M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Curses of Mount Ebal
27 Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying, “Keep all the commandments which I command you today. 2 (A)So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime 3 and write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over, so that you may enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, (B)a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, [a]promised you. 4 So it shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall set up (C)on Mount Ebal, these stones, [b]as I am commanding you today, and you shall coat them with lime. 5 Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you (D)shall not [c]wield an iron tool on them. 6 You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of [d]uncut stones, and you shall offer on it burnt offerings to the Lord your God; 7 and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and eat there, and (E)rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 You shall write on the [e]stones all the words of this law very distinctly.”
9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God. 10 You shall therefore [f]obey the Lord your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.”
11 Moses also charged the people on that day, saying, 12 “When you cross the Jordan, these shall stand on (F)Mount Gerizim to bless the people: (G)Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 For the curse, these shall stand on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 The Levites shall then answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice,
15 ‘Cursed is the man who makes [g](H)an idol or a molten image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And (I)all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16 ‘(J)Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17 ‘(K)Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary mark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18 ‘(L)Cursed is he who misleads a blind person on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19 ‘(M)Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, [h]orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20 ‘(N)Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s skirt.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21 ‘(O)Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22 ‘(P)Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23 ‘(Q)Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24 ‘(R)Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25 ‘(S)Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26 ‘(T)Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Blessings at Gerizim
28 “(U)Now it shall be, if you diligently [i]obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God (V)will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and (W)overtake you if you [j]obey the Lord your God:
3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be (X)in the [k]country.
4 “Blessed shall be the [l]offspring of your [m]body and the [n]produce of your ground and the [o]offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.
5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 “Blessed shall you be (Y)when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 “The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be [p]defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. 8 The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in (Z)all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 9 (AA)The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 So all the peoples of the earth will see that [q](AB)you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. 11 (AC)The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the [r]offspring of your [s]body and in the [t]offspring of your beast and in the [u]produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and (AD)you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 (AE)The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to [v]observe them carefully, 14 and (AF)do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Consequences of Disobedience
15 “(AG)But it shall come about, if you do not [w]obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 “(AH)Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the [x]country.
17 “(AI)Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
18 “(AJ)Cursed shall be the [y]offspring of your [z]body and the [aa]produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.
19 “(AK)Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God.
Aleph.
119 How blessed are those whose way is [a](A)blameless,
Who (B)walk in the law of the Lord.
2 How blessed are those who (C)observe His testimonies,
Who (D)seek Him (E)with all their heart.
3 They also (F)do no unrighteousness;
They walk in His ways.
4 You have [b](G)ordained Your precepts,
[c]That we should keep them diligently.
5 Oh that my (H)ways may be established
To (I)keep Your statutes!
6 Then I (J)shall not be ashamed
When I look [d]upon all Your commandments.
7 I shall (K)give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I shall keep Your statutes;
Do not (L)forsake me utterly!
Beth.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By (M)keeping it according to Your word.
10 With (N)all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me (O)wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have (P)treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord;
(Q)Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have (R)told of
All the (S)ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have (T)rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[e]As much as in all riches.
15 I will (U)meditate on Your precepts
And [f]regard (V)Your ways.
16 I shall [g](W)delight in Your statutes;
I shall (X)not forget Your word.
Gimel.
17 (Y)Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
19 I am a (Z)stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul is crushed [h](AA)with longing
After Your ordinances at all times.
21 You (AB)rebuke the arrogant, [i]the (AC)cursed,
Who (AD)wander from Your commandments.
22 (AE)Take away reproach and contempt from me,
For I (AF)observe Your testimonies.
23 Even though (AG)princes sit and talk against me,
Your servant (AH)meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my (AI)delight;
They are [j]my counselors.
The Fertility of Zion
54 “(A)Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed;
For the sons of the (B)desolate one will be (C)more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 “(D)Enlarge the place of your tent;
[a]Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your (E)cords
And strengthen your (F)pegs.
3 “For you will (G)spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your [b]descendants will (H)possess nations
And will (I)resettle the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, for you will (J)not be put to shame;
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
But you will forget the (K)shame of your youth,
And the (L)reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 “For your (M)husband is your Maker,
Whose name is the Lord of hosts;
And your (N)Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the (O)God of all the earth.
6 “For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife (P)forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
Says your God.
7 “[c]For a (Q)brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will (R)gather you.
8 “In an [d](S)outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting (T)lovingkindness I will (U)have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your (V)Redeemer.
9 “For [e]this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would (W)not [f]flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will (X)not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
10 “For the (Y)mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My (Z)covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says (AA)the Lord who has compassion on you.
11 “O (AB)afflicted one, storm-tossed, and (AC)not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will (AD)lay in [g](AE)sapphires.
12 “Moreover, I will make your battlements of [h]rubies,
And your gates of [i]crystal,
And your entire [j]wall of precious stones.
13 “(AF)All your sons will be [k]taught of the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be (AG)great.
14 “In (AH)righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from (AI)oppression, for you will (AJ)not fear;
And from (AK)terror, for it will not come near you.
15 “If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
(AL)Whoever assails you will fall because of you.
16 “Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to ruin.
17 “(AM)No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And (AN)every tongue that [l]accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their (AO)vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.
The Visit of the Magi
2 Now after Jesus was (A)born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of (B)Herod the king, [a]magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born (C)King of the Jews? For we saw (D)His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the [b]Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “(E)In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written [c]by the prophet:
6 ‘(F)And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will (G)shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them [d]the exact time (H)the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with (I)Mary His mother; and they [e]fell to the ground and (J)worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been (K)warned by God (L)in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
The Flight to Egypt
13 Now when they had gone, behold, an (M)angel of the Lord *(N)appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
14 So [f]Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He [g]remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “(O)Out of Egypt I called (P)My Son.”
Herod Slaughters Babies
16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by (Q)the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and (R)slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 “(S)A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *(T)appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So [h]Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being (U)warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called (V)Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a (W)Nazarene.”
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