M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
15 After a number of days, during the wheat harvest, Samson came to visit his wife and brought a kid goat with him. He said, “Let me go in to my wife’s room,” but her father did not let him go in.
2 Her father said, “I was so convinced that you hated her that I gave her to your companion. Isn’t her younger sister better than she is? Please take her for yourself instead of her older sister.”
3 Samson said to them, “I am not responsible for the harm I am about to do to the Philistines.” 4 Then Samson went and captured three hundred foxes,[a] took torches, tied the foxes tail to tail, and fastened a torch between each pair of tails. 5 He set fire to the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up sheaves of grain, the standing grain, the vineyards, and the olive groves.
6 The Philistines asked, “Who did this?” They were told, “Samson, the son-in-law of the man from Timnah, did it, because the man took Samson’s wife and gave her to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.
7 At that, Samson said to them, “Since you would do something like this, I will take revenge on you. Then I will stop.” 8 He ripped them to pieces[b] in a devastating attack. Then he went down and stayed in the cleft in the Rock of Etam.
9 Meanwhile the Philistines went up, set up camp in Judah, and occupied the territory around Lehi. 10 The men of Judah asked, “Why have you come up against us?”
They said, “We have come up to tie up Samson—to do to him as he did to us.”
11 So three thousand men from Judah went down to the cleft in the Rock of Etam. They said to Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines are now ruling over us? So what is this you have done to us?”
Samson answered them, “As they did to me, so I did to them.”
12 They said to him, “We have come down to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.”
Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.”
13 They said to him, “We will not. We will indeed tie you up and hand you over to them, but we will not kill you.” Then they tied him up with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.
14 When Samson came to Lehi, the Philistines came to meet him, shouting a war cry. But then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson, and the ropes around his shoulders were like flax charred by fire, and the ropes melted off his wrists. 15 Samson found the fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand, and took it. With it he struck down a thousand men.
16 Samson said:
With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps![c]
With the jawbone of a donkey I have struck down a thousand men.
17 When he finished speaking, he threw the jawbone out of his hand, and he named the place Ramath Lehi.[d]
18 Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the Lord, “You placed this great victory into the hand of your servant. Shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God split the hollow that is in Lehi, and water came out of it. Samson drank, his vitality was restored, and he was revived. For this reason he called the place En Hakkore,[e] which remains in Lehi to this day.
20 Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
Paul Goes to Ephesus
19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior districts and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
“No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that the Holy Spirit was given.”
3 Paul asked, “What were you baptized into then?”
They replied, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.[a] 5 When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.”[b]
6 When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in other languages and to prophesy. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, leading discussions and trying to persuade them about[c] the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became hardened and refused to believe, even slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he left them. He took the disciples with him and led discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, with the result that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
11 God was doing extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick; their illnesses left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
The Seven Sons of Sceva
13 Then some Jewish exorcists who went from place to place tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits. They said, “I command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches to come out!” 14 It was the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them, and exercised such complete domination over all of them that they fled from that house naked and wounded.
17 This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. They were all overcome with fear, and they held the name of the Lord Jesus in high honor. 18 Also many of those who had become believers came forward, confessing and admitting their actions. 19 And a large number of those who had practiced magic arts[d] collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. They added up the cost of the books and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.[e] 20 In this way the word of the Lord was growing and gaining strength.
21 After all this had happened, Paul resolved in his spirit[f] to go to Jerusalem by traveling through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must also see Rome.” 22 After sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he stayed in the province of Asia for a while.
The Riot in Ephesus
23 During that time there was more than a minor disturbance about the Way. 24 A certain silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little income for the craftsmen. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this income. 26 You also see and hear that not merely in Ephesus but throughout almost the entire province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large number of people. He says that gods made by hands are not gods at all! 27 Not only is there danger that our trade may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be considered worthless. Then she will suffer the loss of her magnificence, although she is worshipped by the whole province of Asia and the world.”
28 When they heard this, they were filled with rage and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled with confusion, and with one goal in mind they rushed to the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 30 Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, but the disciples would not let him. 31 Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32 Some were shouting one thing, others another, because the assembly was in confusion. Most of them did not even know why they had come together. 33 They made Alexander come out of the crowd.[g] It was the Jews who pushed him forward. Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make his defense to the assembly. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry rose from all of them. For about two hours, they kept shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 After the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you need to be quiet and not do anything rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our[h] goddess. 38 If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another. 39 If you want to pursue something about other matters,[i] it should be settled in the legal assembly. 40 For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, because we will not be able to give any reason for this disorderly mob.” 41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
The False Prophet Hananiah
28 That same year, in the fifth month of the fourth year (early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah), the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the House of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people. He said, 2 “The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says this. I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 When two full years have passed, I will bring back all the vessels of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried off to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back Jeconiah[a] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah along with all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon, declares the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the House of the Lord. 6 He said, “Amen! May the Lord do that! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied and bring back the vessels of the Lord’s house, and may he bring all the exiles back from Babylon to this place. 7 Nevertheless, listen now to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets from ancient times, who came before you and me, prophesied war, famine,[b] and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, only when the word of the prophet actually comes true will that prophet become known as someone whom the Lord has truly sent.”
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11 In the presence of all the people, Hananiah said, “This is what the Lord says. This is how I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from off the neck of all the nations within two full years.” So the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.
12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah that this is what the Lord says. You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will receive an iron yoke. 14 For the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says, I will put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations so that they will serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Yes, they will certainly serve him. I have even given him the wild animals.”
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you are making this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says. Watch, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you will die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.”
17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.
The Plot to Kill Jesus
14 It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the experts in the law were looking for some deceptive way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 “Certainly not during the Festival,” they said, “or there will be a riot among the people.”
Mary Anoints Jesus
3 While Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made from pure nard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it over his head. 4 But there were some who were indignant and said to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 Certainly this perfume could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii[a] and given to the poor!” And they began to scold her.
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7 In fact, you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you are not always going to have me. 8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 Amen I tell you: Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman did will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas Plans to Betray Jesus
10 Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. 11 When they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Jesus Celebrates the Passover
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house that the Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”
16 His disciples left and went into the city and found things just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
17 When it was evening, he arrived with the Twelve.
One Will Betray Jesus
18 While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”
19 They began to be sorrowful and said to him one by one, “Surely not I?”
20 He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping bread with me in the dish. 21 Indeed, the Son of Man is going to go just as it has been written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
The Lord’s Supper
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread. When he had blessed it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take it.[b] This is my body.”
23 Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them. They all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the new testament,[c] which is poured out for many. 25 Amen I tell you: I will certainly not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
27 Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’[d] 28 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29 But Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
30 Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Today—this very night—before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
31 But Peter kept saying emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.
Gethsemane
32 They went to a place named Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 Then he took Peter, James, and John along with him and began to be troubled and distressed. 34 He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going forward a little, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 He also said, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
37 When he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Were you not strong enough to keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing. 40 When he returned, he found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. They did not know what they should answer him. 41 He returned the third time and said to them, “Are you going to continue sleeping and resting? It is enough. The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.”
Jesus’ Arrest
43 Just then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A crowd was with him, armed with swords and clubs. They were from the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders. 44 Now his betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 He went right to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 They laid hands on him and arrested him. 47 But one of those who stood nearby drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
48 Jesus responded by saying to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to capture me as you would a criminal? 49 Day after day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But this happened so that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.” 50 Then the disciples all left him and fled.
51 A certain young man was following him, wearing just a linen cloth over his naked body. They seized him, 52 but he left behind the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
Jesus’ First Trial in the Sanhedrin
53 They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the experts in the law gathered together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.
55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their testimonies did not agree. 57 Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” 59 Yet even on this point, their testimony did not agree.
60 The high priest stepped forward[e] and questioned Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this they are testifying against you?”
61 But Jesus was silent and did not answer anything.
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
62 “I am,” Jesus said. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”[f]
63 The high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we need any more witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”
They all condemned him as being worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit on him. They covered his face and struck him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him.
Peter Denies Jesus
66 While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came there. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked directly at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!”
68 But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know or understand what you are saying,” and he went out to the entryway. Then a rooster crowed.
69 When the servant girl saw him, once more she began to tell those standing there, “This is one of them.”
70 But again he denied it. After a little while those who were standing there said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, because you are a Galilean.”
71 But he began to curse and to swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72 Just then, the rooster crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.