M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Do Not Eat Meat With Blood in It
17 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons. Speak to all the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, 3 “Suppose someone sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat. They sacrifice it in the camp or outside of it. 4 They do it instead of bringing the animal to the entrance to the tent of meeting. They sacrifice it instead of giving it as an offering to me in front of my holy tent. Then they will be thought of as guilty of spilling blood. Because they have done that, they must be separated from their people. 5 The Israelites are now making sacrifices in the open fields. But they must bring their sacrifices to the priest. They must bring them to me at the entrance to the tent of meeting. There they must sacrifice them as friendship offerings. 6 The priest must splash the blood against my altar. It is the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He must burn the fat. Its smell will please me. 7 The Israelites must stop offering any of their sacrifices to statues of gods that look like goats. When they offer sacrifices to those statues, they are not faithful to me. This is a law for them that will last for all time to come.” ’
8 “Tell them, ‘Suppose someone offers a burnt offering or sacrifice. It does not matter whether they are an Israelite or an outsider. 9 And suppose they do not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to me. Then they must be separated from their people.
10 “ ‘Suppose someone eats meat that still has blood in it. It does not matter whether they are an Israelite or an outsider. I will turn against them if they eat it. I will separate them from their people. 11 The life of each creature is in its blood. So I have given you the blood of animals to pay for your sin on the altar. Blood is life. That is why blood pays for your sin. 12 So I say to the Israelites, “You must not eat meat that still has blood in it. And an outsider who lives among you must not eat it either.”
13 “ ‘Suppose any of you hunts any animal or bird that can be eaten. It does not matter whether you are an Israelite or an outsider. You must let the blood flow out of the animal or bird. You must cover the blood with dirt. 14 That is because every creature’s life is its blood. And that is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat any creature’s meat that still has blood in it. Every creature’s life is its blood. Anyone who eats that kind of meat must be separated from the community of Israel.”
15 “ ‘Suppose someone eats anything found dead or torn apart by wild animals. It does not matter whether they are an Israelite or an outsider. They must wash their clothes. They must take a bath. They will be “unclean” until evening. After that, they will be “clean.” 16 But suppose they do not wash their clothes. And suppose they do not take a bath. Then they will be held responsible for what they have done.’ ”
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
20 May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble.
May the God of Jacob keep you safe.
2 May he send you help from the sacred tent.
May he give you aid from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices.
May he accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you what your heart wishes for.
May he make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory.
May we lift up our flags in the name of our God.
May the Lord give you everything you ask for.
6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed king.
He answers him from his sacred home in heaven.
The power of God’s right hand gives victory to the king.
7 Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses.
But we trust in the Lord our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall down.
But we get up and stand firm.
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call out to you!
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
21 Lord, the king is filled with joy because you are strong.
How great is his joy because you help him win his battles!
2 You have given him what his heart wished for.
You haven’t kept back from him what his lips asked for.
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings.
You placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him.
You promised him days that would never end.
5 His glory is great because you helped him win his battles.
You have honored him with glory and majesty.
6 You have given him blessings that will never end.
You have made him glad and joyful because you are with him.
7 The king trusts in the Lord.
The faithful love of the Most High God
will keep the king secure.
8 You, the king, will capture all your enemies.
Your right hand will take hold of them.
9 When you appear for battle,
you will burn them up like they were in a flaming furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his great anger.
His fire will burn them up.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth.
You will remove them from the human race.
11 Your enemies make evil plans against you.
They think up evil things to do. But they can’t succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs and run away
when you aim your arrows at them.
13 Lord, may you be honored because you are strong.
We will sing and praise your might.
The Sayings of King Lemuel
31 These are the sayings of King Lemuel. His mother taught them to him. These sayings came from God.
2 Listen, my son! Listen, my very own son!
Listen, you who are the answer to my prayers!
3 Don’t waste your strength on women.
Don’t waste it on those who destroy kings.
4 Lemuel, it isn’t good for kings to drink wine.
It isn’t good for rulers to long for beer.
5 If they do, they might drink and forget what has been commanded.
They might take away the rights of all those who are treated badly.
6 Let beer be for those who are dying.
Let wine be for those who are sad and troubled.
7 Let them drink and forget how poor they are.
Let them forget their suffering.
8 Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.
Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor.
9 Speak up and judge fairly.
Speak up for the rights of those who are poor and needy.
The Excellent Woman
10 Who can find an excellent woman?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband trusts her completely.
She gives him all the important things he needs.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She chooses wool and flax.
She loves to work with her hands.
14 She is like the ships of traders.
She brings her food from far away.
15 She gets up while it is still night.
She provides food for her family.
She also gives some to her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it.
She uses some of the money she earns to plant a vineyard.
17 She gets ready to work hard.
Her arms are strong.
18 She sees that her trading earns a lot of money.
Her lamp doesn’t go out at night.
19 With one hand she holds the wool.
With the other she spins the thread.
20 She opens her arms to those who are poor.
She reaches out her hands to those who are needy.
21 When it snows, she’s not afraid for her family.
All of them are dressed in the finest clothes.
22 She makes her own bed coverings.
She is dressed in fine linen and purple clothes.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate.
There he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen clothes and sells them.
She supplies belts to the traders.
25 She puts on strength and honor as if they were her clothes.
She can laugh at the days that are coming.
26 She speaks wisely.
She teaches faithfully.
27 She watches over family matters.
She is busy all the time.
28 Her children stand up and call her blessed.
Her husband also rises up, and he praises her.
29 He says, “Many women do excellent things.
But you are better than all the others.”
30 Charm can fool you. Beauty fades.
But a woman who has respect for the Lord should be praised.
31 Give her honor for all that her hands have done.
Let everything she has done bring praise to her at the city gate.
Teachings About Worship
2 First, I want you to pray for all people. Ask God to help and bless them. Give thanks for them. 2 Pray for kings. Pray for everyone who is in authority. Pray that we can live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior. 4 He wants all people to be saved. He wants them to come to know the truth. 5 There is only one God. And there is only one go-between for God and human beings. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave himself to pay for the sins of all people. We have been told this message at just the right time. 7 I was appointed to be a messenger and an apostle to preach the good news. I am telling the truth. I’m not lying. God appointed me to be a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
8 So I want the men in every place to pray. I want them to lift up holy hands. I don’t want them to be angry when they pray. I don’t want them to argue. 9 In the same way, I want the women to be careful how they dress. They should wear clothes that are right and proper. They shouldn’t wear their hair in very fancy styles. They shouldn’t wear gold or pearls. They shouldn’t wear clothes that cost a lot of money. 10 Instead, they should put on good works as if good works were their clothes. This is proper for women who claim to worship God.
11 When a woman is learning, she should be quiet. She should follow her leaders in every way. 12 I do not let women teach or take authority over a man. They must be quiet. 13 That’s because Adam was made first. Then Eve was made. 14 Adam was not the one who was tricked. The woman was tricked and became a sinner. 15 Will women be saved by having children? Only if they keep on believing, loving, and leading a holy life in a proper way.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.