M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 47
1 Joseph went to inform Pharaoh, saying to him, “My father and my brothers with their flocks and herds and with all their possessions have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” 2 He selected five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What work do you do?”
They answered Pharaoh, “We shepherd the flocks of your servants, just as our fathers did.” 4 They went on to tell Pharaoh, “We came to sojourn in this land because there were no more pastures for the flocks of your servants. The famine is terrible in the land of Canaan. Please allow your servants to dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is at your disposition. Have your father and your brothers settle in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any of them as able men, place them in charge of my cattle.”
7 Joseph then introduced Jacob, his father, and presented him to Pharaoh. After Jacob had blessed Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob answered Pharaoh, “One hundred and thirty are the years of my sojourning. Few and sad are the years of my life, and I have not reached the number of years that my fathers lived in their life journey.” 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and withdrew from his presence.
11 Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them property in Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the territory of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Joseph provided for his father, his brothers, and all the family of his father, as much bread as was needed for each person.
13 Joseph’s Administration.[a] Now there was no bread in the whole land, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money there was in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain that they were buying. Joseph sent this money to Pharaoh. 15 When the money of the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread! Why should we die while you are watching? We do not have any more money.”
16 Joseph answered, “If you do not have any more money, give me your animals and I will give you bread in exchange for the animals.” 17 They therefore brought their animals to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for their horses and sheep, their oxen and their donkeys. That year he fed them with bread in exchange for their animals.
18 That year having ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone and our animals now belong to my lord. We have nothing for my lord except our own bodies and our land. 19 Why should we die with you looking on, we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for bread, and we will become servants to Pharaoh, we and our land. But give us something to plant so that we live and not die and the land not become a desert.”
20 Joseph acquired all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, because the Egyptians sold their fields on account of the famine that weighed upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s property. 21 As to the people, he moved them into the cities from one end to the other of the borders of Egypt. 22 Only the property which belonged to the priests was not bought, for the priests had a fixed allotment given to them by Pharaoh, and they ate the allotment that Pharaoh had given them. This is why they did not sell their land.
23 Joseph said to the people, “See, today I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed, sow the land. 24 But when you harvest it, you will give a fifth of it to Pharaoh and four-fifths will be for you to sow the fields and feed yourselves and those who are in your household and to feed your children.”
25 They answered, “You have saved our lives! Let us only find favor before my lord and we will be servants of Pharaoh.”
26 Joseph made a law that is still in force up until this day for the land of Egypt, that a one-fifth portion must be given to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests does not belong to Pharaoh.
27 Final Dispositions of Jacob. The Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the territory of Goshen. They had possessions and were fruitful and became very numerous.
28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years and he lived for a total of one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 When the day of his death drew near, Israel summoned his son Joseph and told him, “If I have found favor in your sight, place your hand under my thigh and deal with me kindly and faithfully. Do not bury me in Egypt. 30 When I lie with my fathers, carry me from Egypt and bury me in their tomb.”
31 “I will do as you say,” he replied.
But Jacob demanded, “Swear it to me.” He answered, “I swear it.” And he swore it. Then Israel sank back on his pillow.
Prologue[a]
Chapter 1
1 Since many different individuals have undertaken the task to set down an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 in accordance with their transmission to us by those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning, 3 I too, after researching all the evidence anew with great care, have decided to write an orderly account for you, Theophilus, who are so greatly revered, 4 so that you may learn the unquestioned authenticity of the teachings you have received.
The Infancy Narrative[b]
Announcement of the Birth of John.[c] At the time of the reign of King Herod of Judea,[d] there was a priest named Zechariah, a member of the priestly order of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the eyes of God, observing blamelessly all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.8 On one occasion, when his division was on duty and he was exercising his priestly office before God, 9 he was designated by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense.[e] 10 At the hour of the offering of incense, all the people were outside, praying. 11 Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah beheld him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear for you a son, and you shall name him John. 14 He will be a source of joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
“He will never imbibe wine or any strong drink. Even when he is still in his mother’s womb, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, 16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to reconcile fathers with their children and to convert the disobedient to the ways of the righteous, so that a prepared people might be made ready for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be assured of this? For I am an old man and my wife is well past the stage of giving birth.” 19 The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to convey to you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their appointed time, you will lose your power of speech and will become mute until the day that these things take place.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he was delaying so long in the sanctuary. 22 When he did emerge, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision while he was in the sanctuary. He was only able to make signs to them, but he remained unable to speak.
23 When his term of service was completed, he returned home. 24 Shortly thereafter his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she remained in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “The Lord has granted me this blessing, looking favorably upon me and removing from me the humiliation I have endured among my people.”[f]
26 Announcement of the Birth of Jesus.[g] In the sixth month,[h] the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin[i] betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 The angel came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace![j] The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled by his words and wondered in her heart what this salutation could mean.
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”[k] 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 [l]And behold, your cousin Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month, 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” After this, the angel departed from her.
Chapter 13
Be Silent—I Want To Question God[a]
1 “All this I have observed with my own eyes;
my ears have heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you in any way.
3 But I only wish to speak with the Almighty
and to argue my case with God.
4 As for you, you are obscuring the truth with lies,
and the solutions you offer are all worthless.
5 “Oh, if only you would be completely silent!
For you, that would be regarded as wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning
and listen to the plea that issues from my lips.
7 Is it on God’s behalf that you utter lies?
Is it in his defense that you speak deceitfully?
8 Will you show partiality for him
as you plead his case?
9 “Will you feel totally comfortable when he examines you?
Will you be able to deceive him as you deceive men?
10 If you show partiality, even though not flagrant,
he will surely rebuke you.
11 Will not his majesty frighten you
and the fear of him overcome you?
12 The ideas you propose are proverbs of ash;
your arguments are defenses of clay.
13 “Be silent so that I may speak on my own behalf.
Then let what may come upon me.
14 I am taking my life in my own hands
and placing myself in jeopardy.
15 Perhaps he may slay me, but I have no other hope
than to defend my conduct before him.
16 This will prove to be my salvation,
for the godless will not dare to come before him.
I Am Certain That I Will Be Vindicated[b]
17 “Therefore, listen carefully to my words
and give my defense a careful hearing.
18 I have prepared my case carefully,
and I am certain that I will be vindicated.
19 If anyone can make a valid case against me,
then I will be silent and die.
20 “Only grant me two things, O God,
and then I will not hide myself from your face:
21 just withdraw your hand far from me,
and stop frightening me with your terrors.
22 Then summon me, and I will answer,
or let me speak first, and then you can reply.
23 “Of how many crimes and sins am I guilty?
Make known to me my faults and my transgressions.
24 Why do you hide your face[c]
and look upon me as your enemy?
25 Will you harass a wind-blown leaf
and chase after dry chaff?
26 “For you have drawn up bitter charges against me
and caused me to suffer for the iniquities of my youth,
27 putting my feet in the stocks
and keeping a close watch on every step I take
as you trace all my footprints.
28 Thus, I waste away like rotting wood
or like a moth-eaten garment.
Greetings and Thanksgiving
Chapter 1
Address to a Church.[a] 1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and Sosthenes[b] our brother, 2 to the Church of God in Corinth,[c] to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord as well as ours. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I continually give thanks to my God for you because of his grace that has been granted to you in Christ Jesus. 5 For through him you have been enriched in every way in all facets of speech and knowledge, 6 as our testimony about Christ has been confirmed in you.
7 Therefore, you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you steadfast until the very end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, and it is by him that you have been called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Divisions in the Church of Corinth[d]
10 The Existence of Factions. Brethren, I exhort you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be in full agreement with one another and not permit any divisions to arise among you. Be perfectly united in mind and purpose. 11 For I have heard reports from Chloe’s people, brethren, that there are quarrels among you.[e]
12 What I mean is that each of you is asserting, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”[f] or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Has Christ now been divided? Did Paul die on the cross for you? Was it in Paul’s name that you were baptized?
14 I am thankful that I never baptized any of you, aside from Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. ( 16 I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Aside from those I do not know if I baptized anyone else.)
17 The Message of the Cross and Human Wisdom.[g] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel—and to do so without words of human wisdom lest the cross of Christ be devoid of its meaning. 18 Indeed, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the understanding of the learned I will bring to naught.”[h]
20 Where now are the wise ones? Where are the men of learning? Where are the debaters of this present age? Has God not shown the wisdom of the world to be foolish? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world was unable to come to know him through wisdom, he chose, through the folly of preaching, to save those who have faith.
22 Jews demand signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified. This is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles;[i] 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 God Has Chosen Those Who Count for Nothing. Consider, brethren, your calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards,[j] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 Rather, God chose those who were regarded as foolish by the world to shame the wise; God chose those in the world who were weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose those in the world who were lowly and despised, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who were regarded as worthy, 29 [k]so that no one could boast in the presence of God.
30 It is through him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom of God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “If anyone wishes to boast, let him boast in the Lord.”
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.