M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
6 The Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Because of a mighty hand[a] he will send them away, and because of a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.”
God Promises Deliverance
2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name, the Lord, I was not known to them.[b] 4 I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they were residing as aliens. 5 I certainly have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians have enslaved, and I have remembered my covenant.
6 “Therefore, tell the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord. I will bring you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from being their slaves. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land which I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
9 Moses spoke these words to the Israelites, but they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and because of the hard labor. 10 The Lord spoke to Moses: 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the Israelites go from his land.”
12 But Moses said in the Lord’s presence, “Look, the Israelites have not listened to me. Why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am a poor speaker?”[c]
The Family Record of Moses and Aaron
13 The Lord again spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and about Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
14 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses:[d]
The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and
Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the founders of the clans
of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar,
and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the
founders of the clans of Simeon.
16 These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their family records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17 The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei. They were founders of clans.
18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.
These were the clans of the Levites according to their family records.
20 Amram[e] married Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she gave birth
to Aaron and Moses for him. Amram lived 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the
sister of Nahshon, and she gave birth to Nadab and Abihu,
Eleazar and Ithamar for him.
24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These
were the founders of the clans of the Korahites.
25 Eleazar, the son of Aaron, married one of the daughters of Putiel,
and she gave birth to Phinehas for him.
These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites that had become clans.
26 These were the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring out the Israelites from the land of Egypt according to their divisions.”[f] 27 These were the same ones who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, in order to bring the Israelites out from Egypt. These were that same Moses and Aaron.
28 On the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the Lord said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I tell you.”
30 But Moses said in the Lord’s presence, “You see, I am a poor speaker. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
9 Jesus called the Twelve[a] together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money; and do not take two coats.[b] 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave. 5 If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6 They set out and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.
Recalling the Death of John the Baptist
7 Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was quite puzzled because some said that John had risen from the dead. 8 Others said that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the ancient prophets had risen. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this, about whom I hear such great things?” So he wanted to see him.
Jesus Feeds More Than Five Thousand
10 The apostles returned and told Jesus what they had done. He took them and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. He also healed those who needed healing. 12 As the day began to draw to a close, the Twelve came and said to him, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms to find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place here.”
13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
“We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they replied, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (There were about five thousand men.)
He said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so and got them all to sit down. 16 Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke them. Then he kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve basketfuls of the broken pieces that were left over.
Jesus Is the Christ
18 One time when Jesus was praying alone and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 They answered, “‘John the Baptist,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others say, ‘one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’”
20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21 He gave them a strict command not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law. He must be killed and be raised on the third day.”
Take Up the Cross
23 Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 After all, what will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world, but destroys himself or is lost? 26 In fact, whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. 27 I am telling you the truth: There are some standing here who will certainly not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after he said these words, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 Just then, two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him! 31 They appeared in glory and were talking about his departure,[c] which he was going to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and those with him were weighed down with sleep, but when they were completely awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not realize what he was saying.
34 While he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them. They were afraid as they went into the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love.[d] Listen to him!” 36 After the voice had spoken, they found Jesus alone. They kept this secret and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy With a Demon
37 The next day, after they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 Just then a man from the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he is my only child. 39 See, a spirit takes hold of him, and suddenly he screams. Then it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him and constantly tortures him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 Jesus answered, “O unbelieving and perverse generation,[e] how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 As the boy was approaching, the demon threw him down and shook him with convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 They were all astonished at the majesty of God.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
While everyone was amazed at all the things Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears[f] and remember this: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what he was saying. It was hidden from them so they did not grasp it. And they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
Who Is the Greatest?
46 An argument started among them about which of them would be the greatest. 47 Since Jesus knew the thoughts of their hearts, he took a little child and had him stand next to him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. And whoever receives me receives him who sent me. In fact, the one who is least among all of you is the one who is great.”
Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us
49 John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he is not following you along with us.”
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not try to stop him, because whoever is not against you is for you.”
Jesus Is Determined to Go to Jerusalem
51 When the days were approaching for him to be taken up, Jesus was determined[g] to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They went and entered a Samaritan village to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”[h]
55 But he turned and rebuked them. “You don’t know what kind of spirit is influencing you. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s souls, but to save them.”[i] Then they went to another village.
Follow Jesus
57 As they went on the way, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me!”
But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Another man also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say good-bye to those at my home.”
62 Jesus told him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Round Three: Job’s First Speech
23 Then Job responded:
2 Even today my complaint is bitter.[a]
His[b] hand weighs heavily on me despite my groaning.[c]
3 I wish I knew where I could find him,
so that I could come to his place for judgment.
4 Then I would lay out my case before him,
and I would fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know what words he would use to respond to me,
and I would consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he use his great power to press charges against me?
No, he will certainly give me a hearing.
7 There, an upright man could argue with him,
and I would be delivered from my judge forever.
8 But if I walk to the east, he is not there.
If I go back to the west, I find no sign of him.
9 When he is at work in the north, I do not detect him.
When he turns to the south, I do not see him.
10 But I am sure he knows the way I take.
When he has tested me, I will come out like gold.
11 My feet have followed his footsteps closely.
I have kept to his way, and I have not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the command from his lips.
I have treasured the sayings from his mouth in my heart.[d]
13 He stands alone.
Who can make him change?
Whatever his soul desires, he will do.
14 He carries out his decrees against me,
and he has so many of them!
15 That is why I am in a panic in his presence.
When I think about this, I dread him.
16 God has made me lose heart.
The Almighty has terrified me.
17 Nevertheless, I am not silenced by the darkness,
by the dark cloud that covers my face.
A Lesson From Sacred History: Be Careful Not to Fall
10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them—and that rock was Christ! 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them. He had them die in the wilderness.
6 Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did. 7 Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.”[a] 8 And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9 Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 All[b] these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come.
12 So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. 13 No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it.
The Table of the Lord and the Table of Demons
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to you as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion[c] of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion[d] of the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
18 Consider the people of Israel.[e] Those who eat the sacrifices are partners of the altar, aren’t they? 19 So what am I saying? That food from idol sacrifices is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I do say this: What the Gentiles sacrifice, “they sacrifice to demons, and not to God,”[f] and I do not want you to become partners of demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22 Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is?
Live for the Good of Others and for the Glory of God
23 “Everything is permitted”[g]—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permitted”—but not everything builds up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of others. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without asking questions for the sake of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”[h] 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat whatever you are served without asking questions for the sake of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.[i] 29 I mean the other person’s conscience, not your own. For why is my freedom judged by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I eat the food with thankfulness, why am I criticized for something for which I give thanks?
31 So whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do everything to the glory of God. 32 Do not give offense to Jews, or Greeks, or God’s church, 33 just as I also try to please all people in all things, by not seeking what is best for me but for the many, so that they may be saved.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.