M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Ark Afflicts the Philistines
5 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God and they brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod. 2 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the temple of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3 But when the Ashdodites arose early next morning, to everyone’s surprise, Dagon had fallen to his face on the ground before the ark of Adonai. So they took Dagon up and put him back in his place. 4 But when they arose early the following morning, surprisingly, Dagon had fallen to his face on the ground before the ark of Adonai, and the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only Dagon’s trunk was left on him. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house will tread on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.
6 Then the hand of Adonai was heavy upon the Ashdodites, ravaging them and afflicting Ashdod and its vicinity with tumors. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay with us, for His hand has dealt harshly against us as well as against our god Dagon.” 8 So they sent word and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and asked, “What will we do with the ark of the God of Israel?”
They replied, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel over. 9 But it came about, that after they had carried it around, that the hand of Adonai was against the city causing very great panic, as He struck the people of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, so that tumors broke out on them.
10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But it came about as the ark of God came to Ekron that the Ekronites cried out saying, “They’ve brought around the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people!” 11 So they sent word and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away—let it go back to its own place, so it won’t kill us and our people!” For a panic of death was throughout the entire city, as God’s hand was very heavy there. 12 The people who did not die were afflicted with tumors, so that the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
Philistines Send the Ark Back
6 After the ark of Adonai had been in the country of the Philistines seven months, 2 the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners saying, “What should we do with the ark of Adonai? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”
3 So they said, “If you are going to send the ark of the God of Israel back, do not send it empty. For you must surely return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and it will be revealed to you why His hand has not been removed from you.”
4 “What guilt offering should we return to Him?” they asked.
So they said, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice—according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on each of you and on your lords. 5 So you will make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land, and you must give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand off of you, your gods and your land. 6 Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He afflicted them, didn’t they send them away so they left? 7 Now therefore get a new cart ready, two milk cows on which there has never been a yoke, hitch the cows to the cart, and return their calves home, away from them. 8 Then take the ark of Adonai and place it on the cart; also put the golden objects that you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it off so it may go. 9 Then watch—if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then it was He who inflicted on us this great harm. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it just happened to us by chance.”
10 So the people did so—they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11 Then they placed the ark of Adonai on the cart together with the box, the golden mice, and the models of their tumors. 12 So the cows took the way straight toward Beth-shemesh—they kept along the same highway, lowing as they went, and turned aside neither to the right nor to the left. The lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. When they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there, where there was a large stone. Then they chopped the wood of the cart and offered up the cows as a burnt offering to Adonai. 15 The Levites took down the ark of Adonai and the box that was with it that contained the gold objects, and placed them on the large stone. Then the people of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrifices to Adonai that day.
16 Now when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron that same day. 17 So these are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to Adonai: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron. 18 The golden mice also corresponded to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords—both the fortified cities and their country villages—as far as the large stone on which they had set down the ark of Adonai. It remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
19 Then He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had gazed into the ark of Adonai. He struck down the people—70 out of 50,000 men—the people mourned because Adonai had struck the people a great slaughter. 20 So the men of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before Adonai—this holy God? To whom should it go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of Adonai. Come down—bring it up to you.”
Shalom with God through Messiah
5 Therefore, having been made righteous by trusting, we have shalom with God through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. [a] 2 Through Him we also have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and boast in the hope of God’s glory. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in suffering—knowing that suffering produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Ruach ha-Kodesh who was given to us.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Messiah died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man someone might even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us. 9 How much more then, having now been set right by His blood, shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him. 10 For if, while we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Yet Sin Reigns through Death
12 So then, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, in the same way death spread to all men because all sinned. 13 For up until the Torah, sin was in the world; but sin does not count as sin when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in a manner similar to the violation of Adam, who is a pattern of the One to come.
15 But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if many died because of the transgression of one man, how much more did the grace of God overflow to many through the gift of one Man—Yeshua the Messiah. 16 Moreover, the gift is not like what happened through the one who sinned. For on the one hand, the judgment from one violation resulted in condemnation; but on the other hand, the gracious gift following many transgressions resulted in justification. [b] 17 For if by the one man’s transgression, death reigned through the one,[c] how much more shall those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Messiah Yeshua.
18 So then, through the transgression of one, condemnation came to all men; likewise, through the righteousness of one came righteousness of life to all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man, many will be set right forever.[d]
20 Now the Torah came in so that transgression might increase. But where sin increased, grace overflowed even more— 21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, to eternal life through Messiah Yeshua our Lord.
Chaldeans Invade Egypt
43 But when Jeremiah had made an end of telling all the people all the words of Adonai their God—all these words for which Adonai their God had sent him to them— 2 then Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the insolent men responded, saying to Jeremiah: “You are telling a lie! Adonai our God has not sent you to say. ‘You must not go to Egypt to sojourn there.’ 3 Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us, to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they may put us to death or carry us away as captives to Babylon!”
4 So Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces and all the people, did not obey the voice of Adonai, to stay in the land of Judah. 5 But Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the entire remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations where they had been driven to dwell in the land of Judah— 6 the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, everyone that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, as well as Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah— 7 and they went to the land of Egypt. For they did not obey the voice of Adonai.
When they arrived at Tahpanhes 8 the word of Adonai came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 9 “Take some large stones in your hand and hide them in the mortar in the brickwork at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah.
10 Then say to them, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “I am about to send for and bring King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I will set his throne over these stones where I have hid, and he will spread his royal pavilion over them. 11 Yes, he will come, and will strike the land of Egypt.
Those for death—to death!
Those for exile—to exile!
Those for the sword—to the sword!
12 “I will also set fire to the houses of Egypt’s gods. He will burn them and carry them off. He will wrap himself up with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself up with his garment. Then he will depart from there victoriously.
13 “He will also shatter the pillars of the temple of the sun[a] in the land of Egypt, while houses of the gods of Egypt He will burn with fire.”
Glory from Heaven and Torah
Psalm 19
1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
2 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky shows His handiwork.
3 Day to day they speak,
night to night they reveal knowledge.
4 There is no speech, no words,
where their voice goes unheard.
5 Their voice has gone out to all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.[a]
In the heavens He pitched a tent for the sun.
6 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his bridal chamber.
It is like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.
7 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other end.
Nothing is hidden from its heat.
8 The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the soul.
The testimony of Adonai is trustworthy,
making the simple wise.
9 The precepts of Adonai are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The mitzvot of Adonai are pure,
giving light to the eyes.
10 The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The judgments of Adonai are true
and altogether righteous.
11 They are more desirable than gold,
yes, more than much pure gold!
They are sweeter than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
12 Moreover by them Your servant is warned.
In keeping them there is great reward.
13 Who can discern his errors?
Cleanse me of hidden faults.
14 Also keep Your servant from willful sins.
May they not have dominion over me.
Then I will be blameless,
free from great transgression.
15 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable before You,
Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.