M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Disease of the Farm Animals
9 Then the Lord told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him: “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘Let my people go to worship me!’ 2 If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, 3 then the Lord will use his power against your animals in the fields. He will cause all of your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and sheep to get sick with a terrible disease. 4 But the Lord will treat Israel’s animals differently from the animals of Egypt. None of the animals that belong to the Israelites will die. 5 The Lord has set the time for this to happen. He said, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will make this happen in this country.’”
6 The next morning the Lord did what he said. All the farm animals of the Egyptians died, but none of the animals that belonged to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent people to see if any of the animals of Israel died. Not one of them died. But Pharaoh remained stubborn and did not let the people go.
The Boils
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Fill your hands with the ashes from a furnace. Moses, you throw the ashes into the air in front of Pharaoh. 9 This will become dust that will go throughout the land of Egypt. Whenever the dust touches a person or an animal in Egypt, sores will break out on the skin.”
10 So Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace and went and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw the ashes into the air, and sores began breaking out on people and animals. 11 The magicians could not stop Moses from doing this, because even the magicians had the sores. This happened everywhere in Egypt. 12 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
The Hail
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up in the morning and go to Pharaoh. Tell him that the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘Let my people go to worship me! 14 This time, I will use my full power against you, your officials, and your people. Then you will know that there is no god in the world like me. 15 I could use my power and cause a disease that would wipe you and your people off the earth. 16 But I have put you here for a reason. I have put you here so that I could show you my power. Then people all over the world will learn about me! 17 You are still against my people. You are not letting them go free. 18 So at this time tomorrow, I will cause a very bad hailstorm. There has never been a hailstorm like this in Egypt, not since Egypt became a nation. 19 Now, you must put your animals in a safe place. Everything you own that is now in the fields must be put in a safe place. Any person or animal that remains in the fields will be killed. The hail will fall on everything that is not gathered into your houses.’”
20 Some of Pharaoh’s officials paid attention to the Lord’s message. They quickly put all of their animals and slaves into houses. 21 But other people ignored the Lord’s message and lost all their slaves and animals that were in the fields.
22 The Lord told Moses, “Raise your hand into the air and the hail will start falling all over Egypt. The hail will fall on all the people, animals, and plants in all the fields of Egypt.”
23 So Moses raised his walking stick into the air, and the Lord sent hail with thunder and lightning down on the earth. The Lord caused hail to fall all over Egypt. 24 The hail was falling, and lightning was flashing all through it. It was the worst hailstorm that had ever hit Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 The storm destroyed everything in the fields in Egypt. The hail destroyed people, animals, and plants. The hail also broke all the trees in the fields. 26 The only place that did not get hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
27 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “This time I have sinned. The Lord is right, and I and my people are wrong. 28 We have had enough of this hail and thunder! Ask the Lord to stop the storm, and I will let you go. You don’t have to stay here.”
29 Moses told Pharaoh, “When I leave the city, I will lift my hands in prayer to the Lord, and the thunder and hail will stop. Then you will know that the Lord is in this land. 30 But I know that you and your officials don’t really fear and respect the Lord yet.”
31 The flax had already developed its seeds, and the barley was already blooming. So these plants were destroyed. 32 But wheat and spelt ripen later than the other grains, so these plants were not destroyed.
33 Moses left Pharaoh and went outside the city. He lifted his hands in prayer to the Lord. And the thunder and hail stopped, and then even the rain stopped.
34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he again did wrong. He and his officials became stubborn again. 35 Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go free, just as the Lord had said through Moses.
Don’t Be Like the Pharisees
12 Many thousands of people came together. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to the people, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees. I mean that they are hypocrites. 2 Everything that is hidden will be shown, and everything that is secret will be made known. 3 What you say in the dark will be told in the light. And what you whisper in a private room will be shouted from the top of the house.”
Fear Only God(A)
4 Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of people. They can kill the body, but after that they can do nothing more to hurt you. 5 I will show you the one to fear. You should fear God, who has the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, he is the one you should fear.
6 “When birds are sold, five small birds cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. 7 Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds.
Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Faith(B)
8 “I tell you, if you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I[a] will say that you belong to me. I will say this in the presence of God’s angels. 9 But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will say that you do not belong to me. I will say this in the presence of God’s angels.
10 “Whoever says something against the Son of Man can be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 “When men bring you into the synagogues before the leaders and other important men, don’t worry about what you will say. 12 The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
Jesus Warns Against Selfishness
13 One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, our father just died and left some things for us. Tell my brother to share them with me.”
14 But Jesus said to him, “Who said I should be your judge or decide how to divide your father’s things between you two?” 15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. People do not get life from the many things they own.”
16 Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man who had some land. His land grew a very good crop of food. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns. 19 Then I can say to myself, I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’
20 “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?’
21 “This is how it will be for anyone who saves things only for himself. To God that person is not rich.”
Put God’s Kingdom First(C)
22 Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat or what you will wear. 23 Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 24 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in houses or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than crows. 25 None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it. 26 And if you can’t do the little things, why worry about the big things?
27 “Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!
29 “So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it. 30 That’s what all those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. But your Father knows that you need these things. 31 What you should be thinking about is God’s kingdom. Then he will give you all these other things you need.
Don’t Trust in Money
32 “Don’t fear, little flock. Your Father wants to share his kingdom with you. 33 Sell the things you have and give that money to those who need it. This is the only way you can keep your riches from being lost. You will be storing treasure in heaven that lasts forever. Thieves can’t steal that treasure, and moths can’t destroy it. 34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
Always Be Ready(D)
35 “Be ready! Be fully dressed and have your lights shining. 36 Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks, and the servants immediately open the door for him. 37 When their master sees that they are ready and waiting for him, it will be a great day for those servants. I can tell you without a doubt, the master will get himself ready to serve a meal and tell the servants to sit down. Then he will serve them. 38 Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be glad they did when he comes in and finds them still waiting.
39 “What would a homeowner do if he knew when a thief was coming? You know he would not let the thief break in. 40 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”
Who Is the Trusted Servant?(E)
41 Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?”
42 The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? The master trusts one servant to give the other servants their food at the right time. Who is the servant that the master trusts to do that work? 43 When the master comes and finds him doing the work he gave him, it will be a day of blessing for that servant! 44 I can tell you without a doubt, the master will choose that servant to take care of everything he owns.
45 “But what will happen if that servant is evil and thinks his master will not come back soon? He will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink until he has had too much. 46 Then the master will come when the servant is not ready, at a time when the servant is not expecting him. Then the master will punish that servant and send him away to be with the other people who don’t obey.
47 “That servant knew what his master wanted him to do. But he did not make himself ready or try to do what his master wanted. So that servant will be punished very much! 48 But what about the servant who does not know what his master wants? He also does things that deserve punishment. But he will get less punishment than the servant who knew what he should do. Whoever has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more.”
Following Jesus May Bring You Trouble(F)
49 Jesus continued speaking: “I came to bring fire to the world. I wish it were already burning! 50 There is a kind of baptism[b] that I must suffer through. I feel very troubled until it is finished. 51 Do you think I came to give peace to the world? No, I came to divide the world! 52 From now on, a family of five will be divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 A father and son will be divided:
The son will turn against his father.
The father will turn against his son.
A mother and her daughter will be divided:
The daughter will turn against her mother.
The mother will turn against her daughter.
A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law will be divided:
The daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law.
The mother-in-law will turn against her daughter-in-law.”
Understanding the Times(G)
54 Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds growing bigger in the west, you say, ‘A rainstorm is coming.’ And soon it begins to rain. 55 When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right. 56 You hypocrites! You can understand the weather. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?
Settle Your Problems(H)
57 “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? 58 Suppose someone is suing you, and you are both going to court. Try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t settle it, you may have to go before the judge. And the judge will hand you over to the officer, who will throw you into jail. 59 I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid every cent you owe.”
27 Job continued his answer:
2 “God All-Powerful has been unfair to me;
he has made my life bitter.
But I swear by his life,
3 as long as I have life in me,
as long as breath from God is in my nostrils,
4 I will not be a hypocrite.
I will not lie.
5 You will never hear me say you men are right!
Until the day I die I will not be untrue to myself.
6 I will hold on to my innocence and never let go!
My conscience will always be clear!
7 May my enemies be punished like those who are evil.
May those who stood against me end up like all who have done wrong.
8 What hope do people without God have when it is time to die,
when God takes their life away?
9 When they have troubles and cry out for help,
God will not listen to them!
10 It will be too late for them to enjoy talking with God All-Powerful.
They should have prayed to God all the time.
11 “I will teach you about God’s power.
I will not hide anything about God All-Powerful.
12 But you have seen it all with your own eyes.
So why do you say such useless things?
13 [a] “Here is what God has planned for those who are evil.
This is what cruel people will get from God All-Powerful.
14 They may have many children, but all of them will be killed in war.
Or their children will not have enough to eat.
15 All those who are left will die,
and the widows will not even cry for them.
16 Evil people collect silver as easily as dirt.
They may have so many clothes that they are piled up like clay.
17 But their piles of clothes will be worn by those who have lived right.
All that silver will be given to those who have done no wrong.
18 Evil people might build houses, but they will not last long.
They will be like a spider’s web or a guard’s tent.
19 They might be rich when they go to bed,
but when they open their eyes, all their riches will be gone.
20 Terrible fears will come over them like a flood,
like a storm in the night that blows everything away.
21 The east wind will carry them away, and they will be gone.
The storm will sweep them out of their homes.
22 They may try to run away from the power of the storm,
but it will come down on them without mercy.
23 It will make a sound like clapping hands as they run away.
It will whistle at them as they run from their homes.”
Let Love Be Your Guide
13 I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.
8 Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International