M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Bread in the Morning, Meat in the Evening

16 All the people of Israel left Elim, and came to the Desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. It was the fifteenth day of the second month after they left the land of Egypt. ² And all the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert, ³ saying, “We should have died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. For you have brought us out into this desert to kill all of us with hunger.”

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I will rain bread from heaven for you. The people will go out and gather a day’s share every day, so I may test them to see if they will follow My Law or not. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to bring in twice as much as they gather each day.” ⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to the people of Israel, “This evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. ⁷ And in the morning you will see the greatness of the Lord. For He hears your complaining against the Lord. What are we, that you complain against us?” ⁸ Moses said, “The Lord is giving you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning. For He hears how you complain against Him. What are we? You complain not against us, but against the Lord.” ⁹ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the people of Israel, ‘Come near to the Lord, for He has heard your complaining.’” ¹⁰ When Aaron spoke to all the people of Israel, they looked toward the desert. And they saw in the cloud the shining-greatness of the Lord. ¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the complaining of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘In the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³ In the evening quails came and covered the place where the people were staying. And in the early morning a little water was around the tents. ¹⁴ When the water had gone, there were small white pieces all over the ground of the desert. ¹⁵ When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has told you to do: ‘Every man gather as much of it as he can eat. Take a jar for every person that each of you has in his tent.’” ¹⁷ The people did so. Some gathered much and some less. ¹⁸ When they saw how much they had, he who had gathered much had no more than what was needed. And he who had gathered less had enough. Every man gathered as much as he could eat. ¹⁹ Moses said to them, “Let no one save any of it until morning.” ²⁰ But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it until morning. And worms grew in it and it became bad to eat. So Moses was angry with them. ²¹ Morning after morning they gathered it, every man as much as he could eat. But when the sun became hot, it would melt.

²² On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two jars for each person. When all the leaders of the people came and told Moses, ²³ he said to them, “This is what the Lord said: ‘Tomorrow is a time of rest, a holy Day of Rest to the Lord. Make ready the food you will need for today. Then put aside what is left to be kept until morning.’” ²⁴ So they put it aside until morning, as Moses told them. And it did not become bad to eat, and there were no worms in it. ²⁵ Moses said, “Eat it today. For today is a Day of Rest to the Lord. Today you will not find it in the field. ²⁶ Six days you will gather it. But on the seventh day, the Day of Rest, there will be none.” ²⁷ On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather it. But they found none. ²⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “How much longer will you go against My Word and My Laws? ²⁹ See, the Lord has given you the Day of Rest. This is why He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Every man should stay home and not leave his place on the seventh day.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The people of Israel called it bread from heaven. It was like coriander seed, white, and tasted like bread made with honey. ³² Moses said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Let a jar of it be kept for your children and grandchildren to come, so they may see the bread that I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” ³³ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar full of the bread from heaven. And put it before the Lord, to be kept for all your children to come.” ³⁴ As the Lord told Moses, Aaron put it in front of the special box of the agreement to be kept. ³⁵ The people of Israel ate the bread from heaven forty years, until they came to a land where other people lived. They ate the bread from heaven until they came to the land of Canaan. ³⁶ (It took about ten jars to fill a large basket.)

The Changed Life of Zaccheus

19 Jesus went on to the city of Jericho and was passing through it. ² There was a rich man named Zaccheus. He was a leader of those who gathered taxes. ³ Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus but he could not because so many people were there and he was a short man. ⁴ He ran ahead and got up into a sycamore tree to see Him. Jesus was going by that way.

⁵ When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw Zaccheus. He said, “Zaccheus, come down at once. I must stay in your house today.” ⁶ At once he came down and was glad to have Jesus come to his house. ⁷ When the people saw it, they began to complain among themselves. They said, “He is going to stay with a man who is known to be a sinner.”

⁸ Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, “Lord, see! Half of what I own I will give to poor people. And if I have taken money from anyone in a wrong way, I will pay him back four times as much.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today, a person has been saved in this house. This man is a Jew also. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to look for and to save from the punishment of sin those who are lost.”

The Picture-Story of the Ten Servants and the Money

¹¹ As they heard these things, Jesus told them a picture-story. Because He was near Jerusalem, they thought the holy nation of God would come at once. ¹² So Jesus said, “A leader of a country went to another country far away. A nation was to be given to him, then he would return home. ¹³ He called ten of the servants he owned. He gave them ten pieces of money and said to them, ‘Put this money to use until I return.’ ¹⁴ But other men in his country hated him. They sent men after him to tell him they did not want him as their king. ¹⁵ After he had been given the other nation, he returned as king. He asked for his servants who had received the money to come to him. He wanted to know how much more they had after putting it to use. ¹⁶ The first one came and said, ‘Lord, the piece of money you gave me has made ten more pieces of money.’ ¹⁷ He said to him, ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful in using a little. Now you will be leader over ten cities.’

¹⁸ “The second man came to him and said, ‘Lord, the piece of money you gave me has made five more pieces of money.’ ¹⁹ He said to him, ‘You are to be leader over five cities.’

²⁰ “Another one came saying, ‘Lord, look! Here is your piece of money. I have kept it hid in a piece of cloth. ²¹ I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take what you have not put down. You gather where you have not planted.’ ²² The king said to him, ‘By the words from your own mouth I must say that you are guilty. You are a sinful servant. You knew I was a hard man. You knew I take what I have not put down. You knew I gather where I have not planted. ²³ Why did you not put my money in the bank? Then when I came back I could have had my own money and what the bank paid for using it.’

²⁴ “Then he said to those who were standing by, ‘Take the piece of money from him and give it to the one who has ten pieces of money.’ ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he already has ten pieces of money.’”

²⁶ Jesus said, “I tell you, he who has, to him will be given more. To him who does not have, even the little he has will be taken from him. ²⁷ ‘Bring here those who hated me and did not want me to be their king and kill them in front of me.’” ²⁸ When He had finished the picture-story, He went on ahead of them up to Jerusalem.

The Last Time Jesus Goes into Jerusalem ^(A)

²⁹ When Jesus was coming near the towns of Bethphage and Bethany by the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His followers on ahead. ³⁰ He said, “Go into the town ahead of you. There you will find a young donkey tied. No man has ever sat on it. Let it loose and bring it to Me. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you letting it loose?’ say to him, ‘Because the Lord needs it.’”

³² Those who were sent found everything as Jesus had told them. ³³ As they were letting the young donkey loose, the owners said to them, “Why are you letting the young donkey loose?” ³⁴ They answered, “The Lord needs it.” ³⁵ Then they brought it to Jesus. They put their coats on the donkey and they put Jesus on it.

³⁶ As Jesus was going, they put their coats down on the road. ³⁷ Jesus was near the city and ready to go down the Mount of Olives. The many people who were following Him began to sing with loud voices and give thanks for all the powerful works they had seen. ³⁸ They said, “Great and honored is the King Who comes in the name of the Lord. There is peace and greatness in the highest heaven.”

³⁹ Some of the proud religious law-keepers who were in among the people said to Jesus, “Teacher, speak sharp words to Your followers.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to them, “I tell you that if these did not speak, the very stones would call out.”

Jesus Cried as He Saw Jerusalem

⁴¹ When Jesus came near the city, He cried as He saw it. ⁴² He said, “If you had only known on this great day the things that make peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The time is coming when those who hate you will dig earth and throw it up around you making a wall. They will shut you in from every side. ⁴⁴ They will destroy you and your children with you. There will not be one stone on another. It is because you did not know when God visited you.”

Jesus Stops the Buying and Selling in the House of God ^(B)

⁴⁵ Jesus went into the house of God. He made those leave who were buying and selling there. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer.’ ‘But you have made it a place of robbers.’” ^(C)

⁴⁷ Jesus taught each day in the house of God. But the religious leaders and the teachers of the Law and other leaders of the people tried to think of some way they could kill Him. ⁴⁸ They could not find a way because the people were always near Him listening to Him teach.

Elihu Keeps On Speaking

34 Then Elihu said, ² “Hear my words, you wise men. Listen to me, you who know. ³ For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food. ⁴ Let us choose for ourselves what is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good. ⁵ For Job has said, ‘I am right and good, but God has taken away my right. ⁶ Would I lie about my right? I have been hurt so that I cannot be healed, but I have done no wrong.’ ⁷ What man is like Job, who drinks up words against him like water? ⁸ He goes among those who do wrong, and walks with sinful men. ⁹ For he has said, ‘A man gets nothing by trying to please God.’

¹⁰ “So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do what is sinful, and from the All-powerful to do wrong. ¹¹ For He pays a man by the work he does. He will see that a man is paid for what he does. ¹² For sure God will not do wrong. The All-powerful will not turn what is right into sin. ¹³ Who gave Him the power over the earth? Who gave Him the whole world to take care of? ¹⁴ If He should take back His spirit and His breath, ¹⁵ all flesh would die together, and man would return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to what I say. ¹⁷ Should one who hates what is right be the one to rule? Will you say that He Who is right and good and strong is guilty? ¹⁸ Who says to a king, ‘You are of no worth,’ and to rulers, ‘You are sinful’? ¹⁹ Who shows no favor to princes, or thinks of the rich as more important than the poor? They are all the work of His hands. ²⁰ In a short time they die. At midnight the people are shaken and pass away. And the powerful are taken away by no human hand.

²¹ “For God’s eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps. ²² There is no darkness or shadow where sinners can hide themselves. ²³ For God does not need to set a time for man to go before Him and be judged. ²⁴ He breaks powerful men in pieces without asking any reason, and puts others in their place. ²⁵ For He knows their works. He puts them down in the night, and they are crushed. ²⁶ God punishes them for their sin where everyone can see them. ²⁷ Because they turned aside from following Him. They did not care about any of His ways. ²⁸ So they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him. And He heard the cry of those in need. ²⁹ When He keeps quiet, who can say He is wrong? When He hides His face, who can see Him? But He is over both nation and man. ³⁰ So men without God should not rule and should not be a trap for the people.

³¹ “For has any one said to God, ‘I have suffered punishment, and will not cause any more trouble? ³² Teach me what I cannot see. If I have sinned, I will do it no more’? ³³ Will God ask what you want to do, when you will not do what He says? You must decide, and not I. So tell what you know. ³⁴ Men of understanding will say to me, and wise men who hear me say, ³⁵ ‘Job speaks without much learning. His words are without wisdom. ³⁶ Job should be tried to the end, because he answers like sinful men. ³⁷ To his sin he adds a strong will against God. Making fun he claps his hands among us, and speaks many words against God.’”

Paul Is Faithful in Preaching the Good News

4 Through God’s loving-kindness, He has given us this job to do. So we do not give up. ² We have put away all things that are done in secret and in shame. We do not play with the Word of God or use it in a false way. Because we are telling the truth, we want men’s hearts to listen to us. God knows our desires. ³ If the Good News we preach is hidden, it is hidden to those who are lost in sin. ⁴ The eyes of those who do not believe are made blind by Satan who is the god of this world. He does not want the light of the Good News to shine in their hearts. This Good News shines as the shining-greatness of Christ. Christ is as God is. ⁵ We do not preach about ourselves. We preach Christ Jesus the Lord. We are your servants because of Jesus. ⁶ It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” ^(A) He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.

⁷ We have this light from God in our human bodies. This shows that the power is from God. It is not from ourselves. ⁸ We are pressed on every side, but we still have room to move. We are often in much trouble, but we never give up. ⁹ People make it hard for us, but we are not left alone. We are knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ We carry marks on our bodies that show the death of Jesus. This is how Jesus makes His life seen in our bodies. ¹¹ Every day of our life we face death because of Jesus. In this way, His life is seen in our bodies. ¹² Death is working in us because we work for the Lord, but His life is working in you.

¹³ The Holy Writings say, “I believed, so I spoke.” ^(B) We have the same kind of faith as David had. We also believe, so we speak. ¹⁴ We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. He will raise us up also. God will take us to Himself and He will take you. ¹⁵ These things happened for your good. As more people receive God’s favor, they will give thanks for the shining-greatness of God.

Life Now—Life in Heaven

¹⁶ This is the reason we do not give up. Our human body is wearing out. But our spirits are getting stronger every day. ¹⁷ The little troubles we suffer now for a short time are making us ready for the great things God is going to give us forever. ¹⁸ We do not look at the things that can be seen. We look at the things that cannot be seen. The things that can be seen will come to an end. But the things that cannot be seen will last forever.