M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Whipping as Punishment for a Crime
Moses said to Israel:
25 1-2 Suppose you and someone else each accuse the other of doing something wrong, and you go to court, where the judges decide you are guilty. If your punishment is to be beaten with a whip,[a] one of the judges will order you to lie down, and you will receive the number of lashes you deserve. 3 (A) Forty lashes is the most that you can be given, because more than that might make other Israelites think you are worthless.
Don't Muzzle an Ox
Moses said to Israel:
4 (B) Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain.[b]
A Son for a Dead Brother
Moses said to Israel:
5-6 (C) Suppose two brothers are living on the same property, when one of them dies without having a son to carry on his name. If this happens, his widow must not marry anyone outside the family. Instead, she must marry her late husband's brother, and their first son will be the legal son of the dead man.
7 (D) But suppose the brother refuses to marry the widow. She must go to a meeting of the town leaders at the town gate and say, “My husband died without having a son to carry on his name. And my husband's brother refuses to marry me so I can have a son.”
8 The leaders will call the living brother to the town gate and try to persuade him to marry the widow. But if he doesn't change his mind and marry her, 9 she must go over to him while the town leaders watch. She will pull off one of his sandals and spit in his face, while saying, “That's what happens to a man who won't help provide descendants for his dead brother.” 10 From then on, that man's family will be known as “the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off.”
When Two Men Fight
Moses said to Israel:
11 If two men are fighting, and the wife of one man tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the other man's private parts, 12 you must cut off her hand. Don't have any mercy.
Be Honest in Business
Moses said to Israel:
13-14 (E) Don't try to cheat people by having two sets of weights or measures, one to get more when you are buying, and the other to give less when you are selling. 15 If you weigh and measure things honestly, the Lord your God will let you enjoy a long life in the land he is giving you. 16 But the Lord is disgusted with anyone who cheats or is dishonest.
Wipe Out Amalek
Moses said:
17 (F) People of Israel, do you remember what the Amalekites did to you after you came out of Egypt? 18 You were tired, and they followed along behind, attacking those who could not keep up with the others. This showed that the Amalekites have no respect for God.
19 The Lord your God will help you capture the land, and he will give you peace. But when that day comes, you must wipe out Amalek so completely that no one will remember they ever lived.
When the Lord Saves You from Death
1 I love you, Lord!
You answered my prayers.
2 You paid attention to me,
and so I will pray to you
as long as I live.
3 Death attacked from all sides,
and I was captured
by its painful chains.
But when I was really hurting,
4 I prayed and said, “Lord,
please don't let me die!”
5 You are kind, Lord,
so good and merciful.
6 You protect ordinary people,
and when I was helpless,
you saved me
7 and treated me so kindly
that I don't need
to worry anymore.
8 You, Lord, have saved
my life from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 Now I will walk at your side
in this land of the living.
10 (A) I was faithful to you
when I was suffering,
11 though in my confusion I said,
“I can't trust anyone!”
12 What must I give you, Lord,
for being so good to me?
13 I will pour out an offering
of wine to you,
and I will pray in your name
because you
have saved me.
14 I will keep my promise to you
when your people meet.
15 You are deeply concerned
when one of your loyal people
faces death.
16 I worship you, Lord,
just as my mother did,
and you have rescued me
from the chains of death.
17 I will offer you a sacrifice
to show how grateful I am,
and I will pray.
18 I will keep my promise to you
when your people
19 gather at your temple
in Jerusalem.
Shout praises to the Lord!
Jerusalem Can Celebrate
52 (A) Jerusalem, wake up!
Stand up and be strong.
Holy city of Zion,
dress in your best clothes.
Those foreigners who ruined
your sacred city
won't bother you again.
2 Zion, rise from the dirt!
Free yourself from the rope
around your neck.
Suffering Will End
3 The Lord says:
My people, you were sold,
but not for money;
now you will be set free,
but not for a payment.
4 Long ago you went to Egypt
where you lived
as foreigners.
Then Assyria was cruel to you,
5 (B) and now another nation[a]
has taken you prisoner
for no reason at all.
Your leaders groan with pain,[b]
and day after day
my own name is cursed.
6 My people, you will learn
who I am and who is speaking
because I am here.
A Message of Hope for Jerusalem
7 (C) What a beautiful sight!
On the mountains a messenger
announces to Jerusalem,
“Good news! You're saved.
There will be peace.
Your God is now King.”
8 Everyone on guard duty,
sing and celebrate!
Look! You can see the Lord
returning to Zion.
9 Jerusalem, rise from the ruins!
Join in the singing.
The Lord has given comfort
to his people;
he comes to your rescue.
10 The Lord has shown all nations
his mighty strength;
now everyone will see
the saving power of our God.
A Command To Leave Babylon
11 (D) Leave the city of Babylon!
Don't touch anything filthy.
Wash yourselves. Be ready
to carry back everything sacred
that belongs to the Lord.
12 You won't need to run.
No one is chasing you.
The Lord God of Israel
will lead and protect you
from enemy attacks.
The Suffering Servant
13 The Lord says:
My servant will succeed!
He will be given great praise
and the highest honors.
14 Many were horrified
at what happened to him.[c]
But everyone who saw him
was even more horrified
because he suffered until
he no longer looked human.[d]
15 (E) My servant will make
nations worthy to worship me;[e]
kings will be silent
as they bow in wonder.[f]
They will see and think about
things they have never seen
or thought about before.
22 (A) The angel showed me a river that was crystal clear, and its waters gave life. The river came from the throne where God and the Lamb were seated. 2 (B) Then it flowed down the middle of the city's main street. On each side of the river are trees[a] that grow a different kind of fruit each month of the year. The fruit gives life, and the leaves are used as medicine to heal the nations.
3 (C) God's curse will no longer be on the people of that city. He and the Lamb will be seated there on their thrones, and its people will worship God 4 (D) and will see him face to face. God's name will be written on the foreheads of the people. 5 (E) Never again will night appear, and no one who lives there will ever need a lamp or the sun. The Lord God will be their light, and they will rule forever.
The Coming of Christ
6 Then I was told:
These words are true and can be trusted. The Lord God controls the spirits of his prophets, and he is the one who sent his angel to show his servants what must happen very soon. 7 Remember, I am coming soon! God will bless everyone who pays attention to the message of this book.
8 My name is John, and I am the one who heard and saw these things. Then after I had heard and seen all this, I knelt down and began to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown it to me.
9 But the angel said,
Don't do that! I am a servant, just like you. I am the same as a follower or a prophet or anyone else who obeys what is written in this book. God is the one you should worship.
10 Don't keep the prophecies in this book a secret. These things will happen soon.
11 (F) Evil people will keep on being evil, and everyone who is dirty-minded will still be dirty-minded. But good people will keep on doing right, and God's people will always be holy.
12 (G) Then I was told:
I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done. 13 (H) I am Alpha and Omega,[b] the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
14 (I) God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city. 15 But outside the city will be dogs, witches, immoral people, murderers, idol worshipers, and everyone who loves to tell lies and do wrong.
16 (J) I am Jesus! And I am the one who sent my angel to tell all of you these things for the churches. I am David's Great Descendant,[c] and I am also the bright morning star.[d]
17 (K) The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
Everyone who hears this[e] should say, “Come!”
If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It's free!
18 (L) Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book:
If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. 19 If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book.
20 The one who has spoken these things says, “I am coming soon!”
So, Lord Jesus, please come soon!
21 I pray that the Lord Jesus will be kind to all of you.
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