M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 13
Infections of the Skin.[a] 1 The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, 2 “When someone has a swelling or a scab or a spot on his skin, and it turns out to be leprosy, then he shall be brought to the priest Aaron or one of his sons who is a priest. 3 The priest shall examine the diseased spot on his skin. If the hair of the diseased spot has become white and the sore seems to be deeper than the surface of the skin, then the disease is leprosy. When the priest has examined it, he shall pronounce him unclean. 4 But if the spot on his skin is white and is not deeper than the skin and the hair on it has not become white, the priest shall quarantine the person with the sore for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest shall examine that person again. If he sees that the sore has not changed, and the sore has not spread, he shall quarantine that person for another seven days. 6 The priest shall examine that person again on the seventh day. If the sore has darkened, and the sore has not spread, then the priest shall declare that person clean. It was only a scab. He shall wash his clothes and shall be considered to be clean. 7 But if the scab spreads after the priest has examined him and declared him to be clean, then he must be examined by the priest again. 8 The priest shall examine it, and if the sore has spread, the priest shall pronounce him to be unclean for it is leprosy.
9 “When a person has a leprous sore, he shall be brought to the priest 10 and the priest shall examine him. If there is a white bump on the skin and the hair on it has turned white, and there is tender, raw flesh on the bump, 11 then it is a chronic leprosy of the skin of his body. The priest shall declare him unclean, but he shall not quarantine him for he is unclean. 12 If the leprosy breaks out upon the skin so that the leprosy covers all of the skin of the diseased person wherever the priest examined him, from head to foot, 13 then the priest shall examine the person whose flesh is covered with leprosy. He shall declare him clean when it has all turned white, for he is clean. 14 But when some raw skin appears on him, he shall be held to be unclean. 15 The priest, when he sees the raw skin, shall declare him unclean. The raw skin is unclean; it is leprosy. 16 But if the raw skin becomes white, then he shall come before the priest 17 and the priest shall examine him. If he sees that the sore has turned white, the priest shall declare the person with the sore to be clean, for he is clean.
18 “When someone has a boil on the skin that has healed, 19 and then a whitish-red bump or spot appears where the boil was, he shall show it to the priest. 20 The priest shall examine it. If he sees that it is deeper than the skin and the hair has turned white, then the priest shall declare him to be unclean. It is a leprous sore that has broken out from the boil. 21 But if the priest, upon examining it, sees that it does not have white hair and it is not deeper than the skin, but rather it is a bit darker, then the priest shall quarantine him for seven days. 22 If it spreads over the skin, then the priest shall declare him to be unclean, for the spot is leprous. 23 But if the spot stays put and does not spread, then it is a scar from the boil and the priest shall declare him to be clean.
24 “When someone has a burn, and the raw burn becomes a reddish-white spot, 25 then the priest shall examine it. If the hair of the spot has turned white and it appears to be deeper than the skin, then it is leprosy. It has broken out of the burn. The priest shall declare him unclean, for it is a leprous sore. 26 But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair on the spot and it is not deeper than the skin, but is a bit darker, then the priest shall quarantine him for seven days. 27 On the seventh day the priest shall examine him again. If it has spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him to be unclean. It is a leprous sore. 28 But if the spot has remained where it was and it has not spread on the skin, but it is somewhat darker, then it is only the swelling of a burn. The priest shall declare him to be clean, because it is only the scar from a burn.
29 “When a man or a woman has a sore on the head or the beard, 30 the priest will examine the sore. If it is deeper than the skin and the hair on it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce it to be unclean. It is the scab of leprosy of the head or the beard. 31 But if the priest examines the scab and it is not deeper than the skin and there is no black hair on it, then the priest shall quarantine the person with the scab for seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore. If the scab has not spread and there is no yellow hair on it, and the scab does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 33 then the man shall be shaven, but the scab is not to be shaved. He is to be quarantined another seven days. 34 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scab. If the scab has not spread on the skin and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, then the priest shall declare him to be clean. He shall wash his clothes, for he is clean. 35 But if the scab spreads after his cleansing, 36 the priest shall examine him. If the scab has spread, the priest need not look for yellow hair. He is unclean. 37 But if, from his viewpoint, the scab has not grown larger and black hair has grown upon it, then the scab is clean. The priest shall declare him clean. 38 When a man or a woman has white spots on the skin of the body, 39 the priest shall examine that person. If the spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is only a skin rash. The person is clean.
40 “When a man has lost the hair on his head and he is bald, he is clean. 41 If he has lost the hair from the front of his head, and he has a bald forehead, he is clean. 42 But if there is a white reddish sore on his bald head or his bald forehead, it is leprosy that has broken out on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43 The priest shall examine him. If the swollen sore on his bald head or his bald forehead is reddish-white, looking like leprosy on the skin, 44 then he has leprosy and he is unclean. The priest shall declare him unclean because of the sore on his head.
45 [b]“Anyone who is infected with leprosy shall wear torn clothes, his head is to be uncovered, and he is to cover his moustache. He shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ 46 As long as he is infected, he shall be utterly unclean. He will live alone; his dwelling shall be outside of the camp.
47 Infections in Fabrics.“When a garment has a leprous mark on it, whether it be a woolen garment or a linen garment, 48 whether it is in the weave or the knit of the wool or the linen, or if it is a skin or anything made of a skin, 49 if there is a green or red spot on the garment or the skin, whether in the weave or the knit or on anything made of skin, it is to be considered a mark of leprosy and it is to be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall look at the spot, and shall secure that thing that is infected for seven days. 51 He shall examine the mark on the seventh day. If the spot on the garment has spread, whether it be in the weave or the knit, or on the skin or on anything that is made of skin, then the spot is an active leprosy. It is unclean. 52 He shall burn the garment, whether the spot is in the weave or the knit, whether it is made of wool or linen or is anything made of skin. It has an active leprosy, and it shall be burned in the fire. 53 But if the priest examines it and the spot has not spread on the garment, either in the weave or the knit or on anything made of skin, 54 then the priest shall order that the thing with the mark be washed,[c] and he shall secure it for seven more days. 55 The priest shall examine the thing with the spot after it has been washed. If the color of the spot has not changed, even if it has not spread, it is unclean. It shall be burned in the fire whether the bare spot is on the inside or outside. 56 If the priest examines the garment and the spot has faded after the washing, then he shall tear it out of the garment, whether it be made of skin or woven or knitted. 57 But if it reappears on the garment, whether in the weave or the knit or on anything made of skin, it is spreading. Whatever is infected shall be burned in the fire. 58 The garment, whether of weave or knit or anything made of skin, that has been washed and no longer has the spot, shall be washed a second time and it will then be clean. 59 These are the statutes concerning infections of leprosy upon garments, whether woolen or linen, woven or knitted, or on anything made of skin, on how to declare it clean or to declare it unclean.”
Psalm 15[a]
The Righteous: Guests of God
1 A psalm of David.
O Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may abide on your holy mountain?[b]
2 [c]The one who leads a blameless life
and does what is right,
who speaks the truth from the heart
3 and does not slander anyone,
who does not harm a friend
and does not scorn a neighbor,
4 who looks with disdain on the wicked
but honors those who fear the Lord,
who abides by his oath,
no matter what the cost,
5 who does not charge interest on a loan
and refuses to accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never fall.
Psalm 16[d]
God the Supreme Good
1 A miktam[e] of David.
Protect me, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints[f] who are in the land,
they are the noble ones,
and in them there is all my delight.
4 Those who chase after other gods
only multiply their sorrows.
Never will I pour out libations of blood to them,
nor will I take up their names[g] on my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my allotted portion and my cup;[h]
you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have established a pleasant site for me;
I have truly received a wonderful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who offers me counsel;
even during the night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me,
for with him at my right hand
I will never fall.
9 [i]Therefore, my heart is glad
and my soul rejoices;
my body too is filled with confidence.
10 For you will not abandon me to the netherworld
or allow your Holy One[j] to suffer corruption.
11 You will show me the path to life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence
and everlasting delights at your right hand.
Chapter 27
Dictums about Every Circumstance[a]
1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you can never be certain what today may bring.[b]
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
let it come from the lips of someone else and not your own.
3 Stone is heavy and sand is a dead weight,
but heavier than both is a fool’s provocation.
4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming,
but who can withstand jealousy?
5 Better is an open rebuke
than concealed love.[c]
6 The blows given by a friend[d] are well meant,
but the kisses of an enemy are filled with deceit.
7 One whose appetite is sated refuses honey,
but to the man who is hungry even bitter food tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird that strays from its nest
is anyone who is far away from home.
9 Perfume and incense gladden the heart,
and friendship’s sweetness comforts the soul.[e]
10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your father,
and do not run to your brother’s house when troubles befall you;
far better is a friend nearby
than a brother who is far away.
11 Acquire wisdom, my son, and gladden my heart,
so that I may rebut anyone who insults me.
12 The prudent man perceives danger and seeks shelter,
while the simple[f] continue forward and pay the penalty.
13 Take the garment of anyone who becomes surety for a stranger;
demand a pledge for persons unknown[g] to you.
14 If someone blesses his neighbor at dawn with a loud voice,
it will be reckoned to him as a curse.[h]
15 A constant dripping on a rainy day
is much like a nagging wife;[i]
16 one might as well try to restrain the wind as to control her,
or to pick up oil with one’s fingers.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so a man sharpens the wits of his neighbor.
18 Whoever tends a fig tree eats its fruit,
and whoever looks after his master will be honored.
19 Just as water reflects one’s face,
so does one human heart reflect another.[j]
20 The netherworld and the abyss[k] are never satisfied;
the same is true of human eyes.
21 As silver is tested by a crucible and gold by a furnace,
so too is a man tested by the praise he is given.
22 You may use a pestle to pound a fool into a mortar,
but his folly will never be driven out of him.
Take Good Care of Your Herds[l]
23 Be aware at all times of the condition of your flocks
and take good care of your herds.
24 For riches do not last forever,
nor will a crown endure from age to age.
25 When the grass is gone and the aftergrowth appears
and the green growth of the mountains is gathered,
26 the lambs will provide for your clothing,
and the goats will give you the price of a field;
27 there will be enough goats’ milk[m]
to feed you and your household
and to provide sustenance for your servant girls.
Salutation[a]
Chapter 1
Address and Greeting. 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Perseverance in Faith[b]
A Word of Praise. Brethren, we must always give thanks to God for you, and it is only right that we do so. For your faith grows ever more, and the love that all of you have for one another continues to increase. 4 Therefore, we boast incessantly of you to the Churches of God for your steadfastness and faith despite all the persecutions and tribulations that you have had to endure.Judgment and the Coming of the Lord. 5 All this is proof of God’s just judgment, and it shows that you are worthy of the kingdom of God, for the sake of which you are suffering. 6 It is only just that God will repay with suffering those who make you suffer 7 and grant relief to you who are suffering, and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.
8 He will come in blazing fire to inflict punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, excluded from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on that Day when he comes to be glorified by his holy ones and to be adored by all believers, among whom you will be present since you believed the testimony we offered to you.
11 Prayer for the Community. Therefore, we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and by his power bring to fulfillment every good resolve and every work of faith. 12 In this way, the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.[c]
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.