M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Holy Offerings
22 Later on, the Lord told Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons that they are to separate themselves for the sacred things of the Israelis and that they are not to defile my holy name. I am the Lord. 3 Tell them that whoever among your descendants throughout your generations approaches the sacred things that the Israelis had consecrated to the Lord while still remaining unclean is to be eliminated from my presence. I am the Lord. 4 If one of Aaron’s descendants has an infectious skin disease or a discharge, he is not to eat anything sacred until he has been cleansed. Anyone who touches an unclean thing on account of the dead, or who has a seminal discharge, 5 or who becomes unclean by touching a creeping creature or another human being, whatever the uncleanness may be— 6 such a person[a] who comes in contact with anything like this will become unclean until evening. As a result, he is not to eat the sacred things unless he has bathed himself[b] with water. 7 When the sun has gone down and he has been cleansed, he may eat of the sacred things, since that’s his food. 8 He is not to eat the carcass of an animal that was torn by animals,[c] thereby defiling himself with it. I am the Lord. 9 They are to keep my charge. By doing so, they won’t bear the punishment of sin because of it and therefore die if they’ve been defiled by it. I am the Lord, who sets them apart.”
Other Prohibitions
10 “No resident alien is to eat anything sacred. Neither the visitor[d] of the priest nor a hired laborer is to eat anything sacred. 11 If a priest acquires a slave as property with his own money, he may eat with him. Those who were born in his house may eat his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter marries a resident alien, she is not to eat the sacred raised offerings. 13 If the priest’s daughter is a widow, or is divorced and childless,[e] so that she has to return to her father’s house as in her younger days,[f] she may eat her father’s food, but no resident alien may eat it. 14 If a person eats anything sacred inadvertently, he is to add a fifth part to it and then give the sacred thing to the priest. 15 They are not to defile the sacred things of the Israelis that they have offered[g] to the Lord, 16 thereby causing them to bear the punishment of their iniquity for wrongdoing when they eat their sacred things, because I am the Lord, who sets them apart.”
Acceptable Offerings
17 The Lord told Moses, 18 “Tell Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelis that when a person from the house of Israel or from the resident aliens living in Israel brings his offering to the Lord as a whole burnt offering (whether in fulfillment of a promise or a free will offerings), 19 so that he’ll be sure to be accepted,[h] he is to offer[i] a male without defect from the bulls, the lambs, and the goats. 20 However, whatever has a defect is not to be offered, because it won’t be acceptable for you.
21 “If a person brings a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord to fulfill a vow or a free will offering from the herd or the flock, it is to be sound in order to be accepted, without any defect in it. 22 You are not to bring to the Lord an offering that is blind, fractured, mutilated, or infected with ulcers, scurvy, or scales. You are not to present any of them as an offering made by fire on the altar for the Lord.
23 “You may offer a bull or lamb that has one limb longer than the other or that is stunted as a free will offering, but it’s not acceptable in fulfillment of a promise. 24 You are not to bring to the Lord an animal[j] that has been emasculated, crushed, torn, or cut apart. You are not to practice this in your land. 25 A resident alien is not to offer as food to your God any of these items, because they are afflicted with ritual corruption due to their defects. They’re not acceptable for you.”
26 The Lord told Moses, 27 “Whenever a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born, it is to remain for seven days under the care of its mother. But on the eighth day onwards, it may be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord. 28 However, you are not to slaughter a bull or a ewe along with its offspring on the same day. 29 When you offer[k] a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, bring it so that it’s acceptable for you. 30 It is to be eaten that same day. You are not to leave any of it until morning. I am the Lord.
31 “Keep my commands and observe them. I am the Lord.
32 “You are not to defile my sacred name, because I’ve been set apart in the midst of the Israelis. Furthermore, I am the Lord, who sets you apart— 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”
Davidic
A Prayer for Help
28 To you, Lord, I cry out!
My Rock, do not refuse to answer me.[a]
If you remain silent,
I will become like those who descend into the Pit.[b]
2 Hear the sound of my supplications when I cry to you for help,
as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who practice iniquity,
who speak peace to their neighbors
while harboring evil in their hearts.
4 Reward them according to their deeds;
according to the evil of their actions.
Reward them based on what they do;[c]
give them what they deserve.
5 Because they do not understand the deeds of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
He will tear them down and never build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord!
For he has heard the sound of my supplications.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him,
and I received help.
My heart rejoices,
and I give thanks to him with my song.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;[d]
he is a refuge of deliverance for his anointed.
9 Deliver your people
and bless your inheritance!
Shepherd them
and lift them up forever!
A Davidic Psalm.
Praise to the Majestic Lord
29 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings;
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord wearing holy attire.
3 The voice of the Lord was heard[e] above the waters;
the God of glory thundered;
the Lord was heard[f] over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord snaps the cedars;[g]
the Lord snaps the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes them stagger like a calf,
even Lebanon and Sirion[h] like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord shoots out flashes of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the voice of the Lord shakes[i] the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord causes deer to give birth,
and strips the forest bare.
In his Temple all of them shout, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sat enthroned over the flood,
and the Lord sits as king forever.
11 The Lord will give strength to his people;
the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Advice in Worship
5 [a]Watch your step whenever you visit God’s house, and come more ready to listen than to offer a fool’s sacrifice, since fools[b] never think they’re doing evil.
2 [c]Don’t be impulsive with your mouth
nor be in a hurry to talk in God’s presence.
Since God is in heaven
and you’re on earth,
keep your speech short.
3 Too many worries lead to nightmares,
and a fool is known from talking too much.
Keep Your Promises to God
4 When you make a promise to God, don’t fail to keep it, since he isn’t pleased with fools. Keep what you promise— 5 it’s better that you don’t promise than that you do promise and not follow through.[d] 6 Never let your mouth cause you[e] to sin and don’t proclaim in the presence of the angel,[f] “My promise[g] was a mistake,” for why should God be angry at your excuse[h] and destroy what you’ve undertaken? 7 In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, it is more important to fear God.
The Use and Abuse of Wealth
8 Don’t be surprised when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts[i] in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still over them. 9 Also, the increase of the land belongs to everyone; the king himself is served by his[j] field.
10 Whoever loves money will never have enough money.
Whoever loves luxury will not be content with abundance.
This also is pointless.
11 When possessions increase,
so does the number of consumers;
therefore what good are they to their owners,
except to look at them?
12 Sweet is the sleep of a working man,
whether he eats a little or a lot,
but the excess wealth of the rich
will not allow him to rest.
13 I have observed a painful tragedy on earth:
Wealth hoarded by its owner harms him,
14 and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances.
Then a son is born,
but there is nothing left for him.[k]
15 Just as he came naked from his mother’s womb,
he will leave[l] as naked as he came;
he will receive no profit from his efforts—
he cannot carry away even a handful.
16 This is also a painful tragedy:
However a person comes, he also departs;
so what does he gain as he labors after the wind?
17 Furthermore, all his days he lives[m] in darkness
with great sorrow, anger, and affliction.
The Use and Abuse of Accomplishment
18 Look! I observed that it is good and prudent to eat, drink, and enjoy all that is good of a person’s[n] work that he does on earth during the limited days of his life, which God gives him, for this is his allotment. 19 Furthermore, for every person to whom God has given wealth, riches, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept this allotment, and to rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God. 20 For he will not brood much over the days of his life, since God will keep him occupied with the joys of his heart.
Greetings
1 From:[a] Paul, an apostle of the Messiah[b] Jesus by God’s will in keeping with the promise of life that is in the Messiah[c] Jesus.
2 To: Timothy, my dear child.
May grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Messiah[d] Jesus our Lord be yours!
Paul’s Advice for Timothy
3 I constantly thank my God—whom I serve[e] with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 recalling your tears and longing to see you so that I can be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first existed in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that this faith[f] also exists in you. 6 For this reason, I am reminding you to fan into flames the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline.[g] 8 Therefore, never be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, by God’s power, join me in suffering for the sake of the gospel.
9 He saved us
and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our own accomplishments,
but according to his own purpose and the grace
that was given to us in the Messiah[h] Jesus
before time began.[i]
10 Now, however, that grace[j] has been revealed
through the coming of our Savior the Messiah[k] Jesus,
who has destroyed death
and through the gospel has brought life
and release from death into full view.
11 For the sake of this gospel[l] I was appointed to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the gentiles.[m] 12 That is why I suffer as I do. However, I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I’m convinced that he is able to protect what he has entrusted to me[n] until the day that he comes.[o] 13 Hold on to the pattern of healthy teachings that you have heard from me, along with the faith and love that are in the Messiah[p] Jesus. 14 With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, protect the good treasure that has been entrusted to you.
News about Paul’s Helpers
15 You know that everyone in Asia has abandoned me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, for he often took care of[q] me and was not ashamed that I was a prisoner. 17 Instead, when he arrived in Rome he searched diligently for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he finds mercy on the day he comes again.[r] You know very well how much he assisted me in Ephesus.
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