M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Instructions for the priests’ clothing
28 Summon to you your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, and Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 Make holy clothing that will give honor and dignity to your brother Aaron. 3 Tell all who are skilled, to whom I have given special abilities, to make clothing for Aaron for his dedication to serve me as a priest. 4 These are the articles of clothing that they should make: a chest pendant, a vest, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. When they make this holy clothing for your brother Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests, 5 they should use gold, blue, purple, and deep red yarns and fine linen.
Priest’s ornamental vest
6 They should make the vest of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns and of fine twisted linen with embroidered designs. 7 The vest will have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges so that they may be joined together. 8 The vest’s belt should be attached to it and made in the same way of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns and fine twisted linen. 9 Take two gemstones and engrave on them the names of Israel’s sons, 10 six names on one stone and the other six names on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 Like a gem cutter who engraves official seals, you will engrave the two stones with the names of Israel’s sons. Mount them in gold settings. 12 Attach the two stones to the vest’s shoulder pieces as stones of reminder for the Israelites. Aaron will carry into the Lord’s presence their names on his two shoulders as a reminder. 13 Then make gold settings 14 along with two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords. Attach the corded chains to the gold settings.
Priest’s chest pendant used for making decisions
15 Make an embroidered chest pendant used for making decisions. Make it in the style of the vest, using gold, blue and purple and deep red yarns, and fine twisted linen. 16 It will be square and doubled, nine inches long and nine inches wide. 17 Set in it four rows of gemstone settings. The first row will be a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald stones. 18 The second row will be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a moonstone. 19 The third row will be a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. 20 The fourth row will be a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Their settings will be made of decorative gold. 21 There will be twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of Israel’s sons. They will be engraved like official seals, each with its name for the twelve tribes.
22 Make chains of pure gold twisted like cords for the chest pendant. 23 Make two gold rings for the chest pendant and attach the two rings to the two edges of the chest pendant. 24 Attach the two gold cords to the two rings at the edges of the chest pendant. 25 Then fasten the two ends of the cords to the two settings, which you should attach to the vest’s two front shoulder pieces. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the two ends of the chest pendant on its inside edge facing the vest. 27 Make two gold rings and fasten them on the front of the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the vest, at its seam just above the vest’s belt. 28 The chest pendant should be held in place by a blue cord binding its rings to the vest’s rings so that the chest pendant rests on the vest’s belt and won’t come loose from the vest. 29 In this way, Aaron will carry the names of Israel’s sons on the chest pendant for making decisions over his heart when he goes into the sanctuary as a reminder before the Lord at all times. 30 Put into the chest pendant used for making decisions the Urim and the Thummim, so they will be over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the Lord’s presence. In this way, Aaron will carry the means to make decisions for the Israelites over his heart when in the Lord’s presence at all times.
Instructions for other priestly clothing
31 You will make the robe for the vest all of blue. 32 The opening for the head should be in the middle of it. The opening should be reinforced by a woven binding, a strong border so that it doesn’t tear. 33 On its lower hem add pomegranates made of blue, purple, and deep red yarns all around the lower hem, with gold bells between the pomegranates all around it. 34 A gold bell and a pomegranate should alternate all around the lower hem of the robe. 35 Aaron will wear the robe when he ministers as a priest. Its sound will be heard when he goes into the sanctuary in the Lord’s presence and when he comes out, so that he will not die.
36 Make a flower ornament of pure gold and engrave on it like an official seal: “Holy to the Lord.” 37 You should fasten it on the turban with a blue cord. It should be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron will take on himself any guilt connected with the holy offerings that the Israelites give as their sacred donations. It will always be on his forehead so that the people may be remembered favorably in the Lord’s presence.
39 Weave the tunic out of fine linen. Make the turban out of fine linen. Make a sash decorated with needlework. 40 For Aaron’s sons, you should also make tunics, sashes, and turbans to mark their honor and dignity. 41 Put these garments on your brother Aaron and on his sons with him. Anoint them with oil, ordain them, and make them holy to serve me as priests. 42 You should also make linen undergarments for them to cover their naked skin from their hips to their thighs. 43 Aaron and his sons should wear this clothing when they go into the meeting tent or when they approach the altar to minister as priests in the sanctuary. Otherwise, they will bring guilt on themselves and die. This will be a permanent regulation for him and for his descendants after him.
Jesus goes to Jerusalem
7 After this Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea, because the Jewish authorities wanted to kill him. 2 When it was almost time for the Jewish Festival of Booths, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee. Go to Judea so that your disciples can see the amazing works that you do. 4 Those who want to be known publicly don’t do things secretly. Since you can do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 His brothers said this because even they didn’t believe in him.
6 Jesus replied, “For you, anytime is fine. But my time hasn’t come yet. 7 The world can’t hate you. It hates me, though, because I testify that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the festival. I’m not going to this one because my time hasn’t yet come.” 9 Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. 10 However, after his brothers left for the festival, he went too—not openly but in secret.
11 The Jewish leaders were looking for Jesus at the festival. They kept asking, “Where is he?” 12 The crowds were murmuring about him. “He’s a good man,” some said, but others were saying, “No, he tricks the people.” 13 No one spoke about him publicly, though, for fear of the Jewish authorities.
Jesus teaches in the temple
14 Halfway through the festival, Jesus went up to the temple and started to teach. 15 Astonished, the Jewish leaders asked, “He’s never been taught! How has he mastered the Law?”
16 Jesus responded, “My teaching isn’t mine but comes from the one who sent me. 17 Whoever wants to do God’s will can tell whether my teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Those who speak on their own seek glory for themselves. Those who seek the glory of him who sent me are people of truth; there’s no falsehood in them. 19 Didn’t Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you keep the Law. Why do you want to kill me?”
20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon. Who wants to kill you?”
21 Jesus replied, “I did one work, and you were all astonished. 22 Because Moses gave you the commandment about circumcision (although it wasn’t Moses but the patriarchs), you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man can be circumcised on the Sabbath without breaking Moses’ Law, why are you angry with me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 Don’t judge according to appearances. Judge with right judgment.”
25 Some people from Jerusalem said, “Isn’t he the one they want to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking in public, yet they aren’t saying anything to him. Could it be that our leaders actually think he is the Christ? 27 We know where he is from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he exclaimed, “You know me and where I am from. I haven’t come on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. 29 I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” 30 So they wanted to seize Jesus, but they couldn’t because his time hadn’t yet come.
31 Many from that crowd believed in Jesus. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man does?” 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about Jesus, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent guards to arrest him.
33 Therefore, Jesus said, “I’m still with you for a little while before I go to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you won’t find me, and where I am you can’t come.”
35 The Jewish opposition asked each other, “Where does he intend to go that we can’t find him? Surely he doesn’t intend to go where our people have been scattered and are living among the Greeks! He isn’t going to teach the Greeks, is he? 36 What does he mean when he says, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me, and where I am you can’t come’?”
37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted,
“All who are thirsty should come to me!
38 All who believe in me should drink!
As the scriptures said concerning me,[a]
Rivers of living water will flow out from within him.”
39 Jesus said this concerning the Spirit. Those who believed in him would soon receive the Spirit, but they hadn’t experienced the Spirit yet since Jesus hadn’t yet been glorified.
40 When some in the crowd heard these words, they said, “This man is truly the prophet.” 41 Others said, “He’s the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ can’t come from Galilee, can he? 42 Didn’t the scripture say that the Christ comes from David’s family and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” 43 So the crowd was divided over Jesus. 44 Some wanted to arrest him, but no one grabbed him.
45 The guards returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked, “Why didn’t you bring him?”
46 The guards answered, “No one has ever spoken the way he does.”
47 The Pharisees replied, “Have you too been deceived? 48 Have any of the leaders believed in him? Has any Pharisee? 49 No, only this crowd, which doesn’t know the Law. And they are under God’s curse!”
50 Nicodemus, who was one of them and had come to Jesus earlier, said, 51 “Our Law doesn’t judge someone without first hearing him and learning what he is doing, does it?”
52 They answered him, “You are not from Galilee too, are you? Look it up and you will see that the prophet doesn’t come from Galilee.”
Pharisees test Jesus
53 They each went to their own homes,
Love wisdom
4 Hear, children, fatherly instruction;
pay attention to gain understanding.
2 I’ll teach you well.
Don’t abandon my instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
tender and my mother’s favorite,
4 he taught me and said to me:
“Let your heart hold on to my words:
Keep my commands and live.
5 Get wisdom; get understanding.
Don’t forget and don’t turn away from my words.
6 Don’t abandon her, and she will guard you.
Love her, and she will protect you.
7 The beginning of wisdom:
Get wisdom!
Get understanding before anything else.
8 Highly esteem her, and she will exalt you.
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place a graceful wreath on your head;
she will give you a glorious crown.”
Stay on the path of wisdom
10 Listen, my son, and take in my speech,
then the years of your life will be many.
11 I teach you the path of wisdom.
I lead you in straight courses.
12 When you walk, you won’t be hindered;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t slack off;
protect it, for it is your life.
14 Don’t go on the way of the wicked;
don’t walk on the path of evil people.
15 Avoid it! Don’t turn onto it;
stay off of it and keep going!
16 They don’t sleep unless they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of evil,
and they drink the wine of violence.
18 The way of the righteous is like morning light
that gets brighter and brighter till it is full day.
19 The path of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they don’t know where they will stumble.
Be careful about what you say
20 My son, pay attention to my words.
Bend your ear to my speech.
21 Don’t let them slip from your sight.
Guard them in your mind.
22 They are life to those who find them,
and healing for their entire body.
23 More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.
24 Have nothing to do with a corrupt mouth;
keep devious lips far from you.
25 Focus your eyes straight ahead;
keep your gaze on what is in front of you.
26 Watch your feet on the way,
and all your paths will be secure.
27 Don’t deviate a bit to the right or the left;
turn your feet away from evil.
Works versus the Spirit
3 You irrational Galatians! Who put a spell on you? Jesus Christ was put on display as crucified before your eyes! 2 I just want to know this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the Law or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so irrational? After you started with the Spirit, are you now finishing up with your own human effort? 4 Did you experience so much for nothing? I wonder if it really was for nothing. 5 So does the one providing you with the Spirit and working miracles among you do this by you doing the works of the Law or by you believing what you heard?
Abraham: an example of righteousness
6 Understand that in the same way that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,[a] 7 those who believe are the children of Abraham. 8 But when it saw ahead of time that God would make the Gentiles righteous on the basis of faith, scripture preached the gospel in advance to Abraham: All the Gentiles will be blessed in you.[b] 9 Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed.
10 All those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone is cursed who does not keep on doing all the things that have been written in the Law scroll.[c] 11 But since no one is made righteous by the Law as far as God is concerned, it is clear that the righteous one will live on the basis of faith.[d] 12 The Law isn’t based on faith; rather, the one doing these things will live by them.[e] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us—because it is written, Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.[f] 14 He redeemed us so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, and that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brothers and sisters, I’ll use an example from human experience. No one ignores or makes additions to a validated will. 16 The promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn’t say, “and to the descendants,” as if referring to many rather than just one. It says, “and to your descendant,” who is Christ. 17 I’m saying this: the Law, which came four hundred thirty years later, doesn’t invalidate the agreement that was previously validated by God so that it cancels the promise. 18 If the inheritance were based upon the Law, it would no longer be from the promise. But God has given it graciously to Abraham through a promise.
The Law’s origin and purpose
19 So why was the Law given? It was added because of offenses, until the descendant would come to whom the promise had been made. It was put in place through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now the mediator does not take one side; but God is one. 21 So, is the Law against the promises of God? Absolutely not! If a Law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would in fact have come from the Law. 22 But scripture locked up all things under sin, so that the promise based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ might be given to those who have faith. 23 Before faith came, we were guarded under the Law, locked up until faith that was coming would be revealed, 24 so that the Law became our custodian until Christ so that we might be made righteous by faith.
God’s children are heirs in Christ
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian.
26 You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 Now if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible