M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Disease on the Farm Animals
9 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to the king of Egypt. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go to worship me. 2 You might refuse to let them go and continue to hold them. 3 Then the Lord will punish you. He will send a terrible disease on all your farm animals. He will cause all of your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle and sheep to become sick. 4 But the Lord will treat Israel’s animals differently from the animals of Egypt. None of the animals that belong to the Israelites will die. 5 The Lord has set tomorrow as the time he will do this in the land.’” 6 The next day the Lord did as he promised. All the farm animals in Egypt died. But none of the animals belonging to Israelites died. 7 The king sent people to see what had happened to the animals of Israel. They found that not one of them had died. But the king was still stubborn. He did not let the people go.
The Boils
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Fill your hands with the ashes from a furnace. Moses, throw the ashes into the air in front of the king of Egypt. 9 The ashes will spread like dust through all the land of Egypt. The dust will cause boils to break out and become sores on the skin. These sores will be on people and animals everywhere in the land.”
10 So Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace. Then they went and stood before the king. Moses threw ashes into the air. It caused boils to break out and become sores on people and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses. This was because all the Egyptians had boils, even the magicians. 12 But the Lord made the king stubborn. So he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron. This happened just as the Lord had said.
The Hail
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and go to the king of Egypt. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go to worship me. 14 If you do not do this, this time I will punish you with all my power. I will punish you, your officers and your people. Then you will know that there is no one in the whole land like me. 15 By now I could have used my power and caused a bad disease. It would have destroyed you and your people from the earth. 16 But I have let you live for this reason: to show you my power. In this way my name will be talked about in all the earth. 17 You are still against my people. You do not want to let them go. 18 So at this time tomorrow, I will send a terrible hailstorm. It will be the worst in Egypt since it became a nation. 19 Now send for your animals and whatever you have in the fields. Bring them into a safe place. The hail will fall on every person or animal that is still in the fields. If they have not been brought in, they will die.’” 20 Some of the king’s officers respected the word of the Lord. They hurried to bring their slaves and animals inside. 21 But others ignored the Lord’s message. They left their slaves and animals in the fields.
22 The Lord told Moses, “Raise your hand toward the sky. Then the hail will start falling over all the land of Egypt. It will fall on people, animals and on everything that grows in the fields of Egypt.” 23 So Moses raised his walking stick toward the sky. And the Lord sent thunder and hail. And lightning flashed down to the earth. So he caused hail to fall upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail, and there was lightning flashing as it hailed. This was the worst hailstorm in Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 The hail destroyed everything that was in the fields in all the land of Egypt. The hail destroyed both people and animals. It also destroyed everything that grew in the fields. It broke all the trees in the fields. 26 The only place it did not hail was in the land of Goshen. The people of Israel lived there.
27 The king sent for Moses and Aaron. He told them, “This time I have sinned. The Lord is in the right. And I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the Lord. We have had enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go. You do not have to stay here any longer.”
29 Moses told the king, “When I leave the city, I will raise my hands to the Lord in prayer. And the thunder and hail will stop. Then you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 But I know that you and your officers do not yet fear the Lord God.”
31 The flax was in bloom, and the barley had ripened. So these crops were destroyed. 32 But both wheat crops ripen later. So they were not destroyed.
33 Moses left the king and went outside the city. He raised his hands to the Lord. And the thunder and hail stopped. The rain also stopped falling to the ground. 34 The king saw that the rain, hail and thunder had stopped. Then he sinned again. He and his officers became stubborn again. 35 The king became stubborn and refused to let the Israelites go. This happened just as the Lord had said through Moses.
Don’t Be Like the Pharisees
12 Many thousands of people had gathered. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to them, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees. They are hypocrites. 2 Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. 3 The things you say in the dark will be told in the light. The things you have whispered in an inner room will be shouted from the top of the house.”
Fear Only God
4 Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of people. People can kill the body, but after that they can do nothing more to hurt you. 5 I will show you the One to fear. You should fear him who has the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, he is the One you should fear.
6 “When five sparrows are sold, they cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. 7 Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.
Don’t Be Ashamed of Jesus
8 “I tell you, if anyone stands before others and says that he believes in me, then I will say that he belongs to me. I will say this before the angels of God. 9 But if anyone stands before others and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that he does not belong to me. I will say this before the angels of God.
10 “If a person says something against the Son of Man, he can be forgiven. But a person who says bad things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 “When men bring you into the synagogues before the leaders and other important men, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say. 12 At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”
Jesus Warns Against Selfishness
13 One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.”
14 But Jesus said to him, “Who said that I should be your judge or decide how to divide the property between you two?” 15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life is not measured by the many things he owns.”
16 Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop of food. 17 The rich man thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones! I will put all my grain and other goods together in my new barns. 19 Then I can say to myself, I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’
20 “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be for anyone who stores things up only for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Don’t Worry
22 Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live. Don’t worry about the clothes you need for your body. 23 Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes. 24 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t save food in houses or barns. But God takes care of them. And you are worth much more than birds. 25 None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it. 26 If you cannot do even the little things, then why worry about the big things? 27 Look at the wild flowers. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 God clothes the grass in the field like that. That grass is living today, but tomorrow it will be thrown into the fire. So you know how much more God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 29 Don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it. 30 All the people in the world are trying to get those things. Your Father knows that you need them. 31 The thing you should seek is God’s kingdom. Then all the other things you need will be given to you.
Don’t Trust in Money
32 “Don’t fear, little flock. Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell the things you have and give to the poor. Get for yourselves purses that don’t wear out. Get the treasure in heaven that never runs out. Thieves can’t steal it in heaven, and moths can’t destroy it. 34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
Always Be Ready
35 “Be ready! Be dressed for service and have your lamps shining. 36 Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The servants immediately open the door for him. 37 Those servants will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that his servants are ready and waiting for him. I tell you the truth. The master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table. Then the master will serve them. 38 Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be happy when he comes in and finds them still waiting.
39 “Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, then the owner would not allow the thief to enter his house. 40 So you also must be ready! The Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”
Who Is the Trusted Servant?
41 Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?”
42 The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? Who is the servant the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time? 43 When the master comes and finds his servant doing the work he gave him, that servant will be very happy. 44 I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns. 45 But what will happen if the servant is evil and thinks that his master will not come back soon? That servant will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink and get drunk. 46 Then the master will come when that servant is not ready. It will be a time when the servant is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who don’t obey.
47 “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows! 48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. Everyone who has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more.”
Jesus Causes Division
49 Jesus continued speaking, “I came to set fire to the world. I wish it were already burning! 50 I must be baptized with a different kind of baptism.[a] I feel very troubled until it is over. 51 Do you think that I came to give peace to the world? No! I came to divide the world! 52 From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 A father and son will be divided: The son will be against his father. The father will be against his son. A mother and her daughter will be divided: The daughter will be against her mother. The mother will be against her daughter. A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law will be divided: The daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law will be against her daughter-in-law.”
Understanding the Times
54 Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds coming up in the west, you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And soon it begins to rain. 55 When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right. 56 Hypocrites! You can understand the weather. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?
Settle Your Problems
57 “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? 58 When someone is suing you, and you are going with him to court, try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t settle it, he may take you to the judge. The judge might turn you over to the officer. And the officer might throw you into jail. 59 You will not get out of there until they have taken everything you have.”
27 And Job continued speaking:
2 “As surely as God lives, he has taken away my rights.
God All-Powerful has made me unhappy.
3 As long as I am alive
and God’s breath of life is in my nose,
4 My lips will not speak evil.
And my tongue will not tell a lie.
5 I will never agree you are right.
Until I die, I will never stop saying I was innocent.
6 I will hold tightly to the right things I said.
My sense of right and wrong does not bother me at all.
7 “Let my enemies be like evil people.
Let them be like those who are not fair!
8 What hope does a wicked person have when he dies?
He has no hope when God takes his life away.
9 God will not listen to his cry
when trouble comes to him.
10 He will not find joy in God All-Powerful,
even though he calls out to God all the time.
11 “I will teach you about the power of God.
I will not hide the ways of God All-Powerful.
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
So why are we having all this talk that means nothing?
13 “Here is what God has planned for evil people.
This is what cruel people will get from God All-Powerful:
14 They may have many children, but the sword will kill them.
The children who are left will never have enough to eat.
15 Then they will die and be buried.
And the widows will not even cry for them.
16 The evil person may heap up silver like piles of dirt.
He may have so many clothes they are like piles of clay.
17 But good people will wear what the evil person has gathered.
And those who are not guilty of wrong will divide up his silver.
18 The house the evil person builds is like a spider’s web.
It is like a hut that a guard builds.
19 The evil person is rich when he goes to bed, but he is rich for the last time.
When he opens his eyes, everything is gone.
20 Fears come over him like a flood.
A storm snatches him away in the night.
21 The east wind will carry him away, and then he is gone.
It sweeps him out of his place.
22 The wind will hit the evil person without mercy
as he tries to run away from its power.
23 It will be as if the wind is clapping its hands at him.
It will whistle at him as he runs from his place.
13 I may speak in different languages of men or even angels. But if I do not have love, then I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy; I may understand all the secret things of God and all knowledge; and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing. 3 I may give everything I have to feed the poor. And I may even give my body as an offering to be burned.[a] But I gain nothing by doing these things if I do not have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not become angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices over the truth. 7 Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always continues strong.
8 Love never ends. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will be ended. There are gifts of speaking in different languages, but those gifts will end. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will be ended. 9 These things will end, because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child; I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see as if we are looking into a dark mirror. But at that time, in the future, we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part. But at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.