M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 18
The Danites Overtake Micah. 1 At that time, there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites were seeking a place[a] where they could dwell, because up to that time they had not yet come into their inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 2 The Danites sent out five men, one from each of its clans, brave warriors. They went out from Zorah and Eshtaol to investigate the land and to explore it. They said to them, “Go and explore the land.”
They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they stayed there. 3 As they drew near the house of Micah, they heard the voice of the young Levite, so they turned in there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?” 4 He told them what Micah had done for him and said, “He hired me, and I am his priest.” 5 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God whether our journey will be successful.” 6 He replied, “Go in peace. The Lord is with you on your journey.”
7 The five men left and came to Laish. They saw that the people there were living in safety, just like the Sidonians lived, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who could shame them in anything. They were quite far away from the Sidonians, and they had no ties to anyone.
8 They came back to their brethren in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, “What do you have to say?” 9 They said, “Arise so that we can attack them. We have seen the land, and it is truly very good. Do not delay in going there so that you can enter and take possession of the land. 10 When you enter, you will find a people living in security in a vast land. God has given it into your hands. It is a place where you will not lack anything upon the earth.”
11 Six hundred men from the clans of the Danites went out from Zorah and Eshtaol dressed in battle gear. 12 They went up and camped in Kiriath-jearim in Judah. (This is why this place is called Mahaneh-dan up to this day. It lies to the west of Kiriath-jearim.) 13 They went on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, coming to the house of Micah.
14 The five men who had gone out to investigate the land around Laish said to their brethren, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, teraphim, and a carved molten image? What do you think we should do?” 15 They turned aside and went to the house of the young Levite (the house of Micah) and they greeted him. 16 The six hundred armed men, the Danites, stood by the entrance to the gate.
17 The five men who had gone out to investigate the land then arrived there. They took the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim and the molten image. The priest stood at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred men who were armed for war. 18 When they went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim and the molten image, the priest asked them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Be quiet! Put your hand over your mouth, and come with us to be a father and a priest to us. Is it better to be a father and a priest to one man’s household, or to be father and priest to a tribe and a clan in Israel?” 20 This pleased the priest. He took the ephod, the teraphim, and the carved image and traveled with those people. 21 They then turned and departed, with their children, their cattle, and their possessions in the front of the march.
22 When they had traveled some distance from the house of Micah, the men who lived in the houses near Micah’s house overtook the Danites. 23 When they shouted out, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, calling out such a group?” 24 [b]He replied, “You took the gods that I made and the priest, and then you went on your way. What else do I have? How could you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’ ” 25 The Danites said to him, “Keep quiet, or these men could get angry, and you and your household could lose their lives.” 26 So the Danites continued on their journey. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned back and went home.
27 They took away the things that Micah had made and his priest, and they arrived in Laish. This land was quiet, with people who lived in security, and they put them to the sword and burned the city down. 28 There was no one to deliver them, for Sidon was far away and they had no allies. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob. They built a city and dwelt there. 29 They named the city Dan after their forefather who was called Dan. He was the son of Israel. The city had originally been called Laish. 30 The Danites set up the carved idol, and they chose Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons as priests to the Danites, and they continued to serve until they were exiled from the land.[c] 31 They maintained the carved idol that Micah had made, and it remained there the whole time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Chapter 22
Paul’s Speech to the People of Jerusalem.[a] 1 “Brethren and fathers, listen to what I have to say to you in my defense.” 2 When they heard him addressing them in Aramaic, they became even more quiet than before.
Then he continued, 3 “I am a Jew, born atTarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. As a pupil of Gamaliel, I was thoroughly trained in the Law of our ancestors. I have always been zealous toward God, just as all of you are today. 4 I even persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, sending both men and women to prison in chains, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify. From them I also received letters to our brethren in Damascus, and I set out to bring prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.
6 “While I was on my way and drawing near Damascus, around midday a great light from the sky suddenly shone all around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What do you want me to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus. There you will be told everything that you have been appointed to do.’ 11 I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, and so my companions led me by the hand to Damascus.
12 “A man named Ananias, who was a devout observer of the Law and highly regarded by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to see me. Standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ Instantly, I saw him.
14 “Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear him speak. 15 For you will be his witness[b] to tell all what you have seen and heard. 16 And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’
17 “After I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw Jesus there. ‘Hurry and leave Jerusalem at once,’ he said, ‘because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 But I replied, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I used to imprison and scourge those who believe in you. 20 And while the blood of your martyr Stephen was being shed, I myself stood by, giving my approval and guarding the coats of his murderers.’ 21 Then he said to me, ‘Go! I am sending you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
22 Paul Claims His Roman Citizenship.[c] Up to this point, the crowd had listened to him, but then they raised their voices and began to shout, “Rid the earth of this man! He should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that he be brought into the barracks and gave instructions that he be interrogated while being scourged to discover the reason for this outcry against him.
25 But when they had stretched him out and bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing nearby, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and who has not been condemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 Then the commander came to him and inquired, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he answered, “Yes.” 28 The commander responded, “It cost me a great deal of money to acquire this citizenship.” Paul replied, “But I was born a citizen.” 29 Then those who were about to interrogate him withdrew hurriedly, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.
30 Paul’s First Trial—before the Sanhedrin.[d] Since the commander wanted to learn with certitude what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him on the following day and ordered the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Chapter 32
Promise of Restoration. 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah had been imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard that was attached to the royal palace.
3 King Zedekiah had ordered Jeremiah to be confined there, saying, “Why do you continue to prophesy in this manner? According to you, this is what the Lord says, ‘I intend to hand over this city to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 4 Nor will King Zedekiah of Judah escape the clutches of the Chaldeans; rather, he will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and behold him with his own eyes. 5 Then Zedekiah will be taken to Babylon, where he will remain until I am ready to deal with him. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will experience no success.’ ”
6 Jeremiah replied: This word of the Lord was delivered to me: 7 Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will come to you and say, “Purchase for yourself my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. As my closest relative, you have the first right of redemption.” 8 Then, just as the Lord had foretold, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, “Buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of redemption and possession is yours as next of kin. Therefore, purchase it for yourself.” I then knew that this was the word of the Lord.
9 Therefore, I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out the money to him—seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, had it witnessed, and weighed the money on the scales. 11 Then I took the deed of purchase,[a] both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the unsealed one, 12 and handed them over to Baruch, the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase and of all the Judeans who then happened to be sitting in the courtyard of the guard.
13 In their presence I gave the following instructions to Baruch: 14 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take the documents of the deed of purchase, both the sealed and the unsealed copies, and place them in an earthenware jar so that they may be preserved for a long period of time. 15 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.
16 After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch, the son of Neriah, I offered this prayer to the Lord, 17 “Ah, Lord God, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and your outstretched arm. Nothing is impossible for you. 18 You show your steadfast love to thousands, but you permit children to be punished for the guilt of their parents, O great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts. 19 Great in counsel and mighty in deed, your eyes observe closely all the ways of men, rewarding each one according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.
20 “You performed marvelous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and you have continued to do so in Israel and among all mankind, gaining renown that continues to this very day. 21 With a mighty hand and outstretched arm you led your people out of Egypt amid signs and wonders and great terror.
22 “You gave them this land which you had promised with an oath to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 They entered and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or live in accordance with your law. And since they refused to do what you had commanded, you permitted all these disasters to befall them.
24 “Behold, the siege-works are already in position to force your people into submission, and the city, a victim of sword, famine, and pestilence, will be handed over to the Chaldeans who are attacking it. What you threatened has come to pass, as you yourself can see. 25 And yet, Lord God, you yourself told me, ‘Purchase the field with money and summon witnesses.’ However, the city has already succumbed to the power of the Chaldeans.”
26 Then this word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything impossible for me to accomplish? 28 Therefore, thus says the Lord: I intend to hand over this city to the Chaldeans and to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and he will take it. 29 While attacking this city, the Chaldeans will enter it, set it on fire, and burn it to the ground, along with the houses on whose roofs the people provoked me to anger by burning incense to Baal and by pouring out libations to other gods.
30 From their youth the people of Israel and the people of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight. Indeed the people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me with the works of their hands, says the Lord. 31 From the day this city was built until today, it has so aroused my anger and my wrath that I intend to remove it from my sight, 32 because of all the evil that the people of Israel and the people of Judah have perpetrated to provoke me. 33 They have turned their backs to me, not their faces, and although I continued to teach them, they would not listen or accept correction.
34 They defiled the house that bears my name by setting up within it their loathsome idols. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to immolate their sons and daughters to Molech. I gave them no command to do so, nor did the thought ever enter my mind that they would do such an abominable deed and thereby cause Judah to sin.
36 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, in regard to this city about which you say, “It has been handed over into the power of the king of Babylon by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence:” 37 Behold, I am determined to gather them together from all the lands to which I banished them in my furious anger and intense wrath. I will bring them back to this place and allow them to live there in peace. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will grant them unity of heart and unity of conduct so that they will fear me always, for their own good as well as for the good of their children after them.
40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them never to cease ensuring their welfare, and I will put the fear of me into their hearts so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will delight in doing good to them, and I will plant them firmly in this land with all my heart and soul.
42 For thus says the Lord: Just as I afflicted this people with such great calamity, so I will grant them all the good things I have promised them. 43 Once again fields will be purchased in this land about which you are saying, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been handed over to the Chaldeans.” 44 Fields will be purchased with money; deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the districts around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, of the hill country, of the foothills, and of the Negeb. For I will restore their fortunes, says the Lord.
Prologue—Psalms 1–2[a]
Psalm 1[b]
True Happiness
1 Blessed[c] is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand in the way of sinners,
nor sit in the company of scoffers.
2 Rather, his delight is in the law of the Lord,[d]
and on that law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted near streams of water,
which bears fruit in its season,
and whose leaves never wither.[e]
In the same way,
everything he does will prosper.
4 This is not true of the wicked,
for they are like chaff that the wind blows away.[f]
5 Therefore, the wicked will not stand firm at the judgment,[g]
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over[h] the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 2[i]
Universal Reign of the Messiah
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples devise futile plots?
2 The kings of the earth rise up,
and the princes conspire together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One:[j]
3 “Let us finally break their shackles
and cast away their chains from us.”
4 The one who is enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord mocks their plans.
5 Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 “I myself have anointed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”[k]
7 I will proclaim the decree[l] of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are my son;
this day I have begotten you.”
8 Simply make the request of me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
and the ends of the earth as your possession.[m]
9 You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will shatter them like a potter’s vessel.[n]
10 Therefore, O kings, pay heed;
take warning, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling 12 bow down in homage[o]
lest he become angry
and you perish from the way,
for his wrath can flare up in an instant.
Blessed are all those
who take refuge in him.
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