M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
7 Eternal One (to Moses): Here are the instructions for the ritual of the guilt offering; it is most sacred. 2 The slaughter of the guilt offering must take place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and the priest must splatter its blood against the sides of the altar. 3 Then the priest is to offer all of its fat, the fat tail, the fat covering and surrounding the organs, 4 the two kidneys and the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys). 5 The priest must offer it all up on the altar as a fire-offering to Me. It is a guilt offering. 6 Every man who is a priest may eat of it, as long as he eats in a holy place; it is most sacred.
7 The guilt offering is similar to the purification offering for sin. The instructions are the same for both rituals. The priest who makes the atoning sacrifice is allowed to have some of it. 8 Also, the priest who presents anyone’s burnt offering gets to keep the skin from what he has offered for himself. 9 In the same way, any grain offering that is oven-baked or cooked in a pan or griddle belongs to the priest who offered it. 10 Any other grain offering—whether it is dry or mixed with oil—is to be shared equally among Aaron’s sons after the ritual is completed.
There are three kinds of peace offerings described: (a) thanksgiving, expressing gratitude for God’s favor; (b) votive, fulfilling a promise made to God; (c) freewill, made out of appreciation but not obligation.
Eternal One (to Moses): 11 Here are the instructions for the various kinds of the peace offerings that one may offer to Me. 12 If someone offers a sacrifice out of thanksgiving, then in addition to the sacrifice he must offer loaves of unleavened bread mixed with oil, unleavened wafers topped with oil, and loaves of the finest flour mixed with oil. 13 Along with the peace offerings for thanksgiving, a person must include loaves of leavened bread. 14 He must present one of each kind of bread as a gift to Me; it will belong to the priest who officiates the sacrifice and splatters the blood of the peace offerings against the sides of the altar.
15 The meat of the sacrifice for the thanksgiving peace offering must be eaten on the day it is offered. None of it is to be left over for the next day. 16 If the sacrifice for a peace offering accompanies a vow or comes simply as an act of free will, it is to be eaten on the day it is offered; but if any remains on the next day, it may still be eaten. 17 But all the meat from the sacrifice left over on the third day is to be burned completely so that none is left. 18 If any of the leftover meat from the peace offering is eaten on the third day, then the person who offered it will not be accepted and will receive no benefit from the sacrifice. By then it has become foul, and the person who eats from it will bear his guilt and suffer the consequences.
19 Do not eat meat that comes in contact with any impure thing. Burn it up completely. As for any remaining meat that is pure, people who are ritually clean may eat it. 20 Any person who eats meat from the sacrifice of My peace offering during a time when he is impure must be cut off from his people. 21 Also a person who comes into contact with something impure—whether it pertains to human or animal impurity or some totally detestable creatures—and then eats some of the meat from the sacrifice of My peace offerings must be cut off from his people.
As hard as it may be for us to understand, being “cut off from your people” is another way of saying “death penalty.” God is tough on disobedience because sin and impurity is a contagion that can ruin and ultimately destroy His people. To deal with these matters decisively requires decisive action. Like a deadly disease, sin has to be quarantined.
22 The Eternal One continued to Moses.
Eternal One: 23 Go, talk with the Israelites, and tell them not to eat any fat from an ox, sheep, or goat. 24 If an animal dies a natural death or is killed by another animal, then you are allowed to make use of its fat, but under no condition are you allowed to eat any of it. 25 Whoever eats animal fat from a fire-offering to Me must be cut off from his people. 26 Be sure not to consume any animal or bird blood regardless of where you live. 27 Anyone who consumes animal or bird blood must be cut off from his people.
28 The Eternal One continued speaking to Moses.
Eternal One: 29 Go, talk with the Israelites, and tell them that anyone who offers a peace offering to Me must bring it from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 He is to present the fire-offerings to Me with his own hands. Bring the fat along with the breast so that the breast can be lifted up as a wave offering to Me. 31 The officiating priest is to offer the fat as smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 The right thigh from the sacrifice of your peace offerings is to go to the priest as your contribution to his service. 33 The right thigh will be the portion set aside for the son of Aaron who officiates at the sacrifice and presents the fat and blood of the peace offerings. 34 For I, the Eternal One, have taken the breast from the wave offering and the thigh as a gift from the sacrifices brought by the people of Israel as peace offerings, and I have handed them over to Aaron the priest and his sons. This is for all time their rightful portion of the offering from the people of Israel. 35 From the first day they are brought forward as priests in My service, this is the portion set aside for Aaron and his sons taken from the fire-offerings presented to Me. 36 From the day when I anointed and consecrated them as priests, I directed this gift be made to them by the people of Israel. This is their rightful portion for all time and throughout all generations.
The wave offering is a particularly solemn moment in the ceremony when the priest lifts and waves the sacrifice before God. Afterward, the portions waved became property of the priests.
37 These are the instructions for the burnt offering, grain offering, purification offering for sin, guilt offering, ordination offering, and peace offering. 38 The Eternal gave these instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai the same day He told the Israelites to bring their offerings to Him in the desert.
Psalm 7
A song[a] of David to the Eternal regarding Cush, the Benjaminite.
1 O Eternal my God, in You I seek refuge.
Save me from those who are chasing me. Rescue me,
2 Or else they will tear me to pieces as a lion devours his prey;
they will carry me off with no one to snatch me from their jaws.
3 O Eternal my God, if I have done anything wrong to deserve this,
if there is blood on my hands,
4 If I have mistreated a friend,
or if I have stolen from an adversary without just cause,
5 Then let my enemy come after me and catch me,
stomping me into the ground, ending my life,
and grinding my honor into the dirt.
[pause][b]
6 Arise, O Eternal One, inflamed by Your anger.
Come and counter the rage of my adversaries;
open Your eyes, my God; hear my plea for justice once and for all.
7 Let the people gather around You.
Return to Your rightful place above them in the high court.
8 The Eternal will judge the nations.
Judge me now, Eternal One, according to my virtue and integrity.
9 Please, bring the evil actions of these wicked, wicked people to an end!
But secure the righteous,
For You, righteous God,
examine our hearts and minds.
10 God is my defender;
He rescues those who have a pure heart.
11 God is a just judge;
He passes judgment daily against the person who does evil.
12 If the wicked do not turn from their evil deeds, God will sharpen His sword;
He will bend His bow, stringing it in readiness.
13 Yes, He has prepared His deadly weapons
with His arrows flaming hot.
14 See, my enemies are fertile with evil.
They conceive trouble
and give birth to deception.
15 They prepare a trap, digging a deep pit,
and fall into the snare they have made.
16 The trouble they plan will return to punish them,
and their violent acts will come back to haunt them.
17 As a result, I will thank the Eternal for His justice
and sing praises in honor of the Eternal, Most High.
Psalm 8
For the worship leader. A song of David accompanied by the harp.[c]
This Davidic psalm based on Genesis 1 celebrates not only God’s majesty as Creator but also the unique place of human beings in His creation.
1 O Eternal, our Lord,
Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth;
Your magnificent glory shines far above the skies.
2 From the mouths and souls of infants and toddlers, the most innocent,
You have decreed power to stop Your adversaries
and quash those who seek revenge.
3 When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation—
on the moon, stars, and all You have made,
4 I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals—
sons and daughters of men—
specks of dust floating about the cosmos.
5 But You placed the son of man just beneath God
and honored him like royalty, crowning him with glory and honor.
6 You ordained him to govern the works of Your hands,
to nurture the offspring of Your divine imagination;
You placed everything on earth beneath his feet:
7 All kinds of domesticated animals,
even the wild animals in the fields and forests,
8 The birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,
all the multitudes of living things that travel the currents of the oceans.
9 O Eternal, our Lord,
Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth.
We do not like or want to believe it, but there are limits to what humans can accomplish. Whatever wisdom and knowledge we think we possess is nothing compared to God’s. Whatever plans we make will come to nothing unless they line up with God’s plans and purposes for us.
22 A good reputation is preferable to riches,
and the approval of others is better than precious silver or gold.
2 Rich and poor have something in common:
both are created by the Eternal.
3 Prudent people see trouble coming and hide,
but the naive walk right into it and take a beating.
4 A humble person who fears the Eternal
can expect to receive wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorny branches and traps lie ahead for those who follow perverse paths;
those who want to preserve themselves will steer clear of them.
6 Teach a child how to follow the right way;
even when he is old, he will stay on course.
7 The rich lord it over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave to the lender.
8 Those who sow injustice reap disaster,
and their methods of oppression will fail.
9 Generous people are genuinely blessed
because they share their food with the poor.
10 Expel a mocker, and watch the wrangling go with him;
rivalry and rude remarks will also stop.
11 Those who love a pure heart and speak with grace
will find that the king is their friend.
12 The Eternal keeps a watchful eye on those with knowledge,
but He subverts the words of the faithless.
13 A lazy person says, “A lion! Right outside!
I will surely die in the streets!
Yet another good reason to stay in today.”
14 The alluring words of a seductive woman are a deep hole;
the Eternal is incensed toward those who fall in.
15 Foolishness consumes the heart of a child,
but corporal punishment, properly administered, drives it far away.
16 If you take advantage of the poor or coddle the rich to get ahead,
you will end up destitute.
The Words of the Wise
17 Lend an ear, listen to these words of the wise,
and align your thoughts with my instructions
18 Because true pleasure will be yours by learning them, living them,
and being ready to repeat them to others.
19 In order that you will trust only in the Eternal,
I teach them to you this day—yes, even you!
20 In fact, didn’t I already write down for you
Thirty axioms of good advice and sound knowledge
21 To reveal to you what is reliably true
so you can answer those who sent you with these truths you’ve learned?
22 Do not cheat poor people just because they are vulnerable
or use shady tactics in court to crush those already suffering;
23 For the Eternal is ready to take their case,
and He ruins anyone who is out to ruin them.
24 Do not befriend someone given to anger
or hang around with a hothead.
25 Odds are, you’ll learn his ways, become angry as well,
and get caught in a trap.
26 Do not be a person to guarantee someone else’s loan
or put up collateral for the debts of an acquaintance;
27 For if you do and you can’t repay,
won’t you risk having your bed ripped out from under you?
28 Do not steal property from your neighbors by moving the boundary markers
your ancestors established.
29 And as for those who are skilled in their work,
they will be recognized and invited to serve kings
rather than regular folk.
1 Paul, Silvanus,[a] and Timothy to the church gathering in Thessalonica, those living in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus the Anointed.
May grace and peace be yours [from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed].[b]
2 We always thank God for all of you in our prayers. 3 Your actions on behalf of the true faith, your tireless toil of love, and your unfailing, unwavering, unending hope in our Lord Jesus the Anointed before God our Father have put you consistently at the forefront of our thoughts. 4 O brothers and sisters loved by God, we know He has chosen you. 5 And here is why: what you experienced in the good news we brought you was more than words channeling down your ears; it came to you as a life-empowering, Spirit-infused message that offers complete hope and assurance! We lived transparently before you so that you would know what sort of people we truly are. We did it for your sake, 6 and you have modeled your lives after ours just as we are modeling ours after the Lord. You took to heart the word we taught with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, even in the face of trouble. 7 As a result, you have turned into a model of faith yourselves for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 In fact, not only has the message of our Lord thundered from your gathering into Macedonia and Achaia, but everywhere we go, your faith in God is talked about so we don’t even have to say a thing! 9 You see, they go on and on telling us the story of how you welcomed us when we were introduced to you; how you turned toward God and realigned your life to serve the one true living God—leaving your idols to crumble in the dust— 10 and how you now await the return from heaven of His Son, whom He raised from the dead—namely, Jesus—our rescuer from the wrath to come.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.