M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 15
Sexual Uncleanness.[a] 1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 [b]Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any man has a genital discharge, he is thereby unclean.(A) 3 Such is his uncleanness from this discharge, whether his body[c] drains freely with the discharge or is blocked up from the discharge. His uncleanness is on him all the days that his body discharges or is blocked up from his discharge; this is his uncleanness. 4 Any bed on which the man with the discharge lies is unclean, and any article on which he sits is unclean. 5 Anyone who touches his bed shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 6 Whoever sits on an article on which the man with the discharge was sitting shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 7 Whoever touches the body of the man with the discharge shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 8 If the man with the discharge spits on a clean person, the latter shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 9 Any saddle on which the man with the discharge rides is unclean. 10 Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening; whoever carries any such thing shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.(B) 11 Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches with his unrinsed hands shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 12 Earthenware touched by the man with the discharge shall be broken; and every wooden article shall be rinsed with water.
13 When a man with a discharge becomes clean[d] of his discharge, he shall count seven days(C) for his purification. Then he shall wash his garments and bathe his body in fresh water, and so he will be clean. 14 On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons,(D) and going before the Lord, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, he shall give them to the priest, 15 who shall offer them up, the one as a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering. Thus shall the priest make atonement before the Lord for the man because of his discharge.
16 [e]When a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening.(E) 17 Any piece of cloth or leather with semen on it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening.
18 If a man has sexual relations with a woman, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
19 [f]When a woman has a flow of blood from her body, she shall be in a state of menstrual uncleanness for seven days. Anyone who touches her shall be unclean until evening.(F) 20 Anything on which she lies or sits during her menstrual period shall be unclean. 21 Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 Whoever touches any article on which she was sitting shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 Whether an object[g] is on the bed or on something she sat upon, when the person touches it, that person shall be unclean until evening. 24 If a man lies with her, he contracts her menstrual uncleanness and shall be unclean for seven days;(G) every bed on which he then lies also becomes unclean.
25 [h]When a woman has a flow of blood for several days outside her menstrual period, or when her flow continues beyond the ordinary period, as long as she suffers this unclean flow she shall be unclean, just as during her menstrual period.(H) 26 Any bed on which she lies during such a flow becomes unclean, as it would during her menstrual period, and any article on which she sits becomes unclean just as during her menstrual period. 27 Anyone who touches them becomes unclean; that person shall wash his garments, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
28 (I)When she becomes clean from her flow, she shall count seven days; after this she becomes clean. 29 On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 30 The priest shall offer one of them as a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering. Thus shall the priest make atonement before the Lord for her because of her unclean flow.
31 You shall warn the Israelites of their uncleanness, lest they die through their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle,(J) which is in their midst.
32 This is the ritual for the man with a discharge, or who has an emission of semen, and thereby becomes unclean; 33 as well as for the woman who has her menstrual period; or one who has a discharge, male or female; and also for the man who lies with an unclean woman.
Psalm 18[a]
A King’s Thanksgiving for Victory
1 For the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord, who sang to the Lord the words of this song after the Lord had rescued him from the clutches of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:(A)
I
I love you, Lord, my strength,
3 Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, my saving horn,[b] my stronghold!(B)
4 Praised be the Lord, I exclaim!
I have been delivered from my enemies.
II
5 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.
6 The cords[c] of Sheol encircled me;
the snares of death lay in wait for me.(C)
7 In my distress I called out: Lord!
I cried out to my God.(D)
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry to him reached his ears.
8 [d]The earth rocked and shook;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;
they shook as his wrath flared up.(E)
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils,
a devouring fire from his mouth;
it kindled coals into flame.
10 He parted the heavens and came down,
a dark cloud under his feet.(F)
11 Mounted on a cherub[e] he flew,
borne along on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his cloak around him;
his canopy, water-darkened stormclouds.
13 From the gleam before him, his clouds passed,
hail and coals of fire.(G)
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High made his voice resound.(H)
15 He let fly his arrows[f] and scattered them;
shot his lightning bolts and dispersed them.(I)
16 Then the bed of the sea appeared;
the world’s foundations lay bare,(J)
At your rebuke, O Lord,
at the storming breath of your nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and seized me;
drew me out of the deep waters.(K)
18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy,
from foes too powerful for me.
19 They attacked me on my day of distress,
but the Lord was my support.
20 He set me free in the open;
he rescued me because he loves me.
III
21 The Lord acknowledged my righteousness,
rewarded my clean hands.(L)
22 For I kept the ways of the Lord;
I was not disloyal to my God.
23 For his laws were all before me,
his decrees I did not cast aside.
24 I was honest toward him;
I was on guard against sin.
25 So the Lord rewarded my righteousness,
the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 Toward the faithful you are faithful;
to the honest man you are honest;(M)
27 Toward the pure, you are pure;
but to the perverse you are devious.
28 For humble people you save;
haughty eyes you bring low.(N)
29 For you, Lord, give light to my lamp;
my God brightens my darkness.(O)
30 With you I can rush an armed band,
with my God to help I can leap a wall.
31 God’s way is unerring;
the Lord’s promise is refined;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.(P)
IV
32 Truly, who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is the rock?(Q)
33 This God who girded me with might,
kept my way unerring,
34 Who made my feet like a deer’s,
and set me on the heights,(R)
35 Who trained my hands for war,
my arms to string a bow of bronze.[g](S)
V
36 You have given me your saving shield;
your right hand has upheld me;
your favor made me great.
37 You made room for my steps beneath me;
my ankles never twisted.(T)
38 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
39 I decimated them; they could not rise;
they fell at my feet.
40 You girded me with valor for war,
subjugated my opponents beneath me.
41 You made my foes expose their necks to me;
those who hated me I silenced.
42 They cried for help, but no one saved them;
cried to the Lord but received no answer.
43 I ground them to dust before the wind;
I left them like mud in the streets.
44 You rescued me from the strife of peoples;
you made me head over nations.
A people I had not known served me;
45 as soon as they heard of me they obeyed.
Foreigners submitted before me;
46 foreigners cringed;
they came cowering from their dungeons.(U)
VI
47 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!(V)
Exalted be God, my savior!
48 O God who granted me vengeance,
made peoples subject to me,(W)
49 and saved me from my enemies,
Truly you have elevated me above my opponents,
from a man of lawlessness you have rescued me.
50 Thus I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.(X)
51 You have given great victories to your king,
and shown mercy to his anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.(Y)
Chapter 29
1 Those stiff-necked in the face of reproof
in an instant will be shattered beyond cure.[a]
2 When the just flourish, the people rejoice;
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.[b](A)
3 Whoever loves wisdom gives joy to his father,
but whoever consorts with harlots squanders his wealth.
4 By justice a king builds up the land;
but one who raises taxes tears it down.[c]
5 Those who speak flattery to their neighbor
cast a net at their feet.[d]
6 The sin of the wicked is a trap,
but the just run along joyfully.(B)
7 The just care for the cause of the poor;
the wicked do not understand such care.[e]
8 Scoffers enflame the city,
but the wise calm the fury.(C)
9 If a wise person disputes with a fool,
there is railing and ridicule but no resolution.
10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless,
but the upright seek his life.[f]
11 Fools give vent to all their anger;
but the wise, biding their time, control it.(D)
12 If rulers listen to lying words,
their servants all become wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor meet:(E)
the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king is honestly for the rights of the poor,
his throne stands firm forever.(F)
15 The rod of correction gives wisdom,
but uncontrolled youths disgrace their mothers.(G)
16 When the wicked increase, crime increases;
but the just will behold their downfall.[g]
17 Discipline your children, and they will bring you comfort,
and give delight to your soul.
18 Without a vision the people lose restraint;
but happy is the one who follows instruction.[h]
19 Not by words alone can servants be trained;(H)
for they understand but do not respond.[i]
20 Do you see someone hasty in speech?(I)
There is more hope for a fool!
21 If servants are pampered from childhood
they will turn out to be stubborn.
22 The ill-tempered stir up strife,
and the hotheaded cause many sins.(J)
23 Haughtiness brings humiliation,
but the humble of spirit acquire honor.[j](K)
24 Partners of a thief hate themselves;[k]
they hear the imprecation but do not testify.
25 Fear of others becomes a snare,
but the one who trusts in the Lord is safe.
26 Many curry favor with a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that one receives justice.
27 An abomination to the just, the evildoer;
an abomination to the wicked, one whose way is straight.
III. Concluding Exhortations
Chapter 3[a]
Request for Prayers. 1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you,(A) 2 and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.(B) 4 We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you [both] are doing and will continue to do.(C) 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.
Neglect of Work. 6 We instruct you, brothers, in the name of [our] Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us.[b] 7 For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, 8 nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.(D) 9 Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.(E) 10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.(F) 11 We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.(G) 12 Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food. 13 But you, brothers, do not be remiss in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey our word as expressed in this letter, take note of this person not to associate with him, that he may be put to shame. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.(H) 16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.(I)
IV. Final Greetings
17 This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s. This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write.(J) 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.