M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Moses is Born
2 A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi. 2 Later, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a beautiful[a] child, and hid him for three months. 3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus container, coated it with asphalt and pitch, placed the child in it, and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 Then his sister positioned herself some distance away in order to find out what would happen to him.
Pharaoh’s Daughter Adopts Moses
5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile River[b] to bathe while her maids walked along the river bank. She saw the container among the reeds and sent a servant girl to get it. 6 When she opened it and saw the child, the little boy suddenly began crying. Filled with compassion for him, she exclaimed, “This is one of the Hebrew children!”
7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the nursing Hebrew women so she can nurse the child for you?”
8 Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Go,” so the young girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter instructed her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I’ll pay you a salary.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 After the child had grown older,[c] she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,[d] because she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Moses Kills an Egyptian
11 Years later, after[e] Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people,[f] and took notice of their heavy burdens. He saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew, one of his own people.[g] 12 Looking around and seeing no one else, he killed[h] the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 Going out the next day, Moses noticed[i] two Hebrew men fighting right in front of him. He told the one who was at fault, “Why did you strike your companion?”
14 The man[j] replied, “Who appointed you to be an official judge over us? Are you planning[k] to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?”
Then Moses became terrified and told himself,[l] “Certainly this event has become known!”
Moses Flees to Midian
15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh, settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. 16 Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father’s sheep. 17 Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep. 18 When they returned to their father Reuel,[m] he asked, “Why have you returned so quickly today?”
19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,”[n] they replied, “and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep!”
20 “Then where is he?” He asked his daughters. “Why did you leave the man behind? Go invite him to have something to eat.”[o]
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.[p] 22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses[q] named him Gershom,[r] because he used to say, “I became an alien in a foreign land.”
The Israelis Cry Out to God
23 The king of Egypt eventually[s] died, and the Israelis groaned because of the bondage. They cried out, and their cry for deliverance from slavery ascended to God. 24 God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God watched the Israelis and took notice of them.
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]
Job Responds to Bildad
19 In response, Job said:
2 “How long do you intend to keep torturing me
and trying to break me by what you’re saying?
3 Ten times you’ve tried to humiliate me!
You’re not ashamed to wrong me!
4 Even if it’s true that I’ve erred,
my error only affects me.
5 If you really intend to vaunt yourselves over me,
and make my problems the basis of your case against me,
6 then at least you must know that God has accused me of wrong,
and trapped me with his net.”
Job Accuses God of Being Angry
7 “Although I cried out ‘Violence!’
I received no answer;
I cried for help,
but there was no justice.
8 He blocked my path,
so I cannot pass;
and he turned out the lights on my pathways.
9 “He has stripped me of my honor;
he has stolen the crown off my head!
10 He is breaking me down on every side,
and now it’s too late for me;[a]
he has uprooted my hopes like a tree.
11 His anger burns against me;
he regards me as his adversary.
12 His troops march[b] in a column[c] against me,
erecting their siege ramps against me;
they surround my tent.”
Job’s Family and Friends Abandoned Him
13 “My brothers are alienated from me;
my acquaintances are estranged;
14 my relatives have failed me;
and my friends[d] have abandoned me.
15 Those who live in my house—
and my maidservants, too!—
treat me like a stranger;
they think I’m a foreigner.
16 “I call to my servant,
but he doesn’t respond,
even though I beg to him earnestly.[e]
17 My wife says my breath stinks;
even my children say I smell bad!
18 Even little children hate me;
when I get up, they mock me.
19 My closest friends[f] detest me;
even the ones I love have turned against me.
20 I’m a pile of skin and bones;
I have barely escaped by the skin of my teeth.”
Job Pleads with His Friends
21 “Be gracious to me, be gracious to me, my friends,
because God’s hand has struck me.
22 Why are you chasing me, as God has been doing?
Aren’t you satisfied that I’m sick?[g]
23 If only my words were written down;
if only they were inscribed in a book
24 using an iron stylus with lead for ink!
Then they’d be engraved in rock forever.
25 “As for me, I know that my Vindicator[h] is alive;
And he, the Last One,[i] will take his stand on the soil.[j]
26 Even after my skin has been destroyed,
clothed in my flesh I will see God,
27 whom I will see for myself.
My own eyes will look at him—
there won’t be anyone else for me!—
He is the culmination of my innermost desire.”
Job Reminds His Friends of Judgment
28 “When you’re thinking about asking yourselves,
‘How will we pursue him,
since the root of the problem is with him?’[k]
29 Make sure that you remain wary of God’s sword,
for God’s wrath brings with it the sword of punishment,
by which you’ll know there’s a judgment.”
Morality in Legal Matters
6 When one of you has a complaint against another, does he dare to take the matter before those who are unrighteous and not before the saints? 2 You know that the saints will rule the world, don’t you? And if the world is going to be ruled by you, can’t you handle insignificant cases? 3 You know that we will rule angels, not to mention things in this life, don’t you? 4 So if you have cases dealing with this life, why do you appoint as judges people who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to make you feel ashamed. Has it come to this, that there is not one person among you who is wise enough to settle disagreements between brothers?[a] 6 Instead, one brother goes to court against another brother, and before unbelieving judges,[b] at that! 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves is already a defeat for you. Why not rather just accept the wrong? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves practice doing wrong and cheating others, and brothers at that!
9 You know that wicked people will not inherit the kingdom of God, don’t you? Stop deceiving yourselves! Sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunks, slanderers, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God. 11 That is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah[c] and by the Spirit of our God.
Morality in Sexual Matters
12 Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me. 13 Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will make them both unnecessary. The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 God raised the Lord, and by his power he will also raise us.
15 You know that your bodies belong to the Messiah,[d] don’t you? Should I take what belongs to the Messiah[e] and unite them with a prostitute? Certainly not! 16 You know that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her, don’t you? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[f] 17 But the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
18 Keep on running away from sexual immorality. Any other[g] sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the person who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 You know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God, don’t you? You do not belong to yourselves, 20 because you were bought for a price. Therefore, glorify God with your bodies.
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