M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
God Promises to Deliver Israel
6 The Lord told Moses, “Now you’re about to see what I’ll do to Pharaoh. Indeed, he’ll send them out under compulsion[a] and he’ll drive them out of his land violently.”[b]
2 Later, God told Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty,[c] and did I not reveal to them my name ‘Lord’? 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as resident aliens for a time. 5 Also, I’ve heard the groaning of the Israelis whom the Egyptians have forced to labor for them, and I’ve remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore, tell the Israelis, ‘I am the Lord. I’ll bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I’ll deliver you from their bondage. I’ll redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.[d] 7 I’ll take you for my own people,[e] and I’ll be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I’ll bring you to the land that I swore[f] to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I’ll give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
9 Then Moses reported this to the Israelis, but they did not listen to Moses due to their irritation and impatience because there was no deliverance[g] and because of the cruel bondage.
10 Then the Lord told Moses, 11 “Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he should let the Israelis go out of his land.”
12 Then Moses said right in front of the Lord, “Look, the Israelis didn’t listen to me, so how will Pharaoh? I’m not a persuasive speaker.”[h] 13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, issuing orders to them regarding the Israelis for delivery to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; that is, to bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt.
Genealogies of Moses and Aaron
14 These are the heads of their ancestors’ households: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu; Hezron and Carmi.
These are the families of Reuben, including 15 Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the Canaanite woman’s son. These are the families of Simeon.
16 These are the names of Levi’s sons according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived[i] 137 years. 17 Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18 Kohath’s descendants included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Now Kohath lived for 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi, according to their genealogies.
20 Amram married Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived for 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Then Aaron married Elisheba daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families of the descendants of Korah. 25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of Putiel’s daughters, and she bore him Phineas. These are the heads of the ancestors of the descendants of Levi, according to their families.
26 This is the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions.” 27 They were the ones speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelis out of Egypt; this is that same Moses and Aaron.
Moses Doubts that Pharaoh will Listen
28 And it happened when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt 29 that the Lord told Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I’m saying to you.”
30 Moses said in the presence of the Lord, “Look, I’m not a persuasive speaker,[j] so how will Pharaoh listen to me?”
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(A)
9 Jesus[a] called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them, “Don’t take anything along on your trip—no walking stick, traveling bag, bread, money, or even an extra shirt.[b] 4 When you visit a home and stay there, and go out from there, 5 if people don’t welcome you, when you leave that city, shake its dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they left and went from village to village, spreading the good news and healing diseases everywhere.
Herod Tries to See Jesus(B)
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening. He was puzzled because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by others that Elijah had appeared, and by still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. 9 Herod said, “I beheaded John. But who is this man I’m hearing so much about?” So Herod[c] kept trying to see Jesus.[d]
Jesus Feeds More than Five Thousand People(C)
10 The apostles came back and told Jesus[e] everything they had done. Then he took them away with him privately to a city called Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out about this and followed him. He welcomed them and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God and to heal those who needed healing.
12 As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away to the neighboring villages and farms so they can rest and get some food, because we are here in a deserted place.”
13 But he told them, “You give them something to eat.”
They replied, “We have nothing more than five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
14 Now there were about 5,000 men. So he told his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about 50.” 15 They did this and got all of them seated. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and kept giving them to the disciples to pass on to the crowd. 17 All of them ate and were filled. When they collected the leftover pieces, there were twelve baskets.
Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus(D)
18 One day, while Jesus[f] was praying privately and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They answered, “Some say[g] John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the ancient prophets who has come back to life.”
20 He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
“God’s Messiah,”[h] Peter replied.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(E)
21 He gave them strict orders, commanding them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be rejected by the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he must be killed, but on the third day he will be raised.”
23 Then he told all of them, “If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross every day, and follow me continuously, 24 because whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 What profit will a person have if he gains the whole world, but destroys himself or is lost? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of[i] the Father and the holy angels. 27 I tell you with certainty, some people who are standing here won’t experience[j] death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus’ Appearance is Changed(F)
28 Now about eight days after Jesus said this,[k] he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes turned dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, two men were talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah. 31 They had a glorified appearance, and were discussing Jesus’[l] departure that he would shortly bring about in Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and the men with him had been overcome by sleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’[m] glory and the two men standing with him. 33 Just as Moses and Elijah[n] were leaving,[o] Peter told Jesus, “Master, it’s good that we’re here! Let’s set up three shelters[p]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Peter[q] didn’t know what he was saying.) 34 But while he was saying this, a cloud appeared and surrounded them, and they became terrified as they were being overshadowed by the cloud.
35 Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen.[r] Keep listening to him!” 36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was[s] alone. The disciples[t] kept silent and at that time[u] told no one about what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon(G)
37 The next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.[v] 38 Suddenly, a man in the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he is my only living child.[w] 39 Without warning a spirit takes control of him, and he suddenly screams, goes into convulsions, and foams at the mouth. The spirit[x] mauls him and refuses to leave him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”
41 Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How much longer must I be with you[y] and put up with you?[z] Bring your[aa] son here!” 42 Even while the boy[ab] was coming, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection(H)
43 All the people continued to be amazed at the greatness of God. Indeed, everyone was astonished at all the things Jesus[ac] was doing. So he told his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to these words.[ad] The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.” 45 But they didn’t know what this meant. Indeed, the meaning was hidden from them so that they didn’t understand it; and they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
True Greatness(I)
46 Later, an argument started among the disciples[ae] as to which of them might be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he told them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, because the one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest.”
The Person who is Not against You is for You(J)
49 John said, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he wasn’t a follower like us.”
50 Jesus told him, “Don’t stop him! Because whoever is not against you is for you.”
A Samaritan Village Refuses to Welcome Jesus
51 When the days grew closer for Jesus[af] to be taken up to heaven,[ag] he was determined to continue his journey to Jerusalem. 52 So he sent messengers on ahead of him. On their way they went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. 53 But the people[ah] would not welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John observed this rejection,[ai] they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”[aj] 55 But he turned and rebuked them,[ak] 56 and they all[al] went on to another village.
The Would-be Followers of Jesus(K)
57 While they were walking along the road, a man told him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus told him,
59 He told another man, “Follow me.”
But he said, “Lord,[ao] first let me go and bury my father.”
60 But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another man said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to those at home.”
62 Jesus told him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Job Responds to Eliphaz
23 Job’s response was to say:
2 “I’m still complaining bitterly today;
my hand is heavy because of groaning.
3 If only I knew where to find him,
I would visit him where he has taken his seat.
4 I would lay out my case before him;
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I know how he would answer me;
I understand what he’ll tell me.
6 “Would he use his great power to fight me?
No, he’ll pay attention to me.
7 In that place, the upright can reason with him;
and I’ll be acquitted once and for all by my judge.”
Job Justifies His Innocence
8 “Look! If I go east,[a] he isn’t there!
If I go to the west,[b] I don’t perceive him.
9 If he’s working in the north,[c] I can’t observe him;[d]
If he turns south,[e] I can’t see him.[f]
10 Because he knows the road on which I travel,
when he had tested me, I’ll come out like gold.
11 My feet stay where his footsteps lead;
I kept on his pathway and haven’t turned aside.
12 I haven’t wandered away from the commands that he has spoken;[g]
I’ve treasured what he has said[h] more than my own meals.”
Job Stands Petrified Before God
13 “But he is One—who can change him?
He does whatever he wants to do.
14 He’ll complete what he has planned for me;
he has many things in mind for me!
15 That’s why I’m terrified at his presence!
When I think about it, I’m afraid of him.
16 God has caused me to faint;[i]
the Almighty makes me terrified!
17 Nevertheless, I haven’t been silenced because of the darkness,
even when thick darkness obscures my vision.”[j]
Warnings about Idolatry
10 Now I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the fact that all of our ancestors who left Egypt[a] were under the cloud. They all went through the sea, 2 and they all were immersed into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that went with them. That rock was the Messiah.[b] 5 But God wasn’t pleased with most of those people,[c] and so they were struck down in the wilderness.
6 Now their experiences serve as examples for us so that we won’t set our hearts on evil as they did. 7 Let’s stop being idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play.”[d] 8 Let’s stop sinning sexually, as some of them were doing, and on a single day 23,000 fell dead. 9 Let’s stop putting the Lord[e] to the test, as some of them were doing, and were destroyed by snakes. 10 You must stop complaining, as some of them were doing, and were annihilated by the destroyer. 11 These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained. 12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing securely should watch out so he doesn’t fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it.
14 And so, my dear friends, keep on running away from idolatry. 15 I am talking to sensible people. Apply what I am saying to yourselves. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless is our fellowship in the blood of the Messiah,[f] isn’t it? The bread that we break is our fellowship in the body of the Messiah,[g] isn’t it? 17 Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, because all of us eat from the same loaf.
18 Look at the Israelis from a human point of view.[h] Those who eat the sacrifices share in what is on the altar, don’t they? 19 Am I suggesting that an offering made to idols means anything, or that an idol itself means anything? 20 Hardly! What they offer, they offer to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot dine with the Lord and dine with demons, 22 or you’ll provoke the Lord to jealousy, won’t you? Are we stronger than he is?
All to the Glory of God
23 Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up. 24 No one should seek his own welfare, but rather his neighbor’s.
25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it on the grounds of conscience, 26 for “the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”[i] 27 If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, raising no question on the grounds of conscience. 28 However, if someone says to you, “This was offered as a sacrifice,” don’t eat it, both out of consideration for the one who told you and also for the sake of conscience. 29 I mean, of course, his conscience, not yours. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I eat with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of what I am thankful for?
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Don’t become a stumbling block to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I myself try to please everybody in every way. I don’t look out for my own benefit, but rather for the benefit of many people, so that they might be saved.
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