M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Abraham Names Isaac to be His Heir
25 Abraham had taken another wife whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s sons were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4 Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were Keturah’s descendants.
5 Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac. 6 While he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to his concubines[a] and sent them to the east country in order to keep them away from his son Isaac.
7 Abraham lived for 175 years,[b] 8 then passed away, dying at a ripe old age, having lived a full life, and joined his ancestors.[c] 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field that used to belong to Zohar the Hittite’s son Ephron. 10 This was the same field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites, where Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who continued to live near Beer-lahai-roi.
A Summary of Ishmael’s Life
12 Now this is what happened to Ishmael, whom Sarah’s Egyptian servant Hagar bore for Abraham. 13 Here’s a list of the names of Ishmael’s sons, recorded by their names and descendants: Nebaioth was the firstborn, followed by[d] Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were Ishmael’s children, listed by their names according to their villages and their camps. There were a total of twelve tribal chiefs, according to their clans. 17 Ishmael lived[e] for 137 years, then he took his last breath, died, and joined his ancestors.[f] 18 His descendants[g] settled from Havilah to Shur (that’s near Egypt), all the way to Assyria, in defiance[h] of all of his relatives.
The Births of Esau and Jacob
19 This is the account of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham fathered Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he married[i] Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean[j] from Paddan-aram[k] and sister of Laban the Aramean.[l] 21 Later, Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, since she was unable to conceive children, and the Lord responded to him—his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
22 But when the infants[m] kept on wrestling each other inside her womb,[n] she asked herself, “Why is this happening?”[o] So she asked the Lord for an explanation.[p]
23 “Two nations[q] are in your womb,” the Lord responded, “and two separate people will emerge. One people will be the stronger, and the older one will serve the younger.”
24 Sure enough, when her due date arrived, she delivered twin sons.[r] 25 The first son came out reddish—his entire body was covered with hair—so they named him Esau.[s] 26 After that, his brother came out with his hand clutching Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob.[t] Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
27 As the boys were growing up, Esau became skilled at hunting and was a man of the outdoors, but Jacob was the quiet type who tended to stay indoors. 28 Isaac loved Esau, because he loved to hunt, while Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau happened to come in from being outdoors, and he was feeling famished.
30 Esau told Jacob, “Let me gobble down some of this red stuff, since I’m starving.” (That’s how Esau got his nickname “Edom”.)[u]
31 But Jacob responded, “Sell me your birthright. Do it now.”[v]
32 “Look! I’m about to die,” Esau replied. “What good is this birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob insisted, “Swear it by an oath right now.” So he swore an oath to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some of his food, along with some boiled stew. So Esau ate, drank, got up, and left, after having belittled his own birthright.
Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple(A)
24 After Jesus had left the Temple and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to point out to him the Temple buildings. 2 But in reply he responded to them, “You see all these things, don’t you? I tell all of you[a] with certainty, not even a single stone here will be left standing on top of another that won’t be completely demolished.”
Cults, Revolutions, Famines, and Earthquakes(B)
3 Now while Jesus[b] was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 In reply, Jesus told them, “See to it that no one deceives you, 5 because many will come in my name, proclaiming, ‘I’m the Messiah,’[c] and they will deceive many people. 6 You’ll begin to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you don’t panic. These things must take place, but the end won’t have come yet, 7 because nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 But all these things are only a beginning of agonies.”
Future Persecution, Apostasy, and Evangelism(C)
9 “Then they’ll hand you over to suffer[d] and will kill you, and you’ll be hated by all the nations[e] on account of my name. 10 Then many people will fall away, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people, 12 and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold. 13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the inhabited world as a testimony to all nations,[f] and then the end will come.”
Signs of the End(D)
15 “So when you see the destructive desecration, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader take note),[g] 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 Anyone who’s on the housetop must not come down to get what is in his house, 18 and anyone who’s in the field must not turn back to get his coat.
19 “How terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days! 20 Pray that it may not be in winter or on a Sabbath when you flee, 21 because at that time there will be great suffering,[h] the kind that hasn’t happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly won’t ever happen again. 22 If those days hadn’t been shortened, no one[i] would survive. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.
23 “At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look here! The Messiah!’[j] or ‘There he is!’,[k] don’t believe it, 24 because false messiahs[l] and false prophets will have arisen and will produce great signs and startling demonstrations so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Remember, I’ve told you beforehand. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Look! He’s in the wilderness,’ don’t go out looking for him.[m] And if they say, ‘Look! He’s in the storeroom,’ don’t believe it, 27 because just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there’s a corpse, there the vultures[n] will gather.
The Coming of the Son of Man(E)
29 “Now immediately after the troubles[o] of those days,
‘The sun will be darkened,
the moon will not reflect its light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers from the heavens will be disrupted.’[p]
30 Then the sign that is the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all ‘the tribes of the land[q] will mourn’[r] as they see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’[s] with power and great glory. 31 He’ll send out his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they’ll gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.”
The Lesson from the Fig Tree(F)
32 “Now learn a lesson[t] from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you’ll know that the Son of Man[u] is near, right at the door. 34 I tell all of you[v] with certainty, this generation won’t disappear until these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
The Unknown Day and Hour of Messiah’s Return(G)
36 “No one knows when that day and hour will come[w]—neither the heavenly angels nor the Son,[x] but only the Father, 37 because just as it was in Noah’s time, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 38 In those days before the flood, people[y] were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark. 39 They were unaware of what was happening[z] until the flood came and swept all of them away. That’s how it will be when the Son of Man appears. 40 At that time, two people will be in the field. One will be taken, and one will be left behind. 41 Two women will be grinding grain[aa] at the mill. One will be taken, and one will be left behind.
42 “So keep on watching, because you don’t know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this: if the owner of the house had known when during[ab] the night the thief would be coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 So you, too, must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you are not expecting.”
The Faithful or the Wicked Servant(H)
45 “Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others[ac] their food at the right time? 46 How blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing this when he comes! 47 I tell all of you[ad] with certainty, he will put him in charge of all his property.
48 “But if that wicked servant says to himself,[ae] ‘My master has been delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eat and drink with the drunks, 50 that servant’s master will come on a day when he doesn’t expect him and at an hour that he doesn’t know. 51 Then his master[af] will punish him severely[ag] and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”[ah]
The Wealth of King Ahasuerus
1 This is a record of[a] what happened during the reign[b] of Ahasuerus,[c] the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush.[d] 2 At that time King Ahasuerus was ruling from[e] Susa the capital.[f] 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers,[g] and the military leaders[h] of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were present.[i] 4 He displayed the enormous wealth of his kingdom, along with its splendid beauty and greatness for many days—for 180 days in all.[j]
The Banquet of King Ahasuerus
5 When those days were over, the king held a seven-day banquet in the courtyard of the garden of his[k] palace for all the people who were present in Susa the capital, from the greatest to the least important. 6 There were curtains of white and blue linen tied with cords of fine linen and purple material[l] to silver rings on[m] marble columns. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in gold vessels of various kinds, and there was plenty of royal wine because the king was generous.[n] 8 According to the king’s[o] decree the drinking was not compulsory because the king instructed[p] every steward in his house to serve each individual what he desired. 9 Queen Vashti also held a banquet in the royal palace of King Ahasuerus for the women.
Vashti Refuses to Obey the King
10 A week later, when the king was under the influence of all that wine,[q] he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti to the king, wearing[r] the royal crown to display her beauty to the people and the officials, since she was lovely to look at. 12 Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s order that was brought by the eunuchs.
The King Removes Vashti as Queen
Then the king flew into a rage. 13 The king spoke to the wise men who understood the times, for it was the king’s custom to consult[s] all those who understood law and justice. 14 (His closest advisors[t] were: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had direct access[u] to the king and who held the highest rank[v] in the kingdom.) 15 The king inquired,[w] “According to law, what should be done to Queen Vashti because she did not obey the order of King Ahasuerus that was delivered by the eunuchs?”
16 Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and his officials, “It is not the king alone whom Vashti has wronged, but rather all of the officials and all of the people who are in the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 When the report about the queen goes out to all the women, it will cause them to despise their husbands.[x] They’ll say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she wouldn’t come.’ 18 This very day the wives of the officials[y] of Persia and Media who hear the report about the queen will speak in the same way to all the officials of the king, and there will be more than enough contempt and anger. 19 If it seems good to the king, let a royal decree go out from him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. Let the king give her royal position to another woman who is better than she. 20 When the edict of the king that he issues is heard throughout his kingdom—for it’s vast—then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the greatest to the least important.”
21 This seemed like a good idea[z] to the king and his officials, so the king did what Memucan suggested.[aa] 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the king, written in the script of that province,[ab] and to each people in their own language, ordering that every man should be the master in his house and speak the language of his own people.
Paul Presents His Case to Felix
24 Five days later, the high priest Ananias arrived with certain elders and Tertullus, an attorney, and they summarized their case against Paul before the governor. 2 When Paul[a] had been summoned, Tertullus opened the prosecution by saying:
“Your Excellency Felix, since we are enjoying lasting peace because of you, and since reforms for this nation are being brought about through your foresight, 3 we always and everywhere acknowledge it with profound gratitude. 4 But so as not to detain you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. 5 For we have found this man a perfect pest and an agitator among all Jews throughout the world. He is a ringleader in the sect of the Nazarenes[b] 6 and even tried to profane the Temple, but we arrested him.[c] 8 By examining him for yourself, you will be able to find out from him everything of which we accuse him.”
9 The Jewish leaders[d] supported his accusations by asserting that these things were true. 10 When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he replied:
“Since I know that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I am pleased to present my defense. 11 You can verify for yourself that I went up to worship in Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago. 12 They never found me debating with anyone in the Temple or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or throughout the city, 13 and they cannot prove to you the charges they are now bringing against me. 14 However, I admit to you that in accordance with the Way, which they call a heresy,[e] I worship the God of our ancestors and believe in everything written in the Law and the Prophets. 15 I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish—that there is to be a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked. 16 Therefore, I always do my best to have a clear conscience before God and people. 17 After many years, I have come back to my people to bring gifts for the poor and to offer sacrifices. 18 They found me in the Temple doing these things just as I had completed the purification ceremony. No crowd or noisy mob was present. 19 But some Jews from Asia were there, and they should be here before you to accuse me if they have anything against me. 20 Otherwise, these men themselves should tell what wrong they found when I stood before the Council[f]— 21 unless it is for the one thing I shouted as I stood among them: ‘It is for the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”
22 Felix was rather well informed about the Way, and so he adjourned the trial with the comment, “When Tribune Lysias arrives, I’ll decide your case.” 23 He ordered the centurion to guard Paul[g] but to let him have some freedom and not to keep any of his friends from caring for his needs.
24 Some days later, Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him talk about faith in Jesus[h] the Messiah.[i] 25 As Paul[j] talked about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became afraid and said, “For the present you may go. When I get a chance, I will send for you again.” 26 At the same time he was hoping to receive a bribe from Paul, and so he would send for him frequently to talk with him.
27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Since Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in prison.
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