M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Rules About What May Be Eaten
11 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. 2 He said, “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘These are the land animals you may eat: 3 You may eat any animal that has split hooves completely divided and chews the cud.
4 “‘Some animals only chew the cud or only have split hooves. Don’t eat these animals. The camel chews the cud but does not have a split hoof. It is unclean for you. 5 The rock badger chews the cud but does not have a split hoof. It is unclean for you. 6 The rabbit chews the cud but does not have a split hoof. It is unclean for you. 7 Now the pig has a split hoof that is completely divided. But it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat the meat from these animals. Don’t even touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.
9 “‘Some animals live in the sea or in a river. If the animal has fins and scales, you may eat it. 10 But some animals live in the sea or in a river and do not have fins and scales. This includes the things that fill the water. And it includes all other things that live in the water. You should hate them. 11 You must not eat any meat from them. Don’t even touch their dead bodies. This is because you should hate them. 12 You must hate any animal in the water that does not have fins and scales.
13 “‘Also, some birds should not be eaten. They should be hated. You must not eat any of these birds: eagles, vultures, black vultures, 14 kites or any kind of falcon. 15 Don’t eat any kind of raven, 16 horned owls, screech owls, sea gulls or any kind of hawk. 17 Don’t eat little owls, cormorants, great owls, 18 white owls, desert owls or ospreys. 19 Don’t eat storks, any kind of heron, hoopoes or bats.
20 “‘Don’t eat insects that have wings and walk on all four feet. They are also to be hated.
21 “‘But you may eat certain insects that have wings and walk on four feet. You may eat those that have legs with joints above their feet so they can jump. 22 These are the insects you may eat: all kinds of locusts, winged locusts, crickets and grasshoppers. 23 But all other insects that have wings and walk on four feet are hated. 24 Those insects will make you unclean. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these insects will become unclean until evening. 25 If someone picks up one of these dead insects, he must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening.
26 “‘Some animals have split hooves. But the hooves are not completely divided. And some animals do not chew the cud. They are unclean for you. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean. 27 Other animals do not have hooves at all. They walk on their paws. These animals are unclean for you. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean. He will be unclean until evening. 28 Anyone who picks up their dead bodies must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you.
29 “‘These crawling animals are unclean for you: moles, rats, all kinds of great lizards, 30 geckos, crocodiles, lizards, sand reptiles and chameleons. 31 These crawling animals are unclean for you. Anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.
32 “‘If an unclean animal dies and falls on something, that thing will also become unclean. The animal might fall on a thing made from wood, cloth, leather or rough cloth. It does not matter what the thing was used for. Whatever the animal falls on must be washed with water. It will be unclean until evening. Then it will become clean again. 33 The dead, unclean animal might fall into a clay bowl. If it does, anything in the bowl will become unclean. And you must break the bowl. 34 If water from the unclean clay bowl gets on any food, that food will become unclean. 35 If any dead, unclean animal falls on something, that thing becomes unclean. The animal may fall on a clay oven or a clay baking pan. If so, it must be broken into pieces. These things will be unclean. They are unclean for you.
36 “‘A spring or well that collects water will stay clean. But anyone who touches the dead body of any unclean animal will become unclean. 37 A dead, unclean animal might fall on a seed to be planted. That seed is still clean. 38 But you might put water on some seeds. If a dead, unclean animal falls on those seeds, they are unclean for you.
39 “‘Also, an animal which you use for food may die. If it does, anyone who touches its body will be unclean until evening. 40 Anyone who eats meat from this animal’s dead body must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. Anyone who picks up the animal’s dead body must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening.
41 “‘Every animal that crawls on the ground is one of the hated animals. It must not be eaten. Anyone who picks up the animal’s dead body must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. 42 You must not eat any of the animals that crawl on the ground. This includes animals that crawl on their stomachs. And it includes animals that walk on all four feet or on many feet. Those are hated animals to you. 43 Do not make yourself unclean by these hated animals. You must not become unclean by them. 44 I am the Lord your God. Keep yourselves holy for me because I am holy. Don’t make yourselves unclean with these hated, crawling animals. 45 I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt. I did it so I could be your God. You must be holy because I am holy.
46 “‘These are the teachings about all of the cattle, birds and other animals on earth. These are the teachings about the animals in the sea. And these are the teachings about the animals that crawl on the ground. 47 These teachings help people know the difference between unclean animals and clean animals. They help people know which animals may be eaten and which ones must not be eaten.’”
Rules for New Mothers
12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘If a woman gives birth to a son, she will become unclean for 7 days. This will be like her being unclean during her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the boy must be circumcised. 4 Then it will be 33 days before she becomes clean from her loss of blood. She must not touch anything that is holy. She must not enter the holy place until her time of cleansing is finished. 5 But a woman may give birth to a daughter. Then the mother will be unclean for 2 weeks. This is like her being unclean during her monthly period. It will be 66 days before she becomes clean from her loss of blood.
6 “‘After she has a son or daughter, she must have a time of cleansing. When it is over, the new mother must bring certain sacrifices to the Meeting Tent. She must give the priest at the entrance a year-old lamb for a burnt offering. And she must bring a dove or young pigeon for a sin offering. 7 He will offer them before the Lord to make her clean so she will belong to the Lord again. Then she will be clean from her loss of blood. These are the teachings for a woman who gives birth to a boy or girl.
8 “‘If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons. One bird will be for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make her clean so she will belong to the Lord again. And she will be clean.’”
A Prayer for God to Be Near
For the director of music. A song of David.
13 How long will you forget me, Lord?
How long will you hide from me? Forever?
2 How long must I worry?
How long must I feel sad in my heart?
How long will my enemy win over me?
3 Lord, look at me.
Answer me, my God.
Tell me, or I will die.
4 Otherwise my enemy will say, “I have won!”
Those against me will rejoice that I’ve been defeated.
5 I trust in your love.
My heart is happy because you saved me.
6 I sing to the Lord
because he has taken care of me.
The Unbelieving Fool
For the director of music. Of David.
14 A wicked fool says to himself,
“There is no God.”
Fools are evil. They do terrible things.
None of them does anything good.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven at all the people.
He looked to see if anyone was wise,
if anyone was looking to God for help.
3 But all have turned away.
Together, everyone has become evil.
None of them does anything good.
4 Don’t the wicked understand?
They destroy my people as if they were eating bread.
They do not ask the Lord for help.
5 But the wicked are filled with terror
because God is with those who do what is right.
6 The wicked upset the plans of the poor.
But the Lord will protect the poor.
7 I pray that victory will come to Israel from Mount Zion!
May the Lord give them back their riches.
Then the people of Jacob will rejoice.
And the people of Israel will be glad.
26 It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest.
Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.
2 Curses will not harm someone who is innocent.
They are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.
3 A whip is used to guide a horse, and a harness is used for a donkey.
In the same way, a paddle is used on a foolish person to guide him.
4 Don’t give a foolish person a foolish answer.
If you do, you will be just like him.
5 But answer a foolish person as he should be answered.
If you don’t, he will think he is really wise.
6 Don’t send a message by a foolish person.
That would be like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.
7 A wise saying spoken by a fool does no good.
It is like the legs of a crippled person.
8 Giving honor to a foolish person does no good.
It is like tying a stone in a slingshot.
9 A wise saying spoken by a fool
is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk.
10 Someone might employ a foolish person or anyone just passing by.
That employer is like an archer who shoots at anything he sees.
11 A dog eats what it throws up.
And a foolish person repeats his foolishness.
12 Some people think they are wise.
There is more hope for a foolish person than for them.
13 The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the road.
There’s a lion in the streets!”
14 The lazy person is like a door that turns back and forth on its hinges.
He stays in bed and turns over and over.
15 The lazy person may put his hand in the dish.
But he’s too tired to lift the food to his mouth.
16 The lazy person thinks he is wiser
than seven people who give sensible answers.
17 To grab a dog by the ears is asking for trouble.
So is interfering in someone else’s quarrel if you’re just passing by.
18-19 A person shouldn’t trick his neighbor
and then say, “I was just joking!”
That is like a madman shooting
deadly, burning arrows.
20 Without wood, a fire will go out.
And without gossip, quarreling will stop.
21 Charcoal and wood keep a fire going.
In the same way, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.
22 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.
People take them all in.
23 Kind words from a wicked mind
are like a shiny coating on a clay pot.
24 A person who hates you may fool you with his words.
But in his mind he is planning evil.
25 His words are kind, but don’t believe him.
His mind is full of evil thoughts.
26 He hides his hate with lies.
But his evil will be plain to everyone.
27 Whoever digs a deep trap for others will fall into it himself.
Whoever tries to roll a boulder over others will be crushed by it.
28 A liar hates the people he hurts.
And false praise can ruin others.
Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming
5 Now, brothers, we do not need to write to you about times and dates. 2 You know very well that the day the Lord comes again will be a surprise like a thief that comes in the night. 3 People will say, “We have peace and we are safe.” At that time they will be destroyed quickly, as pains come quickly to a woman having a baby. And those people will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not living in darkness. And so that day will not surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all people who belong to the light. You belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness. 6 So we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping, but we should be awake and have self-control. 7 Those who sleep, sleep at night. Those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But we belong to the day; so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us. And the hope of salvation should be our helmet. 9 God did not choose us to suffer his anger, but to have salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him. It is not important if we are alive or dead when Jesus comes. 11 So comfort each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now.
Final Instructions and Greetings
12 Now, brothers, we ask you to respect those people who work hard with you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you. 13 Respect them with a very special love because of the work they do with you.
Live in peace with each other. 14 We ask you, brothers, to warn those who do not work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with every person. 15 Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong. But always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.
16 Always be happy. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not stop the work of the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecy as if it were not important. 21 But test everything. Keep what is good. 22 And stay away from everything that is evil.
23 We pray that God himself, the God of peace, will make you pure, belonging only to him. We pray that your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—will be kept safe and be without wrong when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 24 The One who calls you will do that for you. You can trust him.
25 Brothers, please pray for us.
26 Give all the brothers a holy kiss when you meet. 27 I tell you by the authority of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.