M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Outrage in Benjamin
19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel,(A) a Levite staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine. 2 But she was unfaithful to[a] him and left him for her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. She was there for four months. 3 Then her husband got up and followed her to speak kindly to her(B) and bring her back. He had his servant with him and a pair of donkeys. So she brought him to her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him, and he stayed with him for three days. They ate, drank, and spent the nights there.
5 On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to go, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have something to eat to keep up your strength(C) and then you can go.” 6 So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and enjoy yourself.”(D) 7 The man got up to go, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed and spent the night there again. 8 He got up early in the morning of the fifth day to leave, but the girl’s father said to him, “Please keep up your strength.” So they waited until late afternoon and the two of them ate. 9 The man got up to go with his concubine and his servant, when his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, night is coming. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, enjoy yourself, then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey and go home.”
10 But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up, departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem(E)). The man had his two saddled donkeys and his concubine with him. 11 When they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant(F) said to his master, “Please, why not let us stop at this Jebusite city and spend the night here?”
12 But his master replied to him, “We will not stop at a foreign city where there are no Israelites. Let’s move on to Gibeah.”(G) 13 “Come on,” he said,[b] “let’s try to reach one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they continued on their journey, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin. 15 They stopped[c] to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. The Levite went in and sat down in the city square, but no one took them into their home to spend the night.
16 In the evening, an old man came in from his work in the field. He was from the hill country of Ephraim,(H) but he was residing in Gibeah where the people were Benjaminites. 17 When he looked up and saw the traveler in the city square, the old man asked, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”
18 He answered him, “We’re traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I’m going to the house of the Lord.[d] No one has taken me into his home, 19 although there’s straw and feed for the donkeys, and I have bread and wine for me, my concubine, and the servant[e] with us. There is nothing we lack.”
20 “Welcome!” said the old man. “I’ll take care of everything you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.” 21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. Then they washed their feet and ate and drank.(I) 22 While they were enjoying themselves, all of a sudden, wicked men of the city(J) surrounded the house and beat on the door. They said to the old man who was the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him!”
23 The owner of the house went out and said to them, “Please don’t do this evil, my brothers. After all, this man has come into my house. Don’t commit this horrible outrage.(K) 24 Here, let me bring out my virgin daughter(L) and the man’s concubine now. Abuse them(M) and do whatever you want to them. But don’t commit this outrageous thing against this man.”
25 But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and took her outside to them. They raped her and abused her all night until morning. At daybreak they let her go. 26 Early that morning, the woman made her way back, and as it was getting light, she collapsed at the doorway of the man’s house where her master was.
27 When her master got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went out to leave on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, collapsed near the doorway of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 “Get up,” he told her. “Let’s go.” But there was no response.(N) So the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.
29 When he entered his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and then sent her throughout the territory of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or has been seen since the day the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt until now.[f] Think it over, discuss it, and speak up!”
23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience(A) to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.(B) 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” (C)
4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”
5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”[a](D) 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.(E) I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” (F) 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection,(G) and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.
9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’(H) party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man.(I) What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” [b](J)
10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.(K) 11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”(L)
The Plot against Paul
12 When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.(M) 13 There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you[c] as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”(N)
16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”
18 So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
19 The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”
20 “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21 Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”(O)
22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”
To Caesarea by Night
23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.[d](P) 24 Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote the following letter:[e]
26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.(Q)
27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.(R) 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law,(S) and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment.(T) 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,[f](U) I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers(V) to state their case against him in your presence.[g]
31 So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.(W) 34 After he[h] read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,(X) 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.[i](Y)
Israel’s Restoration
33 While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard,(A) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: 2 “The Lord who made the earth,[a] the Lord who forms it to establish it,(B) the Lord is his name,(C) says this: 3 Call to me and I will answer you(D) and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.(E) 4 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and the palaces of Judah’s kings, the ones torn down for defense against the assault ramps and the sword:(F) 5 The people coming to fight the Chaldeans will fill the houses with the corpses of their own men that I strike down in my wrath and fury. I have hidden my face(G) from this city because of all their evil. 6 Yet I will certainly bring health(H) and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance[b] of true peace.(I) 7 I will restore the fortunes[c] of Judah and of Israel and will rebuild them as in former times.(J) 8 I will purify them from all the iniquity they have committed against me,(K) and I will forgive all the iniquities they have committed against me, rebelling against me. 9 This city will bear on my behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory(L) before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the prosperity I will give them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace(M) I will bring about for them.
10 “This is what the Lord says: In this place, which you say is a ruin,(N) without people or animals—that is, in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets that are a desolation without people, without inhabitants, and without animals—there will be heard again 11 a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride,(O) and the voice of those saying,
Give thanks to the Lord of Armies,
for the Lord is good;
his faithful love endures forever
as they bring thanksgiving sacrifices to the temple of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as in former times, says the Lord.
12 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: In this desolate place—without people or animals—and in all its cities there will once more be a grazing land where shepherds may rest flocks.(P) 13 The flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them(Q) in the cities of the hill country,(R) the cities of the Judean foothills, the cities of the Negev, the land of Benjamin—the areas around Jerusalem and in Judah’s cities, says the Lord.
God’s Covenant with David
14 “Look, the days are coming”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“when I will fulfill the good promise
that I have spoken
concerning the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.(S)
15 In those days and at that time
I will cause a Righteous Branch(T)
to sprout up for David,
and he will administer justice
and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell securely,(U)
and this is what she will be named:
The Lord Is Our Righteousness.[d]
17 “For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.(V) 18 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices.”(W)
19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,(X) 21 then also my covenant with my servant David(Y) may be broken. If that could happen, then he would not have a son reigning on his throne and the Levitical priests would not be my ministers.(Z) 22 Even as the stars of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured,(AA) so too I will make innumerable the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me.”
23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed what these people have said? They say, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families he had chosen.’(AB) My people are treated with contempt and no longer regarded as a nation among them. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I do not keep my covenant with the day and with the night, and if I fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth,(AC) 26 then I might also reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David. That is, I would not take rulers from his descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But in fact, I will restore their fortunes[e] and have compassion on them.”(AD)
Psalm 3
Confidence in Troubled Times
A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.(A)
1 Lord, how my foes increase!
There are many who attack me.(B)
2 Many say about me,
“There is no help for him in God.”(C)Selah
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,(D)
my glory,(E) and the one who lifts up my head.(F)
4 I cry aloud to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.(G)Selah
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again because the Lord sustains me.(H)
6 I will not be afraid of thousands of people
who have taken their stand against me on every side.(I)
7 Rise up, Lord!(J)
Save me, my God!
You strike all my enemies on the cheek;(K)
you break the teeth of the wicked.(L)
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;(M)
may your blessing be on your people.(N)Selah
Psalm 4
A Night Prayer
For the choir director: with stringed instruments.(O) A psalm of David.
1 Answer me when I call,
God, who vindicates me.[a](P)
You freed me from affliction;(Q)
be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2 How long, exalted ones,[b] will my honor be insulted?(R)
How long will you love what is worthless(S)
and pursue a lie? Selah
3 Know that the Lord has set apart
the faithful for himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to him.
4 Be angry[c] and do not sin;(T)
reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent.(U) Selah
5 Offer sacrifices in righteousness[d](V)
and trust in the Lord.(W)
6 Many are asking, “Who can show us anything good?”
Let the light of your face shine on us, Lord.(X)
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