M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Ten Commandments
20 Then God spoke all these words,(A)
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;(B) 3 you shall have no other gods before[a] me.(C)
4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.(D) 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me(E) 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.(F)
7 “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.(G)
8 “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.(H) 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work.(I) 10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.(J)
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.(K)
13 “You shall not murder.[c](L)
14 “You shall not commit adultery.(M)
15 “You shall not steal.(N)
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.(O)
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female slave, ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”(P)
18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid[d] and trembled and stood at a distance(Q) 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”(R) 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”(S) 21 Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.(T)
The Law concerning the Altar
22 The Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I spoke with you from heaven.(U) 23 You shall not make gods of silver alongside me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.(V) 24 You need make for me only an altar of earth and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.(W) 25 But if you make for me an altar of stone, do not build it of hewn stones, for if you use a chisel upon it you profane it.(X) 26 You shall not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.
Jesus before Pilate
23 Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus[a] before Pilate.(A) 2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man inciting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”[b](B) 3 Then Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered, “You say so.”(C) 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”(D) 5 But they were insistent and said, “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.”
Jesus before Herod
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.(E) 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign.(F) 9 He questioned him at some length, but Jesus[c] gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by vehemently accusing him. 11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.(G) 12 That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.(H)
Jesus Sentenced to Death
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people, and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him.(I) 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”[d](J)
18 Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!”(K) 19 (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city and for murder.) 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.”(L) 23 But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.(M) 27 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.(N) 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.(O) 29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’(P) 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”(Q)
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.(R) 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus[e] there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]][f] And they cast lots to divide his clothing.(S) 35 And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah[g] of God, his chosen one!”(T) 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine(U) 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[h] “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding[i] him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah?[j] Save yourself and us!”(V) 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”(W) 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in[k] your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”(X)
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land[l] until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed,[m] and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.(Y) 46 Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.(Z) 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.”[n](AA) 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.(AB)
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph who, though a member of the council, 51 had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.(AC) 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.[o](AD) 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.(AE) 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.(AF)
The Lord Answers Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:(A)
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?(B)
3 Gird up your loins like a man;
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.(C)
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.(D)
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone(E)
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings[a] shouted for joy?(F)
8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,(G)
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,(H)
10 and prescribed bounds for it,
and set bars and doors,(I)
11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?(J)
12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began
and caused the dawn to know its place,(K)
13 so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?(L)
14 It is changed like clay under the seal,
and it is dyed[b] like a garment.
15 Light is withheld from the wicked,
and their uplifted arm is broken.(M)
16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?(N)
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?(O)
18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.(P)
19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
and where is the place of darkness,
20 that you may take it to its territory
and that you may discern the paths to its home?(Q)
21 Surely you know, for you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!(R)
22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,(S)
23 which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war?(T)
24 What is the way to the place where the light is distributed
or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?(U)
25 “Who has cut a channel for the torrents of rain
and a way for the thunderbolt,(V)
26 to bring rain on a land where no one lives,
on the desert, which is empty of human life,(W)
27 to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to make the ground put forth grass?(X)
28 “Has the rain a father,
or who has fathered the drops of dew?(Y)
29 From whose womb did the ice come forth,
and who has given birth to the hoarfrost of heaven?(Z)
30 The waters become hard like stone,
and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?(AA)
32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season,
or can you guide the Bear with its children?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?(AB)
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
so that a flood of waters may cover you?(AC)
35 Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go
and say to you, ‘Here we are’?(AD)
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts[c]
or given understanding to the mind?[d](AE)
37 Who has the wisdom to number the clouds?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens
38 when the dust runs into a mass
and the clods cling together?
Encouragement to Be Generous
8 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia, 2 for during a severe ordeal of affliction their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means and even beyond their means, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor[a] of partnering in this ministry to the saints,(A) 5 and not as we expected. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, 6 so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking[b] among you.(B) 7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you[c]—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.[d](C)
8 I do not say this as a command, but I am, by mentioning the eagerness of others, testing the genuineness of your love.(D) 9 For you know the generous act[e] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.(E) 10 And in this matter I am giving my opinion: it is beneficial for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something.(F) 11 Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.(G) 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.(H) 13 For I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality between 14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality. 15 As it is written,
“The one who had much did not have too much,
and the one who had little did not have too little.”(I)
Commendation of Titus
16 But thanks be to God, who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord. 18 With him we are sending the brother who is praised among all the churches for his work for the gospel,(J) 19 and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking[f] for the glory of the Lord himself[g] and to show our goodwill.(K) 20 We are making this arrangement lest anyone blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, 21 for we are setting our minds on what is right not only before the Lord but also before the people.(L) 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers[h] of the churches, the glory of Christ.(M) 24 Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you to them.(N)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.