M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Rules for Cleansing from Skin Diseases
14 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “These are the teachings for people who had a harmful skin disease and have become well. These teachings are for making that person clean.
3 “A priest must look at the person who had the skin disease. He must go to that person outside the camp. He must see if the skin disease is healed. 4 If the person is healthy, the priest will tell him to do these things: He must get two living, clean birds. He must also get a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth and a hyssop plant. These things are for cleansing the person with the skin disease.
5 “The priest must order one bird to be killed in a clay bowl containing fresh water. 6 Then he will take the other bird that is still alive. He will take the piece of cedar wood, the red cloth and the hyssop. He will dip the living bird and other things into the blood. (This is the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.) 7 The priest will sprinkle the blood seven times on the person who had the skin disease. He must announce that the person is clean. Then the priest must go to an open field. He must let the living bird go free.
8 “Next, that person must wash his clothes. He must shave off all his hair. And he must wash with water. Then he will be clean and may go into the camp. But at first he must stay outside his tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair. He must shave off his hair, his beard and his eyebrows. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water. Then he will be clean.
10 “On the eighth day the person who had the skin disease must take two male lambs. They must have nothing wrong with them. He must also take a year-old female lamb. It must have nothing wrong with it. The person must take six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. This is for a grain offering. He must also take two-thirds of a pint of olive oil. 11 A priest must announce that the person is clean. Then he must bring that person and his sacrifices before the Lord. This is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 12 The priest will take one of the male lambs. He will offer it and the olive oil as a guilt offering. And he will present them before the Lord as an offering. 13 Then he will kill the male lamb in the holy place. He will kill it where they kill the sin offering and the whole burnt offering. The penalty offering is like the sin offering. It belongs to the priest. It is most holy.
14 “The priest will take some of the blood of the penalty offering. He will put some of it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. 15 The priest will also take some of the oil and pour it into his own left hand. 16 Then he will dip a finger of his right hand into the oil that is in his left hand. He will use his finger to sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. 17 The priest will put some oil from his hand on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some of it on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood for the penalty offering. 18 He will put the rest of the oil that is in his left hand on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way the priest will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again.
19 “Next the priest will offer the sin offering. It will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. After this the priest will kill the animal for the whole burnt offering. 20 Then he will offer the burnt offering and grain offering on the altar. In this way he will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again.
21 “But the person may be poor and unable to afford these offerings. Then he must take one male lamb for a penalty offering. It will be presented to the Lord so the priest can make that person clean. Then he can belong to the Lord again. The person must take two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. It will be used for a grain offering. He must also take two-thirds of a pint of olive oil. 22 He must take two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford. One bird will be a sin offering. The other will be a whole burnt offering. 23 On the eighth day the person will bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. The gifts will be offered before the Lord. This is so the person can become clean. 24 The priest will take the lamb for the penalty offering and the oil. He will present them as an offering before the Lord. 25 Then he will kill the lamb of the penalty offering. He will take some of the blood of the penalty offering. He will put it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. The priest will put some of this blood on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. 26 He will also pour some of the oil into his own left hand. 27 Then with a finger of his right hand, he will sprinkle some of the oil from his left hand. He will sprinkle it seven times before the Lord. 28 Then the priest will take some of the oil from his hand. He will put it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood from the penalty offering. 29 The priest must put the rest of the oil that is in his hand on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. 30 Then the priest will offer one of the doves or young pigeons. He must offer what the person can afford. 31 He must offer one of the birds as a sin offering. And he must offer the other bird as a whole burnt offering. He must offer them with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. The person will become clean.
32 “These are the teachings for making a person clean. This is done after he has become well from a skin disease. These teachings are for people who cannot afford the regular sacrifices for becoming clean.”
Rules for Cleaning Mildew
33 The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, 34 “I am giving the land of Canaan to your people. When they enter that land, I might cause mildew to grow in someone’s house. 35 The owner of that house must come and tell the priest. He should say, ‘I have seen something like mildew in my house.’ 36 Then the priest must order the people to empty the house. They must do this before he goes in to look at the mildew. This is so he will not have to say that everything in the house is unclean. After the people have emptied the house, the priest will go in to look at it. 37 He will look at the mildew. The mildew on the walls of the house might be green or red. It might go into the wall’s surface. 38 If these things are true, he must go out and close up the house for seven days. 39 On the seventh day the priest must come back and check the house. The mildew may have spread on the walls of the house. 40 If it has, the priest must order the people to tear out the stones with the mildew on them. They should throw the stones away. They must put the stones at a certain unclean place outside the city. 41 Then the priest must have all the inside of the house scraped. The people must throw away the plaster they scraped off the walls. They must put the plaster at a certain unclean place outside the city. 42 Then the owner must put new stones in the walls. And he must cover the walls with new clay plaster.
43 “A person may have taken away the old stones and plaster. He may have put in new stones and plaster. But mildew may again appear in his house. 44 If it does, the priest must come back and check the house again. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a mildew that destroys things. So the house is unclean. 45 Then the owner must tear down the house. He must remove all its stones, plaster and wood. He must take them to the unclean place outside the city. 46 Anyone who goes into that house will be unclean until evening. 47 Anyone who eats in that house or lies down there must wash his clothes.
48 “After new stones and plaster have been put in a house, the priest must check it again. The mildew may not have spread in the house. Then the priest will announce that the house is clean. This is because the mildew is gone.
49 “Then, to make the house clean, the priest must take two birds. He must also take a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth and a hyssop plant. 50 He will kill one bird in a clay bowl containing fresh water. 51 Then he will take the other bird that is still alive. He will also take the cedar wood, the hyssop and the red cloth. He will dip the living bird and other things into the blood. (This is the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.) Then the priest will sprinkle the blood on the house seven times. 52 He will use the bird’s blood, the fresh water and the live bird. And he will use the cedar wood, the hyssop and the red cloth. With these things he will make the house clean. 53 The priest will go to an open field outside the city. And he will let the living bird go free. This is how the priest makes the house clean and ready for service to the Lord.”
54 These are the teachings about any kind of skin disease. 55 These are the teachings for mildew on pieces of cloth or in a house. 56 These are also the teachings for swellings, rashes or bright spots on the skin. 57 They teach when things are unclean and when they are clean. These are the teachings about all these kinds of diseases.
A Prayer for Protection
A prayer of David.
17 Lord, hear me begging for fairness.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer.
I speak the truth.
2 You will judge that I am right.
Your eyes can see what is true.
3 You have examined my heart.
You have tested me all night.
You questioned me without finding anything wrong.
I did not plan any evil.
4 I have obeyed your commands.
I have not done what evil people do.
5 I have done what you told me to do.
I have not failed.
6 I call to you, God,
and you answer me.
Listen to me now.
Hear what I say.
7 Your love is wonderful.
By your power you save
from their enemies those who trust you.
8 Protect me as you would protect your own eye.
Protect me as a bird hides her young under her wings.
9 Keep me from the wicked who attack me.
Protect me from my enemies who surround me.
10 They are selfish.
They brag about themselves.
11 They have chased me.
Now they surround me.
They plan to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like lions ready to kill.
Like lions, they sit in hiding.
13 Lord, rise up and face the enemy.
Throw them down.
Save me from the wicked
with your sword.
14 Lord, save me from them by your power.
Their reward is in this life.
They have plenty of food.
They have many sons.
They leave money to their children.
15 Because I have lived right, I will see your face.
When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied.
28 Evil people run even though no one is chasing them.
But good people are as brave as a lion.
2 When a country is disobedient, it has one ruler after another.
But when it is led by a man with understanding and knowledge, it continues strong.
3 Rulers who are cruel to the poor
are like a hard rain that destroys the crops.
4 People who disobey what they have been taught praise the wicked.
But those who obey what they have been taught are against the wicked.
5 Evil people do not understand fairness.
But those who follow the Lord understand it completely.
6 It is better to be poor and innocent
than to be rich and wicked.
7 The son who obeys what he has been taught
shows he is wise.
But the son who makes friends with those who have no self-control
disgraces his father.
8 Some people get rich by overcharging others.
But their wealth will be given to those who are kind to the poor.
9 If you refuse to obey what you have been taught,
your prayers will not be heard.
10 Those who lead honest people to do wrong
will be ruined by their own evil.
But the innocent will be rewarded with good things.
11 A rich man may think he is wise.
But a poor man who has understanding knows the rich man is wrong.
12 When good people win, there is great happiness.
But when the wicked get power, everybody hides.
13 If you hide your sins, you will not succeed.
If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.
14 Those who always respect the Lord will be happy.
But those who are stubborn will get into trouble.
15 A wicked ruler is as dangerous to poor people
as a roaring lion or a charging bear.
16 A ruler who is cruel does not have wisdom.
But the one who hates money taken dishonestly will live a long time.
17 A man who is guilty of murder
will run until he dies.
So do not stop him.
18 Innocent people will be kept safe.
But those who are dishonest will suddenly be ruined.
19 The person who works his land will have plenty of food.
But the one who chases useless dreams instead will end up very poor.
20 A truthful man will have many blessings.
But those eager to get rich will be punished.
21 It is not good for a judge to take sides.
But some will sin for just a piece of bread.
22 A selfish person is in a hurry to get rich.
He does not realize his selfishness will make him poor.
23 Those who correct others will later be liked
more than those who give false praise.
24 Some people rob their fathers or mothers
and say, “It’s not wrong.”
Such people are just like those who destroy things.
25 A greedy person causes trouble.
But the one who trusts the Lord will succeed.
26 The person who trusts in himself is foolish.
But the person who lives wisely will be kept safe.
27 The person who gives to the poor will have everything he needs.
But the one who ignores the poor will have many curses put on him.
28 When the wicked get power, everybody hides.
But when the wicked die, the good people do well.
Evil Things Will Happen
2 Brothers, we have something to say about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We want to talk to you about that time when we will meet together with him. 2 Do not become easily upset in your thinking or afraid if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come. Someone may have said this in a prophecy or in a message. Or you may read it in a letter that someone tells you came from us. 3 Do not let any person fool you in any way. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens. And that day will not come until the Man of Evil[a] appears. He belongs to hell. 4 He is against any so-called god or anything that people worship. And the Man of Evil puts himself above anything called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil even goes into God’s Temple and sits there. Then he says that he is God.
5 I told you when I was with you that all this would happen. Do you not remember? 6 And you know what is stopping that Man of Evil now. He is being stopped now so that he will appear at the right time. 7 The secret power of evil is already working in the world now. But there is one who is stopping that power. And he will continue to stop it until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that Man of Evil will appear. And the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath that comes from his mouth and will destroy him with the glory of his coming. 9 The Man of Evil will come by the power of Satan. He will have great power, and he will do many different false miracles, signs, and wonders. 10 He will use every kind of evil to trick those who are lost. They are lost because they refused to love the truth. (If they loved the truth, they would be saved.) 11 But they refused to love the truth; so God sends them something powerful that leads them away from the truth. He sends them that power so they will believe something that is not true. 12 So all those who do not believe the truth will be judged guilty. They did not believe the truth, and they enjoyed doing evil.
You Are Chosen for Salvation
13 Brothers, the Lord loves you. God chose you from the beginning[b] to be saved. So we must always thank God for you. You are saved by the Spirit that makes you holy and by your faith in the truth. 14 God used the Good News that we preached to call you to be saved. He called you so that you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So, brothers, stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you. We taught you those things in our speaking and in our letter to you.
16-17 We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us. Through his grace he gave us a good hope and comfort that continues forever.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.