M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Laws about Right Living
19 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to all the people of Israel, ‘Be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Every one of you must have respect for his mother and his father. And keep My Days of Rest. I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to false gods or make gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
5 ‘When you give the Lord a peace gift, give it so you will be pleasing Him. 6 It will be eaten the same day you give it, and the next day. But what is left until the third day will be burned with fire. 7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is a sin. It will not be received. 8 Every one who eats it will carry his guilt. For he has made the holy thing of the Lord sinful. That person will not be among God’s people.
9 ‘When you pick the food of your land at gathering time, do not pick all the way to the corners of your field. And do not gather the food left on the ground there after you have picked. 10 Do not gather what is left among your vines, or gather the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for those in need and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.
11 ‘Do not steal. Be honest in what you do. Do not lie to one another. 12 Do not lie when you make a promise in My name, and so put the name of your God to shame. I am the Lord.
13 ‘Do not make it hard for your neighbor or rob him. You should not keep the pay of a man who works for you until the next morning. 14 Do not say bad things against a man who cannot hear. Do not put something in the way of a man who cannot see. But fear your God. I am the Lord.
15 ‘Be fair in how you judge. Do not show favor to the poor or to the great. Be fair in how you judge your neighbor. 16 Do not go around saying things that hurt your people. Do not do things against the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord.
17 ‘In your heart do not hate someone from your own country. You may speak sharp words to your neighbor, but do not sin because of him. 18 Do not hurt someone who has hurt you. Do not keep on hating the sons of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
19 ‘Keep My Laws. Do not let your cattle have young by a different kind. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing made of two kinds of cloth. 20 If a man lies with a woman who is a servant, promised to another man, but has not been paid for or made free, they must be punished. But they will not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 He will bring his guilt gift to the Lord at the door of the meeting tent. A ram will be used for the guilt gift before the Lord. 22 With it the religious leader will go through the worship of washing to take away the man’s sin, and he will be forgiven for the sin he has done.
23 ‘When you come into the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, think of their fruit as being something you should not touch. You should not touch it for three years. It must not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all their fruit will be holy, a gift of praise to the Lord. 25 In the fifth year you may eat of their fruit, so they may give more food for you. I am the Lord your God.
26 ‘Do not eat anything with the blood in it. Do not tell the future or do witchcraft. 27 Do not cut the hair on the side of your head or face. 28 Do not make any cuts on your body for the dead. Do not burn any pictures that will stay on your body. I am the Lord.
29 ‘Do not put your daughter to shame by making her sell the use of her body. Or the land will become full of shame and sin. 30 Keep My Days of Rest and honor My holy place. I am the Lord.
31 ‘Do not ask what you should do from those who speak with bad spirits or talk to the dead. Do not find them or you will be unclean. I am the Lord your God.
32 ‘Show respect to the person with white hair. Honor an older person and you will honor your God. I am the Lord.
33 ‘If a stranger lives with you in your land, do not do wrong to him. 34 You should act toward the stranger who lives among you as you would toward one born among you. Love him as you love yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
35 ‘Do not lie about the weight or price of anything. 36 Always tell the truth about it. I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 Keep all My Laws and do all that I tell you. I am the Lord.’”
The Lord—Our Shepherd
23 The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. 2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass. He leads me beside the quiet waters. 3 He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name. 4 Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me. 5 You are making a table of food ready for me in front of those who hate me. You have poured oil on my head. I have everything I need. 6 For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.
The King of Shining-Greatness
24 The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it, the world, and all who live in it. 2 For He has built it upon the seas. He has set it upon the rivers. 3 Who may go up the mountain of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart. He who has not lifted up his soul to what is not true, and has not made false promises. 5 He will receive what is good from the Lord, and what is right and good from the God Who saves him. 6 Such is the family of those who look for Him, who look for Your face, O God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates. And be lifted up, O doors that last forever. And the King of shining-greatness will come in. 8 Who is the King of shining-greatness? The Lord strong and powerful. The Lord powerful in war. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates. Lift them up, O doors that last forever and the King of shining-greatness will come in. 10 Who is the King of shining-greatness? The Lord of All. He is the King of shining-greatness.
Fun Is of No Worth
2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with things that are fun. So have a good time.” But see, this also was for nothing. 2 I said of laughing, “It is crazy,” and of fun, “What use is it?” 3 I tried to find in my mind how to make my body happy with wine, yet at the same time having my mind lead me with wisdom. I tried to find how to take hold of what is foolish, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few years of their lives. 4 I did great things. I built houses for myself. I planted grape-fields for myself. 5 I made gardens and beautiful places for myself, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made pools of water for myself from which to water many new trees. 7 I bought men and women servants, and had other servants who were born in my house. I had more flocks and cattle than anyone before me in Jerusalem. 8 I gathered for myself silver and gold and the riches of kings and lands. I got for myself male and female singers, and kept many women who acted as my wives, the joy of man. 9 Then I became great, greater than all who lived before me in Jerusalem. And my wisdom stayed with me. 10 Whatever my eyes wanted I did not keep away from them. I did not keep my heart from anything that was pleasing, for my heart was pleased with all my work. This was my reward for all my work. 11 Then I thought about all that my hands had done, and the work I had done. I saw that it was all for nothing. It was like trying to catch the wind, and there was nothing to get for it under the sun.
The End of the Wise Man or Fool
12 So I turned to think about wisdom and what is crazy and foolish. For what can the man do who comes after the king, except what has already been done? 13 And I saw that wisdom is better than what is foolish, as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I know that one thing will happen to both of them. 15 Then I said to myself, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” So I said to myself, “This also is for nothing.” 16 For the wise man will not be remembered forever any more than the fool. All will be forgotten in the days to come. The wise man dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life. For the work which had been done under the sun brought sorrow to me. Because everything is for nothing and is like trying to catch the wind.
18 I hated what came from all my work which I had done under the sun. For I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will rule over all that I have worked for by acting with wisdom under the sun. This also is for nothing. 20 So I was filled with sorrow for all I had worked for under the sun. 21 For here is a man who has worked with wisdom, much learning, and an able hand. Yet he must give this to one who has not worked for it. This also is for nothing, and very wrong. 22 For what does a man get from all his work and trouble under the sun? 23 For his work brings pain and sorrow all his days. Even during the night his mind does not rest. This also is for nothing.
24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find joy in his work. I have seen that this also is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can find joy without Him? 26 For God has given wisdom and much learning and joy to the person who is good in God’s eyes. But to the sinner He has given the work of gathering and getting many riches together to give to the one who pleases God. This also is for nothing, like trying to catch the wind.
False Teaching in the Last Days
4 The Holy Spirit tells us in plain words that in the last days some people will turn away from the faith. They will listen to what is said about spirits and follow the teaching about demons. 2 Those who teach this tell it as the truth when they know it is a lie. They do it so much that their own hearts no longer say it is wrong. 3 They will say, “Do not get married. Do not eat some kinds of food.” But God gave these things to Christians who know the truth. We are to thank God for them. 4 Everything God made is good. We should not put anything aside if we can take it and thank God for it. 5 It is made holy by the Word of God and prayer.
Christians Are to Grow
6 If you keep telling these things to the Christians, you will be a good worker for Jesus Christ. You will feed your own soul on these words of faith and on this good teaching which you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with foolish stories old women tell. Keep yourself growing in God-like living. 8 Growing strong in body is all right but growing in God-like living is more important. It will not only help you in this life now but in the next life also. 9 These words are true and they can be trusted. 10 Because of this, we work hard and do our best because our hope is in the living God, the One Who would save all men. He saves those who believe in Him.
Paul’s Helpful Words to Young Timothy
11 Tell people that this is what they must do. 12 Let no one show little respect for you because you are young. Show other Christians how to live by your life. They should be able to follow you in the way you talk and in what you do. Show them how to live in faith and in love and in holy living. 13 Until I come, read and preach and teach the Word of God to the church. 14 Be sure to use the gift God gave you. The leaders saw this in you when they laid their hands on you and said what you should do. 15 Think about all this. Work at it so everyone may see you are growing as a Christian. 16 Watch yourself how you act and what you teach. Stay true to what is right. If you do, you and those who hear you will be saved from the punishment of sin.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.