M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Purification Requirements
14 The Lord told Moses, 2 “This is the law concerning those who have infectious skin diseases, after they have been cleansed: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine the infectious skin disease to confirm that the person has been healed. 4 If he has been healed, then the priest is to command that two live and clean birds, some cedar[a] wood, some crimson thread, and hyssop be brought for the one cleansed. 5 Then the priest is to command that one bird be slaughtered on an earthen vessel over flowing water. 6 He is to take the live bird, the cedar wood, the crimson thread, and the hyssop, and dip them together in the blood of the bird that had been slaughtered over the flowing water. 7 He is to sprinkle the blood[b] seven times on the person with the infectious skin disease and then pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird into the open fields. 8 The person who is clean is to wash his clothes, shave all his hair, and bathe in water, after which he is to be declared clean. Then he can be brought back to the camp, but he is to remain outside his tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day, he is to shave the hair on his head, chin, back, and eyebrows. After he has shaved all his hair, washed his clothes, and bathed himself with water, then he will be clean.”
Reconsecration after Infections
10 “On the eighth day, he is to take two lambs without defect, a one year old ewe lamb without defect, one third of a measure of[c] fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering, and one log[d] of oil. 11 The priest who will pronounce him clean is to present the person to be cleansed and these offerings[e] in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 12 The priest is to take one of the lambs and present it as a guilt offering, along with one log[f] of olive oil, which he is to wave as a raised offering in the Lord’s presence. 13 Then he is to slaughter the lamb in the place where he slaughtered the sin and burnt offerings—that is, at a place in the sanctuary. Just as the sin offering is for the priest, so also is the guilt offering. It’s a most holy thing.
14 “Then the priest is to take some of the blood from the guilt offering and place it on the right earlobe of the person to be cleansed, on his right thumb, and on his right great toe. 15 Then the priest is to take some of the log[g] of olive oil and pour it into his own left hand. 16 The priest is to dip his right finger in the olive oil that is in his left palm and sprinkle some of the olive oil with his finger seven times in the Lord’s presence.
17 “As to the remainder of the olive oil in his palm, he is to place some on the right earlobe of the person to be cleansed, on his right thumb, on his right great toe, and on the blood of the guilt offering. 18 Then he is to place the rest of the oil in his palm on the head of the person to be cleansed, thus making atonement for him in the Lord’s presence. 19 This is how[h] the priest is to present the sin offering to make atonement for the person being cleansed of his impurity. After this, he is to slaughter the whole burnt offering. 20 The priest is to offer both the whole burnt and the grain offerings on the altar. After the priest makes atonement for him, he will be clean.”
Alternate Offerings
21 “If the offeror[i] is poor and cannot afford the regular offering,[j] then he is to take one lamb for a guilt offering that will be presented in the form of a wave offering to atone for him, one tenth of a measure of[k] fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, one log[l] of olive oil, 22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever he can afford. One is for a sin offering and the other is for a whole burnt offering.
23 “On the eighth day, he is to bring them for cleansing to the priest in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 24 The priest is to take the lamb for a guilt offering and the olive oil and wave them as a raised offering in the Lord’s presence. 25 Then he[m] is to take the lamb for the guilt offering and place some blood from the guilt offering on the right earlobe of the person to be cleansed, on his right thumb, and on his right great toe. 26 Then the priest is to pour olive oil into his left palm 27 and use his right finger to sprinkle oil from his left palm seven times in the Lord’s presence. 28 The priest is to place oil from his palm on the right earlobe of the person being cleansed, on his right thumb, on his right great toe, and where the blood for the guilt offering is poured.
29 “As to the remainder of the oil in his palm, the priest is to use it to anoint the head of the person to be cleansed, in order to make atonement for him in the Lord’s presence. 30 Then he is to offer one of the turtledoves or the young pigeons, whichever he can afford. 31 Based on what he can afford, one is for a sin offering and the other is for a whole burnt offering. Along with the grain offering, the priest is to make atonement for the person to be cleansed in the Lord’s presence. 32 This is the regulation concerning one who has an infectious skin disease but who cannot afford his cleansing.”
Infected Dwellings
33 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 34 “When you enter the land of Canaan that I’m about to give you as your own possession, and if I put a contagion in a house in the land that you possess, 35 then the owner of the house is to approach the priest and tell him, ‘There appears to be a contagion in the house.’
36 “The priest is to command that the house be cleared before he[n] comes to examine the contagion so that not everything in the house becomes unclean. After this,[o] the priest is to enter the house and examine it. 37 He is to determine if the contagion is indeed on the walls of the house, with greenish or reddish streaks, and to determine if it appears to be deeper than the surface of the wall. 38 The priest is to leave through the entrance to the house and seal the house for seven days. 39 He is to return after seven days to examine it. If the contagion has spread to the walls of the house, 40 then the priest is to command that they take out the contaminated stones and discard them in an unclean place outside the city.
41 “Now as for the house, they are to scrape off inside and outside the house and then discard the torn out plaster in an unclean place outside the city. 42 They are then to take other stones and bring them to replace those stones. Lastly, they are to replaster the house.”
Destruction of Infected Dwellings
43 “If the contagion returns and spreads throughout the house after the stones have been removed, after the house has been scraped out, and after it has been re-coated, 44 and the priest comes, undertakes an examination, and determines that the contagion has spread in the house, it’s a chronic fungal infection in the house. It’s unclean. 45 He is to pull down the house, its stones, its lumber, and all the plaster on the house, and discard them in an unclean place outside the city. 46 Moreover, whoever enters the house during the time it was isolated is to be considered unclean until the evening. 47 Whoever has slept in the house is to wash his clothes, along with whoever has eaten in the house.
48 “But if the priest comes in to conduct an examination and determines that the contagion has not spread throughout the house after the house has been repaired, then the priest may declare the house clean, because the contagion has been cleansed. 49 In order to cleanse the house, he is to take two birds, some cedar wood, two crimson threads, and some hyssop. 50 Then he is to slaughter one bird on an earthen vessel over flowing water. 51 He is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the two crimson threads, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird over flowing water. Then he is to sprinkle the house seven times. 52 He is to clean the house with the blood of the bird over flowing water, including cleansing[p] the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the crimson thread. 53 Then he is to send the bird away, outside the city, facing the fields, to make atonement for the house. Then it is to be considered clean.
54 “This is the law for every contagion of infectious skin disease and scabs, 55 for fungal infections on clothing or in a house, 56 and for swelling of the skin, scabs, and bright spots, 57 to distinguish when[q] it’s unclean and clean. This is the law for infectious skin diseases.”
A Davidic Prayer.
A Cry for Justice
17 Lord, hear my just plea!
Pay attention to my cry!
Listen to my prayer,
since it does not come from lying lips.
2 Justice for me will come from your presence;
your eyes see what is right.
3 When you probe my heart,
and examine me at night;
when you refine me,
you will find nothing wrong,[a]
for I have determined that I will not transgress with my mouth.
4 As for the ways of mankind,
I have, according to the words of your lips,
avoided the ways of the violent.
5 Because my steps have held fast to your paths,
my footsteps have not faltered.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, God.
Listen closely to me
and hear my prayer.
7 Show forth your gracious love,
save those who take refuge in you
from those who rebel against your sovereign power.[b]
8 Protect me as the most precious part of the eye;[c]
hide me under the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked[d] who have afflicted me,
from my enemies who have surrounded me.
10 They are imprisoned by their own prosperity,[e]
they have boasted proudly with their mouth.
11 Now they have encircled our paths[f]
and are determined[g] to cast us down to the ground.
12 Like a lion they desire to rip us to pieces,
like a young lion waiting in ambush.
13 Arise, Lord,
confront them,
bring them to their knees!
Deliver me from the wicked by your sword—
14 from men, Lord, by your hand—
from men who belong to this world,
whose reward is only[h] in this[i] life.
But as for your treasured ones,
may their stomachs be full,
may their children have an abundance,
and may they leave wealth to their offspring.
15 But as for me, justified, I will behold your face;
when I awake, your presence[j] will satisfy me.
Contrasting Good and Evil
28 The wicked flee, though no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold like a lion.
2 When a land transgresses,
it gains a succession of leaders,
but with an understanding and knowledgeable man,
its stability endures.
3 A poor man who oppresses the weak
is like a rainstorm that destroys all[a] the crops.
4 Those who forsake the Law praise the wicked,
but whoever keeps it[b] fights them.
5 Evil men don’t understand justice,
but whoever seeks the Lord understands it all.
6 It’s better to be poor and live a blameless life
than to be rich but crooked in one’s lifestyle.
7 Whoever keeps the Law is a discerning son,
but whoever keeps company with gluttons
brings shame to his father.
8 Whoever gains wealth by charging exorbitant[c] interest
collects it for someone who is kind to the poor.
9 If someone quits[d] listening to the Law
even his prayer is detestable.
10 Whoever misleads the upright along an evil way
will himself fall into his own pit,
but the blameless will inherit what is good.
11 The rich man may be wise in his own opinion;
but a discerning, poor man sees through him.
12 When the righteous are victorious, there is great glory,
but when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.
13 Whoever hides his transgressions will not succeed,
but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.
14 Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord,[e]
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into disaster.
15 A roaring lion and a charging bear—
that’s what a wicked tyrant is over poor people.
16 A Commander-in-Chief[f] who is a cruel oppressor lacks understanding,
but whoever hates unjust gain will live longer.[g]
17 A guilty man tormented by bloodshed
will be a lifelong fugitive;
let no one support him.
18 Whoever lives blamelessly will be delivered,
but whoever is perverted will fall without warning.
19 Whoever works his farmland will have abundant food,
but whoever chases fantasies will become very poor.
20 The faithful man will prosper with blessings,
but whoever is in a hurry to get rich
will not escape punishment.
21 To show partiality isn’t good,
yet for a piece of bread the valiant will transgress.
22 The miser[h] is in a hurry to get wealthy,
but he isn’t aware that poverty will catch up with him.
23 Whoever rebukes a man will later on find more favor
than someone who flatters with his words.[i]
24 Whoever steals from his father or mother
but claims, “It’s no sin,”
is a companion to someone who demolishes.
25 An arrogant[j] man stirs up dissension,
but anyone who trusts in the Lord prospers.
26 Whoever trusts in himself is foolish,
but whoever lives wisely will be kept safe.
The Lawless One
2 Now we ask you, brothers, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[a] and our gathering together to him, 2 not to be so quickly upset[b] or alarmed when someone claims that we said,[c] either by some spirit, conversation, or letter that the Day of the Lord has already come. 3 Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for it will not come unless the rebellion[d] takes place first and the man of sin,[e] who is destined for destruction,[f] is revealed. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the sanctuary[g] of God and himself declares that he is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I repeatedly told you about these things when I was still with you? 6 You know what it is that is now holding him back, so that he will be revealed when his time comes. 7 For the secret of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the person now holding it back gets out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord[h] will destroy with the breath of his mouth, rendering him powerless by the manifestation of his coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one[i] will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind[j] of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders, 10 and every type of evil to deceive[k] those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them.[l] 11 For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. 12 Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.
13 At all times we are obligated to thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you to be the first fruits[m] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through faith in the truth. 14 With this purpose in mind, he called you through our proclamation of the[n] gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.[o] 15 So then, brothers, stand firm, and cling to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth[p] or by our letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus, the Messiah[q] himself, and may God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort[r] and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good action and word.
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