M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Promises Are Important
27 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel and tell them: ‘If someone makes a ·special promise [vow] ·to give a person as a servant to the Lord by paying a price that is the same value as that person [L concerning an equivalent for a person; C a person, such as a child or a slave, could be given for God’s service, or money paid instead to fulfill the vow], 3 the ·price [equivalent] for a man twenty to sixty years old is about ·one and one-fourth pounds [L fifty shekels] of silver. (You must use the measure as set by the ·Holy Place [sanctuary].) 4 The ·price [equivalent] for a woman twenty to sixty years old is about ·twelve ounces [L thirty shekels] of silver. 5 The ·price [equivalent] for a man five to twenty years old is about ·eight ounces [L twenty shekels] of silver; for a woman it is about ·four ounces [L ten shekels] of silver. 6 The ·price [equivalent] for a baby boy one month to five years old is about ·two ounces [L five shekels] of silver; for a baby girl the price is about ·one and one-half ounces [L three shekels] of silver. 7 The ·price [equivalent] for a man sixty years old or older is about ·six ounces [L fifteen shekels] of silver; for a woman it is about ·four ounces [L ten shekels] of silver.
8 “‘If anyone is too poor to pay the ·price [equivalent], bring him to the priest, and the priest will set the price. The priest will decide how much money the person making the vow can afford to pay.
Gifts to the Lord
9 “‘Some animals may be used as ·sacrifices [gifts] to the Lord. If someone ·promises to bring [L gives] one of these to the Lord, it will become holy. 10 That person must not try to ·put another animal in its place [L substitute for it] or exchange it, a good animal for a bad one, or a bad animal for a good one. If this happens, both animals will become holy.
11 “‘Unclean [C in a ritual sense] animals cannot be offered as ·sacrifices [gifts] to the Lord, and if someone brings one of them to the Lord, that animal must be brought to the priest. 12 The priest will decide a ·price [equivalent] for the animal, according to whether it is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the ·price [equivalent] for the animal. 13 If the person wants to ·buy back [redeem] the animal, an additional one-fifth must be added to the ·price [equivalent].
Value of a House
14 “‘If a person ·gives [dedicates; consecrates] a house as holy to the Lord, the priest must decide its ·value [equivalent], according to whether the house is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the ·price [equivalent] for the house. 15 But if the person who ·gives [dedicates; consecrates] the house wants to ·buy it back [redeem it], an additional one-fifth must be added to the ·price [equivalent]. Then the house will belong to that person again.
Value of Land
16 “‘If a person ·gives [dedicates; consecrates] some family property to the Lord, the ·value [equivalent] of the fields will depend on how much seed is needed to plant them. It will cost about ·one and one-fourth pounds [L fifty shekels] of silver for each ·six bushels [L homer] of barley seed needed. 17 If the person ·gives [dedicates; consecrates] a field at the year of Jubilee [25:8–22], its value [equivalent] ·will stay at what the priest has decided [L will stand]. 18 But if the person ·gives [dedicates; consecrates] the field after the Jubilee, the priest must ·decide [calculate] the exact ·price [equivalent] by counting the number of years to the next year of Jubilee. Then he will subtract that number from its ·value [equivalent]. 19 If the person who ·gave [dedicated; consecrated] the field wants to ·buy it back [redeem it], one-fifth must be added to that ·price [equivalent], and the field will belong to the first owner again.
20 “‘If the person does not ·buy back [redeem] the field, or if it is sold to someone else, the first person cannot ever ·buy it back [redeem it]. 21 When the land is released at the year of Jubilee, it will become holy to the Lord, like land ·specially given [devoted] to him. It will become the property of the priests.
22 “‘If someone ·gives [dedicates; consecrates] to the Lord a field he has bought, which is not a part of his family land, 23 the priest must ·count [calculate] the years to the next Jubilee. He must decide the ·price [equivalent] for the land, and the ·price [equivalent] must be paid on that day. Then that land will be holy to the Lord. 24 At the year of Jubilee, the land will go back to its first owner, to the family who sold the land.
25 “‘You must use the measure as set by the ·Holy Place [sanctuary] in paying these ·prices [equivalents]; ·it weighs two-fifths of an ounce [L twenty gerahs will make a shekel].
Value of Animals
26 “‘If an animal is the first one born to its parent, it already belongs to the Lord, so people may not ·give [dedicate; consecrate] it again. If it is a ·cow [L ox] or a sheep, it is the Lord’s. 27 If the animal is unclean [C in a ritual sense], the person must ·buy it back [ransom it] for the ·price set by the priest [equivalent], and the person must add one-fifth to that price. If it is not ·bought back [redeemed], the priest must sell it for ·the price he had decided [its equivalent].
28 “‘·There is a special kind of gift that people set apart to give [L All devoted things that are devoted…] to the Lord; it may be a person, animal, or field from the family property. That gift cannot be ·bought back [redeemed] or sold. Every ·special kind of gift [devoted thing] is most holy to the Lord.
29 “‘·If anyone is given for the purpose of being destroyed, he [L Everyone who is devoted from among people] cannot be ·bought back [redeemed]; he must be put to death.
30 “‘One-tenth of all crops belongs to the Lord, including the crops from fields and the fruit from trees. That one-tenth is holy to the Lord. 31 If a person wants to ·get back [redeem] that tenth, one-fifth must be added to its price.
32 “‘·The priest will take every [L Every] tenth animal from a person’s herd or flock, ·and it [L a tenth of all that passes under the shepherd’s rod,] will be holy to the Lord. 33 The owner should not ·pick out the good animals from the bad [inquire whether they are good or bad] or exchange one animal for another. If that happens, both animals will become holy; they cannot be ·bought back [redeemed].’”
34 These are the commands the Lord ·gave to [commanded] Moses at Mount Sinai for the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel.
Praise God Who Judges and Saves
David’s song from the time he ·acted crazy [acted mad/insane; L changed his mind/discernment] so Abimelech [C perhaps another name for Achish] would ·send [drive] him away, and David did leave [1 Sam. 21:10–15].
34 I will ·praise [bless] the Lord at all times;
his praise is always ·on my lips [L in my mouth].
2 My ·whole being [soul] praises the Lord.
The ·poor [humble] will hear and be glad.
3 ·Glorify [Praise; Magnify] the Lord with me,
and let us ·praise [L extol] his name together.
4 I ·asked the Lord for help [sought the Lord], and he answered me.
He ·saved [rescued; T delivered] me from all that I feared.
5 Those who ·go [L look] to him for help are ·happy [radiant],
and ·they [L their faces] are never ·disgraced [shamed].
6 This ·poor [afflicted] man [C someone in the congregation or the psalmist himself] ·called [prayed], and the Lord heard him
and ·saved him from [gave him victory over] all his ·troubles [distress].
7 The angel of the Lord [91:11; Gen. 32:1–2; 2 Kin. 6:17; Matt. 4:5–6] camps around those who fear God [Prov. 1:7],
and he saves them.
8 ·Examine [L Taste] and see how good the Lord is.
·Happy [Blessed] is the person who ·trusts [finds refuge in] him.
9 You ·who belong to the Lord [holy ones], fear him [Prov. 1:7]!
Those who fear him will ·have everything they need [not lack anything; 23:1].
10 Even lions [C the most noble wild beast] may get weak and hungry,
but those who ·look to [seek] the Lord ·will have every [L do not lack any] good thing.
11 Children, come and listen to me.
I will teach you ·to worship [L the fear of] the Lord.
12 ·You must do these things
to enjoy life and have many happy days [L Who of you takes pleasure in life and loves days to experience good?].
13 You must ·not say evil things [L guard/keep your tongue from evil],
and ·you must not tell lies [L your lips from deception].
14 ·Stop doing [L Turn aside from] evil and do good.
·Look for [Seek] peace and ·work for [pursue] it.
15 ·The Lord sees the [L The eyes of the Lord are on] ·good [righteous] people
and ·listens to their prayers [L his ears attend to their cries for help].
16 But the ·Lord is [L face of the Lord is] against those who do evil;
he ·makes the world forget them [L cuts memory of them off the earth].
17 ·The Lord hears good people when they [L They] cry out to him,
and he saves them from all their ·troubles [distress].
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,
and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed.
19 People who ·do what is right may [are righteous] have many ·problems [afflictions],
but the Lord ·will solve them [L saves them from them] all.
20 He will protect their very bones;
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will kill the wicked;
those who hate ·good [righteous] people will be judged guilty.
22 But the Lord ·saves [redeems; ransoms] his servants’ lives;
no one who ·trusts [finds refuge in] him will be judged guilty.
10 Dead flies can make even ·perfume [L a perfumer’s oil] stink.
In the same way, a little foolishness ·can spoil [L outweighs] wisdom and ·honor [glory].
2 The heart of the wise ·leads [goes] to ·right [L the right],
but the heart of a fool ·leads [goes] to ·wrong [L the left].
3 Even in the way fools walk along the road,
they ·show they are not wise [lack sense];
they show everyone how ·stupid [foolish] they are [Prov. 12:23; 13:16].
4 Don’t leave your job
just because your ·boss [ruler; leader] is angry with you.
·Remaining calm [Gentleness] ·solves [appeases] great ·problems [offenses].
5 There is something else ·wrong [evil] that happens ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
It is the kind of ·mistake [error] rulers make:
6 Fools are ·given [placed in] important positions
while ·gifted [L wealthy] people ·are given [L sit in] lower ones;
7 I have seen servants ride horses
while princes walk like servants on ·foot [L on the ground/earth].
8 Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it [Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27];
anyone who ·knocks down [breeches] a wall might be bitten by a snake;
9 anyone who ·moves [quarries] boulders might be ·hurt [injured] by them;
and anyone who ·cuts logs [splits trees] might be ·harmed [endangered] by them.
10 ·A dull ax means harder work [L If the ax is blunt and the edge is not sharp, then he must increase his efforts].
·Being wise will make it easier [L The advantage of wisdom is success].
11 If a snake bites the ·tamer [charmer] before it is ·tamed [charmed],
what good is the ·tamer [charmer]?
12 The words of the wise bring them ·praise [or favor],
but the words of a fool will ·destroy [L swallow] them.
13 A fool begins by saying foolish things
and ends by saying crazy and wicked things.
14 A fool ·talks too much [L multiplies words].
No one knows ·the future [L what will happen],
and ·no one [who…?] can tell what will happen after ·death [L him].
15 ·Work [Toil] wears fools out;
they don’t even know how to get ·home [L to the city].
The Value of Work
16 ·How terrible it is for a [L Woe to you, O] country whose king is ·a child [or immature]
and whose leaders ·eat all [or feast in the] morning [Is. 5:11–12; 21:5].
17 ·How lucky a [L Blessed are you, O] country whose king ·comes from a good family [L is a noble],
whose leaders eat ·only at mealtime [L at the appropriate time]
and for strength, not to get drunk.
18 If someone is lazy, the roof will begin to ·fall [sag].
If he ·doesn’t fix it [L lowers his hands], the house will leak [Prov. 6:6; 26:16].
19 A ·party [feast] makes you ·feel good [laugh],
wine makes you feel ·happy [merry],
and money ·buys anything [L answers everything].
20 Don’t ·make fun of [or curse] the king even in your thoughts,
and don’t ·make fun of [curse] rich people, even in your bedroom.
A little bird might carry your words;
a ·bird might fly and [winged creature might] tell what you said.
Follow theTrue Teaching
2 But you must tell everyone what ·to do to follow [or is consistent with] ·the true [sound; healthy] teaching. 2 Teach older men to be ·self-controlled [sober], ·serious [dignified; worthy of respect], ·wise [self-controlled], ·strong [sound; healthy] in faith, in love, and in ·patience [endurance].
3 In the same way, teach older women to be ·holy [reverent] in their behavior, not ·speaking against [slandering; gossiping about] others or enslaved to ·too much wine [excessive drinking], but teaching what is good. 4 Then they can ·teach [train] the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be ·wise [sensible; self-controlled] and pure, to be ·good workers at home [devoted to home life], to be kind, and to ·yield [submit] to their husbands. Then no one will be able to ·criticize [discredit; malign; blaspheme] the ·teaching God gave us [word of God].
6 In the same way, encourage young men to be ·wise [self-controlled]. 7 In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with ·honesty [integrity] and ·seriousness [dignity]. 8 Speak ·the truth [a sound message] so that you cannot be ·criticized [condemned]. Then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad to say about us.
9 ·Slaves [Bondservants] should ·yield [submit] to their own masters at all times, trying to please them and not ·arguing with [talking back to] them. 10 They should not ·steal [pilfer] from them but should show their masters ·they can be fully trusted [or that their faith is good/productive; L all good faith] so that in everything they do they will ·make attractive [adorn; show the beauty of] the teaching of God our Savior.
11 ·That is the way we should live, because [L For] God’s grace that can save everyone has ·come [appeared; been revealed]. 12 It ·teaches [trains; disciplines] us to ·turn away from [reject; deny] ungodly living and ·the evil things the world wants to do [or worldly desires; sinful pleasures]. Instead, that grace teaches us to live in the present age in a ·wise [self-controlled] and ·right [upright; just] way and in a ·way that shows we serve God [godly manner]. 13 We should live like that while we wait for our ·great [happy; blessed] hope and the ·coming of the glory [glorious appearing/manifestation] of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 14 He gave himself for us so he might ·pay the price to free [redeem; ransom] us from all ·evil [wickedness; lawlessness] and to make us pure people who belong only to him—people who are always ·wanting [eager; zealous] to do good deeds.
15 Say these things and ·encourage [exhort] the people and ·tell them what is wrong in their lives [rebuke/admonish them], with all authority. Do not let anyone ·treat you as if you were unimportant [look down on/despise/disregard you].
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