M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Because of my powerful hand, he will let the people of Israel go. Because of my mighty hand, he will drive them out of his country.”
2 God continued, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the Mighty God. But I did not show them the full meaning of my name, The Lord. 4 I also made my covenant with them. I promised to give them the land of Canaan. That is where they lived as outsiders. 5 Also, I have heard the groans of the Israelites. The Egyptians are keeping them as slaves. But I have remembered my covenant.
6 “So tell the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord. I will throw off the heavy load the Egyptians have put on your shoulders. I will set you free from being slaves to them. I will reach out my arm and save you with mighty acts when I judge Egypt. 7 I will take you to be my own people. I will be your God. I throw off the load the Egyptians have put on your shoulders. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. 8 I will bring you to the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I lifted up my hand and promised it to them. The land will belong to you. I am the Lord.’ ”
9 Moses reported these things to the Israelites. But they didn’t listen to him. That’s because they had lost all hope and had to work very hard.
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go. Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the people of Israel leave his country.”
12 But Moses said to the Lord, “The people won’t listen to me. So why would Pharaoh listen to me? After all, I don’t speak very well.”
The Family Record of Moses and Aaron
13 The Lord had spoken to Moses and Aaron. He had talked with them about the Israelites and about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He had commanded Moses and Aaron to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.
14 Here were the leaders of the family groups of Reuben, Simeon and Levi.
Reuben was the oldest son of Israel. Reuben’s sons were
Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
These were the family groups of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon were
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul. Shaul was the son of a woman from Canaan.
These were the family groups of Simeon.
16 Here are the names of the sons of Levi written in their family record. They were
Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
Levi lived for 137 years.
17 The sons of Gershon, by their family groups, were
Libni and Shimei.
18 The sons of Kohath were
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
Kohath lived for 133 years.
19 The sons of Merari were
Mahli and Mushi.
These are the family groups of Levi written in their family record.
20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed. Aaron and Moses were members of Amram’s family line.
Amram lived for 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar were
Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were
Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon. She had Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar by Aaron.
24 The sons of Korah were
Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph.
These were the family groups of Korah.
25 Eleazar, the son of Aaron, married one of the daughters of Putiel. She had Phinehas by Eleazar.
These are the leaders of the families of Levi. Their names are written in their family records.
26 The Lord had spoken to this same Aaron and Moses. He had told them, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt like an army on the march.” 27 They spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt. It was this same Moses and Aaron.
Aaron Speaks for Moses
28 The Lord had spoken to Moses in Egypt. 29 He had told him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I tell you.”
30 But Moses said to the Lord, “I don’t speak very well. So why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
9 Jesus called together the 12 disciples. He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to heal sicknesses. 2 Then he sent them out to announce God’s kingdom and to heal those who were sick. 3 He told them, “Don’t take anything for the journey. Do not take a walking stick or a bag. Do not take any bread, money or extra clothes. 4 When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. 5 Some people may not welcome you. If they don’t, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet. This will be a witness against the people living there.” 6 So the 12 disciples left. They went from village to village. They announced the good news and healed people everywhere.
7 Now Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything that was going on. He was bewildered, because some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. 8 Others were saying that Elijah had appeared. Still others were saying that a prophet of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I had John’s head cut off. So who is it that I hear such things about?” And he tried to see Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
10 The disciples returned. They told Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him. They went off by themselves to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds learned about it and followed Jesus. He welcomed them and spoke to them about God’s kingdom. He also healed those who needed to be healed.
12 Late in the afternoon the 12 disciples came to him. They said, “Send the crowd away. They can go to the nearby villages and countryside. There they can find food and a place to stay. There is nothing here.”
13 Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”
The disciples answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. We would have to go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 About 5,000 men were there.
But Jesus said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about 50 each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke them into pieces. Then he gave them to the disciples to give to the people. 17 All of them ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces.
Peter Says That Jesus Is the Messiah
18 One day Jesus was praying alone. Only his disciples were with him. He asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
Jesus Speaks About His Coming Death
21 Jesus strongly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. The elders will not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law will not accept him either. He must be killed and on the third day rise from the dead.”
23 Then he said to all of them, “Whoever wants to follow me must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross every day and follow me. 24 Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses or gives up their very self? 26 Suppose someone is ashamed of me and my words. The Son of Man will come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Then he will be ashamed of that person.
27 “What I’m about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God’s kingdom.”
Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he went up on a mountain to pray. He took Peter, John and James with him. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in shining glory. Jesus and the two of them talked together. 31 They talked about how he would be leaving them soon. This was going to happen in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions had been very sleepy. But then they became completely awake. They saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter spoke up. “Master,” he said to him, “it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter didn’t really know what he was saying.
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them. The disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud. It said, “This is my Son, and I have chosen him. Listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept quiet about this. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy Who Is Controlled by an Evil Spirit
37 The next day Jesus and those who were with him came down from the mountain. A large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out. “Teacher,” he said, “I beg you to look at my son. He is my only child. 39 A spirit takes hold of him, and he suddenly screams. It throws him into fits so that he foams at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him. It is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out. But they couldn’t do it.”
41 “You unbelieving and evil people!” Jesus replied. “How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him into a fit. The boy fell to the ground. But Jesus ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. Then Jesus healed him and gave him back to his father. 43 They were all amazed at God’s greatness.
Jesus Speaks a Second Time About His Coming Death
Everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did. Then Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men.” 45 But they didn’t understand what this meant. That was because it was hidden from them. And they were afraid to ask Jesus about it.
Who Is the Most Important Person?
46 The disciples began to argue about which one of them would be the most important person. 47 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had the child stand beside him. 48 Then he spoke to them. “Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me,” he said. “And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The one considered least important among all of you is really the most important.”
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
The Samaritans Do Not Welcome Jesus
51 The time grew near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. So he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers on ahead. They went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. 53 But the people there did not welcome Jesus. That was because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 The disciples James and John saw this. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?” 55 But Jesus turned and commanded them not to do it. 56 Then Jesus and his disciples went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 Once Jesus and those who were with him were walking along the road. A man said to Jesus, “I will follow you no matter where you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let dead people bury their own dead. You go and tell others about God’s kingdom.”
61 Still another person said, “I will follow you, Lord. But first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “Suppose someone starts to plow and then looks back. That person is not fit for service in God’s kingdom.”
Job’s Reply
23 Job replied,
2 “Even today my problems are more than I can handle.
In spite of my groans, God’s hand is heavy on me.
3 I wish I knew where I could find him!
I wish I could go to the place where he lives!
4 I would state my case to him.
I’d give him all my arguments.
5 I’d find out what his answers would be.
I’d think about what he would say to me.
6 Would he strongly oppose me?
No. He wouldn’t bring charges against me.
7 There honest people can prove to him they’re not guilty.
There my Judge would tell me once and for all that I’m not guilty.
8 “But if I go to the east, God isn’t there.
If I go to the west, I don’t find him.
9 When he’s working in the north, I don’t see him there.
When he turns to the south, I don’t see him there either.
10 But he knows every step I take.
When he has tested me,
I’ll come out as pure as gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps.
I’ve stayed on his path without turning away.
12 I haven’t disobeyed his commands.
I’ve treasured his words more than my daily bread.
13 “But he’s the only God. Who can oppose him?
He does anything he wants to do.
14 He carries out his plans against me.
And he still has many other plans just like them.
15 That’s why I’m so terrified.
When I think about all of this, I’m afraid of him.
16 God has made my heart weak.
The Mighty One has filled me with terror.
17 But even the darkness of death won’t make me silent.
When the darkness of the grave covers my face, I won’t be quiet.
Warnings From Israel’s History
10 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know something about our people who lived long ago. They were all led by the cloud. They all walked through the Red Sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food. 4 They all drank the same spiritual water. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them. That rock was Christ. 5 But God was not pleased with most of them. Their bodies were scattered in the desert.
6 Now those things happened as examples for us. They are supposed to keep us from wanting evil things. The people of Israel wanted these evil things. 7 So don’t worship statues of gods, as some of them did. It is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance wildly in front of their god.” (Exodus 32:6) 8 We should not commit sexual sins, as some of them did. In one day 23,000 of them died. 9 We should not test the Messiah, as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. 10 Don’t speak against God. That’s what some of the people of Israel did. And they were killed by the destroying angel.
11 Those things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us. That’s because we are living at the time when God’s work is being completed. 12 So be careful. When you think you are standing firm, you might fall. 13 You are tempted in the same way all other human beings are. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted any more than you can take. But when you are tempted, God will give you a way out. Then you will be able to deal with it.
Sharing in the Lord’s Supper
14 My dear friends, run away from statues of gods. Don’t worship them. 15 I’m talking to people who are reasonable. Judge for yourselves what I say. 16 We give thanks for the cup at the Lord’s Supper. When we do, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? When we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Just as there is one loaf, so we who are many are one body. We all share the one loaf.
18 Think about the people of Israel. Don’t those who eat the offerings share in the altar? 19 Do I mean that food sacrificed to a statue of a god is anything? Do I mean that a statue of a god is anything? 20 No! But what is sacrificed by those who worship statues of gods is really sacrificed to demons. It is not sacrificed to God. I don’t want you to be sharing with demons. 21 You can’t drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too. You can’t have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Are we stronger than he is?
The Believer’s Freedom
23 You say, “I have the right to do anything.” But not everything is helpful. Again you say, “I have the right to do anything.” But not everything builds us up. 24 No one should look out for their own interests. Instead, they should look out for the interests of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market. Don’t ask if it’s right or wrong. 26 Scripture says, “The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it.” (Psalm 24:1)
27 Suppose an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go. Then eat anything that is put in front of you. Don’t ask if it’s right or wrong. 28 But suppose someone says to you, “This food has been sacrificed to a statue of a god.” Then don’t eat it. Keep in mind the good of the person who told you. And don’t eat because of a sense of what is right and wrong. 29 I’m talking about the other person’s sense of what is right and wrong, not yours. Why is my freedom being judged by what someone else thinks? 30 Suppose I give thanks when I eat. Then why should I be blamed for eating food I thank God for?
31 So eat and drink and do everything else for the glory of God. 32 Don’t do anything that causes another person to trip and fall. It doesn’t matter if that person is a Jew or a Greek or a member of God’s church. 33 Follow my example. I try to please everyone in every way. I’m not looking out for what is good for me. I’m looking out for the interests of others. I do it so that they might be saved.
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