M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Battle of Gibeah
20 Then all Bnei-Yisrael went out and was assembled as one man, from Dan to Beersheba with the land of Gilead, before Adonai at Mizpah. 2 The chiefs of the people and of the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God—400,000 foot soldiers armed with swords. 3 Now the children of Benjamin heard that Bnei-Yisrael had gone up to Mizpah.
Bnei-Yisrael asked, “Tell us, how did this wickedness take place?”
4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said, “I came with my concubine to Gibeah of Benjamin to spend the night. 5 Then men of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house over me at night. They intended to kill me, but instead, they raped my concubine until she died. 6 So I took my concubine and cut her into pieces and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s possession. For they have committed something obscene and degrading in Israel. 7 Behold, all you sons of Israel, give your advice and counsel here.”
8 Then all the people arose as one man saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house. 9 But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot. 10 We will take ten men of a hundred throughout the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to supply provisions for the troops, so that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, they may do to them according to all the disgrace that they have committed in Israel.”
11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the town, knit together as one man. 12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through the tribe of Benjamin saying, “What is this wickedness that has taken place among you? 13 Now therefore, give up the men, the worthless fellows that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge this evil from Israel.”
But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their kinsmen Bnei-Yisrael. 14 So the children of Benjamin were gathered from their towns to Gibeah, to go out to battle against Bnei-Yisrael. 15 On that day the children of Benjamin mustered 26,000 swordsmen from the towns, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered 700 chosen men. 16 Out of all these troops there were 700 chosen men that were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17 Meanwhile the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, numbered 400,000 swordsmen; all men of war.
18 Then Bnei-Yisrael arose, went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They asked, “Who is to go up first to battle for us against the children of Benjamin?”
Adonai replied, “Judah first.”
19 So Bnei-Yisrael rose up in the morning and camped against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and arrayed for battle against Gibeah. 21 But the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and struck down 22,000 men of Israel on the field that day.
22 But the people of the men of Israel rallied their strength and arrayed for battle again in the same place where they had arrayed themselves the first day. 23 Yet Bnei-Yisrael went up and wept before Adonai until evening, then inquired of Adonai saying, “Shall I again draw near to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother?”
Adonai said, “Go up against him.”
24 So Bnei-Yisrael advanced against the children of Benjamin on the second day. 25 Benjamin came out against them from Gibeah again the second day and struck down 18,000 of Bnei-Yisrael on the field—all drawing the sword.
26 Then all Bnei-Yisrael went up, and all the people came to Bethel and wept and sat there before Adonai. They fasted that day until evening and they offered burnt-offerings and fellowship offerings before Adonai. 27 Then Bnei-Yisrael inquired of Adonai (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Pinchas son of Eleazar son of Aaron had ministered before it in those days) saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or should I cease?”
Adonai replied, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give him into your hand.”
29 So Israel set men in ambush against Gibeah on all sides. 30 Then Bnei-Yisrael advanced against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and arrayed against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 The children of Benjamin came out against the people, but they were drawn away from the town, and they began to strike and kill some of the people (about 30 men of Israel), as at other times, on the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah. 32 So the children of Benjamin said, “They are defeated before us as before.” But Bnei-Yisrael said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the town to the highways.” 33 Then all the troops of Israel rose up from their place and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the troops of Israel in ambush burst out of their place west of Geba. 34 Then 10,000 troops chosen from all Israel made a frontal attack on Gibeah, and the battle became fierce; but the Benjamites did not know not that disaster was about to strike them.
35 Then Adonai struck Benjamin before Israel—Bnei-Yisrael killed 25,100 of Benjamin that day, all drawing the sword. 36 So the children of Benjamin realized that they were defeated. Now the men of Israel had yielded ground to Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush that they had laid against Gibeah. 37 So the men in ambush rushed suddenly upon Gibeah, then the men in another ambush advanced and struck the whole town with the edge of the sword. 38 Now there was a prearranged sign between the men of Israel and the men in ambush—they would make a great beacon of smoke rise up from the town— 39 then the men of Israel would return to the battle. When Benjamin began to strike, killing about 30 of the men of Israel, they said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the beacon began to arise up from the town in a pillar of smoke, Benjamin looked behind them, and behold, the whole town was going up in smoke to the sky. 41 Then the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they realized that disaster had struck them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel toward the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. Meanwhile those who came from the towns massacred them in their midst. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily overtook them, near Gibeah toward the east. 44 Thus 18,000 men of Benjamin fell, all them were men of valor. 45 Then the rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, but they picked off 5,000 of them on the highways. They pressed hard after them to Gidom, and struck down 2,000 more of them. 46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men drawing the sword—all of them were men of valor.
47 But 600 men turned and escaped into the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and stayed at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 The men of Israel turned back against the children of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword—the entire city, the cattle and all that they found. They also set on fire all the towns that they found.
Defense Before Governor Felix
24 After five days, the kohen gadol Ananias came down with some of the elders and an attorney named Tertullus. They brought formal charges against Paul before the governor. 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “We are enjoying much peace through you, and reforms are introduced for this nation because of your foresight. 3 We acknowledge this, most excellent Felix, in every way and every place with all gratitude.
4 “But in order that I may not weary you any longer, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man to be a pest, stirring up riots among all the Jewish people throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Natzratim. 6 He even tried to defile the Temple, but we seized him. [a] 8 By examining him yourself, you will be able to learn from him all these things about which we accuse him.”
9 The Judean leaders also joined in the attack, affirming that these things were true. 10 When the governor nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: “Knowing that you have been judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my own defense. 11 As you can verify, it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 They did not find me arguing with anyone or inciting a riot—not in the Temple or in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. 13 Nor can they prove to you the charges they now bring against me.
14 “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), I worship the God of our fathers,[b] believing everything written in the Torah and the Prophets. 15 In God I have a hope—which these men also wait for—that there will surely be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.[c]
16 “Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience before both God and men. 17 Now after several years, I came to bring tzedakah to my country for the poor and to present offerings. 18 As I was doing this, they found me in the Temple, having been purified—without any crowd or uproar. 19 But there were some Jewish people from Asia, who ought to be here before you to press charges if they have anything against me. 20 Or let these men themselves tell what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the Sanhedrin— 21 except for this one cry I shouted out while standing among them: ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that today I am on trial before you.’”
In Prison for Two Years
22 But Felix, having a rather extensive knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will rule on your case.” 23 Then he gave the centurion orders for Paul to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from attending to his needs.
24 Now some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Messiah Yeshua. 25 But as he was arguing about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became afraid and said, “Go away for now! When I find time, I will summon you.”
26 At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given to him by Paul; so he sent for him frequently and would talk with him. 27 But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Judean leaders a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Warning to Zedekiah
34 The word which came to Jeremiah from Adonai, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion and all the peoples were warring against Jerusalem and its towns, saying, 2 thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: “Go, speak to King Zedekiah of Judah and tell him, thus says Adonai: ‘I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire, 3 and you will not escape out of his hand, but will surely be captured and given into his hand. Your eyes will behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with you mouth to mouth, and you will go to Babylon.”
4 Yet hear the word of Adonai, O Zedekiah king of Judah, thus says Adonai concerning you: “You will not die by the sword; 5 you will die in peace. As there were burning ceremonies for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you, and they will lament for you: ‘Oy, lord!’ For it is a word I have spoken,” declares Adonai.
Covenant Breaking With Slaves
6 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke all these words to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem, 7 when the army of the king of Babylon was warring against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left—against Lachish and against Azekah, for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities. 8 The word that came to Jeremiah from Adonai, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them, 9 so that everyone should let his manservant and his maidservant—Hebrew man or Hebrew woman—go free, so that no one should make a slave of a Jew, his brother. 10 So all the princes and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant, that everyone would free his manservant and his maidservant and not make them slaves any more—they obeyed, and freed them. 11 But afterward they turned around and made the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, return, and brought them back into subjection as servants and as handmaids.”
12 So the word of Adonai came to Jeremiah from Adonai, saying, 13 thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: “I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying: 14 ‘At the end of seven years you are to set free every man his brother that is a Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you are let him go free from you.’ But your fathers did not obey Me, nor inclined their ear. 15 Now you had repented, and had done that which is right in My eyes, by proclaiming liberty everyone to his neighbor. You even had made a covenant before Me in the House where My Name is called. 16 But you turned around and profaned My Name, and made everyone his servant and his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their will, return, and you brought them back into subjection, to be your servants and handmaids.”
17 Therefore thus says Adonai: “You have not obeyed Me, to proclaim liberty, everyone to his brother and everyone to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim for you a liberty,” declares Adonai, “to the sword, to plague and to famine! So I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts 19 —the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the officers, the kohanim, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— 20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them who seek their life, and their dead bodies will be for food to the birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth. 21 King Zedekiah of Judah and his princes I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, who were withdrawing from you. 22 Indeed, I will command,” declares Adonai, “and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a wasteland, with no one living.”
Morning Prayer for Justice
Psalm 5
1 For the music director, on the wind instruments, a psalm of David.
2 Hear my words, Adonai,
consider my groaning.
3 Listen to the sound of my cry for help,
my King and my God, for I pray to you.
4 Adonai, in the morning You hear my voice.
In the morning I order my prayer before You and watch expectantly.
5 For You are not a God who rejoices in evil.
No wickedness dwells with you.
6 Braggarts will not stand before your eyes.
You hate all wrongdoers.
7 You destroy those who speak falsehood.
A person of bloodshed and deceit Adonai detests.
8 But because of your great lovingkindness, I will enter Your House.
I will bow toward Your holy Temple, in awe of You.
9 Lead me, Adonai, in Your righteousness, because of my enemies.
Make Your path straight before me.
10 For nothing upright is in their mouth.
Inside them is a ruin—their throat an open grave.
They flatter with their tongue.[a]
11 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own schemes.
Banish them because of their many transgressions—
for they have rebelled against You.
12 But let all who take refuge in You rejoice!
Let them always shout for joy!
You will shelter them and they exult—those who love Your Name.
13 For You bless the righteous, Adonai.
You surround him with favor as a shield.
Prayer for Mercy
Psalm 6
1 For the music director, on the eight-string lyre, a psalm of David.
2 Adonai, do not rebuke me in Your anger!
Do not discipline me in Your wrath.
3 Be gracious to me, Adonai, for I am weak.
Heal me, Adonai—for my bones are shuddering with fear,
4 as is my soul—
and You, Adonai—how long?
5 Turn toward me, Adonai, deliver my soul!
Save me—because of Your mercy.
6 For there is no memory of You in death,
in Sheol who will praise You?
7 I am worn out with my groaning.
Every night I make my bed swim,
drenching my pillow with my tears.
8 My eyes are weakened with grief—
they age because of my enemies.
9 Away from me, all you evildoers!
For Adonai heard the sound of my weeping.
10 Adonai has heard my cry for mercy.
Adonai accepts my prayer:
11 “May all my enemies be ashamed, and stricken with terror.
May they turn back in sudden disgrace.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.