M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Moses and Aaron Before the King
5 After Moses and Aaron talked to the people, they went to the king of Egypt and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go so they may hold a feast for me in the desert.’”
2 But the king of Egypt said, “Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Then Aaron and Moses said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t do this, he may kill us with a disease or in war.”
4 But the king said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Go back to your jobs! 5 There are very many Hebrews, and now you want them to quit working!”
6 That same day the king gave a command to the slave masters and foremen. 7 He said, “Don’t give the people straw to make bricks as you used to do. Let them gather their own straw. 8 But they must still make the same number of bricks as they did before. Do not accept fewer. They have become lazy, and that is why they are asking me, ‘Let us go to offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9 Make these people work harder and keep them busy; then they will not have time to listen to the lies of Moses.”
10 So the slave masters and foremen went to the Israelites and said, “This is what the king says: I will no longer give you straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it. But you must make as many bricks as you made before.” 12 So the people went everywhere in Egypt looking for dry stalks to use for straw. 13 The slave masters kept forcing the people to work harder. They said, “You must make just as many bricks as you did when you were given straw.” 14 The king’s slave masters had made the Israelite foremen responsible for the work the people did. The Egyptian slave masters beat these men and asked them, “Why aren’t you making as many bricks as you made in the past?”
15 Then the Israelite foremen went to the king and complained, “Why are you treating us, your servants, this way? 16 You give us no straw, but we are commanded to make bricks. Our slave masters beat us, but it is your own people’s fault.”
17 The king answered, “You are lazy! You don’t want to work! That is why you ask to leave here and make sacrifices to the Lord. 18 Now, go back to work! We will not give you any straw, but you must make just as many bricks as you did before.”
19 The Israelite foremen knew they were in trouble, because the king had told them, “You must make just as many bricks each day as you did before.” 20 As they were leaving the meeting with the king, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. 21 So they said to Moses and Aaron, “May the Lord punish you. You caused the king and his officers to hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.”
Moses Complains to God
22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this why you sent me here? 23 I went to the king and said what you told me to say, but ever since that time he has made the people suffer. And you have done nothing to save them.”
The Group with Jesus
8 After this, while Jesus was traveling through some cities and small towns, he preached and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of sicknesses and evil spirits: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Joanna, the wife of Cuza (the manager of Herod’s house); Susanna; and many others. These women used their own money to help Jesus and his apostles.
A Story About Planting Seed
4 When a great crowd was gathered, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he told them this story:
5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell by the road. People walked on the seed, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some seed fell on rock, and when it began to grow, it died because it had no water. 7 Some seed fell among thorny weeds, but the weeds grew up with it and choked the good plants. 8 And some seed fell on good ground and grew and made a hundred times more.”
As Jesus finished the story, he called out, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”
9 Jesus’ followers asked him what this story meant.
10 Jesus said, “You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of God. But I use stories to speak to other people so that:
‘They will look, but they may not see.
They will listen, but they may not understand.’ Isaiah 6:9
11 “This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message. 12 The seed that fell beside the road is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but the devil comes and takes it away from them so they cannot believe it and be saved. 13 The seed that fell on rock is like those who hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly, but they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives. They believe for a while, but when trouble comes, they give up. 14 The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good fruit. 15 And the seed that fell on the good ground is like those who hear God’s teaching with good, honest hearts and obey it and patiently produce good fruit.
Use What You Have
16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. Instead, the person puts it on a lampstand so those who come in will see the light. 17 Everything that is hidden will become clear, and every secret thing will be made known. 18 So be careful how you listen. Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they think they have will be taken away from them.”
Jesus’ True Family
19 Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but there was such a crowd they could not get to him. 20 Someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21 Jesus answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God’s teaching and obey it!”
Jesus Calms a Storm
22 One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let’s go across the lake.” And so they started across. 23 While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A very strong wind blew up on the lake, causing the boat to fill with water, and they were in danger.
24 The followers went to Jesus and woke him, saying, “Master! Master! We will drown!”
Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. They stopped, and it became calm. 25 Jesus said to his followers, “Where is your faith?”
The followers were afraid and amazed and said to each other, “Who is this that commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?”
A Man with Demons Inside Him
26 Jesus and his followers sailed across the lake from Galilee to the area of the Gerasene[a] people. 27 When Jesus got out on the land, a man from the town who had demons inside him came to Jesus. For a long time he had worn no clothes and had lived in the burial caves, not in a house. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him. He said with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 He said this because Jesus was commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had taken hold of him. Though he had been kept under guard and chained hand and foot, he had broken his chains and had been forced by the demon out into a lonely place.
30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He answered, “Legion,”[b] because many demons were in him. 31 The demons begged Jesus not to send them into eternal darkness.[c] 32 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill, and the demons begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs. So Jesus allowed them to do this. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd ran down the hill into the lake and was drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told about this in the town and the countryside. 35 And people went to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, because the demons were gone. But the people were frightened. 36 The people who saw this happen told the others how Jesus had made the man well. 37 All the people of the Gerasene country asked Jesus to leave, because they were all very afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and went back to Galilee.
38 The man whom Jesus had healed begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Go back home and tell people how much God has done for you.” So the man went all over town telling how much Jesus had done for him.
Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
40 When Jesus got back to Galilee, a crowd welcomed him, because everyone was waiting for him. 41 A man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, came to Jesus and fell at his feet, begging him to come to his house. 42 Jairus’ only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying.
While Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house, the people were crowding all around him. 43 A woman was in the crowd who had been bleeding for twelve years,[d] but no one was able to heal her. 44 She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat, and instantly her bleeding stopped. 45 Then Jesus said, “Who touched me?”
When all the people said they had not touched him, Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and are pushing against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch me, because I felt power go out from me.” 47 When the woman saw she could not hide, she came forward, shaking, and fell down before Jesus. While all the people listened, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace.”
49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader and said to him, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50 When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well.”
51 When Jesus went to the house, he let only Peter, John, James, and the girl’s father and mother go inside with him. 52 All the people were crying and feeling sad because the girl was dead, but Jesus said, “Stop crying. She is not dead, only asleep.”
53 The people laughed at Jesus because they knew the girl was dead. 54 But Jesus took hold of her hand and called to her, “My child, stand up!” 55 Her spirit came back into her, and she stood up at once. Then Jesus ordered that she be given something to eat. 56 The girl’s parents were amazed, but Jesus told them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Eliphaz Answers
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “Can anyone be of real use to God?
Can even a wise person do him good?
3 Does it help the Almighty for you to be good?
Does he gain anything if you are innocent?
4 Does God punish you for respecting him?
Does he bring you into court for this?
5 No! It is because your evil is without limits
and your sins have no end.
6 You took your brothers’ things for a debt they didn’t owe;
you took clothes from people and left them naked.
7 You did not give water to tired people,
and you kept food from the hungry.
8 You were a powerful man who owned land;
you were honored and lived in the land.
9 But you sent widows away empty-handed,
and you mistreated orphans.
10 That is why traps are all around you
and sudden danger frightens you.
11 That is why it is so dark you cannot see
and a flood of water covers you.
12 “God is in the highest part of heaven.
See how high the highest stars are!
13 But you ask, ‘What does God know?
Can he judge us through the dark clouds?
14 Thick clouds cover him so he cannot see us
as he walks around high up in the sky.’
15 Are you going to stay on the old path
where evil people walk?
16 They were carried away before their time was up,
and their foundations were washed away by a flood.
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
The Almighty can do nothing to us.’
18 But it was God who filled their houses with good things.
Their way of thinking is different from mine.
19 “Good people can watch and be glad;
the innocent can laugh at them and say,
20 ‘Surely our enemies are destroyed,
and fire burns up their wealth.’
21 “Obey God and be at peace with him;
this is the way to happiness.
22 Accept teaching from his mouth,
and keep his words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be blessed again.
So remove evil from your house.
24 Throw your gold nuggets into the dust
and your fine gold among the rocks in the ravines.
25 Then the Almighty will be your gold
and the best silver for you.
26 You will find pleasure in the Almighty,
and you will look up to him.
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
and you will keep your promises to him.
28 Anything you decide will be done,
and light will shine on your ways.
29 When people are made humble and you say, ‘Have courage,’
then the humble will be saved.
30 Even a guilty person will escape
and be saved because your hands are clean.”
Paul Is like the Other Apostles
9 I am a free man. I am an apostle. I have seen Jesus our Lord. You people are all an example of my work in the Lord. 2 If others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do, because you are proof that I am an apostle in the Lord.
3 This is the answer I give people who want to judge me: 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to bring a believing wife with us when we travel as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Peter? 6 Are Barnabas and I the only ones who must work to earn our living? 7 No soldier ever serves in the army and pays his own salary. No one ever plants a vineyard without eating some of the grapes. No person takes care of a flock without drinking some of the milk.
8 I do not say this by human authority; God’s law also says the same thing. 9 It is written in the law of Moses: “When an ox is working in the grain, do not cover its mouth to keep it from eating.”[a] When God said this, was he thinking only about oxen? No. 10 He was really talking about us. Yes, that Scripture was written for us, because it goes on to say: “The one who plows and the one who works in the grain should hope to get some of the grain for their work.” 11 Since we planted spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we should harvest material things? 12 If others have the right to get something from you, surely we have this right, too. But we do not use it. No, we put up with everything ourselves so that we will not keep anyone from believing the Good News of Christ. 13 Surely you know that those who work at the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get part of what is offered at the altar. 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who tell the Good News should get their living from this work.
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this now to get anything from you. I would rather die than to have my reason for bragging taken away. 16 Telling the Good News does not give me any reason for bragging. Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And how terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the Good News. 17 If I preach because it is my own choice, I have a reward. But if I preach and it is not my choice to do so, I am only doing the duty that was given to me. 18 So what reward do I get? This is my reward: that when I tell the Good News I can offer it freely. I do not use my full rights in my work of preaching the Good News.
19 I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a slave to all people to win as many as I can. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. I myself am not ruled by the law. But to those who are ruled by the law I became like a person who is ruled by the law. I did this to win those who are ruled by the law. 21 To those who are without the law I became like a person who is without the law. I did this to win those people who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law—I am ruled by Christ’s law.) 22 To those who are weak, I became weak so I could win the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible. 23 I do all this because of the Good News and so I can share in its blessings.
24 You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win! 25 All those who compete in the games use self-control so they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time, but our crown will never be destroyed. 26 So I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air. 27 I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.