M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Lord Gives Israel Food Every Day
16 The whole community of Israel started out from Elim. They came to the Desert of Sin. It was between Elim and Sinai. They arrived there on the 15th day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community told Moses and Aaron they weren’t happy with them. 3 The Israelites said to them, “We wish the Lord had put us to death in Egypt. There we sat around pots of meat. We ate all the food we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert. You must want this entire community to die of hunger.”
4 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people must go out each day. Have them gather enough bread for that day. Here is how I will test them. I will see if they will follow my directions. 5 On the sixth day they must prepare what they bring in. On that day they must gather twice as much as on the other days.”
6 So Moses and Aaron spoke to all the people of Israel. They said, “In the evening you will know that the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 7 And in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. He has heard you say you aren’t happy with him. Who are we? Why are you telling us you aren’t happy with us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that the Lord has heard you speak against him. He will give you meat to eat in the evening. He’ll give you all the bread you want in the morning. But who are we? You aren’t speaking against us. You are speaking against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Talk to the whole community of Israel. Say to them, ‘Come to the Lord. He has heard you speak against him.’ ”
10 While Aaron was talking to the whole community of Israel, they looked toward the desert. There was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud!
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the people of Israel talking about how unhappy they are. Tell them, ‘When the sun goes down, you will eat meat. In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning the ground around the camp was covered with dew. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes appeared on the desert floor. They looked like frost on the ground. 15 The people of Israel saw the flakes. They asked each other, “What’s that?” They didn’t know what it was.
Moses said to them, “It’s the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, ‘Everyone should gather as much as they need. Take three pounds for each person who lives in your tent.’ ”
17 The people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, and some gathered a little. 18 When they measured it out, the one who gathered a lot didn’t have too much. And the one who gathered a little had enough. Everyone gathered only what they needed.
19 Then Moses said to them, “Don’t keep any of it until morning.”
20 Some of them didn’t pay any attention to Moses. They kept part of it until morning. But it was full of maggots and began to stink. So Moses became angry with them.
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed. But by the hottest time of the day, the thin flakes had melted away. 22 On the sixth day, the people gathered twice as much. It amounted to six pounds for each person. The leaders of the community came and reported that to Moses. 23 He said to them, “Here is what the Lord commanded. He said, ‘Tomorrow will be a day of rest. It will be a holy Sabbath day. It will be set apart for the Lord. So bake what you want to bake. Boil what you want to boil. Save what is left. Keep it until morning.’ ”
24 So they saved it until morning, just as Moses commanded. It didn’t stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said. “Today is a Sabbath day to honor the Lord. You won’t find any flakes on the ground today. 26 Gather them for six days. But on the seventh day there won’t be any. It’s the Sabbath day.”
27 In spite of what Moses said, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather the flakes. But they didn’t find any. 28 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “How long will all of you refuse to obey my commands and my teachings? 29 Keep in mind that I have given you the Sabbath day. That is why on the sixth day I give you bread for two days. Everyone must stay where they are on the seventh day. No one can go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seeds. It tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, ‘Get three pounds of manna. Keep it for all time to come. Then those who live after you will see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert. I gave it to you when I brought you out of Egypt.’ ”
33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar. Put three pounds of manna in it. Then place it in front of the Lord. Keep it there for all time to come.”
34 Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. He put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law. He put it there so it would be kept for all time to come. 35 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years. They ate it until they came to a land where people were living. They ate it until they reached the border of Canaan.
36 The jar had three pounds of manna in it.
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich. 3 Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.
5 Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, “Jesus has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took.”
9 Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham’s family line. 10 The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.”
The Story of Three Slaves
11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away. 12 Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. 13 So he sent for ten of his slaves. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.
14 “But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15 “But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the slaves he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.
16 “The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’
17 “ ‘You have done well, my good slave!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’
18 “The second slave came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’
19 “His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’
20 “Then another slave came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’
22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil slave! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? 23 Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’
24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’
25 “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’
26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what they have will be taken away from them. 27 And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was going up to Jerusalem. 29 He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey’s colt tied up. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. 31 Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them. 33 They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their coats on the road.
37 Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives. There the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had seen. They shouted,
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26)
“May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!”
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “tell your disciples to stop!”
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
41 He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to weep. 42 He said, “I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side. 44 You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another.”
Jesus Clears Out the Temple
45 Then Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out those who were selling there. 46 He told them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be a house where people can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a ‘den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)
47 Every day Jesus was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests and the teachers of the law were trying to kill him. So were the leaders among the people. 48 But they couldn’t find any way to do it. All the people were paying close attention to his words.
34 Elihu continued,
2 “Hear what I’m saying, you wise men.
Listen to me, you who have learned so much.
3 Our tongues tell us what tastes good and what doesn’t.
And our ears tell us what’s true and what isn’t.
4 So let’s choose for ourselves what is right.
Let’s learn together what is good.
5 “Job says, ‘I’m not guilty of doing anything wrong.
But God doesn’t treat me fairly.
6 Even though I’m right,
he thinks I’m a liar.
Even though I’m not guilty,
his arrows give me wounds that can’t be healed.’
7 Is there anyone like Job?
He accuses God as easily as he drinks water.
8 He’s a companion of those who do evil.
He spends his time with sinful people.
9 He asks, ‘What good is it
to try to please God?’
10 “So listen to me, you men who have understanding.
God would never do what is evil.
The Mighty One would never do what is wrong.
11 He pays back everyone for what they’ve done.
He gives them exactly what they should get.
12 It isn’t possible for God to do wrong.
The Mighty One would never treat people unfairly.
13 Who appointed him to rule over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the whole world?
14 If he really wanted to,
he could hold back his spirit and breath.
15 Then everyone would die together.
They would return to the dust.
16 “Job, if you have understanding, listen to me.
Pay attention to what I’m saying.
17 Can someone who hates to be fair govern?
Will you bring charges against the holy and mighty God?
18 He says to kings, ‘You are worthless.’
He says to nobles, ‘You are evil.’
19 He doesn’t favor princes.
He treats rich people and poor people the same.
His hands created all of them.
20 They die suddenly in the middle of the night.
God strikes them down, and they pass away.
Even people who are mighty are removed, but not by human hands.
21 “His eyes see how people live.
He watches every step they take.
22 There is no deep shadow or total darkness
where those who do what is evil can hide.
23 God doesn’t need to bring charges against anyone.
He knows they are guilty.
So he doesn’t need to have them appear in his court to be judged.
24 He destroys the mighty without asking them questions in court.
Then he sets others up in their places.
25 He knows what they do.
So he crushes them during the night.
26 He punishes them for the sins they commit.
He does it where everyone can see them.
27 That’s because they turned away from following him.
They didn’t have respect for anything he does.
28 They caused poor people to cry out to him.
He heard the cries of those who were in need.
29 But if he remains silent, who can judge him?
If he turns his face away, who can see him?
He rules over individual people and nations alike.
30 He keeps those who are ungodly from ruling.
He keeps them from laying traps for others.
31 “Someone might say to God,
‘I’m guilty of sinning,
but I won’t do it anymore.
32 Show me my sins that I’m not aware of.
If I’ve done what is wrong,
I won’t do it again.’
33 But you refuse to turn away from your sins.
So God won’t treat you the way you want to be treated.
You must decide, Job. I can’t do it for you.
So tell me what you know.
34 “You men who have understanding have spoken.
You wise men who hear me have said to me,
35 ‘Job doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
The things he has said don’t make any sense.’
36 I wish Job would be given the hardest test possible!
He answered like someone who is evil.
37 To his sin he adds even more sin.
He claps his hands and makes fun of us.
He multiplies his words against God.”
A Treasure in Clay Jars
4 So because of God’s mercy, we have work to do. He has given it to us. And we don’t give up. 2 Instead, we have given up doing secret and shameful things. We don’t twist God’s word. In fact, we do just the opposite. We present the truth plainly. In the sight of God, we make our appeal to everyone’s sense of what is right and wrong. 3 Suppose our good news is covered with a veil. Then it is veiled to those who are dying. 4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They can’t see the light of the good news that makes Christ’s glory clear. Christ is the likeness of God. 5 The message we preach is not about ourselves. Our message is about Jesus Christ. We say that he is Lord. And we say that we serve you because of Jesus. 6 God said, “Let light shine out of darkness.” (Genesis 1:3) He made his light shine in our hearts. His light gives us the light to know God’s glory. His glory is shown in the face of Christ.
7 Treasure is kept in clay jars. In the same way, we have the treasure of the good news in these earthly bodies of ours. That shows that the mighty power of the good news comes from God. It doesn’t come from us. 8 We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn’t make us lose hope. 9 Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out. 10 We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies. In that way, the life of Jesus can be shown in our bodies. 11 We who are alive are always in danger of death because we are serving Jesus. This happens so that his life can also be shown in our earthly bodies. 12 Death is at work in us. But life is at work in you.
13 It is written, “I believed, and so I have spoken.” (Psalm 116:10) We have that same spirit of faith. So we also believe and speak. 14 We know that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. And he will also raise us up with Jesus. And he will present both you and us to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit. God’s grace is reaching more and more people. So they will become more and more thankful. They will give glory to God.
16 We don’t give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are being renewed day by day. 17 Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles. 18 So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. That’s because what can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever.
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