M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
22 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons: ‘The ·people [L sons; children] of Israel will give offerings to me. These offerings are ·holy, and they are mine [L consecrated/sanctified to me], so you must ·respect [be scrupulous with] them to show that you ·respect [L do not defile] my holy name. I am the Lord.’ 3 Say to them: ‘If any one of your descendants ·from now on [L throughout your generations] is unclean [C in a ritual sense] and comes near the offerings that the Israelites ·made holy for [consecrated/sanctified to] me, that person must be cut off from appearing before me. I am the Lord.
4 “‘If one of Aaron’s descendants has a harmful skin disease [13:2], or if he discharges a body fluid [15:1–18], he cannot eat the holy offerings until he becomes clean [C in a ritual sense]. He could also become unclean from touching a dead body, from his own semen, 5 from touching any unclean crawling animal, or from touching an unclean person (no matter what made the person unclean). 6 Anyone who touches those things will become unclean until evening. That person must not eat the holy offerings unless he washes with water. 7 He will be clean only after the sun goes down. Then he may eat the holy offerings; the offerings are his food.
8 “‘If a priest finds an animal that died by itself or that was killed by some other animal, he must not eat it. If he does, he will become unclean [C in a ritual sense]. I am the Lord [11:39–40; 17:15].
9 “‘If the priests ·keep [guard] all the rules I have given, they will not become guilty; ·if they are careful, they will not die [or…and die in it/the sanctuary because they defiled it]. I am the Lord who has made them holy. 10 ·Only people in a priest’s family [L No stranger/layperson] may eat the holy offering. A visitor staying with the priest or a hired worker must not eat it. 11 But if the priest buys a slave with his own money, that slave may eat the holy offerings; ·slaves [L those] who were born in his house may also eat his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter marries a ·person who is not a priest [layperson; L stranger], she must not eat any of the holy offerings. 13 But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, with no children to support her, and if she goes back to her father’s house where she lived as a child, she may eat some of her father’s food. But ·only people from a priest’s family [no layperson/L stranger] may eat this food.
14 “‘If someone eats some of the holy offering by mistake, that person must pay back the priest for that holy food, adding another one-fifth of the price of that food.
15 “‘When the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] give their holy offerings to the Lord, ·the priest must not treat these holy things as though they were not holy [L no one will profane them]. 16 The priests must not allow those who are not priests to eat the holy offerings. If they do, they cause the ones who eat the holy offerings to become guilty, and they will have to ·pay for it [L offer a penalty/guilt/reparation offering; 5:14–6:7]. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’”
17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Tell Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel: ‘A ·citizen of [L person from the house of] Israel or a ·foreigner living [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] in Israel might want to bring a whole burnt offering [1:1–17], either for ·some special promise he has made [a vow] or for a ·special gift he wants to give [freewill offering] to the Lord. 19 If he does, he must bring a male animal that has ·nothing wrong with it [no blemish]—a bull, a sheep, or a goat—so it might be accepted for him. 20 He must not bring an animal that has ·something wrong with it [a blemish], or it will not be accepted for him.
21 “‘If someone brings a ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offering [3:1] to the Lord, either as ·payment [fulfillment] for a ·special promise the person has made [vow] or as a ·special gift the person wants to give the Lord [freewill offering], it might be from the herd or from the flock. But it must be ·healthy [perfect], with ·nothing wrong with it [no blemish], so that it will be accepted. 22 You must not offer to the Lord any animal that is blind, that has broken bones or is crippled, that has running sores or any sort of ·skin disease [L itch or scabs]. You must not offer any animals like these on the altar as an offering by fire to the Lord.
23 “‘If an ox or lamb ·is smaller than normal [or has a short tail] or is not perfectly formed, you may give it as a ·special gift to the Lord [freewill offering]; it will be accepted. But it will not be accepted as payment for a ·special promise you have made [vow].
24 “‘If an animal has bruised, crushed, torn, or cut testicles, you must not offer it to the Lord. You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not ·take [get] such animals from foreigners as sacrifices to the Lord. Because the animals have been hurt in some way and have ·something wrong with them [blemishes], they will not be accepted for you.’”
26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “When an ox, a sheep, or a goat is born, it must stay seven days with its mother. But from the eighth day on, this animal will be accepted as a sacrifice by fire to the Lord. 28 But you must not ·kill [slaughter] the animal and its mother on the same day, either an ox or a sheep.
29 “If you want to offer ·some special offering of thanks [a thank offering] to the Lord, you must do it in a way that pleases him. 30 You must eat the whole animal that same day and not leave any of the meat for the next morning. I am the Lord.
31 “·Remember [Keep; Guard] my commands and obey them; I am the Lord. 32 ·Show respect for [L Do not defile] my holy name. ·You Israelites must remember that I am holy [L I must be sanctified/considered holy among the sons/T children of Israel]; I am the Lord, who has ·made you holy [consecrated/sanctified you]. 33 I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”
A Prayer in Troubled Times
Of David.
28 Lord, my Rock [C providing protection], I ·call out to you for help [pray].
Do not be ·deaf [silent] to me.
If you are silent,
I will be like those ·in the grave [L who go down to the Pit; 16:10].
2 Hear the sound of my ·prayer [supplication],
when I cry out to you for help.
I raise my hands
toward your Most Holy Place [C the place where God made his presence known, the sanctuary].
3 Don’t drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil.
They say “Peace” to their neighbors,
but evil is in their hearts.
4 Pay them back for what they have done,
for their evil deeds.
Pay them back for ·what they have done [L the work of their hands];
give them their reward.
5 They don’t understand what the Lord has done
or ·what he has made [L the work of his hands].
So he will ·knock [tear] them down
and not ·lift [L build] them up.
6 ·Praise [L Blessed be] the Lord,
because he heard ·my prayer for help [L the sound of my supplication].
7 The Lord is my strength [Ex. 15:2] and shield.
·I trust [My heart has confidence in] him, and he helps me.
·I am [L My heart is] very happy,
and I ·praise [give thanks to] him with my song.
8 The Lord is powerful;
he ·gives victory [is a saving refuge] to his ·chosen one [anointed].
9 ·Save [L Give victory to] your people
and bless ·those who are your own [L your inheritance].
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
God in the Thunderstorm
A psalm of David.
29 ·Praise [T Ascribe to] the Lord, you ·angels [L sons of God; C God’s council];
·Praise the Lord’s [T Ascribe to the Lord] glory and power.
2 ·Praise the Lord for [T Ascribe to the Lord] the glory of his name;
worship the Lord ·because he is holy [L in the splendor of his holiness].
3 The Lord’s voice [C thunder] is heard over the ·sea [L waters; C a symbol of chaos].
The glorious God thunders;
the Lord thunders over the ·ocean [L many/mighty waters].
4 The Lord’s voice is powerful;
the Lord’s voice is ·majestic [splendid; awesome].
5 The Lord’s voice breaks the ·trees [L cedars];
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon [C the most famous cedar forests].
6 He makes the land of Lebanon dance like a calf
and ·Mount Hermon [L Sirion] jump like a baby bull.
7 The Lord’s voice ·makes the lightning flash [strikes with flashes of lightning].
8 The Lord’s voice shakes the ·desert [wilderness];
the Lord shakes the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Kadesh.
9 The Lord’s voice ·shakes the oaks [or makes the deer give birth]
and strips the ·leaves off the trees [L forests bare].
In his Temple everyone says, “Glory!”
10 The Lord ·controls [L is enthroned over] the flood [C controls chaos].
The Lord ·will be [L is enthroned as] King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Be Careful About Making Promises
5 ·Be careful [Watch your step/L feet] when you go to worship at the ·Temple [L house of God]. It is better to listen than to offer ·foolish sacrifices [or the sacrifice of fools] without even knowing you are doing wrong.
2 ·Think before you speak [L Do not be quick with your mouth],
and ·be careful about what you say [L do not let your heart rush to utter a word] to God.
God is in heaven,
and you are on the earth,
so ·say only a few words to God [L let your words be few].
3 Dreams come from too much ·worrying [or work],
and too many words come from foolish people.
4 If you make a ·promise [vow] to God, don’t ·be slow to keep [delay to fulfill] it. ·God is not happy [L For there is no pleasure] with fools, so ·give God what you promised [L fulfill what you have vowed]. 5 It is better not to ·promise anything than to promise something and not do it [make a vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it; Deut. 23:21; Prov. 20:25; Matt. 23:16–22]. 6 Don’t let your ·words [L mouth] cause ·you [L your flesh] to sin, and don’t say to the ·priest at the Temple [L messenger], “·I didn’t mean what I promised [L It was a mistake].” ·If you do, God will [L Why should God…?] become angry with your words and will destroy ·everything you have worked for [L the work of your hands]. 7 Many useless [1:2] ·promises [or words] are like so many dreams; they mean nothing. You should ·respect [or be afraid of; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12, 13] God.
Officers Cheat Each Other
8 In some places you will see poor people ·mistreated [oppressed]. Don’t be surprised when they are ·not treated fairly [deprived/L robbed of justice] or ·given their rights [righteousness]. One ·officer [official; L higher-up] ·is cheated by [or watches out for] a higher ·officer [official] ·who in turn is cheated by even higher officers [L and there are officials/higher-ups over them]. 9 The ·wealth of the country [profit of the land] is ·divided up among them [L taken by] all. Even the king ·makes sure he gets his share of the profits [L benefits from the field].
Wealth Cannot Buy Happiness
10 Whoever loves money
will never have enough money;
Whoever loves ·wealth [riches]
will not be satisfied with ·it [gain].
This is also useless [1:2].
11 The more ·wealth [prosperity] people have,
the more friends they have to ·help spend [consume] it.
So what do people really ·gain [profit]?
They ·gain [profit] nothing except to ·look at their riches [admire it].
12 ·Those who work hard sleep in peace [L Sweet is the sleep of the laborer];
it is not important if they eat little or much.
But ·rich people worry about their wealth
and cannot [L the abundance of the wealthy does not let them] sleep.
13 ·I have seen real misery here [L There is a sickening evil I have seen] ·on earth [L under the sun; 1:3]:
·Money [Wealth] ·saved is a curse to [is hoarded to the harm of] its owners.
14 They lose ·it all [L that wealth] in a ·bad deal [evil/bad situation]
and have nothing to give to their children.
15 People come ·into this world [L from the womb of their mother] ·with nothing [naked],
and when they ·die [return] they leave with nothing.
In spite of all their hard ·work [toil],
they leave just as they came.
16 This, too, is ·real misery [a sickening evil]:
They leave just as they came.
So what do they ·gain [profit] from chasing the wind?
17 ·All they get are days full of sadness and sorrow [L They eat all their days in darkness],
and they end up sick, defeated, and ·angry [frustrated].
Enjoy Your Life’s Work
18 I have ·seen [observed] what is ·best [good] for people ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3]. ·They [L It is fitting/appropriate that they] should eat and drink and enjoy their ·work [toil], because ·the life God has given them on earth is short [L that is their reward during the few days God has given to this person under the sun; 1:3]. 19 God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth and ·property [possessions] he gives them, as well as the ability to accept their ·state in life [reward] and ·enjoy [take pleasure in] their work. 20 They do not ·worry about how short life is [L remember much about the days of their life], because God keeps them busy with ·what they love to do [L the pleasure of their heart; 2:24–26; 3:12–14, 22; 8:15; 9:7–10; C the little pleasures are distractions from the meaningless world].
1 From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus by the will of God. ·God sent me to tell about [L …according to] the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.
2 To Timothy [Acts 16:1–5; 1 Cor. 16:10–11; Phil. 2:19–24], a ·dear [beloved] child to me [1 Tim. 1:2]:
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Encouragement for Timothy
3 I thank God as I always ·mention [remember] you in my prayers, day and night. I serve him, ·doing what I know is right [with a clear conscience] as my ancestors did. 4 Remembering your tears [C probably at Paul’s departure], I ·want very much [long] to see you so I can be filled with joy. 5 I remember your ·true [sincere] faith. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I ·know [am sure/persuaded] you now have that same faith. 6 This is why I remind you to ·keep using [rekindle; fan into flames] the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you [C a way of dedicating someone to Christian service; 1 Tim. 4:14]. 7 [L For] God did not give us ·a spirit [or the Spirit] that makes us ·afraid [timid] but ·a spirit [or the Spirit] of power and love and ·self-control [self-discipline; or good judgment].
8 So do not be ashamed to ·tell people [testify; bear witness] about our Lord, and do not be ashamed of me, ·in prison for the Lord [L his prisoner; C Paul was in prison in Rome for a second time and would soon be executed]. But suffer with me for the ·Good News [Gospel]. God, who gives us the strength to do that, 9 saved us and ·made us his holy people [L called us to a holy calling]. That was not because of anything we did ourselves but because of ·God’s [L his own] purpose and grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before ·time began [L eternal times], 10 but it is now ·shown [revealed; manifested] to us by the ·coming [appearing; manifestation] of our Savior Christ Jesus. He ·destroyed [broke the power of; abolished] death, and through the ·Good News [Gospel] he ·showed us the way to have [L illuminated; brought to light] ·life that cannot be destroyed [immortal life; L life and immortality]. 11 I was ·chosen [appointed] ·to tell that Good News [L a preacher/herald] and to be an apostle and a teacher. 12 I am suffering now ·because I tell the Good News [L for this reason], but I am not ashamed, because I know the One in whom I have ·believed [put my trust/faith]. And I am ·sure [convinced; confident] he is able to ·protect [guard; keep safe] what ·he has trusted me with [or I have entrusted with him; L my deposit/entrustment] until that day [C the final day of judgment and reward]. 13 ·Follow the pattern [or Hold to the standard/norm] of true teachings that you heard from me ·in [or accompanied by the] faith and love, which are ·available in [L in] Christ Jesus. 14 ·Protect [Guard] the ·truth that you were given [L the good deposit entrusted to you]; ·protect [guard] it ·with the help of [by the power of; L through; by] the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
15 You know that everyone in Asia [C a Roman province in present-day western Turkey] has left me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord show ·mercy [kindness] to the family of Onesiphorus [4:20; C the reference to the “family” rather than the man may indicate that Onesiphorus has since died], who has often ·helped [encouraged; refreshed] me and was not ashamed ·that I was in prison [L of my chains]. 17 When he came to Rome, he ·looked eagerly [searched diligently] for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord ·allow him to find [grant/give him] mercy from the Lord on that day [C the final day of judgment and reward]. You know very well how many ways he ·helped [served] me in Ephesus [C a major port city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; Acts 19].
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