M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 27
Altar on Mount Ebal.[a][b] 1 Moses and the elders of Israel said to the people: Observe all of the commandments that I give you today. 2 When you cross over the Jordan into the land that the Lord, your God, has given you, set up some large stones for yourselves and plaster them over. 3 When you cross over to enter the land that the Lord, your God, has promised you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, write all of these laws on them. 4 When you have crossed over the Jordan, I command you today, you are to set them up on Mount Ebal and plaster them over. 5 Build an altar there to the Lord, your God, an altar of stone. Do not use any iron tool upon them. 6 Build an altar of unhewn stones there to the Lord, your God. You shall offer your burnt offerings to the Lord, your God, there. 7 You are also to offer up peace offerings and eat them there, rejoicing in the presence of the Lord, your God. 8 You will write all of the words of the law upon these stones in a very clear manner.
9 Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, said to all of Israel: Take heed, O Israel, and listen, for today you have become the people of the Lord, your God. 10 Obey the command of the Lord, your God, and observe the commandments and the statutes that I give you today.
11 On the same day Moses said to the people: 12 When you cross over the Jordan, these are the ones who will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 These are the ones who will stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14 The Twelve Curses.[c] The Levites will proclaim to all of the people of Israel,
15 “Cursed be the person who carves or casts an idol, an abomination to the Lord, the work of human hands, and sets it up in secret.” Then all of the people will proclaim, “Amen.”[d] 16 “Cursed is the one who dishonors father or mother.” All of the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
17 “Cursed is the one who moves a neighbor’s boundary stone.” All of the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
18 “Cursed is the one who leads a blind person astray on the road.” All of the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
19 “Cursed is the one who withholds justice from the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow.” All of the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
20 “Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father’s wife, dishonoring his father’s bed.” All the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
21 “Cursed is the one who has sex with an animal.” All the people will proclaim, “Amen.” 22 “Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister, either the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.” All the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
23 “Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law.” All of the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
24 “Cursed is the one who kills a neighbor in secret.” All of the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
25 “Cursed is the one who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.” All the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
26 “Cursed is the one who does not uphold the words of this law and observe them.” All the people will proclaim, “Amen.”
Chapter 28
Blessings for Those Who Obey. 1 If you heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and you carefully observe all of the commandments that I have given you today, then the Lord, your God, will lift you up above all the other nations upon the earth. 2 All of these blessings shall come upon you and accompany you if you obey the voice of the Lord, your God. 3 You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the countryside. 4 Your offspring shall be blessed, along with your crops, and the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed. 6 You shall be blessed when you enter and when you leave. 7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated by you. They shall come at you from one direction, but they shall flee away from you in seven different directions.[e] 8 The Lord will send a blessing upon your barns and everything that you undertake. The Lord, your God, will bless you in the land that he has given you.
9 The Lord will establish you as his own holy people, as he solemnly promised you, if you observe the commandments of the Lord, your God, and walk in his ways. 10 Then all of the people upon the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you great prosperity,[f] including your offspring, the young of your livestock, and the crops that come from the ground, in the land that the Lord promised your ancestors to give to you. 12 The Lord will open up the storehouse of his bounty in the heavens for you, giving rain to the land in its proper season and blessing all of your undertakings. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail, on top and not on the bottom, if you heed the commandments of the Lord, your God, that I give you today and you observe them. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the things that I command you today, neither to the right nor to the left, seeking after other gods to serve them.
15 Curses on Those Who Disobey. If you do not obey the voice of the Lord, your God, carefully observing all his commandments and statutes that I give you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overwhelm you. 16 You shall be cursed in the city and you shall be cursed in the countryside. 17 Your basket and your kneading trough shall be cursed. 18 Your offspring shall be cursed, along with your crops, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks. 19 You shall be cursed when you enter and when you leave.
1 [a]Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in accord with the law[b] of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who observe his statutes
and seek him with their whole heart.[c]
3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.[d]
4 [e]You have ordained
that your commands be diligently observed.
5 May my ways be steadfast
in the observance of your decrees.
6 Then I will never be put to shame
when I take note of all your precepts.
7 I will praise you in sincerity of heart
as I ponder your righteous judgments.
8 I will observe your decrees;
do not forsake me completely.
Beth
9 [f]How can a young man lead a spotless life?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;[g]
do not let me stray from your precepts.
11 I treasure your word in my heart[h]
for fear that I may sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recite
all the judgments you have announced.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
more than I would rejoice in endless riches.
15 I will meditate on your commands
and respect your ways.
16 I find my delight in your decrees;
I will never forget your word.
Gimel
17 [i]Be good to your servant
so that I may live[j] and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes so that I may clearly see
the wonders to be found in your law.
19 I am only a wayfarer on earth,
but do not hide your precepts from me.[k]
20 My soul is ever consumed
with longing for your judgments.
21 You rebuke the arrogant,[l] the accursed,
who stray from your precepts.
22 Set me free from scorn and contempt,
for I have observed your statutes.
23 Even though princes assemble and slander me,
your servant meditates on your decrees.
24 Your statutes are my delight,
for they offer me counsel.
Daleth
Chapter 54[a]
The New Zion[b]
1 Sing with happiness,
you barren woman who never bore a child.
Burst forth in shouts of joy,
you who never have been in labor.
For more numerous are the children of the deserted wife
than are the children of the wedded wife,
says the Lord.
2 Enlarge the site for your dwelling
and stretch out your tent curtains
to the greatest possible extent.
Lengthen your ropes
and strengthen your tent stakes.
3 For you will spread out
to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess the nations
and settle in the desolate cities.
4 Have no fear, for you will not be put to shame;
do not be discouraged, for you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will no longer remember
the reproach of your widowhood.
5 For your Creator has now become your husband;
his name is the Lord of hosts.
The Holy One of Israel is your redeemer;
he is called the God of the entire world.
6 The Lord has called you back
like a forsaken wife grieved in spirit,
like the repudiated wife of a man’s youth,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I did forsake you,
but with great compassion I will take you back.
8 In an outburst of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting love
I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 This for me is like the days of Noah.
Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again flood the earth,
so I have sworn that I never will be angry with you
and that I will never rebuke you.
10 Although the mountains may be shaken
and the hills may totter,
my steadfast love will not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace will never be shaken,
says the Lord who has compassion on you.
11 O afflicted city, storm-battered and not comforted,
I will build you with precious stones
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will use rubies to make your battlements,
jewels for your gates,
and precious stones for all your walls.
13 All of your sons will be taught by the Lord,
and great will be their prosperity.
14 With justice you will be established;
you will be free from the fear of oppression,
and no terror will afflict you.
15 Should anyone attack you,
it will not be my doing,
and anyone who does stir up strife
will fall before you.
16 It was I who created the blacksmith
to blow on the coals in the fire
and produce a weapon suitable for its purpose.
I also created the ravager
to destroy and wreak havoc.
17 No weapon used against you will prevail,
and you will refute every accusation
that is raised in court against you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
their vindication from me, says the Lord.
Chapter 2
The Wise Men Render Homage to the Messiah.[a] 1 After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem[b] of Judea during the reign of King Herod, wise men traveled from the east and arrived in Jerusalem, 2 inquiring, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star, and we have come to pay him homage.”
3 On hearing about their inquiry, King Herod was greatly troubled, as was true of the whole of Jerusalem. 4 Therefore, he summoned all the chief priests[c] and the scribes and questioned them about where the Christ was to be born. 5 They replied, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus has the prophet written:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”[d]
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men, and he ascertained from them the exact time of the star’s appearance, 8 after which he sent them on to Bethlehem, saying: “Go forth and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I can go and pay him homage.”
9 After receiving these instructions from the king, the wise men set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising proceeded ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 The sight of the star filled them with great joy, 11 and when they entered the house they beheld the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they paid him homage. Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.[e] 12 And since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another route.
13 The Flight into Egypt. After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him, “Arise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Remain there until I tell you. Herod seeks the child to kill him.” 14 Therefore, he got up, took the child and his mother, and departed that night for Egypt, 15 where they remained until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[f]
16 The Slaughter of the Innocents at Bethlehem. When Herod realized that the wise men had deceived him, he flew into a rage and issued an order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area who were two years old or less, in accordance with the information that he had obtained from the wise men. 17 [g]Thus were fulfilled the words that had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
lamenting and sobbing bitterly:
Rachel weeping for her children,
and refusing to be consoled,
because they were no more.”
19 The Return to the Land of Israel.[h] After the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Arise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought to kill the child are dead.”[i] 21 He got up, took the child and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel.
22 But when Joseph learned that Archelaus[j] had succeeded his father Herod in Judea, he was afraid to go there. After he had been warned in a dream concerning this, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 He settled in a town called Nazareth,[k] so that what had been spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazorean.”
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