M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
22 You might see your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep wandering away. Don’t ignore it. Take it back to its owner. 2 The owner might not live close to you. Or you might not know who he is. Then take the animal home with you. Keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then give it back to him. 3 Do the same thing if you find his donkey or coat or anything he lost. Don’t just ignore it.
4 You might see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road. Don’t ignore it. Help him get it up.
5 A woman must not wear men’s clothes. And a man must not wear women’s clothes. The Lord your God hates anyone who does that.
6 You might find a bird’s nest by the road. It might be in a tree or on the ground. And the mother bird might be sitting on the young birds or eggs. Do not take the mother bird with the young birds. 7 You may take the young birds. But you must let the mother bird go free. Then things will go well for you. And you will live a long time.
8 When you build a new house, build a wall around the roof.[a] Then you will not be guilty of murder if someone falls off the roof.
9 Don’t plant two different kinds of seeds in your vineyard. Otherwise, both crops will be ruined.
10 Don’t plow with an ox and a donkey tied together.
11 Don’t wear clothes made of wool and linen woven together.
12 Tie several pieces of thread together. Then put these tassels on the four corners of your coat.
Marriage Laws
13 A man might marry a girl and have intimate relations with her. But he might decide that he does not like her. 14 So he might lie about her and give her a bad name. He might say, “I married this woman. But when I had intimate relations with her, I did not find that she was a virgin.” 15 Then the girl’s parents must bring proof that she was a virgin. They must bring it to the elders at the city gate. 16 The girl’s father will say to the leaders, “I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife. But now he does not want her. 17 This man has told lies about my daughter. He has said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof that my daughter was a virgin.” Then her parents are to show the sheet to the city leaders. 18 Then the leaders must take the man and punish him. 19 They must make him pay about two and a half pounds of silver. The silver will go to the girl’s father. This is because the man has given an Israelite girl a bad name. The girl must continue to be the man’s wife. And he may not divorce her as long as he lives.
20 But the things the husband said about his wife might be true. And there might be no proof that she was a virgin. 21 If so, the girl must be brought to the door of her father’s house. Then the men of the town must put her to death by throwing stones at her. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel. She had physical relations before she was married. You must get rid of the evil among you.
22 A man might be found committing adultery with another man’s wife. Both the woman and the man who committed adultery with her must die. Get rid of this evil from Israel.
23 A man might meet a virgin in a city and have physical relations with her. But she might be engaged to another man. 24 You must take both of them to the city gate. Put them both to death by throwing stones at them. Kill the girl because she was in a city and did not scream for help. And kill the man for having physical relations with another man’s wife. You must get rid of the evil among you.
25 But a man might meet a girl out in the country. He might force her to have physical relations with him. But she might be engaged to another man. Only the man who forced her to have physical relations with her must be put to death. 26 Don’t do anything to the girl. She has not done a sin worthy of death. This is like the person who attacks and murders his neighbor. 27 The man found the engaged girl in the country. And she screamed. But no one was there to save her.
28 A man might meet a virgin who is not engaged to be married. He might force her to have physical relations with him. And people might find out about it. 29 The man must pay the girl’s father about one and one-fourth pounds of silver. He must also marry the girl because he has dishonored her. And he may never divorce her for as long as he lives.
30 A man must not marry his father’s wife. He must not dishonor his father in this way.
The Lord Appoints a King
A song of David.
110 The Lord said to my Master,
“Sit by me at my right side
until I put your enemies under your control.”
2 The Lord will make you king in Jerusalem over all nations.
And you will rule your enemies in their own countries.
3 Your people will join you on the day you come to power.
You have been dressed in holiness from birth.
You have the freshness of a child.
4 The Lord has made a promise
and will not change his mind.
He said, “You are a priest forever,
a priest like Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is beside you to help you.
When he becomes angry, he will crush kings.
6 He will judge those nations, filling them with dead bodies.
He will defeat rulers all over the world.
7 The king will drink from the brook on the way.
Then he will be strengthened and win the battle.
Praise for God’s Goodness
111 Praise the Lord!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of his good people.
2 The Lord does great things.
Those people who love them think about them.
3 What he does is glorious and splendid.
His goodness continues forever.
4 His miracles are unforgettable.
The Lord is kind and merciful.
5 He gives food to those who fear him.
He remembers his agreement forever.
6 He has shown his people his power
when he gave them the lands of other nations.
7 Everything he does is good and fair.
All his orders can be trusted.
8 They will continue forever.
They were made true and right.
9 He sets his people free.
He made his agreement everlasting.
He is holy and wonderful.
10 Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord.
Those who obey his orders have good understanding.
He should be praised forever.
God Calls His Special Servant
49 All of you people in faraway places, listen to me.
Listen, all you nations far away.
Before I was born, the Lord called me to serve him.
The Lord named me while I was still in my mother’s body.
2 The Lord made my tongue like a sharp sword.
He hid me in the shadow of his hand.
The Lord made me like a sharp arrow.
He hid me in the holder for his arrows.
3 The Lord told me, “Israel, you are my servant.
I will show my glory through you.”
4 But I said, “I have worked hard for nothing.
I have used all my power, but I did nothing useful.
But the Lord will decide what my work is worth.
God will decide my reward.”
5 The Lord made me in the body of my mother
so I would be his servant.
He made me to lead the people of Jacob back to him.
He made me so that Israel might be gathered to him.
The Lord will honor me.
I will get my strength from my God.
6 The Lord told me,
“You are an important servant to me.
You will bring back the tribes of Jacob.
You will bring back the people of Israel who are left alive.
But, more importantly, I will make you a light for all nations.
You will show people all over the world the way to be saved.”
7 The Lord is your close relative who saves you.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
He speaks to the one who is hated by the people.
He speaks to the servant of rulers.
The Lord says, “Kings will see you and stand to honor you.
Great leaders will bow down before you.
This is because the Lord can be trusted.
He is the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
The Day of Salvation
8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the right time I will hear your prayers.
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you.
And you will be the sign of my agreement with the people.
You will bring back the people to the land.
You will give the land that is now ruined back to its owners.
9 You will tell the prisoners, ‘Come out of your prison.’
You will tell those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
The people will eat beside the roads.
They will find food even on bare hills.
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty.
Neither the hot sun nor the desert wind will hurt them.
The God who comforts them will lead them.
He will lead them by springs of water.
11 I will make my mountains into roads for my people.
And the roads will be raised up.
12 Look, people are coming to me from far away.
They are coming from the north and from the west.
They are coming from Aswan in southern Egypt.”
13 Heavens and earth, be happy.
Mountains, shout with joy.
Be happy because the Lord comforts his people.
He will comfort those who suffer.
Jerusalem and Her Children
14 But Jerusalem said, “The Lord has left me.
The Lord has forgotten me.”
15 The Lord answers, “Can a woman forget the baby she nurses?
Can she feel no kindness for the child she gave birth to?
Even if she could forget her children,
I will not forget you.
16 See, I have written your name on my hand.
Jerusalem, I always think about your walls.
17 Your children will soon return to you.
And the people who defeated you and destroyed you will leave.
18 Look up and look around you.
All your children are gathering to return to you.”
The Lord says, “As surely as I live,
your children will be like jewels.
You will be as proud of them as a bride is of her jewels.
19 “You were destroyed and defeated.
Your land was made useless.
But now you will have more people than the land can hold.
And those people who destroyed you will be far away.
20 Children were born to you while you were sad.
But they will say to you,
‘This place is too small for us.
Give us a bigger place to live.’
21 Then you will say to yourself,
‘Who gave me all these children?
I was sad and lonely.
I was defeated and away from my people.
So who reared these children?
I was left all alone.
Where did all these children come from?’”
22 This is what the Lord God says:
“See, I will lift my hand to signal the nations.
I will raise my banner for all people to see.
Then they will bring your sons back to you in their arms.
They will carry your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Kings will teach your children.
Daughters of kings will take care of those children.
They will bow down before you.
They will kiss the dirt at your feet.
Then you will know I am the Lord.
Anyone who trusts in me will not be disappointed.”
24 Can the wealth a soldier wins in war be taken away from him?
Can a prisoner be freed from a powerful soldier?
25 But this is what the Lord says:
“The prisoners will be taken from the strong soldiers.
What the soldiers have taken will be saved.
I will fight your enemies.
I will save your children.
26 I will force those who trouble you to eat their own flesh.
Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk.
Then everyone will know
I, the Lord, am the One who saves you.
I am the Powerful One of Jacob who saves you.”
People in Heaven Praise God
19 After this I heard what sounded like a great many people in heaven. They were saying:
“Hallelujah![a]
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God.
2 His judgments are true and right.
Our God has punished the prostitute.
She is the one who made the earth evil with her sexual immorality.
God has punished the prostitute to pay her back for the death of his servants.”
3 Again they said:
“Hallelujah!
She is burning, and her smoke will rise forever and ever.”
4 Then the 24 elders[b] and the four living things bowed down. They worshiped God, who sits on the throne. They said:
“Amen, Hallelujah!”
5 Then a voice came from the throne:
“Praise our God, all you who serve him!
Praise our God, all you who honor him, both small and great!”
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great many people. It sounded like the noise of flooding water and like loud thunder. The people were saying:
“Hallelujah!
Our Lord God rules. He is the All-Powerful.
7 Let us rejoice and be happy
and give God glory!
Give God glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come.
And the Lamb’s bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen was given to the bride for her to wear.
The linen was bright and clean.”
(The fine linen means the good things done by God’s holy people.)
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Those who are invited to the wedding meal of the Lamb are happy!” Then the angel said, “These are the true words of God.”
10 Then I bowed down at the angel’s feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not worship me! I am a servant like you and your brothers who have the truth of Jesus. Worship God! Because the truth about Jesus is the spirit that gives all prophecy.”
The Rider on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven open. There before me was a white horse. The rider on the horse is called Faithful and True. He is right when he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like burning fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, but he is the only one who knows the name. No other person knows the name. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. His name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him on white horses. They were dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 A sharp sword comes out of the rider’s mouth. He will use this sword to defeat the nations. He will rule them with a scepter of iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible anger of God All-Powerful. 16 On his robe and on his leg was written this name: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. The angel called with a loud voice to all the birds flying in the sky, “Come together for the great feast of God. 18 Come together so that you can eat the bodies of kings and generals and famous men. Come to eat the bodies of the horses and their riders and the bodies of all people—free, slave, small, and great.”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth. Their armies were gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet. This false prophet was the one who did the miracles for the beast. The false prophet had used these miracles to trick those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his idol. The false prophet and the beast were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 Their armies were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. All the birds ate the bodies until they were full.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.