M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 7
Midian’s Defeat. 1 Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all of the people who were with him camped at the well of Harod. The Midianite army was to the north of them, in the valley by the hill of Moreh.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many people with you for me to deliver over the Midianites into your hands. Otherwise, Israel might vaunt themselves against me saying, ‘We have saved ourselves by our own efforts.’ 3 Announce to the people, ‘Whoever is afraid and panicking, let him go back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” Twenty-two thousand of the men left, and there were ten thousand left.
4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you. Of whomever I say to you, ‘This one will go with you,’ that is the one who will go with you. Of whomever I say to you, ‘This one will not go with you,’ that one will not go with you.” 5 He brought the men down to the water. The Lord said to Gideon, “You will set apart everyone who laps up water like a dog from anyone who kneels down to drink.” 6 There were three hundred men who lapped up water by holding their hands to their face. The rest of the men knelt down to drink their water. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I will save you through the three hundred men who lapped up their water. I will deliver the Midianites into your hands. Let everyone else go back home.”[a] 8 So they took the other people’s provisions, and they placed their trumpets in their hands. Gideon sent all the other Israelite men back to their homes, but he kept three hundred men with him.
The army of Midian was camped in the valley below them. 9 That same night the Lord said to him, “Rise up, go down against the army, for I have delivered them into your hands. 10 Draw near them until you can hear what they are saying, 11 and then your hands will be strengthened so that you can descend upon the camp.” So he and his servant Purah went down to the outskirts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites, and all of the other easterners were lying in the valley, as thick as locusts. There were so many camels that they could not be counted; there were as many of them as there is sand on the seashore.
13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling his friend about a dream. He said, “I dreamed that a barley cake[b] came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard that it overturned and collapsed.” 14 His friend said, “This can only be the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and its entire army into his hands.”
15 When Gideon heard the content of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. He returned to the army of Israel and said, “Rise up, for the Lord has delivered the army of Midian into your hands.”
16 He divided the three hundred men into three groups, and he placed trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them into each man’s hands. 17 He said to them, “Watch me. Do whatever I do. When we reach the edge of the camp, do whatever I do. 18 When I and all those who are with me blow our trumpets, then blow your trumpets all around the camp and shout out, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’ ”
19 Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three groups blew their trumpets and broke their jars, holding the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands. They blew their trumpets and cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.”
21 While each man stood in his place around the camp, the army ran away crying. 22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused each man to attack his fellow soldiers with his sword. The army fled to Beth-shittah, toward Zeredah, coming to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.[c]
23 The men of Israel from out of Naphtali, from out of Asher, and from out of Manasseh gathered together and pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers all throughout the hill country of Ephraim who said, “Come down against the Midianites, and capture the fords of the Jordan at Beth-barah before they reach them.” So all the men from Ephraim gathered together and captured the fords of the Jordan at Beth-barah. 25 They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, two of the princes of the Midianites. They killed Oreb upon the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon who was alongside of the Jordan.
Chapter 11
Peter’s Explanation of Cornelius’ Baptism. 1 The apostles and the brethren in Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. 2 Therefore, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers protested to him, 3 saying, “Why did you enter the house of uncircumcised men and eat with them?”
4 Peter replied by explaining the facts to them step by step, saying, 5 “While I was praying one day in the city of Joppa, I fell into a trance and had a vision. I saw something like a large sheet lowered down from heaven by its four corners, and it landed close to me.
6 “I looked into it carefully and observed four-footed animals, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds. 7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!’ 8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord. For nothing profane or unclean has ever been in my mouth.’ 9 But the voice spoke to me from heaven for a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ 10 This happened three times, and then everything was taken up into heaven again.
11 “At that very moment, three men arrived at the house where we were staying. They had been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 The Spirit instructed me to go with them without any hesitation. These six brethren also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, ‘Send to Joppa and ask for Simon who is also called Peter. 14 He will give you a message that will grant salvation to you and your entire household.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit descended upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning, 16 and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave them the same gift that he gave to us when we came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to oppose God?”
18 When they heard this, they held their peace, and they praised God, saying, “God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
19 A Church at Antioch.[a] Meanwhile, those who had scattered after the persecution that arose because of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia,[b] Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word only to Jews. 20 However, among them there were some natives of Cyprus and Cyrene who went to Antioch where they started preaching also to the Greeks, proclaiming to them the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of them became believers and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and perceived the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with resolute devotion, 24 for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were added to the Lord.
25 Barnabas then went to Tarsus[c] to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Threats against the Church[d]
27 A Famine in the World.[e] During these days, some prophets[f] came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a severe famine would afflict the entire world. This in fact occurred during the reign of Claudius. 29 The disciples decided to send relief to the brethren living in Judea, each according to his means. 30 This they did, delivering it to the elders[g] through Barnabas and Saul.
Chapter 20
1 When the priest Pashhur, the son of Immer, who was the chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah proclaiming this prophecy, 2 he ordered him to be scourged, and then placed him in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the house of the Lord.
3 The next morning, after Pashhur had released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name for you is not Pashhur but ‘Terror-on-Every-Side.’ 4 For thus says the Lord, ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. And I will deliver all Judah to the king of Babylon, and he will take the people captive and carry them off to Babylon or put them to the sword.
5 “ ‘All the wealth of this city, all of its cherished possessions, and all of the treasures of the kings of Judah I will hand over as plunder to their enemies who will seize it and carry it off to Babylon. 6 Furthermore, you, Pashhur, and all the members of your household will be taken into captivity and led off to Babylon. There you will die, and there you will be buried, you and all your friends, because you have prophesied falsely to them.’ ”
Jeremiah’s Confession[a]
7 O Lord, you deceived me,
and I allowed myself to be deceived.
You were too powerful for me,
and you have prevailed.
All day long I am an object of ridicule;
everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I must cry out;
my message is violence and destruction.
For the word of the Lord has caused me to endure
reproach and derision all day long.
9 If I say, “I will not mention him
or speak any longer in his name,”
within me I experience a fire burning in my heart
and imprisoned in my bones.
I am weary holding it in,
and I can no longer do so.
10 For I hear many whispering,
“Terror surrounds us.
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
All those who were my close friends
are waiting for me to stumble, saying,
“Perhaps we can trick him,
and we will be able to prevail
and take our revenge against him.”
11 But the Lord is at my side
like a mighty warrior.
Therefore, my persecutors will stumble,
and they will not prevail.
Because of their failure,
they will be greatly shamed,
and the disgrace that they will endure
will be everlasting and unforgettable.
12 O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous
and probe the mind and the heart.
Let me behold your retribution on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
13 Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord.
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked.
14 Cursed be the day
on which I was born!
May the day when my mother bore me
be forever unblessed.
15 Cursed be the man
who brought the news to my father.
“A child, a son, has been born to you,”
thereby bringing great joy to his heart.
16 Let that man be like the cities
that the Lord overthrew without mercy.
Let him hear the cry of warning in the morning
and shouts of battle at noon
17 because he did not kill me in the womb.
Then my mother would have been my grave,
with her womb confining me forever.
18 Why did I come forth from the womb
to see toil and sorrow
and spend my days in shame?
Chapter 6
Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth.[a] 1 Departing from that district, Jesus went to his hometown accompanied by his disciples. 2 On the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many of those who heard him asked in amazement, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that he has been granted? What mighty deeds he performs! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother[b] of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.
4 Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is always treated with honor except in his hometown, and among relatives, and in his own house.” 5 And he was unable to perform any mighty works there, aside from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Who Is Jesus?[c]
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve on Mission.[d] Jesus traveled through the villages teaching. 7 Calling the Twelve together, he began to send them out two by two, with authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a walking staff—no bread, no sack, no money in their purses. 9 They were to wear sandals but not to take along a second tunic.
10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, you are to stay there until you leave the area. 11 And if any will not welcome you and refuse to listen to you, leave them immediately and shake off the dust that is on your feet in testimony against them.” 12 Then they set off and preached the need for repentance. 13 They cast out many demons, and they anointed with oil many people who were sick and cured them.[e]
14 The Name of Jesus Becomes Renowned.[f] King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become renowned, and some people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why such powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah,” while still others proclaimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead.”
17 The Death of John the Baptist.[g] It was this same Herod who had ordered John to be arrested and put in chains in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. 18 For John had told Herod, “It is unlawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19 As for Herodias, she was filled with resentment against John and wanted to have him killed, but she was unable to do so, 20 because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a holy and righteous man. Therefore, he protected him from harm. When he heard John speak, he was greatly perplexed by his words, but even so he liked to listen to him.
21 Her opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his court officials and military officers and the leaders of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in, she performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”
24 The girl went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl then hurried back to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of the oath he had sworn and the presence of the guests, he was unwilling to break his word to her. 27 Therefore, he immediately ordered an executioner to bring him John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 Then he brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and removed his body and laid it in a tomb.
30 The Return of the Twelve. The apostles[h] returned to Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away with me, by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest for a while.” For people continued to come and go in great numbers, and they had no time even to eat.
32 And so they went off by themselves in a boat to a deserted place. 33 Now many people saw them departing and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As Jesus went ashore and beheld the vast crowd, he had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
35 Jesus Feeds Five Thousand Men.[i] When it began to be late in the day, his disciples came up to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and it is getting very late. 36 Send the people away now so that they can go to the farms and villages in the area and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37 He replied, “Give them something to eat yourselves.” They said to him, “Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii[j] on bread for them to eat?” 38 He asked, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out, they reported: “Five loaves, and two fish.”
39 Then he ordered them to have all the people sit down on the green grass in groups. 40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to distribute among the people. He also divided the two fish among them. 42 They all ate and were satisfied. 43 Then they gathered up the fragments of the bread and fish—twelve full baskets.[k] 44 Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
45 Jesus Walks on the Water.[l] Immediately afterward, Jesus instructed his disciples to get into the boat and to go on ahead to Bethsaida on the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And when he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was far out on the water while he was alone on the shore. 48 He could see that the disciples were having difficulty in rowing the boat in the face of a headwind. Around the fourth watch of the night he came toward them, walking on the water. He was going to pass by them, 49 but when the disciples saw him walking on the water they thought it was a ghost and they cried out, 50 for they all had seen him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, “Have courage! It is I![m] Do not be afraid!” 51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were utterly astounded, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves. Their minds were closed.
53 Jesus Heals the Sick at Gennesaret.[n] After they had completed the crossing, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they disembarked, the people recognized Jesus immediately. 55 They rushed throughout the entire countryside, and began to bring the sick to him on pallets wherever they heard he was. 56 Everywhere he went, whether to village or town or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak. And all who touched it were completely healed.
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.