M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
16 They brought the Ark of the Covenant of God and put it inside the tent. This was the tent David had set up for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God. 2 David finished giving the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he used the Lord’s name to bless the people. 3 He gave a loaf of bread, some dates and raisins to every Israelite man and woman.
4 Then David appointed some of the Levites to serve before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. They had the job of leading the worship. They gave thanks and praise to the Lord, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the leader. He played the cymbals. Zechariah was second to him. The other Levites were Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They played the lyres and harps. 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel were priests. They blew the trumpets regularly before the Ark of the Covenant with God. 7 That day David first gave Asaph and his relatives the job of singing praises to the Lord.
David’s Song of Thanks
8 Give thanks to the Lord and pray to him.
Tell the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him. Sing praises to him.
Tell about all the wonderful things he has done.
10 Be glad that you are his.
Let those who ask the Lord for help be happy.
11 Depend on the Lord and his strength.
Always go to him for help.
12 Remember the wonderful things he has done.
Remember his miracles and his decisions.
13 You are the descendants of Israel, the Lord’s servant.
You are the children of Jacob, his chosen people.
14 He is the Lord our God.
His laws are for all the world.
15 He will keep his agreement forever.
He will keep his promises always.
16 He will keep the agreement he made with Abraham.
He will keep the promise he made to Isaac.
17 The Lord made it a law for the people of Jacob.
He made it an agreement with Israel to last forever.
18 The Lord said, “I will give you the land of Canaan. The promised land will belong to you.”
19 Then God’s people were few in number.
They were strangers in the land.
20 They went from one nation to another.
They went from one kingdom to another.
21 But the Lord did not let anyone hurt them.
He warned kings not to harm them.
22 He said, “Don’t hurt my chosen people.
Don’t harm my prophets.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Every day tell how he saves us.
24 Tell the nations about the Lord’s glory.
Tell all peoples about his wonderful works.
25 The Lord is great; he should be praised.
He should be honored more than all the gods.
26 All the gods of the nations are only idols.
But the Lord made the skies.
27 The Lord has glory and majesty.
He has power and joy in his Temple.
28 Praise the Lord, all nations on earth.
Praise the Lord’s glory and power.
29 Praise the Lord for the glory of his name.
Bring your offering to him.
Worship the Lord because he is holy.
30 The whole earth should tremble before the Lord.
The earth is set, and it cannot be moved.
31 Let the skies rejoice and the earth be glad.
Let people everywhere say, “The Lord is king!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout.
Let the fields and everything in them show their joy.
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing.
They will sing with joy before the Lord.
They will sing because the Lord is coming to judge the world.
34 Thank the Lord because he is good.
His love continues forever.
35 Say to him, “Save us, God our Savior.
Bring us back and save us from the nations.
Then we will thank you.
Then we will gladly praise you.”
36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
forever and forever.
All the people said, “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”
37 Then David left Asaph and the other Levites there in front of the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord. They were to serve there every day. 38 David also left Obed-Edom and 68 other Levites to serve with them. Hosah and Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun were guards.
39 David left Zadok the priest and the other priests who served with him in front of the Tent of the Lord. This was at the place of worship in Gibeon. 40 Every morning and evening they offered burnt offerings on the altar of burnt offerings. They did this to follow the rules written in the Teachings of the Lord. These were the Teachings he had given Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and other Levites. They were chosen by name to sing praises to the Lord because the Lord’s love continues forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun also had the job of playing the trumpets and cymbals. They also played other musical instruments when songs were sung to God. Jeduthun’s sons guarded the gates.
43 Then all the people left. Each person went to his own home. And David also went home to bless his family.
Controlling the Things We Say
3 My brothers, not many of you should become teachers. You know that we who teach will be judged more strictly than others. 2 We all make many mistakes. If there were a person who never said anything wrong, he would be perfect. He would be able to control his whole body, too. 3 We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. We can control their whole bodies. 4 It is the same with ships. A ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship. The man who controls the rudder decides where the ship will go. The ship goes where the man wants. 5 It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about doing great things.
A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. It starts a fire that influences all of life. The tongue gets this fire from hell. 7 People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them. 8 But no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil. It is full of poison that can kill. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people. And God made them like himself. 10 Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers, this should not happen. 11 Do good and bad water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree make olives? Can a grapevine make figs? No! And a well full of salty water cannot give good water.
True Wisdom
13 Is there anyone among you who is truly wise and understanding? Then he should show his wisdom by living right. He should do good things without being proud. A wise person does not brag. 14 But if you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, you have no reason to brag. Your bragging is a lie that hides the truth. 15 That kind of “wisdom” does not come from God. That “wisdom” comes from the world. It is not spiritual. It is from the devil. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. Then it is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help those who are troubled and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. 18 When people work for peace in a peaceful way, they receive the good result of their right living.
The Lord Will Punish the Edomites
1 This is the vision of Obadiah.
This is what the Lord God says about Edom:[a]
We have heard a message from the Lord.
A messenger has been sent among the nations, saying
“Let’s go attack Edom!”
The Lord Speaks to the Edomites
2 “Look, I have made you only a small nation.
Others do not respect you.
3 But your pride has fooled you.
You live in the hollow places of the cliff.
Your home is up high.
And you say to yourself,
‘No one can bring me down to the ground.’
4 You fly high like the eagle.
You make your nest among the stars.
But I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
5 “You will really be ruined!
It would be better if thieves come to you,
if robbers come by night.
They would steal only enough for themselves.
Workers come and pick the grapes from your vines.
But they would leave a few grapes behind.
6 But you, Edom, will really lose everything!
People will find even your hidden treasures!
7 All the people who are your friends
will force you out of the land.
The people who are at peace with you
will trick you and defeat you.
They eat your bread with you now.
But they are planning a trap for you.
And you will not notice it.”
8 The Lord says, “On that day
I will surely destroy the wise men from Edom.
I will destroy these men of understanding from the mountains of Edom.
9 Then, city of Teman, your mighty men will be afraid.
And everyone from the mountains of Edom will be killed.
10 You did violence against your relatives, the people of Israel.
So you will be covered with shame.
You will be destroyed forever.
11 You stood aside without helping
while strangers carried Israel’s treasures away.
Foreigners entered Israel’s city gate.
They threw lots to decide what part of Jerusalem they would take.
At that time you were like one of those foreigners.
Commands That Edom Broke
12 “Do not laugh at your brothers’ trouble.
Do not be happy when people destroy Judah.
Do not brag about the cruel things done to them.
13 Do not enter the city gate of my people
in their time of trouble.
Do not laugh at their problems
in their time of trouble.
Do not take their treasures
in their time of trouble.
14 Do not stand at the crossroads
to destroy those who are trying to escape.
Do not capture those who escape alive
in a time of trouble.
The Nations Will Be Judged
15 “The Lord’s day of judging is coming soon
to all the nations.
You did evil things to other people.
Those same things will happen to you.
They will come back upon your own head.
16 Because you joined the nations in robbing my Temple,
you drank my anger.
So all the nations will drink my anger.
They will be punished so much that they will disappear.
17 But on Mount Zion some will be left alive.
The mountain will be a holy place.
The people of Jacob will take back their land.
They will take it from those who took it from them.
18 The people of Jacob, the Israelites, will be like a fire.
And the people of Joseph will be like a flame.
But the people of Esau, the Edomites, will be like dry stalks.
The people of Jacob will set these stalks on fire.
They will burn up the Edomites.
Then there will be no one left of the people of Esau.”
This will happen because the Lord has said it.
19 Then God’s people will regain southern Judah from Edom,
the mountain of Esau.
They will take back the western mountain slopes
from the Philistines.
They will regain the lands of Ephraim and Samaria.
And Benjamin will take over Gilead.
20 People from Israel once were forced to leave their homes.
But at that time they will take the land of the Canaanites.
They will take it all the way to Zarephath.
People from Judah were once forced to leave Jerusalem
and live in Sepharad.
But at that time they will take back
the cities of southern Judah.
21 Powerful warriors will go up on Mount Zion.
There they will rule the people living on Edom’s mountain.
And the kingdom will belong to the Lord.
Jesus’ First Followers
5 One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Galilee. Many people were pressing all around him. They wanted to hear the word of God. 2 Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Jesus got into one of the boats, the one which belonged to Simon.[a] Jesus asked Simon to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down in the boat and continued to teach the people on the shore.
4 When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Take the boat into deep water. If you will put your nets in the water, you will catch some fish.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, but we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water; so I will.” 6 The fishermen did as Jesus told them. And they caught so many fish that the nets began to break. 7 They called to their friends in the other boat to come and help them. The friends came, and both boats were filled so full that they were almost sinking.
8-9 The fishermen were all amazed at the many fish they caught. When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” 10 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too. (James and John were Simon’s partners.)
Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be fishermen for men.” 11 When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Jesus Heals a Sick Man
12 One time Jesus was in a town where a very sick man lived. The man was covered with a harmful skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed before Jesus and begged him, “Lord, heal me. I know you can if you want to.”
13 Jesus said, “I want to. Be healed!” And Jesus touched the man. Immediately the disease disappeared. 14 Then Jesus said, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go show yourself to the priest.[b] And offer a gift to God for your healing as Moses commanded.[c] This will prove to everyone that you are healed.”
15 But the news about Jesus was spreading more and more. Many people came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often slipped away to other places to be alone so that he could pray.
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
17 One day Jesus was teaching the people. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were there, too. They had come from every town in Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. The Lord was giving Jesus the power to heal people. 18 There was a man who was paralyzed. Some men were carrying him on a mat. They tried to bring him in and put him down before Jesus. 19 But because there were so many people there, they could not find a way to Jesus. So the men went up on the roof and made a hole in the ceiling. They lowered the mat so that the paralyzed man was lying right before Jesus. 20 Jesus saw that these men believed. So he said to the sick man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought to themselves, “Who is this man? He is saying things that are against God! Only God can forgive sins.”
22 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, “Why do you have thoughts like that in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to tell this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to tell him, ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, stand up! Take your mat and go home.”
25 Then the man stood up before the people there. He picked up his mat and went home, praising God. 26 All the people were fully amazed and began to praise God. They were filled with much respect and said, “Today we have seen amazing things!”
Levi Follows Jesus
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” 28 Levi got up, left everything, and followed Jesus.
29 Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. The dinner was at Levi’s house. At the table there were many tax collectors and other people, too. 30 But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to the followers of Jesus. They said, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor. It is the sick who need a doctor. 32 I have not come to invite good people. I have come to invite sinners to change their hearts and lives!”
Jesus Answers a Question
33 They said to Jesus, “John’s followers often give up eating[d] and pray, just as the Pharisees do. But your followers eat and drink all the time.”
34 Jesus said to them, “When there is a wedding, you cannot make the friends of the bridegroom give up eating while he is still with them. 35 But the time will come when he will be taken away from them. Then his friends will give up eating.”
36 Jesus told them this story: “No one takes cloth off a new coat to cover a hole in an old coat. If he does, he ruins the new coat, and the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth. 37 People never pour new wine into old leather bags for holding wine. If they do, the new wine will break the bags, and the wine will spill out. Then the leather bags for holding wine will be ruined. 38 People always put new wine into new leather bags. 39 No one after drinking old wine wants new wine because he says, ‘The old wine is better.’”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.