M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Laws for Living
21 Then God said to Moses, “These are the laws for living that you will give to the Israelites:
2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. In the seventh year you are to set him free, and he will have to pay nothing. 3 If he is not married when he becomes your slave, he must leave without a wife. But if he is married when he becomes your slave, he may take his wife with him. 4 If the slave’s master gives him a wife, and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the woman and her children will belong to the master. When the slave is set free, only he may leave.
5 “But if the slave says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children, and I don’t want to go free,’ 6 then the slave’s master must take him to God. The master is to take him to a door or doorframe and punch a hole through the slave’s ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave will serve that master all his life.
7 “If a man sells his daughter as a slave, the rules for setting her free are different from the rules for setting the male slaves free. 8 If the master wanted to marry her but then decided he was not pleased with her, he must let one of her close relatives buy her back. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly. 9 If the man who bought her promises to let the woman marry his son, he must treat her as a daughter. 10 If the man who bought her marries another woman, he must not keep his first wife from having food or clothing or sexual relations. 11 If he does not give her these three things, she may go free, and she owes him no money.
Laws About Injuries
12 “Anyone who hits a person and kills him must be put to death. 13 But if a person kills someone accidentally, God allowed that to happen, so the person must go to a place I will choose. 14 But if someone plans and murders another person on purpose, put him to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.
15 “Anyone who hits his father or his mother must be put to death.
16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone and either sells him as a slave or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.
17 “Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.
18 “If two men argue, and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist, the one who is hurt but not killed might have to stay in bed. 19 Later if he is able to get up and walk around outside with his walking stick, the one who hit him is not to be punished. But he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time, and he must support the injured man until he is completely healed.
20 “If a man beats his male or female slave with a stick, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner must be punished. 21 But if the slave gets well after a day or two, the owner will not be punished since the slave belongs to him.
22 “Suppose two men are fighting and hit a pregnant woman, causing the baby to come out. If there is no further injury, the man who caused the accident must pay money—whatever amount the woman’s husband says and the court allows. 23 But if there is further injury, then the punishment that must be paid is life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
26 “If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye, and the eye is blinded, the man is to free the slave to pay for the eye. 27 If a master knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, the man is to free the slave to pay for the tooth.
28 “If a man’s bull kills a man or woman, you must kill that bull by throwing stones at it, and you should not eat the bull. But the owner of the bull is not guilty. 29 However, suppose the bull has hurt people in the past and the owner, though warned, did not keep it in a pen. Then if it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned to death, and the owner must also be put to death. 30 But if the family of the dead person accepts money, the one who owned the bull may buy back his life, but he must pay whatever is demanded. 31 Use this same law if the bull kills a person’s son or daughter. 32 If the bull kills a male or female slave, the owner must pay the master the price for a new slave, or twelve ounces of silver, and the bull must also be stoned to death.
33 “If a man takes the cover off a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and another man’s ox or donkey comes and falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit must pay the owner of the animal for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the one who pays.
35 “If a man’s bull kills another man’s bull, they must sell the bull that is alive. Both men will get half of the money and half of the bull that was killed. 36 But if a person’s bull has hurt other animals in the past and the owner did not keep it in a pen, that owner must pay bull for bull, and the dead animal is his.
Jesus Rises from the Dead
24 Very early on the first day of the week, at dawn, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the entrance of the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, two men in shining clothes suddenly stood beside them. 5 The women were very afraid and bowed their heads to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person in this place for the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen from the dead. Do you remember what he told you in Galilee? 7 He said the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people, be crucified, and rise from the dead on the third day.” 8 Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.
9 The women left the tomb and told all these things to the eleven apostles and the other followers. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women who told the apostles everything that had happened at the tomb. 11 But they did not believe the women, because it sounded like nonsense. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Bending down and looking in, he saw only the cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. Peter went away to his home, wondering about what had happened.
Jesus on the Road to Emmaus
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a town named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking about everything that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them, 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 Then he said, “What are these things you are talking about while you walk?”
The two followers stopped, looking very sad. 18 The one named Cleopas answered, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know what just happened there?”
19 Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about?”
They said, “About Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet who said and did many powerful things before God and all the people. 20 Our leaders and the leading priests handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he would free Israel. Besides this, it is now the third day since this happened. 22 And today some women among us amazed us. Early this morning they went to the tomb, 23 but they did not find his body there. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive! 24 So some of our group went to the tomb, too. They found it just as the women said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You are foolish and slow to believe everything the prophets said. 26 They said that the Christ must suffer these things before he enters his glory.” 27 Then starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures.
28 They came near the town of Emmaus, and Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they begged him, “Stay with us, because it is late; it is almost night.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When Jesus was at the table with them, he took some bread, gave thanks, divided it, and gave it to them. 31 And then, they were allowed to recognize Jesus. But when they saw who he was, he disappeared. 32 They said to each other, “It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us.”
33 So the two followers got up at once and went back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven apostles and others gathered. 34 They were saying, “The Lord really has risen from the dead! He showed himself to Simon.”
35 Then the two followers told what had happened on the road and how they recognized Jesus when he divided the bread.
Jesus Appears to His Followers
36 While the two followers were telling this, Jesus himself stood right in the middle of them and said, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were fearful and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 But Jesus said, “Why are you troubled? Why do you doubt what you see? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have a living body as you see I have.”
40 After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because they were amazed and happy, Jesus said to them, “Do you have any food here?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish. 43 While the followers watched, Jesus took the fish and ate it.
44 He said to them, “Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen—everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.”
45 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “It is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that a change of hearts and lives and forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, starting at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I will send you what my Father has promised, but you must stay in Jerusalem until you have received that power from heaven.”
Jesus Goes Back to Heaven
50 Jesus led his followers as far as Bethany, and he raised his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he was separated from them and carried into heaven. 52 They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem very happy. 53 They stayed in the Temple all the time, praising God.
39 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the deer gives birth to her fawn?
2 Do you count the months until they give birth
and know the right time for them to give birth?
3 They lie down, their young are born,
and then the pain of giving birth is over.
4 Their young ones grow big and strong in the wild country.
Then they leave their homes and do not return.
5 “Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who untied its ropes?
6 I am the one who gave the donkey the desert as its home;
I gave it the desert lands as a place to live.
7 The wild donkey laughs at the confusion in the city,
and it does not hear the drivers shout.
8 It roams the hills looking for pasture,
looking for anything green to eat.
9 “Will the wild ox agree to serve you
and stay by your feeding box at night?
10 Can you hold it to the plowed row with a harness
so it will plow the valleys for you?
11 Will you depend on the wild ox for its great strength
and leave your heavy work for it to do?
12 Can you trust the ox to bring in your grain
and gather it to your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich flap happily,
but they are not like the feathers of the stork.
14 The ostrich lays its eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand.
15 It does not stop to think that a foot might step on them and crush them;
it does not care that some animal might walk on them.
16 The ostrich is cruel to its young, as if they were not even its own.
It does not care that its work is for nothing,
17 because God did not give the ostrich wisdom;
God did not give it a share of good sense.
18 But when the ostrich gets up to run, it is so fast
that it laughs at the horse and its rider.
19 “Job, are you the one who gives the horse its strength
or puts a flowing mane on its neck?
20 Do you make the horse jump like a locust?
It scares people with its proud snorting.
21 It paws wildly, enjoying its strength,
and charges into battle.
22 It laughs at fear and is afraid of nothing;
it does not run away from the sword.
23 The bag of arrows rattles against the horse’s side,
along with the flashing spears and swords.
24 With great excitement, the horse races over the ground;
and it cannot stand still when it hears the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet blows, the horse snorts, ‘Aha!’
It smells the battle from far away;
it hears the shouts of commanders and the battle cry.
26 “Is it through your wisdom that the hawk flies
and spreads its wings toward the south?
27 Are you the one that commands the eagle to fly
and build its nest so high?
28 It lives on a high cliff and stays there at night;
the rocky peak is its protected place.
29 From there it looks for its food;
its eyes can see it from far away.
30 Its young eat blood,
and where there is something dead, the eagle is there.”
Help for Fellow Christians
9 I really do not need to write you about this help for God’s people. 2 I know you want to help. I have been bragging about this to the people in Macedonia, telling them that you in Southern Greece have been ready to give since last year. And your desire to give has made most of them ready to give also. 3 But I am sending the brothers to you so that our bragging about you in this will not be empty words. I want you to be ready, as I said you would be. 4 If any of the people from Macedonia come with me and find that you are not ready, we will be ashamed that we were so sure of you. (And you will be ashamed, too!) 5 So I thought I should ask these brothers to go to you before we do. They will finish getting in order the generous gift you promised so it will be ready when we come. And it will be a generous gift—not one that you did not want to give.
6 Remember this: The person who plants a little will have a small harvest, but the person who plants a lot will have a big harvest. 7 Each of you should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not be sad when you give, and you should not give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily. 8 And God can give you more blessings than you need. Then you will always have plenty of everything—enough to give to every good work. 9 It is written in the Scriptures:
“He gives freely to the poor.
The things he does are right and will continue forever.” Psalm 112:9
10 God is the One who gives seed to the farmer and bread for food. He will give you all the seed you need and make it grow so there will be a great harvest from your goodness. 11 He will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will cause many to give thanks to God. 12 This service you do not only helps the needs of God’s people, it also brings many more thanks to God. 13 It is a proof of your faith. Many people will praise God because you obey the Good News of Christ—the gospel you say you believe—and because you freely share with them and with all others. 14 And when they pray, they will wish they could be with you because of the great grace that God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.