M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

20 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring^[a] to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone that person with stones. ³ I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. ⁴ If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death, ⁵ then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.

⁶ “‘The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.

⁷ “‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God. ⁸ You shall keep my statutes, and do them. I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.

⁹ “‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon himself.

¹⁰ “‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

¹¹ “‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves.

¹² “‘If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed a perversion. Their blood shall be upon themselves.

¹³ “‘If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves.

¹⁴ “‘If a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.

¹⁵ “‘If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; and you shall kill the animal.

¹⁶ “‘If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

¹⁷ “‘If a man takes his sister—his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter—and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a shameful thing. They shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity.

¹⁸ “‘If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness, he has made her fountain naked, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

¹⁹ “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister, for he has made his close relative naked. They shall bear their iniquity. ²⁰ If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless.

²¹ “‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

²² “‘You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. ²³ You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. ²⁴ But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples.

²⁵ “‘You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean. You shall not make yourselves abominable by animal, or by bird, or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have separated from you as unclean for you. ²⁶ You shall be holy to me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine.

²⁷ “‘A man or a woman that is a medium or is a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their blood shall be upon themselves.’”

By David.

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

⁹ What profit has he who works in that in which he labors? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. ¹³ Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him. ¹⁵ That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.

¹⁶ Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there. ¹⁷ I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” ¹⁸ I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals. ¹⁹ For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity. ²⁰ All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. ²¹ Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

²² Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

5 Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father; the younger men as brothers; ² the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.

³ Honor widows who are widows indeed. ⁴ But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety toward their own family and to repay their parents, for this is^[a] acceptable in the sight of God. ⁵ Now she who is a widow indeed and desolate, has her hope set on God and continues in petitions and prayers night and day. ⁶ But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives. ⁷ Also command these things, that they may be without reproach. ⁸ But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ Let no one be enrolled as a widow under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, ¹⁰ being approved by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, and if she has diligently followed every good work.

¹¹ But refuse younger widows, for when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, ¹² having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge. ¹³ Besides, they also learn to be idle, going about from house to house. Not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. ¹⁴ I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, and give no occasion to the adversary for insulting. ¹⁵ For already some have turned away after Satan. ¹⁶ If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them relieve them, and don’t let the assembly be burdened, that it might relieve those who are widows indeed.

¹⁷ Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.”^(A) And, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”^(B)

¹⁹ Don’t receive an accusation against an elder except at the word of two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear. ²¹ I command you in the sight of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality. ²² Lay hands hastily on no one. Don’t be a participant in other people’s sins. Keep yourself pure.

²³ Be no longer a drinker of water only, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.

²⁴ Some men’s sins are evident, preceding them to judgment, and some also follow later. ²⁵ In the same way also there are good works that are obvious, and those that are otherwise can’t be hidden.