M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Laws about Animals the Israelites May and May Not Eat(A)
11 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Tell the Israelites: Here are the kinds of land animals you may eat: 3 all animals that have completely divided hoofs and that also chew their cud. 4 However, from those that either chew their cud or have divided hoofs, these are the kinds you must never eat: You must never eat camels. (Camels are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 5 You must never eat rock badgers. (Rock badgers are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 6 You must never eat rabbits. (Rabbits are unclean because they chew their cud but do not have divided hoofs.) 7 You must never eat pigs. (Because pigs have completely divided hoofs but do not chew their cud, they are also unclean.) 8 Never eat the meat of these animals or touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.
9 “Here are the kinds of creatures that live in the water which you may eat—anything in the seas and streams that has fins and scales. 10 However, you must consider all swarming creatures living in the seas or the streams that have no fins or scales disgusting. 11 They must remain disgusting to you. Never eat their meat. Consider their dead bodies disgusting. 12 Every creature in the water without fins or scales is disgusting to you.
13 “Here are the kinds of birds you must consider disgusting and must not eat. They are eagles, bearded vultures, black vultures, 14 kites, all types of buzzards, 15 all types of crows, 16 ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, all types of falcons, 17 little owls, cormorants, great owls, 18 barn owls, pelicans, ospreys, 19 storks, all types of herons, hoopoes, and bats.
20 “Every swarming, winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you. 21 However, you may eat winged insects that swarm if they use their legs to hop on the ground. 22 You may eat any kind of locust, cricket, katydid, or grasshopper. 23 Every kind of winged insect that walks across the ground like a four-legged animal is disgusting to you.
24 “Regarding the creatures mentioned above, this is how you would become unclean: Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 25 Whoever carries any part of their dead bodies must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. 26 All animals whose hoofs are not completely divided or that don’t chew their cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them is unclean. 27 All four-legged animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 28 Those who carry the dead body of any of these animals must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you.
29 “The following swarming creatures that move on the ground are unclean for you—moles, mice, and all types of lizards: 30 geckos, monitors, lizards, skinks, and chameleons. 31 Among all the swarming creatures that move on the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening. 32 When the dead body of one of these creatures falls on something, that thing will be unclean. It may be a wooden article, clothing, leather, a sack, or anything used for any purpose. It should be put in water and will be unclean until evening. Then it will be clean ⌞again⌟.
33 “If any of these creatures falls into a piece of pottery, break the pottery because everything in it is unclean. 34 If water ⌞from that pottery⌟ touches any food, the food is unclean. Any liquid that you drink from that pottery is unclean. 35 Anything on which their dead bodies fall is unclean. If it is an oven or a stove, smash it. It is unclean and will remain unclean for you. 36 However, a spring or a cistern holding water will remain clean. But anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean. 37 If their dead bodies fall on seed that is to be planted, the seed is clean. 38 But if water is poured on the seed and their dead bodies fall on it, the seed is unclean for you.
39 “When any animal that you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its dead body will be unclean until evening. 40 Those who eat any of its dead body must wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening. Those who carry its dead body away will wash their clothes and will be unclean until evening.
41 “Any creature that swarms on the ground is disgusting and must not be eaten. 42 Don’t eat any creature with many legs that goes on its belly or on the ground like a four-legged animal, or any creature that swarms on the ground. Consider them disgusting. 43 Don’t become disgusting by eating anything that swarms on the ground. Never allow yourselves to become unclean because of them.
44 “Here is the reason: I am the Lord your God. You must live holy lives. Be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground. 45 Here is the reason ⌞again⌟: I am the Lord. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy.
46 “These are the instructions about animals, birds, and every living creature that swims in the water and every creature that swarms on the ground. 47 These instructions help you distinguish between clean and unclean, the animals you may eat and those you may not eat.”
Instructions for Women after Childbirth
12 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites: When a woman gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days. This is the same number of days she is unclean for her monthly period. 3 The boy must be circumcised when he is eight days old. 4 Then she must stay at home for 33 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding. She must not touch anything holy or go into the holy place until the days needed to make her clean are over.
5 “When a woman gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean as in her monthly period. However, she will be unclean for two weeks. Then she must stay at home for 66 days in order to be made clean from her bleeding.
6 “When the days needed to make her clean are over, she must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a mourning dove as an offering for sin. She must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 The priest will offer them in the Lord’s presence to make peace with the Lord for her. Then she will be clean from her flow of blood.
“These are the instructions for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. 8 If she cannot afford a lamb, she must use two mourning doves or two pigeons. One will be the burnt offering and the other the offering for sin. So the priest will make peace with the Lord for her, and she will be clean.”
For the choir director; a psalm by David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I make decisions alone
with sorrow in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look at me! Answer me, O Lord my God!
Light up my eyes,
or else I will die
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overpowered him.”
My opponents will rejoice because I have been shaken.
5 But I trust your mercy.
My heart finds joy in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me.
For the choir director; by David.
14 Godless fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt.
They do disgusting things.
There is no one who does good things.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on Adam’s descendants
to see if there is anyone who acts wisely,
if there is anyone who seeks help from God.
3 Everyone has turned away.
Together they have become rotten to the core.
No one, not even one person, does good things.
4 Are all those troublemakers,
those who devour my people as if they were devouring food,
so ignorant that they do not call on the Lord?
5 There they are—panic-stricken
because God is with the person who is righteous.
6 They put the advice of oppressed people to shame
because the Lord is their refuge.
7 If only salvation for Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice.
Israel will be glad.
All about Fools
26 Like snow in summertime and rain at harvest time,
so honor is not right for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow,
like a darting swallow,
so a hastily spoken curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip is for the horse,
a bridle is for the donkey,
and a rod is for the backs of fools.
4 Do not answer a fool with his own stupidity,
or you will be like him.
5 Answer a fool with his own stupidity,
or he will think he is wise.
6 Whoever uses a fool to send a message
cuts off his own feet and brings violence upon himself.
7 ⌞Like⌟ a lame person’s limp legs,
so is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8 Like tying a stone to a sling,
so is giving honor to a fool.
9 ⌞Like⌟ a thorn stuck in a drunk’s hand,
so is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10 ⌞Like⌟ many people who destroy everything,
so is one who hires fools or drifters.
11 As a dog goes back to its vomit,
⌞so⌟ a fool repeats his stupidity.
12 Have you met a person who thinks he is wise?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 A lazy person says,
“There’s a ferocious lion out on the road!
There’s a lion loose in the streets!”
14 ⌞As⌟ a door turns on its hinges,
so the lazy person turns on his bed.
15 A lazy person puts his fork in his food.
He wears himself out as he brings it back to his mouth.
16 A lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give a sensible answer.
17 ⌞Like⌟ grabbing a dog by the ears,
⌞so⌟ is a bystander who gets involved in someone else’s quarrel.
18 Like a madman who shoots flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19 so is the person who tricks his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood a fire goes out,
and without gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 ⌞As⌟ charcoal fuels burning coals and wood fuels fire,
so a quarrelsome person fuels a dispute.
22 The words of a gossip are swallowed greedily,
and they go down into a person’s innermost being.
23 ⌞Like⌟ a clay pot covered with cheap silver,
⌞so⌟ is smooth talk that covers up an evil heart.
24 Whoever is filled with hate disguises it with his speech,
but inside he holds on to deceit.
25 When he talks charmingly, do not trust him
because of the seven disgusting things in his heart.
26 His hatred is deceitfully hidden,
but his wickedness will be revealed to the community.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.
Whoever rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
Be Ready for the Day of the Lord
5 Brothers and sisters, you don’t need anyone to write to you about times and dates. 2 You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When people say, “Everything is safe and sound!” destruction will suddenly strike them. It will be as sudden as labor pains come to a pregnant woman. They won’t be able to escape. 4 But, brothers and sisters, you don’t live in the dark. That day won’t take you by surprise as a thief would. 5 You belong to the day and the light not to the night and the dark. 6 Therefore, we must not fall asleep like other people, but we must stay awake and be sober. 7 People who sleep, sleep at night; people who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 Since we belong to the day, we must be sober. We must put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 It was not God’s intention that we experience his anger but that we obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake in this life or asleep in death, we will live together with him. 11 Therefore, encourage each other and strengthen one another as you are doing.
Paul Encourages the Thessalonians
12 Brothers and sisters, we ask you to show your appreciation for those leaders who work among you and instruct you. 13 We ask you to love them and think very highly of them because of the work they are doing. Live in peace with each other.
14 We encourage you, brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not living right, cheer up those who are discouraged, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that no one ever pays back one wrong with another wrong. Instead, always try to do what is good for each other and everyone else.
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this.
19 Don’t put out the Spirit’s fire. 20 Don’t despise what God has revealed. 21 Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good. 22 Keep away from every kind of evil.
Farewell
23 May the God who gives peace make you holy in every way. May he keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.
27 In the Lord’s name, I order you to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The good will [a] of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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