M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 26
Classes of Gatekeepers. 1 These are the divisions of the gatekeepers.
From the Korahites, there was Meshelemiah, the son of Kore, one of the sons of Abiasaph. 2 The sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah, his firstborn, Jediael, his second, Zebadiah, his third, Jathniel, his fourth, 3 Elam, his fifth, Jehohanan, his sixth, and Eliehoenai, his seventh.
4 Obed-edom also had sons. They were Shemaiah, his firstborn, Jehozabad, his second, Joah, his third, Sachar, his fourth, Nethanel, his fifth, 5 Ammiel, his sixth, Issachar, his seventh, and Peullethai, his eighth, for God blessed Obed-edom.
6 His son Shemaiah also had sons who became the leaders of the ancestral clans because they were most capable. 7 The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. His brethren Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men. 8 All of these were the descendants of Obed-edom. They and their brethren were capable men, strong enough to do their work. There were sixty-two descendants of Obed-edom in all.
9 Meshelemiah had eighteen sons and relatives who were capable men.
10 The sons of Hosah the Merarite were Shimri, his firstborn (although he was not really the firstborn, his father assigned him the honor of firstborn), 11 Hilkiah, the second, Tebaliah, the third, and Zechariah, the fourth. Hosah had thirteen sons and relatives in all.
12 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers according to their leaders. Their duties were to minister in the temple of the Lord. 13 They cast lots for the gates, the young and the old, according to their ancestral clans.
14 The lot for the East Gate fell to Meshelemiah. They then cast lots for his son Zechariah who was a wise counselor. His lot came out, and the North Gate was allotted to him. 15 The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-edom, and that for the storehouse fell to his sons. 16 The lot for the West Gate and the Shallecheth Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah.
There were guards alongside of guards. 17 Each day there were six Levites to the east. Each day there were four to the north. Each day there were four to the south, and there were two at a time for the storehouse. 18 As for the courtyard[a] to the west, there were four on the roadway and two in the courtyard itself.
19 These were the divisions for the gatekeepers who were the descendants of Korah and the descendants of Merari.
20 Treasurers and Other Officials. Their fellow Levites supervised the treasury of the temple of God and the treasury of the dedicated objects. 21 The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and leaders of the ancestral clans of Ladan the Gershonite were Jehiel, 22 with the sons of Jehiel, who were Zetham and his brother Joel. They were responsible for the treasury of the temple of the Lord.
23 From the Amramites there were the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites.
24 Shubael, a descendant of Gershom, who was the son of Moses, was the supervisor of the treasury.
25 His relatives through Eliezer were Rehabiah, his son, Jeshaiah, his son, Joram, his son, Zichri, his son, and Shelomith, his son. 26 Shelomith and his brethren were responsible for the treasury of the dedicated objects. They had been dedicated by King David, by the leaders of the ancestral clans, by the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, and by the captains of the army. 27 Some of the spoils taken in battle had been dedicated for the maintenance of the temple of the Lord. 28 There were also all the things that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul, the son of Kish, Abner, the son of Ner, and Joab, the son of Zeruiah. Whatever had been dedicated was under the supervision of Shelomith and his brethren.
29 Magistrates. From the Izharites there were Chenaniah and his sons who were assigned responsibilities outside of the temple as officials and judges over Israel.
30 From the Hebronites there were Hashabiah and his relatives, one thousand seven hundred capable men, who were officials on the west side of the Jordan for all of the concerns involving the Lord and all of the service to the king.
31 From the Hebronites there was Jerijah, who was the leader of the Hebronites according to the generations of the ancestral clans.
In the fortieth year of the reign of David, a search was made, and some of their capable men were found in Jazer of Gilead. 32 He had two thousand seven hundred capable men among his brethren who were the leaders of the ancestral clans. King David made them responsible for any concern of God or any concern of the king among the Reubenites, the Gadites, and among one-half of the tribe of Manasseh.
Chapter 27
Commanders of the Army. 1 This is the list of the leaders of the ancestral clans of the Israelites, the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, the officials who served the king in anything concerning going out or coming in as they were on duty from month to month, all throughout the year. Each division had twenty-four thousand men.
2 Ishbaal, the son of Zabdiel, was in charge of the first division for the first month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division. 3 He was a descendant of Perez, and he was the leader of all of the captains of the army for the first month.
4 Dodai the Ahohite was in charge of the division for the second month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
5 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the priest, was the third leader of the army for the third month. He was the leader, and there were twenty-four thousand men in his division. 6 This was the same Benaiah who was a brave warrior from among the Thirty and the leader of the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division.
7 Asahel, the brother of Joab, was the fourth for the fourth month. Zebadiah, his son, succeeded him. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
8 Shamhuth the Zerahite was the fifth leader for the fifth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
9 Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite was the sixth for the sixth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
10 Hellez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite, was the seventh for the seventh month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
11 Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite, was the eighth for the eighth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
12 Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjaminite, was the ninth for the ninth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
13 Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite, was the tenth for the tenth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
14 Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite, was the eleventh for the eleventh month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
15 Heldai the Netophathite from the family of Othniel was the twelfth for the twelfth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.
16 Tribal Heads. The leaders of the tribes of Israel were: for the Reubenites: Eliezer, the son of Zichri; for the Simeonites: Shephatiah, the son of Maacah; 17 for the Levites: Hashabiah, the son of Kemuel; for the Aaronites: Zadok; 18 for the Judahites: Eliab, the brother of David; for the Issacharites: Omri, the son of Michael; 19 for the Zebulunites: Ishmaiah, the son of Obadiah; for the Naphtalites: Jeremoth, the son of Azriel; 20 for the Ephraimites: Hoshea, the son of Azaziah; for one-half of the tribe of Manasseh: Joel, the son of Pedaiah; 21 for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo, the son of Zechariah; for the Benjaminites: Jaasiel, the son of Abner; 22 and for the Danites: Azarel, the son of Jeroham. These were the leaders in charge of the tribes of Israel.
23 David did not take stock of those who were younger than twenty years old because the Lord had said that Israel would increase to be as many as the stars in the heavens. 24 Joab, the son of Zeruiah, began to count them, but he did not finish when wrath fell upon Israel because of it. Therefore the number was not entered into the chronicles of King David.
25 Administrators. Azmaveth, the son of Adiel, was responsible for the royal treasury. Jonathan, the son of Uzziah, was in charge of the storehouses in the fields, the cities, the villages, and the watchtowers. 26 Ezri, the son of Chelub, was in charge of the field workers who farmed the land. 27 Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the harvest from the vineyards for the wine cellars. 28 Baal-hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore trees on the western slopes. Joash was in charge of the olive oil supply in the cellars. 29 Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the grazing herds in Sharon. Shaphat, the son of Adlai, was in charge of the herds in the valleys. 30 Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys. 31 Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks.
These were all officials in charge of King David’s possessions. 32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor. He was an insightful man, and he was a scribe. Jehiel, the son of Hachamoni, was in charge of the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion.[b] 34 Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada, the son of Benaiah, and by Abiathar.[c] Joab was the commander of the king’s army.
Salutation
Chapter 1
Address.[a] 1 Simon Peter,[b] a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 may grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge[c] of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Exhortation to Growth in Christian Virtues
Strengthen Your Vocation.[d] 3 His divine power has bestowed on us everything that is necessary for life and for devotion through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue. 4 By these he has given us his precious promises, great beyond all price, so that through them you may escape from the corruption with which evil desires have infected the world and thereby may come to share in the divine nature.[e]
5 [f]In view of all this, you should make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with piety, 7 and piety with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.
8 If you possess these qualities and they increase in abundance, they will prevent your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffective and unfruitful. 9 For anyone who lacks them is near-sighted or blind, since he has forgotten how his past sins were washed away.[g]
10 Therefore, brethren, be diligent in providing a firm foundation for your call and election. If you do this, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a glorious welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.[h]
12 The Witness of an Apostle.[i] Therefore, I will continue to emphasize these things repeatedly, even though you already know them and are well grounded in the truth you possess. 13 For I think it is right, to refresh your memory as long as I remain in this body,[j] 14 since I know that my death[k] will come soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I shall also make every effort to ensure that you will always recall these things after my departure.
16 We did not rely upon cleverly concocted myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, we had beheld his majesty with our own eyes. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to him from the transcendent Majesty, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came down from heaven, when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 Pay Close Attention to the Message of the Prophets.[l] This confirms the message of the Prophets more fully for us. You would do well to pay close attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 First of all, however, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private interpretation. 21 No prophecy ever came from human initiative. Rather, when people spoke as messengers of God, they did so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.[m]
The Expectation of Renewal[a]
Chapter 4
We Shall Go to the Mountain of God
1 In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be established as the highest of the mountains,
towering above other hills.
Peoples will stream toward it;
2 many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
so that he may teach us his ways
and we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion will instruction go forth,
and from Jerusalem the word of the Lord.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and serve as an arbiter,
between mighty and distant nations.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up the sword against nation,
nor will they ever again be trained for war.
4 Each man will sit under his own vine
or under his own fig tree
with no cause for alarm,
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples go forth,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord, our God,
forever and ever.
Gathering Up the Dispersed Flock
6 On that day, says the Lord,
I will gather the lame;
I will assemble those who have been driven away
and those whom I have afflicted.
7 I will make the lame into a remnant,
and turn into a strong nation those who were cast off.
The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion
now and forevermore.
8 As for you, O tower of the flock,[b]
hill of daughter Zion,
the promises made to you
will be fulfilled,
and your former security will be restored,
the sovereignty of daughter Jerusalem.
A Sorrowful Childbirth
9 Why are you now crying out?
Have you no king any longer,
or has your counselor perished,
that you are afflicted with pains
like a woman in labor?
10 Writhe in pain and cry aloud,
O daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor.
For now you must go forth from the city
and camp in the open country.
You will go to Babylon
where you will be saved.
There the Lord will deliver you
from the hands of your enemies.
The Nations Crush the Land of God
11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be profaned;
let us gloat over Zion.”
12 However, they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord
or comprehend his plan.
For he has gathered them
like sheaves on the threshing floor.
13 Arise and thresh,
O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horn like iron
and your hooves like bronze
so that you may crush many peoples.
You shall devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.
From You Bethlehem There Will Be Born the One Who Will Rule[c]
14 Now withdraw behind your walls,
for they have laid siege against you.
With a rod they will strike on the cheek
the ruler of Israel.
Chapter 13
Jesus Calls for Repentance.[a] 1 At that time, some people who were present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. 2 He asked them, “Do you think that because the Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower fell on them at Siloam—do you think that they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you—but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.”
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.[b] 6 Then he told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, but whenever he came looking for fruit on it, he found none. 7 Therefore, he said to his vinedresser, ‘For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and have never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue to use up the soil?’ 8 But the vinedresser replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year while I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 Perhaps it will bear fruit next year. If so, well and good. If not, then you can cut it down.’ ”
10 Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath.[c] On one Sabbath as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, 11 a woman was present, possessed by a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and completely unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13 Then he laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.
14 But the leader of the synagogue was indignant because Jesus had effected a cure on the Sabbath, and he said to the assembled people, “There are six days when work is permitted. Come on those days and be cured, and not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord said to him in reply, “You hypocrites! Is there a single one of you who does not untie his ox or his donkey and lead it from its stall to give it water on the Sabbath? 16 Should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has held bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath?” 17 At these words, all his adversaries were put to shame, and the people rejoiced at all the wonderful things he was doing.
18 The Parable of the Mustard Seed.[d]He went on to say, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
20 The Parable of the Yeast. Again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until it was completely leavened.”
The Destiny of Israel
22 Who Will Enter into the Kingdom of God?[e] Jesus continued journeying through towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He answered, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter but will not succeed in doing so.
25 “When once the master of the house has gotten up and shut the door, you may find yourself standing outside knocking on the door and begging, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say in reply, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will protest, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the kingdom of God as you yourselves are being thrown out. 29 Then from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, people will come and take their places at the banquet in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
31 Herod’s Desire To Kill Jesus.[f] At that time, some Pharisees came and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He answered them, “Go and tell that fox: ‘Behold, today and tomorrow I will be casting out demons and healing people, and on the third day I will finish my work. 33 Yet I must continue to go on today and tomorrow and the next day, since it would not be right for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.
34 The Lament over Jerusalem.[g]“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you murder the Prophets and stone the messengers sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not allow it! 35 Behold, your house has been abandoned. I tell you, you will not see me until you say: ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”
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