M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jacob Returns to Bethel
35 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”(A) 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your clothes;(B) 3 then come, let us go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”(C) 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near Shechem.(D)
5 As they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities all around them, so that no one pursued them.(E) 6 Jacob came to Luz, that is, Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him,(F) 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel,[a] because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.(G) 8 And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So it was called Allon-bacuth.[b](H)
9 God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him.(I) 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall you be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he was called Israel.(J) 11 God said to him, “I am God Almighty:[c] be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you.(K) 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”(L) 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him.(M) 14 Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.(N) 15 So Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.(O)
The Birth of Benjamin and the Death of Rachel
16 Then they journeyed from Bethel, and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel was in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 When she was in her hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for now you have another son.”(P) 18 As her soul was departing, for she was dying, she named him Ben-oni,[d] but his father called him Benjamin.[e] 19 And Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem,(Q) 20 and Jacob set up a pillar at her grave; it is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day.(R) 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.
Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.(S) 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
The Death of Isaac
27 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had resided as aliens.(T) 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last; he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.(U)
Esau’s Descendants
36 These are the descendants of Esau, that is, Edom.(V) 2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah son[f] of Zibeon the Hivite,(W) 3 and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth. 4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; Basemath bore Reuel; 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle, all his livestock, and all the property he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob.(X) 7 For their possessions were too great for them to live together; the land where they were staying could not support them because of their livestock.(Y) 8 So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.(Z)
9 These are the descendants of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Adah the wife of Esau; Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.(AA) 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.(AB) 13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah son[g] of Zibeon; she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
Clans and Kings of Edom
15 These are the clans[h] of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the clans[i] Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,(AC) 16 Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the clans[j] of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: the clans[k] Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the clans[l] of Reuel in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath.(AD) 18 These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: the clans[m] Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the clans[n] born of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.(AE) 19 These are the sons of Esau, that is, Edom, and these are their clans.[o]
20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,(AF) 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans[p] of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman, and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the springs[q] in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon. 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.(AG) 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.(AH) 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the clans[r] of the Horites: the clans[s] Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans[t] of the Horites, clan by clan[u] in the land of Seir.
31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites.(AI) 32 Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah. 33 Bela died, and Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah succeeded him as king. 34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king. 35 Husham died, and Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Avith. 36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah succeeded him as king. 37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates succeeded him as king. 38 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan son of Achbor succeeded him as king. 39 Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, and Hadar succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Pau; his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab.(AJ)
40 These are the names of the clans[v] of Esau, according to their families and their localities by their names: the clans[w] Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,(AK) 41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the clans[x] of Edom, that is, Esau, the father of Edom, according to their settlements in the land that they held.
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
6 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!(A) 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense[b] at him.(B) 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown and among their own kin and in their own house.”(C) 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.(D) 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.
The Mission of the Twelve
Then he went about among the villages teaching.(E) 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.(F) 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.(G) 13 They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.(H)
The Death of John the Baptist
14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’s[c] name had become known. Some were[d] saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”(I) 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”(J)
17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod[e] had married her. 18 For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(K) 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed,[f] and yet he liked to listen to him.(L) 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee.(M) 22 When his daughter Herodias[g] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23 And he swore[h] to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”(N) 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 The king was deeply grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s[i] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Feeding the Five Thousand
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.(O) 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.(P) 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.(Q) 35 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; 36 send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”(R) 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”(S) 39 Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.(T) 42 And all ate and were filled, 43 and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.(U) 46 After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came toward them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by.(V) 49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”(W) 51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,(X) 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.(Y)
Healing the Sick in Gennesaret
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat.(Z) 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.(AA)
Attack on Job’s Health
2 One day the heavenly beings[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser[b] also came among them to present himself before the Lord.(A) 2 The Lord said to the accuser,[c] “Where have you come from?” The accuser[d] answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.”(B) 3 The Lord said to the accuser,[e] “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.”(C) 4 Then the accuser[f] answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that the man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”(D) 6 The Lord said to the accuser,[g] “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.”(E)
7 So the accuser[h] went out from the presence of the Lord and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.(F) 8 Job[i] took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes.(G)
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse[j] God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.(H)
Job’s Three Friends
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him.(I) 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads.(J) 13 They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.(K)
Dying and Rising with Christ
6 What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may increase?(A) 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?(B) 3 Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?(C) 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.(D)
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin.(E) 7 For whoever has died is freed[a] from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.(F) 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.(G) 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.(H)
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, so that you obey their desires.(I) 13 No longer present your members to sin as instruments[b] of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments[c] of righteousness.(J) 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.(K)
Slaves of Righteousness
15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that, if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?(L) 17 But thanks be to God that you who were slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted(M) 18 and that you, having been set free from sin, have become enslaved to righteousness.(N) 19 I am speaking in human terms because of your limitations.[d] For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness, leading to even more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification.(O)
20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.(P) 21 So what fruit did you then gain from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death.(Q) 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the fruit you have leads to sanctification, and the end is eternal life.(R) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(S)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.