M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Ark of the Covenant
37 Bezalel[a] made the ark[b] of acacia wood. It was forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold on the inside and the outside, and he made a gold border around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it and placed them next to its four feet—two rings on one side of it and two rings on the other side. 4 He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.
6 He made an atonement seat[c] of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 7 He made two cherubim of hammered gold for the two ends of the atonement seat, 8 one cherub for one end and one cherub for the other. The cherubim on its two ends formed one piece with the atonement seat.[d] 9 The cherubim spread their wings upward so that they covered the atonement seat with their wings, and they faced each other. The faces of the cherubim were looking inward toward the atonement seat.
The Table
10 He made a table of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold border around it.[e] 12 He made a three-inch rim around it. He made a gold border on its rim all the way around it. 13 He made four gold rings for it and put the rings at the four corners above the four legs of the table. 14 The rings were close to the border to hold the poles used to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, so that the table could be carried with them. 16 He made the vessels and the accessories for the table out of pure gold—its dishes,[f] its small bowls,[g] its larger bowls, and its pitchers[h] to pour out drink offerings.
The Lampstand
17 He made a lampstand[i] of pure gold. The lampstand was made of hammered metal. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were all formed as one piece with the lampstand. 18 There were six branches going out from its sides. Three branches of the lampstand went out from one side, and three branches of the lampstand went out from the other side. 19 Three cups like almond blossoms with buds and flowers were on the first branch, and three cups like almond blossoms with buds and flowers were on the branch opposite it. It was the same for all six branches that went out from the lampstand. 20 On the lampstand itself he made four cups like almond blossoms with buds and flowers. 21 The buds under one pair of branches formed one piece with the lampstand, and the buds under the second pair of branches formed one piece with the lampstand, and the buds under the third pair of branches formed one piece with the lampstand—the same for all six branches going out of the lampstand. 22 Its buds and branches were made as one piece with it. All of it was one hammered work of pure gold.
23 He made seven lamps for it. Its wick trimmers and its pans[j] were pure gold. 24 It was made with seventy-five pounds[k] of pure gold, along with all these accessories.
The Altar for Incense
25 He made the altar for incense. He made it of acacia wood. Its length was eighteen inches, and its width was eighteen inches. It was square, and its height was three feet. Its horns formed one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, all its sides, and its horns. He made a gold border[l] around it. 27 He made two gold rings to go under its border. He made them for two opposite sides. They were holders for poles with which to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29 He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of fragrant spices, the work of a perfume maker.
No Greater Love—in Joy
16 “I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who murders you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when their[a] time comes, you may remember that I told them to you. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
5 “But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Yet because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth: It is good for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into[b] all truth. For he will not speak on his own, but whatever he hears he will speak. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I said that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
16 “In a little while you are not going to see me anymore, and again in a little while you will see me, because I am going away to the Father.”[c]
17 Therefore some of his disciples asked one another, “What does he mean when he tells us, ‘In a little while you are not going to see me, and again in a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going away to the Father’?” 18 So they kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he’s saying.”
19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you trying to determine with one another what I meant by saying, ‘In a little while you are not going to see me, and again in a little while you will see me’? 20 Amen, Amen, I tell you: You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth has pain, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of her joy that a person has been born into the world.
22 “So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23 In that day you will not ask me anything. Amen, Amen, I tell you: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.
25 “I have told you these things using figurative language. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you using figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will make requests of the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am going to leave the world and go to the Father.”
29 “Yes!” his disciples said. “Now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative language. 30 Now we know that you know everything and do not need to have anyone ask you anything. For this reason we believe that you came from God.”
31 Jesus answered them, “Now do you believe? 32 Listen, a time is coming, in fact it is here, when you will be scattered, everyone to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not going to be alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have told you these things, so that you may have peace in me. In this world you are going to have trouble. But be courageous! I have overcome the world.”
Wise Ways to Live
13 A wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
but a scornful son does not listen to a reprimand.
2 From the fruit of his mouth a person eats well,
but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.
3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life.
Whoever opens his lips carelessly ruins himself.
4 The appetite of a lazy person craves things, but he gets nothing.
The appetite of hardworking people is fully satisfied.
5 A righteous person hates everything false,
but a wicked person causes disgrace and shame.
6 Righteousness guards a person who has integrity,
but wickedness perverts a sinner.
7 One person pretends to be rich but has nothing.
Another pretends to be poor but has great wealth.
8 A man’s riches may ransom his life,
but a poor man does not hear a threat.
9 The light of the righteous brings joy,
but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
10 Insolence produces only strife,
but wisdom resides with those who take advice.
11 Wealth gained out of thin air[a] shrinks,
but wealth accumulated by steady work grows.
12 Hope delayed makes a heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 The person who despises a word of instruction will pay the price,
but the person who respects a command will be rewarded.
14 The teaching of a wise person is a fountain of life.
It can turn someone away from the snares of death.
15 Good sense yields grace,
but the way of the treacherous is unchanging.[b]
16 Every sensible person acts with knowledge,
but a fool displays stupidity.
17 A wicked[c] messenger falls into trouble,
but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
18 A person who ignores discipline ends up with poverty and shame,
but one who conforms to correction will be honored.
19 A desire that is fulfilled tastes sweet to the soul,
but to fools it is disgusting[d] to turn from evil.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.
21 Trouble pursues sinners,
but goodness repays the righteous.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
23 The farmland of the poor may produce much food,
but it may be swept away by injustice.
24 A person who withholds his rod hates his son,
but one who loves him administers discipline promptly.
25 A righteous person eats until his appetite is satisfied,
but the stomach of the wicked is always empty.
Parents and Children
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,”[a] which is the first commandment with a promise: 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live a long life on the earth.”[b] 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5 Slaves, obey your human masters[c] with respect and reverence, and with a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ. 6 Do this not just when they are watching, as if merely to please people, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 Serve with eagerness, as for the Lord and not for people, 8 because you know that each person, whether slave or free, will receive back from the Lord whatever good he has done. 9 And masters, do the same for your slaves. Do not threaten them, because you know that the one who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and with him there is no favoritism.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the Devil. 12 For our[d] struggle is not against flesh and blood,[e] but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to take a stand on the evil day and, after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness fastened in place, 15 and with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace tied to your feet like sandals. 16 At all times hold up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. 17 Also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Prayer Requests
18 At every opportunity, pray in the Spirit with every kind of prayer and petition. Stay alert for the same reason, always persevering in your intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray for me also, that when I open my mouth a message will be given to me that boldly reveals the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may speak about it boldly, as it is necessary for me to speak.
Final Comments
21 Tychicus, our dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very reason, that you may know how we are, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace to the brothers,[f] and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who have an undying[g] love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.[h]
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.