M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 4
Moses Is Encouraged and Receives the Gift of Working Prodigies.[a] 1 Moses answered, “Behold, they will not believe me nor listen to my voice. They will say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is in your hand?” He answered, “A staff.” 3 The Lord said, “Throw it to the ground.” He threw the staff to the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses retreated away from it. 4 The Lord said to Moses, “Reach out and take it by its tail.” He reached out and took it, and it became a staff again in his hand. 5 “This is so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 The Lord continued, “Place your hand inside your tunic.” He placed his hand in his tunic and then drew it out. Behold, his hand was covered with leprosy and was white as the snow.[b] 7 The Lord said, “Put your hand back in your tunic.” He put his hand back in the tunic and drew it out again. Behold, it was once again like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you and heed the first sign, then they will believe the message of the second. 9 If they do not believe either of the signs and will not listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”
10 Aaron, Spokesman for Moses. Moses said to the Lord, “My Lord, I am not eloquent. I have never been so in the past nor now that you have begun to speak to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 11 The Lord told him, “Who has made man with a mouth? Who can make him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with your mouth and supervise what you are to say.” 13 Moses said, “Forgive me, my Lord, but please send someone else.” 14 The Lord became angry with Moses and said to him, “Do you not have a brother, Aaron, a Levite. I know that he can speak well. He is now on his way here to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will rejoice.[c] 15 You will speak to him and place the words he is to say in his mouth. I will be with you and with him while you speak and I will tell you what you are to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. It will be as if he is your mouth and you are his God. 17 Take this staff in your hand and perform the signs with it.”
18 Moses Returns to Egypt.[d] Moses left and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law, and told him, “Let me leave and return to my brothers who are in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for those who sought to kill you are dead.” 20 Moses took his wife and his sons, placed them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses held the staff of God in his hand.
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you do all the signs that I have placed in your hand in the presence of Pharaoh. But I will harden his heart and he will not let my people go. 22 You will say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I have told you to let my son go so that he might serve me, but you have refused to let him leave. Therefore, I will kill your firstborn son.” ’ ”
24 [e]On the way, when they were camped for the night, the Lord came and tried to kill Moses. 25 Zipporah took a flint knife and cut the foreskin of her son and with it touched Moses’ feet and said, “You are now my spouse of blood.” 26 Then God let him go. She said “spouse of blood” because of the circumcision.
27 Moses Makes Contact with His People.[f] The Lord said to Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the desert.” He went and met Moses on the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron all the words that God had sent him to say and about all the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled the elders of the children of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke to the people, telling them all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and performing the signs before the people. 31 The people believed when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and had seen their affliction. They knelt down in worship.
From the Beatitudes to the Parables[a]
Chapter 7
Jesus Heals the Centurion’s Servant.[b] 1 After Jesus had finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion who dwelt there had a servant whom he regarded highly and who was ill and near death. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask him if he would come and heal his servant.
4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “He deserves this favor from you, 5 for he loves our people, and he was the one who built our synagogue for us.”
6 Jesus went with them. When he drew near the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 That is the reason why I did not presume to approach you personally. But say the word and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers who are subject to me. I say to one: ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another: ‘Come here,’ and he comes, and to my servant: ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard these words, he was amazed, and, turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, in no one throughout Israel have I found faith as great as this.” 10 When the messengers returned to the house, they found the servant completely healthy.
11 Jesus Raises the Son of a Widow.[c] Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his widowed mother. A large group of people from the town accompanied her.
13 When the Lord saw her, he was filled with compassion, and he said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 After this, he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers halted. Then he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
16 Fear seized all who were present, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people.” 17 The news of what he had done spread throughout Judea and the surrounding region.
18 Jesus Answers the Baptist’s Question.[d] When the disciples of John brought him reports about all these things, 19 John designated two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 20 When they came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask: ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ ”
21 At that time, Jesus had just cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits, and had restored the sight of many who were blind. 22 And he gave them this reply: “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. 23 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
24 Jesus Praises John the Baptist.[e]When John’s messengers had departed, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 25 What did you go out to see? Someone robed in fine clothing? Those who are robed in gorgeous clothing and live luxuriously are to be found in royal palaces. 26 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
28 “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John, and yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29 (All the people who heard him, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the saving justice of God, for they had received John’s baptism. 30 However, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who had refused his baptism rejected God’s plan for them.)
31 Indecisive Children.“Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other:
‘We played the flute for you,
but you would not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you refused to mourn.’
33 “For John the Baptist has come, eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say: ‘He is possessed.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say: ‘Look at him! He is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 Yet wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
36 Jesus Pardons a Sinful Woman.[f] One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to dine with him. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house, he took his place at table. 37 A woman of that town, who was leading a sinful life, learned that Jesus was a dinner guest in the Pharisee’s house. Carrying with her an alabaster jar of ointment,[g] 38 she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were really a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus then said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied, “What is it, Teacher?”
41 “There were two men who were in debt to a certain creditor. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other owed fifty. 42 When they were unable to repay him, he canceled both debts. Now which one of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I would imagine that it would be the one who was forgiven the larger amount.” Jesus replied, “You have judged rightly.”
44 Then, turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your home, and you provided no water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but she has not ceased to kiss my feet from the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you: her many sins have been forgiven her because she has shown great love. But the one who has been forgiven little has little love.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Those who were at table began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Job’s Sixth Response[a]
Chapter 21
The Very Thought of My Plight Fills Me with Horror.[b] 1 Job then answered with these words:
2 “Listen carefully to my words;
at the very least, grant me this consolation.
3 Bear with me while I speak;
once I have finished, you may jeer.
4 “Is my complaint limited to my fellow men?
Do I not have good reason to be impatient?
5 If you consider my plight carefully,
you will have good reason to be appalled
and to place your hand over your mouth.
6 The very thought of it fills me with horror,
and my entire body shudders.
Why Do the Wicked Continue To Survive?[c]
7 “Why do the wicked continue to survive,
achieving old age and increasing in power?
8 They behold their children established around them
and their descendants continuing to flourish.
9 Their households are secure, with no cause for fear;
the rod of God does not descend upon them.
10 Their bulls breed without fail;
their cows give birth without miscarriage.
11 “The wicked send forth children as a flock;
their little ones dance and frolic.
12 They sing to the sound of the tambourine and the harp
and rejoice at the playing of the flute.
13 They spend their days in prosperity
and go down to the netherworld in peace.
They Say to God, “Leave Us Alone!”
14 “Despite this, these people say to God,
‘Leave us alone!
We do not want to learn your ways.
15 Who is the Almighty that we should serve him?
And what would we gain by praying to him?’
16 Is not the prosperity of the wicked
the result of their own efforts,
since they have never sought God’s help?
How Often?[d]
17 “Yet, how often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished?
How often does calamity befall them
as God in his anger uses his retribution to repay them?
18 How often are they like straw blown away by the wind
or like chaff that the storm carries off?
What Concern Will He Have for His Family?[e]
19 “According to you, God stores up punishment for a man’s children,
but the wicked should be the ones punished and requited for their evil.
20 Let his own eyes witness the destruction of God
that his sins have earned,
and let him quaff the wrath[f] of the Almighty!
21 For what concern will he have for his family
once his allotted number of months has been completed?
All Are Consigned To Lie Down in the Earth
22 “Who can offer wisdom to God
when God judges those who are on high?
23 One man passes away while enjoying vigorous health,
blessed with security and contentment;
24 his loins are full of vigor
and his bones are rich in marrow.
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having tasted happiness.
26 Both are consigned to lie down in the earth
and worms soon cover them.
Have You Never Questioned Travelers?
27 “Believe me, I know what your thoughts are,
as well as the arguments you will use to counter me.
28 You will say, ‘Where now is the great lord’s house?
Where is the tent in which the wicked man dwelled?’
29 Have you never questioned travelers?
Do you ever listen to the evidence they proffer?
30 They testify that the wicked man is saved from disaster
and is rescued before the day of wrath.
31 “Who will reproach him for his conduct
and repay him for the evil he has done?
32 When he is carried to the grave,
a watch is maintained over his tomb.
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him;[g]
the remainder of mankind will follow him,
and those who preceded him are beyond counting.
34 How then can you possibly offer me any comfort
when your words lack any semblance of truth?”
Christians and Pagan Customs[a]
The Question of Meat Sacrificed to Idols
Chapter 8
An Idol Is Not Nothing. 1 Now concerning the question of meat that has been sacrificed to idols, we are well aware that all of us possess knowledge. However, while knowledge puffs up, love builds up. 2 Anyone who believes that his knowledge about something is complete will soon discover that his knowledge is flawed, 3 but anyone who loves God is known by him.
4 Now in regard to the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, we know that idols are nothing in the world and that there is only one God. 5 Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth—and there are in fact many gods and many lords— 6 for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are
and for whom we exist,[b]
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are
and through whom we exist.
Do Not Cause a Brother To Fall. 7 However, not everyone possesses this knowledge. There are some who have become so accustomed to idolatry up until now that when they consume meat that has been sacrificed to an idol, their conscience in its weakness is defiled.
8 Obviously, food cannot bring us closer to God. We do not lack anything if we do not eat, and we have no advantage if we do. 9 Just take care that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 If someone who regards you as knowledgeable observes you eating in an idol’s temple, will he not, burdened by a weak conscience, be influenced to eat food that has been sacrificed to idols?
11 Therefore, through your knowledge, this weak believer is brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 And when you sin against your brethren and wound their weak consciences, you sin against Christ. 13 Hence, if food can lead my brother to sin, I will never again eat meat lest I cause the downfall of one of my brethren.
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.