The Bible Reading Plan

Genesis Chapter 34

¹⁸Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.

¹⁹The young man didn't wait to do this thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father.

²⁰Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying, ²¹"These men are peaceful with us. Therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

²²Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised.

²³Won't their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let us give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us." ²⁴All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

²⁵It happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males.

²⁶They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away.

²⁷Jacob's sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.

²⁸They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field, ²⁹and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house.

³⁰Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house." ³¹They said, "Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?"

1 Samuel Chapter 9

¹Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.

²He had a son, whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a better person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

³The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, "Take now one of the servants with you, and arise, go seek the donkeys." ⁴He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn't find them: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they weren't there: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn't find them.

⁵When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, and let us return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys, and be anxious for us." ⁶He said to him, "See now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man who is held in honor. All that he says comes surely to pass. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go." ⁷Then Saul said to his servant, "But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?" ⁸The servant answered Saul again, and said, "Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way." ⁹(In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, "Come, and let us go to the seer;" for he who is now called a prophet was before called a Seer.) ¹⁰Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said. Come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.

¹¹As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?" ¹²They answered them, and said, "He is. Behold, he is before you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place.

¹³As soon as you have come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he blesses the sacrifice. Afterwards those who are invited eat. Now therefore go up; for at this time you shall find him." ¹⁴They went up to the city; [and] as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.

¹⁵Now ForeverOne had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came, saying, ¹⁶"Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked on my people, because their cry has come to me." ¹⁷When Samuel saw Saul, ForeverOne said to him, "Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people." ¹⁸Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is." ¹⁹Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. In the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart.

²⁰As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, don't set your mind on them; for they are found. For whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?" ²¹Saul answered, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me like this?" ²²Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest room, and made them sit in the best place among those who were invited, who were about thirty persons.

²³Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, 'Set it aside.'" ²⁴The cook took up the thigh, and that which was on it, and set it before Saul. Samuel said, "Behold, that which has been reserved! Set it before yourself and eat; because for the appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said, 'I have invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

2 Chronicles Chapter 6

²⁸"If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; ²⁹whatever prayer and supplication be made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall know every man his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house: ³⁰then hear from heaven, your dwelling place and forgive, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of the children of men;) ³¹that they may fear you, to walk in your ways, so long as they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.

³²"Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come from a far country for your great name's sake, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm; when they shall come and pray toward this house: ³³then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, and fear you, as does your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.

³⁴"If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name; ³⁵then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

³⁶"If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn't sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to a land far off or near; ³⁷yet if they shall repent themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;' ³⁸if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name: ³⁹then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, their prayer and their petitions, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

⁴⁰"Now, my God, let, I beg you, your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive, to the prayer that is made in this place.

⁴¹"Now therefore arise, ForeverOne God, into your resting place, you, and the ark of your strength: let your priests, ForeverOne God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in goodness.

⁴²"ForeverOne God, don't turn away the face of your anointed: remember [your] loving kindnesses to David your servant."

Mark Chapter 6

⁷He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

⁸He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, ⁹but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics.

¹⁰He said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there.

¹¹Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" ¹²They went out and preached that people should repent.

¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them.

¹⁴King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." ¹⁵But others said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets." ¹⁶But Herod, when he heard this, said, "This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead." ¹⁷For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her.

¹⁸For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn't, ²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

²¹Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

²²When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." ²³He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom." ²⁴She went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" She said, "The head of John the Baptizer." ²⁵She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter." ²⁶The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn't wish to refuse her.

²⁷Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.

²⁹When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.