M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Law Written on Stones
27 Then Moses and the leaders of Israel said to the people, “Keep all the Laws which I tell you today. 2 On the day you cross the Jordan to the land the Lord your God gives you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 Write on them all the words of this Law when you cross the river and go into the land the Lord your God gives you. It is a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 When you cross the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal and cover them with plaster, as I tell you today. 5 Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God. Do not work on them with an iron tool. 6 And build the altar of the Lord your God with stones that are not cut. Then give a burnt gift on it to the Lord your God. 7 Give peace gifts and eat there. And be full of joy before the Lord your God. 8 Write all the words of this Law on the stones. Make it easy to read.”
What Happens to Those Who Do Not Obey
9 Then Moses and the Levite religious leaders said to all Israel, “Be quiet and listen, O Israel! This day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 So obey the Lord your God. Keep all of His Laws which I tell you today.”
11 Moses told the people that same day, 12 “Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin will stand on Mount Gerizim when you cross the Jordan. They will pray that good will come to the people. 13 And Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali will stand on Mount Ebal to tell of the curses. 14 The Levites will say with a loud voice to all the people of Israel:
15 ‘Cursed is every man who makes a god or something to look like a god, the work of the hands of the able workman, and sets it up in secret. It is hated by the Lord.’ Then all the people will answer, ‘Let it be so.’
16 ‘Cursed is the one who puts his father or mother to shame.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
17 ‘Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor’s land-mark.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
18 ‘Cursed is the one who leads a blind person on the road the wrong way.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
19 ‘Cursed is the one who is not fair to a stranger, a child whose parents have died, and the woman whose husband has died.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
20 ‘Cursed is the man who lies with his father’s wife because he has taken off the clothes of her who belongs to his father.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
21 ‘Cursed is the man who lies with any animal.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
22 ‘Cursed is the man who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
23 ‘Cursed is the man who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
24 ‘Cursed is the one who hits his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
25 ‘Cursed is the one who receives pay to kill a person who is not guilty.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
26 ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the words of this Law.’ And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.’
28 “Be faithful in obeying the Lord your God. Be careful to keep all His Laws which I tell you today. And the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these good things will come upon you if you will obey the Lord your God. 3 Good will come to you in the city, and good will come to you in the country. 4 Good will come to your children, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your animals. Your cattle and flock will have many young ones. 5 Good will come to your basket and your bread pan. 6 Good will come to you when you come in, and when you go out.
7 “The Lord will cause you to win the battles against those who fight against you. They will come against you one way, and run away from you seven ways. 8 The Lord will send good upon you in your store-houses and in all your work. He will bring good to you in the land the Lord your God gives you. 9 The Lord will make you a holy nation to Himself, as He promised you. But you must keep the Laws of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all the nations of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord and they will be afraid of you. 11 The Lord will give much to you. He will give you many children, and many young ones among your animals, and much food from the ground, in the land the Lord promised to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open for you His good store-house, the heavens. He will give rain to your land at the right time. He will bring good to all the work you do. You will give to many nations. But you will not use anything that belongs to them. 13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. If you listen to the Laws of the Lord your God which I tell you today and be careful to obey them, you will only be above and not below. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the words I tell you today, to the right or to the left. Do not follow other gods and work for them.
15 “If you will not obey the Lord your God or be careful to do all His Laws which I tell you today, all these curses will come upon you. 16 You will be cursed in the city, and in the country. 17 Your basket and your bread pan will be cursed. 18 Your children will be cursed, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your cattle and flock. 19 You will be cursed when you come in and when you go out.
The Law of the Lord
119 Happy are those whose way is without blame, who walk in the Law of the Lord. 2 Happy are those who keep His Law and look for Him with all their heart. 3 They also do not sin, but walk in His ways. 4 You have set down Laws that we should always obey. 5 O, that my ways may be always in keeping with Your Law! 6 Then I will not be put to shame when I respect Your Word. 7 I will praise You with a heart that is right when I learn how right You judge. 8 I will obey Your Law. Do not leave me all alone.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living by Your Word. 10 I have looked for You with all my heart. Do not let me turn from Your Law. 11 Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You. 12 Great and honored are You, O Lord. Teach me Your Law. 13 I have told with my lips of all the Laws of Your mouth. 14 I have found as much joy in following Your Law as one finds in much riches. 15 I will think about Your Law and have respect for Your ways. 16 I will be glad in Your Law. I will not forget Your Word.
17 Do good to Your servant so I may live and obey Your Word. 18 Open my eyes so that I may see great things from Your Law. 19 I am a stranger on the earth. Do not hide Your Word from me. 20 My soul is crushed with a desire for Your Law at all times. 21 You speak sharp words to the proud, the hated ones, because they turn from Your Word. 22 Take away shame and bad feelings from me, for I have kept Your Law. 23 Even if rulers sit together and speak against me, Your servant thinks about Your Law. 24 Your Law is my joy and it tells me what to do.
The Lord Loves Israel
54 “Woman, be happy, you who have had no children. Cry for joy, you who have never had the pains of having a child, for you will have many children. Yes, you will have more children than the one who has a husband,” says the Lord. 2 “Make your tent bigger. Spread out the curtains of your home, and do not hold back. Make your ropes longer and your tie-downs stronger. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left. Your children will own nations, and they will fill the destroyed cities with people.
4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed. Do not be troubled, for you will not be put to shame. You will forget how you were ashamed when you were young. You will not remember the sorrow of being without a husband any more. 5 Your Maker is your husband. His name is the Lord of All. And the One Who saves you is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of All the earth. 6 For the Lord has called you like a wife left alone and filled with sorrow, like a wife who married when young and is left,” says your God. 7 “For a short time I left you, but with much loving-pity I will take you back. 8 When I was very angry I hid My face from you for a short time. But with loving-kindness that lasts forever I will have pity on you,” says the Lord Who bought you and saves you.
9 “For this is like the days of Noah to Me. As I promised that the waters of Noah should not flood the earth again, so I have promised that I will not be angry with you or speak sharp words to you. 10 The mountains may be taken away and the hills may shake, but My loving-kindness will not be taken from you. And My agreement of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has loving-pity on you.
11 “O suffering one, shaken by the storm and not comforted, see, I will set your stones in beautiful colors. You will stand upon blue stones of much worth. 12 I will make your towers of bright red stones. Your gates will be made of shining stones, and all your walls will be made of stones of great worth. 13 All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and the well-being of your children will be great. 14 All will be right and good for you. No one over you will make it hard for you, and you will not be afraid. You will be far from trouble, for it will not come near you. 15 If anyone brings trouble against you, it will not be from Me. Whoever comes against you will fall because of you. 16 See, I Myself have made the workman who blows on the fire to give it more heat and makes a sword for its work. I have made the destroyer to destroy. 17 No tool that is made to fight against you will do well. And you will prove wrong every tongue that says you are guilty. This is the gift given to the servants of the Lord. I take away their guilt and make them right,” says the Lord.
Wise Men Visit the Young Child Jesus
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in the country of Judea. It was the time when Herod was king of that part of the country. Soon after Jesus was born, some wise men who learned things from stars came to Jerusalem from the East. 2 They asked, “Where is the King of the Jews Who has been born? We have seen His star in the East. We have come to worship Him.”
3 King Herod heard this. He and all the people of Jerusalem were worried. 4 He called together all the religious leaders of the Jews and the teachers of the Law. Herod asked them where Christ was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea. The early preacher wrote, 6 ‘You, Bethlehem of Judah, are not the least of the leaders of Judah. Out of you will come a King Who will lead My people the Jews.’” (A)
7 Then Herod had a secret meeting with the men who learned things from stars. He asked them about what time the star had been seen. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and find the young Child. When you find Him, let me know. Then I can go and worship Him also.”
9 After the king had spoken, they went on their way. The star they had seen in the East went before them. It came and stopped over the place where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with much joy.
11 They went into the house and found the young Child with Mary, His mother. Then they got down before Him and worshiped Him. They opened their bags of riches and gave Him gifts of gold and perfume and spices. 12 Then God spoke to them in a dream. He told them not to go back to Herod. So they went to their own country by another road.
Joseph Goes to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. He said, “Get up. Take the young Child and His mother to the country of Egypt. Go as fast as you can! Stay there until you hear from Me. Herod is going to look for the young Child to kill Him.” 14 During the night he got up and left with the young Child and His mother for Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. This happened as the Lord had said through an early preacher, “I called My Son out of Egypt.” (B)
Herod Had All the Young Boys Killed
16 Herod learned that the wise men had fooled him. He was very angry. He sent men to kill all the young boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and in all the country near by. He decided to do this from what he had heard from the wise men as to the time when the star was seen. 17 Then it happened as the early preacher Jeremiah said it would happen. 18 He said, “The sound of crying and much sorrow was heard in Ramah. Rachel was crying for her children. She would not be comforted because they were dead.” (C)
Joseph Goes from Egypt to Nazareth (D)
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt. 20 He said, “Get up. Take the young Child and His mother and go into the land of the Jews. Those who tried to kill the young Child are dead.” 21 Joseph got up. He took the young Child and His mother and came into the land of the Jews. 22 Joseph heard that Archelaus was the king of the country of Judea. Herod, the father of Archelaus, had died. Joseph was afraid to go there. God told him in a dream to go to the country of Galilee and he went. 23 Joseph stayed in a town called Nazareth. It happened as the early preachers said it would happen. They said, “Jesus will be called a Nazarene.”
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