M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Lord Kills Nadab and Abihu
10 Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron’s sons. They got their shallow cups for burning incense. They put fire in them. They added incense to it. They made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn’t allowed. They did it against his command. 2 So the Lord sent fire on them. It burned them up. They died in front of the Lord. 3 Then Moses spoke to Aaron. He said, “That’s what the Lord was talking about when he said,
“ ‘Among those who approach me
I will show that I am holy.
In the sight of all the people
I will be honored.’ ”
So Aaron remained silent.
4 Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan. They were sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. Moses said to them, “Come here. Carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp. Take them away from in front of the Holy Room.” 5 So they came and carried them outside the camp. It was just as Moses had ordered. The bodies of Nadab and Abihu still had their inner robes on them.
6 Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s sons. Moses said, “Don’t let your hair hang loose. Don’t tear your clothes. If you do, you will die. And the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But all the Israelites are allowed to show they are sad. They are your relatives. They may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed with fire. 7 Don’t leave the entrance to the tent of meeting. If you do, you will die. That’s because the Lord’s anointing oil has made you holy.” So they did what Moses told them to do.
8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, 9 “You and your sons will go into the tent of meeting. When you do, you must not drink any kind of wine. If you do, you will die. This is a law that will last for all time to come. 10 This is so that you can tell the difference between what is holy and what is not. You must be able to tell the difference between what is ‘clean’ and what is not. 11 Then you will be able to teach the Israelites all the rules I have given them through Moses.”
12 Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons. Moses said, “Take the grain offering left over from the food offerings presented to the Lord. It is very holy. Make bread without yeast from it. Eat it beside the altar. 13 Eat it in the holy area. It’s your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord. These rules are in keeping with the command the Lord gave me. 14 But you and your sons and your daughters can eat the breast that was waved. You can also eat the thigh that was offered. Eat them in a ‘clean’ place. They have been given to you and your children. They are your share of the friendship offerings the Israelites bring. 15 The thigh that was offered must be brought together with the fat parts of the food offerings. The breast that was waved must be brought in the same way. All of it must be lifted up and waved in front of the Lord as a wave offering. It will be the share for you and your children for all time to come. That’s what the Lord has commanded.”
16 Moses asked about the goat that was brought as the sin offering. He found out that it had been burned up. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons. Moses asked them, 17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in a place near the Holy Room? The offering is very holy. It was given to you to take the people’s guilt away. It paid for their sin in the sight of the Lord. 18 The blood of the offering wasn’t taken into the Holy Room. So you should have eaten the goat in a place near the Holy Room. That’s what I commanded.”
19 Aaron replied to Moses, “Today the people sacrificed their sin offering to the Lord. They also sacrificed their burnt offerings to him. But a terrible thing has happened to me. Two of my sons have died. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” 20 When Moses heard that, he was satisfied.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
11 I run to the Lord for safety.
So how can you say to me,
“Fly away like a bird to your mountain.
2 Look! Evil people are bending their bows.
They are placing their arrows against the strings.
They are planning to shoot from the shadows
at those who have honest hearts.
3 When law and order are being destroyed,
what can godly people do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord is on his throne in heaven.
He watches everyone on earth.
His eyes study them.
5 The Lord watches over those who do what is right.
But he really hates sinful people and those who love to hurt others.
6 He will pour out flaming coals and burning sulfur
on those who do what is wrong.
A hot and dry wind will destroy them.
7 The Lord always does what is right.
So he loves it when people do what is fair.
Those who are honest will enjoy his blessing.
For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
12 Help, Lord! No one does what is right anymore.
Those who are faithful have disappeared from the human race.
2 Everyone tells lies to their neighbors.
With their lips they praise others, but they don’t really mean it.
3 May the Lord close all lips that don’t mean what they say.
May he stop every tongue that brags.
4 They say, “What we speak with our tongues will win the battle.
What we say with our lips will keep us safe. No one will have victory over us.”
5 The Lord says, “The poor are being robbed.
Those who are in need groan.
So I will stand up to help them.
I will keep them safe from those who tell lies about them.”
6 The words of the Lord are perfect.
They are like silver made pure in a clay furnace.
They are like gold made pure seven times over.
7 Lord, you will keep needy people safe.
You will always keep sinners from hurting us.
8 Proud and sinful people walk around openly
when the evil they do is praised by the human race.
More Proverbs of Solomon
25 These are more proverbs of Solomon. They were gathered together by the men of Hezekiah, the king of Judah.
2 When God hides a matter, he gets glory.
When kings figure out a matter, they get glory.
3 The heavens are high and the earth is deep.
In the same way, the minds of kings are impossible to figure out.
4 Remove the scum from the silver.
Then the master worker can make something out of it.
5 Remove ungodly officials from where the king is.
Then the king can make his throne secure because of the godliness around him.
6 Don’t brag in front of the king.
Don’t claim a place among his great men.
7 Let the king say to you, “Come up here.”
That’s better than for him to shame you in front of his nobles.
What you have seen with your own eyes
8 don’t bring too quickly to court.
What will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 If you take your neighbor to court,
don’t tell others any secrets you promised to keep.
10 If you do, someone might hear it and put you to shame.
And the charge against you will stand.
11 The right ruling at the right time
is like golden apples in silver jewelry.
12 A wise judge’s warning to a listening ear
is like a gold earring or jewelry made of fine gold.
13 A messenger trusted by the one who sends him
is like a drink cooled by snow at harvest time.
He renews the spirit of his master.
14 A person who brags about gifts never given
is like wind and clouds that don’t produce rain.
15 If you are patient, you can win an official over to your side.
And gentle words can break a bone.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough.
If you eat too much of it, you will throw up.
17 Don’t go to your neighbor’s home very often.
If they see too much of you, they will hate you.
18 A person who is a false witness against a neighbor
is like a club, a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Trusting someone who is not faithful when trouble comes
is like a broken tooth or a disabled foot.
20 You may sing songs to a troubled heart.
But that’s like taking a coat away on a cold day.
It’s like pouring vinegar on a wound.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat.
If he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 By doing these things, you will pile up burning coals on his head.
And the Lord will reward you.
23 Like a north wind that brings rain you didn’t expect
is a crafty tongue that brings looks of shock.
24 It is better to live on a corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.
25 Hearing good news from a land far away
is like drinking cold water when you are tired.
26 Sometimes godly people give in to those who are evil.
Then they become like a muddy spring of water or a polluted well.
27 It isn’t good for you to eat too much honey.
And you shouldn’t try to search out matters too deep for you.
28 A person without self-control
is like a city whose walls are broken through.
Living in a Way That Pleases God
4 Now I want to talk about some other matters, brothers and sisters. We taught you how to live in a way that pleases God. In fact, that is how you are living. In the name of the Lord Jesus we ask and beg you to do it more and more. 2 You know the directions we gave you. They were given by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 God wants you to be made holy. He wants you to stay away from sexual sins. 4 He wants all of you to learn to control your own bodies. You must live in a way that is holy. You must live with honor. 5 Don’t desire to commit sexual sins like people who don’t know God. 6 None of you should sin against your brother or sister by doing that. You should not take advantage of your brother or sister. The Lord will punish everyone who commits these kinds of sins. We have already told you and warned you about this. 7 That’s because God chose us to live pure lives. He wants us to be holy. 8 Suppose someone refuses to accept our teaching. They are not turning their back on us. They are turning their back on God. This same God gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 We don’t need to write to you about your love for one another. God himself has taught you to love one another. 10 In fact, you do love all God’s family all around Macedonia. Brothers and sisters, we are asking you to love one another more and more. 11 And do everything you can to live a quiet life. You should mind your own business. And work with your hands, just as we told you to. 12 Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won’t have to depend on anyone.
What Happens to Believers Who Have Died
13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know what happens to those who die. We don’t want you to mourn, as other people do. They mourn because they don’t have any hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again. When he returns, many who believe in him will have died already. We believe that God will bring them back with Jesus. 15 This agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died. 16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God’s trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever. 18 So encourage one another with these words of comfort.
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