M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Rules about the Sabbath day
35 Moses brought all the Israelites together. Then he said to them, ‘These are the Lord's commands to you. 2 You may work for six days each week, but the seventh day will be a holy day for you. It will be a day of complete rest to give honour to the Lord. If anyone works on that day, you must punish him with death. 3 Do not light a fire in any of your homes on a Sabbath day.’
Materials for the tabernacle
4 Moses said to all the Israelites, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 Take an offering to give to the Lord from the things that you have. Everyone who wants to give something may choose to give these things:
gold, silver, bronze;
6 blue, purple and red material;
good linen, goats' hair;
7 red leather from sheep's skins and other kinds of good leather;
acacia wood;
8 olive oil for the lamps;
spices to make the special oil and the sweet incense;
9 onyx stones and other jewels to fix on the ephod and on the breastpiece.
10 Every clever person who has special skills must come to help. They must make all these things that the Lord has commanded:
11 the tabernacle, with the tent and the other material that covers it;
the rings, boards, sticks, poles and bases that are part of the tabernacle;
12 the Covenant Box, with its poles, its special lid and the curtain that hides it;
13 the special table with its poles and all its dishes;
the special bread that you will put on the table for the Lord;
14 the lampstand that will give light and its tools;
the lamps and the oil for the lamps;
15 the altar for incense and its poles;
the special oil and the sweet incense;
the curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle;
16 the altar for burnt offerings and its bronze net;
the poles for this altar and all its tools;
the large bowl for water and its base;
17 the curtains for the yard, its poles and their bases;
the curtain for the entrance of the yard;
18 pegs to fix the tent to the ground;
pegs and ropes to hold the curtain around the yard;
19 the special clothes for Aaron and his sons to wear when they serve the Lord as priests in the Holy Place.’
20 After Moses had said this, all the Israelites went away. 21 Everyone who decided to offer a gift to the Lord brought the things that they wanted to give. They brought the things to make the Tent of Meeting and the things to use in it. They also brought materials to make the priests' special clothes. 22 Both men and women brought beautiful things because they wanted to do that. They brought gold things and jewels that they had worn. They included rings, necklaces and other beautiful things. When they brought their gifts, they lifted them up as an offering of gold to the Lord.
23 Everyone who had blue, purple or red material, or good linen, brought it. They also brought goats' hair, red leather from sheep's skins and other kinds of good leather. 24 Those who brought gifts of silver or bronze offered them to the Lord. Everyone who had acacia wood brought it to help with the Lord's work.
25 All the women who knew how to make things used their hands to make material. They brought what they had made: blue, purple and red material and good linen. 26 Other clever women used goats' hair to make cloth. They did that because they wanted to help.
27 The leaders of the Israelites brought onyx stones and other jewels to fix on the ephod and on the breastpiece. 28 They also brought spices and olive oil. These things were to burn in the lamps, and to make the special oil and the sweet incense.
29 Many Israelites chose to offer gifts to the Lord. Men and women all brought the gifts that they had decided to bring. Moses had told them about the work that the Lord had commanded them to do. So they brought these things to help with the work.
Bezalel and Oholiab
30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, ‘Listen! The Lord has chosen Bezalel, the son of Uri and the grandson of Hur. He belongs to the tribe of Judah. 31 The Lord has filled him with his Spirit so that he has special skills. He knows how to make many kinds of things. 32 He can draw pictures of beautiful things that he wants to make. He can use gold, silver and bronze to make them. 33 He knows how to cut valuable stones and make them look beautiful. He knows how to cut wood into different shapes. He is very clever at all kinds of beautiful work.
34 The Lord has chosen Oholiab to help Bezalel. Oholiab is the son of Ahisamach. He belongs to the tribe of Dan. Bezalel and Oholiab can teach other people how to make things. 35 They have special skills to make all kinds of things. They can draw pictures of the things that they want to make. They can cut pictures in metal. They can use blue, purple and red material and good linen to make beautiful things with pictures on them. They are very clever at their work, so that the things that they make look beautiful.’
Jesus is the way to the Father
14 Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Do not be sad or afraid. Believe in God, and also believe in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's house. I will go now so that I can prepare a place for you there. If it was not true, I would not have told you this. 3 After I have prepared a place for you, I will return. Then I will take you so that you will be with me. You will be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I will go.’
5 Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you will go. So how can we know the way to get there?’ 6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Nobody comes to the Father except by me. 7 If you really know me, you will also know my Father. From now on, you do know him and you have seen him.’
8 Philip said, ‘Lord, show the Father to us. That is all that we need.’ 9 Jesus answered, ‘I have been with all of you for a long time. But still you do not seem to know me, Philip! Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. So why do you say, “Show the Father to us”? 10 I am in the Father and the Father is in me. You should believe that. The words that I say to you do not come from me myself. But the Father lives in me, and he is doing his work. 11 I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Believe me when I say that. You have seen the things that I have done. So, if you do not believe my words, believe because of my work. 12 I tell you this: Whoever believes in me will do the same things that I have been doing. Yes, he will do even greater things than these, because I will go to my Father. 13 Ask me to help you. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it for you. In that way, the Son will show everyone how great the Father is. 14 Yes, you should ask me for anything in my name.[a] I will do it for you.’
Jesus promises to send God's Spirit
15 Jesus then said, ‘If you love me, do what I have told you to do. 16 I will ask the Father to help you with this. He will send another Helper to be with you. That Helper will stay with you for ever. 17 He is God's Spirit and he shows you what is true. The people who belong to this world cannot receive him. That is because they cannot see him. They cannot know who he is. But you know him because he stays with you. And he will be in you. 18 I will not let you remain alone, like children without parents. I will come to you.
19 Soon, the people who belong to this world will not see me any more. But you will see me. Because I continue to live, you also will live. 20 On that day, you will know that I am in my Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you. 21 Those people who obey my commands are the ones who really love me. They accept my words and they do what I say. My Father will love everyone who loves me. I also will love them and I will show myself to them.’
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, ‘Lord, why will you show yourself only to us? Why will you not show yourself also to the people who belong to this world?’
23 Jesus replied, ‘Everyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them. And my Father and I will come to them and we will make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my message. These words that you hear are not my own. No, they come from the Father, who sent me. 25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Father will send the Holy Spirit to be with you. He will be your Helper. He will come in my name, and he will teach you all things.[b] He will help you to remember everything that I have told you.
27 I will go away but I will give you a gift of peace. It is mine to give and yours to keep. It is not like a gift that this world gives. Do not let yourselves be sad. Do not be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, “I will go away, but I will return to you.” If you loved me, you would be happy because of that. You would be happy because I will go to the Father. And he is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens. So then, when it does happen, you will believe. 30 I will not talk with you much more, because the ruler of this world will come soon. He has no power over me. 31 But the people who belong to this world must learn about me. They must know that I love the Father. I do everything that he tells me to do. I must show that to them. Now get up, we must go from here.’
11 The Lord hates traders who do not use true weights.
He is happy when they are honest and they use true weights.
2 If people are proud, they will soon become ashamed.
But if people are humble, they become wise.
3 Good people are honest, and that shows them the right way to live.
But wicked people are not honest, and that destroys them.
4 When it is time for God to punish you, money will not help you to escape.
But if you are righteous, that will save you from death.
5 An honest man who is righteous has a straight path to walk on.
But the sins of a wicked person will cause him to fall down.
6 When honest people are righteous, that will keep them safe.
But the bad things that wicked people want will catch them in a trap.
7 When a wicked person dies, he has no hope for anything good.
Everything that he hoped his strength would give him disappears!
8 Righteous people escape from trouble.
The trouble happens to wicked people instead.
9 People who do not respect God say things that destroy their friends.
But the knowledge that righteous people have keeps them safe.
10 When righteous people do well, everyone in the city is happy.
And people shout with joy when wicked people die.
11 A city becomes great when honest men bring God's blessing to it.
But when wicked people give bad advice, they will destroy the city.
12 When someone insults his neighbour, it shows that he is foolish.
But a wise person stays quiet.
13 If a person talks too much about other people, he will soon tell their secrets.
But someone that you can trust will not tell your secrets to other people.
14 A nation will fall if it has no wise leaders.
But it will do well if there are people who give good advice.
15 If you promise to pay a stranger's debt, you will be sorry.
You will be safe if you do not agree to do that.
16 A kind woman receives honour,
but cruel men only get riches for themselves.
17 A faithful person helps himself with good things,
but a cruel person brings trouble on himself.
18 A wicked person gets riches that soon disappear.
But someone who lives in a good way will surely receive good things.
19 If someone continues to do what is right, he will live.
But if someone loves to do evil things, he will die.
20 The Lord hates people who have wrong thoughts.
But he is pleased with people who live in an honest way.
21 Be sure about this: Evil people will receive the punishment that they deserve.
But people who are righteous will escape.
22 A beautiful woman who turns away from wisdom
is like a gold ring in a pig's nose.
23 Righteous people want good things to happen.
Wicked people only hope to cause anger.
24 Somebody may share his things with other people,
but he still becomes richer.
Somebody else may keep the things that he should give to others,
but he still becomes poor.
25 If you help other people with your money, you will do well.
If you give water to thirsty people, you will not be thirsty yourself.
26 If you refuse to sell food to hungry people, they will curse you.
But if you sell it to them, they will praise you.
27 If you try to do good things, people will respect you.
But if you want evil things to happen, they will happen to you!
28 If somebody trusts his riches to keep him safe,
he will fall like a leaf that falls from a tree.
But a righteous person will grow strong,
like a fresh green leaf.
29 Anyone who causes trouble for his family will not receive any good thing from them.
A foolish person like that will become the servant of a wise person.
30 The good things that a righteous person does bring life.
A person who saves people's lives shows that he is wise.
31 Righteous people receive what they deserve, here on this earth.
So you can be sure that cruel and wicked people will receive their punishment.
God's people are like one body
4 Because I serve the Lord, I am here in prison. I really want you to live as God's own people should live. God has called you to come to him. He has chosen you to be his own people. 2 Do not think that you are better than other people. Always be kind and patient with each other. Love one another, so that you do not quickly become angry with each other. 3 Do your best to let God's Spirit keep you united. You belong together so live in peace with each other. 4 As God's people, you are like one body. There is one Spirit that gives you life. God has chosen you to be his own people. So you all expect to receive the same great things from God. 5 There is one Lord. There is one true message that we must believe. There is one baptism.[a] 6 There is one God, who is the Father of all of us. He has authority over all of us. He works through all of us. He is in all of us.
7 But God has been kind to all of us. Each of us has received a special gift, just as Christ has decided to give us. 8 This is what it says about him:
‘When he went up to the highest place,
he led many prisoners with him.
Then he gave gifts to his people.’[b]
9 It says: ‘He went up.’ That must mean that Christ had also come down. He came down to a lower place, the earth. 10 So the man who came down is also the man who went up, high above all the heavens. He did that so that he would fill everything everywhere.
11 It was Christ who chose to give different gifts to his people. He chose some to be apostles. He chose some to speak messages from God. He chose some to tell God's good news to many people. He chose some to take care of his people, and to teach them. 12 He gave all these gifts to help God's people to serve him in different ways. As a result, the church, which is like Christ's body, would become strong. 13 In that way, all of us will become united, like one person. We will all believe in Jesus as the Son of God. We will all know him. We will become like a man who has grown up well. We will be completely as God wants us to be, just like Christ himself.
14 So then we will not be like children any more. Our minds will not become confused by strange ideas. We will not change what we believe, from one thing to another. Some people teach things that are not true. They do clever things to deceive people. But we will not agree with their false message. 15 Instead, we will love each other and we will speak God's true message. As a result, we will become more and more like Christ in every way. He is the head of his body, which is the church. 16 As its head, he helps the whole body to grow well. Each part joins with the other parts so that the whole body becomes strong. As each separate part does its proper work, we love each other more and more.
Live in a way that pleases God
17 So I say this to you. I am sure that I have the Lord's authority to say it. You must not live any longer like the Gentile people who do not know God. They do whatever their silly ideas teach them to do. 18 They cannot understand God's true message because their minds are in the dark. They have not accepted the life that God gives. They have decided that they do not want to know about God. They do not even try to understand. 19 They do not feel ashamed when they do all kinds of disgusting things. They do more and more bad things just to please themselves.
20 But when you learned about Christ, you did not learn to do things like that! 21 I am sure that you have heard about him properly. People taught you the true message that comes from Jesus. 22 They taught you to change the way that you live. You must put away the nature that you had before. That old nature deceived you. As a result, you wanted to do things that would destroy you. 23 Instead, let God's Spirit make you think in a new way. 24 Take up the new nature that God has prepared for you. That nature is like God's own nature. Then you will live in a truly good way that pleases God.
25 So you must stop telling lies. Each of you must say only true things to one another. Remember that all of us belong to one another, like parts of the same body. 26 When you are angry, do not do anything bad as a result. Once the day comes to an end, do not continue to be angry. 27 Do not give the Devil a chance to hurt you like that.
28 Any of you who robbed people before must now stop taking things. Instead, you should work hard with your own hands. Then you will be able to share what you have with people who are poor.
29 Do not say bad things that hurt or insult people. Instead, say only good things that will help people. Your words should help people to become strong when they hear them.
30 Do not do anything that will make God's Holy Spirit sad. God gave his Holy Spirit to you to show that you belong to him. As a result you know that God will make you completely free one day.
31 Do not be jealous of other people. Do not become angry or shout at them. Do not quarrel with other people or insult them. Do not do anything or say anything that will hurt other people. 32 Instead, help one another and be kind to each other. Forgive one another. Remember that God has forgiven you because of what Christ has done.
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