M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Sacrifices Burned Whole
1 The Lord called to Moses from the Tent of the Lord's presence and gave him the following rules 2 for the Israelites to observe when they offer their sacrifices.
When you offer an animal sacrifice, it may be one of your cattle or one of your sheep or goats. 3 If you are offering one of your cattle as a burnt offering, you must bring a bull without any defects. You must present it at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence so that the Lord will accept you. 4 You shall put your hand on its head, and it will be accepted as a sacrifice to take away your sins. 5 You shall kill the bull there, and the Aaronite priests shall present the blood to the Lord and then throw it against all four sides of the altar located at the entrance of the Tent. 6 Then you shall skin the animal and cut it up, 7 and the priests shall arrange firewood on the altar and light it. 8 They shall put on the fire the pieces of the animal, including the head and the fat. 9 You must wash the internal organs and the hind legs, and the officiating priest will burn the whole sacrifice on the altar. The odor of this food offering is pleasing to the Lord.
10 If you are offering one of your sheep or goats, it must be a male without any defects. 11 You shall kill it on the north side of the altar, and the priests shall throw its blood on all four sides of the altar. 12 After you cut it up, the officiating priest shall put on the fire all the parts, including the head and the fat. 13 You must wash the internal organs and the hind legs, and the priest will present the sacrifice to the Lord and burn all of it on the altar. The odor of this food offering is pleasing to the Lord.
14 If you are offering a bird as a burnt offering, it must be a dove or a pigeon. 15 The priest shall present it at the altar, wring its neck, and burn its head on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out against the side of the altar. 16 He shall remove the crop and its contents and throw them away on the east side of the altar where the ashes are put. 17 He shall take hold of its wings and tear its body open, without tearing the wings off, and then burn it whole on the altar. The odor of this food offering is pleasing to the Lord.
The Empty Tomb(A)
20 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. 2 She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!”
3 Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. 4 The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but he did not go in. 6 Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there 7 and the cloth which had been around Jesus' head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. (9 They still did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from death.) 10 Then the disciples went back home.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene(B)
11 Mary stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb 12 and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.
She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!”
14 Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, “If you took him away, sir, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned toward him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”)
17 “Do not hold on to me,” Jesus told her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”
18 So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what he had told her.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples(C)
19 It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 (D)If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”
The Purpose of This Book
30 In his disciples' presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. 31 But these have been written in order that you may believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.
17 Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than have a banquet in a house full of trouble.
2 A shrewd servant will gain authority over a master's worthless son and receive a part of the inheritance.
3 Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person's heart is tested by the Lord.
4 Evil people listen to evil ideas, and liars listen to lies.
5 If you make fun of poor people, you insult the God who made them. You will be punished if you take pleasure in someone's misfortune.
6 Grandparents are proud of their grandchildren, just as children are proud of their parents.
7 Respected people do not tell lies, and fools have nothing worthwhile to say.
8 Some people think a bribe works like magic; they believe it can do anything.
9 If you want people to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. Remembering wrongs can break up a friendship.
10 An intelligent person learns more from one rebuke than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.
11 Death will come like a cruel messenger to wicked people who are always stirring up trouble.
12 It is better to meet a mother bear robbed of her cubs than to meet some fool busy with a stupid project.
13 If you repay good with evil, you will never get evil out of your house.
14 The start of an argument is like the first break in a dam; stop it before it goes any further.
15 Condemning the innocent or letting the wicked go—both are hateful to the Lord.
16 It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense.
17 (A)Friends always show their love. What are relatives for if not to share trouble?
18 Only someone with no sense would promise to be responsible for someone else's debts.
19 To like sin is to like making trouble. If you brag all the time,[a] you are asking for trouble.
20 Anyone who thinks and speaks evil can expect to find nothing good—only disaster.
21 There is nothing but sadness and sorrow for parents whose children do foolish things.
22 Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.
23 Corrupt judges accept secret bribes, and then justice is not done.
24 An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.
25 Foolish children bring grief to their fathers and bitter regrets to their mothers.
26 It is not right to make an innocent person pay a fine; justice is perverted when good people are punished.
27 Those who are sure of themselves do not talk all the time. People who stay calm have real insight. 28 (B)After all, even fools may be thought wise and intelligent if they stay quiet and keep their mouths shut.
Instructions
4 So then, my friends, how dear you are to me and how I miss you! How happy you make me, and how proud I am of you!—this, dear friends, is how you should stand firm in your life in the Lord.
2 Euodia and Syntyche, please, I beg you, try to agree as sisters in the Lord. 3 And you too, my faithful partner, I want you to help these women; for they have worked hard with me to spread the gospel, together with Clement and all my other fellow workers, whose names are in God's book of the living.
4 May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!
5 Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. 7 And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
8 In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. 9 Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you.
Thanks for the Gift
10 In my life in union with the Lord it is a great joy to me that after so long a time you once more had the chance of showing that you care for me. I don't mean that you had stopped caring for me—you just had no chance to show it. 11 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. 12 I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. 13 I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.
14 But it was very good of you to help me in my troubles. 15 You Philippians know very well that when I left Macedonia in the early days of preaching the Good News, you were the only church to help me; you were the only ones who shared my profits and losses. 16 (A)More than once when I needed help in Thessalonica, you sent it to me. 17 It is not that I just want to receive gifts; rather, I want to see profit added to your account. 18 (B)Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me—and it has been more than enough! I have all I need now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. They are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, a sacrifice which is acceptable and pleasing to him. 19 And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs. 20 To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
Final Greetings
21 Greetings to each one of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus. The believers here with me send you their greetings. 22 All God's people here send greetings, especially those who belong to the Emperor's palace.
23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.