M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Preparing the Priests to Serve the Lord
8 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 2 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting. Bring their clothes and the anointing oil. Bring the bull for the sin offering. Also bring two rams. And bring the basket with the bread made without yeast. 3 Then gather the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” 4 Moses did just as the Lord had commanded him. All the people gathered together at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
5 Moses said to the people, “Here is what the Lord has commanded us to do.” 6 Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the people. He washed Aaron and his sons with water. 7 He put the inner robe on Aaron. He tied the belt around him. He dressed him in the outer robe. He put the linen apron on him. He took the skillfully made waistband and tied the apron on him with it. He wanted to make sure it was securely tied to him. 8 Moses placed the chest cloth on Aaron. He put the Urim and Thummim in the chest cloth. 9 Then he placed the turban on Aaron’s head. On the front of the turban he put the gold plate. It was a sacred crown. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.
10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and poured it on the holy tent. He also poured it on everything in it. That’s how he set apart those things for the Lord. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times. He poured oil on the altar and all its tools. He poured it on the large bowl and its stand. He did it to set them apart. 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head. He anointed him to set him apart to serve the Lord. 13 Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put the inner robes on them. He tied belts around them. He put caps on their heads. He did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.
14 Then he brought the bull for the sin offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. 15 Moses killed the bull. He dipped his finger into some of the blood. He put it on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar. He did it to make the altar pure. He poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. So he set it apart to make it pure. 16 Moses also removed all the fat around the inside parts of the bull. He removed the long part of the liver. He took both kidneys and their fat. Then he burned all of it on the altar. 17 But he burned the rest of the bull outside the camp. He burned up its hide, its meat and its guts. He did it just as the Lord had commanded him.
18 Then Moses brought the ram for the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. 19 Moses killed the ram. He splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. 20 He cut the ram into pieces. He burned the head, the other pieces and the fat. 21 He washed the inside parts and the legs with water. He burned the whole ram on the altar as a burnt offering. It had a pleasant smell. It was a food offering presented to the Lord. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.
22 Then he brought the other ram. It was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. 23 Moses killed the ram. He put some of its blood on Aaron’s right earlobe. He put some on the thumb of Aaron’s right hand. He also put some on the big toe of Aaron’s right foot. 24 Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons to the people. He put some of the blood on their right earlobes. He put some on the thumbs of their right hands. He also put some on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. 25 He removed the fat, the fat tail and all the fat around the inside parts. He removed the long part of the liver. He removed both kidneys and their fat. And he removed the right thigh. 26 Then he took a thick loaf of bread from the basket of bread made without yeast. The basket was in front of the Lord. Moses took a thick loaf of bread made with olive oil. He also took a thin loaf of bread. He put all of it on the fat parts of the ram and on its right thigh. 27 He put everything in the hands of Aaron and his sons. He told them to lift it up and wave it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. 28 Then Moses took it from their hands. He burned it on the altar on top of the burnt offering. It was the offering that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. It had a pleasant smell. It was a food offering presented to the Lord. 29 Moses also lifted up the ram’s breast and waved it in front of the Lord as a wave offering. The breast was Moses’ share of the ram that was sacrificed to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him.
30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil. He also took some of the blood from the altar. He sprinkled some of the oil and blood on Aaron and his clothes. He also sprinkled some on Aaron’s sons and their clothes. That’s how he set apart Aaron and his clothes. And that’s how he set apart Aaron’s sons and their clothes.
31 Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons. He said, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Eat it there along with the bread from the basket of the offerings that are brought to prepare the priests for serving the Lord. Do it just as I was commanded. I was told, ‘Aaron and his sons must eat it.’ 32 Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. 33 Don’t leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days. Don’t leave until the days that are required to prepare you for serving the Lord have been completed. Stay here for the full seven days. 34 The Lord commanded what has been done here today. It was done to pay for your sin. 35 Stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days. Stay here day and night. Do what the Lord requires. Then you won’t die. That’s the command the Lord gave me.”
36 So Aaron and his sons did everything just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
For the director of music. A psalm of David to the tune of “The Death of the Son.”
9 Lord, I will give thanks to you with all my heart.
I will tell about all the wonderful things you have done.
2 I will be glad and full of joy because of you.
Most High God, I will sing the praises of your name.
3 My enemies turn back.
They fall down and die right in front of you.
4 You have proved that I haven’t done anything wrong.
You have sat on your throne and judged fairly.
5 You have punished the nations. You have destroyed evil people.
You have erased their names from your book for ever and ever.
6 My enemies have been destroyed forever.
You have leveled their cities to the ground.
Even the memory of them is gone.
7 The Lord rules forever.
He has set up his throne so that he can judge people.
8 He rules the world in keeping with what is right.
He judges all its people fairly.
9 The Lord is a place of safety for those who have been treated badly.
He keeps them safe in times of trouble.
10 Lord, those who know you will trust in you.
You have never deserted those who look to you.
11 Sing the praises of the Lord. He rules from his throne in Zion.
Tell among the nations what he has done.
12 The God who pays back murderers remembers.
He doesn’t forget the cries of those who are hurting.
13 Lord, see how badly my enemies treat me!
Help me! Don’t let me go down to the gates of death!
14 Then I can give praise to you
at the gates of the city of Zion.
There I will be full of joy
because you have saved me.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug.
Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The Lord is known to be fair by the things he does.
Evil people are trapped by what they have done.
17 Sinful people go down to the place of the dead.
So do all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget needy people.
The hope of those who are hurting will never die.
19 Lord, rise up. Don’t let people win the battle.
Let the nations come to you and be judged.
20 Lord, strike them with terror.
Let the nations know they are only human beings.
Saying 7
23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
look carefully at what’s in front of you.
2 Put a knife to your throat
if you like to eat too much.
3 Don’t long for his fancy food.
It can fool you.
Saying 8
4 Don’t wear yourself out to get rich.
Don’t trust how wise you think you are.
5 When you take even a quick look at riches, they are gone.
They grow wings and fly away into the sky like an eagle.
Saying 9
6 Don’t eat the food of anyone who doesn’t want to share it.
Don’t long for his fancy food.
7 He is the kind of person
who is always thinking about how much it costs.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you.
But he doesn’t mean it.
8 You will throw up what little you have eaten.
You will have wasted your words of praise.
Saying 10
9 Don’t speak to foolish people.
They will laugh at your wise words.
Saying 11
10 Don’t move old boundary stones.
Don’t try to take over the fields of children whose fathers have died.
11 That’s because the God who guards them is strong.
He will stand up for them in court against you.
Saying 12
12 Apply your heart to what you are taught.
Listen carefully to words of knowledge.
Saying 13
13 Don’t hold back correction from a child.
If you correct them, they won’t die.
14 So correct them.
Then you will save them from death.
Saying 14
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart will be very glad.
16 Deep down inside, I will be happy
when you say what is right.
Saying 15
17 Do not long for what sinners have.
But always show great respect for the Lord.
18 There really is hope for you in days to come.
So your hope will not be cut off.
Saying 16
19 My son, listen and be wise.
Set your heart on the right path.
20 Don’t join those who drink too much wine.
Don’t join those who stuff themselves with meat.
21 Those who drink or eat too much will become poor.
If they sleep too much, they’ll have to wear rags.
Saying 17
22 Listen to your father, who gave you life.
Don’t hate your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth and don’t sell it.
Get wisdom, instruction and understanding as well.
24 The father of a godly child is very happy.
A man who has a wise son is glad.
25 May your father and mother be glad.
May the woman who gave birth to you be joyful.
Saying 18
26 My son, give me your heart.
May you be happy living the way you see me live.
27 An unfaithful wife is like a deep pit.
A wife who commits adultery is like a narrow well.
28 She hides and waits like a thief.
She causes many men to sin.
Saying 19
29 Who has trouble? Who has sorrow?
Who argues? Who has problems?
Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes?
30 Those who spend too much time with wine.
Or those who like to taste wine mixed with spices.
31 Don’t look at wine when it is red.
Don’t look at it when it bubbles in the cup.
And don’t look at it when it goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a snake.
It bites like a poisonous serpent.
33 Your eyes will see strange sights.
Your mind will imagine weird things.
34 You will feel like someone sleeping on the ocean.
You will think you are lying among the ropes in a boat.
35 “They hit me,” you will say. “But I’m not hurt!
They beat me. But I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”
Paul’s Work for God in Thessalonica
2 Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you produced results. 2 You know what happened earlier in the city of Philippi. We suffered, and people treated us very badly there. But God gave us the boldness to tell you his good news. We preached to you even when people strongly opposed us. 3 The appeal we make is based on truth. It comes from a pure heart. We are not trying to trick you. 4 In fact, it is just the opposite. God has approved us to preach. He has trusted us with the good news. We aren’t trying to please people. We want to please God. He tests our hearts. 5 As you know, we never praised you if we didn’t mean it. We didn’t put on a mask to cover up any sinful desire. God is our witness that this is true. 6 We were not expecting people to praise us. We were not looking for praise from you or anyone else. Yet as Christ’s apostles, we could have used our authority over you. 7 Instead, we were like young children when we were with you.
As a mother feeds and cares for her little children, 8 we cared for you. We loved you so much. So we were happy to share with you God’s good news. We were also happy to share our lives with you. 9 Brothers and sisters, I am sure you remember how hard we worked. We labored night and day while we preached to you God’s good news. We didn’t want to cause you any expense. 10 You are witnesses of how we lived among you believers. God is also a witness that we were holy and godly and without blame. 11 You know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We gave you hope and strength. We comforted you. We really wanted you to live in a way that is worthy of God. He chooses you to enter his glorious kingdom.
13 We never stop thanking God for the way you received his word. You heard it from us. But you didn’t accept it as a human word. You accepted it for what it really is. It is God’s word. It is really at work in you who believe. 14 Brothers and sisters, you became like the members of God’s churches in Judea. They are believers in Christ Jesus, just as you are. Your own people made you suffer. You went through the same things the church members in Judea suffered from the Jews. 15 The Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets also forced us to leave. They do not please God. They are enemies of everyone. 16 They try to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles. These Jews don’t want the Gentiles to be saved. In this way, these Jews always increase their sins to the limit. God’s anger has come on them at last.
Paul Wants to See the Believers in Thessalonica
17 Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a short time. Apart from you, we were like children without parents. We were no longer with you in person. But we kept you in our thoughts. We really wanted to see you. So we tried very hard to do so. 18 We wanted to come to you. Again and again I, Paul, wanted to come. But Satan blocked our way. 19 What is our hope? What is our joy? When our Lord Jesus returns, what is the crown we will delight in? Isn’t it you? 20 Yes, you are our glory and our joy.
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