M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Moses’ Third Address
Chapter 29
Recalling Past Blessings. 1 Moses summoned all of the Israelites and said to them, You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord did for you in Egypt, to Pharaoh and to his officials and to the entire land. 2 With your own eyes you have seen those great trials, the miraculous signs, and great wonders, 3 [a]but until now the Lord has not yet given you a heart that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. 4 During the forty years that I led you in the desert, your clothes did nor tatter, nor did the sandals on your feet wear out. 5 You ate no bread and drank no wine or strong drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord, your God. 6 When you reached this place, Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and Og, the king of Bashan, came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. 7 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
Exhortation To Be Faithful. 8 Therefore, carefully heed the words of this covenant and observe them, so that you might prosper in all that you do. 9 Today all of you are standing before the Lord, your God: the leaders of your tribes and your elders, your chief men and all of the men of Israel 10 together with your little ones, your wives, as well as the foreigners who live in your camp and who cut your firewood and draw your water. 11 You are entering into a covenant with the Lord, your God, and into his oath that the Lord, your God, is making with you today. 12 Today he is making you his people so that he might be your God, as he promised you and swore under oath with your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 13 I am not making this covenant, this oath, only with you 14 who are standing here with us before the Lord, your God, but also with those who are not here today. 15 You know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we passed through various nations on the way here. 16 You saw their abominations in their midst, idols of wood and stone, silver and gold. 17 Make sure that there is no man, nor woman, nor clan, nor tribe whose heart turns away from the Lord, our God, today to go and serve the gods of these nations; make sure there is no root among you that bears bitterness or wormwood. 18 Let no one who hears this curse bless himself in his heart saying, “I have peace in my heart because of the cleverness of my thoughts,” as though he could sweep away both watered and dry soil.[b] 19 The Lord will not forgive, for his wrath and his zeal will burn out against that man. All the curses that are written in this book will descend upon him, and the Lord will blot his name from under the heavens. 20 The Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, all of the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law.
21 Punishment for Unfaithfulness. Your descendants in later generations and foreigners from distant lands will see all of the carnage that has come upon the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it. 22 The whole land will be a burning waste of brimstone and salt. Nothing will be planted there, nothing will sprout up, no vegetation will grow there. It will be like the destruction of Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim which the Lord destroyed in his anger and his wrath.
23 All the nations will ask, “Why has the Lord done these things to this land? Why this furious, terrible anger?” 24 The answer will be, “Because they have forsaken their covenant with the Lord, the God of their fathers, that he made with them when he brought them up out of the land of Egypt. 25 They went off and served other gods, worshiping gods that they did not know, gods that he had not given to them. 26 Therefore, the Lord’s anger raged against this land, bringing down upon it all the curses that are written in this book. 27 In anger and wrath the Lord uprooted them out of the land; with great indignation he cast them out into another land where they still are today.” 28 To the Lord, our God, belongs the mystery,[c] but these things have been revealed to us and to our children so that we may observe all of the words of this law.
49 [a]Remember the word you gave to your servant
by which you have given me hope.
50 This is my consolation in my distress:
your word gives me life.
51 The arrogant[b] overwhelm me with scorn,
but I refuse to turn away from your law.
52 I recall your judgments of old, O Lord,
and I am greatly comforted.
53 I am filled with fury against the wicked,
those who forsake your law.
54 Your decrees have become my songs
wherever I make my dwelling.
55 Even during the night I remember your name[c]
and observe your teaching, O Lord.
56 This is my practice:
I obey your commandments.
Heth
57 [d]My portion, I have said, O Lord,
is to observe your words.[e]
58 With all my heart[f] I seek your favor;
fulfill your word and be gracious to me.
59 I have reflected on my ways
and resolved to follow your statutes.
60 I will make haste and not delay
to observe your precepts.
61 Though the nets of the wicked entrap me,
I do not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to offer praise to you
for the righteousness of your judgments.
63 I am a friend to all who fear you,
all who observe your commands.
64 The earth overflows with your kindness,[g] O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
Teth
65 [h]You have dealt kindly with your servant
in accord with your word, O Lord.
66 Grant me good judgment and knowledge,
for I place my trust in your precepts.
67 Before I was afflicted[i] I went astray,
but now I observe your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 The arrogant[j] spread lies about me,
but with all my heart I observe your commands.
70 Their hearts are gross and insensitive,[k]
but I find my delight in your law.
71 It was a blessing for me to be afflicted,
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yodh
Return of the First Captives[a]
Chapter 56
The Lord Welcomes All People
1 Thus says the Lord:
Maintain justice
and do what is right.
For my salvation is close at hand,
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2 Happy is the man who does this,
the one who holds fast to my instructions,
who observes the Sabbath without profaning it
and refrains from every evil deed.
3 Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”
Permit no eunuch[b] to believe,
“I am nothing but a dried-up tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
To the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths,
who choose to do my will
and hold fast to my covenant,
5 I will give in my house
and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters.
I will give them an everlasting name
that will never be effaced.
6 The foreigners who pledge their allegiance to the Lord,
who minister to him,
who love the name of the Lord
and become his servants,
who keep the Sabbath and do not profane
and who hold fast to my covenant:
7 all these I will bring to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar,
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.
8 Thus says the Lord God
who gathers the exiles of Israel:
There are others whom I will call forth
besides those who have already been gathered.
Wicked Rulers
9 All you wild beasts of the fields and of the forest,
come forth and gorge yourselves.
10 Israel’s watchmen are all blind;
they perceive absolutely nothing.
They are all dumb watchdogs
that are unable to bark,
dreaming as they lie there,
loving the opportunity to sleep.
11 The dogs have a ravenous appetite;
meanwhile the shepherds are never satisfied.
They comprehend nothing;
each of them goes his own way,
all of them interested solely in their own gain.
12 “Come,” says each one, “I will fetch some wine,
and we will fill ourselves with strong drink.
And tomorrow will be like today,
or perhaps even better.”
Chapter 4
Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil.[a]1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was famished.
3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God,[b] command these stones to be transformed into loaves of bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “As it is written:
‘Man does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ ”[c]
5 Next the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the summit of the temple.[d] 6 [e]Then he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and with their hands they will raise you up
lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is also written:
‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8 Finally, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor. 9 Then he said to him, “All these will I give you if you kneel down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him in reply, “Depart from me, Satan! It is written:
‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him alone shall you serve.’ ”[f]
11 Then the devil departed from him, and suddenly angels came and ministered to him.
12 Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee.[g]When Jesus learned that John had been arrested,[h] he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Departing from Nazareth, he settled in Capernaum[i] by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 in order that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the passageway to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people who lived in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who dwell in a land darkened by the shadow of death
light has dawned.”
17 From that day forward Jesus began to proclaim the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.”
18 Jesus Calls the First Disciples.[j] As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the water, for they were fishermen. 19 He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately, they abandoned their nets and followed him.
21 As he proceeded farther, he saw two more brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately, they left their boat and their father and followed him.
23 Jesus Proclaims the Message and Heals the Sick.[k] Jesus traveled all throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every type of disease and illness among the people. 24 His reputation spread throughout Syria,[l] and they brought to him all those who were sick, afflicted with various diseases, racked with pain, or possessed by demons, as well as those who were stricken with epilepsy or paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Great throngs from Galilee, the Decapolis,[m] Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan, followed him.
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