M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Altar for Burnt Offerings
38 Then he built the altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood. The altar was square—seven and one-half feet long and seven and one-half feet wide—and it was four and one-half feet high. 2 He made each corner stick out like a horn so that the horns and the altar were joined together in one piece. Then he covered the altar with bronze. 3 He made all the tools of bronze to use on the altar: the pots, shovels, bowls for sprinkling blood, meat forks, and pans for carrying the fire. 4 He made a large bronze screen to hold the burning wood for the altar and put it inside the altar, under its rim, halfway up from the bottom. 5 He made bronze rings to hold the poles for carrying the altar, and he put them at the four corners of the screen. 6 Then he made poles of acacia wood and covered them with bronze. 7 He put the poles through the rings on both sides of the altar, to carry it. He made the altar of boards and left the inside hollow.
The Bronze Bowl
8 He made the bronze bowl for washing, and he built it on a bronze stand. He used the bronze from mirrors that belonged to the women who served at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.
The Courtyard of the Holy Tent
9 Then he made a wall of curtains to form a courtyard around the Holy Tent. On the south side the curtains were one hundred fifty feet long and were made of fine linen. 10 The curtains hung on silver hooks and bands, placed on twenty bronze posts with twenty bronze bases. 11 On the north side the wall of curtains was also one hundred fifty feet long, and it hung on silver hooks and bands on twenty posts with twenty bronze bases.
12 On the west side of the courtyard, the wall of curtains was seventy-five feet long. It was held up by silver hooks and bands on ten posts with ten bases. 13 The east side was also seventy-five feet long. 14 On one side of the entry there was a wall of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts and three bases. 15 On the other side of the entry there was also a wall of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts and three bases. 16 All the curtains around the courtyard were made of fine linen. 17 The bases for the posts were made of bronze. The hooks and the bands on the posts were made of silver, and the tops of the posts were covered with silver also. All the posts in the courtyard had silver bands.
18 The curtain for the entry of the courtyard was made of blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen, sewn by a person who could sew well. The curtain was thirty feet long and seven and one-half feet high, the same height as the curtains around the courtyard. 19 It was held up by four posts and four bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver, and the tops on the posts were covered with silver. 20 All the tent pegs for the Holy Tent and for the curtains around the courtyard were made of bronze.
21 This is a list of the materials used to make the Holy Tent, where the Agreement was kept. Moses ordered the Levites to make this list, and Ithamar son of Aaron was in charge of keeping it. 22 Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord commanded Moses. 23 Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan helped him. He could cut designs into metal and stone; he was a designer and also skilled at sewing the blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen.
24 The total amount of gold used to build the Holy Tent was presented to the Lord. It weighed over 2,000 pounds, as set by the Holy Place measure.
25 The silver was given by the members of the community who were counted. It weighed 7,550 pounds, as set by the Holy Place measure. 26 All the men twenty years old or older were counted. There were 603,550 men, and each man had to pay one-fifth of an ounce of silver, as set by the Holy Place measure. 27 Of this silver, 7,500 pounds were used to make the one hundred bases for the Holy Tent and for the curtain—75 pounds of silver in each base. 28 They used 50 pounds of silver to make the hooks for the posts and to cover the tops of the posts and to make the bands on them.
29 The bronze which was presented to the Lord weighed about 5,000 pounds. 30 They used the bronze to make the bases at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, to make the altar and the bronze screen, and to make all the tools for the altar. 31 This bronze was also used to make bases for the wall of curtains around the courtyard and bases for curtains at the entry to the courtyard, as well as to make the tent pegs for the Holy Tent and the curtains that surrounded the courtyard.
Jesus Prays for His Followers
17 After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. 2 You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him. 3 And this is eternal life: that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. 4 Having finished the work you gave me to do, I brought you glory on earth. 5 And now, Father, give me glory with you; give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.
6 “I showed what you are like to those you gave me from the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your teaching. 7 Now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. 8 I gave them the teachings you gave me, and they accepted them. They knew that I truly came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for people in the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And my glory is shown through them. 11 I am coming to you; I will not stay in the world any longer. But they are still in the world. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they will be one, just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and only one of them, the one worthy of destruction, was lost so that the Scripture would come true.
13 “I am coming to you now. But I pray these things while I am still in the world so that these followers can have all of my joy in them. 14 I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to keep them safe from the Evil One. 16 They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 17 Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth. 18 I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. 19 For their sake, I am making myself ready to serve so that they can be ready for their service of the truth.
20 “I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching. 21 Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given these people the glory that you gave me so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 I will be in them and you will be in me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me.
24 “Father, I want these people that you gave me to be with me 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 are the One who is good. The world does not know you, but I know you, and these people know you sent me. 26 I showed them what you are like, and I will show them again. Then they will have the same love that you have for me, and I will live in them.”
14 A wise woman strengthens her family,
but a foolish woman destroys hers by what she does.
2 People who live good lives respect the Lord,
but those who live evil lives don’t.
3 Fools will be punished for their proud words,
but the words of the wise will protect them.
4 When there are no oxen, no food is in the barn.
But with a strong ox, much grain can be grown.
5 A truthful witness does not lie,
but a false witness tells nothing but lies.
6 Those who make fun of wisdom look for it and do not find it,
but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding.
7 Stay away from fools,
because they can’t teach you anything.
8 A wise person will understand what to do,
but a foolish person is dishonest.
9 Fools don’t care if they sin,
but honest people work at being right.
10 No one else can know your sadness,
and strangers cannot share your joy.
11 The wicked person’s house will be destroyed,
but a good person’s tent will still be standing.
12 Some people think they are doing right,
but in the end it leads to death.
13 Someone who is laughing may be sad inside,
and joy may end in sadness.
14 Evil people will be paid back for their evil ways,
and good people will be rewarded for their good ones.
15 Fools will believe anything,
but the wise think about what they do.
16 Wise people are careful and stay out of trouble,
but fools are careless and quick to act.
17 Someone with a quick temper does foolish things,
but someone with understanding remains calm.
18 Fools are rewarded with nothing but more foolishness,
but the wise are rewarded with knowledge.
19 Evil people will bow down to those who are good;
the wicked will bow down at the door of those who do right.
20 The poor are rejected, even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.
21 It is a sin to hate your neighbor,
but being kind to the needy brings happiness.
22 Those who make evil plans will be ruined,
but those who plan to do good will be loved and trusted.
23 Those who work hard make a profit,
but those who only talk will be poor.
24 Wise people are rewarded with wealth,
but fools only get more foolishness.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is a traitor.
26 Those who respect the Lord will have security,
and their children will be protected.
27 Respect for the Lord gives life.
It is like a fountain that can save people from death.
28 A king is honored when he has many people to rule,
but a prince is ruined if he has none.
29 Patient people have great understanding,
but people with quick tempers show their foolishness.
30 Peace of mind means a healthy body,
but jealousy will rot your bones.
31 Whoever mistreats the poor insults their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
32 The wicked are ruined by their own evil,
but those who do right are protected even in death.
33 Wisdom lives in those with understanding,
and even fools recognize it.
34 Doing what is right makes a nation great,
but sin will bring disgrace to any people.
35 A king is pleased with a wise servant,
but he will become angry with one who causes him shame.
1 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.
To all of God’s holy people in Christ Jesus who live in Philippi, including your overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Prayer
3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you. 5 I thank God for the help you gave me while I preached the Good News—help you gave from the first day you believed until now. 6 God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.
7 And I know that I am right to think like this about all of you, because I have you in my heart. All of you share in God’s grace with me while I am in prison and while I am defending and proving the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows that I want to see you very much, because I love all of you with the love of Christ Jesus.
9 This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; 10 that you will see the difference between good and bad and will choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; 11 that you will be filled with the good things produced in your life by Christ to bring glory and praise to God.
Paul’s Troubles Help the Work
12 I want you brothers and sisters to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the Good News. 13 All the palace guards and everyone else knows that I am in prison because I am a believer in Christ. 14 Because I am in prison, most of the believers have become more bold in Christ and are not afraid to speak the word of God.
15 It is true that some preach about Christ because they are jealous and ambitious, but others preach about Christ because they want to help. 16 They preach because they have love, and they know that God gave me the work of defending the Good News. 17 But the others preach about Christ for selfish and wrong reasons, wanting to make trouble for me in prison.
18 But it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that in every way, whether for right or wrong reasons, they are preaching about Christ. So I am happy, and I will continue to be happy. 19 Because you are praying for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ is helping me, I know this trouble will bring my freedom. 20 I expect and hope that I will not fail Christ in anything but that I will have the courage now, as always, to show the greatness of Christ in my life here on earth, whether I live or die. 21 To me the only important thing about living is Christ, and dying would be profit for me. 22 If I continue living in my body, I will be able to work for the Lord. I do not know what to choose—living or dying. 23 It is hard to choose between the two. I want to leave this life and be with Christ, which is much better, 24 but you need me here in my body. 25 Since I am sure of this, I know I will stay with you to help you grow and have joy in your faith. 26 You will be very happy in Christ Jesus when I am with you again.
27 Only one thing concerns me: Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ. Then whether I come and visit you or am away from you, I will hear that you are standing strong with one purpose, that you work together as one for the faith of the Good News, 28 and that you are not afraid of those who are against you. All of this is proof that your enemies will be destroyed but that you will be saved by God. 29 God gave you the honor not only of believing in Christ but also of suffering for him, both of which bring glory to Christ. 30 When I was with you, you saw the struggles I had, and you hear about the struggles I am having now. You yourselves are having the same kind of struggles.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.