M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
22 If you see your ·fellow Israelite’s [relative’s; brother’s] ox or sheep wandering away, don’t ignore it. Take it back to ·its owner [your relative/brother; Ex. 23:4–5]. 2 If ·the owner [your relative/brother] does not live close to you, or if you do not know who the owner is, take the animal home with you. Keep it until ·the owner [your relative/brother] comes looking for it; then give it back. 3 Do the same thing if you find a donkey or ·coat [cloak; garment] or anything someone lost. Don’t just ignore it.
4 If you see your ·fellow Israelite’s [relative’s; brother’s] donkey or ox fallen on the road, don’t ignore it. Help the owner get it up.
5 A woman must not wear men’s ·clothes [apparel; items], and a man must not wear women’s clothes. The Lord your God ·hates [detests] anyone who does that.
6 If you find a bird’s nest by the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother bird is sitting on the young birds or eggs, do not take the mother bird with the young birds. 7 You may take the young birds, but you must let the mother bird go free. Then things will go well for you, and you will live a long time.
8 When you build a new house, build a ·low wall around the edge of [a fence/parapet on] the roof [C the flat roofs of Israelite houses were used for living space] so you will not ·be guilty [have bloodguilt] if someone falls off the roof [C to avoid negligent homicide].
9 Don’t plant two different kinds of seeds in your vineyard. Otherwise, ·both crops will be ruined [L the fullness will be forfeit, both the seed that has been sown as well as the produce of the vineyard; C to avoid unnatural combinations, perhaps as a reminder that Israelites were to be separate from Gentiles, see also vv. 10–11].
10 Don’t plow with an ox and a donkey tied together.
11 Don’t wear clothes made of wool and linen woven together.
12 Tie several pieces of thread together; then put these tassels on the four corners of your coat [C perhaps to weigh down the garment to avoid exposure].
Marriage Laws
13 If a man marries a girl and has sexual relations with her but then decides he ·does not like [L hates] her, 14 he might ·talk badly about her [charge her with wanton behavior] and give her a bad name. He might say, “I married this woman, but when I ·had sexual relations with [approached] her, I did not find that she was a virgin.” 15 Then the girl’s ·parents [L father and mother] must bring ·proof [evidence] that she was a virgin to the elders at the city gate. 16 The girl’s father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife, but now he ·does not want [L hates] her. 17 This man has ·told lies about my daughter [charged my daughter with wanton behavior]. He has said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin,’ but here is the ·proof [evidence] that my daughter was a virgin.” Then her parents are to show the sheet [C blood-stained, showing she had been a virgin] to the elders of the city, 18 and the elders must take the man and ·punish [discipline] him. 19 They must make him pay about ·two and one-half pounds [L one hundred shekels] of silver to the girl’s father, because the man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. The girl will continue to be the man’s wife, and he may not divorce her as long as he lives.
20 But if ·the things the husband said about his wife are [L this word/charge is] true, and there is no ·proof [evidence] that she was a virgin, 21 the girl must be brought to the door of her father’s house. Then the men of the town must put her to death by ·throwing stones at [stoning] her. She has done a ·disgraceful [shameful] thing in Israel by ·having sexual relations before she was married [L acting like a prostitute in the house of her father]. You must ·get rid of [banish; purge] the evil among you.
22 If a man is found ·having sexual relations [L lying] with another man’s wife, both the woman and the man who ·had sexual relations [L lay] with her must die. ·Get rid of [Banish; Purge] this evil from Israel.
23 If a man meets a virgin in a city and ·has sexual relations [L lies] with her, but she is engaged to another man, 24 you must take both of them to the city gate and ·put them to death by throwing stones at [stone] them. Kill the girl, because she was in a city and did not scream for help. And kill the man for having sexual relations with ·another man’s wife [the wife of his neighbor/friend]. You must ·get rid of [banish; purge] the evil among you.
25 But if a man meets an engaged girl out in the ·country [field] and ·forces her to have sexual relations with him [L seizes her and lies with her], only the man who ·had sexual relations [L lay] with her must be put to death. 26 Don’t do anything to the girl, because she has not done a sin worthy of death. This is like the person who ·attacks [rises up] and murders a neighbor; 27 the man found the engaged girl in the ·country [field] and she ·screamed [yelled for help], but no one was there to ·save [rescue] her.
28 If a man meets a virgin who is not engaged to be married and ·forces her to have sexual relations with him [L grabs her and lies with her] and ·people find out about it [L is discovered], 29 the man who ·had sexual relations [L lay] with her must pay the girl’s father about ·one and one-fourth pounds [L fifty shekels] of silver. He must also marry the girl, because he has ·dishonored [humiliated; raped] her, and he may never divorce her for as long as he lives [Ex. 22:16–17].
30 A man must not marry his father’s wife; he must not ·dishonor his father in this way [L uncover his father’s skirt; Lev. 18:7–8; 20:11].
The Lord Appoints a King
A psalm of David.
110 ·The Lord said [L Utterance/Oracle of the Lord] to my Lord,
“Sit at my right ·side [L hand]
until I put your enemies under your ·control [L feet; Matt. 22:44; 26:64; Mark 12:36; 16:19; Luke 20:42–44; 22:59; Acts 2:34–35; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12–13; 12:2].”
2 The Lord will ·enlarge [L send] ·your kingdom [L the scepter of your strength; C symbol of royal power] beyond ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C location of the Temple],
and ·you will rule over [L give you dominion in the midst of] your enemies.
3 Your people will ·join [freely offer themselves to] you on ·your day of battle [L the day of your power/army].
You have been dressed in ·holiness [splendor of holiness] from ·birth [L the womb of dawn];
you have the ·freshness of a child [L dew of your youth].
4 The Lord has made a promise
and will not ·change his mind [waver].
He said, “You are a priest forever,
a priest like Melchizedek [C in reference to an ancient priest-king in Jerusalem; ultimately fulfilled in Christ; Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6; 7:17, 21].”
5 The Lord is ·beside you to help you [L by your right hand].
·When he becomes angry [L In the day of his anger], he will ·crush [shatter] kings.
6 He will judge those nations, filling them with ·dead bodies [corpses];
he will ·defeat rulers [L crush/shatter heads] ·all over the [L throughout the wide] world.
7 ·The king [or The Lord; L He] will drink from the brook on the way.
Then he will ·be strengthened [L lift up his head].
Praise the Lord’s Goodness
111 Praise the Lord!
I will ·thank [praise] the Lord with all my heart
in the ·meeting of his good people [council of the upright/virtuous, in the assembly].
2 The ·Lord does great things [L deeds of the Lord are great];
those who enjoy them ·seek [study] them.
3 ·What he does is [L His deeds are] ·glorious [beautiful] and ·splendid [majestic],
and his ·goodness [righteousness] ·continues [stands] forever.
4 His ·miracles [wonderful acts] are ·unforgettable [remembered; well-known].
The Lord is ·kind [gracious] and ·merciful [compassionate].
5 He gives ·food [L prey] to those who fear him [Prov. 1:7].
He remembers his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] forever.
6 He has ·shown [proclaimed to] his people ·his power [L the power/strength of his deeds]
when he gave them the ·lands [L inheritance] of other nations [C the conquest; Josh. 1–12].
7 ·Everything he does is [L The deeds of his hands are] ·good [faithful; true] and ·fair [just];
all his ·orders [precepts] ·can be trusted [are faithful/true/reliable].
8 They will ·continue [endure; be unshakeable] forever.
They were made ·true [faithful] and ·right [virtuous; with integrity].
9 He ·sets his people free [L sent redemption to his people].
He ·made his agreement everlasting [L commanded his covenant/treaty forever].
·He [L His name] is holy and ·wonderful [awesome].
10 ·Wisdom begins with respect for [L The beginning/foundation of wisdom is fear of] the Lord [Prov. 1:7];
those who ·obey [L do] ·his orders [L them] have good ·understanding [insight].
He ·should be praised [endures; L stands] forever.
God Calls His Special Servant
49 All of you ·people in faraway places [or islands; or coastlands], listen to me.
·Listen [Pay attention], all you nations far away.
·Before I was born [L From the womb], the Lord called me to serve him.
The Lord named me while I was still in my mother’s womb [C this passage (49:1–13) is the second of four “servant songs” in Isaiah; 42:1].
2 He made my ·tongue [mouth] like a sharp sword [C his words enact judgment; 11:4; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16].
He hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me like a ·sharp [or polished] arrow.
He hid me in ·the holder for his arrows [his quiver].
3 He told me, “Israel, you are my servant.
I will show my glory ·through [in] you.”
4 But I said, “I have worked hard ·for nothing [in vain];
I have used all my power, ·but I did nothing useful [for nothing; in futility].
But ·the Lord will decide what my work is worth [L my judgment/vindication is the Lord’s];
God will decide my reward.”
5 The Lord made me in the ·body [womb] of my mother
to be his servant,
to lead ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob] back to him
so that Israel might be gathered to him.
·The Lord will honor me [L I am honored in the eyes of the Lord],
and ·I will get my strength from my God [L God will be my strength].
6 Now he told me,
“·You are an important servant to me [It is too small a thing; or Is it too small a thing…?]
to ·bring back [restore; raise up] the tribes of Jacob,
to bring back the ·people of Israel who are left alive [remnant/preserved ones of Israel].
I will make you a light for the nations [42:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47]
so that my salvation will reach ·people all over the world [L the end of the earth].”
7 The Lord ·who saves you [the Redeemer], the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
says to the one who is ·hated [L despised and abhorred] by the ·people [or nation; or nations],
to the servant of rulers.
This is what he says: “Kings will see you and ·stand [rise; C to honor him];
·great leaders [princes] will bow down before you,
because the Lord ·can be trusted [is faithful].
He is the Holy One of Israel [1:4], who has chosen you.”
The Day of Salvation
8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the ·right time [time of favor] I will ·hear your prayers [answer you].
On the day of salvation I will help you [2 Cor. 6:2].
I will protect you,
and ·you will be the sign of my agreement with [L I will give/establish you as a covenant for] the people [42:6].
·You will bring back the people to the land [L …to restore/rebuild the land]
and ·give the land that is now ruined back to its owners [L bequeath its desolate inheritances].
9 You will tell the prisoners, ‘·Come out [42:7].’
You will tell those in darkness, ‘·Come into the light [Show yourselves; Appear].’
·The people [L They] will ·eat [feed; graze] beside the roads [C the people are symbolically pictured as sheep],
and they will find ·food [pasture] even on bare hills.
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty.
Neither the ·desert wind [L heat] nor the hot sun will ·hurt [strike] them.
The God who comforts them will lead them
and guide them by springs of water.
11 I will make my mountains into roads,
and the ·roads [highways] will be raised up [C to make a level road; 40:4].
12 Look, people are coming to me from far away,
from the north and from the west,
from ·Aswan in southern Egypt [L the land of Sinim].”
13 Heavens, shout with joy;
earth, be happy;
mountains, burst into song,
because the Lord comforts his people
and will have ·pity [compassion] on ·those who suffer [the oppressed].
Jerusalem and Her Children
14 But ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] said, “The Lord has ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me;
the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 The Lord answers, “Can a woman forget the baby she nurses?
Can she feel no kindness for the child ·to which she gave birth [of her womb]?
Even if she could forget her children,
I will not forget you.
16 See, I have ·written [engraved; inscribed] your name on my ·hand [palms].
·Jerusalem, I always think about your walls [L Your walls are always before me; C destroyed by the Babylonians].
17 Your children ·will soon return to you [L hurry; hasten],
and the people who defeated you and destroyed you will leave.
18 ·Look up [L Lift up your eyes] and look around you.
All your children are gathering to return to you.”
The Lord says, “As surely as I live,
·your children will be [L you will wear them all] like ·jewels [or ornaments]
·that a bride wears proudly [L you will put them on like a bride].
19 “You were destroyed and defeated,
and your land was made ·useless [desolate].
But now you will have more people than the land can hold,
and those people who ·destroyed [devoured] you will be far away.
20 The children ·born to you while you were sad [L of your bereavement]
will say to you,
‘This place is too small for us.
Give us a bigger place to live.’
21 Then you will say ·to yourself [L in your heart],
‘Who ·gave me all these children [bore me these]?
I was ·sad [bereaved] and ·lonely [barren],
·defeated [rejected] and ·separated from my people [exiled].
So who reared these children?
I was left all alone.
Where did all these children come from?’”
22 This is what the Lord God says:
“See, I will lift my hand ·to signal [L to] the nations;
I will raise my banner for all the people to see.
Then they will bring your sons back to you in their ·arms [L bosom; lap],
and they will carry your daughters on their shoulders [C Jews returning from exile are pictured as children returning to their parents].
23 Kings will ·teach your children [be guardians/foster parents],
and ·daughters of kings [princesses; or queens] will take care of them.
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground
and ·kiss the dirt [lick the dust] at your feet.
Then you will know I am the Lord.
Anyone who ·trusts in [hopes in; waits on] me will not be ·disappointed [or ashamed].”
24 Can ·the wealth a soldier wins in war [spoils; plunder] be taken away from ·him [a warrior; a strong man]?
Can a prisoner be freed from a ·powerful soldier [tyrant][a]?
25 This is what the Lord says:
“The ·prisoners [captives] will be taken from the ·strong soldiers [mighty one].
·What the soldiers have taken will be saved [L …and spoils/plunder rescued from the tyrant].
I will fight ·your enemies [L those who fight with you],
and I will save your children.
26 I will force ·those who trouble you [your enemies/oppressors] to eat their own flesh.
Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk.
Then ·everyone [all flesh] will know
I, the Lord, am the One who saves you;
I am the Powerful One of Jacob ·who saves you [your redeemer].”
People in Heaven Praise God
19 After ·this vision and announcement [L these things] I heard ·what sounded like a great many people [L the loud voice/sound of a great crowd] in heaven saying:
“·Hallelujah! [C From the Hebrew meaning “Praise the Lord/Yahweh!]
Salvation, ·glory [honor], and power belong to our God,
2 because his judgments are true and ·right [just].
He has ·punished [judged] the [L great] ·prostitute [whore]
who ·made the earth evil [corrupted the earth] with her ·sexual sin [fornication].
He has ·paid her back for [avenged] the ·death [L blood] of his servants [which she shed; L by her hand].”
3 Again they said:
“Hallelujah [see 19:1]!
She is burning [C implied by the context], and her smoke will rise forever and ever.”
4 Then the twenty-four elders [4:4] and the four living creatures ·bowed [fell] down and worshiped God, who sits on the throne. They said:
“Amen [C meaning, “So be it!”], Hallelujah [see 19:1]!”
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God, all ·you who serve him [his servants/slaves]
and all you who ·honor [L fear; Prov. 1:7] him, both small and great!”
6 Then I heard ·what sounded like a great many people [L the voice/sound of a great crowd], like the noise of ·flooding water [many waters], and like the noise of loud thunder. The people were saying:
“Hallelujah [19:1]!
[L For] Our Lord God, the ·Almighty [All-powerful], ·rules [reigns].
7 Let us rejoice and ·be happy [exult]
and give ·God [L him] ·glory [honor],
because the ·wedding [marriage] of the Lamb has come,
and the Lamb’s bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and ·clean [pure], was given to her to wear.”
(The fine linen ·means [is; stands for] the ·good things done by God’s holy people [L righteousness/righteous deeds of the saints/holy ones].)
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: ·Blessed [Happy] are those who have been invited to the wedding ·meal [supper; banquet] of the Lamb!” And the angel said [L to me], “These are the true words of God.”
10 Then I ·bowed down [fell] at the angel’s feet to worship him, but he said to me, “·Do not worship me [Don’t do that!; L See, not]! I am a ·servant like you [fellow servant with you] and your brothers and sisters who have the ·message [witness; testimony] of Jesus. Worship God, because the ·message [witness; testimony] ·about [or from] Jesus ·is the spirit that gives all prophecy [or is the essence of true prophecy; or is Spirit-inspired prophecy; L is the spirit/Spirit of prophecy].”
The Rider on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. The rider [C Jesus] on the horse is called Faithful and True, and ·he is right when [with justice/righteousness] he judges and makes war [Ps. 96:13; 98:9]. 12 His eyes are like ·burning [blazing; flames of] fire [Dan. 10:6], and on his head are many ·crowns [diadems; royal crowns; C contrast 12:3; 13:1]. He has a name written on him, which no one but himself knows. 13 He is dressed in a ·robe [garment] dipped in blood [C indicating judgment; Is. 63:1–3], and his name is the Word of God [John 1:1]. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and ·clean [pure], were following him on white horses. 15 Out of the rider’s mouth comes a sharp sword [1:16] that he will use to ·defeat [strike down] the nations [Is. 11:4], and he will ·rule [or shepherd] them with a ·rod [staff; scepter] of iron [Ps. 2:9]. He will ·crush out [tread; stomp] the wine in the winepress of the ·terrible anger [furious wrath] of God the ·Almighty [All-powerful; 19:13; Is. 63:1–6]. 16 On his robe and on his upper leg was written this name: king of kings and lord of lords [17:14; Deut. 10:17; Dan. 2:47].
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called with a loud voice to all the birds flying in ·the sky [L mid-heaven]: “Come and gather together for the great ·feast [supper; banquet] of God 18 so that you can eat the ·bodies [flesh] of kings, ·generals [captains; officers], mighty people, horses and their riders, and the bodies of all people—free, slave, small, and great [13:16; Ezek. 39:17–20].”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth. Their armies were gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse [C Jesus] and his army. 20 But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who ·did the miracles [performed signs] ·for the beast [on his behalf; in his presence]. The false prophet had used these ·miracles [signs] to ·trick [deceive; lead astray] those who had the ·mark [brand; stamp] of the beast and worshiped his ·idol [image]. ·The false prophet and the beast [L The two] were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And ·their armies [L the rest] were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ·ate the bodies until they were full [L were gorged/filled up with their flesh].
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