M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Laws of Warfare
20 “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see (A)horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, (B)do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. 3 He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. (C)Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, 4 for the Lord your God (D)is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ 5 The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house and has not (E)dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. 6 Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not [a]begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man [b]would begin to use its fruit. 7 (F)And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not [c]married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man [d]would marry her.’ 8 Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘(G)Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that [e]he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’ 9 When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.
10 “When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall [f]offer it terms of peace. 11 If it [g]agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your (H)forced labor and shall serve you. 12 However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13 When the Lord your God gives it into your hand, (I)you shall strike all the [h]men in it with the edge of the sword. 14 Only the women and the children and (J)the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall [i]use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you. 15 Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations [j]nearby. 16 (K)Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 But you shall [k]utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 so that they may not teach you to do (L)according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would (M)sin against the Lord your God.
19 “When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. [l]For is the tree of the field a man, that it should [m]be besieged by you? 20 Only the trees which you know [n]are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.
BOOK 5
The Lord Delivers Men from Manifold Troubles.
107 Oh (A)give thanks to the Lord, for (B)He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Let (C)the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has (D)redeemed from the hand of the adversary
3 And (E)gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the [a]south.
4 They (F)wandered in the wilderness in a [b]desert region;
They did not find a way to [c]an inhabited (G)city.
5 They were hungry [d]and thirsty;
Their (H)soul fainted within them.
6 Then they (I)cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 He led them also by a [e](J)straight way,
To go to [f](K)an inhabited city.
8 (L)Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His [g]wonders to the sons of men!
9 For He has (M)satisfied the [h]thirsty soul,
And the (N)hungry soul He has filled with what is good.
10 There were those who (O)dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death,
(P)Prisoners in [i]misery and [j]chains,
11 Because they had (Q)rebelled against the words of God
And (R)spurned the (S)counsel of the Most High.
12 Therefore He humbled their heart with labor;
They stumbled and there was (T)none to help.
13 Then they (U)cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He (V)brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death
And (W)broke their bands apart.
15 (X)Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His [k]wonders to the sons of men!
16 For He has (Y)shattered gates of bronze
And cut bars of iron asunder.
17 Fools, because of [l]their rebellious way,
And (Z)because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their (AA)soul abhorred all kinds of food,
And they (AB)drew near to the (AC)gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He (AD)sent His word and (AE)healed them,
And (AF)delivered them from their [m]destructions.
21 (AG)Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His [n]wonders to the sons of men!
22 Let them also offer (AH)sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And (AI)tell of His works with joyful singing.
23 Those who (AJ)go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters;
24 They have seen the works of the Lord,
And His [o]wonders in the deep.
25 For He (AK)spoke and raised up a (AL)stormy wind,
Which (AM)lifted up the waves [p]of the sea.
26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;
Their soul (AN)melted away in their misery.
27 They reeled and (AO)staggered like a drunken man,
And [q]were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
29 He (AP)caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves [r]of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired haven.
31 (AQ)Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His [s](AR)wonders to the sons of men!
32 Let them (AS)extol Him also (AT)in the congregation of the people,
And (AU)praise Him at the seat of the elders.
33 He [t](AV)changes rivers into a [u]wilderness
And springs of water into a thirsty ground;
34 A (AW)fruitful land into a (AX)salt waste,
Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He [v](AY)changes a [w]wilderness into a pool of water
And a dry land into springs of water;
36 And there He makes the hungry to dwell,
So that they may establish [x](AZ)an inhabited city,
37 And sow fields and (BA)plant vineyards,
And [y]gather a fruitful harvest.
38 Also He blesses them and they (BB)multiply greatly,
And He (BC)does not let their cattle decrease.
39 When they are (BD)diminished and (BE)bowed down
Through oppression, misery and sorrow,
40 He (BF)pours contempt upon [z]princes
And (BG)makes them wander (BH)in a pathless waste.
41 But He (BI)sets the needy [aa]securely on high away from affliction,
And (BJ)makes his families like a flock.
42 The (BK)upright see it and are glad;
But all (BL)unrighteousness shuts its mouth.
43 Who is (BM)wise? Let him give heed to these things,
And consider the (BN)lovingkindnesses of the Lord.
Lament for Babylon
47 “(A)Come down and sit in the dust,
O (B)virgin (C)daughter of Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no longer be called (D)tender and delicate.
2 “Take the (E)millstones and (F)grind meal.
Remove your (G)veil, (H)strip off the skirt,
Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.
3 “Your (I)nakedness will be uncovered,
Your shame also will be exposed;
I will (J)take vengeance and will not [a]spare a man.”
4 Our (K)Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.
5 “(L)Sit silently, and go into (M)darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans,
For you will no longer be called
The (N)queen of (O)kingdoms.
6 “I was angry with My people,
I profaned My heritage
And gave them into your hand.
You did not show mercy to them,
On the (P)aged you made your yoke very heavy.
7 “Yet you said, ‘I will be a (Q)queen forever.’
These things you did not (R)consider
Nor remember the (S)outcome of [b]them.
8 “Now, then, hear this, you (T)sensual one,
Who (U)dwells securely,
Who says in [c]your heart,
‘(V)I am, and there is no one besides me.
I will (W)not sit as a widow,
Nor know loss of children.’
9 “But these (X)two things will come on you (Y)suddenly in one day:
Loss of children and widowhood.
They will come on you in full measure
In spite of your many (Z)sorceries,
In spite of the great power of your spells.
10 “You felt (AA)secure in your wickedness and said,
‘(AB)No one sees me,’
Your (AC)wisdom and your knowledge, [d]they have deluded you;
For you have said in your heart,
‘(AD)I am, and there is no one besides me.’
11 “But (AE)evil will come on you
Which you will not know how to charm away;
And disaster will fall on you
For which you cannot atone;
And (AF)destruction about which you do not know
Will come on you (AG)suddenly.
12 “Stand fast now in your (AH)spells
And in your many sorceries
With which you have labored from your youth;
Perhaps you will be able to profit,
Perhaps you may cause trembling.
13 “You are (AI)wearied with your many counsels;
Let now the (AJ)astrologers,
Those who prophesy by the stars,
Those who predict by the new moons,
Stand up and (AK)save you from what will come upon you.
14 “Behold, they have become (AL)like stubble,
(AM)Fire burns them;
They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame;
There will be (AN)no coal to warm by
Nor a fire to sit before!
15 “So have those become to you with whom you have labored,
Who have (AO)trafficked with you from your youth;
Each has wandered in his own [e]way;
There is (AP)none to save you.
The Doom of Babylon
17 (A)Then one of the (B)seven angels who had the (C)seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you (D)the judgment of the (E)great harlot who (F)sits on many waters, 2 with whom (G)the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and (H)those who dwell on the earth were (I)made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 And (J)he carried me away [a](K)in the Spirit (L)into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a (M)scarlet beast, full of (N)blasphemous names, having (O)seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman (P)was clothed in purple and scarlet, and [b]adorned with gold and precious [c]stones and pearls, having in her hand (Q)a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a (R)mystery, “(S)BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF (T)THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6 And I saw the woman drunk with (U)the blood of the [d]saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered [e]greatly. 7 And the angel said to me, “Why [f]do you wonder? I will tell you the (V)mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the (W)seven heads and the ten horns.
8 “(X)The beast that you saw (Y)was, and is not, and is about to (Z)come up out of the (AA)abyss and [g](AB)go to destruction. And (AC)those who dwell on the earth, (AD)whose name has not been written in the book of life (AE)from the foundation of the world, will (AF)wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. 9 (AG)Here is the mind which has wisdom. The (AH)seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, 10 and they are seven (AI)kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. 11 The beast which (AJ)was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he (AK)goes to destruction. 12 The (AL)ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast (AM)for one hour. 13 These have (AN)one [h]purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
Victory for the Lamb
14 These will wage (AO)war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will (AP)overcome them, because He is (AQ)Lord of lords and (AR)King of kings, and (AS)those who are with Him are the (AT)called and chosen and faithful.”
15 And he *said to me, “The (AU)waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are (AV)peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 And the (AW)ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her (AX)desolate and (AY)naked, and will (AZ)eat her flesh and will (BA)burn her up with fire. 17 For (BB)God has put it in their hearts to execute His [i]purpose [j]by (BC)having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the (BD)words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is (BE)the great city, which [k]reigns over the kings of the earth.”
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