M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Samson Marries a Philistine Woman

14 Samson went down to Timnah. There he saw a young Philistine woman. ² When he returned, he spoke to his father and mother. He said, “I’ve seen a Philistine woman in Timnah. Get her for me. I want her to be my wife.”

³ His father and mother replied, “Can’t we find a wife for you among your relatives? Isn’t there one among any of our people? Do you have to go to the Philistines to get a wife? They aren’t God’s people. They haven’t even been circumcised.”

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” ⁴ Samson’s parents didn’t know that the Lord wanted things to happen this way. He was working out his plans against the Philistines. That’s because the Philistines were ruling over Israel at that time.

⁵ Samson went down to Timnah. His father and mother went with him. They approached the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring toward Samson. ⁶ Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on Samson. So he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as he might have torn a young goat apart. But he didn’t tell his father or mother what he had done. ⁷ Then he went down and talked with the woman. He liked her.

⁸ Some time later, he was going back to marry her. But he turned off the road to look at the lion’s dead body. He saw large numbers of bees and some honey in it. ⁹ He dug out the honey with his hands. He ate it as he walked along. Then he joined his parents again. He gave them some honey. They ate it too. But he didn’t tell them he had taken it from the lion’s dead body.

¹⁰ Samson’s father went down to see the woman. Samson had a feast prepared there. He was following the practice of young men when they married their wives. ¹¹ When the people saw Samson, they gave him 30 men to be his companions.

¹² “Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to the companions. “The feast will last for seven days. Give me the answer to the riddle before the feast ends. If you do, I’ll give you 30 linen shirts. I’ll also give you 30 sets of clothes. ¹³ But suppose you can’t give me the answer. Then you must give me 30 linen shirts. You must also give me 30 sets of clothes.”

“Tell us your riddle,” they said. “Let’s hear it.”

¹⁴ Samson replied,

For three days they couldn’t give him the answer.

¹⁵ On the fourth day they spoke to Samson’s wife. “Get your husband to explain the riddle for us,” they said. “If you don’t, we’ll burn you to death. We’ll burn up everyone in your family. Did you invite us here to steal our property?”

¹⁶ Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him. She sobbed, “You hate me! You don’t really love me. You have given my people a riddle. But you haven’t told me the answer.”

“I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied. “So why should I explain it to you?” ¹⁷ She cried during the whole seven days the feast was going on. So on the seventh day he finally told her the answer to the riddle. That’s because she kept on asking him to tell her. Then she explained the riddle to her people.

¹⁸ Before sunset on the seventh day of the feast the men of the town spoke to Samson. They said,

Samson said to them,

¹⁹ Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on Samson. He went down to Ashkelon. He struck down 30 of their men. He took everything they had with them. And he gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Samson was very angry as he returned to his father’s home. ²⁰ Samson’s wife was given to someone else. She was given to a companion of Samson. The companion had helped him at the feast.

Paul Goes to Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, who was a native of Pontus. Aquila had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. The emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla. ³ They were tentmakers, just as he was. So he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath day he went to the synagogue. He was trying to get both Jews and Greeks to believe in the Lord.

⁵ Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia. Then Paul spent all his time preaching. He was a witness to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But they opposed Paul. They treated him badly. So he shook out his clothes in protest. Then he said to them, “God’s judgment against you will be your own fault! Don’t blame me for it! From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went to the house next door. It was the house of Titius Justus, a man who worshiped God. ⁸ Crispus was the synagogue leader. He and everyone living in his house came to believe in the Lord. Many others who lived in Corinth heard Paul. They too believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Keep on speaking. Don’t be silent. ¹⁰ I am with you. No one will attack you and harm you. I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. He taught them God’s word.

¹² At that time Gallio was governor of Achaia. The Jews of Corinth got together and attacked Paul. They brought him into court. ¹³ They made a charge against Paul. They said, “This man is talking people into worshiping God in wrong ways. Those ways are against the law.”

¹⁴ Paul was about to give reasons for his actions. But just then Gallio spoke to them. He said, “You Jews don’t claim that Paul has committed a great or small crime. If you did, it would make sense for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But this is about your own law. It is a question of words and names. Settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he made them leave. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned against Sosthenes, the synagogue leader. They beat him up in front of the governor. But Gallio didn’t care at all.

Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos

¹⁸ Paul stayed in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae. He did this because he had made a promise to God. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus. There Paul said goodbye to Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and talked with the Jews. ²⁰ The Jews asked him to spend more time with them. But he said no. ²¹ As he left, he made them a promise. “If God wants me to,” he said, “I will come back.” Then he sailed from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem. There he greeted the church. He then went down to Antioch.

²³ Paul spent some time in Antioch. Then he left and traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia. He gave strength to all the believers there.

²⁴ At that time a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was an educated man from Alexandria. He knew the Scriptures very well. ²⁵ Apollos had been taught the way of the Lord. He spoke with great power. He taught the truth about Jesus. But he only knew about John’s baptism. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Priscilla and Aquila heard him. So they invited him to their home. There they gave him a better understanding of the way of God.

²⁷ Apollos wanted to go to Achaia. The brothers and sisters agreed with him. They wrote to the believers there. They asked them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who had become believers by God’s grace. ²⁸ In public meetings, he argued strongly against Jews who disagreed with him. He proved from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Judah Will Serve Nebuchadnezzar

27 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. ² The Lord said, “Make a yoke out of ropes and wooden boards. Put it on your neck. ³ Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah. ⁴ Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say, ‘The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Here is what I want you to tell your masters. ⁵ I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please. ⁶ Now I will hand over all your countries to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is the king of Babylon. I will put even the wild animals under his control. ⁷ All the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them.

⁸ “ ‘ “But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague,” announces the Lord. “I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it. ⁹ So do not listen to your prophets. Do not listen to those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to those who try to explain your dreams. Do not listen to those who get messages from people who have died. Do not listen to those who practice evil magic. All of them will tell you, ‘You won’t serve the king of Babylon.’ ¹⁰ But they prophesy lies to you. If you listen to them, you will be removed far away from your lands. I will drive you away from them. And you will die. ¹¹ But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plow the land and live there,” ’ ” announces the Lord.

¹² I gave the same message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I said, “Put your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Obey him. Serve his people. Then you will live. ¹³ Why should you and your people die? Why should you die of war, hunger and plague? That’s what the Lord said would happen to any nation that won’t serve the king of Babylon. ¹⁴ Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You won’t serve the king of Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁵ ‘I have not sent them,’ announces the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. So I will drive you away from your land. And you will die. So will the prophets who prophesy to you.’ ”

¹⁶ Then I spoke to the priests and all these people. I said, “The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to the prophets who speak to you. They say, “Very soon the objects from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.” Those prophets are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁷ Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon. Then you will live. Why should this city be destroyed? ¹⁸ If they are prophets and have received a message from me, let them pray to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. Those prophets should pray that what is still in Jerusalem will remain here. They should pray that the objects in my house and the king’s palace will not be taken to Babylon. ¹⁹ I am the Lord who rules over all. Do you know what these objects are? They include the two pillars in front of the temple. They include the huge bronze bowl. They include the bronze stands that can be moved around. And they include the other things left in this city. ²⁰ Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did not take these things away at first. That was when he took King Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jehoiachin is the son of Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar also took all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem along with Jehoiachin. ²¹ I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. Here is what will happen to the things that are left in my house, the king’s palace and Jerusalem. ²² They will be taken to Babylon. They will remain there until the day I come for them,’ announces the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back. I will return them to this place.’ ”

When the Temple Will Be Destroyed and the Signs of the End

13 Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What huge stones! What wonderful buildings!”

² “Do you see these huge buildings?” Jesus asked. “Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down.”

³ Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him a question in private. ⁴ “Tell us,” they said. “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to come true?”

⁵ Jesus said to them, “Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. ⁶ Many will come in my name. They will claim, ‘I am he.’ They will fool many people. ⁷ You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen. But the end still isn’t here. ⁸ Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places. People will go hungry. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. ¹⁰ The good news has to be preached to all nations before the end comes. ¹¹ You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. ¹³ Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.

¹⁴ “You will see ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. ¹⁵ No one on the roof should go down into the house to take anything out. ¹⁶ No one in the field should go back to get their coat. ¹⁷ How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! ¹⁸ Pray that this will not happen in winter. ¹⁹ Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again.

²⁰ “If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it. ²¹ At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘Look! There he is!’ Do not believe it. ²² False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. ²³ Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time.

²⁴ “So in those days there will be terrible suffering. After that, Scripture says,

²⁶ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds. He will come with great power and glory. ²⁷ He will send his angels. He will gather his chosen people from all four directions. He will bring them from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

²⁸ “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. ³⁰ What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Are Not Known

³² “But no one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. ³³ Keep watch! Stay awake! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge. Each one is given a task to do. He tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵ “So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn. ³⁶ He may come suddenly. So do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone. ‘Watch!’ ”