M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
7 Early in the morning Jerub-Baal and all his men set up their camp at the spring of Harod. (Jerub-Baal is also called Gideon.) The Midianites were camped north of them. The Midianites were camped in the valley at the bottom of the hill called Moreh. 2 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men to defeat the Midianites. I don’t want the Israelites to brag that they saved themselves. 3 So now, announce to the people, ‘Anyone who is afraid may leave Mount Gilead. He may go back home.’” And 22,000 men went back home. But 10,000 remained.
4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take the men down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say, ‘This man will go with you,’ he will go. But if I say, ‘That one will not go with you,’ he will not go.”
5 So Gideon led the men down to the water. There the Lord said to him, “Separate them. Those who drink water by lapping it up like a dog will be in one group. Those who bend down to drink will be in the other group.” 6 There were 300 men who used their hands to bring water to their mouths. They lapped it as a dog does. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “I will save you, using the 300 men who lapped the water. And I will allow you to defeat Midian. Let all the other men go to their homes.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of Israel to their homes. But he kept 300 men. He took the jars and the trumpets of those who went home.
Now the camp of Midian was in the valley below Gideon. 9 That night the Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, “Get up. Go down and attack the camp of the Midianites. I will allow you to defeat them. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, take your servant Purah with you. 11 When you come to the camp of Midian, you will hear what they are saying. Then you will not be afraid to attack the camp.”
Gideon Is Encouraged
So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the enemy camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the peoples from the east were camped in that valley. There were so many of them they seemed like locusts. They had so many camels no one could count them. There were as many as there are grains of sand on the seashore!
13 When Gideon came to the enemy camp, he heard a man talking. That man was telling his friend about a dream. He was saying, “Listen, I dreamed that a loaf of barley bread rolled into the camp of Midian. It hit the tent so hard that the tent turned over and fell flat!”
14 The man’s friend said, “Your dream is about the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel. God will let Gideon defeat Midian and the whole army!”
15 When Gideon heard about the dream and what it meant, he worshiped God. Then Gideon went back to the camp of Israel. He called out to them, “Get up! The Lord has defeated the army of Midian for you!” 16 Then Gideon divided the 300 men into three groups. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar. A burning torch was inside each jar.
17 Gideon told the men, “Watch me and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do what I do. 18 Surround the enemy camp. I and everyone with me will blow our trumpets. When we blow our trumpets, you blow your trumpets, too. Then shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
Midian Is Defeated
19 So Gideon and the 100 men with him came to the edge of the enemy camp. They came just after the enemy had changed guards. It was during the middle watch of the night. Then Gideon and his men blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. 20 All three groups of Gideon’s men blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands. Then they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Each of Gideon’s men stayed in his place around the camp. But inside the camp, the men of Midian began shouting and running away.
22 When Gideon’s 300 men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused all the men of Midian to fight each other with their swords! The enemy army ran away to the city of Beth Shittah. It is toward Zererah. They ran as far as the border of the city of Abel Meholah. It is near the city of Tabbath. 23 Then men of Israel from Naphtali, Asher and all of Manasseh were called out to chase the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers through all the mountains of Ephraim. They said, “Come down and attack the Midianites. Take control of the Jordan River as far as Beth Barah. Do this before the Midianites can get to the river and cross it.”
So they called out all the men of Ephraim. They took control of the Jordan River as far as Beth Barah. 25 The men of Ephraim captured two princes of Midian named Oreb and Zeeb. The men of Ephraim killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb. They killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they continued chasing the Midianites. They cut off the heads of Oreb and Zeeb and took them to Gideon. He was now east of the Jordan River.
Peter Returns to Jerusalem
11 The apostles and the believers in Judea heard that non-Jewish people had accepted God’s teaching too. 2 But when Peter came to Jerusalem, some Jewish believers argued with him. 3 They said, “You went into the homes of people who are not Jews and are not circumcised! You even ate with them!”
4 So Peter explained the whole story to them. 5 He said, “I was in the city of Joppa. While I was praying, I had a vision. In the vision, I saw something which looked like a big sheet coming down from heaven. It was being lowered to earth by its four corners. It came down very close to me, and 6 I looked inside it. I saw animals, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds. 7 I heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘No, Lord! I have never eaten anything that is unholy or unclean.’ 9 But the voice from heaven answered again, ‘God has made these things clean. Don’t call them unholy!’ 10 This happened three times. Then the whole thing was taken back to heaven. 11 Right then three men came to the house where I was staying. They were sent to me from Caesarea. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them without doubting. These six believers here also went with me. We went to the house of Cornelius. 13 He told us about the angel he saw standing in his house. The angel said to him, ‘Send some men to Joppa and invite Simon Peter to come. 14 He will speak to you. The things he will say will save you and all your family.’ 15 When I began my speech, the Holy Spirit came on them just as he came on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the words of the Lord. He said, ‘John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit!’ 17 God gave to them the same gift that he gave to us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So could I stop the work of God? No!”
18 When the Jewish believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is allowing the non-Jewish people also to turn to him and live.”
The Good News Comes to Antioch
19 Many of the believers were scattered by the terrible things that happened after Stephen was killed. Some of them went to places as far away as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They were telling the message to others, but only to Jews. 20 Some of these believers were men from Cyprus and Cyrene. When they came to Antioch, they spoke also to Greeks,[a] telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord was helping the believers. And a large group of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 The church in Jerusalem heard about all of this, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23-24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith. When he reached Antioch and saw how God had blessed the people, he was glad. He encouraged all the believers in Antioch. He told them, “Never lose your faith. Always obey the Lord with all your hearts.” Many people became followers of the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to the city of Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found Saul, he brought him to Antioch. And for a whole year Saul and Barnabas met with the church. They taught many people there. In Antioch the followers were called Christians for the first time.
27 About that time some prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them was named Agabus. He stood up and spoke with the help of the Holy Spirit. He said, “A very hard time is coming to the whole world. There will be no food for people to eat.” (This happened when Claudius ruled.) 29 The followers all decided to help their brothers who lived in Judea. Each one planned to send them as much as he could. 30 They gathered the money and gave it to Barnabas and Saul, who brought it to the elders in Judea.
Jeremiah and Pashhur
20 Pashhur son of Immer was a priest. He was the highest officer in the Temple of the Lord. He heard Jeremiah prophesying in the Temple courtyard. 2 So he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten. And he had Jeremiah’s hands and feet locked between large blocks of wood. This was at the Upper Gate of Benjamin of the Lord’s Temple. 3 The next day Pashhur took Jeremiah out from between the blocks of wood. Then Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name for you is not Pashhur. Now the Lord’s name for you is Terror on Every Side. 4 That is your name because this is what the Lord says: ‘I will soon make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. You will watch enemies killing your friends with swords. And I will give all the people of Judah to the king of Babylon. He will take them away as captives to Babylon. Then his army will kill them with swords. 5 I will give all the wealth of this city to its enemies. I will give them its goods and its valuables. I will give the treasures of the kings of Judah to their enemies. The enemies will carry Judah and all its valuables off to Babylon. 6 And Pashhur, you and everyone in your house will be taken away. You will be forced to go as a captive to Babylon. You will die and be buried there. Your friends you have prophesied lies to will also die and be buried in Babylon!’”
Jeremiah’s Fifth Complaint
7 Lord, you tricked me, and I was fooled.
You are stronger than I am. So you won.
I have become a joke.
Everyone makes fun of me all day long.
8 Every time I speak, I shout.
I am always shouting about violence and destruction.
I tell the people about the message I received from the Lord.
But this only brings me insults. The people make fun of me all day long.
9 Sometimes I say to myself,
“I will forget about the Lord.
I will not speak anymore in his name.”
But then the Lord’s message becomes like a burning fire inside me.
It feels like it burns deep within my bones.
I get tired of trying to hold the Lord’s message inside of me.
And finally, I cannot hold it in.
10 I hear many people whispering about me:
“Terror on every side!
Let’s tell the rulers about him.”
My friends are all just waiting for me to make some mistake.
They are saying,
“Maybe we can trick Jeremiah.
Then we can defeat him.
Then we can pay him back.”
11 But the Lord is with me like a strong warrior.
So those who are chasing me will trip and fall.
They will not defeat me.
They will be very disappointed and ashamed.
Their shame will never be forgotten.
12 Lord of heaven’s armies, you test good people.
You look deeply into the heart and mind of a person.
I have told you my arguments against these people.
So let me see you give them the punishment they deserve.
13 Sing to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
He saves the life of the poor.
He saves them from the power of wicked people.
Jeremiah’s Sixth Complaint
14 Let there be a curse on the day I was born.
Let there be no blessing on the day when my mother gave birth to me.
15 Let there be a curse on the man
who brought my father the news:
“You have a son!”
This made my father glad.
16 Let that man be like the towns
the Lord destroyed without pity.
Let that man hear loud crying in the morning.
And let him hear battle cries at noon.
17 This is because he did not kill me before I was born.
Then my mother would have been my grave.
I would never have been born.
18 Why did I have to come out of my mother’s body?
All I have known is trouble and sorrow.
And my life will end in shame.
Jesus Goes to His Hometown
6 Jesus left there and went back to his hometown. His followers went with him. 2 On the Sabbath day he taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him and were amazed. They said, “Where did this man get these teachings? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And where did he get the power to work miracles? 3 He is only the carpenter. His mother is Mary. He is the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here with us.” The people did not accept Jesus.
4 Jesus said to them, “Other people give honor to a prophet. But in his own town with his own people and in his own home, a prophet does not receive honor.” 5 Jesus was not able to work many miracles there. The only miracles he did were to heal some sick people by putting his hands on them. 6 Jesus was amazed that they had no faith.
Then Jesus went to other villages in that area and taught. 7 He called the 12 followers together and sent them out in groups of 2. He gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 This is what Jesus told them: “Take nothing for your trip except a walking stick. Take no bread, no bag, and no money in your pockets. 9 Wear sandals, and take only the clothes you are wearing. 10 When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any town refuses to accept you or its people refuse to listen to you, then leave that town. Shake its dust off your feet.[a] This will be a warning to them.”[b]
12 The followers went out and preached to the people to change their hearts and lives. 13 The followers forced many demons out and poured olive oil on many sick people and healed them.
How John the Baptist Was Killed
14 King Herod heard about Jesus, because Jesus was now well known. Some people said,[c] “He is John the Baptist. He is risen from death. That is the reason he can work these miracles.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”[d]
Other people said, “Jesus is a prophet. He is like the prophets who lived long ago.”
16 Herod heard all these things about Jesus. He said, “I killed John by cutting off his head. Now he has been raised from death!”
17 Herod himself had ordered his soldiers to arrest John, and John was put in prison. Herod did this to please his wife, Herodias. Herodias was the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. But then Herod married her. 18 John told Herod that it was not lawful for him to be married to his brother’s wife. 19 So Herodias hated John and wanted to kill him. But she could not because of Herod. 20 Herod was afraid to kill John because he knew John was a good and holy man. So Herod protected John. Also, Herod enjoyed listening to John preach. But John’s preaching always bothered him.
21 Then the perfect time came for Herodias to cause John’s death. It happened on Herod’s birthday. Herod gave a dinner party for the most important government leaders, the commanders of his army, and the most important people in Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodias[e] came to the party and danced. When she danced, Herod and the people eating with him were very pleased.
So King Herod said to the girl, “I will give you anything you want.” 23 He promised her, “Anything you ask for I will give to you. I will even give you half of my kingdom.”
24 The girl went to her mother and asked, “What should I ask the king to give me?”
Her mother answered, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist.”
25 Quickly the girl went back to the king. She said to him, “Please give me the head of John the Baptist. Bring it to me now on a platter.”
26 The king was very sad. But he had promised to give the girl anything she wanted. And the people eating there with him had heard his promise. So Herod could not refuse what she asked. 27 Immediately the king sent a soldier to bring John’s head. The soldier went and cut off John’s head in the prison 28 and brought it back on a platter. He gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 John’s followers heard about what happened. So they came and got John’s body and put it in a tomb.
More Than 5,000 People Fed
30 The apostles that Jesus had sent out to preach returned. They gathered around him and told him about all the things they had done and taught. 31 Crowds of people were coming and going. Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, “Come with me. We will go to a quiet place to be alone. There we will get some rest.”
32 So they went in a boat alone to a place where there were no people. 33 But many people saw them leave and recognized them. So people from all the towns ran to the place where Jesus was going. They got there before Jesus arrived. 34 When he landed, he saw a great crowd waiting. Jesus felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.
35 It was now late in the day. Jesus’ followers came to him and said, “No one lives in this place. And it is already very late. 36 Send the people away. They need to go to the farms and towns around here to buy some food to eat.”
37 But Jesus answered, “You give them food to eat.”
They said to him, “We can’t buy enough bread to feed all these people! We would all have to work a month to earn enough money to buy that much bread!”
38 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have now? Go and see.”
When they found out, they came to him and said, “We have five loaves and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus said to the followers, “Tell all the people to sit in groups on the green grass.” 40 So all the people sat in groups. They sat in groups of 50 or groups of 100. 41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for the bread. He divided the bread and gave it to his followers for them to give to the people. Then he divided the two fish among them all. 42 All the people ate and were satisfied. 43 The followers filled 12 baskets with the pieces of bread and fish that were not eaten. 44 There were about 5,000 men there who ate.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45 Then Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go to Bethsaida on the other side of the lake. Jesus said that he would come later. He stayed there to tell the people they could go home. 46 After sending them away, he went into the hills to pray.
47 That night, the boat was in the middle of the lake. Jesus was alone on the land. 48 He saw the followers working hard to row the boat because the wind was blowing against them. At some time between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He continued walking until he was almost past the boat. 49 But when his followers saw him walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost and cried out. 50 They all saw him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke to them and said, “Have courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” 51 Then he got into the boat with them. And the wind became calm. The followers were greatly amazed. 52 They had seen Jesus make more bread from the five loaves. But they did not understand what it meant. Their minds were closed.
53 When they had crossed the lake, they came to shore at Gennesaret. They tied the boat there. 54 When they got out of the boat, the people saw Jesus and immediately recognized him. 55 They ran to tell others everywhere in that area that Jesus was there. They brought sick people on mats to every place Jesus went. 56 Jesus went into towns and cities and farms around that area. And everywhere he went, the people brought the sick to the marketplaces. They begged him to let them just touch the edge of his coat. And all who touched him were healed.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.