M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Improper Conduct for Priests
10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took an incense burner and put burning coals and incense in it. Then in the Lord’s presence they offered this unauthorized fire. 2 A fire flashed from the Lord and burned them, and they died in the presence of the Lord.
3 Moses said to Aaron, “This is exactly what the Lord said:
‘I will show my holiness among those who come to me.
I will show my glory to all the people.’ ”
Aaron was speechless.
4 Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle, Uzziel. He told them, “Come and take your relatives away from in front of the holy place. Take them outside the camp.” 5 So they came and took them away to a place outside the camp, as Moses told them. The dead men were still in their linen robes.
6 Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: “Do not mourn by leaving your hair uncombed or tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die and the Lord will become angry with the whole congregation. All the other Israelites may cry over the fire the Lord sent, but you may not. 7 You must not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or else you, too, will die, because the Lord has anointed you with his oil.” They obeyed Moses.
Proper Conduct for Priests
8 The Lord spoke to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons must not drink any wine or liquor when you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a permanent law for generations to come. 10 Teach them the difference between what is holy and what is unholy, what is clean and what is unclean.[a] 11 Also teach the Israelites all the laws that I gave them through Moses.”
12 Moses told Aaron and his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from the offering by fire to the Lord. Make unleavened bread, and eat it next to the altar because it is very holy. 13 Eat it in a holy place because it is the part of the offering by fire to the Lord that belongs to you and your children. That is the command I received. 14 Also eat the breast presented ⌞to the Lord⌟ and the thigh that was given as a contribution. You and your sons and daughters may eat them in a clean place because they are your part of the fellowship offerings from the Israelites. 15 They will bring the thigh given as a contribution, the breast presented ⌞to the Lord⌟, and the fat that is to be burned and present them to the Lord. These parts will belong to you and your children. This will be a permanent law, as the Lord has commanded.”
Eleazar and Ithamar Sacrifice the Offering for Sin
16 Moses tried to find out what had happened to the male goat that was supposed to be the offering for sin. To his surprise, it had already been burned. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s surviving sons. 17 He asked them, “Why didn’t you eat the offering for sin in the holy place? It is very holy and was given to you to take away the sins of the congregation and to make peace with the Lord for them. 18 Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you certainly should have eaten it there, as I commanded.”
19 Aaron answered Moses, “Today they sacrificed their offering for sin and their burnt offering in the Lord’s presence, and look what happened to me. If I had eaten the offering for sin today, would the Lord have approved?”
20 When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.
For the choir director; by David.
11 I have taken refuge in the Lord.
How can you say to me:
“Flee to your mountain like a bird?
2 Wicked people bend their bows.
They set their arrows against the strings
to shoot in the dark at people whose motives are decent.
3 When the foundations ⌞of life⌟ are undermined,
what can a righteous person do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes see.
They examine Adam’s descendants.
5 The Lord tests righteous people,
but he hates wicked people and the ones who love violence.
6 He rains down fire and burning sulfur upon wicked people.
He makes them drink from a cup filled with scorching wind.
7 The Lord is righteous.
He loves a righteous way of life.
Decent people will see his face.
For the choir director; on the sheminith; a psalm by David.
12 Help, O Lord.
No godly person is left.
Faithful people have vanished from among Adam’s descendants!
2 All people speak foolishly.
They speak with flattering lips. They say one thing but mean another.
3 May the Lord cut off every flattering lip
and every bragging tongue
4 that has said,
“We will overcome with our tongues.
With lips such as ours, who can be our master?”
5 “Because oppressed people are robbed and needy people groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will provide safety for those who long for it.”
6 The promises of the Lord are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace and purified seven times.
7 O Lord, you will protect them.
You will keep each one safe from those people forever.
8 Wicked people parade around
when immorality increases among Adam’s descendants.
25 These also are Solomon’s proverbs that were copied by the men of King Hezekiah of Judah.
Advice for Kings
2 It is the glory of God to hide things
but the glory of kings to investigate them.
3 ⌞Like⌟ the high heavens and the deep earth,
so the mind of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take the impurities out of silver,
and a vessel is ready for the silversmith to mold.
5 Take a wicked person away from the presence of a king,
and justice will make his throne secure.
6 Do not brag about yourself in front of a king
or stand in the spot that belongs to notable people,
7 because it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put down in front of a prince
whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not be in a hurry to go to court.
What will you do in the end if your neighbor disgraces you?
9 Present your argument to your neighbor,
but do not reveal another person’s secret.
10 Otherwise, when he hears about it, he will humiliate you,
and his evil report about you will never disappear.
11 ⌞Like⌟ golden apples in silver settings,
⌞so⌟ is a word spoken at the right time.
12 ⌞Like⌟ a gold ring and a fine gold ornament,
⌞so⌟ is constructive criticism to the ear of one who listens.
13 Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day,
⌞so⌟ is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him:
He refreshes his masters.
14 ⌞Like⌟ a dense fog or a dust storm,
⌞so⌟ is a person who brags about a gift that he does not give.
15 With patience you can persuade a ruler,
and a soft tongue can break bones.
16 When you find honey, eat only as much as you need.
Otherwise, you will have too much and vomit.
17 Do not set foot in your neighbor’s house too often.
Otherwise, he will see too much of you and hate you.
18 ⌞Like⌟ a club and a sword and a sharp arrow,
⌞so⌟ is a person who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19 ⌞Like⌟ a broken tooth and a lame foot,
⌞so⌟ is confidence in an unfaithful person in a ⌞time of⌟ crisis.
20 ⌞Like⌟ taking off a coat on a cold day
or pouring vinegar on baking soda,
so is singing songs to one who has an evil heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.
22 ⌞In this way⌟ you will make him feel guilty and ashamed,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 ⌞As⌟ the north wind brings rain,
so a whispering tongue brings angry looks.
24 Better to live on a corner of a roof
than to share a home with a quarreling woman.
25 ⌞Like⌟ cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from far away.
26 ⌞Like⌟ a muddied spring and a polluted well,
⌞so⌟ is a righteous person who gives in to a wicked person.
27 Eating too much honey is not good,
and searching for honor is not honorable.
28 ⌞Like⌟ a city broken into ⌞and⌟ left without a wall,
⌞so⌟ is a person who lacks self-control.
Instructions on the Way Christians Should Live
4 Now then, brothers and sisters, because of the Lord Jesus we ask and encourage you to excel in living a God-pleasing life even more than you already do. Do this the way we taught you. 2 You know what orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you keep away from sexual sin as a mark of your devotion to him. 4 Each of you should know that finding a husband or wife for yourself is to be done in a holy and honorable way, 5 not in the passionate, lustful way of people who don’t know God. 6 No one should take advantage of or exploit other believers that way. The Lord is the one who punishes people for all these things. We’ve already told you and warned you about this. 7 God didn’t call us to be sexually immoral but to be holy. 8 Therefore, whoever rejects this ⌞order⌟ is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 You don’t need anyone to write to you about the way Christians should love each other. God has taught you to love each other. 10 In fact, you are showing love to all the Christians throughout the province of Macedonia. We encourage you as believers to excel in love even more. 11 Also, make it your goal to live quietly, do your work, and earn your own living, as we ordered you. 12 Then your way of life will win respect from those outside ⌞the church⌟, and you won’t have to depend on anyone else for what you need.
Comfort about Christians Who Have Died
13 Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be ignorant about those who have died. We don’t want you to grieve like other people who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and came back to life. We also believe that, through Jesus, God will bring back those who have died. They will come back with Jesus. 15 We are telling you what the Lord taught. We who are still alive when the Lord comes will not go ⌞into his kingdom⌟ ahead of those who have already died. 16 The Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet ⌞call⌟ of God. First, the dead who believed in Christ will come back to life. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive will be taken in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. In this way we will always be with the Lord. 18 So then, comfort each other with these words!
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