M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Priestly Holiness

21 The Lord told Moses, “Speak to the priests, Aaron’s sons, and tell them that no priest is to defile himself on account of the dead among his people, ² except his close relatives—his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or ³ virgin sister (who is a near relative of him and did not have a husband—^[a] he may defile himself for her). ⁴ Because he is a husband among his people, he is not to defile himself, thereby polluting himself.

⁵ “They are not to cut their hair in ritualistic patterns^[b] on their heads, deface the edges of their beards, or make incisions in their flesh. ⁶ They are to be holy to their God. They are not to defile the name of their God, because they’re the ones who bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire—the food of their God—so they are to be holy.

⁷ “They are not to marry^[c] a prostitute or a woman who has been dishonored or who was divorced from her husband, because the priest^[d] is holy to his God. ⁸ Consecrate him, because he’s the one who offers the food of your God. He is to be holy for you, because I, the Lord, the one who sanctifies you, am holy.

⁹ “Now if the daughter of any priest defiles herself by being a prostitute, she defiles her father. She is to be incinerated.

¹⁰ “The high priest among his relatives—whose head has been anointed with oil and who has been consecrated to put on the priestly clothing—is not to let his hair hang loose or to tear his clothes. ¹¹ He is not to come near any dead body—whether the deceased^[e] is his father or his mother—so as not to defile himself. ¹² He is not to go out of the sanctuary or defile the sanctuary of his God, because his God’s consecrating oil of anointing rests on him. I am the Lord.

¹³ “Furthermore, he is to marry a true virgin.^{[f] 14} He is not to marry a widow or one who has been divorced, has been defiled, or has been a prostitute. Instead, he is to take a virgin from among his people as his wife.

¹⁵ “He is not to defile his children^[g] among his people, because I am the Lord, who sets him apart.”

On Physical Defects

¹⁶ The Lord told Moses, ¹⁷ “Tell Aaron that whoever of your descendants throughout their generations has a bodily defect is not to approach to offer the food of his God. ¹⁸ Indeed, any person who has a defect is not to approach the Tent of Meeting—^[h] the blind, the lame, one who is mutilated in the face or who has a very long limb, ¹⁹ or a person who has a fractured foot or hand, ²⁰ has scoliosis,^[i] is a dwarf, or has an eye defect, an itching disease, scabs, or a crushed testicle. ²¹ None of the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a defect is to approach to bring offerings of the Lord made by fire, since he has a defect. He is not to approach to offer the food of his God. ²² However, he may eat the food of his God, including the most holy and the holy offerings, ²³ but he is not to enter through the curtain nor approach the altar, since he has a defect. That way, he won’t defile my sanctuary, since I am the Lord, who sets you apart.”

²⁴ Moses told all of this^[j] to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the Israelis.

Davidic

A Man of Integrity Pleads for Justice

Davidic

Confidence in the Lord

On the Abuse of Authority

4 Next I turned to consider all kinds of oppression that exists on earth.

² So I commended the dead who had already died as being happier than the living who are still alive. ³ Better than both of them is someone who has not yet been born,^[a] because he hasn’t experienced evil on earth. ⁴ Then I examined all sorts of work, including all kinds of excellent achievements that create envy in others.^[b] This also is pointless and chasing after the wind. ⁵ The fool crosses his arms^[c] and starves himself.^{[d] 6} It’s better to have one handful of tranquility than to have two handfuls of trouble and to chase after the wind.

On Aloneness and Companionship

⁷ Then I turned to re-examine something else that is pointless on earth: ⁸ Consider someone who is alone, having neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his work, and he is^[e] never satisfied with wealth. “So for whom do I work,” he asks,^[f] “and deprive myself of pleasure?” This, too, is pointless and a terrible tragedy.

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. ¹⁰ If they stumble, the first will lift up his friend—but woe to anyone who is alone when he falls and there is no one to help him get up. ¹¹ Again, if two lie close together, they will keep warm, but how can only one stay warm? ¹² If someone attacks one of them, the two of them together will resist. Furthermore, the tri-braided cord is not soon broken.

There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool

¹⁵ I observed everyone who lives and walks on earth, along with the youth^[h] who will take the king’s^[i] place. ¹⁶ There was no end to all of his subjects^[j] or to all of the people who had come before them. But those who come along afterward will not be happy with him. This is also pointless and a chasing after wind.

Duties of Servants and Masters

6 All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their own masters as deserving of the highest respect,^[a] so that the name of God and our teaching may not be discredited.^{[b] 2} Moreover, those who have believing masters should be respectful to them, because they are fellow believers.^[c] In fact, they must serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dear to them. These are the things you must teach and exhort.

Rules for Godly Living

³ If anyone teaches false doctrine and refuses to agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[d] and godly teaching, ⁴ he is a conceited person and does not understand anything. He has an unhealthy craving for arguments and debates. This produces jealousy, rivalry, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and incessant conflict between people who are depraved in mind and deprived of truth. They think that godliness is a way to make a profit.^{[e] 6} Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit.

⁹ But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused^[f] themselves a lot of pain.

Advice for Timothy

¹³ Since you are^[h] in the presence of God, who gives life to everything, and in the presence of the Messiah^[i] Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I solemnly charge you ¹⁴ to keep these commands stainlessly and blamelessly until the appearance of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.^{[j] 15} At the right time, he will make him known.

Advice for the Wealthy

¹⁷ Tell those who are rich in this age not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence^[l] in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ They are to do good, to be rich in good actions, to be generous, and to share. ¹⁹ By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future, so that they can keep their hold on the life that is real.

Final Greeting

²⁰ Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the pointless discussions and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. ²¹ Although some claim to have it, they have abandoned the faith. May grace be with all of you!