M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Craftsmen for the Tent
31 The Lord told Moses, 2 “Look, I’ve called[a] Uri’s son Bezalel, grandson of Hur from Judah’s tribe 3 and I’ve filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship 4 to create plans[b] for work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 and for cutting stones to set them, for carving wood, and for doing all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 Along with him I’m appointing Ahisamach’s son Oholiab from the tribe of Dan, and I’ve given wisdom[c] to all who are skilled[d] so they can make everything that I’ve commanded you, 7 including the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, the Mercy Seat[e] that is on it, all the furnishings of the tent— 8 the table and its furnishings, the lamp stand of pure gold,[f] all its furnishings, the altar of incense, 9 the altar for burnt offerings, its furnishings, the basin, its base, 10 the woven garments, the holy garments of Aaron the priest, the garments of his sons as they serve as priests, 11 the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them in accordance with everything that I commanded you.”
12 The Lord told Moses, 13 “You are to tell the Israelis: ‘You are to certainly observe my Sabbaths because it’s a sign between me and you from generation to generation, so you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You are to observe the Sabbath, because it’s holy for you. Whoever profanes it is certainly to die; indeed, whoever does work on it is to be cut off from among his people. 15 Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does work on the Sabbath is certainly to die. 16 The Israelis are to keep the Sabbath to make the Sabbath observance a perpetual covenant from generation to generation. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the Israelis, because the Lord made the heavens and the earth in six days, but on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”
18 When he finished speaking with Moses[g] on Mount Sinai, he gave him[h] the two Tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.
The Illustration of the Sheepfold
10 “Truly, I tell all of you[a] emphatically, the person who doesn’t enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 It’s to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it’s his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They’ll never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration with them, but they didn’t understand what he was saying to them.
Jesus the Good Shepherd
7 So again Jesus said, “Truly, I tell all of you[b] emphatically, I’m the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[c] are thieves and bandits, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I’m the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He’ll come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I’ve come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11 “I’m the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down[d] his life for the sheep. 12 The hired worker, who isn’t the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, deserts the sheep, and runs away. So the wolf snatches them and scatters them, 13 because he’s a hired worker, and the sheep don’t matter to him.
14 I’m the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down[e] my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that don’t belong to this fold. I must lead these also, and they’ll listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it back again. 18 No one is taking it from me; I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is what my Father has commanded me.”
19 Once again there was a division among the Jews[f] because of what Jesus had been saying. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why bother listening to him?”
21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of a man who is demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can it?”
Jesus is Rejected by the Jews
22 Now[g] Hanukkah[h] was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking around in the Temple inside the open porch of Solomon. 24 So the Jewish leaders[i] surrounded him and quizzed him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you’re the Messiah,[j] tell us so plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I have told you, but you don’t believe it. The actions that I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf, 26 but you don’t believe, because you don’t belong to my sheep.[k] 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, they’ll never be lost, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me[l] is more important than anything,[m] and no one can snatch it from the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 Again the Jewish leaders[n] picked up stones to stone him to death.
32 Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good actions from my[o] Father. For which of them are you going to stone me?”
33 The Jewish leaders[p] answered him, “We are not going to stone you for a good action, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, are making yourself God!”
34 Jesus replied to them, “Is it not written in your[q] Law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?[r] 35 If he called those to whom a message from God came ‘gods’ (and the Scripture cannot be disregarded), 36 how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You’re blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God’? 37 If I’m not doing my Father’s actions, don’t believe me. 38 But if I’m doing them, even though you don’t believe me, believe the actions, so that you may know and understand[s] that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
39 Again they tried to seize him, but he slipped away from them.[t] 40 Then he went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and he remained there. 41 Many people came to him and kept saying, “John never performed a sign, but everything that John said about this man is true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus[u] there.
On Avoiding the Immoral Woman
7 My son, guard what I say
and treasure my commands.
2 Keep my commands and you’ll live.
Guard[a] my teaching as you do your eyesight.
3 Strap them to your fingers
and engrave them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You’re my sister!”
and call understanding your close relative,
5 so they can keep you from an adulterous woman,
from the immoral woman with her seductive words.
A Father’s Warning
6 For from a window in my house
I peered through the lattice work,
7 and I noticed among the naïve—
that is, I discerned among the youths—
a senseless young man.
8 Proceeding down the street near her corner,
he makes his way toward her house
9 at twilight, during the evening,
even during the darkest part of the night.
10 Look! A woman makes her way to meet him,
dressed as a prostitute
and intending to entrap him.
11 She is brazen and defiant—
her feet don’t remain at home.
12 Now she is in the street, now in the plazas,
she lurks near every corner.
13 So she grabs hold of him and kisses him,
with a brazen face she speaks to him,
14 “I have given[b] my peace offerings,
and today I fulfilled my vows.
15 Therefore, I’ve come out to meet you,
I’ve looked just for you,
and I found you!
16 I’ve decorated my bed with new coverings—
embroidered linen from Egypt.
17 I’ve perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s make love until dawn;
let’s comfort ourselves with love,
19 because my husband isn’t home.
He left on a long trip.
20 He took a fist full of cash
and he’ll return home in a month.”
Help Each Other
6 Brothers, if a person is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should restore that person gently. Watch out for yourself so that you are not tempted as well. 2 Practice carrying each other’s burdens. In this way you will fulfill the law of the Messiah.[a] 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is really nothing, he is only fooling himself. 4 Each person must examine his own actions, and then he can boast about his own accomplishments and not about someone else. 5 For everyone must carry his own load.
6 The person who is taught the word should share all his goods with his teacher. 7 Stop being[b] deceived; God is not to be ridiculed. A person harvests whatever he plants: 8 The person who sows through human means will harvest decay from human means, but the person who sows in the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let’s not get tired of doing what is good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest—if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have the opportunity, let’s practice doing good to everyone, especially to the family of faith.
A Final Warning against Circumcision
11 Look at how large these letters are because I am writing with my own hand! 12 These people who want to impress others by their external appearance[c] are trying to force you to be circumcised, simply to avoid being persecuted for the cross of the Messiah.[d] 13 Why, not even those who are circumcised obey the Law! They simply want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your external appearance.[e] 14 But may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[f] by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world! 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, what matters is being[g] a new creation. 16 Now may peace be on all those who live by this principle, and may mercy be on the Israel of God. 17 Let no one make any more trouble for me, because I carry the scars of Jesus on my own body.
Final Greeting
18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[h] be with your spirit, brothers! Amen.
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