M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Judah and Tamar
38 At that time Judah left his brothers and settled near an Adullamite(A) named Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he took her as a wife and slept with her. 3 She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er.(B) 4 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that[a][b] she gave birth to him.
6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord put him to death.(C) 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law(D) and produce offspring for your brother.”(E) 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so He put him to death also.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.”(F) For he thought, “He might die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.
12 After a long time[c] Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah(G) to the sheepshearers. 13 Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s clothes, veiled her face,(H) covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim,[d] which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16 He went over to her and said, “Come, let me sleep with you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.(I)
She said, “What will you give me for sleeping with me?”
17 “I will send you a young goat from my flock,” he replied.
But she said, “Only if you leave something with me until you send it.”
18 “What should I give you?” he asked.
She answered, “Your signet ring, your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she got pregnant by him. 19 She got up and left, then removed her veil and put her widow’s clothes back on.
20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get back the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her. 21 He asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?”
“There has been no cult prostitute here,” they answered.
22 So the Adullamite returned to Judah, saying, “I couldn’t find her, and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’”
23 Judah replied, “Let her keep the items for herself; otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”
24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant.”
“Bring her out!” Judah said. “Let her be burned to death!”(J)
25 As she was being brought out, she sent her father-in-law this message: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Examine them. Whose signet ring, cord, and staff are these?”
26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more in the right[e] than I,(K) since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her intimately again.
27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread around it, announcing, “This one came out first.” 29 But then he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out. Then she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.[f](L) 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread tied to his hand, came out, and was named Zerah.[g]
Feeding 4,000
8 In(A) those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He summoned(B) the disciples(C) and said to them, 2 “I have compassion(D) on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry,[a] they will collapse on the way,(E) and some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples answered Him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to fill(F) these people?”
5 “How many loaves do you have?” He asked them.
“Seven,” they said. 6 Then He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke(G) the loaves, and kept on giving them to His disciples to set before the people. So they served the loaves to the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish, and when He had blessed them, He said these were to be served as well. 8 They ate and were filled. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. 9 About 4,000 men were there. He dismissed them 10 and immediately got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.[b]
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
11 The(H) Pharisees(I) came out and began to argue with Him, demanding of Him a sign(J) from heaven(K) to test(L) Him. 12 But sighing deeply in His spirit,(M) He said, “Why does this generation(N) demand a sign? I assure you:(O) No sign will be given to this generation!” 13 Then He left them, got on board the boat again, and went to the other side.
14 They had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then(P) He commanded them: “Watch out! Beware of the yeast(Q) of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”(R)
16 They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. 17 Aware of this, He said to them, “Why are you discussing that you do not have any bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened?(S) 18 Do you have eyes, and not see, and do you have ears, and not hear?(T)[c] And do you not remember?(U) 19 When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of pieces of bread did you collect?”
“Twelve,” they told Him.
20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many large baskets full of pieces of bread did you collect?”
“Seven,” they said.
21 And He said to them, “Don’t you understand yet?”(V)
Healing a Blind Man
22 Then they came to Bethsaida.(W) They brought a blind(X) man to Him and begged Him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting(Y) on his eyes and laying His hands on(Z) him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people—they look to me like trees walking.”(AA)
25 Again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and he saw distinctly. He was cured and could see everything clearly. 26 Then He sent(AB) him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”[d](AC)
Peter’s Confession of the Messiah
27 Jesus(AD) went out with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 They answered Him, “John the Baptist;(AE) others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”(AF)
29 “But you,” He asked them again, “who do you say that I am?”
Peter(AG) answered Him, “You are the Messiah!”(AH)
30 And He strictly warned(AI) them to tell no one about Him.
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
31 Then(AJ) He began to teach them that the Son of Man(AK) must suffer many things and be rejected(AL) by the elders,(AM) the chief priests, and the scribes,(AN) be killed, and rise(AO) after three days.(AP) 32 He was openly talking about this. So Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan,(AQ) because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns,[e] but man’s!”
Take Up Your Cross
34 Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself,(AR) take up his cross,(AS) and follow Me.(AT) 35 For whoever wants to save(AU) his life will lose it,(AV) but whoever loses(AW) his life(AX) because of Me(AY) and the gospel(AZ) will save it.(BA) 36 For what does it benefit(BB) a man to gain(BC) the whole world(BD) yet lose(BE) his life?(BF) 37 What can a man give in exchange for his life?(BG) 38 For whoever is ashamed(BH) of Me and of My words(BI) in this adulterous and sinful(BJ) generation,(BK) the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory(BL) of His Father(BM) with the holy(BN) angels.”(BO)
First Series of Speeches
Eliphaz Speaks
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 Should anyone try to speak with you
when you are exhausted?
Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Indeed, you have instructed many
and have strengthened(A) weak hands.
4 Your words have steadied the one who was stumbling
and braced the knees that were buckling.(B)
5 But now that this has happened to you,
you have become exhausted.
It strikes(C) you, and you are dismayed.
6 Isn’t your piety your confidence,
and the integrity of your life[a] your hope?(D)
7 Consider: who has perished when he was innocent?
Where have the honest been destroyed?(E)
8 In my experience, those who plow injustice
and those who sow trouble(F) reap the same.(G)
9 They perish at a single blast(H) from God
and come to an end by the breath of His nostrils.(I)
10 The lion may roar and the fierce lion(J) growl,
but the fangs of young lions are broken.(K)
11 The strong lion dies if it catches no prey,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.(L)
12 A word was brought to me in secret;
my ears caught a whisper of it.(M)
13 Among unsettling thoughts from visions in the night,(N)
when deep sleep(O) descends on men,
14 fear and trembling came over me(P)
and made all my bones shake.
15 A wind[b] passed by me,
and I shuddered with fear.[c]
16 A figure stood there,
but I could not recognize its appearance;
a form loomed before my eyes.
I heard a quiet voice:
17 “Can a person be more righteous than God,
or a man more pure than his Maker?”(Q)
18 If God puts no trust in His servants
and He charges His angels with foolishness,[d](R)
19 how much more those who dwell in clay houses,(S)
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like a moth!
20 They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk;
they perish forever while no one notices.(T)
21 Are their tent cords not pulled up?
They die without wisdom.(U)
The Life-Giving Spirit
8 Therefore, no condemnation(A) now exists for those in(B) Christ Jesus,[a](C) 2 because the Spirit’s law of life(D) in Christ Jesus has set you[b] free from the law of sin and of death.(E) 3 What the law could not do(F) since it was limited[c] by the flesh,(G) God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours(H) under sin’s domain,[d] and as a sin offering,(I) 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished(J) in us who do not walk according to the flesh(K) but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live[e] according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh,(L) but those who live[f] according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind-set of the flesh(M) is death,(N) but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile(O) to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh(P) cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since[g] the Spirit of God lives in you.(Q) But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,(R) he does not belong to Him. 10 Now if Christ is in you,(S) the body is dead[h] because of sin, but the Spirit[i] is life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead(T) lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through[j] His Spirit who lives in you.
The Holy Spirit’s Ministries
12 So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,(U) you will live. 14 All those led by God’s Spirit(V) are God’s sons.(W) 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,(X) but you received the Spirit of adoption,(Y) by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”(Z) 16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit(AA) that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs(AB)—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that[k] we suffer with Him(AC) so that we may also be glorified with Him.
From Groans to Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing(AD) with the glory(AE) that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation(AF) for God’s sons(AG) to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected(AH) to futility(AI)—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it(AJ)—in the hope 21 that the creation itself(AK) will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains(AL) until now. 23 And not only that,(AM) but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits(AN)—we also groan within ourselves,(AO) eagerly waiting for adoption,(AP) the redemption of our bodies.(AQ) 24 Now in this hope(AR) we were saved, yet hope(AS) that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see,(AT) we eagerly wait for it with patience.
26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should,(AU) but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us[l](AV) with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts(AW) knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together[m] for the good[n] of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.(AX) 29 For those He foreknew He also predestined(AY) to be conformed to the image of His Son,(AZ) so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.(BA) 30 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified;(BB) and those He justified, He also glorified.(BC)
The Believer’s Triumph
31 What then are we to say about these things?(BD)
If God is for us, who is against us?(BE)
32 He did not even spare His own Son(BF)
but offered Him up for us all;(BG)
how will He not also with Him grant us everything?
33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?(BH)
God is the One who justifies.(BI)
34 Who is the one who condemns?(BJ)
Christ Jesus is the One who died,(BK)
but even more, has been raised;(BL)
He also is at the right hand of God(BM)
and intercedes for us.(BN)
35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Can affliction(BO) or anguish or persecution(BP)
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written:
Because of You
we are being put to death all day long;(BQ)
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.(BR)[o]
37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious(BS)
through Him who loved us.(BT)
38 For I am persuaded that not even death or life,(BU)
angels or rulers,(BV)
things present or things to come,(BW) hostile powers,
39 height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God(BX) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!(BY)
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