M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Altar for Burnt Offerings(A)
38 He made the altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood 7½ feet square and 4½ feet high. 2 He made a horn at each of its four corners. He made the four horns and the altar out of one piece ⌞of wood⌟ covered with bronze.
3 He made all the utensils out of bronze: pots, shovels, bowls, forks, and incense burners.
4 He made a grate for the altar out of bronze mesh, ⌞and put it⌟ under the ledge, halfway up the altar. 5 He cast four rings to hold the poles (one for each of the four corners of the bronze grate). 6 He made the poles out of acacia wood and covered them with bronze. 7 He put the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it. He made the altar out of boards so that it was hollow inside.
The Bronze Basin(B)
8 He made the basin and stand out of the bronze mirrors given by the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
The Courtyard(C)
9 He also made the courtyard. The south side of the courtyard was 150 feet long and had curtains made out of fine linen yarn, 10 ⌞hung⌟ on 20 posts ⌞set in⌟ 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. 11 The north side was also 150 feet long with 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver.
12 The west side was 75 feet long and had curtains ⌞hung⌟ on 10 posts ⌞set in⌟ 10 bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. 13 The east side, facing the rising sun, was 75 feet ⌞wide⌟.
14-15 Each side of the entrance to the courtyard was 22½ feet wide with curtains ⌞hung⌟ on three posts ⌞set in⌟ three bases. 16 All the curtains around the courtyard were made out of fine linen yarn. 17 The bases for the posts were made of bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver. And the bands on all the posts of the courtyard were made of silver.
18 The screen for the entrance to the courtyard was made of violet, purple, and bright red yarn embroidered on ⌞fabric made from⌟ fine linen yarn. It was 30 feet long and 7½ feet high, just like the curtains of the courtyard. 19 It was hung on four posts ⌞set in⌟ four bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver.
20 All the pegs for the tent and the surrounding courtyard were made of bronze.
The Amount of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Used
21 This is the amount of material that was used for the tent (the tent of the words of God’s promise). An inventory was ordered by Moses and carried out by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron.
22 Now Bezalel, son of Uri and grandson of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord had commanded Moses. 23 He was a jeweler, carpenter, designer, and he knew how to embroider violet, purple, and bright red yarn on fine linen. His assistant was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan.
24 The total amount of gold from the offerings presented to the Lord used in building the holy place weighed over 2,193 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place.
25 The silver collected when the census of the community was taken weighed 7,544 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place. 26 This came to one-fifth of an ounce per person, for everyone counted who was at least 20 years old: 603,550 people. 27 He used 7,500 pounds of silver to cast the 100 bases for the holy place and the canopy. This was 75 pounds per base. 28 He used 44 pounds of silver to make the hooks and bands for the posts and the coverings for the tops of the posts.
29 The bronze from the offerings presented to the Lord weighed 5,310 pounds. 30 With this he made the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grate and all its accessories, 31 the bases all around the courtyard, the bases for the entrance to the courtyard, all the pegs for the tent, and all the pegs for the surrounding courtyard.
Jesus Prays for Himself, His Disciples, and His Church
17 After saying this, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the time is here. Give your Son glory so that your Son can give you glory. 2 After all, you’ve given him authority over all humanity so that he can give eternal life to all those you gave to him. 3 This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 On earth I have given you glory by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, give me glory in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed.
6 “I made your name known to the people you gave me. They are from this world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They did what you told them. 7 Now they know that everything you gave me comes from you, 8 because I gave them the message that you gave me. They have accepted this message, and they know for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.
9 “I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. 10 Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine. I have been given glory by the people you have given me. 11 I won’t be in the world much longer, but they are in the world, and I’m coming back to you. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name that you gave me, so that their unity may be like ours. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name that you gave me. I watched over them, and none of them, except one person, became lost. So Scripture came true.
13 “But now, ⌞Father,⌟ I’m coming back to you. I say these things while I’m still in the world so that they will have the same joy that I have. 14 I have given them your message. But the world has hated them because they don’t belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
17 “Use the truth to make them holy. Your words are truth. 18 I have sent them into the world the same way you sent me into the world. 19 I’m dedicating myself to this holy work I’m doing for them so that they, too, will use the truth to be holy.
20 “I’m not praying only for them. I’m also praying for those who will believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I did this so that they are united in the same way we are. 23 I am in them, and you are in me. So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me and that you have loved them in the same way you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given to me to be with me, to be where I am. I want them to see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the world was made. 25 Father, you have done what is right and the world didn’t know you. Yet, I knew you, and these ⌞disciples⌟ have known that you sent me. 26 I have made your name known to them, and I will make it known so that the love you have for me will be in them and I will be in them.”
Wise People Live Righteously
14 The wisest of women builds up her home,
but a stupid one tears it down with her own hands.
2 Whoever lives right fears the Lord,
but a person who is devious in his ways despises him.
3 Because of a stubborn fool’s words a whip is lifted against him,
but wise people are protected by their speech.
4 Where there are no cattle, the feeding trough is empty,
but the strength of an ox produces plentiful harvests.
5 A trustworthy witness does not lie,
but a dishonest witness breathes lies.
6 A mocker searches for wisdom without finding it,
but knowledge comes easily to a person who has understanding.
7 Stay away from a fool,
because you will not receive knowledge from his lips.
8 The wisdom of a sensible person guides his way of life,
but the stupidity of fools misleads them.
9 Stubborn fools make fun of guilt,
but there is forgiveness among decent people.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger can share its joy.
11 The houses of wicked people will be destroyed,
but the tents of decent people will continue to expand.
12 There is a way that seems right to a person,
but eventually it ends in death.
13 Even while laughing a heart can ache,
and joy can end in grief.
14 A heart that turns ⌞from God⌟ becomes bored with its own ways,
but a good person is satisfied with God’s ways.
15 A gullible person believes anything,
but a sensible person watches his step.
16 A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is careless and overconfident.
17 A short-tempered person acts stupidly,
and a person who plots evil is hated.
18 Gullible people are gifted with stupidity,
but sensible people are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil people will bow to good people.
Wicked people will bow at the gates of a righteous person.
20 A poor person is hated even by his neighbor,
but a rich person is loved by many.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor sins,
but blessed is the one who is kind to humble people.
22 Don’t those who stray plan what is evil,
while those who are merciful and faithful plan what is good?
23 In hard work there is always something gained,
but idle talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of wise people is their wealth.
The stupidity of fools is just that—stupidity!
25 An honest witness saves lives,
but one who tells lies is dangerous.
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
and his children will have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life
to turn ⌞one⌟ away from the grasp of death.
28 A large population is an honor for a king,
but without people a ruler is ruined.
29 A person of great understanding is patient,
but a short temper is the height of stupidity.
30 A tranquil heart makes for a healthy body,
but jealousy is ⌞like⌟ bone cancer.
31 Whoever oppresses the poor insults his maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors him.
32 A wicked person is thrown down by his own wrongdoing,
but even in his death a righteous person has a refuge.
33 Wisdom finds rest in the heart of an understanding person.
Even fools recognize this.
Wise Ways to Live
34 Righteousness lifts up a nation,
but sin is a disgrace in any society.
35 A king is delighted with a servant who acts wisely,
but he is furious with one who acts shamefully.
Greeting
1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.
To God’s people in the city of Philippi and their bishops and deacons—to everyone who is united with Christ Jesus.
2 Good will [a] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are yours!
Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians
3 I thank my God for all the memories I have of you. 4 Every time I pray for all of you, I do it with joy. 5 I can do this because of the partnership we’ve had with you in the Good News from the first day ⌞you believed⌟ until now. 6 I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus. 7 You have a special place in my heart. So it’s right for me to think this way about all of you. All of you are my partners. Together we share God’s favor,[b] whether I’m in prison or defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God is my witness that, with all the compassion of Christ Jesus, I long ⌞to see⌟ every one of you.
9 I pray that your love will keep on growing because of your knowledge and insight. 10 That way you will be able to determine what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. 11 Jesus Christ will fill your lives with everything that God’s approval produces. Your lives will then bring glory and praise to God.
Nothing Matters Except That People Are Told about Christ
12 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what happened to me has helped to spread the Good News. 13 As a result, it has become clear to all the soldiers who guard the emperor and to everyone else that I am in prison because of Christ. 14 So through my being in prison, the Lord has given most of our brothers and sisters confidence to speak God’s word more boldly and fearlessly than ever.
15 Some people tell the message about Christ because of their jealousy and envy. Others tell the message about him because of their good will. 16 Those who tell the message about Christ out of love know that God has put me here to defend the Good News. 17 But the others are insincere. They tell the message about Christ out of selfish ambition in order to stir up trouble for me while I’m in prison. 18 But what does it matter? Nothing matters except that, in one way or another, people are told the message about Christ, whether with honest or dishonest motives, and I’m happy about that.
Paul Honors Christ Whether He Lives or Dies
Yes, I will continue to be happy 19 for another reason. I know that I will be set free through your prayers and through the help that comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of. I will speak very boldly and honor Christ in my body, now as always, whether I live or die. 21 Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I’ll have even more. 22 If I continue to live in this life, my work will produce more results. I don’t know which I would prefer. 23 I find it hard to choose between the two. I would like to leave this life and be with Christ. That’s by far the better choice. 24 But for your sake it’s better that I remain in this life. 25 Since I’m convinced of this, I know that I will continue to live and be with all of you. This will help you to grow and be joyful in your faith. 26 So by coming to you again, I want to give you even more reason to have pride in Christ Jesus with me.
Fighting for the Faith
27 Live as citizens who reflect the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I’ll hear all about you. I’ll hear that you are firmly united in spirit, united in fighting for the faith that the Good News brings. 28 So don’t let your opponents intimidate you in any way. This is God’s way of showing them that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved. 29 God has given you the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him. 30 You are involved in the same struggle that you saw me having. Now you hear that I’m still involved in it.
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