M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Write the Law on Stones
27 Moses and the leaders of Israel told the people, “Obey every command I’m giving you today.
2 “The day you cross the Jordan River and enter the land that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, set up some large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 Yahweh Elohim of your ancestors is giving you a land flowing with milk and honey, as he promised you. After you’re in that land, write all the words of these teachings on the stones. 4 After you cross the Jordan River, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, and cover them with plaster, following the command I’m giving you today. 5 Build an altar of stones there dedicated to Yahweh your Elohim. Don’t use an iron chisel on the stones. 6 You must use uncut stones to build the altar of Yahweh your Elohim. Sacrifice burnt offerings on it to Yahweh your Elohim. 7 Sacrifice fellowship offerings, eat them there, and enjoy yourselves in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim. 8 Write clearly and carefully all the words of these teachings on the stones you set up.”
9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Be quiet and listen, Israel. Today you have become the people of Yahweh your Elohim. 10 Obey Yahweh your Elohim and follow his commands and laws which I’m giving you today.”
Curses Which Are to Be Recited
11 That same day Moses gave the people this command: 12 After you cross the Jordan River, these are the tribes that will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 These are the tribes that will stand on Mount Ebal to announce the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14 The Levites will declare to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:
15 “Whoever has a carved or metal statue, anything disgusting to Yahweh that was made by a craftsman, and sets it up in secret will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
16 “Whoever curses his father or mother will himself be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
17 “Whoever moves his neighbor’s boundary marker will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
18 “Whoever leads blind people in the wrong direction will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
19 “Whoever deprives foreigners, orphans, or widows of justice will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
20 “Whoever has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife will be cursed. He has disgraced his father.” Then all the people will say amen.
21 “Whoever has sexual intercourse with any animal will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
22 “Whoever has sexual intercourse with his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
23 “Whoever has sexual intercourse with his mother-in-law will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
24 “Whoever kills another person secretly will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
25 “Whoever accepts money to kill an innocent person will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
26 “Whoever doesn’t obey every word of these teachings will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
Blessings from the Lord
28 Carefully obey Yahweh your Elohim, and faithfully follow all his commands that I’m giving you today. If you do, Yahweh your Elohim will place you high above all the other nations in the world. 2 These are all the blessings that will come to you and stay close to you because you obey Yahweh your Elohim:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 You will be blessed. You will have children. Your land will have crops. Your animals will have offspring. Your cattle will have calves, and your flocks will have lambs and kids.
5 The grain you harvest and the bread you bake will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come and blessed when you go.
7 Yahweh will defeat your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction but run away from you in seven directions.
8 Yahweh will bless your barns and everything you do. Yahweh your Elohim will bless you in the land that he is giving you.
9 You will be Yahweh’s holy people, as he promised you with an oath. He will do this if you obey the commands of Yahweh your Elohim and follow his directions. 10 Then all the people in the world will see that you are Yahweh’s people, and they will be afraid of you. 11 Yahweh will give you plenty of blessings: You will have many children. Your animals will have many offspring. Your soil will produce many crops in the land Yahweh will give you, as he swore to your ancestors.
12 Yahweh will open the heavens, his rich storehouse, for you. He will send rain on your land at the right time and bless everything you do. You will be able to make loans to many nations but won’t need to borrow from any. 13 Yahweh will make you the head, not the tail. You will always be at the top, never at the bottom, if you faithfully obey the commands of Yahweh your Elohim that I am giving you today. 14 Do everything I’m commanding you today. Never worship other gods or serve them.
Curses from the Lord
15 Obey Yahweh your Elohim, and faithfully follow all his commands and laws that I am giving you today. If you don’t, all these curses will come to you and stay close to you:
16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
17 The grain you harvest and the bread you bake will be cursed.
18 You will be cursed. You will have few children. Your land will have few crops. Your cattle will be cursed with few calves, and your flocks will have few lambs and kids.
19 You will be cursed when you come and cursed when you go.
Psalm 119[a]
1 Blessed are those whose lives have integrity,
those who follow the teachings of Yahweh.
2 Blessed are those who obey his written instructions.
They wholeheartedly search for him.
3 They do nothing wrong.
They follow his directions.
4 You have commanded
that your guiding principles be carefully followed.
5 I pray that my ways may become firmly established
so that I can obey your laws.
6 Then I will never feel ashamed
when I study all your commandments.
7 I will give thanks to you
as I learn your regulations, which are based on your righteousness.
8 I will obey your laws.
Never abandon me.
9 How can a young person keep his life pure?
He can do it by holding on to your word.
10 I wholeheartedly searched for you.
Do not let me wander away from your commandments.
11 I have treasured your promise in my heart
so that I may not sin against you.
12 Thanks be to you, O Yahweh.
Teach me your laws.
13 With my lips I have repeated
every regulation that comes from your mouth.
14 I find joy in the way shown by your written instructions
more than I find joy in all kinds of riches.
15 I want to reflect on your guiding principles
and study your ways.
16 Your laws make me happy.
I never forget your word.
17 Be kind to me so that I may live
and hold on to your word.
18 Uncover my eyes
so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings.
19 I am a foreigner in this world.
Do not hide your commandments from me.
20 My soul is overwhelmed with endless longing for your regulations.
21 You threaten arrogant people, who are condemned
and wander away from your commandments.
22 Remove the insults and contempt that have fallen on me
because I have obeyed your written instructions.
23 Even though influential people plot against me,
I reflect on your laws.
24 Indeed, your written instructions make me happy.
They are my best friends.
The Lord’s Compassion for the Women without Children
54 Sing with joy, you childless women who never gave birth to children.
Break into shouts of joy, you women who never had birth pains.
“There will be more children of women who have been deserted
than there are children of married women,” says Yahweh.
2 Expand the space of your tent.
Stretch out the curtains of your tent, and don’t hold back.
Lengthen your tent ropes, and drive in the tent pegs.
3 You will spread out to the right and left.
Your descendants will take over other nations,
and they will resettle deserted cities.
4 Don’t be afraid, because you won’t be put to shame.
Don’t be discouraged, because you won’t be disgraced.
You’ll forget the shame you’ve had since you were young.
You won’t remember the disgrace of your husband’s death anymore.
5 Your husband is your maker.
His name is Yahweh Tsebaoth.
Your Go’el is Qedosh Yisrael.
He is called the Elohim of the whole earth.
6 “Yahweh has called you as if you were
a wife who was abandoned and in grief,
a wife who married young and was rejected,” says your Elohim.
7 “I abandoned you for one brief moment,
but I will bring you back with unlimited compassion.
8 I hid my face from you for a moment in a burst of anger,
but I will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness,”
says Yahweh your Go’el.
9 “To me this is like Noah’s floodwaters, when I swore an oath
that Noah’s floodwaters would never cover the earth again.
So now I swear an oath not to be angry with you or punish you.
10 The mountains may move, and the hills may shake,
but my kindness will never depart from you.
My promise[a] of peace will never change,”
says Yahweh, who has compassion on you.
11 “You suffering, comfortless, storm-ravaged city!
I will rebuild your city with precious stones.
I will reset your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will rebuild your towers with rubies,
your gates with sparkling stones,
and all your walls with precious stones.”
13 All your children will be taught by Yahweh,
and your children will have unlimited peace.
14 You will be established in righteousness.
You will be far from oppression,
so you will not be afraid.
You will be far from destruction,
so it won’t come near you.
15 “If anyone attacks you, it will not be my doing.
Whoever attacks you will be defeated by you.
16 I’ve created blacksmiths to fan the coals into flames
and to produce useful weapons.
I’ve also created destroyers to bring destruction.
17 No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed.
You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you.
This is the inheritance of Yahweh’s servants.
Their victory comes from me,” declares Yahweh.
The Wise Men Visit
2 Yeshua was born in Bethlehem in Judea when Herod was king. After Yeshua’s birth wise men[a] from the east arrived in Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod and all Jerusalem heard about this, they became disturbed. 4 He called together all the chief priests and the experts in the Scriptures and tried to find out from them where the Messiah was supposed to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this:
6 Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah.
A leader will come from you.
He will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men and found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. 8 As he sent them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you have found him, report to me so that I may go and worship him too.”
9 After they had heard the king, they started out. The star they had seen rising led them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 They were overwhelmed with joy to see the star. 11 When they entered the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary. So they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.[b]
12 God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they left for their country by another road.
The Escape to Egypt
13 After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.”
14 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left for Egypt that night. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. What the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: “I have called my son out of Egypt.”
16 When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he became furious. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys two years old and younger in or near Bethlehem. This matched the exact time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah came true:
18 “A sound was heard in Ramah,
the sound of crying in bitter grief.
Rachel was crying for her children.
She refused to be comforted
because they were dead.”
From Egypt to Nazareth
19 After Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 The angel said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to Israel. Those who tried to kill the child are dead.”
21 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, Joseph was afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, he left for Galilee 23 and made his home in a city called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said came true: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.