M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
What to Do When You Don’t Know Who Killed Someone
21 Suppose you find someone who has been killed. The body is lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own. But no one knows who the killer was. 2 Then your elders and judges will go out to the field. They will measure the distance from the body to the nearby towns. 3 The elders from the town that is nearest to the body will get a young cow. It must never have been used for work. It must never have pulled a load. 4 The elders must lead it down into a valley. The valley must not have been farmed. There must be a stream flowing through it. There in the valley the elders must break the cow’s neck. 5 The priests, who are sons of Levi, will step forward. The Lord your God has chosen them to serve him. He wants them to bless the people in his name. He wants them to decide all cases that have to do with people arguing and attacking others. 6 Then all the elders from the town that is nearest to the body will wash their hands. They will wash them over the young cow whose neck they broke in the valley. 7 They’ll say to the Lord, “We didn’t kill that person. We didn’t see it happen. 8 Accept this payment for the sin of your people Israel. Lord, you have set your people free. Don’t hold them guilty for spilling the blood of someone who hasn’t done anything wrong.” That will pay for the death of that person. 9 So you will get rid of the guilt of killing someone who didn’t do anything wrong. That’s because you have done what is right in the Lord’s eyes.
Marrying a Woman Who Is Your Prisoner
10 Suppose you go to war against your enemies. And the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take them as prisoners. 11 Then you notice a beautiful woman among them. If you like her, you may marry her. 12 Bring her home. Have her shave her head and cut her nails. 13 Have her throw away the clothes she was wearing when she was captured. Let her live in your house and mourn the loss of her parents for a full month. Then you can go to her and be her husband. And she will be your wife. 14 But suppose you aren’t pleased with her. Then let her go where she wants to. You must not sell her. You must not treat her as a slave. You have already brought shame on her.
The Rights of the Oldest Son
15 Suppose a man has two wives. He loves one but not the other. And both of them have sons by him. But the oldest son is the son of the wife the man doesn’t love. 16 Someday he’ll leave his property to his sons. When he does, he must not give the rights of the oldest son to the son of the wife he loves. He must give those rights to his oldest son. He must do it even though his oldest son is the son of the wife he doesn’t love. 17 He must recognize the full rights of the oldest son. He must do it, even though that son is the son of the wife he doesn’t love. He must give that son a double share of everything he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. So the rights of the oldest son belong to him.
A Stubborn Son
18 Suppose someone has a very stubborn son. He doesn’t obey his father and mother. And he won’t listen to them when they try to correct him. 19 Then his parents will take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They will say to the elders, “This son of ours is very stubborn. He won’t obey us. He eats too much. He’s always getting drunk.” 21 Then all the people in his town will put him to death by throwing stones at him. Get rid of that evil person. All the Israelites will hear about it. And they will be afraid to disobey their parents.
Several Other Laws
22 Suppose someone is put to death for a crime worthy of death. And a pole is stuck through their body and set up where people can see it. 23 Then you must not leave the body on the pole all night. Make sure you bury it that same day. Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not make the land “unclean.” The Lord your God is giving it to you as your own.
A song. A psalm of David.
108 God, my heart feels secure.
I will sing and make music to you with all my heart.
2 Harp and lyre, wake up!
I want to sing and make music before the sun rises.
3 Lord, I will praise you among the nations.
I will sing about you among the people of the earth.
4 Great is your love. It is higher than the heavens.
Your truth reaches to the skies.
5 God, may you be honored above the heavens.
Let your glory be over the whole earth.
6 Save us. Help us with your powerful right hand,
so that those you love may be saved.
7 God has spoken from his temple.
He has said, “I will win the battle.
Then I will divide up the land around Shechem.
I will divide up the Valley of Sukkoth.
8 Gilead belongs to me, and so does the land of Manasseh.
Ephraim is the strongest tribe. It is like a helmet for my head.
Judah is the royal tribe. It is like a ruler’s scepter.
9 Moab serves me like one who washes my feet.
I toss my sandal on Edom to show that I own it.
I shout to Philistia that I have won the battle.”
10 Who will bring me to the city that has high walls around it?
Who will lead me to the land of Edom?
11 God, isn’t it you, even though you have now turned away from us?
Isn’t it you, even though you don’t lead our armies into battle anymore?
12 Help us against our enemies.
The help people give doesn’t amount to anything.
13 With your help we will win the battle.
You will walk all over our enemies.
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
109 God, I praise you.
Don’t remain silent.
2 Sinful people who lie and cheat have spoken against me.
They have used their tongues to tell lies about me.
3 They gather all around me with their words of hatred.
They attack me without any reason.
4 They bring charges against me,
even though I love them
and pray for them.
5 They pay me back with evil for the good things I do.
They pay back my love with hatred.
6 Appoint an evil person to take my enemies to court.
Let him stand at their right hand and bring charges against them.
7 When they are tried, let them be found guilty.
May even their prayers judge them.
8 May their days be few.
Let others take their places as leaders.
9 May their children’s fathers die.
May their wives become widows.
10 May their children be driven from their destroyed homes.
May they wander around like beggars.
11 May everything those people own be taken away to pay for what they owe.
May strangers rob them of everything they’ve worked for.
12 May no one be kind to them
or take pity on the children they leave behind.
13 May their family line come to an end.
May their names be forgotten by those who live after them.
14 May the Lord remember the evil things their fathers have done.
May he never erase the sins of their mothers.
15 May the Lord never forget their sins.
Then he won’t let people remember the names of my enemies anymore.
16 They never thought about doing anything kind.
Instead, they drove those who were poor and needy to their deaths.
They did the same thing to those whose hearts were broken.
17 They loved to curse others.
May their curses come back on them.
They didn’t find any pleasure in giving anyone their blessing.
May no blessing ever come to them.
18 They cursed others as easily as they put on clothes.
Cursing was as natural to them as getting a drink of water
or putting olive oil on their bodies.
19 May their curses cover them like coats.
May their curses be wrapped around them like a belt forever.
20 May that be the Lord’s way of paying back
those who bring charges against me.
May it happen to those who say
evil things about me.
21 But Lord and King,
help me so that you bring honor to yourself.
Because your love is so good, save me.
22 I am poor and needy.
My heart is wounded deep down inside me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow.
I’m like a locust that someone brushes off.
24 My knees are weak because I’ve gone without food.
My body is very thin.
25 Those who bring charges against me laugh at me.
When they see me, they shake their heads at me.
26 Lord my God, help me.
Save me because of your faithful love.
27 Lord, let my enemies know that you yourself have saved me.
You have done it with your own hand.
28 They may curse me.
But may you bless me.
May those who attack me be put to shame.
But may I be filled with joy.
29 May those who bring charges against me be clothed with dishonor.
May they be wrapped in shame as if it were a coat.
30 With my mouth I will continually praise the Lord.
I will praise him when all his people gather for worship.
31 He stands ready to help those who need it.
He saves them from those who are ready to sentence them to death.
Israel Is Stubborn
48 People of Jacob, listen to me.
You are called by the name of Israel.
You come from the family line of Judah.
You make promises in the name of the Lord.
You pray to Israel’s God.
But you aren’t honest.
You don’t mean what you say.
2 You call yourselves citizens of the holy city of Jerusalem.
You say you depend on Israel’s God.
His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. He says,
3 “Long ago I told you ahead of time what would happen.
I announced it and made it known.
Then all of a sudden I acted.
And those things took place.
4 I knew how stubborn you were.
Your neck muscles were as unbending as iron.
Your forehead was as hard as bronze.
5 So I told you those things long ago.
Before they happened I announced them to you.
I did it so you would not be able to say,
‘My statues of gods did them.
My wooden and metal gods made them happen.’
6 You have heard me tell you these things.
Think about all of them.
Won’t you admit they have taken place?
“From now on I will tell you about new things that will happen.
I have not made them known to you before.
7 These things are taking place right now.
They did not happen long ago.
You have not heard of them before today.
So you can’t say,
‘Oh, yes. I already knew about them.’
8 You have not heard or understood what I said.
Your ears have been plugged up for a long time.
I knew very well that you would turn against me.
From the day you were born, you have refused to obey me.
9 For the honor of my own name I wait to show my anger.
I hold it back from you so people will continue to praise me.
I do not want to destroy you completely.
10 I have tested you in the furnace of suffering.
I have tried to make you pure.
But I did not use as much heat as it takes to make silver pure.
11 I tried to purify you for my own honor.
I did it for the honor of my name.
How can I let myself be dishonored?
I will not give up my glory to any other god.
Israel Is Set Free
12 “Family of Jacob, listen to me.
People of Israel, pay attention.
I have chosen you.
I am the first and the last.
I am the Lord.
13 With my own hand I laid the foundations of the earth.
With my right hand I spread out the heavens.
When I send for them,
they come and stand ready to obey me.
14 “People of Israel, come together and listen to me.
What other god has said ahead of time that certain things would happen?
I have chosen Cyrus.
He will carry out my plans against Babylon.
He will use his power against the Babylonians.
15 I myself have spoken.
I have chosen him to carry out my purpose.
I will bring him to Babylon.
He will succeed in what I tell him to do.
16 “Come close and listen to me.
“From the first time I said Cyrus was coming,
I did not do it in secret.
When he comes, I will be there.”
The Lord and King has filled me with his Spirit.
People of Israel, he has sent me to you.
17 The Lord is the Holy One of Israel.
He sets his people free. He says to them,
“I am the Lord your God.
I teach you what is best for you.
I direct you in the way you should go.
18 I wish you would pay attention to my commands.
If you did, peace would flow over you like a river.
Godliness would sweep over you like the waves of the ocean.
19 Your family would be like the sand.
Your children after you would be as many as the grains of sand by the sea.
It would be impossible to count them.
I would always accept the members of your family line.
They would never disappear or be destroyed.”
20 People of Israel, leave Babylon!
Hurry up and get away from the Babylonians!
Here is what I want you to announce.
Make it known with shouts of joy.
Send the news out from one end of the earth to the other.
Say, “The Lord has set free his servant Jacob.”
21 They didn’t get thirsty when he led them through the deserts.
He made water flow out of the rock for them.
He broke the rock open,
and water came out of it.
22 “There is no peace for those who are evil,” says the Lord.
Weeping When Babylon Falls
18 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority. His glory filled the earth with light. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted,
“ ‘Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen!’ (Isaiah 21:9)
She has become a place where demons live.
She has become a den for every evil spirit.
She has become a place where every ‘unclean’ bird is found.
She has become a place where every ‘unclean’ and hated animal is found.
3 All the nations have drunk
the strong wine of her terrible sins.
The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways.
The traders of the world grew rich from her great wealth.”
Warning to Run From Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven. It said,
“ ‘Come out of her, my people.’ (Jeremiah 51:45)
Then you will not take part in her sins.
You will not suffer from any of her plagues.
5 Her sins are piled up to heaven.
God has remembered her crimes.
6 Do to her as she has done to others.
Pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double dose of what she has poured for others.
7 Give her as much pain and suffering
as the glory and wealth she gave herself.
She brags to herself,
‘I rule on a throne like a queen.
I am not a widow.
I will never mourn.’ (Isaiah 47:7,8)
8 But she will be plagued by death, sadness and hunger.
In a single day she will suffer all these plagues.
She will be burned up by fire.
That’s because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.
How Terrible When Babylon Falls!
9 “The kings of the earth who committed terrible sins with her will weep. They will mourn because they used to share her riches. They will see the smoke rising as she burns. 10 They will be terrified by her suffering. They will stand far away from her. And they will cry out,
“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city!
How terrible for you, mighty city of Babylon!
In just one hour you have been destroyed!’
11 “The traders of the world will weep and mourn over her. No one buys what they sell anymore. 12 Here is what they had for sale.
“Gold, silver, jewels, pearls.
Fine linen, purple, silk, bright red cloth.
Every kind of citron wood.
All sorts of things made out of ivory, valuable wood, bronze, iron, marble.
13 Cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense.
Wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat.
Cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, and human beings sold as slaves.
14 “The merchants will say, ‘The pleasure you longed for has left you. All your riches and glory have disappeared forever.’ 15 The traders who sold these things became rich because of Babylon. When she suffers, they will stand far away. Her suffering will terrify them. They will weep and mourn. 16 They will cry out,
“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and bright red!
How terrible for you, great city, gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls!
17 In just one hour your great wealth has been destroyed!’
“Every sea captain and all who travel by ship will stand far away. So will the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea. 18 They will see the smoke rising as Babylon burns. They will ask, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads. They will weep and mourn. They will cry out,
“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city!
All who had ships on the sea
became rich because of her wealth!
In just one hour she has been destroyed!’
20 “You heavens, be glad for this!
You people of God, be glad!
You apostles and prophets, be glad!
God has judged her
with the judgment she gave to you.”
Babylon’s Judgment Is Final
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a huge rock. It was the size of a large millstone. He threw it into the sea. Then he said,
“That is how
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down.
Never again will it be found.
22 The songs of musicians will never be heard in you again.
Gone will be the music of harps, flutes and trumpets.
No worker of any kind
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voices of brides and grooms
will never be heard in you again.
Your traders were among the world’s most important people.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 You were guilty of the murder of prophets and God’s holy people.
You were guilty of the blood of all who have been killed on the earth.”
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