M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Doom of Sodom
19 Now the (A)two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When (B)Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and [a]bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” 3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; (C)and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they lay down, (D)the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people [b]from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “(E)Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may [c]have relations with them.” 6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. 8 Now behold, (F)I have two daughters who have not [d]had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them [e]whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the [f]shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in [g]as an alien, and already (G)he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against [h]Lot and came near to break the door. 10 But (H)the men reached out their [i]hands and brought Lot into the house [j]with them, and shut the door. 11 (I)They [k]struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.
12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because (J)their outcry has become so great before the Lord that (K)the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who [l]were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, (L)get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” (M)But he appeared to his sons-in-law [m]to be jesting.
15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the [n]punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men (N)seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the [o]hands of his two daughters, for (O)the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, [p]one said, “(P)Escape for your life! (Q)Do not look behind you, and do not stay [q]anywhere in the (R)valley; escape to (S)the [r]mountains, or you will be swept away.” 18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! 19 Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the [s]mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; 20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) [t]that my life may be saved.” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this [u]request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called [v](T)Zoar.
23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord (U)rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and (V)He overthrew those cities, and all the [w]valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife, from behind him, (W)looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to (X)the place where he had stood before the Lord; 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the [x]valley, and he saw, and behold, (Y)the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a [y]furnace.
29 Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the [z]valley, that (Z)God remembered Abraham, and (AA)sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
Lot Is Debased
30 Lot went up from Zoar, and [aa](AB)stayed in the [ab]mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to [ac]stay in Zoar; and he [ad]stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man [ae]on earth to (AC)come in to us after the manner of the earth. 32 Come, (AD)let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve [af]our family through our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve [ag]our family through our father.” 35 So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son, and called his name (AE)Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the [ah]sons of (AF)Ammon to this day.
Rank in the Kingdom
18 (A)At that [a]time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “(B)Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him [b]before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you [c]are converted and (C)become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but (D)whoever (E)causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it [d]would be better for him to have a [e]heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Stumbling Blocks
7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For (F)it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!
8 “(G)If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than [f]to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 (H)If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than [g]to have two eyes and be cast into the [h](I)fiery hell.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that (J)their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 [[i](K)For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]
Ninety-nine Plus One
12 “What do you think? (L)If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 So it is not the will [j]of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
Discipline and Prayer
15 “(M)If your brother sins[k], go and [l]show him his fault [m]in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that (N)by the mouth of two or three witnesses every [n]fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, (O)tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, (P)let him be to you as [o]a Gentile and [p]a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, (Q)whatever you [q]bind on earth [r]shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you [s]loose on earth [t]shall have been loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, (R)it shall be done for them [u]by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, (S)I am there in their midst.”
Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, (T)how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to (U)seven times?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to (V)seventy times seven.
23 “For this reason (W)the kingdom of heaven [v]may be compared to a king who wished to (X)settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him [w]ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 But since he [x](Y)did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him (Z)to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 So the slave fell to the ground and (AA)prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and (AB)forgave him the [y]debt. 28 But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred [z]denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he was unwilling [aa]and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 (AC)Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 (AD)My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from [ab]your heart.”
Ezra Reads the Law
8 And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of (A)the Water Gate, and they [a]asked (B)Ezra the scribe to bring (C)the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had [b]given to Israel. 2 Then (D)Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on (E)the first day of the seventh month. 3 He read from it before the square which was in front of (F)the Water Gate from [c]early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 Ezra opened (G)the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people (H)stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “(I)Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then (J)they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. 8 They read from the book, from the law of God, [d]translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.
“This Day Is Holy”
9 Then Nehemiah, who was the [e](K)governor, and Ezra (L)the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “(M)This day is holy to the Lord your God; (N)do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and (O)send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 All the people went away to eat, to drink, (P)to send portions and to [f]celebrate a great festival, (Q)because they understood the words which had been made known to them.
Feast of Booths Restored
13 Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel (R)should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. 15 [g](S)So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and (T)in Jerusalem, saying, “(U)Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and [h]wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each (V)on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at (W)the Water Gate and in the square at (X)the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in [i]them. The sons of Israel (Y)had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And (Z)there was great rejoicing. 18 (AA)He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they (AB)celebrated the feast seven days, and on (AC)the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.
Paul at Corinth
18 After these things he left (A)Athens and went to (B)Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named (C)Aquila, a native of (D)Pontus, having recently come from (E)Italy with his wife (F)Priscilla, because (G)Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and (H)they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. 4 And he was reasoning (I)in the synagogue every (J)Sabbath and trying to persuade (K)Jews and Greeks.
5 But when (L)Silas and Timothy (M)came down from (N)Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly (O)testifying to the Jews that (P)Jesus was the [a]Christ. 6 But when they resisted and blasphemed, he (Q)shook out his garments and said to them, “Your (R)blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go (S)to the Gentiles.” 7 Then he left there and went to the house of a man named [b]Titius Justus, (T)a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. 8 (U)Crispus, (V)the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord (W)with all his household, and many of the (X)Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by (Y)a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 But while Gallio was (Z)proconsul of (AA)Achaia, (AB)the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before (AC)the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to (AD)the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to (AE)open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15 but if there are (AF)questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16 And he drove them away from (AG)the judgment seat. 17 And they all took hold of (AH)Sosthenes, (AI)the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of (AJ)the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.
18 Paul, having remained many days longer, (AK)took leave of (AL)the brethren and put out to sea for (AM)Syria, and with him were (AN)Priscilla and (AO)Aquila. In (AP)Cenchrea [c]he (AQ)had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. 19 They came to (AR)Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered (AS)the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but (AT)taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again (AU)if God wills,” he set sail from (AV)Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at (AW)Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to (AX)Antioch.
Third Missionary Journey
23 And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the (AY)Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
24 Now a Jew named (AZ)Apollos, an (BA)Alexandrian by birth, [d]an eloquent man, came to (BB)Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in (BC)the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with (BD)the baptism of John; 26 and [e]he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when (BE)Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him (BF)the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wanted to go across to (BG)Achaia, (BH)the brethren encouraged him and wrote to (BI)the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly [f]helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating (BJ)by the Scriptures that (BK)Jesus was the [g]Christ.
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