M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 5
1 This is the book of genealogy for Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God; 2 male and female he created them. He blessed them and named them “human.”
3 Adam was one hundred and thirty years old when he had a son in his likeness, who was named Seth. 4 After he had Seth, Adam lived another eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Adam lived for nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died.
6 Seth was one hundred and five years old when he had Enosh. 7 After he had Enosh, he lived another eight hundred and seven years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Seth lived for nine hundred and twelve years, and then he died.
9 Enosh was ninety years old when he had Kenan. 10 After he had Kenan, Enosh lived another eight hundred and fifteen years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Enosh lived for nine hundred and five years, and then he died.
12 Kenan was seventy years old when he had Mahalalel. 13 After he had Mahalalel, he lived another eight hundred and forty years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Kenan lived for nine hundred and ten years, and then he died.
15 Mahalalel was sixty-five years old when he had Jared. 16 After he had Jared, he lived another eight hundred and thirty years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Mahalalel lived for eight hundred and ninety-five years, and then he died.
18 Jared was one hundred and sixty-two years old when he had Enoch. 19 After he had Enoch, he lived another eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Jared lived for nine hundred and sixty-two years, and then he died.
21 Enoch was sixty-five years old when he had Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God.[a] After he had Methuselah, he lived another three hundred years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived for three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 Enoch then walked with God and was no more for he was with God.
25 Methuselah was one hundred and eighty-seven years old when he had Lamech. 26 After he had Lamech, he lived another seven hundred and eighty-two years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Methuselah lived for nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and then he died.
28 Lamech was one hundred eighty-two years old when he had a son. 29 He named him Noah, saying, “This one shall be a consolation for the work and labor that we must endure because the Lord has cursed the soil.” 30 After he had Noah, Lamech lived another five hundred ninety-five years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Lamech lived for seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and then he died. 32 Noah was five hundred years old when he had Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Chapter 5
The Sermon on the Mount—Magna Carta of the Christian Life[a]
The Beatitudes.[b] When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain. After he was seated, his disciples gathered around him. 2 Then he began to teach them as follows:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will have their fill.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of justice,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and utter all kinds of calumnies against you for my sake. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. In the same manner, they persecuted the prophets who preceded you.
13 Salt of the Earth and Light of the World.[c]“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can be done to make it salty once again? It is no longer good for anything, and thus it is cast out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city built upon a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 Nor would someone light a lamp and then put it under a basket; rather, it is placed upon a lampstand so that it may afford light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, your light must shine so that it can be seen by others; this will enable them to observe your good works and give praise to your Father in heaven.
The New Law[d]
17 The Fulfillment of the Law.“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill them. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single letter,[e] not even a tiny portion of a letter, will disappear from the Law until all things have been accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever observes these commandments and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you, if your righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 Anger.[f]“You have heard that your ancestors were told: ‘You shall not kill, and anyone who kills will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say this to you: Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever addresses his brother in an insulting way will answer for it before the Sanhedrin, and whoever calls his brother a fool will be liable to the fires of Gehenna.[g]
23 “Therefore, when offering your gift at the altar, if you should remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there at the altar and first go to be reconciled with your brother. Then return and offer your gift.
25 “Come to terms quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court with him. If you fail to do so, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge will put you in the custody of the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Believe the truth of what I tell you: you will not be given your freedom until you have paid your debt down to the last penny.[h]
27 Adultery.[i]“You have heard that it was said of old: ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that anyone who looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
31 Divorce.“It has also been said: ‘Whoever divorces his wife shall give her a certificate of dismissal.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except if the marriage was unlawful, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 Oaths.[j]“Again, you have heard that our ancestors were told: ‘Do not swear falsely, but fulfill the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But what I tell you is this: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, since it is God’s throne, 35 or by earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King. 36 Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot turn one hair of it white or black. 37 All you need to do is to say ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ if you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 Retaliation.[k]“You have heard that it was said: ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you: Offer no resistance to someone who is wicked. If someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn and offer him the other cheek as well. 40 If anyone wishes to sue you to gain possession of your tunic, give him your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him for a second mile. 42 Give to anyone who begs from you, and do not turn your back on anyone who wishes to borrow from you.
43 Love for Enemies.[l]“You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 45 This will make you children of your heavenly Father. For he causes his sun to rise on evil people as well as on those who are good, and his rain falls on both the righteous and the wicked. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward will you receive? Do not even tax collectors[m] do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brethren, what about that is so extraordinary? Even the pagans do as much.
48 Perfection.[n]“Therefore, strive to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Chapter 5
1 Afterward, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.[a] 2 Thereupon Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, began again to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, giving them support.
3 At that time Tattenai, the governor of West-of-Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates came to them and asked: “Who has given you the authority to rebuild this house and complete this structure? 4 What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?” 5 However, the eyes of their God continued to watch over the elders of the Jews, and they were not forced to stop until a report could reach Darius and an official reply could then be sent back in regard to this matter.
6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates sent to King Darius. 7 This is the written report that they forwarded to him:
“To King Darius: Our sincere greetings. 8 Let it be known to your majesty that we went to the province of Judah and visited the house of the great God. It is being rebuilt with massive stones, and beams of timber are being laid in the walls. The work is being done diligently, and significant progress has been made.
9 “We then questioned the elders, asking them: ‘Who gave you permission to build this house and to finish this structure?’ 10 We also asked them their names for your information so that we could record the names of those who were their leaders.
11 “They gave us this answer: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are in the process of rebuilding the house that was erected many years ago, a house that a great king of Israel had built and completed. 12 But because our ancestors provoked the wrath of the God of heaven, he delivered them into the power of Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
13 “ ‘However, King Cyrus of Babylon,[b] in the first year of his reign, issued a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. 14 Moreover, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had removed from the temple of Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus in turn removed from the temple of Babylon and ordered them to be delivered into the hands of a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. 15 He said to him: “Take these vessels. Go forth and deposit them in the temple of Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.”
16 “ ‘Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, and it is not yet completed.’ 17 Now, if it pleases the king, order that a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to ascertain whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. Then ask the king to convey his decision on this matter to us.”
Chapter 5
The Fraud of Ananias and Sapphira.[a] 1 There was a man named Ananias who with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property. 2 With the approval of his wife, he held back some of the proceeds, and he brought the remainder to the apostles and laid it at their feet.
3 Then Peter asked, “Ananias, why has Satan so gained control of your heart that you lied to the Holy Spirit and retained part of the sale price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not belong to you? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds yours? What caused you to contrive this scheme? You have lied not to men but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard these words, he collapsed and died, and a great sense of fear seized all who heard about it. 6 The young men came forward and wrapped up his body. Then they carried him out and buried him.
7 After about three hours, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for this much.” She replied, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter asked her, “Why did the two of you agree to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Listen! The footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will also carry you out.”
10 Instantly, she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead. And so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And a great sense of fear seized the whole Church[b] and all those who heard of this.
12 Life of the First Community—III.[c] Many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. They all used to assemble in Solomon’s Portico. 13 No one else dared to join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 More believers, men and women, were constantly being added to their ranks. 15 People brought those who were sick into the streets and placed them on cots and mats so that when Peter passed by, his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 A large number of people also came from the neighboring towns around Jerusalem, bringing with them the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were cured.
17 Conclusion of the Trial.[d] Then the high priest and his colleagues from the party of the Sadducees rose up, filled with jealousy, 18 and they arrested the apostles and placed them in the public jail. 19 But during the night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, led them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21 Accordingly, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught the people.
When the high priest and his colleagues arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full assembly of the elders of Israel, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. 22 But when the temple police went to the prison, they did not find them there. So they returned and announced, 23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside.”
24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were at a loss to understand what this would come to. 25 Then someone arrived to report, “The men whom you imprisoned are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 The captain thereupon went with the temple officers and brought them in, although without force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
27 When they had brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin. The high priest questioned them, saying, 28 “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name? Yet, despite that, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you appear determined to hold us responsible for that man’s death.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus after you had put him to death by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as leader and Savior so that he might grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they became enraged, and they wanted to put them to death. 34 However, one member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee named Gamaliel who was a teacher of the law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the apostles be sent outside for a little while.
35 Then he addressed them, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas[e] appeared. He claimed to be someone important, and about four hundred men decided to follow him. He was killed, and all of his followers disbanded, and everything came to naught. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census. He also convinced people to follow him, but he too was killed and his followers were dispersed.
38 “Therefore, I advise you to keep away from these men and let them go. If this movement is human in origin, it will fail. 39 If, however, it comes from God, you will never be able to overcome them, but may find yourselves fighting against God.”
His words persuaded them. 40 After they summoned the apostles once again, they had them scourged. Then, ordering them not to speak in the name of Jesus, they released them. 41 They left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer humiliation for the sake of the name.[f] 42 And every day, both in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming Jesus as the Christ.
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