M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Defeats Ammon and Aram(A)
19 Later King Nahash of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun because his father Nahash showed me kindness.” So David sent messengers to comfort Hanun after his father’s death. But when David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to comfort Hanun, 3 the Ammonite princes asked Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Haven’t his servants come to explore, destroy, and spy on the country?” 4 So Hanun took David’s men, shaved them, cut off their clothes from the waist down, and sent them away.
5 After people told David what had happened to the men, he sent someone to meet them because they were deeply humiliated. The king said to them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return to Jerusalem.”
6 The Ammonites realized that they had made themselves offensive to David. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds of silver to hire chariots and horses from the Arameans in Upper Mesopotamia, Maacah, and Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army. They camped near Medeba. The Ammonites gathered for the battle from their cities.
8 After David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the elite troops. 9 The Ammonites formed a battle line at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the kings who had come remained by themselves in the open country.
10 When Joab saw he was under attack in front and behind, he took the select troops of Israel and organized them for combat against the Arameans. 11 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the troops. They organized for combat against the Ammonites.
12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for my troops, be ready to help me. And if the Ammonites are too strong for your troops, I’ll help you. 13 Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our Elohim, and Yahweh will do what he considers right.”
14 Then Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, and the Arameans fled. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they, too, fled from Joab’s brother Abishai and went into the city. So Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16 Realizing that Israel had defeated them, the kings sent messengers to get other Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River. Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, led them.
17 When David was told about this, he assembled Israel’s army, crossed the Jordan, and confronted them. David formed a battle line against the Arameans, and they fought him. 18 The Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed 7,000 chariot drivers and 40,000 foot soldiers. David also killed Shophach. 19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer saw that Israel had defeated them, they made peace with David and became his subjects. And the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
David Defeats the Philistines(B)
20 In the spring, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led the army to war. They destroyed the Ammonites and came to Rabbah to attack it, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down. 2 He took the gold crown from the head of Rabbah’s king and put it on David’s head. (The crown was found to weigh 75 pounds, and in it was a precious stone.) David also took a lot of goods from the city. 3 He brought out the troops who were there and put them to work with saws, hoes, and axes.[a] He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.
4 After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai from Hushah[b] killed Sippai, a descendant of Haraphah, and the Philistines were defeated. 5 When more fighting broke out with the Philistines, Elhanan, son of Jair, killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath from Gath. (The shaft of Lahmi’s spear was like a beam used by weavers.) 6 In another battle at Gath, there was a tall man who had 24 fingers and toes: six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He also was a descendant of Haraphah. 7 When he challenged Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimea, killed him. 8 These men were the descendants of Haraphah from Gath, and David and his men killed them.
Greeting
1 From Peter, an apostle of Yeshua Christ.
To God’s chosen people who are temporary residents in the world and are scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father knew you long ago and chose you to live holy lives with the Spirit’s help so that you are obedient to Yeshua Christ and are sprinkled with his blood.
May good will[a] and peace fill your lives!
Faith in Christ Brings You Joy
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Christ! God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Yeshua Christ has come back to life. 4 We have been born into a new life which has an inheritance that can’t be destroyed or corrupted and can’t fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 since you are guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time.
6 You are extremely happy about these things, even though you have to suffer different kinds of trouble for a little while now. 7 The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Yeshua Christ appears again.
8 Although you have never seen Christ, you love him. You don’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words 9 as you obtain the salvation that is the goal of your faith.
10 The prophets carefully researched and investigated this salvation. Long ago they spoke about God’s kindness[b] that would come to you. 11 So they tried to find out what time or situation the Spirit of Christ kept referring to whenever he predicted Christ’s sufferings and the glory that would follow. 12 God revealed to the prophets that the things they had spoken were not for their own benefit but for yours. What the prophets had spoken, the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven, has now made known to you by those who spread the Good News among you. These are things that even the angels want to look into.
Live Holy Lives
13 Therefore, your minds must be clear and ready for action. Place your confidence completely in what God’s kindness will bring you when Yeshua Christ appears again. 14 Because you are children who obey God, don’t live the kind of lives you once lived. Once you lived to satisfy your desires because you didn’t know any better. 15 But because the God who called you is holy you must be holy in every aspect of your life. 16 Scripture says, “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 So if you call God your Father, live your time as temporary residents on earth in fear. He is the God who judges all people by what they have done, and he doesn’t play favorites. 18 Realize that you weren’t set free from the worthless life handed down to you from your ancestors by a payment of silver or gold which can be destroyed. 19 Rather, the payment that freed you was the precious blood of Christ, the lamb with no defects or imperfections. 20 He is the lamb who was known long ago before the world existed, but for your good he became publicly known in the last period of time. 21 Through him you believe in God who brought Christ back to life and gave him glory. So your faith and confidence are in God.
Love Each Other
22 Love each other with a warm love that comes from the heart. After all, you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth. As a result you have a sincere love for each other. 23 You have been born again, not from a seed that can be destroyed, but through God’s everlasting word that can’t be destroyed. That’s why Scripture says,
24 “All people are like grass,
and all their beauty is like a flower of the field.
The grass dries up and the flower drops off,
25 but the word of the Lord lasts forever.”
This word is the Good News that was told to you.
Nineveh Turns from Its Wicked Ways
3 Then Yahweh spoke his word to Jonah a second time. He said, 2 “Leave at once for the important city, Nineveh. Announce to the people the message I have given you.”
3 Jonah immediately went to Nineveh as Yahweh told him. Nineveh was a very large city. It took three days to walk through[a] it. 4 Jonah entered the city and walked for about a day. Then he said, “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed.”
5 The people of Nineveh believed Elohim. They decided to fast, and everyone, from the most important to the least important, dressed in sackcloth.
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he made this announcement and sent it throughout the city:
“This is an order from the king and his nobles: No one is to eat or drink anything. This includes all people, animals, cattle, and sheep. 8 Every person and animal must put on sackcloth. Cry loudly to Elohim for help. Turn from your wicked ways and your acts of violence. 9 Who knows? Elohim may reconsider his plans and turn from his burning anger so that we won’t die.”
10 Elohim saw what they did. He saw that they turned from their wicked ways. So Elohim reconsidered his threat to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.
Women Who Supported Jesus
8 After this, Yeshua traveled from one city and village to another. He spread the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him. 2 Also, some women were with him. They had been cured from evil spirits and various illnesses. These women were Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Joanna, whose husband Chusa was Herod’s administrator; Susanna; and many other women. They provided financial support for Yeshua and his disciples.
A Story about a Farmer(A)
4 When a large crowd had gathered and people had come to Yeshua from every city, he used this story as an illustration: 5 “A farmer went to plant his seeds. Some seeds were planted along the road, were trampled, and were devoured by birds. 6 Others were planted on rocky soil. When the plants came up, they withered because they had no moisture. 7 Others were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up with them and choked them. 8 Others were planted on good ground. When they came up, they produced a hundred times as much as was planted.”
After he had said this, he called out, “Let the person who has ears listen!”
9 His disciples asked him what this story meant. 10 Yeshua answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given directly to you. But it is given to others in stories. When they look, they don’t see, and when they hear, they don’t understand.
11 “This is what the story illustrates: The seed is God’s word. 12 Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. They hear the word, but then the devil comes. He takes the word away from them so that they don’t believe and become saved. 13 Some people are like seeds on rocky soil. They welcome the word with joy whenever they hear it, but they don’t develop any roots. They believe for a while, but when their faith is tested, they abandon it. 14 The seeds that were planted among thornbushes are people who hear the word, but as life goes on the worries, riches, and pleasures of life choke them. So they don’t produce anything good. 15 The seeds that were planted on good ground are people who also hear the word. But they keep it in their good and honest hearts and produce what is good despite what life may bring.
16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light. 17 There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light.
18 “So pay attention to how you listen! Those who understand these mysteries will be given more knowledge. However, some people don’t understand these mysteries. Even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”
The True Family of Jesus(B)
19 His mother and his brothers came to see him. But they couldn’t meet with him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Yeshua, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to see you.”
21 He answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do what God’s word says.”
Jesus Calms the Sea(C)
22 One day Yeshua and his disciples got into a boat. He said to them, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they started out. 23 As they were sailing along, Yeshua fell asleep.
A violent storm came across the lake. The boat was taking on water, and they were in danger. 24 They went to him, woke him up, and said, “Master! Master! We’re going to die!”
Then he got up and ordered the wind and the waves to stop. The wind stopped, and the sea became calm. 25 He asked them, “Where is your faith?”
Frightened and amazed, they asked each other, “Who is this man? He gives orders to the wind and the water, and they obey him!”
Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Man(D)
26 They landed in the region of the Gerasenes across from Galilee. 27 When Yeshua stepped out on the shore, a certain man from the city met him. The man was possessed by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He would not stay in a house but lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Yeshua, he shouted, fell in front of him, and said in a loud voice, “Why are you bothering me, Yeshua, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!” 29 Yeshua ordered the evil spirit to come out of the man. (The evil spirit had controlled the man for a long time. People had kept him under guard. He was chained hand and foot. But he would break the chains. Then the demon would force him to go into the desert.)
30 Yeshua asked him, “What is your name?”
He answered, “Legion [Six Thousand].” (Many demons had entered him.) 31 The demons begged Yeshua not to order them to go into the bottomless pit.
32 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a mountainside. The demons begged Yeshua to let them enter those pigs. So he let them do this. 33 The demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned.
34 When those who had taken care of the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away. They reported everything in the city and countryside. 35 The people went to see what had happened. They came to Yeshua and found the man from whom the demons had gone out. Dressed and in his right mind, he was sitting at Yeshua’s feet. The people were frightened. 36 Those who had seen this told the people how Yeshua had restored the demon-possessed man to health.
37 Then all the people from the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked Yeshua to leave because they were terrified.
Yeshua got into a boat and started back. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged him, “Let me go with you.”
But Yeshua sent the man away and told him, 39 “Go home to your family, and tell them how much God has done for you.” So the man left. He went through the whole city and told people how much Yeshua had done for him.
Jairus’ Daughter and a Woman with Chronic Bleeding(E)
40 When Yeshua came back, a crowd welcomed him. Everyone was expecting him.
41 A man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, arrived and quickly bowed down in front of Yeshua. He begged Yeshua to come to his home. 42 His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. As Yeshua went, the people were crowding around him.
43 A woman who had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years was in the crowd. No one could cure her. 44 She came up behind Yeshua, touched the edge of his clothes, and her bleeding stopped at once.
45 Yeshua asked, “Who touched me?”
After everyone denied touching him, Peter said, “Teacher, the people are crowding you and pressing against you.”
46 Yeshua said, “Someone touched me. I know power has gone out of me.”
47 The woman saw that she couldn’t hide. Trembling, she quickly bowed in front of him. There, in front of all the people, she told why she touched him and how she was cured at once.
48 Yeshua told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace!”
49 While Yeshua was still speaking to her, someone came from the synagogue leader’s home. He said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50 When Yeshua heard this, he told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid! Just believe, and she will get well.”
51 Yeshua went into the house. He allowed no one to go with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s parents. 52 Everyone was crying and showing how sad they were. Yeshua said, “Don’t cry! She’s not dead. She’s just sleeping.”
53 They laughed at him because they knew she was dead. 54 But Yeshua took her hand and called out, “Child, get up!” 55 She came back to life and got up at once. He ordered her parents to give her something to eat. 56 They were amazed. Yeshua ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.