M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Expiation of a Crime
21 “If a slain person is found lying in the open country in the land which the Lord your God gives you to [a]possess, and it is not known who has struck him, 2 then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one. 3 It shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke; 4 and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5 Then (A)the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the Lord; and every dispute and every [b]assault [c]shall be settled by them. 6 All the elders of that city [d]which is nearest to the slain man shall (B)wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; 7 and they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it. 8 [e]Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of (C)innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be [f]forgiven them. 9 (D)So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Domestic Relations
10 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and (E)the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take them away captive, 11 and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire for her and would take her as a wife for yourself, 12 then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall (F)shave her head and [g]trim her nails. 13 She shall also [h]remove the clothes of her captivity and shall remain in your house, and (G)mourn her father and mother a full month; and after that you may go in to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. 14 It shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then you shall let her go [i]wherever she wishes; but you shall certainly not sell her for money, you shall not [j]mistreat her, because you have (H)humbled her.
15 “If a man has two wives, the one loved and (I)the other [k]unloved, and both the loved and the [l]unloved have borne him sons, if the firstborn son belongs to the [m]unloved, 16 then it shall be in the day he [n]wills what he has to his sons, he cannot make the son of the loved the firstborn before the son of the [o]unloved, who is the firstborn. 17 But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the [p]unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that [q]he has, for he is the (J)beginning of his strength; (K)to him belongs the right of the firstborn.
18 “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will (L)not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, 19 then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city [r]at the gateway of his hometown. 20 They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 (M)Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so (N)you shall remove the evil from your midst, and (O)all Israel will hear of it and fear.
22 “If a man has committed a sin (P)worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 (Q)his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for (R)he who is hanged is [s]accursed of God), so that you (S)do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.
God Praised and Supplicated to Give Victory.
A Song, a Psalm of David.
108 (A)My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my [a]soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4 For Your (B)lovingkindness is great (C)above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.
5 (D)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
6 (E)That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and answer me!
7 God has spoken in His [b]holiness:
“I will exult, I will portion out Shechem
And measure out the valley of Succoth.
8 “Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the [c]helmet of My head;
(F)Judah is My [d]scepter.
9 “Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;
Over Philistia I will shout aloud.”
10 (G)Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who [e]will lead me to Edom?
11 Have not You Yourself, O God, (H)rejected us?
And will You not go forth with our armies, O God?
12 Oh give us help against the adversary,
For (I)deliverance [f]by man is in vain.
13 [g]Through God we will do valiantly,
And (J)it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.
Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
109 O (K)God of my praise,
(L)Do not be silent!
2 For they have opened the [h]wicked and (M)deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken [i]against me with a (N)lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me (O)without cause.
4 In return (P)for my love they act as my accusers;
But (Q)I am in prayer.
5 Thus they have [j](R)repaid me evil for good
And (S)hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man over him,
And let an [k](T)accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him (U)come forth guilty,
And let his (V)prayer become sin.
8 Let (W)his days be few;
Let (X)another take his office.
9 Let his (Y)children be fatherless
And his (Z)wife a widow.
10 Let his (AA)children wander about and beg;
And let them (AB)seek sustenance [l]far from their ruined homes.
11 Let (AC)the creditor [m]seize all that he has,
And let (AD)strangers plunder the product of his labor.
12 Let there be none to [n](AE)extend lovingkindness to him,
Nor (AF)any to be gracious to his fatherless children.
13 Let his (AG)posterity be [o]cut off;
In a following generation let their (AH)name be blotted out.
14 Let (AI)the iniquity of his fathers be remembered [p]before the Lord,
And do not let the sin of his mother be (AJ)blotted out.
15 Let (AK)them be before the Lord continually,
That He may (AL)cut off their memory from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness,
But persecuted the (AM)afflicted and needy man,
And the (AN)despondent in heart, to (AO)put them to death.
17 He also loved cursing, so (AP)it came to him;
And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.
18 But he (AQ)clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
And it (AR)entered into [q]his body like water
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him as (AS)a garment with which he covers himself,
And for a belt with which he constantly (AT)girds himself.
20 [r]Let this be the (AU)reward of my accusers from the Lord,
And of those who (AV)speak evil against my soul.
21 But You, O [s]God, the Lord, deal kindly with me (AW)for Your name’s sake;
Because (AX)Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
22 For (AY)I am afflicted and needy,
And [t]my heart is (AZ)wounded within me.
23 I am passing (BA)like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off (BB)like the locust.
24 My (BC)knees [u]are weak from (BD)fasting,
And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.
25 I also have become a (BE)reproach to them;
When they see me, they (BF)wag their head.
26 (BG)Help me, O Lord my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness.
27 [v]And let them (BH)know that this is Your hand;
You, Lord, have done it.
28 (BI)Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, they shall be ashamed,
But Your (BJ)servant shall be glad.
29 [w]Let (BK)my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And [x]let them (BL)cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
Israel’s Obstinacy
48 “(A)Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came forth from the [a](B)loins of Judah,
Who (C)swear by the name of the Lord
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in (D)righteousness.
2 “For they call themselves after the (E)holy city
And (F)lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of hosts is His name.
3 “I (G)declared the former things long ago
And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
(H)Suddenly I acted, and they (I)came to pass.
4 “Because I know that you are [b](J)obstinate,
And your (K)neck is an iron sinew
And your (L)forehead bronze,
5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before [c]they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My (M)idol has done them,
And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’
6 “You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you (N)new things from this time,
Even hidden things which you have not known.
7 “They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 “You have not (O)heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a [d](P)rebel from [e]birth.
9 “(Q)For the sake of My name I (R)delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.
10 “Behold, I have refined you, but (S)not as silver;
I have tested you in the (T)furnace of affliction.
11 “(U)For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My (V)glory I will not give to another.
Deliverance Promised
12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel [f]whom I called;
(W)I am He, (X)I am the first, I am also the last.
13 “Surely My hand (Y)founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I (Z)call to them, they stand together.
14 “(AA)Assemble, all of you, and listen!
(AB)Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will (AC)carry out His good pleasure on (AD)Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 “I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have (AE)called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 “(AF)Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the first I have (AG)not spoken in secret,
(AH)From the time it took place, I was there.
And now (AI)the Lord [g]God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
17 Thus says the Lord, your (AJ)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who (AK)leads you in the way you should go.
18 “If only you had (AL)paid attention to My commandments!
Then your [h](AM)well-being would have been like a river,
And your (AN)righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 “Your [i](AO)descendants would have been like the sand,
And [j]your offspring like its grains;
(AP)Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”
20 (AQ)Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of (AR)joyful shouting, proclaim this,
(AS)Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “(AT)The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not (AU)thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He (AV)made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and (AW)the water gushed forth.
22 “(AX)There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.
Babylon Is Fallen
18 After these things I saw another (A)angel (B)coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was (C)illumined with his glory. 2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “[a](D)Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She (E)has become a dwelling place of demons and a [b]prison of every (F)unclean spirit, and a [c]prison of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all the nations [d]have drunk of the (G)wine of the [e]passion of her immorality, and (H)the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the (I)merchants of the earth have become rich by the [f]wealth of her [g](J)sensuality.”
4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “(K)Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins have [h](L)piled up as high as heaven, and God has (M)remembered her iniquities. 6 (N)Pay her back even as she has paid, and [i]give back to her double according to her deeds; in the (O)cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. 7 (P)To the degree that she glorified herself and (Q)lived [j]sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘(R)I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ 8 For this reason (S)in one day her plagues will come, [k]pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be (T)burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her (U)is strong.
Lament for Babylon
9 “And (V)the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and (W)lived [l]sensuously with her, will (X)weep and lament over her when they (Y)see the smoke of her burning, 10 (Z)standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘(AA)Woe, woe, (AB)the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in (AC)one hour your judgment has come.’
11 “And the (AD)merchants of the earth (AE)weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— 12 cargoes of (AF)gold and silver and precious [m]stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and [n]bronze and iron and marble, 13 and cinnamon and [o]spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and [p]slaves and [q](AG)human lives. 14 The fruit [r]you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. 15 The (AH)merchants of (AI)these things, who became rich from her, will (AJ)stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, ‘(AK)Woe, woe, (AL)the great city, she who (AM)was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and [s]adorned with gold and precious [t]stones and pearls; 17 for in (AN)one hour such great wealth has been laid (AO)waste!’ And (AP)every shipmaster and every [u]passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, (AQ)stood at a distance, 18 and were (AR)crying out as they (AS)saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘(AT)What city is like (AU)the great city?’ 19 And they threw (AV)dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘(AW)Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea (AX)became rich by her [v]wealth, for in (AY)one hour she has been laid (AZ)waste!’ 20 (BA)Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you [w]saints and (BB)apostles and prophets, because (BC)God has [x]pronounced judgment for you against her.”
21 Then [y]a (BD)strong angel (BE)took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, (BF)the great city, be thrown down with violence, and (BG)will not be found any longer. 22 And (BH)the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the (BI)sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; 23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the (BJ)voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your (BK)merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived (BL)by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the (BM)blood of prophets and of [z]saints and of (BN)all who have been slain on the earth.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.