M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Stones of the Instruction
27 Then Moses and Israel’s elders commanded the people:
Keep all of the commandment that I am giving you right now. 2 The same day you cross the Jordan River to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster. 3 Once you have crossed over, write on the stones all the words of this Instruction because you will have entered[a] the land the Lord your God is giving to you—a land full of milk and honey—exactly as the Lord, your ancestors’ God, promised you. 4 Once you have crossed over the Jordan River, set up these stones that I’m telling you about right now on Mount Ebal. Cover them with plaster 5 and build an altar there for the Lord your God—an altar of stones that haven’t been cut with iron tools. 6 (You must build the Lord your God’s altar with uncut stones.) Then offer up on that altar entirely burned sacrifices to the Lord your God. 7 Offer up well-being sacrifices and eat them there, celebrating in the Lord your God’s presence. 8 Make sure to write all the words of this Instruction on the stones plainly and clearly. 9 Then Moses and the levitical priests said to all Israel: Quiet down and listen, Israel! This very moment you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 So obey the Lord your God’s voice. Do his commandments and his regulations that I’m giving you right now.
Ceremony on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal
11 That same day Moses commanded the people: 12 Once you have crossed over the Jordan River, the following tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these are the tribes that will stand on Mount Ebal for the cursing: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 The Levites will address every individual Israelite with a loud voice:
15 “Cursed is anyone who makes an idol or an image—things detestable to the Lord, made by artisans—and sets it up secretly.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”[b]
16 “Cursed is anyone who belittles their father or mother.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
17 “Cursed is anyone who tampers with their neighbor’s property lines.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
18 “Cursed is anyone who misleads a blind person on a road.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
19 “Cursed is anyone who obstructs the legal rights of immigrants, orphans, or widows.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
20 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with his father’s wife, because that exposes his father’s private matters.”[c]
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
21 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with any kind of animal.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
22 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
23 “Cursed is anyone who has sex with his mother-in-law.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
24 “Cursed is anyone who kills his neighbor in secret.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
25 “Cursed is anyone who accepts money to kill an innocent person.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
26 “Cursed is anyone who doesn’t support the words of this Instruction by carrying them out.”
All the people will reply: “We agree!”
Future blessing
28 Now if you really obey the Lord your God’s voice, by carefully keeping all his commandments that I am giving you right now, then the Lord your God will set you high above all nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and find you if you obey the Lord your God’s voice: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. 4 Your own fertility, your soil’s produce, and your livestock’s offspring—the young of both cattle and flocks—will be blessed. 5 Your basket and your kneading bowl will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you are out and about and blessed when you come back. 7 The Lord will defeat any enemies who attack you. They will come against you from one direction but will run for their lives away from you in seven different directions. 8 The Lord will command the blessing to be with you—in your barns and on all the work you do—and he will bless you on the land the Lord your God is giving you. 9 The Lord will establish you as his own, a holy nation, just as he swore to you, if you keep the Lord your God’s commandments and walk in his ways. 10 All the earth’s peoples will see that you are called by the Lord’s name, and they will be in awe of you. 11 The Lord will make good things abound for you—whether the fertility of your womb, your livestock’s offspring, or your fertile soil’s produce—on the very land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to you. 12 The Lord will open up for you his own well-stocked storehouse, the heavens, providing your land with rain at just the right time and blessing all your work. You will lend to many nations, but you won’t have any need to borrow. 13 The Lord will make you the head of things, not the tail; you will be at the top of things, not the bottom, as long as you obey the Lord your God’s commandments that I’m commanding you right now, by carefully doing them. 14 Don’t deviate even a bit from any of these words that I’m commanding you right now by following other gods and serving them.
Future curses
15 But if you don’t obey the Lord your God’s voice by carefully doing all his commandments and his regulations that I am commanding you right now, all these curses will come upon you and find you. 16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the field. 17 Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed. 18 Your own fertility, your soil’s produce, your cattle’s young, and your flock’s offspring will be cursed. 19 You will be cursed when you are out and about and cursed when you come back.
Psalm 119[a]
א alef
119 Those whose way is blameless—
who walk in the Lord’s Instruction—are truly happy!
2 Those who guard God’s laws are truly happy!
They seek God with all their hearts.
3 They don’t even do anything wrong!
They walk in God’s ways.
4 God, you have ordered that your decrees
should be kept most carefully.
5 How I wish my ways were strong
when it comes to keeping your statutes!
6 Then I wouldn’t be ashamed
when I examine all your commandments.
7 I will give thanks to you with a heart that does right
as I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes.
Please don’t leave me all alone!
ב bet
9 How can young people keep their paths pure?
By guarding them according to what you’ve said.[b]
10 I have sought you with all my heart.
Don’t let me stray from any of your commandments!
11 I keep your word close, in my heart,
so that I won’t sin against you.
12 You, Lord, are to be blessed!
Teach me your statutes.
13 I will declare out loud
all the rules you have spoken.
14 I rejoice in the content of your laws
as if I were rejoicing over great wealth.
15 I will think about your precepts
and examine all your paths.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget what you have said.
ג gimel
17 Be good to your servant so I can go on living
and keeping your word.
18 Open my eyes so I can examine
the wonders of your Instruction!
19 I’m an immigrant in the land.
Don’t hide your commandments from me!
20 I’m worn out by longing
every minute for your rules!
21 You rebuke the arrogant, accursed people
who stray from your commandments.
22 Take all their insults and contempt away from me
because I’ve kept your laws!
23 Even if rulers gather and scheme against me,
your servant will contemplate your statutes!
24 Yes, your laws are my joy—
they are my most trusted advisors!
Sing, barren woman
54 Sing, barren woman who has borne no child;
break forth into singing and cry out,
you who were never in labor,
for the children of the wife who has been deserted will be more numerous than the children of the married, says the Lord.
2 Enlarge the site of your tent,
and stretch out the drapes of your dwellings;
don’t hold back.
Lengthen your tent ropes and strengthen your stakes.
3 To the right and to the left you will burst out,
and your children will possess the nations’ land
and settle their desolate cities.
4 Don’t fear,
because you won’t be ashamed;
don’t be dismayed,
because you won’t be disgraced.
You will forget the shame of your youth;
you’ll no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
5 The one marrying you is the one who made you—
the Lord of heavenly forces is his name.
The one redeeming you is the holy one of Israel,
the one called the God of all the earth.
6 As an abandoned and dejected woman the Lord has summoned you;
as a young wife when she is rejected,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great mercy I will bring you back.
8 In an outburst of rage,
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting love I have consoled you,
says your redeemer, the Lord.
9 These are like the days[a] of Noah for me,
when I promised that Noah’s waters would never again cover the earth.
Likewise I promise not to rage against you or rebuke you.
10 The mountains may shift,
and the hills may be shaken,
but my faithful love won’t shift from you,
and my covenant of peace won’t be shaken,
says the Lord, the one who pities you.
11 Suffering one, storm-tossed, uncomforted,
look, I am setting your gemstones in silvery metal
and your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your towers of rubies,
and your gates of beryl,
and all your walls of precious jewels.
13 All your children will be disciples of the Lord—
I will make peace abound for your children.
14 You will be firmly founded in righteousness.
You will stay far from oppression because you won’t fear,
far from terror because it won’t come near you.
15 If anyone attacks you, it’s none of my doing.
Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.
16 Look, I myself created the metalworker who blows the fire of coal and who produces a tool for his work.
And I myself created the looter to destroy.
17 No weapon fashioned against you will succeed,
and you may condemn every tongue that disputes with you.
This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants,
whose righteousness comes from me, says the Lord.
Coming of the magi
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,
because from you will come one who governs,
who will shepherd my people Israel.”[a]
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
Escape to Egypt
13 When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.” 14 Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt.[b]
Murder of the Bethlehem children
16 When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. 17 This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet:
18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and much grieving.
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted,
because they were no more.[c]
Return from Egypt
19 After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up,” the angel said, “and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” 21 Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. 23 He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible