M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Passover
16 Celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God during the month of Abib [C March-April], because it was during Abib that he brought you out of Egypt at night [Ex. 12:1–6; Lev. 23:5–8]. 2 As the sacrifice for the Passover to the Lord your God, offer an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; C Zion; 12:4–7]. 3 Do not eat it with bread made with ·yeast [leaven]. But for seven days eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven], the bread of ·suffering [affliction], because you left Egypt in a hurry. So all your life you will remember the time you left Egypt. 4 There must be no ·yeast [leaven] anywhere in your land for seven days. Offer the sacrifice on the evening of the first day, and eat all the meat before morning; do not leave it overnight.
5 Do not offer the Passover sacrifice in just any ·town [L gate] the Lord your God gives you, 6 but offer it in the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Offer it in the evening as the sun goes down, which is when you left Egypt. 7 ·Roast the meat [Cook it] and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. The next morning go back to your tents. 8 Eat bread made without ·yeast [leaven] for six days. On the seventh day have a ·special meeting [festive assembly] for the Lord your God, and do not work that day.
The Feast of Weeks
9 Count seven weeks from the time you ·begin to harvest [L put the sickle to] the grain, 10 and then celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks for the Lord your God [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:9–21; Num. 28:26–31]. Bring an offering as a special gift to him, giving to him just as he has blessed you. 11 Rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose to ·be worshiped [L cause his name to dwell there; 12:4–7]. Everybody should rejoice: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your ·town [L gates], the ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows living among you. 12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and carefully obey all these ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
The Feast of Shelters
13 Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles] for seven days, after you have gathered your harvest from the threshing floor and winepress [Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:33–36]. 14 Everybody should rejoice at your ·Feast [Festival]: you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites, ·strangers [resident aliens], orphans, and widows who live in your ·towns [L gates]. 15 Celebrate the ·Feast [Festival] to the Lord your God for seven days at the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7], because the Lord your God will bless all your ·harvest [yield; produce] and all the work ·you do [L of your hands], and you will be completely happy.
16 All your men must ·come [L appear] before the Lord three times a year to the place he will choose [v. 2; 12:4–7]. They must come at these times: the ·Feast [Festival] of Unleavened Bread [C another name for Passover], the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks, and the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles]. No man should come before the Lord ·without a gift [empty-handed]. 17 Each of you must bring a gift that will show how much the Lord your God has blessed you.
Judges for the People
18 Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every ·town [L gate] the Lord your God is giving you; they must judge the people fairly. 19 Do not ·judge unfairly [distort justice] or ·take sides [show partiality/favoritism]. Do not ·let people pay you to make wrong decisions [take bribes], because ·that kind of payment [bribes] makes wise people seem blind, and it ·changes the words of good people [undermines the cause of the innocent; Ex. 23:8; Ps. 5:5; Prov. 6:35; 17:8, 23; 21:14; Eccl. 7:7]. 20 Do [pursue] what is ·right [righteous] so that you will live and ·always have [possess] the land the Lord your God is giving you.
God Hates Idols
21 Do not set up a wooden ·Asherah idol [L Asherah; 7:5; Judg. 3:7] next to the altar you build for the Lord your God, 22 and do not set up holy stone pillars. The Lord your God hates them.
Praise to the Lord of Love
Of David.
103 ·All that I am [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord;
·everything in me [L all my inward parts], ·praise [bless] his holy name.
2 ·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord
and do not forget all his ·kindnesses [gifts; benefits].
3 He forgives all ·my [or your] ·sins [iniquity]
and heals all ·my [or your] ·diseases [ills].
4 He ·saves [redeems] ·my [or your] life from the ·grave [L pit]
and ·loads [or crowns] ·me [or you] with ·love [loyalty] and ·mercy [compassion].
5 He satisfies ·me [or you] with good things [L as long as you live; or according to your desires]
and ·makes me young again [L renews your youth], like the eagle [Is. 40:31].
6 The Lord does what is ·right [righteous] and ·fair [just]
for all who are ·wronged by others [oppressed; exploited].
7 He ·showed [revealed] his ways to Moses [Ex. 34:5–7]
and his deeds to the ·people [sons] of Israel.
8 The Lord shows ·mercy [compassion] and ·is kind [grace].
He ·does not become angry quickly [is slow to anger], and he has great ·love [loyalty; 86:15; 145:8–9; Ex. 34:6–7; Neh. 9:17. 31; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2].
9 He will not always ·accuse [charge; contend with] us,
and he will not ·be angry forever [L keep watch forever].
10 He ·has not punished us as our sins should be punished [L does not act toward us according to our sins];
he has not repaid us ·for the evil we have done [L according to our iniquity].
11 As high as the ·sky [heaven] is above the earth,
so great is his ·love [loyalty] for those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7].
12 He has taken our ·sins [transgressions] away from us
as far as the east is from west.
13 The Lord has ·mercy [compassion] on those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
as a father has ·mercy [compassion] on his children.
14 He knows how we were ·made [formed];
he remembers that we are dust [Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Job 4:19; 10:9; 34:15; Eccl. 3:20; 12:7].
15 Human ·life [L days] is like grass [90:5–6; Is. 51:12];
we ·grow [sprout; flourish] like a flower in the field [Job 14:2; Is. 40:6–7].
16 After the wind ·blows [passes by], ·the flower [L it] is gone,
and ·there is no sign of where it was [L no one can recognize its place].
17 But the Lord’s ·love [loyalty] for those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7]
continues forever and ever,
and his ·goodness [righteousness] continues to their ·grandchildren [L children’s children]
18 and to those who ·keep [observe; guard] his ·agreement [covenant; treaty; Ex. 19–24]
and who remember to ·obey [L do] his ·orders [precepts].
19 The Lord has ·set [established] his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over everything [93:1; 96:10; 99:1].
20 You who are his ·angels [or messengers], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
You are the mighty warriors who do what he says
and who ·obey [listen to] his voice.
21 You, his ·armies [hosts; C perhaps the angelic army], ·praise [bless] the Lord;
you are his ·servants [ministers] who do what he ·wants [desires].
22 Everything the Lord has made
should ·praise [bless] him in all the places he rules.
·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
God Is Always with His People
43 Now this is what the Lord says.
He created you, ·people of Jacob [L Jacob];
he formed you, ·people of Israel [L Israel].
He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have ·saved [ransomed; redeemed] you.
I have called you by name, and you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you [C as at the Red/or Reed Sea; Ex. 13–14].
When you cross rivers, ·you will not drown [L they will not overflow you; C as when Israel crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land; Josh. 3–4].
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned [Dan. 3:25–27],
nor will the flames hurt you.
3 This is because I, the Lord, am your God,
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], your Savior.
I gave Egypt ·to pay for you [for your ransom],
and I gave ·Cush [Ethiopia] and Seba ·to make you mine [in place of you].
4 Because you are precious ·to me [L in my eyes],
because I give you honor and love you,
I will give other people in your place;
I will give other nations ·to save [in exchange for] your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, because I am with you.
I will bring your ·children [descendants; offspring; seed] from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will tell the north: Give my people to me.
I will tell the south: Don’t ·keep my people in prison [or hold them back; restrain them].
Bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from ·faraway places [L the end of the earth].
7 Bring to me all the people who are ·mine [L called by my name],
whom I ·made [created] for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Judah Is God’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who have eyes but ·don’t see [are blind]
and those who have ears but ·don’t hear [are deaf; 42:19].
9 All the nations gather together,
and all the people ·come together [assemble].
·Which of their gods [L Who among them] said this would happen?
·Which of their gods can tell what happened in the beginning [L …and caused us to hear former things]?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove they were right.
Then others will say, “It is true.”
10 The Lord says, “You are my witnesses
and the servant I chose [42:1].
I chose you so you would know and believe me,
so you would understand that I am ·the true God [L he].
There was no God ·created [formed] before me,
and there will be ·no God [none] after me.
11 I myself am the Lord;
I am the only Savior.
12 I myself have ·spoken [made known] to you, saved you, and ·told [proclaimed to] you these things.
It was not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses, and I am God,”
says the Lord.
13 “·I have always been God [L Indeed from the day, I am he; C “day” may mean the first day of creation or from this day forward].
No one can save people from my ·power [L hand];
when I do something, no one can ·change [undo; reverse] it.”
14 This is what the Lord, ·who saves you [your protector/redeemer; 41:14],
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], says:
“I will ·send armies [L send] to Babylon for you,
and I will ·knock down all its locked gates [or bring them down as fugitives].
The ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] will ·shout their cries of sorrow [or flee in the ships they take such pride in].
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One [1:4],
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
God Will Save His People Again
16 This is what the Lord says.
He is the one who made a road through the sea [v. 2]
and a path through ·rough [strong; mighty] waters.
17 He is the one who ·defeated [L led out] the chariots and horses
and the mighty armies [Ex. 14:4–9].
They ·fell together [lay down] and will never rise again.
They were ·destroyed [extinguished] as a ·flame [L wick] is put out.
18 The Lord says, “Forget what happened before,
and do not ·think about [consider; dwell on] the past.
19 Look at the new thing I am going to do.
It is already ·happening [L sprouting/springing up]. Don’t you see it?
I will make a ·road [path; way] in the ·desert [wilderness; C the return from Babylon is portrayed as a new Exodus]
and ·rivers[a] [streams] in the ·dry land [desert; wasteland].
20 Even the wild animals will ·be thankful to [honor] me—
the ·wild dogs [jackals] and ·owls [or ostriches].
They will honor me when I put water in the ·desert [wilderness]
and ·rivers [streams] in the ·dry land [desert; wasteland]
to give ·water [drink] to my people, ·the ones I chose [my chosen; 42:1].
21 The people I ·made [L formed for myself]
will ·sing songs to praise me [L declare/proclaim my praise].
22 “People of Jacob, you have not ·called to me [called upon me; asked for my help];
people of Israel, you have ·become tired of [or not wearied yourself for] me.
23 You have not brought me your ·sacrifices [burnt offerings; Lev. 1:1–17] of sheep
nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I did not ·weigh you down [burden you] with ·sacrifices to offer [grain/or gift; tribute offering; Lev. 2:1]
or make you tired with incense to burn.
24 So you did not buy ·incense [fragrant calamus; aromatic cane] for me;
you did not ·freely bring me [saturate/lavish me with] fat from your sacrifices.
Instead you have ·weighed me down [burdened me] with your many sins;
you have made me tired of your ·many wrongs [iniquities].
25 “I, I am the One who ·erases [blots out] all your ·sins [transgressions], for my sake;
I will not remember your sins.
26 But you should ·remind [or review with] me.
Let’s ·meet and decide what is right [argue/contend together].
Tell what you have done and show ·you are right [your innocence].
27 Your first father sinned [C probably Jacob (58:14; 63:16), though possibly Abraham (51:2)],
and your ·leaders [mediators; spokesmen] have ·turned [transgressed] against me.
28 So I will make your ·holy rulers [or princes of the sanctuary; C either rulers or priests] ·unholy [defiled; disgraced].
I will ·bring destruction on [devote to destruction; Josh. 2:10] ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob],
and I will let Israel be ·insulted [reviled; scorned].”
The Two Beasts
13 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea [C the sea was a symbol of chaos in the ancient world; Dan. 7:1–8]. It [or He] had ten horns [C symbols of power and strength] and seven heads [12:3], and there was a ·crown [diadem; royal crown; C indicating a king of evil] on each horn. A ·name against God [L blasphemous name; some manuscripts read the plural “names”] was written on each head. 2 This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear’s feet and a mouth like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave the beast all of his ·power [authority] and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast looked as if it ·had been killed by a wound [had a fatal/mortal wound; L was slain to death; C an evil imitation of the Lamb that was slain; 5:6], but this ·death wound [fatal/mortal wound; L wound of its death] was healed [C a false imitation of the resurrection]. Then the whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given his ·power [authority] to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast, asking, “Who is like the beast [Ex. 15:11]? Who can make war against ·it [or him]?”
5 The beast was ·allowed [L given a mouth] to say ·proud words [L great things; Dan. 7:8, 11, 20] and ·words against God [L blasphemies; Dan. 11:36], and it was allowed to ·use [exercise] its ·power [authority] for forty-two months [11:2]. 6 It ·used [opened] its mouth ·to speak [blaspheme] against God, against God’s name, against ·the place where God lives [his dwelling/tabernacle], and against all those who ·live [dwell] in heaven. 7 It was given ·power [authority] to make war against ·God’s holy people [T the saints] and to ·defeat [conquer] them. It was given ·power [authority] over every tribe, people, language, and nation [Dan. 7:21]. 8 And all who live on earth will worship ·the beast [L it; or him]—all the people since the ·beginning [foundation] of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book [scroll] of life [3:5; 17:8; Ex. 32:32–33]. ·The Lamb is the One who was killed [or The Lamb who was killed/slaughtered before the creation/foundation of the earth]. [C Some commentators link the phrase “since the beginning/foundation of the world” with “all who live on the earth”; others link it with “written in the Lamb’s book of life”; and still others with “the Lamb who was slain.”]
9 Anyone who has ears should ·listen [hear; obey]:
10 If you are to be ·a prisoner [L taken into captivity],
then you will ·be a prisoner [L go into captivity].
If you are to be killed with the sword,
then you will be killed with the sword [Jer. 15:2; 43:11].
This means that ·God’s holy people [T the saints] must have ·patience [perseverance; endurance] and faith.
11 Then I saw another beast ·coming up [rising] out of the earth [Dan. 7:17]. It [or He] had two horns like a ·lamb [or ram; Dan. 8:3], but it spoke like a dragon [C acting like a prophetic spokesperson for the dragon (see 16:13); along with the dragon and the first beast, this second beast forms an evil trinity]. 12 This beast ·stands before the first beast and uses the same power the first beast has [or uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf]. By this ·power [authority] it makes ·everyone living on earth [L the earth and its inhabitants] worship the first beast, who had the ·death wound [fatal/mortal wound; L wound of its death] that was healed. 13 And the second beast ·does great miracles [performs great signs] so that it even makes fire come down from heaven to earth [1 Kin. 18:38; 2 Kin. 1:10, 12] ·while people are watching [L before people]. 14 It ·fools [deceives; tricks] those who live on earth by the ·miracles [signs; C these are counterfeit miracles] it has been given the power to do. It does these ·miracles [signs] ·to serve the first beast [L before/in the presence of the first beast]. The second beast orders [tells] people to make an ·idol [image] to honor the first beast, the one that ·was wounded by the deadly [L has the wound of the] sword but ·sprang to life again [lives]. 15 The second beast was ·given power [or allowed] to give ·life [breath; a spirit] to the idol of the first one so that the idol could speak. And the second beast was ·given power [allowed] to ·command [cause; make] all who will not worship the ·image [idol] of the beast to be killed. 16 The second beast also ·forced [caused; made] all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a ·mark [brand; stamp; C to show allegiance to the first beast] on their right hand or on their forehead [compare 7:2–4; 14:1]. 17 [L So that] No one could buy or sell without this mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name [C Greek and Hebrew letters had a numerical equivalent, and so could represent names—a practice known as gematria]. 18 This ·takes [calls for; L is] wisdom [Dan. 12:10]. Let the one who has understanding ·find the meaning of [calculate; figure out] the number [L of the beast], which is the number of a ·person [or man]. Its number is 666[a] [C a symbolic number signifying imperfection and sin; some speculate it represents the name of a Roman emperor, perhaps Nero or Domitian].
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