M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Flood
7 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be (A)righteous before Me in this [a]time. 2 You shall take [b]with you of every (B)clean animal [c]by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; 3 also of the birds of the [d]sky, [e]by sevens, male and female, to keep [f]offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For after (C)seven more days, I will send rain on the earth (D)forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land (E)every living thing that I have made.” 5 (F)Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.
6 Now Noah was (G)six hundred years old when the flood of water [g]came upon the earth. 7 Then (H)Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark because of the water of the flood. 8 (I)Of clean animals and animals that are not clean and birds and everything that creeps on the ground, 9 there went into the ark to Noah [h]by twos, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10 It came about after (J)the seven days, that the water of the flood [i]came upon the earth. 11 In the (K)six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all (L)the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the [j]floodgates of the sky were opened. 12 (M)The rain [k]fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.
13 On the very same day (N)Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, 14 they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after [l]their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, [m]all sorts of birds. 15 So they went into the ark to Noah, (O)by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. 16 Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him.
17 Then the flood [n]came upon the earth for (P)forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. 18 The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark [o]floated on the [p]surface of the water. 19 The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains [q]everywhere under the heavens were covered. 20 The water prevailed fifteen [r]cubits higher, (Q)and the mountains were covered. 21 (R)All flesh that [s]moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; 22 of all that was on the dry land, all (S)in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. 23 Thus He blotted out [t]every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the [u]sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only (T)Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. 24 (U)The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.
Judging Others
7 “(A)Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and [a](B)by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you (C)look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 (D)Or how [b]can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “(E)Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Prayer and the Golden Rule
7 “[c](F)Ask, and (G)it will be given to you; [d]seek, and you will find; [e]knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you [f]who, when his son asks for a loaf, [g]will give him a stone? 10 Or [h]if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, (H)how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
12 “In everything, (I)therefore, [i]treat people the same way you want [j]them to treat you, for (J)this is the Law and the Prophets.
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “(K)Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the (L)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are (M)ravenous wolves. 16 You will [k](N)know them by their fruits. [l]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So (O)every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 (P)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will [m]know them (Q)by their fruits.
21 “(R)Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 (S)Many will say to Me on (T)that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [n]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; (U)depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
The Two Foundations
24 “Therefore (V)everyone who hears these words of Mine and [o]acts on them, [p]may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the [q]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not [r]act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the [s]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
28 [t](W)When Jesus had finished these words, (X)the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Ezra Journeys from Babylon to Jerusalem
7 (A)Now after these things, in the reign of (B)Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a (C)scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all [a]he requested (D)because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 (E)Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first of the first month [b]he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, (F)because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to [c]study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and (G)to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra
11 Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, [d]learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: 12 “[e]Artaxerxes, (H)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now 13 (I)I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 Forasmuch as you are sent [f]by the king and his (J)seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand, 15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, (K)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with (L)all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along (M)with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who (N)offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, (O)with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and (P)offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19 Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, (Q)provide for it from the royal treasury.
21 “I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the [g]River, that whatever Ezra the priest, (R)the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, 22 even up to 100 talents of silver, 100 [h]kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt [i]as needed. 23 Whatever is [j]commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, (S)so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 We also inform you that (T)it is not allowed to [k]impose tax, tribute or toll (U)on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God.
25 “You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, (V)appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and you may (W)teach anyone who is ignorant of them. 26 (X)Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for [l]banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment.”
The King’s Kindness
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, (Y)who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to adorn the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and (Z)has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to (AA)the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered [m]leading men from Israel to go up with me.
Stephen’s Defense
7 The high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2 And he said, “Hear me, (A)brethren and fathers! (B)The God of glory (C)appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in [a]Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘(D)Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 (E)Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in [b]Haran. (F)From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, (G)He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 But (H)God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would [c]be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and (I)after that they will come out and [d]serve Me in this place.’ 8 And He (J)gave him [e]the covenant of circumcision; and so (K)Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and (L)Isaac became the father of Jacob, and (M)Jacob of the twelve (N)patriarchs.
9 “The patriarchs (O)became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and (P)granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.
11 “Now (Q)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers [f]could find no food. 12 But (R)when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13 On the second visit (S)Joseph [g]made himself known to his brothers, and (T)Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 Then (U)Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, (V)seventy-five [h](W)persons in all. 15 And (X)Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 From there they were removed to [i](Y)Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of [j]Hamor in [k]Shechem.
17 “But as the (Z)time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, (AA)the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until (AB)there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 It was he who took (AC)shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would [l](AD)expose their infants and they would not survive. 20 It was at this time that (AE)Moses was born; and he was lovely [m]in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been set outside, (AF)Pharaoh’s daughter [n]took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all (AG)the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, (AH)it entered his [o]mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them [p]deliverance [q]through him, but they did not understand. 26 (AI)On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ 27 But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘(AJ)Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 28 (AK)You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29 At this remark, (AL)Moses fled and became an alien in the land of [r]Midian, where he (AM)became the father of two sons.
30 “After forty years had passed, (AN)an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘(AO)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. 33 (AP)But the Lord said to him, ‘(AQ)Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 (AR)I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; [s](AS)come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses whom they (AT)disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God [t]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the [u]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 (AU)This man led them out, performing (AV)wonders and [v]signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the (AW)wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘(AX)God will raise up for you a prophet [w]like me from your brethren.’ 38 This is the one who was in (AY)the [x]congregation in the wilderness together with (AZ)the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received (BA)living (BB)oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but (BC)repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 (BD)saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 41 [y]At that time (BE)they made a [z]calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in (BF)the works of their hands. 42 But God (BG)turned away and delivered them up to [aa]serve the [ab]host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘(BH)It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices (BI)forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? 43 (BJ)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god [ac]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’
44 “Our fathers had (BK)the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it (BL)according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 And having received it in their turn, our fathers (BM)brought it in with [ad]Joshua upon dispossessing the [ae]nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 (BN)David found favor in God’s sight, and (BO)asked that he might find a dwelling place for the [af]God of Jacob. 47 But it was (BP)Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 However, (BQ)the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
49 ‘(BR)Heaven is My throne,
And earth is the footstool of My feet;
What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord,
‘Or what place is there for My repose?
50 ‘(BS)Was it not My hand which made all these things?’
51 “You men who are (BT)stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 (BU)Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of (BV)the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers (BW)you have now become; 53 you who received the law as (BX)ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
Stephen Put to Death
54 Now when they heard this, they were (BY)cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being (BZ)full of the Holy Spirit, he (CA)gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing (CB)at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the (CC)heavens opened up and (CD)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had (CE)driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and (CF)the witnesses (CG)laid aside their robes at the feet of (CH)a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he (CI)called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then (CJ)falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, (CK)do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he [ag](CL)fell asleep.
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