M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Ark is Placed in the Tent(A)
16 They brought the Ark of God, placed it within the tent that David had erected, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in the presence of God. 2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord 3 and distributed a loaf of bread, a date bar, and a raisin bar to every person in Israel—that is, to each man and to each woman. 4 In the presence of the ark of the Lord, he appointed some of the descendants of Levi to minister continually by remembering,[a] giving thanks, and praising the Lord God of Israel. 5 Their director Asaph played cymbals, and next to him was Zechariah, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who played harps and lyres. 6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel played the trumpets continually in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant of God.
David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving(B)
7 On that very day, David composed this psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord just for[b] Asaph and his companions:[c]
8 Give thanks to the Lord,
calling on his name.
Make what he has done known among the people.
9 Sing to him,
sing psalms to him,
and think[d] about all of his miraculous deeds.
10 Find joy in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who keep on seeking the Lord rejoice.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength.
Always look to him.[e]
12 Keep remembering the awesome deeds that he has done,
along with his miracles
and the rulings that he has handed down,
13 you descendants of his servant Israel,
you descendants of Jacob,
the ones he has chosen.
14 He is the Lord our God.
His justice is in all of the land.
15 Remember his covenant forever,
his promise that he made to the thousandth generation,
16 the covenant[f] that he made with Abraham,
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob in the form of an ordinance,
an eternal covenant to Israel,
18 when he told Israel,
“To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your joyful inheritance.”[g]
19 When you were few in number—
very few, and strangers at that—
20 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another,
21 he did not let anyone wrong them.
He warned kings on their behalf,
22 “Don’t touch my chosen ones,
and don’t hurt my prophets!”
23 Let all the earth sing to the Lord!
Day after day proclaim his deliverance![h]
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
and his miraculous deeds to all people,
25 because the Lord is great,
and he is praised greatly!
He is feared above every god.
26 For all of the gods of the other[i] nations are mere[j] idols,
but the Lord fashioned the heavens!
27 Splendor and majesty surround him,
and strength and joy fill his palace.[k]
28 Let the families of earth recognize the Lord—
that he is glorious and powerful.
29 Recognize the glory that is due the Lord!
Bring your offering,
and come into his presence,
worshiping the Lord in all of his holy splendor.
30 Tremble in his presence, all the earth!
Surely the inhabited world[l] stands firm—
it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice,
and the earth be glad!
Say to the nations,
“The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea roar
along with everything that fills it!
Let the fields exult,
along with everything in them!
33 Then let the trees in the forest sing out in praise,
for the Lord is coming to judge the world.
34 Give thanks to the Lord,
because he is good
and because his gracious love is eternal!
35 Call out,[m] “Save us, God, you who delivers us!
Gather us and rescue us from the nations!”
We will thank your holy name
and rejoice as we praise you!
36 Praise the Lord God of Israel,
who lives from eternity to eternity!
Then all of the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
David Establishes Regular Worship
37 Later David[n] left the presence of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord so Asaph and his fellow descendants of Levi could serve the ark there continually each day, doing whatever was required. 38 Obed-edom and 68 of his relatives remained also, with Jeduthun’s son Obed-edom and Hosah serving as trustees.[o] 39 He left Zadok the priest and his relatives at the Tent of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon, where they ministered in the Lord’s presence, 40 sacrificing the regular burnt offerings regularly each morning and evening to the Lord on the altar dedicated to that purpose, doing everything written in the Law of the Lord, just as he had commanded Israel.
41 David[p] also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and others chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord, because “his gracious love is eternal.”[q] 42 They accompanied their songs of praise to God with trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments while Jeduthun’s children served as trustees.[r] 43 After this, everyone left for their own homes and David went home to bless his own household.
Speak Wisely
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach[a] will be judged more severely than others.[b] 2 For all of us make many mistakes. If someone does not make any mistakes when he speaks, he is perfect and able to control his whole body. 3 Now if we put bits into horses’ mouths to make them obey us, we can guide their whole bodies as well. 4 And look at ships! They are so big that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the helmsman directs.
5 In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it can boast of great achievements. A huge forest can be set on fire by a little flame. 6 The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. Placed among the parts of our bodies, the tongue contaminates the whole body and sets on fire the course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.[c] 7 For all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be or have been tamed by humans, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in God’s likeness. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. It should not be like this, my brothers! 11 A spring cannot pour both fresh and brackish water from the same opening, can it? 12 My brothers, a fig tree cannot produce olives, nor a grapevine figs, can it? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Live Wisely
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his noble conduct that his actions are done humbly and wisely. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, stop boasting and slandering the truth. 15 That kind of wisdom does not come from above. No, it is worldly, self-centered, and demonic. 16 For wherever jealousy and rivalry exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.
17 However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, willing to yield, full of compassion and good deeds,[d] and without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace[e] planted by peacemakers.
Coming Judgment against Edom
1 Obadiah’s[a] vision:
This is what the Lord God has to say about Edom.
We have heard a report from the Lord,
and a messenger has been dispatched among the nations to say[b]
“Get up! Let us rise up against her to fight!”
God’s Announcement to Edom
2 “Look! I will make you insignificant among the nations;
you will be utterly despised.
3 The arrogance in your heart has deceived you,
who inhabit hidden places on rocky cliffs,
whose dwelling is in the heights,
who say continuously to yourself,[c]
‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
4 Though you soar high like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
I will bring you down even from there,”
declares the Lord.[d]
The Harvest from Edom’s Arrogance
5 “If thieves came against you,
if marauding gangs by night
—Oh, how you will be destroyed!—
Would they not steal only until they had enough?
If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave some[e] grapes to be gleaned?
6 “Oh, how Esau is ransacked,
how his hidden treasures are thoroughly[f] searched out!
7 All your allies will force you out of the land,[g]
your associates will deceive you and prevail against you.
Your friends[h] will lay out a trap for you,
and you will[i] never understand it!
8 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“will I not destroy the wise from Edom,
and those with understanding from Esau’s Mountain?
9 Teman, our mighty soldiers will be dismayed,
so that every man from Esau’s Mountain will be slaughtered.”[j]
Judgment for Edom’s Cruelty to Jacob
10 “Shame will overwhelm you
because of the violence you inflicted on your brother Jacob,
and you will be excluded[k] forever.
11 “On the day you just stood by,[l]
when[m] strangers carried away Jacob’s[n] wealth
and foreigners entered his gates,
casting lots for Jerusalem,
you were just like one of them.
12 “You should not have gloated over your brother,[o]
on the day of his calamity.
You should not have rejoiced
when[p] the descendants of Judah were perishing.
You should not have boasted[q]
when[r] they were in distress.
13 “You should not have entered the gate of my people
on the day of their disaster.[s]
Also, you should not have gloated over Judah’s[t] misfortune
on the day of his disaster,[u]
nor should you have plundered his wealth
on the day of his disaster.[v]
14 And you should not have taken your stand at the crossroads
to cut down his fleeing refugees,
nor should you have handed over his survivors
on the day of his distress.”
The Lord’s Judgment and Israel’s Final Victory
15 “Indeed, the Day of the Lord approaches all nations.
As you have done it will be done to you—
your deeds will return to haunt you![w]
16 Just as you have drunk from the cup of my wrath[x] upon my holy mountain,
so will all nations drink from the cup of my wrath[y] perpetually.
They will drink, they will gulp it down,
and they will be as if they had never existed!
17 “But there will be a delivered remnant on Mount Zion.
There will be holiness,
and the house of Jacob will take back their possessions.
18 “The house of Jacob will be a fire,
and the house of Joseph a flame,
but the house of Esau will be kindling.
Then Jacob and Joseph[z] will burn and consume Esau,[aa]
and no survivor will remain from the house of Esau.”
Indeed, the Lord has spoken it.
19 “Those in the Negev[ab] will possess Esau’s Mountain,
and those in the Shephelah[ac] the Philistines.
They will possess the fields of Ephraim
and the fields of Samaria,
while Benjamin will possess the territory of[ad] Gilead.
20 The exiles, the Israeli host,
will possess the territory of the[ae] Canaanites all the way to Zarephath.
The exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad[af]
will possess the cities of the Negev.[ag]
21 Deliverers will assemble on Mount Zion to judge Esau’s Mountain,
and to the Lord will the kingdom belong!”
Jesus Calls His First Disciples(A)
5 One day, as the crowd was pressing in on him to listen to God’s word, Jesus[a] was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats lying on the shore, but the fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets. 3 So Jesus[b] got into one of the boats (the one that belonged to Simon) and asked him to push out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Push out into deep water, and lower your nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll lower the nets.” 6 After the men[c] had done this, they caught so many fish that the nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats until the boats[d] began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord! I am a sinful man!”— 9 because Simon[e] and all the people who were with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons and Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus told Simon, “Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people.” 11 So when they brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.[f]
Jesus Cleanses a Leper(B)
12 One day, while Jesus[g] was in one of the cities, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face, begging him, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
13 So Jesus[h] reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to. Be clean!” Instantly the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus[i] ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities.”[j] 15 But the news about Jesus[k] spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. 16 However, he continued his habit of retiring to deserted places and praying.
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man(C)
17 One day, as Jesus[l] was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law happened to be sitting nearby. The people[m] had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present to heal them.[n] 18 Some men were bringing a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to take him into the house[o] and place him in front of Jesus.[p] 19 When they couldn’t find a way to get him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on his stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the room,[q] right in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus[r] saw their faith, he said, “Mister,[s] your sins are forgiven.”
21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to argue among themselves, saying, “Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Because Jesus knew that they were arguing, he asked them, “Why are you arguing about this among yourselves?[t] 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so you’ll know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” he told the paralyzed man, “I say to you: Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go home!” 25 So the man[u] immediately stood up in front of them and picked up what he had been lying on. Then he went home, praising God.
26 Amazement seized all the people, and they began to praise God. They were filled with fear[v] and declared, “We have seen wonderful things today!”
Jesus Calls Levi(D)
27 After that, Jesus[w] went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector’s desk. He told him, “Follow me!” 28 So Levi[x] left everything behind, got up, and followed him.
29 Later, Levi gave a large banquet at his home for Jesus.[y] A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes started complaining to Jesus’[z] disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 But Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a physician, but sick people do. 32 I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance.”
A Question about Fasting(E)
33 Then they told him, “John’s disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do those of the Pharisees. But your disciples[aa] keep right on eating and drinking.”
34 But Jesus told them, “You can’t force the wedding guests[ab] to fast while the groom is still with them, can you? 35 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and at that time they will fast.”
The Unshrunk Cloth(F)
36 Then he told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old garment. If he does, the new cloth will tear, and the piece from the new won’t match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will make the skins burst, the wine[ac] will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Instead, new wine is to be poured into fresh wineskins. 39 No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, ‘The old wine is good enough!’”[ad]
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