M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
A Person Found Murdered
21 Suppose ·someone is found murdered [L a corpse], lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your ·own [possession], and no one knows who ·killed [L struck] the person. 2 Your elders and judges should go to where the ·body [L corpse] was found, and they should measure how far it is to the nearby cities. 3 The elders of the city nearest the body must take a ·young cow [heifer] that has never worked or ·worn [L pulled] a yoke, 4 and they must lead her down to a ·valley [wadi] that has never been plowed or planted, with a ·stream [wadi] flowing through it. There they must break the ·young cow’s [heifer’s] neck. 5 The priests, the sons of Levi, should come forward, because they have been chosen by the Lord your God to serve him and to give blessings in the Lord’s name. They are the ones who decide cases of ·quarreling [accusation] and attacks. 6 Then all the elders of the city nearest the ·murdered person [L corpse] should wash their hands over the ·young cow [heifer] whose neck was broken in the ·valley [wadi]. 7 They should declare: “·We did not kill this person [L Our hands did not spill this blood], and ·we [L our eyes] did not see it happen. 8 Lord, ·remove this sin from [make atonement for] your people Israel, whom you have ·saved [redeemed; ransomed]. Don’t ·blame your people, the Israelites, for the murder of this innocent person [L place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel].” And so the murder will be ·paid [atoned] for. 9 Then you will have ·removed [banished; purged] from yourselves the guilt of ·murdering an innocent person [innocent blood], because you will be doing what ·the Lord says is right [L is right/virtuous in the eyes of the Lord].
Captive Women as Wives
10 When you go to war against your enemies, the Lord will ·help you defeat them [L give them into your hands] so you will take them captive. 11 If you see a beautiful woman among the captives and ·are attracted to [desire; fall in love with] her, you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home, where she must shave her head and cut her nails 13 and change the clothes she was wearing when you captured her. After she has lived in your house and cried for her ·parents [L father and her mother] for a month, you may marry her. You will be her husband, and she will be your wife. 14 But if you are not pleased with her, you must let her go anywhere she wants. You must not sell her for money or make her a slave, because you have ·taken away her honor [humiliated; exploited her].
The Oldest Son
15 A man might have two wives, one he loves and one he ·doesn’t [L hates; dislikes]. Both wives might have sons by him. If the ·older son [firstborn] belongs to the wife he ·does not love [L hates; dislikes], 16 when that man wills his property to his sons he must not give the son of the wife he loves what belongs to the ·older [firstborn] son, the son of the wife he ·does not love [L hates; dislikes]. 17 He must agree to give the ·older son [firstborn] two shares of everything he owns, even though the ·older son [firstborn] is from the wife he does ·not love [L hates; dislikes]. That son was the first ·to prove his father could have children [L of his virility], so he has the rights that belong to the ·older son [firstborn].
Sons Who Refuse to Obey
18 If someone has a son who is stubborn, who ·turns [rebels] against his father and mother and doesn’t obey them or listen when they ·correct [discipline] him, 19 his ·parents [L mother and his father] must ·take [grab] him to the elders at the city gate [Ex. 21:15; Lev. 20:9]. 20 They will say to the elders, “Our son is stubborn and ·turns [rebels] against us. He will not obey us. He ·eats too much [is a glutton], and he is ·always drunk [a drunk].” 21 Then all the men in his town must ·throw stones at [stone] him until he dies. ·Get rid of [Banish; Purge] the evil among you, because then all the people of Israel will hear about this and be afraid.
Other Laws
22 If someone is guilty of a sin worthy of death, he must be put to death and his body ·displayed [hung] on a tree. 23 But don’t leave his body hanging on the tree overnight; be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone whose body is displayed on a tree is cursed by God [Matt. 27:57–58; Gal. 3:13]. You must not ruin the land the Lord your God is giving you as your ·own [L inheritance].
A Prayer for Victory
A song. A psalm of David.
108 God, my heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready].
I will sing and ·praise [play a psalm for] you ·with all my being [L as will my soul/or glory].
2 Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
3 Lord, I will ·praise [thank] you among the ·nations [peoples];
I will sing ·songs of praise [psalms] about you to all the nations.
4 Your great ·love [loyalty] ·reaches to [is greater than] the ·skies [heavens],
your ·truth [faithfulness] to the heavens.
5 God, you are ·supreme [exalted] above the ·skies [heavens].
Let your glory [C manifest presence] be over all the earth [57:5–11].
6 Answer us and ·save us [give us victory] by your ·power [L right hand]
so ·the people you love [your beloved] will be rescued.
7 God has said ·from his Temple [L from his Holy Place; or in his holiness],
“·When I win [or With joy], I will ·divide [parcel up] Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Succoth [Gen. 33:17–20].
8 Gilead and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is like my helmet.
Judah holds my royal scepter [Gen. 49:10; C they are agents of God’s power].
9 Moab is like my washbowl.
I throw my sandals at Edom [C showing contempt].
I shout [C in triumph] at Philistia [C enemies of Israel].”
10 Who will bring me to the ·strong, walled [fortified] city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 God, ·surely you have rejected [L have you not rejected…?] us;
you do not go out with our armies.
12 ·Help us fight the enemy [L Give us help against the foe].
Human ·help [aid] is useless,
13 but we can ·win [fight bravely] with God’s help.
He will ·defeat [tread on] our ·enemies [foes; 60:5–12].
A Prayer Against an Enemy
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
109 God, I praise you.
Do not be silent.
2 ·Wicked [L The mouth of evil] people and ·liars [L the mouth of deceivers] have ·spoken [L opened] against me;
they ·have told lies about me [L speak against me with lying tongues].
3 They have ·said hateful things about me [L surrounded me with hateful words]
and attack me for no reason.
4 They ·attacked [accuse; charge] me, ·even though I loved them
and prayed for them [in return for my love and prayer].
5 I was good to them, but they ·repay [reward] me with evil.
I loved them, but they hate me in return.
6 They say about me [C this added phrase suggests another speaker, or perhaps the psalmist is speaking about his accusers], “·Have an evil person work [L Appoint an evil person] against him,
and let an ·accuser [adversary] stand ·against him [L at his right hand; Job 1:6].
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let even his prayers ·show [be counted as] his ·guilt [sin].
8 Let his ·life [L days] be ·cut short [brief],
and let another man ·replace him as leader [take his position/office; Acts 1:20].
9 Let his children become orphans
and his wife a widow [C socially vulnerable, dependent on others].
10 Make his children wander around, begging for food [Jer. 18:21].
Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.
11 Let ·the people to whom he owes money [creditors] ·take [ensnare] everything he owns [2 Kin. 4:1],
and let strangers ·steal [plunder] everything he has worked for.
12 Let no one ·show [extend to] him ·love [loyalty]
or have ·mercy [compassion] on his orphaned children.
13 Let all his descendants ·die [L be cut off]
and ·be forgotten [L their name be blotted/wiped out] by ·those who live after him [L a later generation].
14 Lord, ·remember how wicked his ancestors were [L let the guilt of his fathers be remembered],
and don’t let the sins of his mother be ·wiped [blotted] out.
15 ·Lord, always remember their sins [L Let them be before the Lord forever].
·Then make people forget about them completely [L Let memory of them be cut off from the land].
16 “He did not remember to be ·loving [loyal].
He ·hurt [persecuted; L pursued] the poor, the needy, and those who were ·sad [depressed; L brokenhearted]
·until they were nearly dead [L to their death].
17 He loved to put curses on others,
so let those same curses ·fall on [L come to] him.
He did not like to bless others,
so ·do not let good things happen to him [L let them (blessings) be far from him].
18 He ·cursed others as often as he wore clothes [L wore curses like a coat].
·Cursing others filled his body and his life,
like drinking water and using olive oil [L Let them come like water in his innards and like oil in his bones].
19 So let curses ·cover [wrap] him like ·clothes [a garment]
and ·wrap around him like a belt [L continually gird him].”
20 May the Lord do these things to those who ·accuse [charge] me,
to those who speak evil against me.
21 But you, Lord God,
·be kind to me so others will know you are good [L act on my behalf for the sake of your name].
Because your ·love [loyalty] is good, ·save [protect] me.
22 I am poor and helpless
and ·very sad [L my heart is pierced/wounded in me].
23 I am ·dying [L gone] like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees ·are weak [buckle; stumble] from fasting,
and ·I have grown thin [L my flesh is lean of fat].
25 ·My enemies insult me [L I am a reproach to them];
they look at me and shake their heads [C in scorn].
26 Lord my God, help me;
because you are ·loving [loyal], ·save me [give me victory].
27 Then they will know that ·your power has done this [L this is your hand];
they will know that you have done it, Lord.
28 They may curse me, but you bless me.
They may ·attack [L rise against] me, but they will be ·disgraced [embarrassed].
Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29 Let those who ·accuse [charge; attack] me be ·disgraced [L clothed with disgrace]
and ·covered [wrapped up] with shame like a coat.
30 I will ·thank [praise] the Lord very much [L with my mouth];
I will praise him in ·front [the midst] of many people.
31 He ·defends [L stands at the right hand of] the helpless
and ·saves them from [gives them victory over] those who ·accuse [judge] them.
God Controls the Future
48 The Lord says, “·Family [L House] of Jacob, listen to me.
You are called [L by the name of] Israel,
and you come from the ·family [L waters; wellsprings] of Judah.
You ·swear [take oaths] by the Lord’s name
and ·praise [confess; call on] the God of Israel,
but ·you are not honest or sincere [L not in truth or in righteousness].
2 You call yourselves ·people of [or by the name of; L from] the holy city,
and you ·depend on [trust in] the God of Israel,
who is named the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
3 Long ago I told you ·what would happen [L the former things].
·I said these things and [L They went out from my mouth and I] made them known;
suddenly I acted, and these things happened.
4 I knew you were stubborn;
your neck was like an iron muscle,
and your ·head [forehead; brow] was like bronze.
5 So a long time ago I told you about these things;
I told you about them before they happened
so you couldn’t say, ‘My idols did this,
and my ·wooden [carved images] and metal statues ·made these things happen [decreed/ordained/commanded them].’
6 “You heard and saw everything that happened,
·so you should [L will you not…?] tell this news to others.
·Now [From this time on] I will tell you about new things,
hidden things that you don’t know yet.
7 ·These things are happening [L They are created] now, not long ago;
you have not heard about them before today.
So you cannot say, ‘[L Look; or Yes; T Behold] We already knew about that.’
8 But you have not heard; you have not understood.
Even long ago ·you did not listen [L your ear has not been opened].
I knew you would surely ·turn [act treacherously] against me;
you ·have fought against me [L were called a rebel] ·since you were born [L from the womb].
9 But for my ·own [L name’s] sake I will ·be patient [L hold back my anger].
·People will praise me because [L For the sake of my praise] I did not become angry
and ·destroy you [cut you off].
10 I have ·made you pure [refined you], but not by fire, as silver is made pure.
I have purified you ·by giving you troubles [L in the furnace of affliction/suffering].
11 I do this for myself, for my own sake.
·I will not [L How could I…?] let ·people speak evil against me [L my name be defiled/profaned],
and I will not ·let some god take my glory [L give/share my glory with another].
Israel Will Be Free
12 “·People of Jacob [L Jacob], listen to me.
·People of Israel [L Israel], ·I have called you to be my people [L whom I called].
I am ·God [L he; the one];
I am the ·beginning and the end [L first and I am the last; 41:4; 44:5].
13 I ·made [L laid the foundation of] the earth with my own hands.
With my right hand I spread out the skies.
When I call them,
they ·come [stand] together before me.”
14 All of you, come together and listen.
·None of the gods [L Who among them…?] said these things would happen.
The Lord ·has chosen someone [has an ally; or loves him; C a reference to Cyrus, king of Persia; see 41:2; 44:28–45:6; 46:11; 48:14–16]
to carry out his ·wishes [desire; purpose] against Babylon,
·to attack [L his arm will be against] the Babylonians;
15 “I have spoken; I have called him.
I have brought him, and I will make him successful.
16 Come to me and listen to this.
From the ·beginning [first] I have ·spoken openly [L not spoken in secret].
From the time it ·began [happened], I was there.”
Now, the Lord God
·has sent me with his Spirit [or and his Spirit have sent me; C Cyrus is probably speaking here; vv. 14–15].
17 This is what the Lord, ·who saves you [your Redeemer],
the Holy One of Israel [1:4], says:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you ·to do what is good [what is best; or how to succeed],
who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If you had obeyed my commands,
you would have had peace like a river [C abundant and overflowing; 66:12].
·Good things [Your righteousness] would have flowed to you like the waves of the sea.
19 ·Your ·children [descendants] would have been ·as numerous as [L like] ·sand in the sea [L sand]
and your ·descendants [offspring/seed of your body] like grains of sand [10:22; Gen. 15:5; 22:17; Hos. 1:10].
·They [L Their name] would never have ·died out [been cut off]
nor been destroyed.”
20 ·My people, leave [L Go out from] Babylon!
Run from the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans]!
Tell this news with shouts of joy to the people;
spread it ·everywhere on [L to the end of] earth.
Say, “The Lord has ·saved [redeemed] his ·servants, the people of Jacob [L servant Jacob].”
21 They did not become thirsty when he led them through the deserts.
He made water flow from a rock for them.
He split the rock,
and water flowed out [43:19; Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:11].
22 “There is no peace for ·evil people [the wicked],” says the Lord.
Babylon Is Destroyed
18 After ·the vision of these things [L these things], I saw another angel coming down from heaven. This angel had great ·power [authority], and his ·glory [splendor] ·made the earth bright [illumined the earth]. 2 He ·shouted [cried out] in a ·powerful [mighty; strong] voice:
“·Ruined, ruined [L Fallen, fallen] is ·the great city of Babylon [L Babylon the great]!
She has become a ·home [haunt; dwelling place] for demons
and a ·prison [or haunt] for every ·evil [L unclean] spirit,
and a ·prison [or haunt] for every unclean bird and unclean beast.
3 She has ·been ruined [fallen], because all the ·peoples [nations] of the earth
have ·drunk [some manuscripts read “have fallen from”] the wine of the ·desire [passion] of her ·sexual sin [promiscuity; fornication; 14:8; 17:2].
She has been ruined also because the kings of the earth
have ·sinned sexually [fornicated] with her,
and the merchants of the earth
have grown rich from the ·great wealth [power] of her ·luxury [sensuality].”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying:
“Come out of that city, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive ·the disasters that will come to her [L her plagues; Gen. 19:15, 17].
5 [L Because] Her sins have ·piled up [heaped; reached] as high as ·the sky [heaven],
and God has ·not forgotten [remembered] ·the wrongs she has done [her crimes; her sins].
6 ·Give [Pay back] that city the same as she ·gave to [paid] others.
Pay her back ·twice as much as [double what] she did.
·Prepare wine for her that is twice as strong
as the wine she prepared for others [L In the cup she mixed, mix double for her; 14:8].
7 She gave herself much glory and ·rich living [sensual luxury].
Give her that much ·suffering [torment; torture] and ·sadness [grief; mourning].
She says ·to herself [L in her heart], ‘I am a queen sitting on my throne.
I am not a widow; I will never ·be sad [know grief; mourn].’
8 So these ·disasters [plagues] will come to her in one day:
death, and ·crying [sadness; grief; mourning], and ·great hunger [famine],
and she will be ·destroyed [consumed; burned up] by fire,
because the Lord God who judges her is ·powerful [strong].”
9 The kings of the earth who ·sinned sexually [fornicated] with her and ·shared her wealth [lived in luxury/sensuality with her] will see the smoke from her burning. Then they will ·cry [weep] and ·be sad [mourn] because of her death. 10 They will be afraid of her ·suffering [torment; torture] and stand far away and say:
“·Terrible! How terrible for you [L Woe, woe; 8:13], great city,
·powerful [strong; mighty] city of Babylon,
because your ·punishment [judgment; doom] has come ·in one hour [suddenly]!”
11 And the merchants of the earth will ·cry [weep] and be sad about her, because now there is no one to buy their cargoes— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, ·jewels [precious stones], pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, ·red [scarlet] cloth; all kinds of citron wood and all kinds of things made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 [and cargoes of] cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages [wagons], ·slaves, and human lives [L bodies and human souls].
14 The merchants will say [C implied by the context],
“Babylon, the ·good things [L fruit] you ·wanted [desired; longed for] are gone from you.
All your ·rich [expensive; luxurious] and ·fancy [glamorous; L shining] things have disappeared.
You will never ·have [find] them again.”
15 The merchants [L of these things] who became rich ·from selling to her [L from her] will be afraid of her ·suffering [torment; torture] and will stand far away. They will ·cry [weep] and ·be sad [mourn] 16 and say:
“·Terrible! How terrible [L Woe, woe; 8:13] for the great city!
She was dressed in fine linen, purple and ·red [scarlet] cloth,
and she was ·shining [glittering; adorned] with gold, precious jewels, and pearls [17:4]!
17 All these riches have been ·destroyed [made desolate] in one hour [C suddenly or in a short time]!”
Every sea captain, every passenger, the sailors, and all those who ·earn their living from [trade; work on] the sea stood far away from Babylon. 18 As they saw the smoke from her burning, they cried out loudly, “·There was never a city [What city was…?] like this great city!” 19 And they threw dust on their heads [C a ritual of mourning] and cried out, weeping and ·being sad [mourning]. They said:
“·Terrible! How terrible [L Woe, woe] for the great city!
[L In which] All the people who had ships on the sea
became rich because of her wealth!
But she has been ·destroyed [made desolate] in one hour [C suddenly or in a short time]!
20 ·Be happy [rejoice] ·because of this [L over her], heaven!
·Be happy [Rejoice], ·God’s holy people [T saints] and apostles and prophets!
[L For] God has ·punished [judged] her ·because of what she did to you [or on your behalf; or for the judgment/punishment she imposed on you].”
21 Then a ·powerful [strong; mighty] angel picked up a large stone, like ·one used for grinding grain [a millstone], and threw it into the sea [Jer. 51:63–64]. He said:
“In the same way, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down [with violence],
and it will never be found again.
22 The ·music [L sound] of ·people playing harps [harpists] and ·other instruments [musicians; singers], ·flutes [flutists], and ·trumpets [trumpeters],
will never be heard in you again.
No ·workman [craftsman] doing any ·job [trade]
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of ·grinding grain [the millstone]
will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again,
and the voices of a bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
[L For; Because] Your merchants were the world’s great people,
and all the nations were ·tricked [deceived; led astray] by your ·magic [sorcery].
24 ·You are guilty of the death of the prophets and God’s holy people [L In you was found the blood of the prophets and the saints]
and all who have been ·killed [slaughtered; slain] on earth.”
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