M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 2[a]
Rahab Saves the Spies.[b] 1 Joshua, the son of Nun, secretly dispatched two spies from Shittim.[c] He told them, “Go reconnoiter the land, especially Jericho.” They went and they came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, where they stayed. 2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites came here tonight to spy throughout the land.” 3 The king of Jericho sent a message to Rahab saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you and entered your house, for they are here to spy through the whole countryside.” 4 But the woman had taken the two spies and she had hidden them. She said, “The men came to me, but I did not know where they were coming from. 5 When it was time to close the gates at dusk, they left. I do not know where they went. Chase after the men quickly, you may catch up with them.” 6 She had really taken them up on the roof and hidden them under stalks of flax[d] that she had laid out on the roof. 7 The men set out after them on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan. The gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out after them.
8 Before they went to sleep, she came up on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you this land. We are terrified and all the inhabitants of the land are trembling at your approach. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came up out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan, how you annihilated them. 11 When we heard about this, our hearts grew faint and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord, your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below. 12 Now, I beg you, swear to the Lord that since I showed you kindness, you will also show kindness to my father’s household. Give me a pledge of your fidelity. 13 Spare my father and my mother, my brothers and my sisters, and all their households, saving us from sure death.” 14 The men answered her, “Our lives for your lives. If you do not inform on what we are doing, then we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord has given us the land.”
15 She let them down by a rope through the window, for the house in which she lived was built upon the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go into the hills so that the pursuers will not find you. Hide there for three days until the pursuers shall have returned here. Then you can go on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We will not be bound to the promise that you made us swear 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have a scarlet cord tied to the window from which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all of your father’s household into your house. 19 Whoever goes outside of the doors of your house will be responsible for his own death, we will not be at fault. But whoever is in the house with you, it will be our responsibility if anyone lays a hand on him. 20 However, if you inform on what we are doing, then we will not be bound to the promise that you made us swear.” 21 She said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. She then tied a scarlet cord to the window.
22 The Spies Report to Joshua. They left, and went into the hills where they remained for three days until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers had searched all along that way, but had not found them. 23 [e]The two men then went back home. They came down from the hills and forded the river, coming to Joshua, the son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “Surely the Lord has delivered the entire land into our hands, for all of the people in the land are overcome with fear of us.”
Psalm 123[a]
Prayer in Time of Spiritual Need
1 A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who are enthroned in heaven.[b]
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants[c]
are on the hand of their master,
or as the eyes of a maid
focus on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord, our God,
as we wait for him to show us his mercy.
3 Show us your mercy, O Lord, show us your mercy,
for we have suffered more than our share of contempt.[d]
4 We have had to suffer far too long
the insults of the haughty[e]
and the contempt of the arrogant.
Psalm 124[f]
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Help
1 A song of ascents. Of David.
[g]If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel now proclaim—[h]
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when our enemies attacked[i] us,
3 [j]then they would have swallowed us alive
as their wrath was kindled against us.
4 [k]The waters would have washed us away,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 and we would have drowned
in the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who did not give us as prey to their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare was broken,
and we escaped.[l]
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.[m]
Psalm 125[n]
God, Protector of His People
1 A song of ascents.
Those who put their trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but stands fast forever.[o]
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.[p]
3 The scepter of the wicked will not prevail
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not be tempted
to turn their hands to evil.[q]
4 [r]Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to those who are upright of heart.[s]
5 But the Lord will assign to the ranks of the evildoers
those who turn their hearts to wickedness.[t]
May peace be granted to Israel.
Chapter 62
Jerusalem, the Lord’s Spouse
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication
and all the kings your glory.
You will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will reveal.
3 You will be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem held by your God.
4 No longer will you be called “Forsaken,”
nor will your land be known by the name “Desolate.”
Rather you will be called “My Delight Is in Her,”
and your land will be known as “Married.”
For the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be his spouse.
5 As a young man marries a virgin,
so will your builder marry you,
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
Zion Restored and Glorified
6 Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have stationed sentinels.
Neither by day nor by night
will they be silent.
You whose responsibility is to call upon the Lord,
give yourselves no rest,
7 and also give no rest to him
until he restores Jerusalem
and makes her renowned throughout the earth.
8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
Never again will I give your grain
to serve as food for your enemies,
nor shall foreigners drink the wine
for which you have toiled.
9 However, those who harvest the grain will eat it
and give praise to the Lord,
while those who gather the grapes will drink the wine
within my sacred courts.
10 Pass through, pass through the gates,
and clear a path for my people.
Build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones
and lift up a standard over the nations.
11 The Lord has made this proclamation
to the farthest bounds of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“See, your Savior comes!
His reward is with him
and his recompense precedes him.”[a]
12 They will be called “The Holy People,”
“The Redeemed of the Lord.”
And you will be called “Sought After,”
“A City No Longer Forsaken.”
Instructions to the Apostles: The Charter of the Apostolate[a]
Chapter 10
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles.[b] 1 Calling his twelve disciples together, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, with the power to drive them out and to cure every kind of disease and illness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot,[c] the one who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth after giving them the following instructions: “Do not travel[d] to the territory of the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 And as you go, proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. You received without payment; give in the same way. 9 Take along no gold or silver or copper in your purses, 10 no sack for your journey, or an extra tunic, or sandals, or a staff. For the laborer deserves his keep.
11 “Whatever town or village you enter, look for some honorable person who lives there, and stay with him until you leave. 12 As you enter a house, extend your blessing upon it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust from your feet[e] as you leave that house or town. 15 Amen, I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah[f] on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 No Servant Is above His Master.[g]“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as cunning as serpents and yet as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard, for people will hand you over to courts[h] and scourge you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be brought before governors and kings because of me to testify before them and the Gentiles.
19 “When they hand you over, do not be concerned about how you are to speak or what you are to say. When the time comes, you will be given what you are to say. 20 For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of my name, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not have finished traveling through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.[i]
24 “No student is greater than his teacher, nor a servant greater than his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,[j] how much more those of his household?
26 The Conditions of Discipleship.[k]“Therefore, do not be afraid of them. There is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, proclaim in the daylight, and what you hear whispered, shout from the housetops.
28 “Have no fear of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.[l]
29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. 30 Even the hairs on your head have all been counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth far more than any number of sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my heavenly Father.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.[m]
35 For I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and one’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
37 Whoever Receives You Receives Me.“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, 38 and anyone who does not take up his cross[n] and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.[o]
40 “Whoever receives you receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet[p] because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, amen, I say to you, he will not go unrewarded.”
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