M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Organization of the Priests
24 The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 Nadab and Abihu died before their father died, and neither had any children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
3 David, Eleazar’s descendant Zadok, and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech divided Aaron’s descendants into groups for service. 4 Since Eleazar’s descendants had more men who were family heads than Ithamar’s descendants, they were divided so that Eleazar’s descendants had 16 family leaders and Ithamar’s descendants had 8 family leaders. 5 Both groups were divided impartially by drawing lots so that there were officers for the holy place and officers for Elohim among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. 6 The scribe Shemaiah was a son of Nethanel and a descendant of Levi. Shemaiah recorded their names in the presence of the king, the princes, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech (son of Abiathar), and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. One family was chosen for Eleazar, another for Ithamar.
7 The first lot drawn was for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, 8 the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, 9 the fifth for Malchiah, the sixth for Mijamin, 10 the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, 11 the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, 12 the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, 13 the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, 15 the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, 18 the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. 19 These were their priestly groups when they went to serve at Yahweh’s temple. Their ancestor Aaron made these rules for them, as Yahweh Elohim of Israel had commanded him.
The Organization of the Levites
20 The following men were leaders for Levi’s descendants from Kohath:
Jehdeiah (for Amram’s descendants through Shubael),
21 Isshiah (for Amram’s descendants through Rehabiah),
22 Jahath (for Izhar’s descendants through Shelomoth),
23 Jeriah (for Hebron’s descendants[a]),
Amariah (the second of Hebron’s descendants),
Jahaziel (the third of Hebron’s descendants),
Jekameam (the fourth of Hebron’s descendants),
24 Shamir (for Uzziel’s descendants through Micah),
25 and Zechariah (for Uzziel’s descendants through Micah’s brother Isshiah).
26 The following men were leaders from Levi’s descendants from Merari:
Mahli, Mushi, and Merari’s son Jaaziah,
27 Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri (for Merari’s descendants through his son Jaaziah),
28 Eleazar (who had no sons, for Mahli’s descendants),
29 Jerahmeel (for Mahli’s descendants through Kish),
30 Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth (for Mushi’s descendants).
These were Levi’s descendants according to their families. 31 They drew lots as their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, had done. They drew them in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same way as those of the youngest.
David Appoints Musicians for the Temple
25 David and the army commanders appointed the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to serve as prophets with lyres, harps, and cymbals. This is the list of the men who performed this service:
2 From the sons of Asaph were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah. (They were directed by Asaph, who served as a prophet under the king’s direction.)
3 From the sons of Jeduthun were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, Mattithiah. (The six brothers were directed by their father, the prophet Jeduthun. They thanked and praised Yahweh as they played lyres.)
4 From the sons of Heman were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 (All of them were the sons of the king’s seer[b] Heman. They were given to him to make him prominent, as Elohim had promised. So Elohim gave Heman 14 sons and 3 daughters.)
6 All these Levites sang at Yahweh’s temple under the direction of their fathers Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. They played cymbals, lyres, and harps for worship in Elohim’s temple under the direction of the king. 7 They, along with their relatives, were trained, skilled musicians for Yahweh. There were 288 of them.
8 They drew lots for their assignment of duties, the youngest as well as the oldest, the skilled musicians along with the students.
9 The first lot drawn chose Joseph, the son of Asaph.
The second chose Gedaliah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
10 The third chose Zaccur, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
11 The fourth chose Izri, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
12 The fifth chose Nethaniah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
13 The sixth chose Bukkiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
14 The seventh chose Jesarelah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
15 The eighth chose Jeshaiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
16 The ninth chose Mattaniah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
17 The tenth chose Shimei, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
18 The eleventh chose Azarel, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
19 The twelfth chose Hashabiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
20 The thirteenth chose Shubael, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
21 The fourteenth chose Mattithiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
22 The fifteenth chose Jeremoth, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
23 The sixteenth chose Hananiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
24 The seventeenth chose Joshbekashah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
25 The eighteenth chose Hanani, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
26 The nineteenth chose Mallothi, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
27 The twentieth chose Eliathah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
28 The twenty-first chose Hothir, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
29 The twenty-second chose Giddalti, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
30 The twenty-third chose Mahazioth, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
31 The twenty-fourth chose Romamti Ezer, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.
Instructions for Spiritual Leaders
5 I appeal to your spiritual leaders.[a] I make this appeal as a spiritual leader who also witnessed Christ’s sufferings and will share in the glory that will be revealed. 2 Be shepherds over the flock God has entrusted to you. Watch over it as God does: Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to. Don’t do it out of greed, but out of a desire to serve. 3 Don’t be rulers over the people entrusted to you, but be examples for the flock to follow. 4 Then, when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Instructions for Christians
5 Young people, in a similar way, place yourselves under the authority of spiritual leaders.
Furthermore, all of you must serve each other with humility, because God opposes the arrogant but favors the humble. 6 Be humbled by God’s power so that when the right time comes he will honor you.
7 Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you. 8 Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour. 9 Be firm in the faith and resist him, knowing that other believers throughout the world are going through the same kind of suffering. 10 God, who shows you his kindness[b] and who has called you through Christ Yeshua to his eternal glory, will restore you, strengthen you, make you strong, and support you as you suffer for a little while. 11 Power belongs to him forever. Amen.
Farewell
12 I’ve written this short letter to you and I’m sending it by Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother. I’ve written to encourage you and to testify that this is God’s genuine good will.[c] Remain firmly established in it!
13 Your sister church in Babylon, chosen by God, and my son Mark send you greetings. 14 Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Israel’s Sinful Leaders—Rulers, Prophets, and Priests
3 Then I said:
Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel.
You should know justice.
2 You hate good and love evil.
You strip the skin off my people and the flesh off their bones.
3 You eat my people’s flesh.
You strip off their skin.
You break their bones to pieces.
You chop them up like meat for a pot, like stew meat for a kettle.
4 Then you will cry to Yahweh,
but he will not answer you.
He will hide his face from you at that time
because you have done evil things.
5 This is what Yahweh says about the prophets who mislead my people:
When they have something to eat, they say, “All is well!”
But they declare a holy war against those who don’t feed them.
6 That is why you will have nights without visions.
You will have darkness without revelations.
The sun will set on the prophets,
and the day will turn dark for them.
7 Seers[a] will be put to shame.
Those who practice witchcraft will be disgraced.
All of them will cover their faces, because Elohim won’t answer them.
8 But I am filled with the power of Ruach Yahweh,
with justice, and with strength.
So I will tell the descendants of Jacob about their crimes
and the nation of Israel about its sins.
9 Listen to this, you leaders of the descendants of Jacob,
you rulers of the nation of Israel.
You despise justice and pervert everything that is right.
10 You build Zion on bloodshed and Jerusalem on wickedness.
11 Your leaders exchange justice for bribes.
Your priests teach for a price.
Your prophets tell the future for money.
But they rely on Yahweh when they say,
“After all, Yahweh is with us.
Nothing bad will happen to us.”
12 Because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a pile of rubble,
and the temple mountain will become a worship site
covered with trees.
Jesus Speaks to His Disciples
12 Meanwhile, thousands of people had gathered. They were so crowded that they stepped on each other. Yeshua spoke to his disciples and said, “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. I’m talking about their hypocrisy. 2 Nothing has been covered that will not be exposed. Whatever is secret will be made known. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. Whatever you have whispered in private rooms will be shouted from the housetops.
4 “My friends, I can guarantee that you don’t need to be afraid of those who kill the body. After that they can’t do anything more. 5 I’ll show you the one you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the power to throw you into hell after killing you. I’m warning you to be afraid of him.
6 “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two cents? God doesn’t forget any of them. 7 Even every hair on your head has been counted. Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows. 8 I can guarantee that the Son of Man will acknowledge in front of God’s angels every person who acknowledges him in front of others. 9 But God’s angels will be told that I don’t know those people who tell others that they don’t know me. 10 Everyone who says something against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But the person who dishonors the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 “When you are put on trial in synagogues or in front of rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say. 12 At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”
A Story about Material Possessions
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of the inheritance that our father left us.”
14 Yeshua said to him, “Who appointed me to be your judge or to divide your inheritance?”
15 He told the people, “Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed. Life is not about having a lot of material possessions.”
16 Then he used this illustration. He said, “A rich man had land that produced good crops. 17 He thought, ‘What should I do? I don’t have enough room to store my crops.’ 18 He said, ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones so that I can store all my grain and goods in them. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You’ve stored up a lot of good things for years to come. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you’ve accumulated?’ 21 That’s how it is when a person has material riches but is not rich in his relationship with God.”
Stop Worrying(A)
22 Then Yeshua said to his disciples, “So I tell you to stop worrying about what you will eat or wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 24 Consider the crows. They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even have a storeroom or a barn. Yet, God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds.
25 “Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying? 26 If you can’t do a small thing like that, why worry about other things? 27 Consider how the flowers grow. They never work or spin yarn for clothes. But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers. 28 That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith?
29 “Don’t concern yourself about what you will eat or drink, and quit worrying about these things. 30 Everyone in the world is concerned about these things, but your Father knows you need them. 31 Rather, be concerned about his kingdom. Then these things will be provided for you. 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock. Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
33 “Sell your material possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don’t wear out! Make a treasure for yourselves in heaven that never loses its value! In heaven thieves and moths can’t get close enough to destroy your treasure. 34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
The Son of Man Will Return When You Least Expect Him
35 “Be ready for action, and have your lamps burning. 36 Be like servants waiting to open the door at their master’s knock when he returns from a wedding. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I can guarantee this truth: He will change his clothes, make them sit down at the table, and serve them. 38 They will be blessed if he comes in the middle of the night or toward morning and finds them awake.
39 “Of course, you realize that if the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let him break into his house. 40 Be ready, because the Son of Man will return when you least expect him.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, did you use this illustration just for us or for everyone?”
42 The Lord asked, “Who, then, is the faithful, skilled manager that the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their share of food at the right time? 43 That servant will be blessed if his master finds him doing this job when he comes. 44 I can guarantee this truth: He will put that servant in charge of all his property. 45 On the other hand, that servant may think that his master is taking a long time to come home. The servant may begin to beat the other servants and to eat, drink, and get drunk. 46 His master will return at an unexpected time. Then his master will punish him severely and assign him a place with unfaithful people.
47 “The servant who knew what his master wanted but didn’t get ready to do it will receive a hard beating. 48 But the servant who didn’t know what his master wanted and did things for which he deserved punishment will receive a light beating. A lot will be expected from everyone who has been given a lot. More will be demanded from everyone who has been entrusted with a lot.
Jesus Will Cause Conflict
49 “I have come to throw fire on the earth. I wish that it had already started! 50 I have a baptism to go through, and I will suffer until it is over.
51 “Do you think I came to bring peace to earth? No! I can guarantee that I came to bring nothing but division. 52 From now on a family of five will be divided. Three will be divided against two and two against three. 53 A father will be against his son and a son against his father. A mother will be against her daughter and a daughter against her mother. A mother-in-law will be against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Use Good Judgment
54 Yeshua said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud coming up in the west, you immediately say, ‘There’s going to be a rainstorm,’ and it happens. 55 When you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and that’s what happens. 56 You hypocrites! You can forecast the weather by judging the appearance of earth and sky. But for some reason you don’t know how to judge the time in which you’re living. 57 So why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 For instance, when an opponent brings you to court in front of a ruler, do your best to settle with him before you get there. Otherwise, he will drag you in front of a judge. The judge will hand you over to an officer who will throw you into prison. 59 I can guarantee that you won’t get out until you pay every penny of your fine.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.