M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
22 Take a small branch and put it in the blood in the pot. Spread some of the blood on the wood pieces on the top and sides of the door. Then none of you go outside the door of his house until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to kill the Egyptians. But when He sees the blood around your door, the Lord will pass over the door. He will not let the one who destroys come into your houses to kill you. 24 You must remember this as a law for you and your children forever. 25 You must remember this special time when you go to the land that the Lord has promised to give you. 26 When your children ask you, ‘What does this special time mean to you?’ 27 you will say, ‘It is a Passover gift to the Lord. Because He passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt. He killed the Egyptians but saved our homes.’” And the people bowed to the ground and worshiped. 28 Then the people of Israel went and did what the Lord had told Moses and Aaron.
Death of the First-Born
29 At midnight the Lord killed all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the first-born of the one who was held in prison, and all the first-born of the cattle. 30 Pharaoh got up in the night, he and his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a loud cry in Egypt. For there was no home where there was not someone dead.
Children of Israel Leave Egypt
31 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron at night. He said, “Get up and go away from my people, both you and the people of Israel. Go and worship the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your cattle, as you have said, and go. And pray that good will come to me also.”
33 The Egyptians were trying to make the people hurry out of the land. For they said, “We will all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before yeast had been added. They tied their dough pots in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 The people of Israel had done what Moses had said. They had asked the Egyptians for things made of silver and gold and for clothes. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. So the Egyptians let them have whatever they asked for. And they took the best things of Egypt.
37 The people of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth. There were about 600,000 men on foot, and also the women and children. 38 And a mixed group of people went with them, and very many flocks and cattle. 39 They made the dough they had brought out of Egypt into loaves of bread without yeast. Yeast was not added to the dough because they had been sent out of Egypt and could not wait. They could not make ready any food for themselves.
40 The people of Israel had lived in Egypt 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all of the Lord’s people left Egypt. 42 It was a night to be remembered for the Lord for having brought them out of the land of Egypt. This night is for the Lord, to be remembered by all the people of Israel for all time.
How the Passover Supper Should Be Eaten
43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the Law of the Passover. No stranger may eat of it. 44 But every servant who is bought with money may eat of it, only after he has gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew. 45 A stranger or paid servant may not eat of it. 46 It must be eaten in one house. You must not carry any of the meat outside the house. And you must not break a bone of it. 47 All the people of Israel must remember this. 48 But when a stranger staying with you wants to share in this special supper to the Lord, let all his men and boys go through the religious act of becoming a Jew. Then let him come near to share in the special supper. He will be like one who is born in the land. But no person who has not gone through the religious act may eat of it. 49 The same law is for the one who is born in the land and for the stranger who stays among you.”
50 Then all the people of Israel did just as the Lord had told Moses and Aaron. 51 On that same day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their family groups.
The Picture-Story of the Lost Sheep
15 All the tax-gatherers and sinners were coming to hear Jesus. 2 The proud religious law-keepers and the teachers of the Law began to speak against Him. They said, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them a picture-story, saying, 4 “What if one of you had one hundred sheep and you lost one of them? Would you not leave the ninety-nine in the country and go back and look for the one which was lost until you find it? 5 When you find it, you are happy as you carry it back on your shoulders. 6 Then you would go to your house and call your friends and neighbors. You would say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven because of one sinner who is sorry for his sins and turns from them, than for ninety-nine people right with God who do not have sins to be sorry for.
The Picture-Story of the Lost Piece of Money
8 “What if a woman has ten silver pieces of money and loses one of them? Does she not light a lamp and sweep the floor and look until she finds it? 9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together. She says to them, ‘Be happy with me. I have found the piece of money I had lost.’ 10 I tell you, it is the same way among the angels of God. If one sinner is sorry for his sins and turns from them, the angels are very happy.”
The Picture-Story of the Foolish Son Who Spent All His Money
11 And Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, let me have the part of the family riches that will be coming to me.’ Then the father divided all that he owned between his two sons. 13 Soon after that the younger son took all that had been given to him and went to another country far away. There he spent all he had on wild and foolish living. 14 When all his money was spent, he was hungry. There was no food in the land. 15 He went to work for a man in this far away country. His work was to feed pigs. 16 He was so hungry he was ready to eat the outside part of the ears of the corn the pigs ate because no one gave him anything.
17 “He began to think about what he had done. He said to himself, ‘My father pays many men who work for him. They have all the food they want and more than enough. I am about dead because I am so hungry. 18 I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am not good enough to be called your son. But may I be as one of the workmen you pay to work?”’
20 “The son got up and went to his father. While he was yet a long way off, his father saw him. The father was full of loving-pity for him. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am not good enough to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to the workmen he owned, ‘Hurry! Get the best coat and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. 23 Bring the calf that is fat and kill it. Let us eat and be glad. 24 For my son was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found. Let us eat and have a good time.’
25 “The older son was out in the field. As he was coming near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was happening. 27 The servant answered, ‘Your brother has come back and your father has killed the fat calf. Your brother is in the house and is well.’ 28 The older brother was angry and would not go into the house. His father went outside and asked him to come in. 29 The older son said to his father, ‘All these many years I have served you. I have always obeyed what you said. But you never gave me a young goat so I could have a supper and a good time with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came back, you killed the fat calf. And yet he wasted your money with bad women.’
31 “The father said to him, ‘My son, you are with me all the time. All that I have is yours. 32 It is right and good that we should have a good time and be glad. Your brother was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found.’”
Job Keeps On Talking
30 “But now those who are younger than I make fun of me. I thought so little of their fathers that I did not want them with my sheep dogs. 2 Yes, what good could I get from the strength of their hands? Their strength was gone. 3 Their bodies are thin and in need of food. At night they bite the dry ground in the waste land. 4 They pick plants that taste of salt among the bushes. And they eat the root of the broom bush. 5 They are driven away from people. Men call out against them as if they were robbers. 6 So they live in valleys made by floods, in caves of the earth and of the rocks. 7 Among the bushes they cry out. They gather together under the thistles. 8 They are fools and they have no name. They have been driven out of the land.
9 “Now they make fun of me in song. They laugh at me. 10 They hate me and keep away from me, but they spit in my face. 11 Because God has made the string of my bow loose and has troubled me, they have thrown off their respect for me. 12 Their bad group comes to my right. They push me away and trip my feet, and make ways to destroy me. 13 They break up my path. They make trouble for me, and no one stops them. 14 They come as if through a wide hole in the wall, and roll on with much noise. 15 Fears come upon me. They go after my honor like the wind. And my well-being has passed away like a cloud.
16 “Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of trouble have taken hold of me. 17 Night cuts into my bones with pain. The pain keeps on and takes no rest. 18 My clothing is torn by a strong power. It pulls against me like the top of my coat. 19 God has thrown me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes. 20 I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me. I stand up, and You turn away from me. 21 You work against me. With the power of Your hand you make it hard for me. 22 You lift me up to the wind and make it carry me. You throw me around in the storm. 23 For I know that You will bring me to death, to the place for all the living.
24 “Yet does not one in a destroyed place put out his hand, and in his trouble cry out for help? 25 Have I not cried for the one whose life is hard? Was not my soul filled with sorrow for the poor? 26 When I expected good, then trouble came. When I waited for light, darkness came. 27 My heart is troubled and does not rest. Days of trouble are before me. 28 I go about full of sorrow without comfort. I stand up where the people are gathered and cry out for help. 29 I have become a brother to wild dogs, and a friend of ostriches. 30 My skin becomes black and falls from me. My bones burn because I am sick. 31 So my harp is turned to sorrow, and my horn to the sound of crying.
Gifts for the Poor
16 I want to tell you what to do about the money you are gathering for the Christians. Do the same as I told the churches in the country of Galatia to do. 2 On the first day of every week each of you should put aside some of your money. Give a certain part of what you have earned. Keep it there because I do not want money gathered when I come. 3 When I get there, I will give letters to the men you want to send. They will take your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If I can go, they can go with me.
Plans for a Visit
5 I want to visit you after I have gone through the country of Macedonia for I am going through there. 6 I may be staying with you and even spend the winter with you. Then you can send me on my way to the next place. 7 I do not want to stop now. I want to spend some time with you when I can stay longer, if that is what the Lord wants. 8 I will stay in the city of Ephesus until the special day to remember how the Holy Spirit came on the church. 9 A wide door has been opened to me here to preach the Good News. But there are many who work against me.
10 If Timothy comes, receive him and help him so he will not be afraid. He is working for the Lord as I am. 11 Everyone should respect him. Send him on his way to me in peace. I expect to see him and some of the other Christians soon. 12 I wanted brother Apollos to go with the other Christians to visit you. But he is not sure he should go now. He will come when he can.
13 Watch and keep awake! Stand true to the Lord. Keep on acting like men and be strong. 14 Everything you do should be done in love.
15 You know that the families of Stephanas were the first Christians in the country of Greece. They are working for the Lord in helping His people. 16 I ask you to listen to leaders like these and work with them as well as others like them. 17 I am happy that Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus came here. They have helped me and you would have also if you had been here. 18 They have made me happy. They would have made you happy also. Show them you are thankful for their help.
19 The churches in the countries of Asia say hello. Aquila and Priscilla and the Christians who meet in their house say hello with Christian love. 20 All the Christians here greet you. Greet each other with a kiss of holy love. 21 I, Paul, am writing the last part of this letter with my own hand. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be kept from being with Christ. The Lord is coming soon! 23 May you have the loving-favor of our Lord Jesus. 24 I love you all through Christ Jesus. Let it be so.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.