M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Levites Are Organized to Serve in the Temple
23 When David had grown old and had lived out his years, he made his son Solomon king of Israel. 2 He gathered all the officials of Israel and the priests and Levites. 3 Every male Levite who was at least 30 years old was counted. There were 38,000. 4 Of these, 24,000 were appointed to supervise the work on Yahweh’s temple, 6,000 were appointed to be officers and judges, 5 4,000 were appointed to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 were appointed to praise Yahweh with the instruments David had made for praising God. 6 David organized the Levites into divisions based on which of Levi’s sons (Gershon, Kohath, or Merari) they were descended from.
7 Ladan and Shimei were Gershon’s descendants. 8 Ladan had three sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel. 9 Shimei had three sons: Shelomith, Haziel, and Haran. They were the heads of Ladan’s families. 10 Shimei’s sons were Jahath, Zina,[a] Jeush, and Beriah. They were Shimei’s four sons. 11 Jahath was the first, and Ziza was the second. Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons, so they were given an assignment as one family.
12 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 Amram’s sons were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his sons were forever designated to dedicate the most holy things to God, to offer sacrifices to Yahweh, to serve him, and always give the blessing in his name. 14 The sons of Moses, the man of Elohim, were counted with the tribe of Levi. 15 Moses’ sons were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 Gershom’s only son was Shebuel. 17 Eliezer’s only son was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many sons. 18 Izhar’s only son was Shelomith. 19 Hebron’s first son was Jeriah; his second was Amariah; his third was Jahaziel; his fourth was Jekameam. 20 Uzziel’s first son was Micah; his second was Isshiah.
21 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli’s sons were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died without having any sons. He only had daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. 23 Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
24 These were Levi’s descendants, who were grouped according to their families. The heads of their families were registered by name as they were counted. Everyone who served in Yahweh’s temple was at least 20 years old. 25 David had said, “Yahweh Elohim of Israel has given his people rest. He will now live in Jerusalem forever. 26 The Levites will no longer have to carry the tent and all the utensils used in worship.”
27 David’s last instructions were to count the Levites who were at least 20 years old. 28 They were appointed to stand beside Aaron’s descendants to serve in Yahweh’s temple. They were appointed to be in charge of the courtyards and the temple rooms, to ensure that all the holy things were clean,[b] and to serve in Elohim’s temple. 29 They were also responsible for the rows of bread, the flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened bread wafers, and the bread made in frying pans. In addition, they were responsible for mixing the ingredients and keeping track of all weights and measures. 30 They were appointed to stand to give thanks and praise to Yahweh every morning. They were appointed to do the same thing in the evening. 31 They were appointed to stand in front of Yahweh in the required numbers whenever burnt offerings were made—on weekly worship days, at New Moon Festivals, and on appointed annual festivals. 32 They were appointed to follow the regulations for the tent of meeting and the holy place and to help their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, as they served in Yahweh’s temple.
4 Since Christ has suffered physically, take the same attitude that he had. (A person who has suffered physically no longer sins.) 2 That way you won’t be guided by sinful human desires as you live the rest of your lives on earth. Instead, you will be guided by what God wants you to do. 3 You spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. You were promiscuous, had sinful desires, got drunk, went to wild parties, and took part in the forbidden worship of false gods. 4 Unbelievers insult you now because they are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of wild living. 5 They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 After all, the Good News was told to people like that, although they are now dead. It was told to them so that they could be judged like humans in their earthly lives and live like God in their spiritual lives.
7 The end of everything is near. Therefore, practice self-control, and keep your minds clear so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other warmly, because love covers many sins. 9 Welcome each other as guests without complaining. 10 Each of you as a good manager must use the gift that God has given you to serve others. 11 Whoever speaks must speak God’s words. Whoever serves must serve with the strength God supplies so that in every way God receives glory through Yeshua Christ. Glory and power belong to Yeshua Christ forever and ever! Amen.
Share Christ’s Sufferings
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the fiery troubles that are coming in order to test you. Don’t feel as though something strange is happening to you, 13 but be happy as you share Christ’s sufferings. Then you will also be full of joy when he appears again in his glory. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory—the Spirit of God—is resting on you.
15 If you suffer, you shouldn’t suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker. 16 If you suffer for being a Christian, don’t feel ashamed, but praise God for being called that name. 17 The time has come for the judgment to begin, and it will begin with God’s family. If it starts with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to obey the Good News of God? 18 If it’s hard for the person who has God’s approval to be saved, what will happen to the godless sinner? 19 Those who suffer because that is God’s will for them must entrust themselves to a faithful creator and continue to do what is good.
Israel’s Sins Are Condemned
2 How horrible it will be for those who invent trouble
and work out plans for disaster while in bed.
When the morning dawns, they carry out their plans
because they are able to.
2 They desire other people’s fields, so they seize them.
They desire people’s houses, so they take them.
They cheat a man and his family,
a man and his inheritance.
3 So this is what Yahweh says:
I’m planning a disaster to punish your family.
You won’t be able to rescue yourselves.
You will no longer be able to walk proudly.
This will be a time of disaster.
4 When that day comes, people will make fun of you.
They will sing this sad song about you:
“We are completely ruined.
Yahweh gives our people’s possessions to others.
He takes them from us.
He divides our fields among our captors.”
5 That is why none of you in Yahweh’s assembly will draw lots
to divide your property.
6 Your prophets say, “Don’t prophesy!
Don’t prophesy such things!
Disgrace will never overtake us.”
7 Should the descendants of Jacob be asked:
Has the Ruach Yahweh become impatient with you?
Has he done these things?
Are his words good for those who live honestly?
8 Recently, my people have turned into enemies.
You take coats from those who pass by without a care
as they return from war.
9 You force the women among my people out of their pleasant homes
and take my glory away from their children forever.
10 Get up, and go away!
This is not a place to rest!
It will be destroyed, completely destroyed,
because it offends me.
11 Liars and frauds may go around and say,
“We will preach to you about wine and liquor.”
They would be just the type of preacher you want.
Israel Will Be Gathered Again by the Lord
12 I will surely gather all of you, Jacob.
I will surely bring together the few people left in Israel.
I will gather them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture.
They will make a lot of noise
because there will be so many people.
13 The Lord will open the way and lead them.
They will break out, go through the gate, and leave.
Their king will travel in front of them.
Yahweh will lead the people.
The Lord’s Prayer(A)
11 Once Yeshua was praying in a certain place. When he stopped praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.”
2 Yeshua told them, “When you pray, say this:
Father,
let your name be kept holy.
Let your kingdom come.
3 Give us our bread day by day.
4 Forgive us as we forgive everyone else.
Don’t allow us to be tempted.”
The Power of Prayer(B)
5 Yeshua said to his disciples, “Suppose one of you has a friend. Suppose you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don’t have anything to serve him.’ 7 Your friend might answer you from inside his house, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ 8 I can guarantee that although he doesn’t want to get up to give you anything, he will get up and give you whatever you need because he is your friend and because you were so bold.
9 “So I tell you to ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the person who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “If your child asks you, his father, for a fish, would you give him a snake instead? 12 Or if your child asks you for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? 13 Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Jesus Is Accused of Working with Beelzebul(C)
14 Yeshua was forcing a demon out of a man. The demon had made the man unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man began to talk.
The people were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He can force demons out of people only with the help of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” 16 Others wanted to test Yeshua and demanded that he show them some miraculous sign from heaven.
17 Since Yeshua knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined. A house divided against itself falls. 18 Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? I say this because you say Beelzebul helps me force demons out of people. 19 If I force demons out with the help of Beelzebul, who helps your followers force them out? That’s why they will be your judges. 20 But if I force out demons with the help of God’s power, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe. 22 But a stronger man than he may attack him and defeat him. Then the stronger man will take away all the weapons in which the strong man trusted and will divide the loot.
23 “Whoever isn’t with me is against me. Whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters.
24 “When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the home I left.’ 25 When it comes, it finds the house swept clean and in order. 26 Then the spirit goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before.”
The Sign of Jonah(D)
27 While Yeshua was speaking, a woman in the crowd shouted, “How blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and the breasts that nursed you.”
28 Yeshua replied, “Rather, how blessed are those who hear and obey God’s word.”
29 As the people were gathering around him, Yeshua said, “The people living today are evil. They look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of Jonah. 30 Just as Jonah became a miraculous sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a miraculous sign to the people living today. 31 The queen from the south will stand up at the time of judgment with the men who live today. She will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom. But look, someone greater than Solomon is here! 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the time of judgment with the people living today. Since the men of Nineveh turned to God and changed the way they thought and acted when Jonah spoke his message, they will condemn the people living today. But look, someone greater than Jonah is here!
Jesus Talks about Light
33 “No one lights a lamp and hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see its light.
34 “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is unclouded, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is evil, your body is full of darkness. 35 So be careful that the light in you isn’t darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light and not darkness, it will be as bright as a lamp shining on you.”
Jesus Criticizes Some Jewish Leaders
37 After Yeshua spoke, a Pharisee invited him to have lunch at his house. So Yeshua accepted the invitation. 38 The Pharisee was surprised to see that Yeshua didn’t wash before the meal.
39 The Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside you are full of greed and evil. 40 You fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside too? 41 Give what is inside as a gift to the poor, and then everything will be clean[a] for you.
42 “How horrible it will be for you Pharisees! You give God one-tenth of your mint, spices, and every garden herb. But you have ignored justice and the love of God. You should have done these things without ignoring the others.
43 “How horrible it will be for you Pharisees! You love to sit in the front seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplaces. 44 How horrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves. People walk on them without knowing what they are.”
45 One of the experts in Moses’ Teachings said to him, “Teacher, when you talk this way, you insult us too.”
46 Yeshua said, “How horrible it will be for you experts in Moses’ Teachings! You burden people with loads that are hard to carry. But you won’t lift a finger to carry any of these loads.
47 “How horrible it will be for you! You build the monuments for the prophets. But it was your ancestors who murdered them. 48 So you are witnesses and approve of what your ancestors did. They murdered the prophets for whom you build monuments. 49 That’s why the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles. They will murder some of those prophets and apostles and persecute others.’ 50 So the people living now will be charged with the murder of every prophet since the world was made. 51 This includes the murders from Abel to Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the temple. Yes, I can guarantee this truth: The people living today will be held responsible for this.
52 “How horrible it will be for you experts in Moses’ Teachings! You have taken away the key that unlocks knowledge. You haven’t gained entrance into knowledge yourselves, and you’ve kept out those who wanted to enter.”
53 When Yeshua left, the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees held a terrible grudge against him. They questioned him about many things 54 and watched him closely to trap him in something he might say.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.