M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
26 1 God provideth for Isaac in the famine. 3 He reneweth his promise. 9 The King blameth him for denying his wife. 14 The Philistines hate him for his riches. 15 Stop his wells. 16 And drive him away. 24 God comforteth him.
1 And there was a famine in the [a]land besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Wherefore Isaac went to Abimelech King of the Philistines unto Gerar.
2 For the Lord appeared unto him, and said, [b]Go not down into Egypt, but abide in the land which I shall show thee.
3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: for to thee, and to thy seed I will give all these (A)countries, and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father.
4 Also I will cause thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be (B)blessed,
5 Because that Abraham [c]obeyed my voice and kept mine [d]ordinance, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
6 ¶ So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife, and he said, She is my sister: for he [e]feared to say, she is my wife, lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me, because of Rebekah, for she was beautiful to the eye.
8 So after he had been there a long time, Abimelech King of the Philistines looked out at a window, and lo, he saw Isaac [f]sporting with Rebekah his wife.
9 Then Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Lo, she is of a surety thy wife, and why saidest thou, She is my sister? To whom Isaac answered, Because I thought this, It may be that I shall die for her.
10 Then Abimelech said, Why hast thou done this unto us? one of the people had almost lain by thy wife, so shouldest thou have brought [g]sin upon us.
11 Then Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man, or his wife, shall die the death.
12 Afterward Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year an [h]hundredfold by estimation: and so the Lord blessed him.
13 And the man waxed mightily, and [i]still increased, till he was exceeding great.
14 For he had flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle, and a mighty household: therefore the Philistines had [j]envy at him,
15 Insomuch that the Philistines stopped, and filled up with earth all the wells, which his father’s servants dug in his father Abraham’s time.
16 Then Abimelech said unto Isaac, Get thee from us, for thou art mightier than we a great deal.
17 ¶ Therefore Isaac departed thence and pitched his tent in the [k]valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
18 And Isaac returning, dug the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham, and he gave them the same names, that his father gave them.
19 Isaac’s servants then dug in the valley and found there a well of [l]living water.
20 But the herdsmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, The water is ours, therefore called he the name of the well [m]Esek, because they were at strife with him.
21 Afterward they dug another well, and strove for that also, and he called the name of it [n]Sitnah.
22 Then he removed thence, and dug another well, for which they strove not: therefore called he the name of it [o]Rehoboth, and said, Because the Lord hath now made us room, we shall increase upon the earth.
23 So he went up thence to Beersheba.
24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God [p]of Abraham thy father: fear not, I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.
25 Then he built an [q]altar there, and called upon the Name of the Lord, and there spread his tent: where also Isaac’s servants dug a well.
26 ¶ Then came Abimelech to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the captain of his army.
27 To whom Isaac said, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me and have put me away from you?
28 Who answered, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee, and we thought thus, Let there be now an oath between us, even between us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee.
29 [r]If thou shalt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and sent thee away in peace: thou now, the blessed of the Lord, do this.
30 Then he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and swear one to another: then Isaac let them go, and they departed from him in peace.
32 And that same day Isaac’s servants came and told him of a well, which they had dug, and said unto him, We have found water.
33 So he called it [s]Shebah: therefore the name of the city is called [t]Beersheba unto this day.
34 ¶ Now when Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri an Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon an Hittite also.
35 And they (C)were [u]a grief of mind to Isaac and to Rebekah.
25 1 The virgins looking for the Bridegroom. 13 We must watch. 14 The talents delivered unto the servants. 24 The evil servants. 30 After what sort the last judgment shall be. 41 The cursed.
1 Then [a]the kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and [b]went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five foolish.
3 The foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them.
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 Now while the bridegroom tarried long, all [c]slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh: go out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there will not be enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the wedding, and the gate was shut.
11 Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered, and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 (A)Watch therefore: for ye know neither the day, nor the hour, when the son of man will come.
14 (B)[d]For the kingdom of heaven is as a man that going into a strange country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every man after his own [e]ability, and straightway went from home.
16 Then he that had received the five talents, went and occupied with them, and gained other five talents.
17 Likewise also he that received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that received that one, went and dug it in the earth, and hid his master’s money.
19 But after a long season, the master of those servants came, and reckoned with them.
20 Then came he that had received five talents, and brought other five talents, saying, Master, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained with them other five talents.
21 Then his master said unto him, It is well done good servant and faithful, Thou hast been faithful in little, I will make thee ruler over much: [f]enter into thy master’s joy.
22 Also he that had received two talents, came, and said, Master, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents more.
23 His master said unto him, It is well done good servant, and faithful, Thou hast been faithful in little, I will make thee ruler over much: enter into thy master’s joy.
24 Then he that had received the one talent, came, and said, Master, I knew that thou wast an hard man, which reapest where thou sowedst not, and gatherest where thou strawedst not:
25 I was therefore afraid, and went, and hid thy talent in the earth: behold, thou hast thine own.
26 And his master answered, and said unto him, Thou evil servant, and slothful, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I strawed not.
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the [g]exchangers, and then at my coming should I have received mine own with vantage.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 (C)For unto every man that hath, it shall be given, and he shall have abundance, and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away.
30 Cast therefore that unprofitable servant into utter (D)darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
31 ¶ [h]And when the Son of man cometh in his glory and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory,
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats.
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the king say to them on his right hand, Come ye [i]blessed of my father: take the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 (E)For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I thirsted, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in unto you.
36 I was naked, and ye clothed me: I was (F)sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?
38 And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in unto us? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the king shall answer, and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me.
41 Then shall he say to them on the left hand, (G)Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I thirsted, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in unto you: I was naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, and say, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 (H)And these shall go into everlasting pain, and the righteous into life eternal.
2 2 After the Queen is put away, certain young maids are brought to the king. 17 Esther pleaseth the King, and is made Queen. 22 Mordecai discloseth unto the king those that would betray him.
1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he [a]remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed [b]against her.
2 And the King’s servants that ministered unto him, said, Let them seek for the King beautiful young virgins,
3 And let the King appoint officers through all the provinces of his Kingdom, and let them gather all the beautiful young virgins unto the palace of Shushan, into the house of the women, under the hand of Hegai the King’s eunuch, [c]keeper of the women, to give them their things [d]for purification.
4 And the maid that shall please the King, let her reign in the stead of Vashti. And this pleased the king, and he did so.
5 ¶ In the city of Shushan there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish a man of Benjamin,
6 Which had been carried away from Jerusalem (A)with the captivity that was carried away with Jeconiah King of Judah (whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel had carried away.)
7 And he nourished Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful to look on: and after the death of her father, and her mother, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
8 And when the king’s commandment, and his decree was published, and many maids were brought together to the palace of Shushan, under the hand of Hegai, Esther was brought also unto the King’s house under the hand of Hegai the keeper of the women.
9 And the maid pleased him, and she found favor in his sight, therefore he caused her things for purification to be given her speedily, and her [e]state, and seven comely maids to be given her out of the King’s house, and he gave change to her and to her maids of the best in the house of the women.
10 But Esther showed not her people and her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not tell it.
11 And Mordecai walked [f]every day before the court of the women’s house, to know if Esther did well, and what should be done with her.
12 And when the course of every maid came, to go in to King Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months according to the manner of the women (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and in the purifying of the women:
13 And thus went the maids unto the King) whatsoever she required, was [g]given her to go with her out of the women’s house unto the king’s house.
14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women under the hand of Shaashgaz the King’s eunuch, which kept the concubines: she came in to the King no more, except she pleased the King, and that she were called by name.
15 Now when the course of Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai (which had taken her as his own daughter) came, that she should go in to the king, she desired nothing, but what [h]Hege the king’s eunuch the keeper of the women [i]said: and Esther found favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
16 ¶ So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the [j]month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the King loved Esther above all the women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins: so that he set the crown of the kingdom upon her head, and made her Queen instead of Vashti.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes, and his servants, which was [k]the feast of Esther, and gave rest [l]unto the provinces, and gifts, according to the [m]power of a king.
19 And when the virgins were gathered the [n]second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
20 Esther had not yet showed her kindred nor her people, as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did after the word of Mordecai, as when she was nourished with him.
21 ¶ In those days when Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay [o]hand on the King Ahasuerus.
22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, and he told it unto Queen Esther, and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name: and when inquisition was made, it was found so: therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the [p]Chronicles before the king.
25 1 Festus succeeding Felix, 6 commandeth Paul to be brought forth. 11 Paul appealeth unto Caesar. 14 Festus openeth Paul’s matter to king Agrippa, 23 and bringeth him before him, 27 that he may understand his cause.
1 When [a]Festus was then come into the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea unto Jerusalem.
2 Then the high Priest, and the chief of the Jews appeared before him against Paul: and they besought him,
3 And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem: and they laid wait to kill him by the way.
4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would shortly depart thither.
5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, come down with us: and if there be any wickedness in the man, let them accuse him.
6 ¶ [b]Now when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day sat in the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews which were come from Jerusalem, stood about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, whereof [c]they could make no plain proof,
8 Forasmuch as he answered, that he had neither offended anything against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor against Caesar.
9 [d]Yet Festus willing to get favor of the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I have done wrong, or committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things, whereof they accuse me, no man, to pleasure them, can deliver me to them: I appeal unto Caesar.
12 Then when Festus had spoken with the Council, he answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
13 ¶ [e]And after certain days, King [f]Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to salute Festus.
14 And when they had remained there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in prison by Felix,
15 Of whom when I came to Jerusalem, the high Priests and Elders of the Jews informed me, and desired to have judgment against him.
16 To whom I answered, that it is not the manner of the Romans for favor to [g]deliver any man to the death, before that he which is accused, have the accusers before him, and have place to defend himself, concerning the crime.
17 Therefore when they were come hither, without delay the day following I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.
18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought no crime of such things as I supposed:
19 [h]But had certain questions against him of their own [i]superstitions, and of one Jesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 And because I doubted of such manner of question, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things.
21 But because he appealed to be reserved to the examination of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept, till I might send him to Caesar.
22 [j]Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
23 And on the morrow when Agrippa was come, and Bernice with great [k]pomp, and were entered into the Common hall with the chief captains and chief men of the city, at Festus’s commandment Paul was brought forth.
24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have called upon me, both at Jerusalem, and here, crying, that he ought not to live any longer.
25 Yet have I found nothing worthy of death, that he hath committed: nevertheless, seeing that he hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my [l]lord: wherefore I have brought him forth unto you, and especially unto thee, King Agrippa, that after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
27 For me thinketh it unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not to show the causes which are laid against him.
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