M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Willing Artisans
31 [a] The Lord spoke to Moses,[b] 2 “See, I have chosen[c] Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God[d] in skill,[e] in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of[f] craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs[g] for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze, 5 and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 Moreover,[h] I have also given him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given ability to all the specially skilled,[i] that they may make[j] everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the atonement lid that is on it, all the furnishings[k] of the tent, 8 the table with its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9 the altar for the burnt offering with all its utensils, the large basin with its base, 10 the woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests, 11 the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the Holy Place. They will make all these things just as I have commanded you.”
Sabbath Observance
12 [l] The Lord said to Moses,[m] 13 “Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep my Sabbaths,[n] for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.[o] 14 So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it[p] must surely be put to death; indeed,[q] if anyone does[r] any[s] work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his[t] people. 15 Six days[u] work may be done,[v] but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest,[w] holy to the Lord; anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death. 16 The Israelites must keep the Sabbath by observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever; for in six days[x] the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”[y]
18 He gave Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.[z]
Jesus as the Good Shepherd
10 “I tell you the solemn truth,[a] the one who does not enter the sheepfold[b] by the door,[c] but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper[d] opens the door[e] for him,[f] and the sheep hear his voice. He[g] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.[h] 4 When he has brought all his own sheep[i] out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize[j] his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger,[k] but will run away from him, because they do not recognize[l] the stranger’s voice.”[m] 6 Jesus told them this parable,[n] but they[o] did not understand[p] what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the solemn truth,[q] I am the door for the sheep.[r] 8 All who came before me were[s] thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.[t] 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out,[u] and find pasture.[v] 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill[w] and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.[x]
11 “I am the good[y] shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life[z] for the sheep. 12 The hired hand,[aa] who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons[ab] the sheep and runs away.[ac] So the wolf attacks[ad] the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep,[ae] he runs away.[af]
14 “I am the good shepherd. I[ag] know my own[ah] and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life[ai] for[aj] the sheep. 16 I have[ak] other sheep that do not come from[al] this sheepfold.[am] I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice,[an] so that[ao] there will be one flock and[ap] one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me[aq]—because I lay down my life,[ar] so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down[as] of my own free will.[at] I have the authority[au] to lay it down, and I have the authority[av] to take it back again. This commandment[aw] I received from my Father.”
19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people[ax] because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind![ay] Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words[az] of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see,[ba] can it?”[bb]
Jesus at the Feast of Dedication
22 Then came the feast of the Dedication[bc] in Jerusalem. 23 It was winter,[bd] and Jesus was walking in the temple area[be] in Solomon’s Portico.[bf] 24 The Jewish leaders[bg] surrounded him and asked,[bh] “How long will you keep us in suspense?[bi] If you are the Christ,[bj] tell us plainly.”[bk] 25 Jesus replied,[bl] “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds[bm] I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give[bn] them eternal life, and they will never perish;[bo] no one will snatch[bp] them from my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,[bq] and no one can snatch[br] them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I[bs] are one.”[bt]
31 The Jewish leaders[bu] picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 32 Jesus said to them,[bv] “I have shown you many good deeds[bw] from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jewish leaders[bx] replied,[by] “We are not going to stone you for a good deed[bz] but for blasphemy,[ca] because[cb] you, a man, are claiming to be God.”[cc]
34 Jesus answered,[cd] “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?[ce] 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken),[cf] 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart[cg] and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not perform[ch] the deeds[ci] of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds,[cj] so that you may come to know[ck] and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 39 Then[cl] they attempted[cm] again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.[cn]
40 Jesus[co] went back across the Jordan River[cp] again to the place where John[cq] had been baptizing at an earlier time,[cr] and he stayed there. 41 Many[cs] came to him and began to say, “John[ct] performed[cu] no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man[cv] was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus[cw] there.
Admonition to Avoid the Wiles of the Adulteress[a]
7 My child,[b] devote yourself to my words
and store up my commands inside yourself.[c]
2 Keep my commands[d] so that you may live,[e]
and obey[f] my instruction as your most prized possession.[g]
3 Bind them on your forearm;[h]
write them on the tablet of your heart.[i]
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”[j]
and call understanding a close relative,
5 so that they may keep you from the adulterous woman,[k]
from the loose woman[l] who has flattered[m] you[n] with her words.
6 For at the window of my house
through my window lattice I looked out
7 and I saw among the naive[o]—
I discerned among the youths[p]—
a young man[q] who lacked sense.[r]
8 He was passing by the street near her corner,
making his way[s] along the road to her house[t]
9 in the twilight, the evening,[u]
in the dark of the night.[v]
10 Suddenly[w] a woman came out to meet him!
She was dressed like a prostitute[x] and with secret intent.[y]
11 (She is loud and rebellious,
she[z] does not remain[aa] at home—
12 at one time outside, at another[ab] in the wide plazas,
and by every corner she lies in wait.)
13 So she grabbed him and kissed him,
and with a bold expression[ac] she said to him,
14 “I have meat from my peace offerings at home;[ad]
today I have fulfilled my vows!
15 That is why I came out to meet you,
to look for you,[ae] and I found you!
16 I have spread my bed with elegant coverings,[af]
with richly colored fabric[ag] from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply[ah] of lovemaking[ai] until morning,
let’s delight ourselves[aj] with love’s pleasures.
19 For my husband[ak] is not at home;[al]
he has gone on a journey of some distance.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him;[am]
he will not return until[an] the end of the month.”[ao]
21 She turned him aside[ap] with her persuasions;[aq]
with her smooth talk[ar] she was enticing him along.[as]
22 Suddenly he was going[at] after her
like an ox that goes to the slaughter,
like a stag prancing into a trapper’s snare[au]
23 till an arrow pierces his liver[av]—
like a bird hurrying into a trap,
and he does not know that it will cost him his life.[aw]
24 So now, sons,[ax] listen to me,
and pay attention to the words I speak.[ay]
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways—
do not wander into her pathways;
26 for she has brought down[az] many fatally wounded,
and all those she has slain are many.[ba]
27 Her house is the way to the grave,[bb]
going down to the chambers of death.
Support One Another
6 Brothers and sisters,[a] if a person[b] is discovered in some sin,[c] you who are spiritual[d] restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness.[e] Pay close attention[f] to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Let each one examine[g] his own work. Then he can take pride[h] in himself and not compare himself with[i] someone else. 5 For each one will carry[j] his own load.
6 Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches[k] it. 7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool.[l] For a person[m] will reap what he sows, 8 because the person who sows to his own flesh[n] will reap corruption[o] from the flesh,[p] but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So we must not grow weary[q] in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.[r] 10 So then,[s] whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.[t]
Final Instructions and Benediction
11 See what big letters I make as I write to you with my own hand!
12 Those who want to make a good showing in external matters[u] are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so[v] only to avoid being persecuted[w] for the cross of Christ. 13 For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh.[x] 14 But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[y] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For[z] neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for[aa] anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation![ab] 16 And all who will behave[ac] in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God.[ad]
17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.[ae]
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be[af] with your spirit, brothers and sisters.[ag] Amen.
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