M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Joshua’s Farewell Address
23 A long time after the Lord had given Israel rest from all the enemies around them, Joshua was old, getting on in years. 2 So Joshua summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers,(A) and said to them, “I am old, getting on in years, 3 and you have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the Lord your God who was fighting for you.(B) 4 See, I have allotted these remaining nations to you as an inheritance for your tribes, including all the nations I have destroyed, from the Jordan westward to the Mediterranean Sea. 5 The Lord your God will force them back on your account and drive them out before you so that you can take possession of their land,(C) as the Lord your God promised you.
6 “Be very strong(D) and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you do not turn from it to the right or left 7 and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them;(E) do not worship them or bow down to them. 8 Instead, remain faithful to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.(F)
9 “The Lord has driven out great and powerful nations before you,(G) and no one is able to stand against you to this day.(H) 10 One of you routed a thousand(I) because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as He promised.[a](J) 11 So be very diligent to love the Lord your God for your own well-being. 12 For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations remaining among you,(K) and if you intermarry or associate with them(L) and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you. They will become a snare and a trap for you,(M) a scourge for your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you disappear from this good land the Lord your God has given you.
14 “I am now going the way of all the earth,[b](N) and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the Lord your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.(O) 15 Since every good thing the Lord your God promised you has come about, so He will bring on you every bad thing until He has annihilated you from this good land the Lord your God has given you.(P) 16 If you break the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and go and worship other gods, and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly disappear from this good land He has given you.”
Healing of a Lame Man
3 Now Peter and John were going up together to the temple complex at the hour of prayer(A) at three in the afternoon.[a] 2 And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex.(B) 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help. 4 Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us.” 5 So he turned to them,[b] expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”(C) 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.(D) 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.(E)
Preaching in Solomon’s Colonnade
11 While he[c] was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, greatly amazed, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.(F) 12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers,(G) has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate,(H) when he had decided to release Him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One(I) and asked to have a murderer given to you.(J) 15 You killed the source[d] of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.(K) 16 By faith in His name, His name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Him has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.
17 “And now, brothers, I know that you did it in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.(L) 18 But what God predicted through the mouth of all the prophets—that His Messiah would suffer—He has fulfilled(M) in this way. 19 Therefore repent(N) and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,(O) that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,[e] 20 and that He may send Jesus, who has been appointed(P) for you as the Messiah. 21 Heaven must welcome[f] Him until the times of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about by the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning.(Q) 22 Moses said:[g]
The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He will say to you. 23 And everyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from the people.(R)[h]
24 “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also announced these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.(S)[i] 26 God raised up His Servant[j] and sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”(T)
Jeremiah’s Complaint
12 You will be righteous, Lord,(A)
even if I bring a case against You.
Yet, I wish to contend with You:(B)
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?(C)
Why do all the treacherous live at ease?
2 You planted them,(D) and they have taken root.
They have grown and produced fruit.
You are ever on their lips,[a]
but far from their conscience.[b](E)
3 As for You, Lord, You know me; You see me.(F)
You test whether my heart is with You.(G)
Drag the wicked away like sheep to slaughter(H)
and set them apart for the day of killing.
4 How long will the land mourn(I)
and the grass of every field wither?
Because of the evil of its residents,
animals and birds have been swept away,
for the people have said,
“He cannot see what our end will be.”[c](J)
The Lord’s Response
5 If you have raced with runners
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble[d] in a peaceful land,
what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?(K)
6 Even your brothers—your own father’s household—
even they were treacherous to you;(L)
even they have cried out loudly after you.(M)
Do not have confidence in them,
though they speak well of you.
7 I have abandoned My house;(N)
I have deserted My inheritance.
I have given the love of My life
into the hands of her enemies.
8 My inheritance has acted toward Me
like a lion in the forest.
She has roared against Me.
Therefore, I hate her.(O)
9 Is My inheritance like a hyena[e] to Me?
Are birds of prey circling her?
Go, gather all the wild animals;(P)
bring them to devour her.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard;
they have trampled My plot of land.(Q)
They have turned My desirable plot
into a desolate wasteland.
11 They have made it a desolation.
It mourns, desolate, before Me.
All the land is desolate,
but no one takes it to heart.(R)
12 Over all the barren heights in the wilderness
the destroyers have come,
for the Lord has a sword that devours
from one end of the earth to the other.
No one has peace.(S)
13 They have sown wheat but harvested thorns.(T)
They have exhausted themselves but have no profit.(U)
Be put to shame by your harvests
because of the Lord’s burning anger.(V)
14 This is what the Lord says: “Concerning all My evil neighbors who attack the inheritance that I bequeathed to My people, Israel, I am about to uproot them(W) from their land, and I will uproot the house of Judah from them. 15 After I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion(X) on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land. 16 If they will diligently learn the ways of My people(Y)—to swear by My name, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ just as they taught My people to swear by Baal—they will be built up among My people. 17 However, if they will not obey, then I will uproot and destroy that nation.”(Z)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
The Plot to Kill Jesus
26 When Jesus had finished saying all this,(A) He told His disciples, 2 “You know[a] that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”(B)
3 Then the chief priests[b] and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,(C) 4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill Him.(D) 5 “Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6 While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon,(E) a man who had a serious skin disease, 7 a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples(F) saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.(G) 12 By pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has prepared Me for burial. 13 I assure you: Wherever this gospel(H) is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14 Then(I) one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests(J) 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him.(K) 16 And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.
Betrayal at the Passover
17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread(L) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare the Passover so You may eat it?”
18 “Go into the city to a certain man,” He said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place[c] with My disciples.’”(M) 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20 When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, He said, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me.”(N)
22 Deeply distressed, each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23 He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl—he will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him,(O) but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”(P)
“You have said it,” He told him.
The First Lord’s Supper
26 As they were eating,(Q) Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples,(R) and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.”(S) 27 Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood that establishes the covenant;[d] it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.(T) 29 But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way[e] in My Father’s kingdom(U) with you.” 30 After singing psalms,[f] they went out to the Mount of Olives.(V)
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will run away[g] because of Me, for it is written:
32 But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”(X)
33 Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!”
34 “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!”(Y)
35 “Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.
The Prayer in the Garden
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,[i](Z) and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.(AA) 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow[j] —to the point of death.[k] Remain here and stay awake with Me.”(AB) 39 Going a little farther,[l] He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”(AC)
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you[m] stay awake with Me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this[n] cannot pass[o] unless I drink it, Your will be done.”(AD) 43 And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.[p]
44 After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[q] Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.(AE) 46 Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”
The Judas Kiss
47 While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived.(AF) A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!” 49 So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50 “Friend,”(AG) Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”[r]
Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. 51 At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.(AH)
52 Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword.(AI) 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions[s] of angels?(AJ) 54 How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled(AK) that say it must happen this way?”
55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal,[t] to capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me.(AL) 56 But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures[u](AM) would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples(AN) deserted Him and ran away.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
57 Those(AO) who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas(AP) the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. 58 Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard.[v] He went in and was sitting with the temple police[w] to see the outcome.[x](AQ)
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death.(AR) 60 But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses(AS) came forward.[y] Finally, two[z] who came forward 61 stated, “This man said, ‘I can demolish God’s sanctuary(AT) and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 The high priest then stood up and said to Him, “Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?” 63 But(AU) Jesus kept silent.(AV) Then the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath:(AW) tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God!”(AX)
64 “You have said it,”[aa] Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future[ab] you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”(AY)[ac]
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!(AZ) Why do we still need witnesses? Look, now you’ve heard the blasphemy!(BA) 66 What is your decision?”[ad]
They answered, “He deserves death!”(BB) 67 Then they spit in His face(BC) and beat Him; others slapped Him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?”(BD)
Peter Denies His Lord
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.(BE) A servant approached him and she said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”
70 But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!”(BF)
72 And again he denied it with an oath,(BG) “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them, since even your accent[ae] gives you away.”
74 Then he started to curse[af] and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”(BH) And he went outside and wept bitterly.
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