M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 9
1 God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 [a]Fear and dread of you will come upon every wild animal and every bird of the air, everything that crawls upon the earth and all the fish of the sea; they will be under your dominion.
3 “Whatever moves and has life will be used for your food. I give you all these things, just as I have already given you every green plant. 4 [b]Only do not eat flesh along with its life, that is, with its blood. 5 For your blood, that is, your life, I will require an accounting. I will require it of every living creature, and I will require it of every human in regard to other humans, each person for his brother.
6 “Whoever spills human blood,
that person’s blood will be shed;
for in the image of God
has God made man.
7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; become numerous upon the earth and have dominion over it.”
Covenant of Mercy.[c] 8 God said to Noah and his sons, 9 “As for me, I will establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 with every living creature along with you—the birds, tame and wild animals, and with all the animals which left the ark. 11 I will establish my covenant with you: never again will all living creatures be cut off by the waters of a flood, nor will the earth be laid waste by a flood again.”
12 God said, “This will be a sign of the covenant that I establish between me and you and every living creature for all generations. 13 I will place my rainbow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I gather the clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds. 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and with every living creature of every kind, that water and flood shall never again destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow will be in the clouds and I will look upon it and remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is found upon the earth.”
17 God said to Noah, “This is a sign of the covenant that I am establishing between myself and every creature upon the earth.”
A World of Diverse Peoples[d]
18 The Return of Sin.[e] The sons of Noah who left the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of the people of Canaan. 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from these came all the people on the earth.
20 Now Noah tilled the soil, and he was the first to plant grape vines. 21 He drank some of the wine and he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of the Canaanites, saw his father lying naked, and he mentioned it to his two brothers who were standing outside.[f] 23 Shem and Japheth took a robe and, holding it in back of them, walked backward toward him and covered their father with it. Having faced backward, they did not see their father naked.
24 When Noah woke up from his drunken slumber, he learned what his youngest son had done to him. 25 Because of this, he said,
“Cursed be Canaan!
A slave of slaves
shall he be to his brothers!”[g]
26 [h]And he continued,
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem,
and let Canaan be his slave!
27 May God enlarge Japheth
so that he dwells in the land of Shem;
and let Canaan be his slave!”
28 After the flood, Noah lived for three hundred and fifty years. 29 In all, Noah lived for nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.
Chapter 10
The Human Family.[i] 1 These are the descendants of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth, to whom sons were born after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meschech, and Tiras.
3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim, and the Rodanim.
5 From these came the peoples of the islands and their territories, each clan in the nations with their own language.
6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca.
The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
8 Cush gave birth to Nimrod. He was the first of the mighty ones upon the earth. 9 He was a great hunter before the Lord, for it is said, “Just like Nimrod, a great hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Asshur where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah, which is the main city.
13 Mizraim gave birth to the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim (from whom came the Philistines).
15 Canaan gave birth to Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth, 16 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.
Afterward the clans of the Canaanites spread outward. 19 The boundaries of the Canaanites stretch from Sidon in the area of Gerar up to Gaza, and then go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, up to Lasha.
20 These were the sons of Ham according to their clans and their languages, in their various territories and according to their peoples.
21 Shem, the ancestor of all of the sons of Eber and the older brother of Japheth, also had children.
22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24 Arpachshad gave birth to Shelah, and Shelah gave birth to Eber. 25 Eber had two sons: one named Peleg (for in his days the earth was divided) and the other named Joktan.
26 Joktan gave birth to Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
30 They lived in the mountain region in the east, from Mesha on toward Sephar.
31 These were the sons of Shem according to their clans and their languages, in their various territories and according to their languages.
32 These were the families of the sons of Noah in their various generations and clans. These divided up to become all the nations on the earth after the flood.
Chapter 9
The Healing of a Paralyzed Man.[a] 1 Therefore, Jesus got into a boat and, crossing over the lake, arrived at his hometown.[b] 2 Some people then approached him, carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. On perceiving their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Take heart, son. Your sins are forgiven.”
3 On hearing this, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”[c] 4 Jesus perceived what they were thinking, and he said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 [d]Which is easier, to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 But so that you may come to realize that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralyzed man—“Stand up, take your bed, and go to your home.” 7 The man got up and returned to his home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God for having given such authority to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew.[e] 9 As Jesus walked on from there, he noticed a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.
10 Jesus Dines with Sinners. When he was sitting at dinner in the house, many tax collectors[f] and sinners were seated with Jesus and his disciples. 11 On seeing this, the Pharisees said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but rather those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this text means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
14 A Time of Joy and Grace.[g] Then the disciples of John came to him and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast but your disciples do not do so?” 15 Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak, because the patch eventually pulls away from the cloak and a worse tear results. 17 Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins, for if they do, the wineskins burst, the wine spills forth, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins. In this way both are preserved.”
18 Jesus Heals a Sick Woman and Raises a Dead Girl.[h] While he was saying these things to them, an official[i] came forward. He knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live.” 19 Jesus then rose and followed him, together with his disciples.
20 Suddenly, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak. 21 For she thought to herself, “If only I touch his cloak, I shall be healed.” 22 Jesus turned and saw her, and he said, “Take heart, daughter! Your faith has healed you.” And from that moment the woman was cured.
23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players[j] and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead; she is asleep,”[k] but they laughed at him. 25 When the people had been sent outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the little girl stood up. 26 And the news of this spread throughout the entire district.
27 Jesus Heals Two Blind Men. As Jesus proceeded from there, two blind men followed him, crying out loudly, “Son of David,[l] have pity on us.” 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men approached him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” They replied, “Yes, Lord, we do.” 29 Then Jesus touched their eyes, saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 30 And their sight was restored. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “See to it that no one learns about this.” 31 But as soon as they had departed, they spread the news about him throughout that entire district.
32 Jesus Heals a Mute Demoniac. As they left, a man who was possessed and unable to speak was brought to him. 33 When the demon had been driven out, the man who had been mute was able to speak. The crowds were amazed, and they said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees responded, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”[m]
35 The Harvest Is Abundant.[n] Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every kind of illness and disease. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were distressed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers for his harvest.”
Chapter 9
Denunciation of Mixed Marriages. 1 After these matters had been concluded, the leaders approached me and said: “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separated from the neighboring peoples with their abominable practices—the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 They have taken women of these nations as wives for themselves and their sons, and as a result, they have contaminated the holy race by such unions. In this regard the leaders and the magistrates have been the major offenders.”
Ezra’s Exhortation. 3 Upon hearing this news, I tore my tunic and cloak, after which I plucked hair from my beard and my head and sat down in a complete stupor until the evening sacrifice. 4 Then all those who trembled with fear at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me, while I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 [a]However, at the time of the evening sacrifice, I arose from my stupor, with my cloak and my mantle torn, and I fell to my knees while stretching out my hands to the Lord.
6 Then I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, because our iniquities have increased until they have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens. 7 From the time of our fathers until now our guilt has been great, and because of our iniquities we and our kings and our priests have been handed over into the power of foreign rulers and subjected to the sword, to captivity, to pillage and disgrace, as is the case today.
8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord, our God has shown mercy to us by allowing a remnant of us to escape and given us a stable home in his sanctuary, thereby bringing light to our eyes and granting us some relief in our bondage. 9 For we are slaves, but God has not forgotten us in our state of slavery. He has extended his faithful love to us and turned the good will of the kings of Persia toward us, while granting us new life to rebuild the house of our God, restore its ruins, and provide us with a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “But now, our God, what can we say after all this? For we have abandoned your commandments, 11 which you gave through your servants, the prophets, when you said: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the abominations of the people of the country and their disgusting practices that have filled it with their filth from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or let their daughters marry your sons. Nor must you seek peace with them or enhance their prosperity. In this way you will grow strong, enjoy the produce of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’
13 “After all that has befallen us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, you, O Lord, have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have allowed us to survive. 14 Shall we once again disobey your commandments and intermarry with people who engage in these loathsome practices? Would you not be enraged with us to the point that you would destroy us, leaving us with neither remnant nor survivor? 15 O Lord, God of Israel, you are righteous. We survive only as a remnant. We come here before you in our guilt. Because of this, none of us can stand in your presence.”
Chapter 9
Conversion of Saul on the Road to Damascus.[a] 1 Now, Saul,[b] still breathing threats and violence against the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus,[c] authorizing him to arrest any men or women there who were followers of the Way and bring them back to Jerusalem.
3 While he was drawing near Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.”
7 The men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, for they had heard the voice but had seen no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was unable to see. Therefore, they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days, he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.
10 Saul’s Baptism. There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. In a vision, the Lord said to him, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the Street called Straight,[d] to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”
13 Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he has done to your saints[e] in Jerusalem. 14 Now he has come here with authority from the chief priests to imprison all who invoke your name.”
15 However, the Lord said to him, “Go, for this is the man I have chosen as a vessel to bring my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for the sake of my name.”
17 And so Ananias went forth and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on your way has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”[f] 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized; 19 then, after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul Preaches in Damascus. For several days, Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astounded, and they said, “Is not this the man who in Jerusalem was persecuting those who invoked this name? And did he not come here for the specific purpose of arresting them so that they might be taken to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul’s strength continued to increase, and he confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by showing that Jesus is indeed the Christ.
23 After some time had passed, the Jews devised a plan to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were keeping watch on the city gates day and night so that they might kill him, 25 but his disciples took him one night and let him down in a basket over the wall.
26 Saul in Jerusalem and Tarsus. When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him because they did not believe that he had become a disciple. 27 However, Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He related to them how on his journey Saul had seen the Lord who had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
28 Saul then moved about with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He also engaged in debate with the Hellenists[g] but they began planning to kill him. 30 When the brethren learned of this, they brought him to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.[h]
31 Period of Peace for the Church.[i]Meanwhile, the Church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace, building up strength and living in the fear of the Lord. Encouraged by the Holy Spirit,[j] the Church grew in numbers.
32 Peter Heals Aeneas at Lydda. As Peter traveled throughout the region, he went down to visit the saints living in Lydda.[k] 33 While there, he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.” He immediately stood up. 35 All the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 Peter Restores Tabitha to Life. In Joppa, there was a disciple named Tabitha, or Dorcas in Greek, whose life was devoted to performing good works and giving to those in need. 37 In those days, she became ill and died. After they had washed her body, they laid her out in an upper room.[l] 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, on hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.”
39 Peter immediately set out with them, and when he arrived, they escorted him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40 Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and the widows, and he showed her to them alive. 42 It came to be known throughout Joppa, causing many to come to believe in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed on for many days in Joppa at the house of a tanner[m] named Simon.
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