M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Worshiping False Gods
13 “A man who tells what is going to happen or a dreamer of dreams may come among you. He may give you something special to see or do a powerful work. 2 And what he tells you will happen might come true. But if he says to you, ‘Let us follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let us worship them,’ 3 do not listen to the words of that man who tells you what will happen or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is putting you to the test to see if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Follow the Lord your God and fear Him. Keep His Laws, and listen to His voice. Work for Him, and hold on to Him. 5 But that man who tells what is going to happen or that dreamer of dreams must be put to death, because he has talked to you about turning away from the Lord your God Who brought you from the land of Egypt and set you free from the land where you were servants. That man tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God told you to walk. You must take the sinful away from you.
6 “Your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your friend who is as your own soul, might tempt you in secret. They might say, ‘Let us go and worship other gods’ (whom you and your fathers have not known. 7 They might be gods of the nations who are around you, near you, or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other). 8 Do not agree with him or listen to him. Do not look on him with pity. And do not show him loving-kindness or hide him. 9 You must kill him. Your hand should be first against him to put him to death, and then the hand of all the people. 10 Kill him with stones, because he has tried to turn you away from the Lord your God Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the land where you were servants. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid. No one will do such a sinful thing among you again.
12 “You might hear that in one of the cities the Lord your God has given you to live in 13 that some men of no worth have gone out from among you to tempt those who live in their city. They might say, ‘Let us go and worship other gods,’ (whom you have not known). 14 Then you should ask around and try to find out if this is true. If it is true that this sinful thing has been done among you, 15 you must be sure to go against those of that city with the sword. Destroy all of it, all that is in it, and its cattle, with the sword. 16 Then gather all that is left into the center of the city. Burn the city and all that is left in it with fire as a whole burnt gift to the Lord your God. It will be destroyed forever. It will never be built again. 17 Let nothing of the things to be destroyed be kept in your own hand so the Lord may turn from His burning anger and show loving-kindness to you. He will show you loving-pity and make you a nation of many, just as He promised your fathers. 18 But you must listen to the voice of the Lord your God. Obey all His Laws which I am telling you today. Do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
Good and Bad Foods
14 “You are the sons of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or cut the hair from your foreheads because of the dead. 2 For you are a holy nation to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be His own nation out of all the nations on the earth.
3 “Do not eat any hated thing. 4 These are the animals you may eat: the bull, the sheep, the goat, 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6 And you may eat any animal that has a parted foot divided in two and that chews its food again. 7 But you must not eat of those that chew their food again or have a divided foot: the camel, the rabbit and the rock badger. For though they eat their food again, they do not have a divided foot. They are unclean to you. 8 And do not eat the pig, because it has a divided foot but does not chew its food again. It is unclean for you. Do not eat any of their flesh or touch their dead bodies.
9 “Of all that are in the water, you may eat anything that has fins and scales. 10 But do not eat anything that does not have fins and scales. It is unclean for you.
11 “You may eat any clean bird. 12 But these are the ones you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 13 the red kite, the falcon, every kind of kite, 14 every kind of raven, 15 the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, every kind of hawk, 16 the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, 17 the pelican, the vulture that eats dead flesh, the cormorant, 18 the stork, every kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat. 19 And all flying bugs are unclean for you. Do not eat them. 20 But you may eat any clean bird.
21 “Do not eat anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the stranger in your town, so he may eat it. Or you may sell it to a person from another land. For you are a holy nation to the Lord your God.
“Do not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
The Law of the Tenth Part
22 “Be sure to give a tenth part to the Lord of all you plant that comes from your field every year. 23 Before the Lord your God, at the place He chooses to put His name, you may eat the tenth part of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your cattle and your flock. Then you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. 24 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far away for you to bring the tenth part of all the good things you have received, 25 you should trade it for money. Then tie the money in your hand and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. 26 You may spend the money for whatever your heart may desire, for bulls, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever you desire. And there you and those of your house may eat before the Lord and be full of joy. 27 Do not stop caring for the Levite who is in your town for he has no share of what is given to you.
28 “At the end of every third year you should bring the tenth part of that year’s grain into your towns. 29 And the Levite who has no share of what is given to you, and the stranger, and the child without parents, and the woman whose husband has died, who are in your towns, may come and eat and be filled. Then the Lord your God will bring good to you in all the work done by your hands.
The Lord Is Good to His People
99 The Lord rules! Let the people shake in fear! He sits on His throne above the angels. Let the earth shake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion. And He is honored above all people. 3 Let them praise Your great name. It is to be honored with fear. He is holy!
4 The strength of the King loves what is right. You have set up what is fair. You do what is right and fair in Jacob. 5 Honor the Lord our God. Worship at His feet. For He is holy!
6 Moses and Aaron were among His religious leaders. And Samuel was among those who called on His name. They called upon the Lord, and He answered them. 7 He spoke to them from the cloud. They kept His Word and the Law that He gave them. 8 O Lord our God, You answered them. You were a forgiving God to them. But You punished them for their wrong-doing. 9 Honor the Lord our God. And worship at His holy mountain. For the Lord our God is holy!
A Song of Praise
100 Call out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Be glad as you serve the Lord. Come before Him with songs of joy. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His field.
4 Go into His gates giving thanks and into His holy place with praise. Give thanks to Him. Honor His name. 5 For the Lord is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever. And He is faithful to all people and to all their children-to-come.
A Song of Praise
101 I will sing of loving-kindness and of what is right and fair. I will sing praises to You, O Lord. 2 I will be careful to live a life without blame. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a right and good heart. 3 I will set no sinful thing in front of my eyes. I hate the work of those who are not faithful. It will not get hold of me. 4 A sinful heart will be far from me. I will have nothing to do with sin. 5 I will stop whoever talks against his neighbor in secret. I will not listen to anyone who has a proud look and a proud heart.
6 My eyes will look with favor on the faithful in the land, so they may serve me. He who walks without blame will help me. 7 He whose ways are false will not live in my house. He who tells lies will not stand in front of me. 8 I will destroy all the sinful in the land every morning. I will cut off all those who do wrong from the city of the Lord.
God Will Help Israel
41 “Islands, be quiet and listen to Me. Let the people get new strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let us come together to be judged. 2 Who has called this one from the east, one who is right at every step? He gives up nations in front of him and makes him ruler over kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, and like wind-blown dry grass with his bow. 3 He goes after them and is safe as he passes, on paths he has not gone on before. 4 Who has done this, calling out all the people from the beginning? I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.”
5 The islands have seen and are afraid. The ends of the earth shake in fear and they have come. 6 Every one helps each other, and says to his brother, “Be strong!” 7 The able workman gives strength of heart to the one who works with gold. He who makes iron smooth gives strength of heart to the one who beats the iron, saying of his work, “It is good.” And he puts it in its place with nails so that it cannot be moved.
8 “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, son of My friend Abraham, 9 I have taken you from the ends of the earth. I have called you from its farthest parts, and said to you, ‘You are My servant. I have chosen you and have not turned away from you.’ 10 Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and for sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good. 11 See, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and troubled. Those who fight against you will be as nothing and will be lost. 12 You will look for those who argue with you, but will not find them. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all. 13 For I am the Lord your God Who holds your right hand, and Who says to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you.’ 14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel. I will help you,” says the Lord. “The One Who bought you and sets you free is the Holy One of Israel. 15 See, I have made you a new, sharp, crushing tool with teeth. You will beat the mountains and crush them. You will make the hills like dry grass. 16 You will make the wind blow over them, and it will carry them away. The storm will send them everywhere. But you will have joy in the Lord. You will be glad in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The suffering and those in need look for water, but there is none. Their tongue is dry with thirst. I the Lord will answer them. I the God of Israel will not leave them alone. 18 I will open rivers on the dry mountain tops, and give water in the valleys. I will make the desert a pool of water, and the dry land wells of water. 19 I will put in the desert the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive tree. I will put the juniper tree in the desert, together with the box tree and the cypress. 20 Then men will see and know and think about and understand that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has made it happen.
21 “Let your cause be known,” says the Lord. “Bring what you have to prove it,” says the King of Jacob. 22 Let them bring what they have, and tell us what is going to happen. Let them tell us what has happened in the past, that we may think about it and know what will happen in the future. 23 Tell us what will happen after this, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good or bad, that we may together be afraid and fear. 24 See, you are nothing. And your work is nothing. He who chooses you is hated and sinful.
25 “I have called one from the north, and he has come. From the rising of the sun he will call on My name. He will step hard on rulers as on builder’s clay, as the pot-maker steps hard on clay.” 26 Who has said this from the beginning, that we might know, or from times long ago, that we might say, “He is right”? There was no one who said it, no one who made it known, no one who heard your words. 27 “Before I had said to Zion, ‘See, here they are,’ and to Jerusalem, ‘I will send someone to bring good news.’ 28 But I see that there is no one, even no wise man among them, who can answer My questions. 29 See, all of them are false. Their works are nothing. Their objects of worship are empty wind.
The House of God
11 I was given a stick that is used to see how big things are. Someone said, “Go up to the house of God and find out how big it is. Find out about the altar also. See how many people are worshiping. 2 Do not find out about the porch of the house of God. It has been given over to the nations who do not know God. They will walk over all the Holy City to wreck it for forty-two months. 3 I will give power to my two men who tell what they know. They will speak for God for 1,260 days (forty-two months). They will be dressed in clothes made from the hair of animals.”
The Two Men Who Tell What They Know
4 These two men who tell what they know are the two olive trees and the two lights that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone hates them and tries to hurt them, fire comes out of the mouths of these two men. The fire kills those who try to hurt them. 6 They have power to shut up the sky. During the time they speak for God, there will be no rain. They have power to change all waters into blood. They can send every kind of trouble to the earth whenever they want to.
The Death of the Two Men Who Speak for God
7 When they have finished speaking for God, the wild animal will make war with them. It will come up out of the hole without a bottom. This wild animal will have power over them and kill them. 8 Their dead bodies will lie in the street of Jerusalem. It is where their Lord was nailed to a cross. The city is sometimes called Sodom and Egypt. 9 For three-and-one-half days those from every people and from every family and from every language and from every nation will look at their dead bodies. People will not allow the dead bodies of these two men to be put in a grave. 10 Those who are living on the earth will be happy because of the death of these two men. They will do things to show they are happy. They will send gifts to each other. They will do this because these two men brought much trouble and suffering to the people of the earth.
The Two Men Come to Life Again
11 After three-and-one-half days, life from God came into them again. They stood on their feet. Those who saw them were very much afraid.
12 Then the two men who told what they knew heard a loud voice from heaven. It said, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud. All those who hated them watched them go. 13 At the same time the earth shook. One-tenth part of the buildings of the city fell down. Seven thousand people were killed. The rest of the people were afraid and gave honor to the God of heaven.
14 The second time of trouble is past. But look, the third time of trouble is coming soon.
The Seventh Horn—Worship in Heaven
15 The seventh angel blew his horn. There were loud voices in heaven saying, “The nations of the world have become the holy nation of our Lord and of His Christ. He will be the Leader forever.” 16 Then the twenty-four leaders who sat on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God. 17 They said, “All-powerful Lord God, the One Who is and Who was and Who is to come, we thank You because You are using Your great power and have become Leader. 18 The people who do not know God have become angry with You. Now it is time for You to be angry with them. It is time for the dead to stand before You and to be judged. It is time for the servants You own who are the early preachers and those who belong to You to get the reward that is coming to them. It is time for the important people and those not important who honor Your name to get the pay that is coming to them. It is time to destroy those who have made every kind of trouble on the earth.”
19 God’s house in heaven was opened. The special box which held the Old Way of Worship was seen in the house of God. There was lightning and thunder and noise. The earth shook and large hail stones fell.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.