M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Covenant Ceremony

24 Then he said to Moses, “Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders,^(A) and bow in worship at a distance. ² Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.”

³ Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.”^{(B) 4} And Moses wrote^(C) down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. ⁵ Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. ⁶ Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he splattered on the altar. ⁷ He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey all that the Lord has commanded.”

⁸ Moses took the blood, splattered it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.”^(D)

⁹ Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, ¹⁰ and they saw^(E) the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself.^{(F) 11} God did not harm^[a] the Israelite nobles; they saw^(G) him, and they ate and drank.

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets^(H) with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua and went up the mountain of God.^{(I) 14} He told the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute should go to them.” ¹⁵ When Moses went up the mountain, the cloud^(J) covered it. ¹⁶ The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from the cloud.^{(K) 17} The appearance of the Lord’s glory to the Israelites was like a consuming fire^(L) on the mountaintop. ¹⁸ Moses entered the cloud as he went up the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.^(M)

Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees^(A) named Nicodemus,^(B) a ruler^(C) of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi,^(D) we know that you are a teacher^(E) who has come from God,^(F) for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”^(G)

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^(I)

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born^(J) of water and the Spirit,^(K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh^(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit^(M) is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born^(N) again. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.^(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^(P)

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “Truly I tell you,^(Q) we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended^(R) into heaven^(S) except the one who descended from heaven^(T) —the Son of Man.^[c](U)

¹⁴ “Just as Moses^(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him may^[d] have eternal life.^{(X) 16} For God loved^(Y) the world in this way:^[e] He gave^[f] his one and only^(Z) Son,^(AA) so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.^{(AB) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn^(AC) the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,^(AD) because he has not believed in the name^(AE) of the one and only Son^(AF) of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment: The light^(AG) has come into the world,^(AH) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates^(AI) the light and avoids it,^[g] so that his deeds^(AJ) may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works^(AK) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Jesus and John the Baptist

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized.

²³ John^(AL) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, ²⁴ since John had not yet been thrown into prison.^(AM)

²⁵ Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples^(AN) and a Jew^[i] about purification.^{(AO) 26} So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,^(AP) the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,^(AQ) is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.”^(AR)

²⁷ John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,^(AS) but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’^{(AT) 29} He who has the bride^(AU) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly^[j] at the groom’s voice. So this joy^(AV) of mine is complete. ³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The One from Heaven

³¹ The one who comes from above^(AW) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.^[k] The one who comes from heaven is above all.^{(AX) 32} He testifies^(AY) to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. ³³ The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.^{(AZ) 34} For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he^[l] gives the Spirit^(BA) without measure. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son^(BB) and has given all things into his hands.^{(BC) 36} The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son^[m] will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.^(BD)

Job Replies to the Lord

42 Then Job replied to the Lord:

⁷ After the Lord had finished speaking^[e] to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. ⁸ Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to my servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then my servant Job will pray for you.^(F) I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” ⁹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.

God Restores Job

¹⁰ After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and doubled his previous possessions.^{(G) 11} All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances^(H) came to him and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver^[f](I) and a gold earring.^(J)

¹² So the Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first. He owned fourteen thousand sheep and goats, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. ¹³ He also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴ He named his first daughter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch.^{(K) 15} No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance with their brothers.

¹⁶ Job lived 140 years after this and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. ¹⁷ Then Job died, old and full of days.^(L)

Sufficient Grace

12 Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions^(A) and revelations^(B) of the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who was caught up^(C) to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. ³ I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows— ⁴ was caught up into paradise^(D) and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak. ⁵ I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.

⁶ For if I want to boast, I wouldn’t be a fool, because I would be telling the truth.^(E) But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, ⁷ especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh^(F) was given to me, a messenger of Satan^(G) to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. ⁸ Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power^(H) is perfected in weakness.”^(I)

Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. ¹⁰ So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ.^(J) For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(K)

Signs of an Apostle

¹¹ I have been a fool; you forced it on me. You ought to have commended me, since I am not in any way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.^{(L) 12} The signs^(M) of an apostle^(N) were performed with unfailing endurance among you, including signs and wonders^(O) and miracles.^{(P) 13} So in what way are you worse off than the other churches, except that I personally did not burden you? Forgive me for this wrong!

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹⁴ Look, I am ready to come to you this third time.^(Q) I will not burden you, since I am not seeking what is yours, but you. For children ought not save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ I will most gladly spend and be spent for you.^[a](R) If I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ Now granted, I did not burden^(S) you; yet sly as I am, I took you in by deceit!^{(T) 17} Did I take advantage of you by any of those I sent you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus^(U) to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit^(V) and in the same footsteps?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we were defending ourselves to you? No, in the sight of God we are speaking in Christ, and everything, dear friends, is for building you up.^{(W) 20} For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and you may not find me to be what you want. Perhaps there will be quarreling,^(X) jealousy,^(Y) angry outbursts, selfish ambitions,^(Z) slander,^(AA) gossip, arrogance, and disorder.^{(AB) 21} I fear that when I come my God will again^[b] humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented^(AC) of the moral impurity, sexual immorality,^(AD) and sensuality^(AE) they practiced.