M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 10
Tola and Jair. 1 After Abimelech, a certain Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, an Issacharite, rose up to deliver Israel. He dwelt in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He was judge over Israel for twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried at Shamir.
3 After him Jair, the Gileadite, rose up and he was judge over Israel for twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they also possessed thirty towns. These are called Havvoth-jair up to the present, and they are in the land of Gilead. 5 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
Israelites Subject to the Ammonites. 6 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord and did not serve him. 7 The anger of the Lord blazed out against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the hands of the Ammonites. 8 From that year on they oppressed and afflicted them for eighteen years, that is, all of the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, that is, in Gilead.
9 The Ammonites also crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sorely distressed. 10 The Israelites called upon the Lord saying, “We have sinned against you because we have abandoned our God and served the Baals.”
11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Midianites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, did I not save you from out of their hands? 13 But you have abandoned me for other gods, therefore I will not save you anymore. 14 Go and cry out to the gods that you have chosen. Let them save you in the hour of your desperation.”[a]
15 The Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us however you see fit, but please rescue us today.” 16 They removed their foreign gods from their midst, and they served the Lord. Finally, he could no longer bear Israel’s misery.[b] 17 The Ammonites gathered together and they camped in Gilead. The Israelites also gathered together, and they camped at Mizpah. 18 The people and the leaders of Gilead said to one another, “Who will begin the battle against the Ammonites? That man will be the leader of all of those who live in Gilead.”
Chapter 11
Jephthah. 1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons, but when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
3 Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob. Jephthah gathered some worthless fellows around himself, and they went out with him.
4 After some time, the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 When the Ammonites fought against Israel, the elders of Israel went to bring back Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader so that we can fight against the Ammonites.” 7 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now that you are in trouble?” 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “This is why we have returned to you, so that you can go with us and fight against the Ammonites and be the leader of all of those who live in Gilead.” 9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord delivers them up to me, will I then be your leader?” 10 The elders of Gilead answered, “The Lord will be a witness between us if we do not do what you have said.” 11 Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah spoke all of his words before the Lord at Mizpah.
Chapter 14
Jews and Gentiles at Iconium.[a] 1 In Iconium, they went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke so effectively that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 However, the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore, they stayed there for a considerable period of time, speaking boldly on behalf of the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to work signs and wonders.
4 However, the people in the city were divided, some siding with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 Eventually, a plot was hatched by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone them. 6 When they became aware of this, they fled to the Lycaonian cities[b] of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding area. 7 There they preached the good news.
At Lystra Paul and Barnabas Are Taken for Gods.[c] 8 At Lystra, there was a man who was crippled. Lame from birth, he had never once been able to walk. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. Paul looked intently at him, and, seeing that he had the faith to be healed, 10 called out to him in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet.” The man sprang up and began to walk.
11 [d]When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 They called Barnabas Zeus, and since Paul was the chief speaker, they called him Hermes. 13 And the priest of Zeus, who was on the outskirts of the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, since he and the people intended to offer sacrifice.
14 However, when the apostles Barnabas and Paul learned about this, they tore their clothes[e] and rushed into the crowd, shouting, 15 “Men, why are you doing this? We are only human beings, just like you. We proclaim to you the good news so that you may turn from these idols to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them.
16 “In the past, God allowed all the Gentiles to go their own way. 17 However, even then he did not leave you without a witness in doing good, for he sends you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons, and he provides you with food and fills your hearts with joy.” 18 Yet, even with these words, they were barely able to prevent the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
19 End of the First Mission.[f] Shortly thereafter, some Jews arrived on the scene from Antioch and Iconium, and they won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, believing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city. On the next day, he and Barnabas departed for Derbe.
21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and gained a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and then moved on to Iconium and Antioch. 22 They strengthened the disciples and encouraged them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships in order to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 In each Church, they appointed presbyters for them, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 After proclaiming the word at Perga, they went down to Attalia,[g] 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch,[h] where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. 27 When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had accomplished through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there with the disciples for some time.
Chapter 23
Messianic Oracles. 1 Woe to the shepherds who lead astray and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord. 2 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has to say in regard to the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my flock and driven them away, and you showed not the slightest concern about taking care of them. Therefore, I will not hesitate to punish you for your evil deeds, says the Lord.
3 I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their meadows where they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will appoint shepherds for them who will treat them kindly, so that they will no longer fear or experience terror, nor will any be discovered missing, says the Lord.
5 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will raise up a righteous branch
from the line of David.
He will reign as king and rule wisely
and ensure justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah will live in safety,
and Israel will dwell in security.
And this is the name that will be given to him:
“The Lord Our Righteousness.”
7 Therefore, the days are coming, says the Lord, when people will no longer say, “As the Lord lives who brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt,” 8 but rather, “As the Lord lives who brought forth the offspring of the house of Israel up from the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had dispersed them.” Then they will again inhabit their own land.
The False Prophets[a]
9 As for the prophets,
my heart is broken within me,
and all my bones never cease to tremble.
I have become like a drunken man,
like someone overcome with wine,
because of the Lord
and because of his holy words.
10 For the land swarms with adulterers;
because of them the country mourns
and the pastures in the desert have withered.
11 Both the prophets and the priests are godless;
even in my own house have I observed their wickedness,
says the Lord.
12 Therefore, they will find that the paths they travel
will be slippery beneath their feet;
in the darkness where they are driven,
they will fall headlong.
For I will inflict disaster upon them
in the year of their punishment,
says the Lord.
13 Among the prophets of Samaria
I beheld this repulsive deed:
they prophesied in the name of Baal
and led my people astray.
14 But among the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen deeds that are even more shocking:
they commit adultery and persist in lying
and uphold those who are evil
so that no one turns away from wickedness.
To me they have all become like Sodom,
and its inhabitants are like Gomorrah.
15 Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts in regard to the prophets:
I intend to give them wormwood to eat
and force them to drink poisoned water.
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness has spread throughout the land.
16 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Do not listen to the words of the prophets;
their prophecies are designed to delude you.
They concoct visions from their own minds
and not from the mouth of the Lord.
17 To those who despise the word of the Lord
they say, “Peace will be yours.”
To those who follow their own stubborn inclinations
they say, “No harm will befall you.”
18 Yet which of them has stood in the council of the Lord
to see or to hear his word?
Which of them has heeded his word and proclaimed it?
19 Behold the storm of the Lord!
His wrath bursts forth
like a frightening tempest
that whirls around the heads of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lord will not subside
until he has fully accomplished
the purposes he has in mind.
When the time comes,
you will understand this clearly.
21 I did not send these prophets,
yet they went forth in haste.
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my council,
they would have then proclaimed my words to my people
and caused them to turn back from their evil ways
and from the wickedness of their deeds.
23 The Lord asks:
Am I a God only when I am near at hand,
but not when I am far away?
24 Can someone hide in a secret place
so that I cannot see him?
Do I not fill heaven and earth?
25 I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. “I have had a dream,” they cry out. “I have had a dream.” 26 How much longer must we endure prophets who prophesy lies and proclaim their own delusions? 27 By means of the dreams that they relate to one another, they believe that they will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name and replaced it with Baal. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream relate his dream, but let the one who receives my word deliver it truthfully.
What does straw have in common with wheat?
asks the Lord.
29 Is not my word like fire, says the Lord,
like a hammer shattering a rock?
30 Therefore, says the Lord, I have set myself in opposition to the prophets who steal my words from one another. 31 I am against those prophets who concoct their own prophecies and then assert, “Thus says the Lord.” 32 I am against those prophets who prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord, and then recount them, thereby leading my people astray with their lies and reckless bragging. They have not received any commission from me, and so they are of no benefit to this people in any way, says the Lord.
33 And when this people or a prophet or a priest asks you, “What is the burden of the Lord?” you are to reply, “You are the burden, and I will cast you off,” says the Lord. 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else speaks of “the burden of the Lord,” I will punish that man and his household.
35 Therefore, when speaking to one another, you are to ask, “What answer did the Lord give?” or “What did the Lord say?” 36 But you must never again speak of “the burden of the Lord,” because each man’s word becomes his own burden, and you therefore pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God.
37 Therefore, you are to ask a prophet, “What answer has the Lord given?” or “What has the Lord said?” 38 But if you say “the burden of the Lord,” the Lord will reply, “Because you have used the words ‘the burden of the Lord’ when I forbade you to use that expression, 39 therefore, I will lift you up and cast you away from my presence, both you and the city that I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 And I will inflict upon you everlasting disgrace and eternal and unforgettable shame.”
Chapter 9
1 Then he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”[a]
Jesus Is Transfigured.[b] 2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And in their presence he was transfigured; 3 his clothes became dazzling white—whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 And Elijah with Moses appeared, conversing with Jesus.
5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were so frightened. 7 Then a cloud cast a shadow over them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus.
Elijah Has Already Come.[c] 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 Therefore, they kept the matter to themselves, although they did argue about what rising from the dead could possibly mean.
11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He said to them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things. Yet how is it written about the Son of Man?—that he must endure great suffering and be treated with contempt! 13 However, I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.”
14 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by a Spirit.[d] When they returned to the disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some scribes were engaged in an argument with them. 15 As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were overcome with awe and ran forward to greet him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought you my son who is possessed by a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it flings him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
19 Jesus said to them in reply, “O unbelieving generation, how much longer shall I remain with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 When they brought the boy to him, the spirit saw him and immediately threw the child into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the father, “How long has the boy been in this condition?” “From childhood,” he replied. 22 “It has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. If it is possible for you to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus answered, “If it is possible! All things are possible for one who has faith.” 24 Immediately, the father of the child cried out, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering around them, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and mute spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Shrieking and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out of him. He lay there like a corpse, so that many remarked, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
28 When he went indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why were we not able to cast it out?” 29 He answered, “This kind cannot be driven out except by prayer [and by fasting].”[e]
30 Jesus Predicts His Passion a Second Time.[f] They proceeded from there and began to journey through Galilee, but Jesus did not want anyone to know about it 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man[g] will be handed over into the power of men. They will kill him, and three days after being killed he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
33 The Greatest in the Kingdom.[h] They came to Capernaum, and once they were in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” 34 But they remained silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest.
35 Then he sat down, summoned the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last of all and the servant of all.” 36 He then took a child, placed it in their midst, and put his arms around it as he said, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives not me but the one who sent me.”
38 Whoever Is Not against Us Is for Us. John said to him, “Teacher, we observed someone expelling demons in your name, and we forbade him because he was not one of us.”[i] 39 Jesus replied, “Do not hinder him, for no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Amen, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will certainly not go unrewarded.
42 Woe to the World because of Scandals.[j]“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
43 “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.[k] It is preferable for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go into the unquenchable fire of Gehenna [ 44 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched][l] 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Gehenna [ 46 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched]. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is preferable for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into Gehenna, 48 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.
49 The Simile of Salt.“For everyone will be salted with fire.[m] 50 Salt is good, but if salt loses its saltiness, how can you revive its flavor? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.