M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
God Calls Moses
3 Meanwhile, Moses continued tending the sheep that belonged to his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the sheep to the western[a] desert and came to Horeb,[b] God’s mountain, where[c] 2 the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire from the center of a bush. As Moses[d] continued to watch, amazingly the bush kept on burning, but was not consumed. 3 Then Moses told himself,[e] “I’ll go over and see this remarkable[f] sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?”
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from the center of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He said, “Here I am.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God[g] said. “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
7 The Lord said, “I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry caused by their slave masters. I really do understand their pain, 8 so I have come down to deliver them from their domination by[h] the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the territory[i] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now, listen carefully! The cry of the Israelis has come to my attention about how severely the Egyptians have been oppressing them. 10 So go! I am sending you to Pharaoh. Bring my people the Israelis out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses told God, “Who am I? How can I go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelis out of Egypt?”
12 Then God[j] said, “I certainly will be with you. And this will be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will serve God on this mountain.”
13 Moses told God, “Look! When I go to the Israelis and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me to you,’ they’ll say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I say to them?”
14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,”[k] and then said, “Tell the Israelis: ‘I AM sent me to you.’”
15 God also told Moses, “Tell the Israelis, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
16 “Go and gather the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God of your ancestors, appeared to me—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and he said, “I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I have said that I will bring you out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
18 “The elders of Israel[l] will listen to you,[m] and then you and they[n] are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now, let us take a three-day journey into the desert to sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt won’t allow you to go unless compelled to do so by force,[o] 20 so I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that he will release you. 21 I will grant this people public favor with the Egyptians, and as a result, when you leave you won’t go empty-handed. 22 Each woman is to ask her neighbor or any foreign[p] woman in her house for articles of gold and for clothing, and use them to clothe your sons and daughters. You will plunder the Egyptians.”
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath(A)
6 One time Jesus[a] was walking through some grain fields on a Sabbath.[b] His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what isn’t lawful on Sabbath days?”[c]
3 Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions became hungry? 4 How was it that he went into the house of God, took the Bread of the Presence and ate it, which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and then gave some of it to his companions?”
5 Then he told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals a Man with a Paralyzed Hand(B)
6 Once, on another Sabbath, Jesus[d] went into a synagogue and began teaching. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there. 7 The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus[e] closely to see[f] whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong. 8 But Jesus[g] knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue.”[h] So he got up and stood there.
9 Then Jesus asked them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?”
10 He looked around at all of them and then told the man,[i] “Hold out your hand.” The man[j] did so, and his hand was restored to health. 11 The others were furious[k] and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.
Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles(C)
12 Now it was in those days that Jesus[l] went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13 When daylight came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the Zealot), 16 Judas (the son of James), and Judas Iscariot (who became a traitor).
Jesus Ministers to Many People(D)
17 Then Jesus[m] came down with them and stood on a level place, along with many of his disciples and a large gathering of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were being tormented by unclean spirits were being healed. 19 The entire crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing all of them.
Jesus Pronounces Blessings and Judgment(E)
20 Then Jesus[n] looked at his disciples and said,
“How blessed are you who are destitute,
because the kingdom of God is yours!
21 How blessed are you who are hungry now,
because you will be satisfied!
How blessed are you who are crying now,
because you will laugh!
22 “How blessed are you whenever people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because your reward in heaven is great! That’s the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.
24 “But how terrible it will be for you who are rich,
because you have had your comfort!
25 How terrible it will be for you who are full now,
because you will be hungry!
How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now,
because you will mourn and cry!
26 “How terrible it will be for you when everyone says nice things about you, because that’s the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets!”
Teaching about Love for Enemies(F)
27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who insult you. 29 If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one as well, and if someone takes your coat, don’t keep back your shirt, either. 30 Keep on giving to everyone who asks you for something, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not insist on getting it back. 31 Whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them.
32 “If you love those who love you, what thanks do you deserve? Why, even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners do that. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to get something back, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back what they lend. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind even to ungrateful and evil people. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Judging Others(G)
37 “Stop judging, and you’ll never be judged. Stop condemning, and you’ll never be condemned. Forgive, and you’ll be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap, because you’ll be evaluated by the same standard with which you evaluate others.”
39 He also told them a parable: “One blind person can’t lead another blind person, can he? Both will fall into a ditch, won’t they? 40 A disciple is not better than his teacher. But everyone who is fully-trained will be like his teacher.
41 “Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you’ll see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
A Tree is Known by Its Fruit(H)
43 “A good tree doesn’t produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree doesn’t produce good fruit, 44 because every tree is known by its own fruit. People[o] don’t gather figs from thorny plants or pick grapes from a thorn bush. 45 A good person produces good from the good treasure of his heart, and an evil person produces evil from an evil treasure, because the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”
The Two Foundations(I)
46 “Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but don’t do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48 They are like a person building a house, who dug a deep hole to lay the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the floodwaters pushed against that house but couldn’t shake it, because it had been founded on the rock.[p] 49 But the person who hears what I say[q] but doesn’t act on it is like someone who built a house on the ground without any foundation. When the floodwaters pushed against it, that house[r] quickly collapsed, and the resulting destruction of that house was extensive.”
Zophar Speaks the Second Time
20 Then Zophar from Naamath replied:
2 “Therefore my anxious thoughts cause me to answer
because I’m agitated within me.
3 Whenever I hear an insulting rebuke,
I respond from my spirit because I understand.”
Destruction Awaits the Wicked
4 “Haven’t you known this from ancient times,
since mankind was placed on the earth?
5 The wicked triumph only briefly;
the joy of the godless is momentary.
6 Though he grow as tall as the sky,
or though his head touches the clouds,
7 he’ll perish forever, like his own excrement;
those who saw him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
8 He’ll vanish[a] like a dream, and no one will find him;
he will be chased away like a night vision.”
9 “An eye that gazes at him won’t do so again;
and his place won’t even recognize him.
10 His sons will make amends to the poor;
their hands will return his wealth.
11 Though his bones were full of youthful vigor;
yet they will lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth,
though he conceals it under his tongue,
13 though he savors it and delays swallowing it
so he can taste it again and again in his mouth,[b]
14 his food will turn rancid in his stomach—
it will become a cobra’s poison inside him.
15 “Though he swallows wealth, he will vomit it;
God will dislodge it from his stomach.
16 He will suck the poison of cobras;
the fangs[c] of a viper will slay him.
17 He won’t look at the rivers—
the torrents of honey and curd.[d]
18 “He will restore what he has attained from his work
and won’t consume it;
he won’t enjoy the profits from his business transactions,
19 because he has crushed and abandoned the poor;
he has seized a house that he didn’t build.
20 “Since his appetite won’t quit;[e]
he won’t let anything escape his lust.[f]
21 Because nothing was left for him to devour,
therefore his prosperity won’t last.
22 Even though he is satiated and self-sufficient, he suffers—
everyone in any sort of trouble will attack him.
23 “It will come about that,
when he has filled himself to the full,
God[g] will vent his burning anger on him;
he will pour it out on him and on his body.
24 Though he dodges an iron weapon,
a bronze arrow will pierce him.
25 It will impale him and come out through his back;
the point will glisten as it protrudes through his gall bladder,
and he will be terrified.
26 “Total darkness has been reserved for his treasures;
a fire that has no need to be kindled will devour him
and consume whatever remains in his possession.[h]
27 Heaven will reveal his iniquity,
while the earth will rise up against him.
28 A flood will wash away his house;
dragging it away when God becomes angry.
29 This is what the wicked person inherits from God;
it is the inheritance that God appoints for him.”
Concerning Marriage
7 Now about what you asked: “Is it advisable for a man not to touch a woman inappropriately?”[a] 2 Yes, and yet[b] because sexual immorality is so rampant,[c] every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband.
3 A husband should fulfill his obligation to his wife, and a wife should do the same for her husband. 4 A wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but his wife does. 5 Do not withhold yourselves from each other unless you agree to do so just for a set time, in order to devote yourselves to prayer.[d] Then you should come together again so that Satan does not tempt you through your lack of self-control. 6 But I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I would like everyone to be unmarried,[e] like I am. However, each person has a special gift from God, one this and another that.
8 I say to those who are unmarried, especially to widows: It is good for them to remain like me. 9 However, if they cannot control themselves, they should get married, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.[f] 10 To married people I give this command (not really I, but the Lord): A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. Likewise, a husband must not abandon[g] his wife.
12 I (not the Lord) say to the rest of you: If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to live with him, he must not abandon[h] her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he is willing to live with her, she must not abandon[i] him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified because of her husband.[j] Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner[k] leaves, let him go. In such cases the brother or sister is not under obligation. God has called you[l] to live in peace. 16 Wife, you might be able to save your husband. Husband, you might be able to save your wife.
Live according to God’s Call
17 Nevertheless, everyone should live the life that the Lord gave him and to which God called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone circumcised when he was called? He should not try to change that. Was anyone uncircumcised when he was called? He should not get circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but obeying God’s commandments is everything.[m] 20 Everyone should stay in the same condition[n] in which he was called. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that bother you. Of course, if you have a chance to become free, take advantage of the opportunity. 22 For the slave who has been called to belong to the Lord is the Lord’s free person. In the same way, the free person who has been called is the Messiah’s[o] slave. 23 You were bought for a price. Stop becoming slaves of people. 24 Brothers, everyone should stay in the same condition[p] in which he was called by God.
Concerning Virgins
25 Now concerning virgins, although I do not have any command from the Lord, I will give you my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 In view of the present crisis, I think it is prudent for a man to stay as he is. 27 Have you become committed[q] to a wife? Stop trying to get released from your commitment.[r] Have you been freed from your commitment to[s] a wife? Stop looking for one.[t] 28 But if you do get married, you have not sinned. And if a virgin gets married, she has not sinned. However, these people will experience trouble in this life,[u] and I want to spare you from that.
29 This is what I mean, brothers: The time is short. From now on, those who have wives should live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they did not mourn, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not own a thing, 31 and those who use the things in the world as though they were not dependent on them. For the world in its present form is passing away.
32 I want you to be free from concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, that is, about how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about things of this world, that is, about how he can please his wife, 34 and so his attention is divided.
An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, that is, about how she can please her husband. 35 I’m saying this for your benefit, not to put a noose around your necks, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.
36 If a man thinks he is not behaving properly toward his virgin,[v] and if his passion is so strong that he feels he ought to marry her, let him do what he wants; he isn’t sinning. Let them get married. 37 However, if a man stands firm in his resolve, feels no necessity, and has made up his mind to keep her a virgin, he will be acting appropriately. 38 So then the man who marries the virgin acts appropriately, but the man who refrains from marriage does even better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 However, in my opinion she will be happier[w] if she stays as she is. And in saying this,[x] I think that I, too, have God’s Spirit.
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