M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Fire from the Lord
11 Now the people complained ·to [L in the ears of] the Lord about their troubles, and when he heard them, he became angry. Then fire from the Lord burned ·among the people at the edge [L on the outskirts] of the camp. 2 The people cried out to Moses, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped burning. 3 So that place was called Taberah [C “Burning”; Deut. 9:22], because the Lord’s fire had burned among them.
Seventy Elders Help Moses
4 Some ·troublemakers [rabble; foreign elements] among them wanted better food, and soon all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] began ·complaining [L weeping]. They said, “We want meat! 5 We remember the fish we ate for free in Egypt. We also had cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our ·appetite [or vitality; strength]; we never see anything but this manna [Ex. 16:1–36]!”
7 The manna was like ·small white seeds [L coriander seed and its color was like bdellium/gum resin]. 8 The people would go to gather it, and then grind it in handmills, or crush it ·between stones [with mortars]. After they ·cooked [or boiled] it in a pot or made cakes with it, it tasted like ·bread [cakes] baked with olive oil. 9 When the dew fell on the camp each night, so did the manna.
10 Moses heard every ·family [clan] ·crying [weeping] as they stood in the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and ·Moses got upset [L it was bad in the eyes of Moses]. 11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought me, your servant, this trouble? ·What have I done wrong [L Why have I not found favor in your eyes] that you ·made me responsible [L set the burden on me] for all these people? 12 ·I am not the father of [L Did I conceive/Am I the mother of] all these people, and ·I didn’t [L did I…?] give birth to them. So why do you make me carry them to the land you promised to our ancestors? Must I carry them in my ·arms [L bosom] as a nurse carries a baby? 13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep crying to me, ‘We want meat!’ 14 I can’t take care of all these people alone. It is too ·much [difficult; L heavy] for me. 15 If you are going to continue doing this to me, then kill me now. If ·you care about me [L I have found favor in your eyes], put me to death, and ·then I won’t have [L do not let me see] any more troubles.”
16 The Lord said to Moses, “·Bring [L Gather for] me seventy of Israel’s elders, men that you know are leaders among the people. Bring them to the Meeting Tent, and have them stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit [C that enables Moses to do his work] that is in you, and I will ·give it to [or put it on] them. They will ·help you care for the people [L bear the burden of the people with you] so that you will not have to ·care for them [L bear it] alone.
18 “Tell the people this: ‘·Make yourselves holy [Consecrate yourselves; C in a ritual sense] for tomorrow, and you will eat meat. You cried ·to the [L in the ears of the] Lord, “·We want meat [L If only we had meat to eat]! We were better off in Egypt!” So now the Lord will give you meat to eat. 19 You will eat it not for just one, two, five, ten, or even twenty days, 20 but you will eat that meat for a whole month. You will eat it until it comes out your nose, and you will grow to ·hate [loathe] it. This is because you have rejected the Lord, who is with you. You have cried to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”
21 Moses said, “Lord, here are six hundred thousand people ·standing [L on foot] around me, and you say, ‘I will give them enough meat to eat for a month!’ 22 If we ·killed [slaughtered] all the flocks and herds, ·that would not be [L would there be…?] enough. If we caught all the fish in the sea, ·that would not be [L would there be…?] enough.”
23 But the Lord said to Moses, “·Do you think I’m weak [L Is the hand of the Lord too short]? Now you will see if ·I can do what I say [L the words I spoke to you come true or not].”
24 So Moses went out to the people and told them ·what the Lord had said [L the words of the Lord]. He gathered seventy of the elders together and had them stand around the Tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud [C representing God’s presence] and spoke to Moses. The Lord took some of the Spirit Moses had, and he ·gave it to [or put it on] the seventy leaders. ·With the Spirit in [L When the Spirit rested on] them, they prophesied, but just that one time [C as evidence that they had the Spirit; 1 Sam. 10:6–13; 19:18–24].
26 Two men named Eldad and Medad were also ·listed as leaders [L registered; enrolled], but they did not go to the Tent. They stayed in the camp, but the Spirit was also ·given to [or rested on] them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran to Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Joshua son of Nun said, “Moses, my ·master [lord], stop them!” (·Ever since he was a young boy [or One of his chosen men], Joshua ·had been [or was] Moses’ assistant [Ex. 17:8; 24:13; 32:17; 33:7–11].)
29 But Moses answered, “Are you jealous for me? I wish all the Lord’s people could prophesy. I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all of them [Joel 2:28–29; Acts 2:16–21; 1 Cor. 12:27–31; 14:1–5]!” 30 Then Moses and the leaders of Israel went back to the camp.
The Lord Sends Quail
31 ·The Lord sent a strong wind [L Then a wind went out from the Lord] from the sea, and it blew quail into the area all around the camp. The quail were about ·three feet [L two cubits] deep on the ground, and there were quail a day’s walk in any direction [Ex. 16:13; Ps. 78:26–31]. 32 The people went out and gathered quail all that day, that night, and the next day. Everyone gathered at least ·sixty bushels [L ten homers], and they spread them around the camp. 33 But the Lord became very angry, and he ·gave the people a terrible sickness [L struck the people with a terrible plague] that came while the meat was still ·in their mouths [L between their teeth]. 34 So the people named that place Kibroth Hattaavah [C Graves of Wanting/Craving], because there they buried those who ·wanted [craved] other food.
35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people went to stay at Hazeroth.
Jerusalem, the City of God
A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as Temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
48 The Lord is great; ·he should [L and greatly to] be praised
in the city of our God, on his holy mountain [C Mount Zion, the location of the Temple].
2 It is ·high and beautiful [beautiful in elevation]
·and brings joy to [L the joy of] the whole world [Lam. 2:15].
Mount Zion ·is like the high mountains [L on the sides] of ·the north [or Zaphon; C comparing Yahweh’s mountain with the mountain of Baal];
it is the city of the Great King.
3 God is within its ·palaces [citadels];
he is known as its defender.
4 Kings joined together
and came ·to attack the city [L on together; 2:1].
5 But when they saw it, they were ·amazed [astonished].
They ran away in ·fear [panic].
6 ·Fear [L Trembling] ·took hold of [seized] them;
they ·hurt [were in pain] like a woman ·having a baby [in labor].
7 You ·destroyed [broke up] the ·large trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; C large trading vessels capable of going to distant ports; Tarshish may have been in Spain (Tartessus) or an island in the eastern Mediterranean; Is. 2:16; Jon. 1:3]
with an east wind.
8 First we heard
and now we have seen
that God ·will always keep his city safe [establishes forever].
It is the city of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
the city of our God. ·
9 God, we come into your Temple
to ·think [ponder; meditate] about your ·love [loyalty].
10 God, your name is known everywhere;
·all over the earth people [L the ends of the earth] praise you.
Your right hand is full of ·goodness [righteousness; or victory].
11 Mount Zion is happy
and ·all the towns [L the daughters] of Judah rejoice,
because ·your decisions are fair [or of your judgments].
12 Walk around Jerusalem
and count its towers.
13 ·Notice how strong they are [L Set your heart on its ramparts].
Look at the ·palaces [citadels].
Then you can ·tell [recount it to] ·your children about them [L a later generation].
14 This God is our God forever and ever.
He will guide us from now on.
1 This is the vision Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem ·while [L in the days when] Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah [792–686 bc].
God’s Case Against His Children
2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth [L witnesses of the covenant; Deut. 30:19],
because the Lord is speaking:
“I raised ·my children [or sons; C the nation Israel] and ·helped them grow [brought them] up,
but they have ·turned [rebelled] against me.
3 An ox knows its ·master [owner],
and a donkey knows ·where its owner feeds it [L the feeding trough/crib of its owner/master],
but the people of Israel do not know me;
my people do not understand.”
4 ·How terrible [Woe; Alas]! ·Israel is a nation of sin [L Sinful nation!],
a people ·loaded [weighed] down with guilt,
·a group of children [offspring; brood; seed] ·doing evil [or born from evildoers],
·children [or sons] who ·are full of evil [act corruptly; are depraved].
They have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord;
they ·hate [despise; or have rejected/spurned] the Holy One of Israel [C Isaiah’s favorite title for God],
and have ·turned away [become alienated/estranged] from him.
5 Why ·should you continue to be [or do you insist on being] ·punished [battered; struck down]?
Why do you continue to ·turn against him [rebel]?
Your whole head is ·hurt [bruised; wounded],
and your whole heart is ·sick [faint; weak].
6 There is no ·healthy spot [soundness]
from the ·bottom [sole] of your foot to the top of your head;
you are covered with ·wounds [bruises], ·hurts [sores; welts], and ·open sores [raw/infected wounds]
that are not ·cleaned [L pressed out] and ·covered [bandaged],
·and no medicine takes away the pain [L not soothed/softened with oil].
7 Your land is ·ruined [desolate];
your cities have been burned with fire.
·While you watch [Right in front of you],
·your enemies [L foreigners; strangers] ·are stealing everything from [destroy; devour] your ·land [fields; crops];
it is ruined like a country ·destroyed [overthrown] by ·enemies [L foreigners; strangers].
8 Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion; C the location of the Temple] is left alone
like an ·empty shelter [or watchman’s hut] in a vineyard,
like a ·hut [shelter] left in a field of ·melons [or cucumbers],
like a city ·surrounded by enemies [besieged].
9 If the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
had not ·allowed a few of our people to live [left us a few survivors],
we would have been like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [C completely destroyed; Gen. 19].
10 ·Hear [Listen to] the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom [C Jerusalem is compared sarcastically to evil Sodom and Gomorrah]!
listen to the ·teaching [instruction] of our God,
You people of Gomorrah!
11 The Lord says,
“·I do not want all these sacrifices [L What are your many sacrifices to me?].
I ·have had enough of [am stuffed full with] your burnt sacrifices [Lev. 1:1–17]
of male sheep and fat from ·fine [fattened] ·animals [beasts; cattle].
I ·am not pleased by [take no pleasure in]
the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.
12 You ·come to meet with [appear before; worship] me,
but who asked you to do
all this ·running in and out of [trampling/parading through] my ·Temple’s rooms [courts; courtyards]?
13 Don’t continue bringing me ·worthless [meaningless; futile] sacrifices!
·I hate the incense you burn [L Incense is detestable/an abomination to me].
I can’t stand your New Moons, Sabbaths, and ·other feast days [convocations; sacred assemblies];
I can’t ·stand [endure] ·the evil you do in your holy meetings [L sin and assembly].
14 I hate your New Moon ·feasts [festivals; Num. 28:11–15]
and your ·other yearly [annual; appointed] feasts.
They have become a ·heavy weight on [burden to] me,
and I ·am tired of carrying it [or can no longer tolerate them].
15 When you ·raise your arms to me [L spread out your hands] in prayer,
I will ·refuse to look at [look the other way; L hide my eyes from] you.
Even if you say many prayers,
I will not listen to you,
because your hands are ·full of [covered with] blood.
16 Wash yourselves and make yourselves clean.
·Stop doing the evil things I see you do [L Take away your evil deeds from my eyes].
Stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do ·good [right].
Seek justice.
·Punish those who hurt others [Rebuke the oppressor; or Encourage the oppressed].
·Help [Defend; Bring justice to] the ·orphans [fatherless].
·Stand up for the rights of [L Contend/Strive for] widows.”
18 The Lord says,
“Come, let us ·talk about these things [reason together; or settle this matter; or consider your options].
Though your sins are like scarlet [C stained with blood; vv. 15, 21],
they can be as white as snow.
Though your sins are ·deep red [L red as crimson/purple],
they can be white like wool.
19 If you become willing and ·obey [listen to] me,
you will eat ·good crops from [the good of] the land.
20 But if you ·refuse to obey [resist] and ·if you turn against me [rebel],
you will be ·destroyed [L devoured] by your enemies’ swords [C the options are to eat the crops or be eaten by the swords].”
The Lord himself ·said these things [has spoken].
Jerusalem Is Not Loyal to God
21 [L See how; or How…!] The ·city of Jerusalem once followed the Lord [L faithful city],
·but she is no longer loyal to him [L …has become a prostitute/whore; C a metaphor for spiritual treachery].
She used to be filled with ·fairness [justice];
·people there lived the way God wanted [Righteousness/Justice lived/lodged there; C personification].
But now, murderers live there.
22 ·Jerusalem, you have become like the scum left when silver is purified [L Your silver has become dross/scum];
you are like ·wine [beer; alcohol; L drink] ·mixed [diluted; weakened] with water.
23 Your ·rulers [princes] are rebels
and ·friends [companions; associates] of thieves.
They all ·accept money for doing wrong [L love bribes],
and they ·are paid to cheat people [pursue rewards/gifts].
They don’t ·seek justice for [defend the cause of] the ·orphans [fatherless]
or ·listen to the widows’ needs [or defend the widows’ rights; L the widows’ disputes do not come before them].
24 So the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
the Mighty One of Israel, says:
“[L Woe; Alas; Aha,] I will ·take revenge on [vent my wrath against; or get relief from; console myself by destroying] my ·foes [enemies; adversaries].
I will pay back my ·enemies [foes].
25 I will turn [L my hand] against you
and ·clean away all your wrongs as if with soap [or purify you as metal is refined; L purge your dross as with lye/potash/soap];
I will ·take all the worthless things out of you [L remove all your impurities/slag].
26 I will ·bring back [restore] judges as you had ·long ago [formerly; at the first];
your ·counselors [advisors] will be like those you had in the beginning.
Then you will be called the City ·That Is Right with God [of Righteousness/Justice],
the ·Loyal [Faithful; Trustworthy] City.”
27 By ·doing what is fair [justice],
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] will be ·free again [redeemed; restored].
By ·doing what is right [righteousness],
her ·people who come back to the Lord [penitent/repentant ones; or returnees] will have freedom.
28 But ·those who turn against him [rebels] and sinners will be destroyed;
those who ·have left [abandon; forsake] the Lord will ·die [perish; come to an end; cease].
29 “You will be ashamed,
because ·you have worshiped gods under the oak trees [L of the oaks you have desired; C pagan worship sites].
You will be ·disgraced [embarrassed],
because ·you have worshiped idols in your gardens [L of the gardens you have chosen; 66:17].
30 You will be like an oak whose leaves are ·dying [withered]
or like a garden without water.
31 Powerful people will ·be [or become] like ·small, dry pieces of wood [tinder; kindling],
and their works will be like sparks.
They will burn together,
and no one will be able to put out that fire.”
The Old Agreement
9 The first ·agreement [covenant; contract; C given to Israel through Moses; 8:7, 13] had ·rules [regulations; requirements] for worship and a ·place on earth for worship [L earthly sanctuary/holy place]. 2 The ·Holy Tent [T Tabernacle; Ex. 25:8–9; 26:1] was ·set up [constructed; prepared] for this. The first area in the Tent was called the Holy Place. In it were the lampstand [Ex. 25:31–39] and the table [Ex. 25:23–30] with the ·bread that was made holy for God [consecrated bread; bread of presentation/offering; Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5–8]. 3 Behind the second curtain was a ·room [section; L tent] called the ·Most Holy Place [T Holy of Holies; Ex. 26:31–34]. 4 In it was a golden altar for burning incense [Lev. 16:12–13] and the ·Ark [box; chest] ·that held the old agreement [L of the covenant/contract; Ex. 25:10; 26:33], covered [L completely; on all sides] with gold. Inside this Ark was a golden jar of manna [Ex. 16:33–34], Aaron’s rod that once grew leaves [Num. 17:1–11], and the stone tablets of the ·old agreement [covenant; contract; Ex. 25:16; 40:20; Deut. 10:2]. 5 Above the Ark were the ·creatures that showed God’s glory [or glorious cherubim; Ex. 25:18–22; C angelic beings representing God’s presence and glory; Gen. 3:24; Ezek. 9:3; 10:1–22], ·whose wings reached over [L overshadowing] the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover; Lev. 16:2]. But we cannot ·tell everything about [discuss in detail] these things now.
6 When everything was made ready in this way, the priests went into the ·first room [outer room; L first tent] ·every day [regularly] to ·worship [serve; minister; perform their priestly duties; Num. 28:3]. 7 But only the high priest could go into the ·second room [inner room; L second one], and he did that only once a year [Ex. 30:10; Lev. 16:15, 34]. He could never enter the inner room without taking blood [C from the sacrificial animal] with him, which he offered to God for himself and for sins the people did ·without knowing they did them [unintentionally; in ignorance]. 8 The Holy Spirit uses this to show that the way into the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things; T Holy of Holies] ·was not open [or had not yet been revealed] while the ·system of the old Holy Tent [or outer room of the Tabernacle; L first tent/Tabernacle] was still ·being used [in place; standing]. 9 This is an ·example [illustration; symbol] for the present time. It shows that the gifts and sacrifices offered cannot make the conscience of the worshiper ·perfect [clear; pure]. 10 These gifts and sacrifices were only about food and drink and special [ceremonial; ritual] washings. They were ·rules for the body [or external regulations], ·to be followed [in force; applying] until the time of God’s ·new way [reformation; new order].
The New Agreement
11 But when Christ came as the high priest of the good things ·we now have[a] [L that have come], he entered the greater and more perfect ·tent [T tabernacle]. It is not made ·by humans [L with hands] and does not belong to this ·world [creation; created order]. 12 Christ entered the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things; T Holy of Holies] ·only once—and for all time [L once for all; 7:27; 10:10]. ·He did not take with him [L …not by means of] the blood of goats and calves. ·His sacrifice was [L …but by means of] his own blood, and by it he ·set us free from sin forever [L obtained/secured eternal redemption/liberation]. 13 The blood of goats and bulls [Lev. 16:14–16] and the ashes of a ·cow [young cow; heifer; Num. 19:2, 17–18] are sprinkled on the people who are [C ritually] unclean, and this ·makes their bodies clean again [restores their body to ritual purity]. 14 How much more is done by the blood of Christ. He offered himself through the eternal ·Spirit [or spirit; C most likely the Holy Spirit, though possibly Christ’s own eternal spirit, or as a “spiritual” and eternal sacrifice] as a ·perfect [unblemished] sacrifice to God. His blood [C signifying his sacrificial death] will make our consciences ·pure [cleansed] from ·useless acts [or acts that lead to death; L dead works; 6:1] so we may ·serve [worship; offer priestly service for] the living God.
15 For this reason Christ ·brings a new agreement from God to his people [L is the mediator of a new covenant/contract]. Those who are called by God can now receive the eternal ·blessings [inheritance] he has promised. They can have those things because Christ died to ·set them free [redeem them] from the ·sins [transgressions; violations] committed under the first agreement [covenant; contract].
16 When there is a ·will [last will and testament; C the same Greek word translated “agreement” in v. 15; the author develops his illustration from the various meanings of the word], it must be proven that the one who wrote that ·will [last will and testament] is dead. 17 [L For; Because] A ·will [last will and testament] ·means nothing [carries no force] while the person is alive; it can ·be used [take effect] only after the person dies. 18 This is why even the first ·agreement [covenant; contract; C the same Greek word as “will” in vv. 16–17] could not ·begin [be inaugurated/put into effect] without blood [C the death of a sacrificial animal]. 19 First, Moses told all the people every command in the law. Next he took the blood of calves[b] and mixed it with water. Then he used ·red [scarlet] wool and a branch of the hyssop plant to sprinkle it on the book of the law and on all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood ·that begins [that seals/confirms; L of] the ·Agreement [Covenant; Contract] that God commanded you to ·obey [keep; Ex. 24:8].” 21 In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the ·Holy Tent [T Tabernacle] and over all the ·things [vessels; utensils] used in worship. 22 The law says that almost everything must be ·made clean [purified; cleansed] by blood, and sins cannot be forgiven without ·blood to show death [the shedding of blood; C signifying death to pay the penalty of sin].
Christ’s Death Takes Away Sins
23 So the ·copies [symbols; models; prototypes] of the real things in heaven had to be ·made clean [purified; cleansed] by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven need much better sacrifices. 24 [L For] Christ did not go into ·the Most Holy Place [a sanctuary; L holy things] made by ·humans [L hands], which is only a ·copy [model; or prefiguration] of the real one. He went into heaven itself and ·is there [appears] now ·before [in the presence of] God ·to help us [for us; on our behalf]. 25 The high priest enters the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things; T Holy of Holies] once every year with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not offer himself many times. 26 ·Then [Otherwise; In such a case,] he would have had to suffer many times ·since the world was made [from the foundation/creation of the world]. But Christ ·came [appeared] ·only once and for all time [once for all; 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:10] at the ·end [culmination; climax] of ·the present age [time; L the ages] to ·take away all [nullify; abolish] sin by sacrificing himself. 27 Just as ·everyone [L people] ·must [is/are destined/appointed to] die once and ·then be judged [T after this the judgment], 28 so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to ·take away [bear] the sins of many people [Is. 53:12]. And he will ·come [appear] a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
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