M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Clean and Unclean Animals
(Deuteronomy 14.3-21)
11 (A)(B) The Lord told Moses and Aaron 2 to say to the community of Israel:
You may eat 3 any animal that has divided hoofs and chews the cud.[a] 4-8 But you must not eat animals such as camels, rock badgers, and rabbits that chew the cud but don't have divided hoofs. And you must not eat pigs—they have divided hoofs, but don't chew the cud. All of these animals are unclean,[b] and you are forbidden even to touch their dead bodies.
9-12 You may eat anything that lives in water and has fins and scales. But it would be disgusting for you to eat anything else that lives in water, and you must not even touch their dead bodies.
13-19 Eagles, vultures, buzzards, crows, ostriches, hawks, sea gulls, owls, pelicans, storks, herons, hoopoes,[c] and bats are also disgusting, and you are forbidden to eat any of them.
20-23 The only winged insects you may eat are locusts, grasshoppers, and crickets. All other winged insects that crawl are too disgusting for you to eat.
24-28 Don't even touch the dead bodies of animals that have divided hoofs but don't chew the cud. And don't touch the dead bodies of animals that have paws. If you do, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
29-30 Moles, rats, mice, and all kinds of lizards are unclean. 31 Anyone who touches their dead bodies or anything touched by their dead bodies becomes unclean until evening. 32 If something made of wood, cloth, or leather touches one of their dead bodies, it must be washed, but it is still unclean until evening. 33 If any of these animals is found dead in a clay pot, the pot must be broken to pieces, and everything in it becomes unclean. 34 If you pour water from this pot on any food, that food becomes unclean, and anything drinkable in the pot becomes unclean.
35 If the dead body of one of these animals touches anything else, including ovens and stoves, that thing becomes unclean and must be destroyed. 36 A spring or a cistern where one of these dead animals is found is still clean, but anyone who touches the animal becomes unclean. 37 If the dead body of one of these animals is found lying on seeds that have been set aside for planting, the seeds remain clean. 38 But seeds that are soaking in water become unclean, if the dead animal is found in the water.
39 If an animal that may be eaten happens to die, and you touch it, you become unclean until evening. 40 If you eat any of its meat or carry its body away, you must wash your clothes, but you are still unclean until evening.
41-42 Don't eat any of those disgusting little creatures that crawl or walk close to the ground. 43 If you eat any of them, you will become just as disgusting and unclean as they are. 44 (C) I am the Lord your God, and you must dedicate yourselves to me and be holy, just as I am holy. Don't become disgusting by eating any of these unclean creatures. 45 I brought you out of Egypt so that I could be your God. Now you must become holy, because I am holy!
46-47 I have given these laws so that you will know what animals, birds, and fish are clean and may be eaten, and which ones are unclean and may not be eaten.
What Women Must Do after Giving Birth
12 The Lord told Moses 2 to say to the community of Israel:
If a woman gives birth to a son, she is unclean for seven days, just as she is during her monthly period. 3 (D) Her son must be circumcised on the eighth day, 4 but her loss of blood keeps her from being completely clean for another 33 days. During this time she must not touch anything holy or go to the place of worship. 5 Any woman who gives birth to a daughter is unclean for two weeks, just as she is during her period. And she won't be completely clean for another 66 days.
6 When the mother has completed her time of cleansing, she must come to the front of the sacred tent and bring to the priest a year-old lamb as a sacrifice to please me[d] and a dove or a pigeon as a sacrifice for sin. 7 After the priest offers the sacrifices to me, the mother will become completely clean from her loss of blood, whether her child is a boy or a girl. 8 (E) If she cannot afford a lamb, she can offer two doves or two pigeons, one as a sacrifice to please me and the other as a sacrifice for sin.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
A Prayer for the Lord's Help
1 How much longer, Lord,
will you forget about me?
Will it be forever?
How long will you hide?
2 How long must I be confused
and miserable all day?
How long will my enemies
keep beating me down?
3 Please listen, Lord God,
and answer my prayers.
Make my eyes sparkle again,
or else I will fall
into the sleep of death.
4 My enemies will say,
“Now we've won!”
They will be greatly pleased
when I am defeated.
5 I trust your love,
and I feel like celebrating
because you rescued me.
6 You have been good to me, Lord,
and I will sing about you.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
No One Can Ignore the Lord
1 (A) Only a fool would say,
“There is no God!”
People like that are worthless;
they are heartless and cruel
and never do right.
2 From heaven the Lord
looks down to see
if anyone is wise enough
to search for him.
3 But all of them are corrupt;
no one does right.
4 Won't you evil people learn?
You refuse to pray,
and you gobble up
the Lord's people.
5 But you will be frightened,
because God is on the side
of every good person.
6 You may spoil the plans
of the poor,
but the Lord protects them.
7 I long for someone from Zion
to come and save Israel!
Our Lord, when you bless
your people again,
Jacob's family will be glad,
and Israel will celebrate.
Don't Be a Fool
26 Expecting snow in summer
and rain in the dry season
makes more sense
than honoring a fool.
2 A curse you don't deserve
will take wings and fly away
like a sparrow or a swallow.
3 Horses and donkeys
must be beaten and bridled—
and so must fools.
4 Don't make a fool of yourself
by answering a fool.
5 But if you answer any fools,
show how foolish they are,
so they won't feel smart.
6 Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
just to spite yourself.
7 A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
with legs that can't move.[a]
8 Are you going to honor a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
with the rock tied tight?
9 A thornbush waved around
in the hand of a drunkard
is no worse than a proverb
in the mouth of a fool.
10 It's no smarter to shoot arrows
at every passerby
than it is to hire a bunch
of worthless nobodies.[b]
11 (A) Dogs return to eat their vomit,
just as fools repeat
their foolishness.
12 There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who says,
“I'm really smart!”
13 Don't be lazy and keep saying,
“There's a lion outside!”
14 A door turns on its hinges,
but a lazy person
just turns over in bed.
15 Some of us are so lazy
that we won't lift a hand
to feed ourselves.
16 A lazy person says,
“I am smarter
than everyone else.”
17 It's better to take hold
of a mad dog by the ears
than to take part
in someone else's argument.
18 It's no crazier to shoot
sharp and flaming arrows
19 than to cheat someone and say,
“I was only fooling!”
20 Where there is no fuel
a fire goes out;
where there is no gossip
arguments come to an end.
21 Troublemakers start trouble,
just as sparks and fuel
start a fire.
22 There is nothing so delicious
as the taste of gossip!
It melts in your mouth.
23 Hiding hateful thoughts
behind smooth[c] talk
is like coating a clay pot
with a cheap glaze.
24 The pleasant talk
of an enemy
hides more evil plans
25 than can be counted—
so don't believe a word!
26 Everyone will see through
those evil plans.
27 (B) If you dig a pit,
you will fall in;
if you start a stone rolling,
it will roll back on you.
28 Watch out for anyone
who tells lies and flatters—
they are out to get you.
5 I don't need to write you about the time or date when all this will happen. 2 (A) You surely know that the Lord's return[a] will be as a thief coming at night. 3 People will think they are safe and secure. But destruction will suddenly strike them like the pains of a woman about to give birth. And they won't escape.
4 My dear friends, you don't live in darkness, and so that day won't surprise you like a thief. 5 You belong to the light and live in the day. We don't live in the night or belong to the dark. 6 Others may sleep, but we should stay awake and be alert. 7 People sleep during the night, and some even get drunk. 8 (B) But we belong to the day. So we must stay sober and let our faith and love be like a suit of armor. Our firm hope that we will be saved is our helmet.
9 God doesn't intend to punish us, but wants us to be saved by our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 Christ died for us, so we could live with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes. 11 This is why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.
Final Instructions and Greetings
12 My friends, we ask you to be thoughtful of your leaders who work hard and tell you how to live for the Lord. 13 Show them great respect and love because of their work. Try to get along with each other. 14 My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn't living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 Don't be hateful to people, just because they are hateful to you. Rather, be good to each other and to everyone else.
16 Always be joyful 17 and never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
19 Don't turn away God's Spirit 20 or ignore prophecies. 21 Put everything to the test. Accept what is good 22 and don't have anything to do with evil.
23 I pray that God, who gives peace, will make you completely holy. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept healthy and faultless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 24 The one who chose you can be trusted, and he will do this.
25 Friends, please pray for us.
26 Give the Lord's followers a warm greeting.
27 In the name of the Lord I beg you to read this letter to all his followers.
28 I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you!
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