M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Eighth Plague: Locusts
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart unyielding, and his officials’ hearts too, so that I may perform these signs of mine in their midst, 2 and so that you may tell your children and your grandchildren how harshly I dealt with Egypt and about my signs which I did among them. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
3 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go so that they may serve me. 4 But if you refuse to let my people go, watch out, because tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 They will cover the surface of the ground so that no one will be able to see the ground. The locusts will eat what little you have left after the hail. They will also eat every tree that you have growing in the field. 6 Your houses, your officials’ houses, and every Egyptian’s house will be filled with them, something neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, from the day that they settled in this land up to this day.” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go so that they may serve the Lord, their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But who exactly would be going?”
9 Moses said, “We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters. We will go with our flocks and herds, for we are celebrating a festival to the Lord.”
10 But he said to them, “May the Lord be with you if I would ever let you and your families go! I see you are determined to do evil. 11 No! The men may go and serve the Lord, for that is what you have been asking for!” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12 So the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt so that locusts come up over the land and eat every plant in the land, everything left by the hail.”
13 Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow over the land all that day and all through the night. When morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts came up over the entire land of Egypt and settled down in the entire territory of Egypt. There had never been such a large number of locusts before, and there would never be again. 15 They covered the surface of the ground so completely that the land was dark. They ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees—everything left after the hail. Nothing green was left on the trees or on the plants in the field throughout the entire land of Egypt.
16 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now please forgive my sin once more, and plead to the Lord your God so that he may also remove this death from me.”
18 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 19 The Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. That wind lifted up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not one locust remained in the entire territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart hard, and he did not let the Israelites go.
The Ninth Plague: Darkness
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness that can be felt.” 22 Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in the entire land of Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days none of them moved from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.
24 Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord. Even your families may also go with you. But you must leave your flocks and herds behind.”
25 But Moses said, “You must also let us take sacrifices with us and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock must also go with us. Not a hoof is to be left behind, for we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God. We will not know, however, what we will need to serve the Lord until we get there.”
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die!”
29 Moses said, “Just as you have spoken: I will never see your face again.”
Repent
13 At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”
Parable of the Fig Tree
6 He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ 8 But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9 If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And a woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 He placed his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to glorify God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He said to the crowd in response, “There are six days to do work. So come to be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath day!”
15 The Lord answered him, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead it to water? 16 Here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years! Shouldn’t she be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame. But the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.
Mustard Seed and Yeast
18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what will I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
20 Again he said, “To what will I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast, which a woman took and mixed into a bushel[a] of flour until it was all leavened.”
The Narrow Door
22 He went on his way from one town and village to another, teaching, and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to him, “Lord, are only a few going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25 Once the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open for us!’ He will tell you in reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 And he will say, ‘I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown outside. 29 People will come from east and west, from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 And note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Jesus Warns Jerusalem
31 In that very hour, some Pharisees came to him and said, “Leave, and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I am going to drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it cannot be that a prophet would be killed outside Jerusalem!’
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you will say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[b]
A Poem About Wisdom[a]
28 Yes, there is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the ground,
and copper is smelted out of stone.
3 A miner puts an end to darkness by exploring its farthest limits.
He looks for ore in the gloom and in the deep darkness.[b]
4 He breaks open a mineshaft far from where settlers live,
in places no one has walked before.
Far away from other people, he dangles and sways.
5 The earth’s surface produces food,
but its depths are overturned as if by fire,
6 in places where the stones are sapphires[c]
and the dust is gold.
7 No scavenging bird knows the way there,
and the eyes of vultures[d] have not seen it.
8 The king of beasts has not set foot on it.
The lion has not prowled there.
9 The miner’s hand attacks the hard rock.
He overturns the roots of the mountain.
10 He cuts tunnels into the rocks,
and his eyes see every treasure.
11 He dams up even the trickling water from the rivers,
and he brings light to the earth’s hidden places.
12 But wisdom—where can it be found?
Where is the place for understanding?
13 Mankind does not know where it is kept.
It is not found in the land of the living.
14 The deep ocean says, “It is not in me!”
The sea says, “It is not with me!”
15 It cannot be purchased with the best gold,[e]
and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir[f]
or with precious onyx or sapphires.
17 Gold and crystal cannot be compared to it.
The finest gold jewelry cannot be substituted for it.
18 Coral and quartz are not worth mentioning,
and the value of wisdom is greater than a bag of rubies.
19 The chrysolite of Cush cannot be compared with it.
It cannot be purchased even with pure gold.
20 But what about wisdom—where does it come from?
And where is the place to find understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of all the living.
It is concealed from the birds of the sky.
22 Destruction and Death[g] say,
“With our ears we have heard only a rumor about it.”
23 God understands the way to it,
and he alone knows its place,
24 because he watches the ends of the earth,
and he sees everything under the heavens.
25 He determines the weight of the wind,
and he measures out the waters by volume.
26 He made a decree for the rain
and established a path for the roaring thunderstorm.
27 He saw wisdom and appraised its value.
He established it and also explored it.
28 Then he said to mankind:
Listen carefully. The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.
Using Spiritual Gifts in Love to Benefit the Church
14 Keep on pursuing love, and eagerly seek spiritual gifts, but especially prophecy. 2 For the person who speaks in a tongue[a] speaks to God, not to people. For no one understands him, but he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. 3 However, the person who prophesies speaks to people things that edify, encourage, and comfort. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but I would prefer that you prophesy. For the person who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.
6 Brothers,[b] if I come to you speaking in tongues, what good will I do you, unless I communicate to you a revelation, or some knowledge, or a prophecy, or some teaching? 7 Even lifeless instruments that produce sound, such as a flute or a harp, if they do not make the notes distinct from one another, how will anyone know what is being played on the flute or harp? 8 If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So also with you: Unless you use your tongue to produce intelligible speech, how will anyone know what is being spoken? To be sure, you will be speaking only into the air.
10 There are perhaps ever so many kinds of languages in the world, and not one of them is without meaning. 11 Accordingly, if I do not understand the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and he will be a foreigner to me. 12 So also with you: Since you are eager for spiritual gifts, seek to use them abundantly in a way that will build up the church.
13 That is why a person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding[c] is unfruitful. 15 So what is to be done? I will pray using my spirit, and I will pray also using my understanding. I will sing using my spirit, and I will sing also using my understanding. 16 Otherwise, how will an uninformed person[d] say the “Amen” after you give thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 To be sure, you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking, but be like babies in regard to evil, and be mature in your thinking. 21 It is written in the law, “By different tongues and by foreign lips I will speak to this people, and even so, they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”[e] 22 Therefore, tongues are a sign meant for unbelievers, not believers, whereas prophecy is for believers, not unbelievers. 23 So if the whole church comes together in the same place and all speak in tongues, and uninformed visitors or unbelievers come in, won’t they say that you are crazy? 24 But if all prophesy and some unbeliever or uninformed visitor comes in, he is reproved by all and judged by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are revealed, and under those circumstances he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring, “God really is among you!”
Specific Directions for Order in the Church
26 So, brothers, what is to be done? When you come together, each one of you[f] has a psalm, or a teaching, or a revelation, or an utterance in a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done in a way that builds people up. 27 If someone speaks in a tongue, limit it to two or at most three (speaking one at a time), and have one person interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in the church and keep his speaking between himself and God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others carefully evaluate what was said. 30 But if a revelation comes to another person as he sits there, let the first person become silent. 31 For you all can do your prophesying one at a time, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 The spirits of the prophets are also subject to the prophets, 33 for God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints,[g] 34 the[h] women are to keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Instead they are to be subordinate, as also the Law says. 35 If they desire to learn something, let them ask their own men[i] at home, because it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 Or are you the ones from whom the word of God has gone out? Or did it come to you alone?
37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual person, let him recognize that the things I write to you are the Lord’s commands.[j] 38 But if anyone disregards them, he should be disregarded.
39 So, brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But let all things be done decently and in good order.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.