M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 25
Other Children of Abraham.[a] 1 Abraham took another wife named Keturah. 2 She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan was the father of the Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were the sons of Keturah.
5 Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac. 6 As for the sons of the concubines whom Abraham had, he gave them gifts and, while he was still alive, sent them far away from his son Isaac eastward, to live in the east country.
Death of Abraham.[b] 7 Abraham lived for one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age after a full life; and he was reunited with his ancestors. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, near Mamre. 10 This was the field that he had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried near his wife Sarah. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac lived near the Beer-lahai-roi.
12 Descendants and Death of Ishmael.[c] These are the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, whose mother was Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave.
13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in order of birth. The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth. He then had Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the Ishmaelites and these are their names by their towns and their camps. They were twelve princes, each a prince of his own tribe. 17 Ishmael lived for one hundred and seven years. He then died and was reunited with his ancestors. 18 They lived between Havilah and Shur (which lies on the side of the border of Egypt in the direction of Asshur), and each of them held his own[d] against all his kin.
Jacob, the Sinner Who Redeems Himself[e]
Isaac’s Two Sons.[f] These are the descendants of Isaac, the son of Abraham.Abraham was the father of Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, since she was barren. The Lord heard him, and thus his wife became pregnant. 22 The sons fought with each other in the womb, and she exclaimed, “If this is so, why go on living?” She went to consult the Lord. 23 The Lord answered her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples born of you shall be divided.
One shall be stronger than the other,
and the older shall serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 25 The firstborn was red and totally covered with hair. So he was named Esau. 26 Immediately afterward, his brother was born, holding on to the heel of Esau. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
27 The children grew up, and Esau became an expert hunter, a man who lived in the open country. Jacob, on the other hand, was a quiet man, who stayed among the tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau, for he enjoyed the taste of wild game, while Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day Jacob cooked a lentil stew. Esau came in from the countryside and he was exhausted. 30 He said to Jacob, “Let me eat a little of that red soup, for I am famished.” (This is why he was also called Edom.[g])
31 Jacob said, “First sell me your rights as firstborn.”
32 Esau answered, “I am about to die; what good will my rights as firstborn be?” 33 Jacob told him, “Swear it right now.” He swore an oath and sold his rights as firstborn to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil soup. He ate and drank. Then he got up and left. This is how Esau despised his birthright.
Instructions for the Coming of the Kingdom[a]
Chapter 24
The Time of the End[b]
Jesus Announces the Destruction of the Temple.[c] 1 As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to call his attention to the buildings of the temple. 2 He thereupon said to them, “Do you see all these? Amen, I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another; every one will be thrown down.”
The End Has Not Yet Come.[d] 3 As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached and spoke to him when they were alone. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Take care that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Do not be alarmed, for those things are bound to happen, but the end is still to come. 7 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are only the beginning of the labor pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be tortured and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 At that time, many will fall away from the faith; they will betray and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will appear and lead many astray, 12 and with the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But whoever endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the entire world as a testimony offered to all the nations. And then the end will come.
15 The Great Trial.[e]“Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, about which the prophet Daniel spoke, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, 17 the one who is standing on the roof must not come down to collect what is in his house, 18 and someone who is in the field must not turn back to retrieve his coat.
19 “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that you will not have to take flight in the winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great suffering that has not been equaled since the beginning of the world until now, and will never again be duplicated. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened.
23 False Messiahs and False Prophets.“Therefore, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform great signs and wonders that are impressive enough to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
25 “Remember, I have forewarned you about this. 26 So if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there. If they say, ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even in the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.[f]
29 The Coming of the Son of Man.[g]“Immediately after the distress of those days,
‘the sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give forth its light;
the stars will fall from the sky
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send forth his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Be Vigilant in Expectation of the End[h]
32 The Parable of the Fig Tree.[i]“Learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things take place, know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 The Day and Hour Unknown.[j]“As for the exact day and hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. 39 They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and swept them all away.
“That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other will be left. 42 Therefore, keep watch, for you do not know the day when your Lord is coming.
43 The Parable of the Owner of the House.[k]“But keep this in mind: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore, you must also be prepared, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 The Parable of the Faithful Servant.[l]“Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give its members their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant if his master finds him doing so when he returns home. 47 Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
48 “But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is detained,’ 49 and he proceeds to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will return on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. 51 He will punish him and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Esther Chosen as Queen
Chapter 1
A Great Banquet.[a] 1 This took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the king who ruled over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.[b] 2 At that time, King Ahasuerus was reigning from the royal throne of the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign, he threw a great banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military commanders of Persia and Media were present, and so were the princes and the nobles of the provinces.
4 For a full one hundred and eighty days the king showcased the wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, he threw a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of his palace, for all the people, from the least to the greatest, who lived in the citadel of Susa.
6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were on the pavement, which was of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in golden goblets, each different from one another, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s beneficence. 8 By the order of the king, there were no limits on the drinks. For he instructed all the wine stewards to give everyone whatever was requested.
Queen Vashti Deposed. 9 Meanwhile, in the king’s royal palace, Queen Vashti[c] was giving a banquet for the women.
10 On the seventh day, when King Ahasuerus was merry with wine, he summoned the seven eunuchs who were his personal servants—Mehuman, Biztha, Har-bona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas. 11 He ordered them to bring the queen into his presence, wearing the royal crown, so he could show her off to the officials and all his guests, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the official command issued through the eunuchs. This embarrassed the king and made him furious.
13 Since it was his custom to consult experts in matters of law and justice, the king consulted with the wise men who understood the laws. 14 He summoned Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven Persian and Median officials who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
15 The king asked, “What does the law say must be done about Queen Vashti, who disobeyed the command of King Ahasuerus issued through the eunuchs?”
16 It was Memucan, then, who replied in the presence of the king and the nobles: “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the nobles and peoples throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For this behavior of the queen will become known to all the women, and they will disrespect their husbands and say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded that Queen Vashti enter his presence, but she refused to come.’ 18 So this very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have learned about the queen’s behavior will react against the king’s nobles in like manner, resulting in no end of rancor and discord.
19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree inscribed in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed,[d] to the effect that Vashti is nevermore to enter the presence of King Ahasuerus and that her position be given to someone more worthy than she is. 20 Then when the edict is published throughout his vast domain, all the women will respect their husbands, from the greatest to the least.”
21 The king and his nobles found this advice very acceptable, so the king acted upon Memucan’s words. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom—to every province in its own script and to each people in its own language—proclaiming in each people’s tongue that every man should be the master of his own house.[e]
Chapter 24
Paul’s Second Trial—before Felix.[a] 1 Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and an advocate named Tertullus, and they presented charges against Paul to the governor. 2 Then Paul was summoned, and Tertullus began the prosecution.
He said, “Because of you we have enjoyed an unbroken period of peace, and reforms have been made in this nation as a result of your caring concern. 3 We acknowledge this everywhere and in every way with the utmost gratitude, most noble Felix.
4 “But in order not to detain you needlessly, I beg you to be kind enough to listen to a brief statement. 5 We have found this man to be a troublemaker. He is a fomenter of dissension among Jews all over the world and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 When he even tried to profane the temple, we placed him under arrest. [ 7 We would have judged him according to our own Law, but the commander Lysias came and forcibly removed him out of our hands, ordering his accusers to appear before you.][b] 8 If you examine him yourself, you will be able to ascertain the validity of all the charges we bring against him.” 9 The Jews supported the charge, asserting that these things were true.
10 Then the governor motioned to Paul to speak, and he replied, “I know that you have administered justice to this nation for many years, and therefore I feel confident in presenting my defense. 11 As you can verify for yourself, no more than twelve days have elapsed since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. 12 They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city. 13 Nor can they offer you any proof concerning their charges against me.
14 “But this much I will admit to you: it is as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect, that I worship the God of my ancestors, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law or is written in the Prophets. 15 I hold the same hope in God as they do that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked alike. 16 Accordingly, I strive at all times to have a clear conscience before God and man.
17 “After several years, I came to bring charitable gifts to my people and to offer sacrifices. 18 They found me in the temple after I had completed the rite of purification. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.
“However, some Jews from the province of Asia were there, 19 and they are the ones who should have appeared before you to give such evidence if they had any charge against me. 20 At the very least, those who are present here should state what crime they discovered when I was brought before the Sanhedrin, 21 unless it has to do with this one declaration I made when I stood up among them, ‘I am on trial on account of the resurrection of the dead.’ ”
22 In the Procurator’s Hall.[c] Then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I shall issue a ruling on this case.” 23 He also ordered the centurion to keep Paul in custody, but allow him some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from caring for his needs.
24 Several days later, Felix came with his wife Drusilla,[d] who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 But as Paul discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and exclaimed, “Go away for the present. When I have an opportunity, I will send for you.” 26 At the same time, he hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe. Therefore he used to send for him quite often and converse with him.
27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,[e] and since he wanted to ingratiate himself with the Jews, Felix left Paul in custody.
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.