M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 23
The Levitical Divisions. 1 When David had grown old and was near the end of his days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.(A) 2 He then gathered together all the officials of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites.
3 The Levites thirty years old and above were counted, and their total number was found to be thirty-eight thousand.(B) 4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were to direct the service of the house of the Lord, six thousand were to be officials and judges, 5 four thousand were to be gatekeepers,(C) and four thousand were to praise the Lord with the instruments which [David] had devised for praise. 6 David apportioned them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.(D)
7 To the Gershonites belonged Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, then Zetham and Joel; three in all.(E) 9 The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran; three. These were the heads of the families of Ladan. 10 The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zizah, Jeush, and Beriah; these were the sons of Shimei, four in all. 11 Jahath was the chief and Zizah was second to him; but Jeush and Beriah had few sons, and therefore they were classed as a single family, exercising a single office.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; four in all.(F) 13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to be consecrated as most holy, he and his sons forever, to offer sacrifice before the Lord, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.(G) 14 As for Moses, however, the man of God, his sons were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.(H) 16 The sons of Gershom: Shubael the chief.(I) 17 The sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief—Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah, the chief, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, and Jekameam, the fourth.(J) 20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah, the chief, and Isshiah, the second.(K)
21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.(L) 22 Eleazar died leaving no sons, only daughters; the sons of Kish, their kinsmen, married them.(M) 23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth; three in all.(N)
24 These were the sons of Levi according to their ancestral houses, the family heads as they were enrolled one by one according to their names. They performed the work of the service of the house of the Lord beginning at twenty years of age.(O)
25 David said: “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and has taken up his dwelling in Jerusalem forever.(P) 26 Henceforth the Levites need not carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service.”(Q) 27 For by David’s last words the Levites were enlisted from the time they were twenty years old. 28 Their duty is to assist the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, having charge of the courts, the chambers, and the preservation of everything holy: they take part in the service of the house of God. 29 They also have charge of the showbread, of the fine flour for the grain offering, of the wafers of unleavened bread, and of the baking and mixing, and of all measures of quantity and size.(R) 30 They are to be present every morning to offer thanks and to praise the Lord, and likewise in the evening;(S) 31 and at every sacrifice of burnt offerings to the Lord on sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, in such numbers as are prescribed, they must always be present before the Lord(T) 32 and observe what is prescribed for them concerning the tent of meeting, the sanctuary, and the sons of Aaron, their kinsmen, in the service of the house of the Lord.(U)
Chapter 4
Christian Restraint.[a] 1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same attitude (for whoever suffers in the flesh has broken with sin), 2 so as not to spend what remains of one’s life in the flesh on human desires, but on the will of God. 3 For the time that has passed is sufficient for doing what the Gentiles like to do: living in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and wanton idolatry.(A) 4 They are surprised that you do not plunge into the same swamp of profligacy, and they vilify you; 5 but they will give an account to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.(B) 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead[b] that, though condemned in the flesh in human estimation, they might live in the spirit in the estimation of God.
Christian Charity.[c] 7 The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. 8 (C)Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.[d] 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining.(D) 10 As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.(E) 11 Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,(F) to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.[e]
IV. Advice to the Persecuted
Trial of Persecution.[f] 12 Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you.(G) 13 But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.(H) 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.(I) 15 But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer. 16 But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name. 17 For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God?(J)
18 “And if the righteous one is barely saved,
where will the godless and the sinner appear?”(K)
19 As a result, those who suffer in accord with God’s will hand their souls over to a faithful creator as they do good.
Chapter 2
1 [a]Ah! you plotters of iniquity,
who work out evil on your beds!
In the morning light you carry it out
for it lies within your power.
2 [b]You covet fields, and seize them;
houses, and take them;
You cheat owners of their houses,
people of their inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says the Lord:
Look, I am planning against this family an evil
from which you cannot free your necks;
Nor shall you walk with head held high,
for it will be an evil time.
4 On that day you shall be mocked,
and there will be bitter lament:
“Our ruin is complete,
our fields are divided among our captors,
The fields of my people are measured out,
and no one can get them back!”[c]
5 Thus you shall have no one
in the assembly of the Lord
to allot to you a share of land.
6 [d]“Do not preach,” they preach,
“no one should preach of these things!
Shame will not overtake us.”
7 How can it be said, house of Jacob,
“Is the Lord short of patience;
are these the Lord’s deeds?”
Do not my words promise good
to the one who walks in justice?
8 But you rise up against my people as an enemy:
you have stripped off the garment from the peaceful,
From those who go their way in confidence,
as though it were spoils of war.
9 The women of my people you drive out
from their pleasant houses;
From their children you take away
forever the honor I gave them.
10 [e]“Get up! Leave,
this is no place to rest”;
Because of uncleanness that destroys
with terrible destruction.
11 If one possessed of a lying spirit(A)
speaks deceitfully, saying,
“I will preach to you wine and strong drink,”
that one would be the preacher for this people.
12 [f]I will gather you, Jacob, each and every one,
I will assemble all the remnant of Israel;
I will group them like a flock in the fold,
like a herd in its pasture;
the noise of the people will resound.
13 The one who makes a breach goes up before them;
they make a breach and pass through the gate;
Their king shall go through before them,
the Lord at their head.
Chapter 11
The Lord’s Prayer.(A) 1 [a]He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”[b] 2 [c]He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread[d]
4 and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”
Further Teachings on Prayer.(B) 5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ 7 and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
The Answer to Prayer.(C) 9 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.(D) 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12 Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit[e] to those who ask him?”
Jesus and Beelzebul.(E) 14 He was driving out a demon [that was] mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke and the crowds were amazed. 15 Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.”(F) 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.(G) 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people[f] drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that [I] drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.(H) 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger[g] than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(I)
The Return of the Unclean Spirit.(J) 24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ 25 But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that person is worse than the first.”(K)
True Blessedness.[h] 27 While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.”(L) 28 He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
The Demand for a Sign.[i] 29 While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them,(M) “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.(N) 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.(O) 32 At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.(P)
The Simile of Light. 33 “No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it [under a bushel basket], but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light.(Q) 34 The lamp of the body is your eye.(R) When your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled with light, but when it is bad, then your body is in darkness. 35 Take care, then, that the light in you not become darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light, and no part of it is in darkness, then it will be as full of light as a lamp illuminating you with its brightness.”
Denunciation of the Pharisees and Scholars of the Law.[j] 37 (S)After he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat.(T) 38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.(U) 39 The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!(V) Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. 40 You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? 41 But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you. 42 Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others.(W) 43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.(X) 44 Woe to you! You are like unseen graves[k] over which people unknowingly walk.”(Y)
45 Then one of the scholars of the law[l] said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”(Z) 46 And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them. 47 (AA)Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48 Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. 49 (AB)Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles;[m] some of them they will kill and persecute’ 50 in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah[n] who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!(AC) 52 Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”(AD) 53 When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things,(AE) 54 for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.(AF)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.