M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Law of Holiness[a]
Chapter 17
Sacredness of Blood.[b] 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 Whichever man of the house of Israel slays an ox or a lamb or a goat, either slaying it inside the camp or outside of it, 4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, nor offers it to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, that man shall be guilty of its blood, the blood that he shed, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. 5 This is to stop the children of Israel from offering their sacrifices in the open fields, and so that they bring them unto the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting, to the priest, to offer peace offerings unto the Lord. 6 The priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He shall burn the fat as a sweet fragrance to the Lord. 7 They shall no longer offer their sacrifices to the demons[c] with whom they have prostituted themselves. This shall be a statute for them through all their generations.’
8 “You shall say this to them, ‘Whoever from the house of Israel or from among the aliens living in your midst offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice, 9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, that person will be cut off from among his people. 10 [d]Whoever from the house of Israel or from among the aliens living in your midst eats anything with blood, I will set my face against that person and he shall be cut off from among his people. 11 The life of all flesh is found in its blood. I have given it to you to make atonement for your life upon the altar. Blood is to make atonement for one’s life.’ 12 Therefore, I told the children of Israel, ‘No one of you shall eat blood, nor shall the alien living among you eat blood.’
13 “Whoever from among the children of Israel or from among the aliens living in your midst hunts or catches a beast or a bird that can be eaten, let him pour out its blood and cover it with dust 14 for it is the life of all flesh. The blood is its life. Therefore, I said to the children of Israel, ‘You will eat no blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is in the blood. Whoever eats it will be cut off.’ 15 Whoever eats a beast that died by itself, or that was torn asunder by beasts, whether he be a native or an alien, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and he shall be unclean until the evening. Then he shall be clean. 16 But if he does not wash or bathe, then he shall bear his guilt.”
Psalm 20[a]
Prayer in Praise of the Messiah King
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of David.
2 May the Lord answer you in times of trouble;
may the name[c] of the God of Jacob protect you.
3 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.[d]
4 May he remember[e] all your sacrifices
and accept all your burnt offerings. Selah
5 May he give you your heart’s desire[f]
and grant you success in all your plans.
6 May we shout with joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.[g]
May the Lord grant your every request.
7 Now I know that the Lord will grant victory to his anointed;[h]
he will answer him from his holy heaven,
granting mighty victories with his right hand.
8 [i]Some trust in chariots, and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord, our God.
9 They will collapse and fall,
but we will rise up and stand firm.
10 O Lord, save the king,
and answer us when we call upon you.[j]
Psalm 21[k]
Thanksgiving for Messianic Blessings
1 For the director.[l] A psalm of David.
2 O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength;
your victories fill him with great joy.[m]
3 You have granted him the desire of his heart[n]
and not withheld from him the request of his lips. Selah
4 You welcomed him with choice blessings[o]
and placed a crown of pure gold upon his head.
5 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.[p]
6 He has achieved great glory through your victory;
you have bestowed upon him splendor and majesty.[q]
7 You have conferred everlasting blessings[r] on him;
you gladdened him with the joy of your presence.
8 For the king places his trust in the Lord;
through the kindness[s] of the Most High he will not fall.
9 [t]Your hand will lay hold of all your enemies;
your right hand will overcome all your foes.
10 On the day when you appear,[u]
you will cast them into a fiery furnace.
The Lord’s anger will engulf them,
and fire will consume them.
11 You will blot out their descendants from the earth
and rid the human race of their posterity.[v]
12 They have devised wicked schemes against you,
but, plot though they may, they will not succeed.
13 For you will force them to retreat
when you aim your bows at them.
14 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength;[w]
we will sing and praise your power.
The Sayings of Lemuel[a]
Chapter 31
A Splendid Program for a King
1 These are the words of Lemuel, king of Massa, which were taught to him by his mother:[b]
2 O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows!
3 Do not surrender your vigor to women
or consort with those who cause the ruin of kings.[c]
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
not for kings to drink wine,
not for princes to crave strong liquor,[d]
5 lest in their stupor they forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of those who are in distress.
6 Give strong drink to someone about to die,
wine to someone in anguish.
7 Let him drink and forget his misfortune
and no longer remember his misery.
8 [e]Speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves,
and defend the rights of the destitute.
9 Speak out and pronounce righteous judgments;
defend the rights of the wretched and the poor.
In Praise of the Valiant Woman or the Perfect Homemaker[f]
10 Who can find a worthy wife?
She is far more precious than pearls.
11 Her husband entrusts his heart to her,
for in her he has an unfailing blessing.
12 She works to give him good and not evil
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with skillful hands.
14 She is like merchant ships,
accumulating a store of food from far off.
15 She rises while it is still dark[g]
and apportions food for her household
while assigning tasks to her servant girls.
16 She carefully chooses a field to purchase,
and out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.[h]
17 She girds herself to work
and plies her arms with vigor.
18 She ensures that her dealings are profitable;[i]
her lamp remains undimmed throughout the night.
19 She sets her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers grasp the spindle.[j]
20 She holds out her hands to the poor[k]
and opens her arms to the needy.
21 When snow arrives, she has no fear for her household,
for all of her servants are warmly clothed.
22 She makes her own bed quilts
and wears fine clothes of linen[l] and purple.
23 Her husband is well respected at the city gates
as he takes his seat with the elders of the land.
24 She weaves linen garments and sells them,
and she supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she can afford to laugh at the days to come.[m]
26 When she opens her mouth, wisdom issues forth,
and on her tongue is kindly advice.[n]
27 She keeps close watch on the conduct of her household,
and she does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children stand up and proclaim her blessed,[o]
and her husband joins them in praising her:
29 “Many are the women who have done admirable things,[p]
but you outdo them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive[q] and beauty is fleeting,
but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her a share in what her hands have accomplished,[r]
and let her works bring her praise at the city gates.
Qualities of Public Worship and Church Leaders[a]
Chapter 2
Prayer for Those in Authority.[b] 1 I urge then, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, 2 for kings and for all those who hold positions of authority, so that we may be able to lead a tranquil and quiet life with all possible devotion and dignity. 3 To do so is right and acceptable to God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to full knowledge of the truth.
5 [c]For there is one God,
and there is one mediator between God and man,
Christ Jesus, himself a man,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all.
This was the testimony he offered at the appointed time. 7 And I was made a herald and an apostle of it (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Positions at Public Worship.[d] 8 I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up their hands reverently in prayer without anger or argument. 9 I also ask that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing. They should be adorned not with braided hair or with gold or pearls or expensive clothes,[e] 10 but with good works, as is fitting for women who profess their reverence for God.
11 Women are to learn in silence with complete submission. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to hold authority over a man. She should keep silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, and Eve afterward. 14 Furthermore, Adam was not deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and fell into sin. 15 However, women will be saved through the bearing of children, provided that they continue to persevere in faith, love, and holiness, marked by modesty.
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