M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Delilah Betrays Samson
16 Once Samson went to Gaza and eyed a prostitute there, so he went to her. 2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” So they surrounded him, lay in ambush for him all night at the gate of the city, and kept quiet all night saying, “When morning light comes, then we kill him.” 3 But Samson lay in bed till midnight, got up at midnight, grabbed the doors of the city gate along with the two gateposts and pulled them up bar and all. Then he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is near Hebron.
4 It came about afterward that he fell in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 So the Philistine lords came up to her and said to her, “Coax him, see where his great strength comes from and by what we may overpower him, so we may bind him to subdue him—then we’ll each of us give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me please, where does your great strength come from? How could you be bound to subdue you?”
7 Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have never been dried, then I would be weak and be like any other man.” 8 So the Philistine lords brought up to her seven fresh cords that had never been dried, and she bound him with them, 9 while an ambush was waiting in an inner room.
“The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” she said to him. But he broke the cords just as a strand of straw snaps when it touches fire. So his strength remained unknown.
10 Delilah said to Samson, “Oh, you deceived me! You lied to me! Now tell me please, how you can be bound?”
11 He told her, “If they only bind me with new ropes never used for work, then I will be weak and be like any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” Yet while the ambush was waiting in the inner room, he snapped them from his arms like a thread.
13 So Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you’ve mocked me and told me lies! Tell me how you can be bound!”
He told her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web of a loom.” 14 So she pinned it with a pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin of the loom and the web.
15 “How can you say, ‘I love you,’” she said to him, “when your heart is not with me? This is three times you’ve deceived me and not told me where your great strength comes from.”
16 Now it came about when she nagged him daily with her speeches and kept bothering him, his soul was annoyed to death. 17 So he divulged to her all his heart and said to her, “No razor has ever been upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I will be weak and be like any other man.”
18 Now when Delilah realized that he had confided to her all his heart, she sent and called for the Philistine lords saying, “Come up this time, for he has told me all his heart.” So the Philistine lords came up to her and brought the silver in their hand. 19 Then she made him sleep upon her knees, and she called for a man and had the seven locks of his head shaved off. She even began to humiliate him while his strength departed from him. 20 Then she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” When he awoke from his sleep, he thought, “I’ll go out as at other times, and shake myself off.” He did not comprehend that Adonai had departed from him.
21 Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he became a grinder in the prison. 22 However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.
Samson Avenged
23 Now the Philistine lords gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, as they said, “Our god has given our enemy Samson into our hand.”
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, as they said, “Our god has given into our hand our enemy and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us.”
25 Now it came about when their hearts were merry that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may amuse us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he did make them laugh, when they made him stand between the pillars.
26 Then Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the temple rests, so I may lean on them.” 27 Now the temple was full of men and women. All the Philistine lords were there and about 3,000 men and women on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them.
28 Then Samson called out to Adonai and said, “My Lord Adonai, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, so that I may this once take revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the temple rested and leaned on them, one with his right hand and the other with his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He bent with all his might so that the temple fell on the lords and on all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed during his life.
31 Then his kinsmen and all his father’s household came down, lifted him, brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. For he had judged Israel 20 years.
Escaping Death
20 After the uproar ended, Paul sent for the disciples; and when he had encouraged them and said farewell, he departed to go to Macedonia. 2 When he had passed through these parts and given them a great word of encouragement, he came to Greece, 3 where he spent three months. When a plot was formed against him by the Jewish leaders as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return via Macedonia. 4 Sopater of Berea, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; as well as Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica; Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. [a] 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Days of Matzah. In five days we came to them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
7 Now on the first day of the week, we gathered to break bread. Paul was talking with them, intending to leave the next day, so he prolonged his speech till midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper chamber where we were meeting. 9 Now a young man named Eutychus was sitting in a windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. Overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up—dead.
10 But Paul went down, fell on him and threw his arms around him. He said, “Don’t be upset, for his life is within him.”[b]
11 After he went back up and broke the bread and ate, he talked with them a long while until daybreak and then left. 12 So they took the boy away alive, greatly relieved.
Prophetic Warnings
13 But we went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there—for so he had arranged, intending himself to travel there by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios; the next day we crossed over to Samos, and the day after that we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he might not spend much time in Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Shavuot.
17 From Miletus, dispatching someone to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the community. 18 When they came to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I behaved among you all the time from the first day I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and tears and trials which fell upon me through the plots of the Jewish leaders. 20 I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly as well as from house to house, 21 testifying to both Jewish and Greek people repentance to God and trust in our Lord Yeshua.
22 “And now, look, bound by the Ruach, I am going to Jerusalem—not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Ruach ha-Kodesh bears witness to me from city to city, saying that bondage and afflictions await me. 24 However, I don’t consider my life of any value, except that I might finish my course and the office I received from the Lord Yeshua, to declare the Good News of the grace of God.
25 “Now, look! I know that none of you, among whom I have gone proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. 26 Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all. 27 For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
28 “Take care of yourselves and all the flock of which the Ruach ha-Kodesh has made you overseers, to shepherd the community of God—which He obtained with the blood of His own. [c] 29 I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. [d] 30 Even from among yourselves will arise men speaking perversions, to draw the disciples away after themselves. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning you with tears.
32 “Now I commit you to God and the word of His grace, which is strong to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who have been made holy. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own needs as well as for those with me. 35 In all things I have shown you an object lesson—that by hard work one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Yeshua, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”[e]
36 When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 They all began weeping and falling upon Paul’s neck and kissing him, 38 grieving most of all over the statement he made that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
After Seventy Years, a Future Hope
29 Now these are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the elders remaining in exile, as well as to the kohanim, the prophets and to all the people Nebuchadnezzar had carried off captive from Jerusalem to Babylon 2 (after Jeconiah the king, the queen-mother, the officers, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and the smiths, had to leave Jerusalem). The letter was sent 3 by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan, and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, 4 thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, to all those in captivity, whom I removed as captives into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 “Build houses and live in them; also plant gardens and eat their fruit; 6 take wives and have sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 Also seek the shalom of the city where I took you as captives in exile, and pray to Adonai for it—for in its shalom will you have shalom.”
8 For thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: “Do not let your prophets who are among you or your diviners beguile you, and pay no attention to the dreams which you make them keep dreaming. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My Name; I have not sent them.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
10 For thus says Adonai: “After 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will visit you, and fulfill My good word toward you—to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have in mind for you,” declares Adonai, “plans for shalom and not calamity—to give you a future and a hope.
12 “Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me,[a] when you will search for Me with all your heart. 14 Then I will be found by you,” says Adonai, “and I will return you from exile, and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” says Adonai, “and I will bring you back to the place from which I removed you as captives into exile.”
15 For you have said: “Adonai has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.” 16 For thus says Adonai about the king who sits on the throne of David and about all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not go with you into captivity, 17 thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “I am about to send on them the sword, famine and pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and an astonishment, a hissing and a disgrace—among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have not listened to My words,” declares Adonai, “which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, sending them early and often, but you would not hear.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
20 “But you, hear the word of Adonai, all you of the exile whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon,” 21 thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, “concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: I will soon deliver them into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—and he will slay them before your eyes. 22 So a curse will be taken up by everyone in exile from Judah who are in Babylon, saying: ‘May Adonai make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire’— 23 because they have been disgraceful in Israel, committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and speaking words in My Name falsely, which I did not command them. But I am the One who knows and I am witness.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
24 Now concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you will surely say, 25 thus declares Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, saying: “Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the kohen, and to all the kohanim, saying: 26 ‘Adonai has made you kohen instead of Jehoiada the kohen, so that there should be officers in the House of Adonai for every madman prophesying and so that you will put him in the stocks and iron collar. 27 So now, why haven’t you rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself out to be a prophet to you? 28 For he has sent word to us in Babylon, saying: “The exile will be long—build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.’”
29 So Zephaniah the kohen read this letter in the ears of the prophet Jeremiah. 30 Then the word of Adonai came to Jeremiah, saying: 31 Send word to all of the captivity, saying, thus says Adonai concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie,” 32 therefore thus says Adonai, “I will indeed punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. There will be none living among this people, and he will not see the good that I will do to My people,” declares Adonai, “because he has spoken rebellion against Adonai.”
Handed Over to the Romans
15 Right at daybreak, the ruling kohanim held a meeting to consult with the elders and Torah scholars and the whole Sanhedrin. They tied up Yeshua, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate interrogated Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
Yeshua answers him, “As you say.”
3 The ruling kohanim began to accuse Him of many things. 4 Again, Pilate asked Him, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many charges they’re bringing against You!” 5 But Yeshua did not answer, so Pilate was amazed.
6 Now during the feast, he used to release to them one prisoner, anyone they were asking for. 7 Now a man named Bar-Abba[a] had been in jail with the rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion. 8 The crowd came up and began to request what he was accustomed to do for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that out of envy the ruling kohanim had handed Him over. 11 But the ruling kohanim stirred up the crowd, so he would release Bar-Abba to them instead.
12 Then answering again, Pilate said to them, “So what do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?”
13 They shouted back, “Execute Him!”
14 Pilate responded, “Why? What evil has He done?”
But they shouted all the more, “Execute Him!”
15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Bar-Abba for them. And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
16 The soldiers took Him away, into the palace, the governor’s mansion called the Praetorium. And they call together the cohort[b] of soldiers. 17 They dress Him up in purple. After braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on Him. 18 And they began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 Over and over, they kept hitting Him on the head with a staff and spitting on Him; and kneeling down, they worshiped Him. 20 When they finished mocking Him, they stripped the purple off Him and put His own clothes back on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.
Crucified as King of the Jews
21 Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming in from the countryside. The soldiers force this passerby to carry Yeshua’s cross-beam. [c] 22 They bring Yeshua to the place called Golgotha (which is translated, Place of a Skull). 23 They were offering Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He didn’t take it. 24 Then they crucify Him and divide up His clothing among themselves, casting lots for them[d] to see who should take what.
25 Now it was the third hour[e] when they nailed Him on the stake. 26 And the inscription of the charge against Him was written above: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 27 And with Him they execute two outlaws, one on His right and one on His left. (28 )[f]
29 Those passing by were jeering at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself by coming down from the stake!”
31 Likewise the ruling kohanim, along with the Torah scholars, were also mocking Him among themselves. “He saved others,” they were saying, “but He can’t save Himself? 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the stake, so we may see and believe!” Even those executed with Him were ridiculing Him.
Death and Burial
33 When the sixth hour had come, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. [g] 34 At the ninth hour Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”[h] which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?”[i]
35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Look, He’s calling for Elijah.” 36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a stick and was offering it to Yeshua to drink, saying, “Wait, let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down.” 37 But letting out a loud cry, Yeshua breathed His last.
38 Then the curtain[j] of the Temple was split in two, from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion, who was standing in front of Him, saw the way Yeshua breathed His last, he said, “This Man really was the Son of God!”
40 There were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Miriam from Magdala, Miriam the mother of Jacob the younger and of Joses,[k] and Salome. 41 They would follow Him and serve Him when He was in the Galilee. Many other women who had gone up together with Him to Jerusalem were there also.
42 Now evening had already come. Since it was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before Shabbat, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body.
44 Pilate was surprised that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether Yeshua had been dead for long. 45 When Pilate learned this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Miriam from Magdala and Miriam the mother of Joses were watching where Yeshua’s body was placed.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.