M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
20 The Lord will send you curses, confusion, and punishment in ·everything you do [all your undertakings; L all that is sent out from your hand]. You will be destroyed and suddenly ruined because you did wrong when you ·left [abandoned; forsook] him. 21 The Lord will ·give [make cling to] you ·terrible diseases [plagues] and destroy you from the land you are going to ·take [possess]. 22 The Lord will ·punish [L strike] you with disease, fever, swelling, heat, lack of rain, plant diseases, and mildew until you ·die [perish]. 23 The ·sky [heavens] above will be like bronze [C giving no rain], and the ground below will be like iron [1 Kin. 17:1]. 24 The Lord will turn the rain into dust and sand, which will fall from the ·skies [heavens] until you are destroyed.
25 The Lord will help your enemies defeat you [C as at Ai; Josh. 8]. You will attack them from one direction, but you will run from them in seven directions. And you will become a thing of horror among all the kingdoms on earth. 26 Your dead bodies will be food for all the birds of the ·sky [heavens] and wild animals, and there will be no one to scare them away. 27 The Lord will ·punish [L strike] you with boils like those the Egyptians had. You will have ·bad growths [tumors; ulcers], sores, and itches that can’t be ·cured [healed]. 28 The Lord will ·give you [L strike you with] madness, blindness, and a confused mind. 29 You will have to feel around ·in the daylight [at noon] like a blind person in darkness. You will ·fail in everything you do [L not succeed in your way]. People will ·hurt [oppress] you and steal from you every day, and no one will ·save [help] you.
30 You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will ·force her to have sexual relations with him [have her]. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not ·get its grapes [L enjoy it]. 31 Your ox will be ·killed [slaughtered; butchered] before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be ·taken away [stolen] from you, and it will not be brought back. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will ·save [help] you. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will grow tired looking for them every day, but there will be nothing you can do. 33 People you don’t know will eat the ·crops [L fruit of] your land and hard work have produced. You will be ·mistreated [oppressed] and ·abused [ill-treated] all your life. 34 The things ·you [L your eyes] see will ·cause you to go mad [drive you crazy]. 35 The Lord will ·give you [L strike you with] ·sore [horrible] boils on your knees and legs that cannot be cured, and they will go from the soles of your feet to the tops of your heads.
36 The Lord will send you and the king whom you set over yourselves away to a nation neither you nor your ·ancestors [fathers] know, where you will serve other gods made of wood and stone. 37 You will become a ·hated thing [object of horror] to the nations where the Lord sends you; ·they will laugh at you and make fun of you [L a proverb and a byword].
38 You will ·plant much seed in [carry out much seed to] your field, but your harvest will be small, because locusts will ·eat the crop [consume it]. 39 You will plant vineyards and work hard in them, but you will not ·pick the grapes [harvest] or drink the wine, because the worms will eat them. 40 You will have olive trees in all your land, but you will not ·get any [L anoint yourself with] olive oil, because the olives will drop off the trees. 41 You will ·have [bear] sons and daughters, but you will not be able to keep them, because they will be taken captive. 42 ·Locusts [or Crickets] will ·destroy [L take possession of] all your trees and crops.
43 The ·foreigners [resident aliens] who live among you will ·get stronger and stronger [go higher and higher], and you will ·get weaker and weaker [go lower and lower]. 44 ·Foreigners [L They] will lend money to you, but you will not be able to lend to them. They will be like the head, and you will be like the tail.
45 All these curses will come upon you. They will ·chase [pursue] you and ·catch [overtake] you and destroy you, because you did not ·obey [listen to the voice of] the Lord your God and keep the commands and ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] he ·gave [commanded] you. 46 The curses will be signs and ·miracles [wonders] to you and your ·descendants [L seed] forever. 47 You had plenty of everything, but you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a ·pure [or glad] heart, 48 so you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, naked, and poor, and the Lord will put a ·load on you [L yoke of bronze on your neck] until he has destroyed you [Jer. 28:14].
The Curse of an Enemy Nation
49 The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the world, and it will swoop down like an eagle. You won’t ·understand their language [L hear its tongue; Jer. 5:15–17], 50 and they will ·look mean [be stern-faced]. They will not ·respect [show favoritism to] old people or ·feel sorry for [favor; have compassion for] the young. 51 They will eat the ·calves from your herds and the harvest of your field [L fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your land], and you will be destroyed. They will not leave you any grain, new wine or oil, or any calves from your herds or lambs from your flocks. You will ·be ruined [perish]. 52 That nation will ·surround and attack [besiege] all your ·cities [L gates]. You trust in your high, ·strong [fortified] walls, but they will fall down. That nation will ·surround [besiege] all your ·cities [gates] everywhere in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
53 ·Your enemy will surround you. Those people will make you starve so that [L In the dire position that the siege of your enemies places you] you will eat ·your own babies [L the fruit of your womb], the ·bodies [L flesh] of the sons and daughters the Lord your God gave you. 54 Even the most gentle and kind man among you will ·become cruel [look threateningly] to his brother, his wife ·whom he loves [L of his lap], and his children who ·are still alive [remain]. 55 He will not even give them any of the flesh of his children he is eating, because it will be all he has left. ·Your enemy will surround you and make you starve [L In the dire position that the siege of your enemies places you] in all your ·cities [L gates]. 56 The most gentle and kind woman among you, so gentle and kind she would hardly even walk on the ground, will ·be cruel [look threateningly] to her husband ·whom she loves [L of her lap] and to her son and daughter. 57 She will give birth to a baby, but she will plan to eat the baby and ·what comes after the birth itself [the afterbirth; L that which comes out between her feet]. She will eat them secretly ·while the enemy surrounds the city. Those people will make you starve in all your cities [L …in the dire position that the siege of your enemies places you; Lam. 2:20].
58 Be careful to obey everything in these ·teachings [laws; instructions] that are written in this ·book [scroll]. You must respect the glorious and ·wonderful [awesome] name of the Lord your God, 59 or the Lord will give terrible diseases to you and your ·descendants [L seed]. You will have long and serious diseases, and long and miserable sicknesses. 60 He will ·give [bring back to] you all the diseases of Egypt that you dread, and the diseases will ·stay with [cling to] you. 61 The Lord will also give you every disease and sickness not written in this ·Book [Scroll] of the ·Teachings [Law; Instruction], until you are destroyed. 62 You people may have outnumbered the stars [Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4; Ex. 32:13], but only a few of you will be left, because you did not ·obey [listen to the voice of] the Lord your God. 63 Just as the Lord was once ·happy [pleased; delighted] with you and gave you ·good things [prosperity] and made you grow in number, so then the Lord will be ·happy [pleased; delighted] to ruin and destroy you, and you will be removed from the land you are entering to take as your ·own [possession].
64 Then the Lord will scatter you among the nations—from one end of the earth to the other [Jer. 9:16; 18:17; Ezek. 12:15]. There you will serve other gods of wood and stone, gods that neither you nor your ·ancestors [fathers] have known. 65 You will have no rest among those nations and no place that is yours. The Lord will make your ·mind [or heart] ·worried [tremble], your ·sight weak [eyes fail], and your soul ·sad [languish; C depressed]. 66 You will live ·with danger [in suspense] and be afraid night and day. You will not be sure that you will live. 67 In the morning you will say, “·I wish [O that] it were evening,” and in the evening you will say, “·I wish [O that] it were morning.” ·Terror [Dread] will be in your heart, and the things you have seen will scare you. 68 The Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships, even though ·I, Moses, [L I; C possibly a reference to God] said you would never go back to Egypt. And there you will try to sell yourselves as slaves to your enemies, but no one will buy you.
25 ·I am about to die [L My soul clings to the dust].
Give me life, as you have promised.
26 I ·told you about my life [L recounted my way], and you answered me.
Teach me your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
27 Help me understand your ·orders [L the way of your precepts].
Then I will ·think [meditate] about your ·miracles [wonders].
28 ·I am sad and tired [L My soul is weary/melts with sorrow affliction].
Make me ·strong [L rise up] again as you have promised.
29 ·Don’t let me be dishonest [L Turn me away from a false way];
·have mercy on me by helping me obey your teachings [graciously teach me your instructions/laws].
30 I have chosen the way of ·truth [faithfulness];
I have ·obeyed [placed before me] your ·laws [judgments].
31 I ·hold on [cling] to your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
Lord, do not let me be ·disgraced [shamed].
32 I will ·quickly obey [L run the way of] your commands,
because you have ·made me happy [L enlarged my heart/mind].
33 Lord, teach me ·your demands [L the way of your demands/statutes/ordinances/requirements],
and I will ·keep [observe] them until the end.
34 Help me understand, so I can ·keep [protect] your ·teachings [instructions; laws],
·obeying [guarding] them with all my heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commands,
because ·that makes me happy [L I take pleasure in them].
36 Make me want to keep your ·rules [decrees; testimonies]
·instead of wishing for riches [L not to gain/profit].
37 ·Keep me [L Turn my eyes] from looking at ·worthless [false; vain] things.
Let me live ·by your word [L in your path].
38 ·Keep your promise [Confirm your word] to me, your servant,
so you will be ·respected [feared; Prov. 1:7].
39 Take away ·the shame [my scorn/humiliation] I fear,
because your ·laws [judgments] are good.
40 How I ·want to follow [long for] your ·orders [precepts].
Give me life because of your ·goodness [righteousness].
41 Lord, ·show [L bring] me your ·love [loyalty],
and ·save me [give me victory] as you have ·promised [said].
42 I have an answer for people who ·insult [scorn] me,
because I ·trust [find refuge in] what you say.
43 Never ·keep me from speaking your truth [L take the word of truth from my mouth],
because I ·depend [pin my hopes] on your ·fair laws [judgments].
44 I will ·obey [keep; guard] your ·teachings [instructions; laws]
forever and ever.
45 So I will live in ·freedom [liberty],
because I ·want to follow [L seek] your ·orders [precepts].
46 I will discuss your ·rules [decrees; testimonies] with kings
and will not be ashamed.
47 I ·enjoy obeying [L delight in] your commands,
which I love.
48 I ·praise [L lift my palms/hands to] your commands, which I love,
and I ·think [meditate] about your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
God Gives What Is Good
55 The Lord says, “All you who are thirsty,
come ·and drink [L to the waters; John 7:37].
Those of you who do not have money,
come, buy and eat [Prov. 9:5]!
Come buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend your money on something that is not ·real food [bread]?
Why work for something that doesn’t really satisfy you?
Listen closely to me, and you will eat what is good;
your soul will ·enjoy [delight in] the ·rich food that satisfies [L fat].
3 Come to me and ·listen [extend your ear];
listen to me so you may live.
I will make an ·agreement with you that will last forever [everlasting covenant/treaty with you].
I will give you the ·blessings [covenant love; loyalty; lovingkindness; T sure mercies] I promised to David [2 Sam. 7:11–14; Ps. 89:33–35; Acts 13:34].
4 [L Look; T Behold] I made David a witness ·of my power for all [L to the] nations,
a ruler and commander of many nations.
5 [L Look; T Behold] You will call for nations that you don’t yet know.
And these nations that do not know you will run to you
because of the Lord your God,
because of the Holy One of Israel [1:4] who ·honors [has glorified] you.”
6 ·So you should look for [L Seek] the Lord ·before it is too late [while he may be found];
you should call to him while he is near.
7 The wicked should ·stop doing wrong [abandon/forsake their ways],
and ·they [L the unrighteous person] should stop their evil thoughts.
They should return to the Lord so he may have ·mercy [compassion] on them.
They should come to our God, because he will freely forgive them [Deut. 4:25–31; 30:1–10; 1 Kin. 8:46–53].
8 The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts.
Your ways are not like my ways.
9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts [Ps. 103:11].
10 Rain and snow fall from the sky
and don’t return without watering the ground.
They cause the plants to sprout and grow,
making seeds for the ·farmer [sower]
and bread for the ·people [L eater].
11 The same thing is true of the words ·I speak [L that go out of my mouth].
They will not return to me empty.
They ·make the things happen that I want to happen [accomplish what I desire/purpose],
and they succeed in doing what I send them to do.
12 “So you will go out with joy [C returning from the Babylonian exile]
and be led out in peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees in the fields will clap their hands [C the earth rejoices at God’s restoration of creation].
13 ·Large cypress [or Juniper; Evergreen] trees will grow where thornbushes were.
Myrtle trees will grow where ·weeds [briers] were.
These things will be ·a reminder of the Lord’s promise [or for the Lord’s honor/renown; L to the Lord for a name],
·and this reminder will never be destroyed [L for an eternal sign that will not be cut off].”
The Work of John the Baptist(A)
3 ·About that time [In the course of time; L In those days] John the Baptist began preaching in the ·desert area [wilderness] of Judea. 2 John said, “·Change your hearts and lives [Repent] because the kingdom of heaven ·is near [has drawn near; is at hand].” 3 ·John the Baptist [L For this] is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said:
“This is a voice of one
who ·calls out [shouts; cries out] in the ·desert [wilderness]:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make ·the road straight [a clear path] for him [Is. 40:3].’”
4 John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist [C reminiscent of the prophet Elijah; 2 Kin. 1:8]. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey [C signifies living off the land]. 5 Many people came from Jerusalem and Judea and all the ·area [region] around the Jordan River to hear John. 6 They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River.
7 Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the place where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, “You ·are snakes [T brood/offspring of vipers]! Who warned you to ·run [slither; L flee] away from God’s coming ·punishment [wrath; retribution]? 8 ·Do the things [L Produce the fruit] ·that show you really have changed your hearts and lives [that prove your repentance; L of repentance]. 9 And don’t ·think you can [presume to] say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father [C a claim to be God’s special people].’ [L For] I tell you that God could ·make [create; L raise up] children for Abraham from these rocks. 10 The ax ·is now ready to cut down [already lies at the root of] the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire [C a metaphor for judgment].
John Preaches About the Christ(B)
11 “I baptize you with water ·to show that your hearts and lives have changed [for repentence]. But there is one coming after me who is ·greater [mightier; more powerful] than I am, whose sandals I am not ·good enough [fit; qualified] to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 ·He will come ready [L The winnowing fork is in his hand] to clean the grain, ·separating the good grain from the chaff [L to clear his threshing floor]. He will put ·the good part of the grain [L the grain/wheat] into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with ·a fire that cannot be put out [never-ending/unquenchable fire; C a metaphor for judgment, when Jesus will separate the righteous from the wicked].”
Jesus Is Baptized by John(C)
13 ·At that time [Then] Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River ·and wanted John to baptize him [L to be baptized by John]. 14 But John tried to ·stop [deter; dissuade; prevent] him, saying, “·Why do [Do] you come to me to be baptized? I need to be baptized by you!”
15 Jesus answered, “Let it ·be this way for [happen] now. ·We should do all things that are God’s will [or In this way we will do what God requires; L For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness].” So John ·agreed to baptize Jesus [gave in; consented; allowed it].
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then ·heaven [the sky/heavens] opened, and he saw God’s Spirit ·coming down [descending and lighting/settling] on him like a dove [C either in the form of a dove, or in bird-like descent]. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my ·Son, whom I love [dearly beloved Son; Ps. 2:7; Gen. 22:2], and I am ·very [well] pleased with him [Is. 42:1].”
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