M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Altar for Burning Incense
30 “Make an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 Make it square—·eighteen inches [L a cubit] long and ·eighteen inches [L a cubit] wide—and make it ·thirty-six inches [L two cubits] high. The ·corners that stick out like horns [L horns; 27:2] must be one piece with the altar. 3 ·Cover [L Overlay] its top, its sides, and its ·corners [L horns] with pure gold, and put a gold ·strip [molding] all around the altar. 4 Make two gold rings beneath the gold ·strip [molding] on opposite sides of the altar, and slide poles through them to carry the altar. 5 Make the poles from acacia wood and ·cover [overlay] them with gold. 6 Put the altar of incense in front of the curtain that is ·near [or above] the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony; 25:10], in front of the ·lid that covers that Ark [mercy seat; atonement cover; 25:17–22]. There I will meet with you.
7 “Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar every morning when he comes to ·take care of [trim; dress; put in good order] the oil lamps. 8 He must burn incense again ·in the evening [at twilight] when he lights the lamps, so incense will burn before the Lord ·every day [regularly; continually] ·from now on [L throughout your generations]. 9 Do not use this altar for offering ·any other [L strange; profane] incense [Lev. 10:1–7], or burnt offering [Lev. 1], or any kind of ·grain [or gift; tribute] offering [Lev. 3], or drink offering. 10 Once a year Aaron must make ·the altar ready for service to God by putting blood on its corners [atonement on its corners/horns]—the blood of the animal ·offered to remove sins [as an atoning sin offering]. He is to do this once a year ·from now on [L throughout your generations]. ·This altar belongs completely to the Lord’s service [L It is most holy/T the holy of holies to the Lord].”
The Tax for the Meeting Tent
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you ·count [register] the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel, every person must ·buy back [ransom; atone for] his life from the Lord so that no ·terrible things [disaster; plague] will happen to the people when you ·number [register] them. 13 Every person who is ·counted [registered] must pay ·one-fifth of an ounce of silver [L half a shekel]. (·This is set by using one-half of the Holy Place measure, which weighs two-fifths of an ounce [L …according to the shekel of the Holy Place which is twenty gerahs].) This amount is a ·gift [contribution] to the Lord. 14 Every person who is ·counted [registered] and is twenty years old or older must give this ·amount [gift; contribution] to the Lord. 15 A rich person must not give more than ·one-fifth of an ounce [L a half shekel], and a poor person must not give less. You are ·paying this to the Lord to buy back your lives [giving a gift/contribution to the Lord as a ransom/atonement for your life]. 16 ·Gather [Take] from the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel this ·money [silver] paid to ·buy back their lives [L atone; ransom], and ·spend [give] it on things for the ·service [work] in the Meeting Tent. This payment will remind the Lord that the ·Israelites’ [L sons/T children of Israel’s] lives have been ·bought back [ransomed; atoned].”
The Bronze Bowl
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze bowl, on a bronze stand, for washing. Put the bowl and stand between the Meeting Tent and the altar, and put water ·in the bowl [L there]. 19 Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with the water from this bowl. 20 Each time they enter the Meeting Tent they must wash with water so they will not die. Whenever they approach the altar to ·serve as priests [minister] and offer a sacrifice to the Lord by fire, 21 they must wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is a ·rule [statute; ordinance; requirement] for Aaron and his ·descendants [L seed] ·from now on [L throughout their generations].”
Oil for Appointing
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: ·twelve pounds [L five hundred (shekels)] of liquid myrrh, half that amount (that is, ·six pounds [L two hundred and fifty]) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, ·six pounds [L two hundred and fifty] of sweet-smelling cane, 24 and ·twelve pounds [L five hundred] of cassia. Weigh all these by the Holy Place ·measure [L shekel]. Also take ·four quarts [L a hin] of olive oil, 25 and ·mix [blend; L make] all these things like a perfume to make a holy olive oil. ·This special oil must be put on people and things to make them ready for service to God [L It is a holy anointing oil]. 26 ·Put this oil on [L Anoint] the Meeting Tent and the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony], 27 on the table and all its dishes, on the lampstand [25:31–40] and all its tools, and on the incense altar [30:1–6]. 28 Also, ·put the oil on [anoint] the altar for burnt offerings [27:1–8] and on all its tools, as well as on the bowl [30:17–21] and the stand under the bowl. 29 You will ·prepare all these things for service to God [consecrate/sanctify them], and they will be very holy. Anything that touches these things must be holy.
30 “·Put the oil on [Anoint] Aaron and his sons to ·give them for service to me [consecrate; sanctify them], that they may serve me as priests. 31 Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], ‘This is to be my holy olive oil ·from now on [L throughout your generations]. It is ·to be put on people and things to make them ready for service to God [L for anointing]. 32 Do not pour it on the bodies of ordinary people, and do not make perfume the same way you make this oil. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. 33 If anyone makes perfume like it or puts it on someone who is ·not a priest [not qualified; L strange], that person must be cut off from his people.’”
Incense
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take these sweet-smelling spices: resin, onycha, galbanum [C some identifications are uncertain], and pure frankincense. Be sure that you have equal amounts of each. 35 Make incense as a person who makes perfume would do. Add salt to it to keep it pure and holy. 36 Beat some of the incense into a fine powder, and put it in front of the ·Ark of the Agreement [Covenant; Testimony; Treaty] in the Meeting Tent, where I will meet with you. ·You must use this incense powder only for its very special purpose [L It will be most holy to you]. 37 Do not make incense for yourselves the same way you make this incense. Treat it as holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like this to use as perfume must be cut off from his people.”
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As Jesus ·was walking along [passed by; went along], he saw a man who had been born blind. 2 His ·followers [disciples] asked him, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents’ sin?” [C The disciples, like the friends of Job, viewed suffering as the result of a person’s own sins.]
3 Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s ·power [L works] could be ·shown [displayed; revealed; manifest] in him. 4 While it is daytime, we must continue doing the work of the One who sent me. Night is coming [C Jesus’ death], when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world [see 8:12].”
6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and made some mud with ·it [L the saliva] and ·put [spread; anointed] the mud on the man’s eyes [C the significance of the mud made with spit is unclear]. 7 Then he told the man, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” (Siloam [C from a Hebrew word] means Sent.) So the man went, washed, and came back seeing.
8 The neighbors and some people who had earlier seen this man begging said, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”
9 Some said, “He is the one,” but others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
The man himself said, “I am the man.”
10 [L Therefore] They asked him, “How [L then] ·did you get your sight [L were your eyes opened]?”
11 He answered, “The man named Jesus made some mud and ·put [spread; anointed] it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 They asked him, “Where is this man?”
“I don’t know,” he answered.
Pharisees Question the Healing
13 Then the people took to the Pharisees [C a religious party which strictly observed OT laws and later customs] the man who had been blind. 14 The day Jesus had made mud and healed his eyes was a Sabbath day [C on which no work was allowed]. 15 So now the Pharisees asked the man, “How did you get your sight?”
He answered, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and now I see.”
16 So some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man does not keep the Sabbath day [C according to rabbinic tradition neither kneading nor healing were permitted on the Sabbath], so he is not from God.”
But others said, “·A man who is a sinner can’t [L How can a man who is a sinner…?] do ·miracles [L signs] like these.” So ·they could not agree with each other [L there was a division among them].
17 [L Therefore; So; Then] They asked the man again, “What do you say about him, since it was your eyes he opened?”
The man answered, “He is a prophet.”
18 ·These leaders [L The Jews; C the Pharisees] did not believe that he had been blind and could now see again. So they sent for the ·man’s parents [L parents of the man who could now see] 19 and asked them, “Is this your son who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”
20 [L Therefore; So] His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But we don’t know how he can now see. We don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself [C of legal age to give testimony].” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the ·elders [Jewish leaders; L Jews], who had already decided that anyone who ·said [confessed; acknowledged] Jesus was the ·Christ [Messiah] would be ·avoided [L put out of the synagogue; C an act of expulsion or excommunication]. 23 That is why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
24 So for the second time, they called the man who had been blind. They said, “·You should give God the glory by telling the truth [L Give God the glory; C see Josh. 7:19 where this phrase is a command to tell the truth]. We know that this man is a sinner.”
25 [L So; Then] He answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.”
26 [L So; Then] They asked, “What did he do to you? How did he ·make you see again [L open your eyes]?”
27 He answered them, “I already told you, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his ·followers [disciples] too?”
28 Then they ·insulted [ridiculed; reviled] him and said, “You are his ·follower [disciple], but we are ·followers [disciples] of Moses. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses [Ex. 33:11; Num. 12:8; Deut. 34:10], but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
30 The man answered, “This is a very ·strange [astonishing; marvelous] thing. You don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to anyone who ·worships [is devout; is godfearing] and ·obeys him [L does his will]. 32 Nobody has ·ever [or since the beginning of the world; L from the age/eternity] heard of anyone giving sight to a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 They answered, “You were born ·full of sin [or in utter sinfulness]! Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out [C of the synagogue; an act of excommunication].
Spiritual Blindness
35 When Jesus heard that they had ·thrown [cast; driven] him out [C of the synagogue], Jesus found him and said, “Do you ·believe [trust] in the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14]?”
36 He asked, “Who is ·the Son of Man [L he], sir, so that I can ·believe [trust] in him?”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him. ·The Son of Man [L He] is the one talking with you.”
38 He said, “·Lord [C the same word is rendered “sir” in v. 36, but here may have a more solemn sense], I ·believe [trust]!” Then the man ·worshiped [prostrated himself before] Jesus.
39 Jesus said, “I came into this world ·so that the world could be judged [L for judgment]. I came so that the blind would see and so that those who see will become blind.” [C Those who acknowledge they are spiritually blind will see the truth; and those who think they see spiritually (the Jewish religious leaders) are actually blind; Is. 6:10; 42:19.]
40 Some of the Pharisees who were nearby heard Jesus say this and asked, “Are you saying we are blind, too?”
41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you keep saying you see, your ·guilt [or sin] remains.”
Dangers of Being Foolish
6 My ·child [L son], ·be careful about giving [L if you make] a guarantee for ·somebody else’s loan [L your neighbor/friend],
·about promising to pay what someone else owes [L shaking hands with a stranger in agreement; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26; 27:13].
2 You ·might [or will] get trapped by what you say;
you ·might [or will] be caught by ·your own words [or what you say].
3 My ·child [L son], if you have done this and are under your ·neighbor’s [or friend’s] control,
here is how to ·get free [extricate yourself].
·Don’t be proud [L Humble yourself]. Go to your ·neighbor [or friend]
and ·beg to be free from your promise [L press/urge your neighbor/friend].
4 Don’t ·go to [L let your eyes] sleep
or ·even rest your eyes [L let your eyelids/pupils slumber],
5 but ·free [extricate] yourself like a ·deer [gazelle] running from ·a hunter [L his hand],
like a bird flying away from a ·trapper [fowler].
6 Go watch the ants, you lazy person.
Watch ·what they do [L its paths] and ·be [or become] wise.
7 Ants have no commander,
no leader or ruler,
8 but they ·store up [get their] food in the summer
and gather their ·supplies [provisions] at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you lazy person?
When will you get up from sleeping?
10 ·You sleep a little; you take a nap [L “A little sleep, a little slumber”].
·You fold your hands and [L “A little folding of the arms to…”] lie down to rest.
11 So ·you will be as poor as if you had been robbed [L poverty will come on you like a robber];
·you will have as little as if you had been held up [L deprivation like a shielded warrior].
12 Some people are ·wicked and no good [worthless and guilty].
They go around ·telling lies [L with crooked mouths],
13 winking with their eyes, ·tapping with [or scraping] their feet,
and ·making signs [pointing; gesturing] with their fingers [C a reference to secretive plans or even magic].
14 They ·make evil plans in their hearts [L are perverse in their hearts and determined to do evil]
and are always starting ·arguments [conflicts].
15 So ·trouble [disaster] will strike them in an instant;
suddenly they will be so ·hurt [L broken] no one can ·help [L heal] them.
16 There are six things the Lord hates.
There are seven things ·he cannot stand [L that are an abomination to his soul]:
17 ·a proud look [haughty eyes],
a lying tongue,
hands that ·kill [L spill the blood of] innocent people,
18 a ·mind [heart] that thinks up evil plans,
feet that are quick to ·do [L run to] evil,
19 a witness who lies,
and someone who starts ·arguments [conflicts; fights] among·families [brothers; Ps. 133].
Warning About Adultery
20 My son, ·keep [protect] your father’s commands,
and don’t ·forget [L abandon; forsake] your mother’s ·teaching [instruction].
21 ·Keep their words in mind [L Bind them to your heart] forever
·as though you had them tied [fasten them] around your neck.
22 They will ·guide [lead] you when you walk.
They will ·guard [protect] you when you sleep.
They will ·speak to you [or occupy your attention] when you are awake.
23 These commands are like a lamp;
this ·teaching [instruction] is like a light [C making things clear].
And ·the correction that comes from them [L disciplined correction]
·will help you have [L is the path of] life.
24 They will ·keep [guard] you from ·sinful women [the evil woman]
and from the ·pleasing words [L flattering tongue] of ·another man’s unfaithful wife [L the foreign woman].
25 Don’t desire her because she is beautiful.
Don’t let her capture you by ·the way she looks at you [L her eyelashes].
26 A prostitute will ·treat you like [or cost you] a loaf of bread,
·and [or but] a ·woman who takes part in adultery [married woman] ·may cost you [L hunts; stalks] your life.
27 You cannot ·carry [or scoop] hot coals ·against your chest [or into your lap]
without burning your clothes,
28 and you cannot walk on hot coals
without burning your feet.
29 The same is true if you ·have sexual relations with [L go to] ·another man’s wife [L the wife of a neighbor/friend].
·Anyone who does so will be punished [L All who touch her will not go unpunished].
30 People don’t ·hate [despise] a thief
when he steals because he is hungry.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back ·seven times what he stole [L sevenfold],
and ·it may cost him everything he owns [L he must give the riches of his house].
32 A man who takes part in adultery ·has no sense [L lacks heart];
he will destroy himself.
33 He will ·be beaten up and disgraced [L find affliction and scorn],
and his ·shame [reproach] will never ·go away [L be blotted out].
34 Jealousy makes a husband very angry,
and he will ·have no pity [not forgive] when he gets revenge.
35 He will accept no payment for the wrong;
he will ·take no amount of money [not take a bribe no matter how large].
Keep Your Freedom
5 Christ set us free ·so that we could live in freedom [to a place of freedom; or by means of freedom; 4:31]. So stand strong. Do not ·change and go back into the slavery of the law [L submit/be fastened to a yoke of slavery]. 2 Listen, I Paul tell you that if you ·go back to the law by being [L let yourself be] circumcised, Christ does you no good. 3 Again, I warn every man: If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, you ·must follow [are obligated to obey] all the law. 4 If you try to be ·made right with God [justified] through the law, ·your life with Christ is over [L you are alienated/separated/severed from Christ]—you have ·left [fallen away from] God’s grace. 5 For by the Spirit and through faith we wait eagerly for ·a right relationship with God [L righteousness]—the object of our hope. 6 ·When we are [L For] in Christ Jesus, ·it is not important if we are circumcised or not [L neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything]. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.
7 You were running a good race. Who ·stopped [hindered] you from ·following [or obeying; or your conviction about] the ·true way [truth]? 8 This ·change [persuasion; enticement] did not come from the One who ·chose [called] you. 9 Be careful! “Just a little ·yeast [leaven; 1 Cor. 5:6–7] makes the whole batch of dough rise [C a little error will spread through the whole community].” 10 But I ·trust [L have confidence/am persuaded about you] in the Lord that you will ·not believe those different ideas [take no different view]. Whoever is ·confusing [troubling] you with such ideas will ·be punished [pay the penalty; L bear the condemnation], ·no matter who he is [L whoever he may be].
11 My brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching ·that a man must be circumcised [L circumcision; C some were evidently accusing Paul of this], why am I still being ·attacked [persecuted]? If I still taught circumcision, ·my preaching about the cross would not be a problem [the scandal/offense of the cross has been removed/abolished]. 12 I wish the people who are bothering you would ·castrate themselves [make themselves eunuchs; L cut it off]! [C Paul sarcastically says that if circumcision is so helpful, why not go even further?]
13 My brothers and sisters, God called you to ·be free [L freedom], but do not use your freedom as an ·excuse to do what pleases [opportunity/occasion for] your ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh]. [L But; Rather] Serve each other with love. 14 [L For] The whole law is ·made complete [summed up; fulfilled] in this one command: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself [Lev. 19:18].” 15 [L But] If you go on ·hurting each other and tearing each other apart [L biting and devouring one another], be careful, or you will completely ·destroy [or consume] each other.
The Spirit and Human Nature
16 So I tell you: ·Live [Walk] ·by following [guided by; in the power of; L by] the Spirit. Then you will not do what your ·sinful self [sinful nature; T flesh] ·wants [desires; craves]. 17 Our ·sinful self [sinful nature; T flesh] ·wants [desires] what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit ·wants [desires] what is against our ·sinful self [sinful nature; T flesh]. [L For] The two are ·against [opposed to; or hostile toward] each other, so you cannot do just what you ·please [want]. 18 But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not under the law.
19 The ·wrong things the sinful self does [works of the flesh/sinful nature] are ·clear [evident; obvious]: ·being sexually unfaithful [sexual immorality], ·not being pure [impurity], ·taking part in sexual sins [depravity; promiscuity], 20 ·worshiping gods [idolatry], ·doing witchcraft [sorcery], ·hating [hostility; antagonism], ·making trouble [discord; strife], being jealous, ·being angry [rage], ·being selfish [rivalries], ·making people angry with each other [dissensions], ·causing divisions among people [factions], 21 feeling envy, being drunk, ·having wild and wasteful parties [carousings; orgies], and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God’s kingdom. 22 But the ·Spirit produces the fruit of [L fruit of the Spirit is] love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, ·faithfulness [or faith], 23 gentleness, self-control. ·There is no law that says these things are wrong [or No law can oppose such things]. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified ·their own sinful selves [the sinful nature; the flesh]. They have given up ·their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do [L its passions and desires]. 25 ·We [L If/Since we…] ·get our new life from the Spirit [live by the Spirit], so we should ·follow [be guided by; walk in step with] the Spirit. 26 We must not be ·proud [conceited] or ·make trouble with [provoke] each other or be ·jealous [envious] of each other.
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