M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Rules About Skin Diseases
13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Someone might have on ·his skin [L the skin of his body; C and so throughout the passage] a swelling or a ·rash [eruption] or a bright spot. If the sore looks like ·a harmful skin disease [T leprosy; the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders], the person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of Aaron’s sons, the priests. 3 The priest must ·look at [examine] the sore on the person’s skin. If the hair in the sore has become white, and the sore seems deeper than the person’s skin, it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. When he has finished ·looking at [examining] the person, the priest must announce that the person is unclean [C in a ritual sense; the principle of “wholeness” was disturbed by running sores or by a skin disease that partially covered the body; see 13:12–13].
4 “If there is a white spot on a person’s skin, but the spot does not seem deeper than the skin, and if the hair from the spot has not turned white, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] that person from other people for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the person again. If he sees that the sore has not changed and it has not spread on the skin, the priest must keep the person ·separated [confined; quarantined] for seven more days. 6 On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the person again. If the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is clean [C in a ritual sense]. The sore is only a ·rash [eruption]. The person must wash his clothes, and he will become clean again.
7 “But if the ·rash [eruption] spreads again after the priest has announced him clean [C in a ritual sense], the person must come again to the priest. 8 The priest must ·look at [examine] him, and if the ·rash [eruption] has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean; it is a harmful skin disease [13:2].
9 “If a person has a harmful skin disease [13:2], he must be brought to the priest, 10 and the priest must ·look at [examine] him. If there is a white swelling in the skin, and the hair has become white, and the skin looks raw in the swelling, 11 it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. It is one he has had for a long time. The priest must announce that the person is unclean [C in a ritual sense]. He will not need to ·separate [confine; quarantine] that person from other people, because everyone already knows that the person is unclean.
12 “If the skin disease [13:2] spreads all over a person’s body, covering his skin from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see, the priest must ·look at [examine] the person’s whole body. 13 If the priest sees that the disease covers the whole body and has turned all of the person’s skin white, he must announce that the person is clean [C in a ritual sense; he was clean because he was whole, uniformly covered by skin disease; 13:3].
14 “But when the person has ·an open sore [raw flesh], he is unclean [C in a ritual sense; because there was a break in the surface of his body, he was no longer whole]. 15 When the priest sees the ·open sore [raw flesh], he must announce that the person is unclean. The open sore is not clean; it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. 16 If the ·open sore [raw flesh] becomes white again, the person must come to the priest. 17 The priest must ·look at [examine] him, and if the ·sores have [raw flesh has] become white, the priest must announce that the person with the ·sores [raw flesh] is clean. Then he will be clean.
18 “Someone may have a boil on his skin that is healed. 19 If in the place where the boil was, there is a white swelling or a bright red spot, this place on the skin must be shown to the priest. 20 And the priest must ·look at [examine] it. If the spot seems deeper than the skin and the hair on it has become white, the priest must announce that the person is unclean [C in a ritual sense]. The spot is a harmful skin disease [13:2] that has broken out from inside the boil. 21 But if the priest looks at the spot and there are no white hairs in it and the spot is not deeper than the skin and it has faded, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the person from other people for seven days. 22 If the spot spreads on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean; it is a disease that will spread. 23 But if the bright spot does not spread or change, it is only the scar from the old boil. Then the priest must announce that the person is clean.
24 “When a person gets a burn on his skin, if the ·open sore [raw flesh] becomes white or red, 25 the priest must ·look at [examine] it. If the white spot seems deeper than the skin and the hair at that spot has become white, it is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. The disease has broken out in the burn, and the priest must announce that the person is unclean [C in a ritual sense]. It is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. 26 But if the priest ·looks at [examines] the spot and there is no white hair in the bright spot, and the spot is no deeper than the skin and has faded, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the person from other people for seven days. 27 On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] him again. If the spot has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease [13:2]. 28 But if the bright spot has not spread on the skin but has faded, it is the swelling from the burn. The priest must announce that the person is clean, because the spot is only a scar from the burn.
29 “When a man or a woman gets a sore on the scalp or on the ·chin [or cheek; or beard], 30 a priest must ·look at [examine] the sore. If it seems deeper than the skin and the hair around it is thin and yellow, the priest must announce that the person is unclean [C in a ritual sense]. It is an ·itch [scaly patch; C perhaps eczema or ringworm], a harmful skin disease [13:2] of the head or ·chin [or cheek; or beard]. 31 But if the priest ·looks at [examines] it and it does not seem deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the person from other people for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the ·sore [itch; scaly patch; 13:30]. If it has not spread, and there are no yellow hairs growing in it, and the ·sore [itch; scaly patch] does not seem deeper than the skin, 33 the person must shave himself, but he must not shave the ·sore place [itch; scaly patch]. The priest must ·separate [confine; quarantine] that person from other people for seven more days. 34 On the seventh day the priest must ·look at [examine] the ·sore [itch; scaly patch]. If it has not spread on the skin and it does not seem deeper than the skin, the priest must announce that the person is clean [C in a ritual sense]. So the person must wash his clothes and become clean. 35 But if the ·sore [itch; scaly patch] spreads on the skin after the person has become clean, 36 the priest must ·look at [examine] him again. If the sore has spread on the skin, the priest doesn’t need to look for the yellowish hair; the person is unclean. 37 But if the priest thinks the sore has stopped spreading, and black hair is growing in it, the ·sore [itch; scaly patch; 13:30] has healed. The person is clean, and the priest must announce that he is clean.
38 “When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin, 39 a priest must ·look at [examine] them. If the spots on the skin are dull white, the disease is only a harmless rash. That person is clean [C in a ritual sense].
40 “When anyone loses hair from his head and is bald, he is clean [C in a ritual sense]. 41 If he loses hair from the front of his head and has a bald forehead, he is clean. 42 But if there is a red-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is a skin disease [13:2] breaking out in those places. 43 A priest must ·look at [examine] that person. If the swelling of the sore on his bald head or forehead is red-white, like a skin disease that spreads, 44 that person has a skin disease [13:2]. He is unclean. The priest must announce that the person is unclean because of the sore on his head.
45 “If a person has a skin disease [13:2] that spreads, he must warn other people by shouting, ‘Unclean, unclean [C in a ritual sense]!’ His clothes must be torn at the seams, he must let his hair stay uncombed, and he must cover his ·mouth [L upper lip]. 46 That person will be unclean the whole time he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone outside the camp.
Rules About Mildew
47 “Clothing might have ·mildew [or mold; C the same Hebrew word as for “skin disease”; 13:2] on it. It might be clothing made of linen or wool 48 (either woven or knitted), or of leather, or something made from leather. 49 If the mildew [13:47] in the clothing, leather, or woven or knitted material is green or red, it is a spreading mildew. It must be shown to the priest. 50 The priest must ·look at [examine] the mildew, and he must put that piece of clothing in a ·separate [confined; quarantined] place for seven days. 51 On the seventh day he must ·look at [examine] the mildew [13:47] again. If the mildew has spread on the cloth (either woven or knitted) or the leather, no matter what the leather was used for, it is a mildew [13:47] that destroys; it is unclean [C in a ritual sense]. 52 The priest must burn the clothing. It does not matter if it is woven or knitted, wool or linen, or made of leather, because the mildew is spreading. It must be burned.
53 “If the priest sees that the mildew [13:47] has not spread in the cloth (either knitted or woven) or leather, 54 he must order the people to wash that piece of leather or cloth. Then he must ·separate [confine; quarantine] the clothing for seven more days. 55 After the piece with the mildew has been washed, the priest must ·look at [examine] it again. If the mildew [13:47] still looks the same, the piece is unclean, even if the mildew has not spread. You must burn it in fire; it does not matter if the mildew is on one side or the other.
56 “But when the priest ·looks at [examines] that piece of leather or cloth, the mildew [13:47] might have faded after the piece has been washed. Then the priest must tear the mildew out of the piece of leather or cloth (either woven or knitted). 57 But if the mildew comes back to that piece of leather or cloth (either woven or knitted), the mildew is spreading. And whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire. 58 When the cloth (either woven or knitted) or the leather is washed and the mildew [13:47] is gone, it must be washed again; then it will be clean [C in a ritual sense].
59 “These are the ·teachings [laws; instructions] about mildew [13:47] on pieces of cloth (either woven or knitted) or leather, to decide if they are clean or unclean [C in a ritual sense].”
What the Lord Demands
A psalm of David.
15 Lord, who may ·enter [dwell/abide/sojourn in] your Holy Tent [C the Tabernacle]?
Who may live on your holy mountain [C Mount Zion]?
2 Only those who ·are innocent [walk innocently]
and who do ·what is right [righteousness; 1:1; Job 1:1].
Such people speak the truth from their hearts
3 and do not ·tell lies about others [slander with their tongue].
They do no ·wrong [evil] to their neighbors
and do not ·gossip [L raise a reproachful matter with their associates].
4 ·They do not respect hateful people [L The wicked are despised in their eyes]
but honor those who ·honor [L fear] the Lord.
They keep their promises to their neighbors,
even when it hurts.
5 They do not charge interest on money they lend [Ex. 22:25–27; Lev. 25:35–36; Deut. 23:19]
and do not take ·money [a bribe] to hurt innocent people [Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19].
Whoever does all these things will never be ·destroyed [L moved].
The Lord Takes Care of His People
A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.
16 ·Protect [Guard] me, God,
because I ·trust [take refuge] in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
·Every good thing I have comes from you [I have no good apart from you].”
3 As for the ·godly people [holy ones; saints] in the ·world [or land],
they are the ·wonderful [noble] ones I ·enjoy [take pleasure in].
4 But those who ·turn to [run/hurry after] ·idols [other gods]
·will have much [multiply] pain.
I will not ·offer [pour out offerings of] blood to those idols
or even ·speak [L take on my lips] their names.
5 No, the Lord is ·all I need [L my portion and my cup].
·He takes care of me [L You hold my lot; C a device like the Urim and Thummim whereby God reveals one’s future; Ex. 28:30].
6 ·My share in life has been pleasant [L The boundary lines fall for me in pleasant places];
my ·part [inheritance] has been beautiful.
7 I ·praise [bless] the Lord because he advises me.
Even at night, ·I feel his leading [L my innards instruct me].
8 I keep the Lord before me always.
Because he is ·close by my side [L at my right hand],
I will not be ·hurt [L moved; Acts 2:25].
9 So ·I rejoice and am glad [L my heart exults and my glory/soul/or innards is glad].
Even my body ·has hope [dwells securely; Acts 2:26],
10 because you will not ·leave [abandon] me in ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol].
You will not let your ·holy one [saint; loyal one] ·rot [L see the Pit; C the grave; Acts 2:27; 13:35].
11 You will teach me ·how to live a holy [L the path of] life.
·Being with you will fill me with joy [L In your face/presence is the fullness of joy; Acts 2:28];
at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.
27 Don’t brag about tomorrow;
you don’t know what ·may happen then [L the day may bear/ bring forth].
2 Don’t praise yourself. Let ·someone else [another; a stranger] do it.
Let the praise come from a ·stranger [outsider] and not from your own mouth [Jer. 9:23–24; 1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17].
3 Stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but ·a complaining fool [or the irritation/frustration caused by a fool] is ·heavier [worse] than either.
4 Anger is cruel and destroys like a flood,
but no one can ·put up with [L stand in the face of] jealousy!
5 It is better to correct someone ·openly [publicly]
than to have love and ·not show [hide] it.
6 The ·slap [bruises] of a friend can be trusted to help you,
but the kisses of an enemy are ·nothing but lies [or dangerous; Matt. 26:48–50].
7 When you are ·full [sated], not even honey tastes good,
but when you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.
8 A person who ·leaves [L wanders from] his home
is like a bird that ·leaves [L wanders from] its nest.
9 The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant,
and so is good advice from a friend.
10 Don’t ·forget [abandon] your friend or your parent’s friend.
Don’t always go to your ·family for help [brother] when trouble comes.
A neighbor close by is better than a ·family [brother] far away.
11 Be wise, my child, and make ·me [L my heart] happy.
Then I can respond to any insult.
12 The ·wise [prudent] see ·danger [evil; trouble] ahead and avoid it,
but fools ·keep going [go straight to it] and ·get into trouble [or are punished].
13 Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger’s loan,
and keep it until he pays what the ·stranger [L foreigner] owes.
14 If you loudly ·greet [bless] your neighbor early in the morning,
he will think of it as a curse.
15 A ·quarreling [contentious] wife is as bothersome
as a continual dripping on a rainy day.
16 ·Stopping [Controlling; Restraining] her is like ·stopping [controlling; restraining] the wind
or trying to grab oil in your hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so people ·can improve each other [sharpen their friends].
18 Whoever ·tends [protects] a fig tree gets to eat its fruit,
and whoever ·takes care of [guards] his master will receive honor.
19 As water reflects your face,
so ·your mind shows what kind of person you are [the heart reflects a person].
20 ·People will never stop dying and being destroyed [L Sheol/The grave and Abaddon/Destruction are never satisfied; Job 26:6],
and ·they will never stop wanting more than they have [L the eyes of people will never be satisfied].
21 A ·hot furnace tests silver and gold [crucible for silver and a furnace for gold],
and people ·are tested by the praise they receive [L in the presence of those who praise them].
22 Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in a bowl,
you couldn’t remove the foolishness.
23 Be sure you know how your sheep are doing,
and ·pay attention to the condition of [L set your heart on] your cattle.
24 ·Riches [Treasure] will not go on forever,
nor ·do governments go on [a crown/diadem] forever.
25 When the grass is gone and the new grass appears,
gather the ·grass [vegetation] from the hills.
26 Make clothes from the lambs’ wool,
and sell some goats ·to buy [L for the price of] a field.
27 There will be plenty of goat’s milk
to feed you and your ·family [L house]
and to make your ·servant [or young] girls healthy.
1 From Paul [Acts 15:22, 40], Silas, and Timothy [Acts 16:1–5; 1 Cor. 16:10–11; Phil. 2:19–24; 1 and 2 Timothy].
To the church ·in Thessalonica [L of the Thessalonians; C a city in Macedonia, present-day northern Greece] in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul Talks About God’s Judgment
3 We ·must [ought to] always thank God for you, brothers and sisters. This is only right, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4 So we ·brag [boast] about you to the other churches of God. We tell them about the way you ·continue to be strong [persevere; endure] and have faith even though you are being ·treated badly [persecuted] and are suffering many ·troubles [trials; hardships].
5 This is ·proof [evidence] that God is ·right [just; righteous] in his judgment. ·He wants you to be counted […so that you will be considered; or …to make you] worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering. 6 [L For] God ·will do what is right [is just/righteous]. He will ·give trouble to [pay back with trials/hardship] those who ·trouble [inflict trials/hardships on] you. 7 And he will give rest to you who are ·troubled [suffering trials/hardships] and to us also when the Lord Jesus ·appears [is revealed] ·with blazing fire from heaven [or from heaven; C “with blazing fire” may go with the next sentence] with his powerful angels. 8 Then he will ·punish [or punish with blazing fire] those who do not know God [Jer. 10:25] and who do not obey the ·Good News about [Gospel of] our Lord Jesus. 9 Those people will be punished with a ·destruction that continues forever [eternal destruction], ·separated from [L …from] the presence of the Lord and from ·his great power [or the glory of his strength; or his glorious strength]. 10 This will happen on the day when ·the Lord Jesus [L he] comes to ·receive glory [be glorified] ·because of [or among; or in; or from] his holy people. And all the people who have believed will ·be amazed at [marvel at] Jesus. You will be in that group, because you believed ·what we told [our testimony to] you.
11 ·That is why [To that end; In this regard] we always pray for you, asking our God to ·help you live the kind of life he called you to live [make/consider you worthy of his calling]. We pray that with his power God will ·help you do the good things you want [L fulfill every desire for goodness] and ·perform the works that come from your [L every work of] faith. 12 We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will ·have glory [be glorified] in you, and you ·will have glory in him [L in him]. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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