M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 22
1 “If a thief is surprised while he is breaking in and is struck and dies, then there is no bloodguilt for the striker. 2 But if the sun has already risen on him, there would be bloodguilt for the striker.
“A thief must surely pay restitution. If he has nothing with which he can pay, then he is to be sold to pay for his theft.
3 “If he is found with the animals he robbed and they are still alive, whether they be oxen or donkeys or sheep, he is to repay double.
Offenses Regarding Compensation. 4 “If someone uses a field or a vineyard as a pasture and lets his animals graze in someone else’s field, then he must repay that person with the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.
5 “If a fire breaks out and it spreads to the thornbushes so that it burns the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field itself, the person who started the fire must make restitution.[a]
6 “If someone entrusts his neighbor with silver or goods for safekeeping, and there is a robbery in that house and the thief is caught, the thief shall pay back double. 7 If the thief is not caught, the master of the house is to be brought before the judges to swear that he has not laid hands on the property of his neighbor.
8 “Whatever the transgression, whether it be about an ox or a sheep or clothes or any other lost property about which a person has said, ‘This is mine,’ the case of both parties will be brought before the judges. Whoever the judges find guilty shall pay back double to his neighbor.
9 “If someone entrusts his neighbor with a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any other animal, and that animal dies or is injured or stolen with no witnesses, 10 then an oath to the Lord shall be taken between the two parties declaring that the one entrusted with the animal did not lay hands on his neighbor’s property. The owner of the property shall accept this and there shall be no restitution. 11 But if it was stolen while he was present, then he will make restitution to its owner. 12 If it was torn to pieces, let him bring the pieces as evidence and he shall not pay restitution.
13 “If someone borrows anything from a neighbor and it is hurt or dies when the owner is not there, he shall pay full restitution. 14 But if the owner is there, he shall not have to pay restitution. If the animal was hired, then its loss is the price of its hire.
15 Moral and Religious Regulations.“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall pay a dowry for her and will make her his wife. 16 If her father refuses to give her to him, he must give him the normal amount of dowry paid for a virgin.[b]
17 “You shall not allow a witch to live.
18 “Whoever lies with an animal must die. 19 Whoever offers a sacrifice to any other god besides the Lord will be annihilated.
20 “You shall not mistreat or oppress the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
21 “You shall not oppress the widow or the orphan. 22 If you mistreat them and they cry out to me for help, I will surely hear their cry, 23 and my fury will burn and I will put you to death by the sword. Your wives will be widows and your children will be orphans.
24 “If you lend money to any of the poor among my people, you will not act as a creditor toward him nor will you take any interest.
25 “If you take your neighbor’s mantle as a pledge, you shall restore it to him at sunset, 26 for it is his covering. It is the cloak for his body. What else would cover him when he sleeps? Otherwise, when he cries out to me, I will listen to his cry, for I am compassionate.[c]
27 “You shall not blaspheme God nor curse the leader of your people.
28 “You shall not delay to make offerings from your harvest and your vintage. You shall give your firstborn from among your sons to me. 29 You shall do the same with your oxen and your sheep. Seven days it shall remain with its mother, and on the eighth day you shall give it to me.
30 “You shall be men consecrated to me. So do not eat the flesh of any beast that has been torn to pieces in the countryside; you shall throw it to the dogs.
A New Creation[a]
In the Beginning Was the Word[b]
Chapter 1
The Word of God, Source of Life[c]
1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the very beginning.
3 Through him all things came into existence,
and without him there was nothing.
That which came to be
4 found life in him,
and the life was the light of the human race.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has been unable to overcome it.
Faith Means Welcoming the Word of God Made Man.[d] 6 A man appeared, sent by God, whose name was John.[e] 7 He came as a witness to give testimony to the light, so that through him all might come to believe. 8 He himself was not the light; his role was to bear witness to the light.
9 The true light that enlightens everyone
was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world,
the world had come into existence through him,
yet the world did not recognize him.
11 He came to his own,
but his own did not accept him.
12 However, to those who did accept him
and who believed in his name
he granted the power to become children of God,
13 who were born not from blood
or human desire or human will,
but from God.
14 And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us.
And we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
15 Jesus Christ, Fullness of Truth.[f] John testified to him, proclaiming, “This is the one of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ ”
16 From his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given through Moses,
but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God.
It is the only Son, God,
who is at the Father’s side,
who has made him known.
Jesus Is the Expected Messiah[g]
19 John the Baptist Is Not the Messiah.[h] This is the testimony offered by John when the Jews[i] sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”[j] 21 Then they asked him, “Who then are you? Are you Elijah?”[k] He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Therefore, they said to him, “Who are you, so we may have an answer to give to those who sent us? What do you have to say about yourself?” 23 He replied, in the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’ ”
24 Some Pharisees were present in this group, 25 and they asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you there is one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me. I am not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 Behold, the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sin of the World.[l] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world.
30 This is the one of whom I said,
‘After me is coming one
who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
31 I myself did not know him,[m]
but the reason I came to baptize with water
was so that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 John also gave this testimony, saying,
“I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove,
and it came to rest on him.[n]
33 I myself did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest
is the one who is to baptize with the Holy Spirit.’[o]
34 And I myself have seen and have testified
that this is the Son of God.”
35 We Have Found the Messiah.[p] The next day John was standing there with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus pass by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” 37 On hearing him say this, the two disciples began to follow Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which, translated, is “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 He answered them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him for the rest of that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.[q]
40 One of the two who had heard John speak and had followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to seek out his brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Messiah”[r] (which, translated, is “Christ”), 42 and he took him to Jesus. Jesus gazed at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”[s] (which, translated, is “Peter”).
43 The next day Jesus[t] decided to go to Galilee. Encountering Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida,[u] as Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael[v] and said to him, “We have found the one about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.”
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Behold, a true Israelite, in whom there is no deception.”[w] 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip summoned you, when you were under the fig tree,[x] I saw you.” 49 Nathanael said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus responded, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that.” 51 Then he added, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”[y]
Chapter 40
Job’s Response to the Lord[a]
1 The Lord then said to Job:
2 “Will the one who finds fault with the Almighty respond?
Anyone who argues with God should state his case.”
3 Job then answered the Lord and said:
4 “Since I am of little importance, how can I reply to you?
I will simply place my hand over my mouth.
5 Although I have spoken once, I will not answer;
I have spoken twice, but I will do so no more.”
The Lord’s Second Speech[b]
Unleash the Fury of Your Wrath.[c] 6 Then the Lord addressed Job out of the whirlwind:
7 “Gird up your loins like a man.
I intend to put questions to you,
and you must give me your answers.
8 Will you continue to deny that I am just?
Will you condemn me in order to justify yourself?
9 Do you have an arm like that of God?
Can your voice thunder as loudly as his?
10 “Display your majesty and grandeur;
array yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath
and humble the haughty with a glance.
12 Look on all who are proud and shatter them;
strike down the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury all of them in the earth[d] together,
and shroud their faces in an unknown grave.
14 Then I in turn will acknowledge to you
that your own right hand is strong enough to save you.
Behemoth . . . the First of God’s Works[e]
15 “Look at Behemoth whom I made just as I made you;
it feeds on grass like an ox.
16 Yet what strength it has in its loins
and what power in the muscles of its body.
17 Its tail is as stiff as a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are tightly knit.
18 Its bones are like tubes of bronze,
its limbs like rods of iron.
19 “It is the first of God’s works;
only its Maker can control it with the sword.
20 The mountains provide it with food,
as do the wild animals that roam the hills.
21 It rests under the lotus trees
as it lies hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
22 “The lotus trees afford it shade,
and it is sheltered by the willows of the stream.
23 Even if the river becomes turbulent,
it does not become frightened;
it remains tranquil
even if the waters rise up to its mouth.
24 Who can blind its eyes and capture it
or pierce its nose with a trap?
Leviathan . . . the King of the Haughty[f]
25 “Can you catch Leviathan with a fishhook
or tie a rope around its tongue?
26 Can you put a rope through its nose
or pierce its jaw with a hook?[g]
27 Will it plead with you for mercy
and address you with gentle words?
28 Will it strike a bargain with you
that will make it your servant forever?
29 “Will you play with it as you would with a bird?
Will you put it on a leash to amuse your maidens?
30 Will traders bargain for it?
Will merchants divide it up?
31 Can you riddle its hide with harpoons
or its head with fishing spears?
32 If you ever should plan to lay a hand on it,
first think of the struggle that awaits you,
and then cease all such thoughts.
Paul’s Self-Defense[a]
Chapter 10
Recommendation from Human Beings or from God?[b] 1 I myself, Paul, exhort you by the gentleness and the mercy of Christ, I who am “timid” when I am face to face with you, but “bold” when I am at a distance! 2 I beg you that when I am in your presence I will not have to act with boldness and the self-assurance that I consider necessary when I oppose some of those who accuse us of acting according to human standards.[c]
3 [d]Although we are human beings, we do not engage in battle according to human standards. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they possess the divine power to destroy strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every proud pretension against the knowledge of God, and we compel every thought to surrender in obedience to Christ. 6 What is more, once your obedience is complete, we are prepared to punish every disobedience.
7 [e]Face the facts squarely. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on the fact that we belong to Christ as much as he does. 8 It is possible that I tend to boast a bit too much about our authority, which the Lord has entrusted to us for building you up rather than for tearing you down, but I will not apologize for doing so.
9 Therefore, I do not want to seem to be someone who frightens you with my letters. 10 Some may assert, “His letters are impressive and forceful, but his personal appearance is insignificant, and he cannot speak well.” 11 Let them understand that what we are in our letters when we are absent will be the same as what we are in our deeds when we are present.
12 We do not dare to rank ourselves or to compare ourselves with any of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they only demonstrate their ignorance. 13 In contrast, we will not boast beyond the proper limits. Rather, we will measure ourselves according to the standard that God laid down for us, which enabled us to reach out all the way to you.
14 We are not overreaching ourselves as we would be if we had not come to you; indeed, we came to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 Neither are we boasting immoderately of the labors of others. Our hope is rather that, as your faith increases, our influence among you will be greater than ever, 16 so that we may preach the gospel to regions beyond you, rather than boasting about work already done in someone else’s region.
17 If anyone would boast, let him boast in the Lord.[f] 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is really approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
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