M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Moses Blesses the People
33 Moses, the man of God, gave this blessing to the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] before he died. 2 He said:
“The Lord came from Mount Sinai
and ·rose like the sun [shone forth] from ·Edom [L Seir; C another name for Edom];
he ·showed his greatness [blazed forth] from Mount Paran.
He came with ·thousands of angels [myriads of holy ones]
·from the southern mountains [or marching at his right hand; Ex. 15:17; Judg. 5:4–5; Ps. 68:7–8, 17–18; Hab. 3:3–7].
3 The Lord surely loves his people
and takes care of all ·those who belong to him [his holy/consecrated ones].
They ·bow down [submit; or followed] at his feet,
and they are taught by him.
4 Moses ·gave us [commanded us with] the ·teachings [laws; instructions]
that ·belong to the people [L are the possession of the assembly] of Jacob.
5 The Lord became king ·of Israel [L in Jeshurun; 32:15]
when the leaders of the people gathered,
when the tribes of Israel came together.
6 “Let the people of Reuben live and not die,
but let ·the people [L his numbers] be few [2 Kin. 10:32–34].”
7 Moses said this about the people of Judah:
“Lord, listen to Judah’s ·prayer [L voice];
bring them back to their people.
They ·defend [contend for] themselves with their hands.
Help them fight their enemies!”
8 Moses said this about the people of Levi:
“Lord, your Thummim and Urim [Ex. 28:30] belong
to ·Levi, whom you love [L your loyal one].
Lord, you tested him at Massah
and argued with him at the waters of Meribah [Ex. 17:1–7].
9 He said about his father and mother,
‘I don’t care about them.’
He did not treat his brothers as favorites
or give special favors to his children,
but he protected your word
and guarded your ·agreement [covenant; treaty; Ex. 32:25–29].
10 He teaches your ·laws [judgments] to the people of Jacob
and your ·teachings [laws; instructions] to the people of Israel.
He ·burns [places] incense before you
and makes whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] on your altar.
11 Lord, ·make them strong [L bless his powers];
be pleased with the work ·they do [L of their hand].
·Defeat those who attack them [L Strike the loins of those who rise against them],
and don’t let ·their enemies [L those who hate them] rise up again.”
12 Moses said this about the people of Benjamin:
“The Lord’s loved ones will lie down in safety,
because ·he [or the Most High] protects them all day long.
The ones he loves rest ·with him [L between his shoulders].”
13 Moses said this about the people of Joseph:
“May the Lord bless their land with ·wonderful [or the best fruits from the] dew from heaven,
·with water from the springs [and from the deeps] below,
14 with the best fruits that the sun brings,
and with the best fruits ·that the moon brings [or of the months].
15 Let the ·old [ancient] mountains give the finest crops,
and let the everlasting hills give the best fruits.
16 Let the ·full earth [L earth and its fullness] give the best fruits,
and let the Lord who lived in ·the burning bush [the thorn bush; or Sinai; Ex. 3:2] be pleased.
May ·these blessings [L they] rest on the head of Joseph,
on the forehead of the ·one who was blessed [L prince] among his brothers.
17 Joseph has the majesty of a firstborn bull;
·he is as strong as [L his horns are the horns of] a wild ox [Ex. 27:2].
He will ·stab [gore] other nations with them,
even those ·nations far away [L at the ends of the earth].
These are the ·ten thousands [myriads] of Ephraim,
and these are the thousands of Manasseh [C tribes named after Joseph’s sons].”
18 Moses said this about the people of Zebulun:
“·Be happy [Rejoice] when you go out, Zebulun,
and ·be happy [rejoice] in your tents, Issachar.
19 They will call the people to the mountain,
and there they will offer the ·right [righteous] sacrifices.
They will ·do well from all that is in [L suck the abundance of] the sea,
and from the treasures hidden in the sand on the shore.”
20 Moses said this about the people of Gad:
“·Praise God who gives Gad more land [L Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad]!
Gad lives there like a lion,
who tears off arms and heads.
21 They chose the best land for themselves.
They received a large share, like that given to an officer.
When the leaders of the people ·gathered [or came],
the people of Gad did what the Lord said was ·right [righteous; just],
and they judged Israel fairly.”
22 Moses said this about the people of Dan:
“Dan is like a lion’s cub,
who ·jumps out of [leaps forth from] Bashan [32:14].”
23 Moses said this about the people of Naphtali:
“Naphtali ·enjoys special kindnesses [is deeply favored],
and they are full of the Lord’s blessings.
·Take as your own [or It possesses] the west and south.”
24 Moses said this about the people of Asher:
“Asher is the most blessed of the sons;
let him be his brothers’ favorite.
Let him ·bathe [dip] his feet in olive oil [C symbolizing comfort and luxury].
25 Your ·gates will have locks of [L bolts/bars are] iron and bronze,
and ·you will be strong as long as you live [L your strength will be like your days].
26 “There is no one like the God of ·Israel [L Jeshurun; 32:15],
who rides through the ·skies [heavens] to help you,
who rides on the clouds in his majesty [Ps. 18:7–15; 68:5–7; Dan. 7:13–14; Nah. 1:3; Matt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7].
27 ·The everlasting God is your place of safety [or He humbles the gods of old],
and ·his arms will hold you up forever [or humbles the ancient powers].
He will force your enemy out ahead of you,
saying, ‘Destroy the enemy!’
28 The people of Israel will ·lie down [reside; dwell] in safety.
Jacob’s ·spring [or abode] is theirs alone.
Theirs is a land full of grain and new wine,
where the ·skies [heavens] drop their dew.
29 Israel, you are blessed!
·No one else [L Who…?] is like you,
because you are a people saved by the Lord.
He is your shield and helper,
your glorious sword.
Your enemies will ·be afraid of you [come cringing to you],
and you will ·walk all over [trample] their ·holy places [L high places; or backs].”
Moses Dies
34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Mount Pisgah, across from Jericho. From there the Lord showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali and the lands of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the ·Mediterranean [L Western] Sea, 3 as well as the ·southern desert [L the Negev] and the whole Valley of Jericho up to Zoar. (Jericho is called the city of palm trees.) 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I ·promised [swore] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said to them, ‘I will give this land to your ·descendants [L seed; Gen. 12:1–13; 15:17–20].’ ·I have let you look at [L Your eyes have seen] it, Moses, but you will not cross over there.”
5 Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in Moab, as the Lord had said [Num. 20:12]. 6 He buried Moses in Moab in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but even today no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not weak, and ·he was still strong [L his vigor had not left him]. 8 The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] cried for Moses for thirty days, staying in the plains of Moab until the time of ·sadness [mourning] was over.
9 Joshua son of Nun was then filled with the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had ·put [laid] his hands on him. So the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] listened to Joshua, and they did what the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses [Acts 3:22–23; Heb. 3:1–19]. The Lord knew Moses face to face [Num. 12:6–8] 11 and sent him to do signs and ·miracles [wonders] in Egypt—to ·the king [L Pharaoh], to all his ·officers [L servants], and to the whole land of Egypt. 12 Moses had ·great power [L a strong hand], and he did great and wonderful things for all the Israelites to see.
145 I call to you with all my heart.
Answer me, Lord, and I will ·keep [protect] your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
146 I call to you.
·Save me [Give me victory] so I can ·obey [keep; guard] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
147 I ·wake up early in the morning [get up before dawn] and cry out.
I hope in your word.
148 ·I stay awake all night [L My eyes awake in the watches of the night]
so I can ·think about [meditate on] your promises.
149 ·Listen to me [L Hear my voice] because of your ·love [loyalty];
Lord, ·give me [spare my] life by your ·laws [judgments].
150 Those who ·love evil [L pursue/persecute me with an evil plan] are near,
but they are far from your ·teachings [instructions; laws].
151 But, Lord, you are also near,
and all your commands are ·true [faithful].
152 Long ago I learned from your ·rules [decrees; testimonies]
that you made them ·to continue [foundational] forever.
153 See my ·suffering [affliction] and rescue me,
because I have not forgotten your ·teachings [instructions; laws].
154 Argue my case and ·save [redeem] me.
·Let me live [Spare my life] by your promises.
155 ·Wicked people are far from being saved [L Salvation/Victory is far from the wicked],
because they do not ·want [seek] your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
156 Lord, ·you are very kind [L your compassion/mercies are abundant];
give me life by your ·laws [judgments].
157 Many ·enemies [foes] ·are after [pursue; persecute] me,
but I have not ·rejected [swerved from] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
158 I see those traitors, and I ·hate [loathe; am disgusted by] them,
because they do not ·obey [keep; guard] what you say.
159 See how I love your ·orders [precepts].
Lord, give me life by your ·love [loyalty].
160 ·Your words are true from the start [L The head of your word is true/faithful],
and all your ·laws [judgments] will be ·fair [righteous] forever.
161 Leaders ·attack [pursue] me for no reason,
but ·I fear your law in my heart [L my heart fears your words].
162 I ·am as happy over [delight in] your promises
as if I had found ·a great treasure [much plunder].
163 I hate and ·despise [loathe] lies,
but I love your ·teachings [instructions; laws].
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your ·fair laws [righteous judgments].
165 Those who love your ·teachings [instructions; laws] will find ·true peace [or much prosperity],
and nothing will ·defeat them [make them stumble].
166 I am ·waiting [hoping] for ·you to save me [L your salvation/victory], Lord.
I will ·obey [L do] your commands.
167 I ·obey [keep; guard] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies],
and I love them very much.
168 I ·obey [keep; guard] your ·orders [precepts] and ·rules [decrees; testimonies],
because ·you know everything I do [L all my ways are before you].
169 ·Hear my cry to you [L Let my shout of joy come near you], Lord.
Let your word help me understand.
170 Listen to my ·prayer [supplication];
·save [protect] me as you promised.
171 Let ·me [L my lips] ·speak [bubble forth] your praise,
because you have taught me your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
172 Let ·me [L my tongue] sing about your promises,
because all your commands are ·fair [righteous].
173 Give me your helping hand,
because I have chosen your ·commands [precepts].
174 I ·want you to save me [L desire your salvation/victory], Lord.
I ·love [delight in] your ·teachings [instructions; laws].
175 Let me live so I can praise you,
and let your ·laws [judgments] help me.
176 I have ·wandered [gone astray] like a lost sheep.
·Look for [Seek] your servant, because I have not forgotten your commands.
Jerusalem Will Be Great
60 “Jerusalem, ·get up [arise] and shine, because your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines on you.
2 [L Look; T Behold] Darkness ·now covers [or will cover] the earth;
deep darkness covers ·her people [the nations].
But the Lord shines on you,
and people see his glory [C his manifest presence] ·around [upon] you.
3 Nations will come to your light;
kings will come to ·the brightness of your sunrise [or your radiance].
4 “[L Lift up your eyes and] Look around you.
People are gathering and coming to you.
Your sons are coming from far away,
and your daughters are ·coming with them [or carried on the hip; or nursed at their side; or escorted by guardians].
5 When you see them, you will ·shine with happiness [L shine; be radiant];
you will be excited and ·full of joy [L your heart will swell/enlarge],
because the wealth of the nations across the seas will be given to you;
the riches of the nations will come to you.
6 ·Herds [or Caravans; L An abundance of] of camels will cover your land,
young camels from Midian and Ephah.
·People [L All] will come from Sheba [C unknown location, perhaps present-day Yemen, Eritrea, or Ethiopia; see 1 Kin. 10:1–13]
bringing gold and ·incense [or frankincense],
and they will sing praises to the Lord.
7 All the sheep from Kedar will be ·given [gathered] to you;
the ·sheep [rams] from Nebaioth [Gen. 25:13] will ·be brought to [serve; minister to; C perhaps for sacrifices] you.
They will be ·pleasing [acceptable] sacrifices on my altar,
and I will ·make my beautiful Temple more beautiful [glorify/adorn my glorious Temple].
8 “·The people are returning to you [L Who are these who fly…?] like clouds,
like doves flying to their ·nests [shelters; L windows].
9 ·People in faraway lands [L For the coastlands/or islands] ·are waiting [or look] for me.
The ·great trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; 2:16] will come first,
bringing your children from ·faraway lands [afar],
and with them silver and gold.
·This will honor [L …for the name of] the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel [1:4],
·who does wonderful things for you [L because he has glorified/beautified you].
10 “Jerusalem, foreigners will rebuild your walls,
and their kings will serve you.
·When I was angry [L In my wrath], I ·hurt [struck] you,
but now ·I want to be kind to you and comfort you [L in grace/favor I will have compassion/mercy on you].
11 Your gates will always be open;
they will not be closed day or night
so the nations can bring their wealth to you,
and their kings ·will be led to you [or leading the way; C either as captives or leading the procession of gifts].
12 The nation or kingdom that doesn’t serve you will ·be destroyed [perish];
it will be completely ruined.
13 “The ·great trees [L glory] of Lebanon will ·be given [come] to you [35:2]:
its ·pine [juniper], fir, and cypress trees together.
You will use them to make ·my Temple [L the place of my sanctuary] beautiful,
and I will ·give much honor to [glorify] ·this place where I rest [L the place of] my feet [Ezek. 43:7].
14 The ·people who have hurt you [L children/sons of your oppressors] will bow down to you;
those who ·hated [despised] you will bow down at your feet.
They will call you The City of the Lord,
·Jerusalem, city [L Zion; 59:20] of the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
15 “You have been ·hated [despised] and ·left empty [abandoned; forsaken]
with no one passing through.
But I will make you great from now on;
you will be a place of ·happiness [pride; majesty] ·forever and ever [for generations to come].
16 You will ·be given what you need from [L drink the milk of] the nations,
like a child ·drinking milk from its mother [nursing at royal breasts].
Then you will know that it is I, the Lord, ·who saves you [your savior].
You will know that the Powerful One of Jacob ·protects [redeems] you.
17 I will bring you gold in place of bronze,
silver in place of iron,
bronze in place of wood,
iron in place of rocks.
I will ·change your punishment into peace [or make peace your governor/leader],
and ·you will be ruled by what is right [righteousness will be your ruler].
18 There will be no more violence [L heard] in your country,
no more ·ruin [devastation; havoc] or destruction within your borders.
You will name your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no longer be your light during the day
nor will the brightness from the moon be your light,
because the Lord will be your ·light forever [everlasting light],
and your God will be your glory [Zech. 14:6–7; Rev. 21:23; 22:5].
20 Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will ·never be dark [not wane/disappear],
because the Lord will be your ·light forever [everlasting light],
and your ·time of sadness [days of mourning] will end.
21 All of your people will ·do what is right [be righteous].
They will ·receive [possess; inherit] the earth forever.
They are the ·plant [branch; shoot] I have planted,
the work of my own hands
to show my ·greatness [glory; C manifest presence].
22 The ·smallest family will grow to [L least of you will become] a thousand.
The ·least important [smallest] of you will become a powerful nation.
I am the Lord,
and ·when it is [L in its] time, I will ·make these things happen quickly [hasten it].”
Jesus Heals a Sick Man(A)
8 When Jesus came down from the ·hill [mountainside], ·great crowds [many people] followed him. 2 Then a ·man with a skin disease [T leper; C the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; see Lev. 14] came to Jesus. The man ·bowed down [knelt] before him and said, “Lord, you can ·heal me [L make me clean; C such skin disorders rendered the victim ceremonially unclean] if you ·will [choose; are willing].”
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I ·will [do choose; am willing]. Be ·healed [L cleansed]!” And immediately the man was ·healed [L cleansed] from his disease. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the ·gift [offering; sacrifice] Moses commanded for people who are made well [Lev. 14:1–32]. This will ·show the people [be a public testimony to; be evidence for] what I have done.”
Jesus Heals a Soldier’s Servant(B)
5 When Jesus entered the city of Capernaum, an ·army officer [L centurion] came to him, ·begging [pleading] for help. 6 The officer said, “Lord, my servant is at home in bed. He ·can’t move his body [is paralyzed] and ·is in much pain [suffering terribly].”
7 Jesus said to the officer, “·I will go and heal him. [or Shall I go and heal him?]”
8 The officer answered, “Lord [or Sir], I ·am not worthy [do not deserve] for you to come into my house. You only need to ·command it [L say the word], and my servant will be healed. 9 [L For] I, too, am a man ·under the authority of others [L under authority], and I have soldiers under my command. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes. I tell another soldier, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my ·servant [slave], ‘Do this,’ and my ·servant [slave] does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were following him, “I tell you the truth, ·this is the greatest faith I have found [L I haven’t found such faith], ·even in Israel [or in all Israel]. 11 Many people will come from the east and from the west and will ·sit and eat [L recline; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven [C the messianic banquet, a metaphor for God’s restoration of creation; Is. 25:6–8]. 12 But ·those people who should be in [the heirs of; or the subjects of; L the sons of] the kingdom will be thrown ·outside into the darkness [into the outer darkness], where ·people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [L there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; C metaphors for agony and torment].”
13 Then Jesus said to the ·officer [L centurion], “Go home. ·Your servant will be healed just as you believed he would [L Let it be done for you just as you have believed].” And his servant was healed that ·same hour [exact time].
Jesus Heals Many People(C)
14 When Jesus went to Peter’s house, he saw that Peter’s mother-in-law was ·sick in bed [lying down] with a fever. 15 Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she stood up and began ·to serve [waiting on] Jesus.
16 That evening people brought to Jesus many who ·had demons [were demon-possessed]. Jesus ·spoke and the demons left them [L drove/cast out the demons with a word/command], and he healed all the sick. 17 He did these things to ·bring about [fulfill] what Isaiah the prophet had said:
“He took our ·suffering [sicknesses; weaknesses]
and ·carried [bore; removed] our diseases [Is. 53:4].”
People Want to Follow Jesus(D)
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he ·told [instructed; ordered] his ·followers [disciples] to ·go [cross] to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a ·teacher of the law [scribe] came to Jesus and said, “·Teacher [Master], I will follow you any place you go.”
20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have ·holes [dens] to live in, and the birds [L of the sky] have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to ·rest [lay] his head.”
21 Another man, one of Jesus’ ·followers [disciples], said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the people who are dead [C spiritually] bury their own dead.”
Jesus Calms a Storm(E)
23 Jesus got into a boat, and his ·followers [disciples] ·went with [L followed] him. 24 [Suddenly; L And look/T behold] A ·great [fierce] storm arose on the ·lake [sea] so that waves ·covered [swept over] the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. 25 His ·followers [disciples] went to him and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We ·will drown [L are lost/perishing]!”
26 Jesus answered, “Why are you ·afraid [cowardly]? ·You don’t have enough faith [or How little faith you have!; T You of little faith].” Then Jesus got up and ·gave a command to [reprimanded; rebuked] the wind and the waves, and it became completely calm [C paralleling God’s subduing of the waters representing chaos in the OT; Ps. 65:7; 89:9; 107:29].
27 The men were amazed and said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the ·waves [L sea] obey him!”
Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons(F)
28 When Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the ·area [region; territory] of the Gadarene[a] people [C from Gadara, an area southeast of Lake Galilee; the exact location is uncertain], two ·men who had demons in them [demon-possessed men; demoniacs] came out of the ·burial caves [tombs] and met him. These men were so ·dangerous [violent; fierce] that people could not ·use the road by those caves [L pass that way]. 29 They shouted, “·What do you want with us [or Leave us alone; What business do we have with each other?; L What to me and to you?], Son of God? Did you come here to ·torture [torment] us before the ·right time [or appointed time; L time; C the day of judgment]?”
30 ·Near that place there [In the distance] was a large herd of pigs feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you ·make us leave these men [L drive/cast us out], please send us into that herd of pigs [C ritually unclean animals].”
32 Jesus said to them, “Go!” So the demons ·left [came out of] the men and went into the pigs. Then [L look; T behold] the whole herd rushed down the ·hill [steep bank; precipice] into the ·lake [sea] and ·were drowned [L died in the waters]. 33 The herdsmen ·ran away [fled] and went into town, where they told about all of this and what had happened to the ·men who had demons [demon-possessed men; demoniacs]. 34 Then [L look; T behold] the whole town went out to ·see [meet] Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their ·area [region; territory].
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