M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Locusts
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the king of Egypt. I have made him and his officers stubborn. I did this so I could show them my powerful miracles. 2 I also did this so you could tell your children and your grandchildren. Tell them how I made fools of the Egyptians. Tell them about the miracles I did among them. Then all of you will know that I am the Lord.”
3 So Moses and Aaron went to the king. They told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to be sorry for what you have done? Let my people go to worship me. 4 If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country. 5 They will cover the land, and no one will be able to see the ground. They will eat anything that was left from the hailstorm. They will eat the leaves from every tree growing in the field. 6 They will fill your palaces and all your officers’ houses. They will fill the houses of all the Egyptian people. There will be more locusts than your fathers or ancestors have ever seen. There will be more locusts than there have been since people began living in Egypt.’” Then Moses turned and walked away from the king.
7 The king’s officers asked him, “How long will this man make trouble for us? Let the Israelite men go to worship the Lord their God. Don’t you know that Egypt is ruined?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to the king. He said to them, “Go and worship the Lord your God. But tell me, just who is going?”
9 Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old people, our sons and daughters and sheep and cattle. This is because we are going to have a feast to honor the Lord.”
10 The king said to them, “The Lord really will have to be with you if ever I let you and all of your children leave Egypt. See, you are planning something evil. 11 No! Only the men may go and worship the Lord. That is what you have been asking for.” Then the king forced Moses and Aaron out of his palace.
12 The Lord told Moses, “Raise your hand over the land of Egypt, and the locusts will come. They will spread all over the land of Egypt. They will eat all the plants that the hail did not destroy.”
13 So Moses raised his walking stick over the land of Egypt. And the Lord caused a strong wind to blow from the east. It blew across the land all that day and night. When morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 Swarms of locusts covered all the land of Egypt and settled everywhere. There were more locusts than ever before or after. 15 The locusts covered the whole land so that it was black. They ate everything that was left after the hail. They ate every plant in the field and all the fruit on the trees. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant anywhere in Egypt.
16 The king quickly called for Moses and Aaron. He said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin this time. Pray to the Lord your God. Ask him to stop this punishment that kills.”
18 Moses left the king and prayed to the Lord. 19 So the Lord changed the wind. He made a very strong wind to blow from the west. It blew the locusts away into the Red Sea. Not one locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the Lord caused the king to be stubborn again. And he did not let the people of Israel go.
The Darkness
21 Then the Lord told Moses, “Raise your hand toward the sky, and darkness will cover the land of Egypt. It will be so dark you will be able to feel it.” 22 So Moses raised his hand toward the sky. Then total darkness was everywhere in Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else. And no one could go anywhere for three days. But the Israelites had light where they lived.
24 Again the king of Egypt called for Moses. He said, “All of you may go and worship the Lord. You may take your women and children with you. But you must leave your sheep and cattle here.”
25 Moses said, “You must let us have animals to use as sacrifices and burnt offerings. We have to offer them to the Lord our God. 26 So we must take our animals with us. Not a hoof will be left behind. We have to use some of the animals to worship the Lord our God. We do not yet know exactly what we will need to worship the Lord. We will know when we get there.”
27 But the Lord made the king stubborn again. So he refused to let them go. 28 Then he told Moses, “Get out of here! Don’t come here again! The next time you see me, you will die.”
29 Then Moses told the king, “I’ll do what you say. I will not come to see you again.”
Change Your Hearts
13 At that time some people were there with Jesus. They told him about what had happened to some people from Galilee. Pilate[a] killed those people while they were worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing to God. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think this happened to them because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee? 3 No, they were not! But if all of you don’t change your hearts and lives, then you will be destroyed as they were! 4 What about those 18 people who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were more sinful than all the others who live in Jerusalem? 5 They were not! But I tell you, if you don’t change your hearts and lives, then you will all be destroyed too!”
The Useless Tree
6 Jesus told this story: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for some fruit on the tree, but he found none. 7 So the man said to his servant who took care of his vineyard, ‘I have been looking for fruit on this tree for three years, but I never find any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the ground?’ 8 But the servant answered, ‘Master, let the tree have one more year to produce fruit. Let me dig up the dirt around it and put on some fertilizer. 9 Maybe the tree will produce fruit next year. If the tree still doesn’t produce fruit, then you can cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11 In the synagogue there was a woman who had an evil spirit in her. This spirit had made the woman a cripple for 18 years. Her back was always bent; she could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, your sickness has left you!” 13 Jesus put his hands on her. Immediately she was able to stand up straight and began praising God.
14 The synagogue leader was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come to be healed on one of those days. Don’t come for healing on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord answered, “You people are hypocrites! All of you untie your work animals and lead them to drink water every day—even on the Sabbath day! 16 This woman that I healed is our Jewish sister. But Satan has held her for 18 years. Surely it is not wrong for her to be freed from her sickness on a Sabbath day!” 17 When Jesus said this, all the men who were criticizing him were ashamed. And all the people were happy for the wonderful things Jesus was doing.
Stories of Mustard Seed and Yeast
18 Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it with? 19 God’s kingdom is like the seed of the mustard plant.[b] A man plants this seed in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree. The wild birds build nests on its branches.”
20 Jesus said again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom with? 21 It is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”
The Narrow Door
22 Jesus was teaching in every town and village. He continued to travel toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to Jesus, “Lord, how many people will be saved? Only a few?”
Jesus said, 24 “Try hard to enter through the narrow door that opens the way to heaven! Many people will try to enter there, but they will not be able. 25 A man gets up and closes the door of his house. You can stand outside and knock on the door. You can say, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you! Where did you come from?’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you. You taught in the streets of our town.’ 27 But he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you! Where did you come from? Go away from me! All of you do evil!’ 28 You will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom. But you will be thrown outside. Then you will cry and grind your teeth with pain. 29 People will come from the east, west, north, and south. They will sit down at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 Those who are last now will be first in the future. And those who are first now will be last in the future.”
Jesus Will Die in Jerusalem
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away from here! Herod wants to kill you!”
32 Jesus said to them, “Go tell that fox Herod, ‘Today and tomorrow I am forcing demons out of people and finishing my work of healing. Then, on the third day, I will reach my goal.’ 33 Yet I must be on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. Surely it cannot be right for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem.
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. You kill with stones those men that God has sent you. Many times I wanted to help your people. I wanted to gather them together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you did not let me. 35 Now your home will be left completely empty. I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord.’”[c]
28 “There are mines where people dig silver.
And there are places where gold is made pure.
2 Iron is taken out of the ground.
And copper is melted out of rocks.
3 Miners bring light into the mines.
They search even the deepest parts of the mines.
They look for metal in places of thick darkness.
4 Miners dig a tunnel far away from where people live.
They dig it where people never go.
They work far away from people, swinging and swaying from ropes.
5 Food grows on top of the earth.
But below ground things are changed as if by fire.
6 Sapphires are found in rocks.
And the dust of the earth contains gold.
7 No hawk knows the path.
The falcon has not seen it.
8 Proud animals have not walked on this path.
And no lions cross over it.
9 Men hit the rocks of flint.
They dig away at the bottom of the mountains.
10 Miners cut tunnels through the rock.
They see all the treasures there.
11 They search the places where rivers begin.
And they bring things hidden there out into the light.
12 “But where can wisdom be found.
Where does understanding live?
13 People do not understand the value of wisdom.
It cannot be found among living people.
14 The deep ocean says, ‘It’s not in me.’
The sea says, ‘It’s not in me.’
15 Wisdom cannot be bought with the best gold.
Its cost cannot be weighed in silver.
16 Wisdom cannot be bought with fine gold.
It cannot be bought with valuable onyx or sapphire gems.
17 Gold and crystal are not as valuable as wisdom.
And you cannot buy it with jewels of gold.
18 Coral and jasper are not even worth talking about.
The price of wisdom is much greater than rubies.
19 The topaz from Cush cannot compare to wisdom.
It cannot even be bought with the purest gold.
20 “So from where does wisdom come?
And where does understanding live?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing.
It is hidden even from the birds of the air.
22 The places of destruction and death say,
‘We have only heard reports about it.’
23 God understands the way to wisdom.
And he is the only one who knows where it lives.
24 This is because God sees to the farthest parts of the earth.
And he sees everything under the heavens.
25 Wisdom began when God gave power to the wind.
It was when he measured the water and put limits on it.
26 It was when God made rules for the rain.
And he set a path for a thunderstorm to follow.
27 Then God looked at wisdom and decided its worth.
He set wisdom up and tested it.
28 Then he said to man,
‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom,
and to stay away from evil is understanding.’”
Spiritual Gifts
14 Love, then, is what you should try for. And you should truly want to have the spiritual gifts. And the gift you should want most is to be able to prophesy. 2 I will explain why. One who has the gift of speaking in a different language is not speaking to people. He is speaking to God. No one understands him—he is speaking secret things through the Spirit. 3 But one who prophesies is speaking to people. He gives people strength, encouragement, and comfort. 4 The one who speaks in a different language is helping only himself. But the one who prophesies is helping the whole church. 5 I would like all of you to have the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. But more, I want you to prophesy. The person who prophesies is greater than the one who can only speak in different languages—unless someone is there who can explain what he says. Then the whole church can be helped.
6 Brothers, will it help you if I come to you speaking in different languages? No! It will help you only if I bring you a new truth or some knowledge, or some prophecy, or some teaching. 7 It is the same as with non-living things that make sounds—like a flute or a harp. If different musical notes are not made clear, you will not know what song is being played. Each note must be played clearly for you to be able to understand the tune. 8 And in a war, if the trumpet does not sound clearly, the soldiers will not know it is time to prepare for fighting. 9 It is the same with you. The words you speak with your tongue must be clear. Unless you speak clearly, no one can understand what you are saying. You will be talking in the air! 10 It is true that there are many kinds of speech in the world. And they all have meaning. 11 So unless I understand the meaning of what someone says to me, we will be like strangers to each other. 12 It is the same with you. You want spiritual gifts very much. So try most to have the gifts that help the church grow stronger.
13 The one who has the gift of speaking in a different language should pray that he can also interpret what he says. 14 If I pray in a different language, my spirit is praying, but my mind does nothing. 15 So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16 You might be praising God with your spirit. But a person there without understanding cannot say “Amen”[a] to your prayer of thanks. He does not know what you are saying. 17 You may be thanking God in a good way, but the other person is not helped.
18 I thank God that my gift of speaking in different kinds of languages is greater than any of yours. 19 But in the church meetings I would rather speak five words that I understand than thousands of words in a different language. I would rather speak with my understanding, so that I can teach others.
20 Brothers, do not think like children. In evil things be like babies. But in your thinking you should be like full-grown men. 21 It is written in the Scriptures:
“I will use strange words and foreign languages
to speak to these people.
But even then they will not listen.” Isaiah 28:11-12
That is what the Lord says.
22 So the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages is a sign for those who do not believe, not for those who believe. And prophecy is for people who believe, not for those who do not believe. 23 Suppose the whole church meets together and everyone speaks in different languages. If some people come in who are without understanding or do not believe, they will say you are crazy. 24 But suppose everyone is prophesying and someone comes in who does not believe or is without understanding. If everyone is prophesying, his sin will be shown to him, and he will be judged by all that he hears. 25 The secret things in his heart will be made known. So he will bow down and worship God. He will say, “Truly, God is with you.”
Meetings Should Help the Church
26 So, brothers, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song. Another has a teaching. Another has a new truth from God. Another speaks in a different language, and another person interprets that language. The purpose of all these things should be to help the church grow strong. 27 When you meet together, if anyone speaks in a different language, then it should be only two, or not more than three, who speak. They should speak one after the other. And someone should interpret what they say. 28 But if there is no interpreter, then anyone who speaks in a different language should be quiet in the church meeting. He should speak only to himself and to God.
29 And only two or three prophets should speak. The others should judge what they say. 30 And if a message from God comes to another person who is sitting, then the first speaker should stop. 31 You can all prophesy one after the other. In this way all the people can be taught and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are under the control of the prophets themselves. 33 God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace.
This is true in all the churches of God’s people. 34 Women should keep quiet in the church meetings. They are not allowed to speak. They must be under control. This is also what the law of Moses says. 35 If there is something the women want to know, they should ask their own husbands at home. It is shameful for a woman to speak in the church meeting. 36 Did God’s teaching come from you? Or are you the only ones who have received that teaching?
37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or that he has a spiritual gift, then he should understand that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 If that person does not know this, then he is not known by God.
39 So my brothers, you should truly want to prophesy. And do not stop people from using the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. 40 But let everything be done in a way that is right and orderly.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.