it is good to us for to be here, and make we here three tabernacles, one to thee, and one to Moses, and one to Elias; not witting what he should say.]

³⁴ But while he spake these things, a cloud was made, and overshadowed them; and they dreaded, when they entered into the cloud.

³⁵ And a voice was made out of the cloud, and said [saying], This is my dear-worthy Son, hear ye him.

³⁶ And while the voice was made, Jesus was found alone. And they were still, and to no man said in those days any of those things, that they had seen [And they held peace, and said to no man in those days aught of those things, which they had seen].

³⁷ But it was done in the day following, when they came down of the hill, much people met them.

³⁸ And lo! a man of the company cried, and said [saying], Master, I beseech thee, behold [into] my son, for I have no more [for he is only to me];

³⁹ and lo! a spirit taketh him, and suddenly he crieth, and hurtleth [him] down, and draweth him with foam, and scarcely he goeth away drawing him all to pieces.

⁴⁰ And I prayed thy disciples, that they should cast him out, and they might not.

⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said to them, A! unfaithful generation and wayward [Soothly Jesus answering said to them, O! unfaithful generation and wayward], how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? bring hither thy son.

⁴² And when he came nigh, the devil hurtled him down [the devil hurled him down], and wrenched him. And Jesus blamed the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and yielded him to his father.

⁴³ And all men wondered greatly in the greatness of God. And when all men wondered in all things that he did [And all men wondering in all things which he did], he said to his disciples,

⁴⁴ Put ye these words in your hearts [Put ye these words in your heart], for it is to come, that man's Son be betrayed into the hands of men.

⁴⁵ And they knew not this word, and it was hid before them, that they feeled it not; and they dreaded to ask him of this word.

⁴⁶ But a thought entered into them, who of them should be greatest.

⁴⁷ And Jesus, seeing the thoughts of the heart of them, took a child, and setted [set] him beside him;

⁴⁸ and said to them, Whoever receiveth this child in my name, receiveth me; and whoever receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me; for he that is least among you all, is the greatest. [and said to them, Whoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me; and whoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me; for why he that is less among you all, this is the more.]

⁴⁹ And John answered and said, Commander, we saw a man casting out fiends in thy name, and we have forbidden him, for he followeth not thee with us.

⁵⁰ And Jesus said to him, Do not ye forbid, for he that is not against us, is for us.

⁵¹ And it was done, when the days of his taking up were fulfilled, he set fast his face, to go to Jerusalem,

⁵² and sent messengers before his sight. And they went, and entered into a city of Samaritans, to make ready to him.

⁵³ And they received not him, for the face of him was going into Jerusalem [for the face was of him going into Jerusalem].

⁵⁴ And when James and John, his disciples, saw, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we say [wilt thou that we ask], that fire come down from heaven, and waste them, [as Elias did]?

⁵⁵ And he turned, and blamed them, and said, Ye know not, whose spirits ye be; [And he turned blamed them, saying, Ye know not, whose spirit ye be;]

⁵⁶ for man's Son came not to destroy men's souls [to lose men's souls], but to save [them]. And they went into another castle.

⁵⁷ And it was done, when they walked in the way, a man said to him [some man said to him], I shall follow thee, whither ever thou [shalt] go.

⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, Foxes have dens [Foxes have ditches, or dens], and birds of the air have nests, but man's Son hath not where he [shall] rest his head.

⁵⁹ And he said to another, Follow thou me. And he said, Lord, suffer me first to go, and bury my father.

⁶⁰ And Jesus said to him, Suffer that dead men bury their dead men [Suffer that dead men bury their dead]; but go thou, and tell the kingdom of God.

⁶¹ And another said, Lord, I shall follow thee, but first suffer me to leave all things that be at home [but first suffer me to tell to them that be at home].

⁶² And Jesus said to him, No man that putteth his hand to the plow, and beholding backward, is able to the kingdom of God.