M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
5 “ ‘Suppose someone has been called as a witness to something they have seen or learned about. Then if they do not tell what they know, they have sinned. And they will be held responsible for it.
2 “ ‘Or suppose someone touches something not “clean.” It could be the dead bodies of wild animals or of livestock. Or it could be the dead bodies of creatures that move along the ground. Even though those people are not aware that they touched them, they have become “unclean.” And they are guilty. 3 Or suppose they touch something “unclean” that comes from a human being. It could be anything that would make them “unclean.” Suppose they are not aware that they touched it. When they find out about it, they will be guilty. 4 Or suppose someone makes a promise to do something without thinking it through. It does not matter what they promised. It does not matter whether they made the promise without thinking about it carefully. And suppose they are not aware that they did not think it through. When they find out about it, they will be guilty. 5 When someone is guilty in any of those ways, they must admit they have sinned. 6 They must bring a sin offering to pay for the sin they have committed. They must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock. The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for the person’s sin.
7 “ ‘Suppose they can’t afford a lamb. Then they must get two doves or two young pigeons. They must bring them to the Lord to pay for their sin. One of them is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. 8 They must bring them to the priest. The priest will offer the one for the sin offering first. He must twist its head. But he must not twist it off completely. 9 Then he must splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar. He must empty out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 Then the priest will offer the other bird as a burnt offering. He must do it in the way the law requires. That will pay for the sin they have committed. And they will be forgiven.
11 “ ‘But suppose they can’t afford two doves or two young pigeons. Then they must bring three and a half pounds of the finest flour as an offering for their sin. It is a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it. That is because it is a sin offering. 12 They must bring it to the priest. The priest must take a handful of it. He must burn that part on the altar. It will be a reminder that all good things come from the Lord. The priest must burn it on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is a sin offering. 13 In that way the priest will pay for any of the sins they have committed. And they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest. It is the same as in the case of the grain offering.’ ”
Rules for Guilt Offerings
14 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 15 “Suppose someone is unfaithful to me and sins. And they do it without meaning to. Here is how they sin against me or my priests. They refuse to give the priests one of the holy things set apart for them. Then they must bring me a ram from the flock. It must not have any flaws. It must be worth the required amount of silver. The silver must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The ram is a guilt offering. It will pay for their sin. 16 They must also pay for the holy thing they refused to give. They must add a fifth of its value to it. They must give all of it to the priest. The priest will pay for their sin with the ram. It is a guilt offering. And they will be forgiven.
17 “Suppose someone sins by doing something I command them not to do. Even though they do not know it, they are guilty. They will be held responsible for it. 18 They must bring to the priest a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. It must not have any flaws. And it must be worth the required amount of money. The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for what they have done wrong without meaning to. And they will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering. They have been guilty of doing wrong against me.”
A psalm of David when he ran away from his son Absalom.
3 Lord, I have so many enemies!
So many people are rising up against me!
2 Many are saying about me,
“God will not save him.”
3 Lord, you are like a shield that keeps me safe.
You bring me honor. You help me win the battle.
4 I call out to the Lord.
He answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep.
I wake up again, because the Lord takes care of me.
6 I won’t be afraid even though tens of thousands
attack me on every side.
7 Lord, rise up!
My God, save me!
Strike all my enemies in the face.
Break the teeth of sinful people.
8 Lord, you are the one who saves.
May your blessing be on your people.
For the director of music. A psalm of David to be played on stringed instruments.
4 My faithful God,
answer me when I call out to you.
Give me rest from my trouble.
Have mercy on me. Hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love what will certainly fail you?
How long will you pray to statues of gods?
3 Remember that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself.
The Lord hears me when I call out to him.
4 Tremble and do not sin.
When you are in bed,
look deep down inside yourself and be silent.
5 Offer to the Lord the sacrifices that godly people offer.
Trust in him.
6 Lord, many are asking, “Who will make us successful?”
Lord, may you do good things for us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
when the people have lots of grain and fresh wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep.
Lord, you alone keep me safe.
20 Wine causes you to make fun of others, and beer causes you to start fights.
Anyone who is led astray by them is not wise.
2 A king’s anger brings terror like a lion’s roar.
Anyone who makes him angry may lose their life.
3 Avoiding a fight brings honor to a person.
But every foolish person is quick to argue.
4 Anyone who refuses to work doesn’t plow in the right season.
When they look for a crop at harvest time, they don’t find it.
5 The purposes of a person’s heart are like deep water.
But one who has understanding brings them out.
6 Many claim to have love that never fails.
But who can find a faithful person?
7 Those who do what is right live without blame.
Blessed are their children after them.
8 A king sits on his throne to judge.
He gets rid of all evil when he sees it.
9 No one can say, “I have kept my heart pure.
I’m ‘clean,’ and I haven’t sinned.”
10 The Lord hates two things.
He hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are.
He also hates measures that measure things larger or smaller than they really are.
11 Even small children are known by their actions.
So is their conduct really pure and right?
12 The Lord has made two things.
He has made ears that hear.
He has also made eyes that see.
13 Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor.
Stay awake, and you will have more food than you need.
14 “It’s no good. It’s no good!” says a buyer.
Then off they go and brag about what they bought.
15 There is gold, and there are plenty of rubies.
But lips that speak knowledge are a priceless jewel.
16 Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes.
Hold it until you get paid back if it is done for an outsider.
17 Food gained by cheating tastes sweet.
But you will end up with a mouth full of gravel.
18 Plans are made by asking for guidance.
So if you go to war, get good advice.
19 A person who talks about others tells secrets.
So avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If anyone asks for bad things to happen to their father or mother,
that person’s lamp will be blown out in total darkness.
21 Property that you claim too soon
will not be blessed in the end.
22 Don’t say, “I’ll get even with you for the wrong you did to me!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will make things right for you.
23 The Lord hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are.
Scales that are not honest don’t please him.
24 The Lord directs a person’s steps.
So how can anyone understand their own way?
25 A person is trapped if they make a hasty promise to God
and only later thinks about what they said.
26 A wise king gets rid of evil people.
He runs the threshing wheel over them.
27 The spirit of a person is the lamp of the Lord.
It lights up what is deep down inside them.
28 Love and truth keep a king safe.
Faithful love makes his throne secure.
29 Young men are proud of their strength.
Gray hair brings honor to old men.
30 Blows and wounds scrub evil away.
And beatings make you pure deep down inside.
Teachings About Holy Living
3 You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God’s right hand. 2 Think about things that are in heaven. Don’t think about things that are only on earth. 3 You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven’s glory.
5 So put to death anything that comes from sinful desires. Get rid of sexual sins and impure acts. Don’t let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil desires. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods. 6 God’s anger is going to come because of these things. 7 That’s the way you lived at one time in your life. 8 But now here are the kinds of things you must also get rid of. You must get rid of anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths. 9 Don’t lie to one another. You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits. 10 You have started living a new life. Your knowledge of how that life should have the Creator’s likeness is being made new. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew. There is no difference between those who are circumcised and those who are not. There is no rude outsider, or even a Scythian. There is no slave or free person. But Christ is everything. And he is in everything.
12 You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. 13 Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one.
15 Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. As parts of one body, you were appointed to live in peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ live among you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct one another wisely. Teach one another by singing psalms and hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing to God with thanks in your hearts. 17 Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ.
Teachings About Christian Families
18 Wives, follow the lead of your husbands. That’s what the Lord wants you to do.
19 Husbands, love your wives. Don’t be mean to them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything. That pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, don’t make your children bitter. If you do, they will lose hope.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything. Don’t do it just to please them when they are watching you. Obey them with an honest heart. Do it out of respect for the Lord. 23 Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters. 24 Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are slaves of the Lord Christ. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be paid back for what they do. God treats everyone the same.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.