M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
4 The Eternal One then spoke to Moses.
Eternal One: 2 Moses, go, talk with the Israelites, and tell them that if someone unwittingly commits a sin that violates any of the directives I have given, this is what you should do.
Sin is serious business; it destroys one’s relationship with God and can even endanger entire communities. So sin must be dealt with seriously. God provides a process whereby sin may be forgiven and guilt may be set aside. It begins with admitting you are wrong and then following the requisite sacrifices. But note: these sacrifices only atone for sins committed unwittingly. There is no sacrifice offered for sins committed deliberately.
Eternal One: 3 If the person anointed as priest commits a sin, he brings guilt on the people and they suffer the consequences. So the priest must offer the most valuable animal—an unblemished, young bull—to Me as a purification offering for sin. 4 He must bring the bull to the entrance of the congregation tent, place his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it in My presence. 5 The anointed priest must then carry some of the bull’s blood inside the congregation tent. 6 While in the tent, he is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times before Me in front of the veil of the sanctuary. 7 He must then approach the altar of fragrant incense and place some of the blood on its horns before Me. He must then pour the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering located near the entrance of the congregation tent. 8 The priest must remove all of the fat from the bull being offered as a purification offering for sin, the fat covering and surrounding the organs, 9 the two kidneys and the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver (which must be removed with the kidneys). 10 He should remove these portions in the same manner that they are removed from the ox sacrificed as a peace offering. The priest should then offer them on the altar of burnt offering. 11 As for the bull’s skin and the rest of its meat, head, legs, intestines, and excrement— 12 basically, the rest of the bull’s body—the priest must move it to a ritually clean space where ashes are dumped outside the community, and he must burn it there on the wood-fire. It must be burned in the place where the ashes are dumped.
This procedure makes sure that the priest does not benefit from his own sins. Nothing is left over from the sacrifice for him to consume and enjoy.
13 If the entire community of Israel unintentionally commits a sin and, for a time at least, the sin goes unnoticed by the community, and they have violated any one of the directives I gave them, and they are guilty, 14 then later when the sin is realized, the community must offer a young bull as a purification offering for sin. They must bring the bull to the entrance of the congregation tent. 15 The community elders are to place their hands on the bull’s head and then slaughter the bull in My presence. 16 The one anointed as high priest must then carry some of the bull’s blood into the congregation tent, 17 where he is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times in My presence in front of the veil of the sanctuary. 18 The priest must also approach the altar, which is before Me in the congregation tent, and place some of the blood on its horns. He is to pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering located at the entrance to the congregation tent. 19 The priest must remove all the bull’s fat and offer it up in smoke on the altar. 20 He is to do the same thing with this bull that he did with the bull of the purification offering for sin. This is how the priest will cover the sin of the community of Israel, and the entire community will be forgiven. 21 Then the priest must carry the rest of the bull’s body outside the camp and burn it in the same manner that he burned the first purification-offering bull. This is the purification offering for sin when the entire community is involved.
22-23 The following are instructions for what to do when a leader unwittingly commits a sin by violating any of My directives: When he realizes his guilt or the sin he committed is brought to his attention, then he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering.
24 He is to place his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it in the same spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered in My presence. The goat is to be presented as a purification offering for sin. 25 The officiating priest must dip his finger into the blood of the sin offering, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and then pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 26 The priest is to offer up all of its fat as smoke in the same way that the fat of the peace offering is offered up. This is how the priest will cover the leader’s sin, and the leader will be forgiven.
27-28 If a common person among you unwittingly commits a sin by violating any of My directives, once he realizes his guilt or the sin he committed is brought to his attention, then he should offer an unblemished female goat for his wrong. 29 He must place his hand on the head of the purification offering for sin and slaughter it in the same spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 30 The priest will then dip his finger in some of its blood, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and then pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 The priest is then to remove its fat in the same manner that the fat is removed from the peace offerings. The priest must offer up the fat on the altar, and the smoke of the sacrifice will rise and be a pleasant aroma to Me. This is how the priest will cover the sins of common people and how they will be forgiven.
32 If a person presents a lamb for the purification offering for sin, then he must bring an unblemished female. 33 He is to place his hand on the lamb’s head and slaughter it as a purification offering for sin in the same spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 34 The priest must then dip his finger into the blood of the purification offering for sin, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and then pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 35 The priest is to remove all of its fat in the same manner that the fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest will offer it up on the altar on top of the fire-offering to Me. This is how the priest will make atonement for the sin this person committed, and this is how he will be forgiven.
Book One
Book One (Psalms 1–41) is attributed almost entirely to David; all but four of the psalms (1–2; 10; 33) are ascribed to him. In Hebrew Psalm 10 is a continuation of Psalm 9 because it was composed as an acrostic poem. Likewise, many Hebrew manuscripts combine Psalm 33 with 32. Only later are these divided into separate psalms. Psalm 1 sets the stage for the entire collection by explaining that the study of the Word of God is the foundation of a meaningful, prosperous life.
Psalm 1
1 God’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn:
when you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes,
When you avoid sin’s highway,
when judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse.
2 For you, the Eternal’s Word is your happiness.
It is your focus—from dusk to dawn.
3 You are like a tree,
planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry.
Your fruit ripens in its time;
your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun.
No matter what you do, you prosper.
4 For those who focus on sin, the story is different.
They are like the fallen husk of wheat, tossed by an open wind, left deserted and alone.
5 In the end, the wicked will fall in judgment;
the guilty will be separated from the innocent.
6 Their road suddenly will end in death,
yet the journey of the righteous has been charted by the Eternal.
Psalm 2
1 You are wondering: What has provoked the nations to embrace anger and chaos?[a]
Why are the people making plans to pursue their own vacant and empty greatness?
2 Leaders of nations stand united;
rulers put their heads together,
plotting against the Eternal One and His Anointed King, trying to figure out
3 How they can throw off the gentle reign of God’s love,
step out from under the restrictions of His claims to advance their own schemes.
4 At first, the Power of heaven laughs at their silliness.
The Eternal mocks their ignorant selfishness.
5 But His laughter turns to rage, and He rebukes them.
As God displays His righteous anger, they begin to know the meaning of fear. He says,
6 “I am the One who appointed My king who reigns from Zion, My mount of holiness.
He is the one in charge.”
7 I am telling all of you the truth. I have heard the Eternal’s decree.
He said clearly to me, “You are My son.
Today I have become your Father.
8 The nations shall be yours for the asking,
and the entire earth will belong to you.
9 They are yours to crush with an iron scepter,
yours to shatter like fragile, clay pots.”
10 So leaders, kings, and judges,
be wise, and be warned.
11 There is only one God, the Eternal;
worship Him with respect and awe;
take delight in Him and tremble.
12 Bow down before God’s son.
If you don’t, you will face His anger and retribution,
And you won’t stand a chance.
For it doesn’t take long to kindle royal wrath,
But blessings await all who trust in Him.
They will find God a gentle refuge.
19 Better to be poor and live with integrity
than a fool with a foul mouth.
2 Surely there’s no advantage for a person without knowledge,
and whoever moves too quickly misses the turn.
3 Foolishness diverts the course of life,
yet the heart rebels against the Eternal.
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but the poor are soon separated from theirs.
5 A false witness will not escape punishment,
and one who breathes lies will not go free.
6 Many try to win the favor of a generous person,
and everyone is a friend to someone who gives gifts.
7 If a poor man is hated by his relatives,
it is even more likely his friends will avoid him too!
Anyone who is calling after them
[is not to be found].[a]
8 Whoever gains a wise heart loves his own soul,
and whoever preserves understanding experiences true goodness.
9 A false witness will not escape punishment,
and whoever breathes lies will not survive.
10 Something is wrong when a fool lives a pampered life,
but it is much worse when a slave takes charge of princes.
11 A person with discretion is not easily angered;
he gains respect by overlooking an offense.
12 A king’s rage is like the thunderous roar of a lion,
but his favor is like a cooling mist upon the grass.
13 Foolish children bring misery to their fathers,
and a wife’s bickering is a constant dripping as from a leaky roof.
14 Houses and riches may be inherited from parents,
but a sensible wife is a gift from the Eternal.
15 Laziness lulls people into a deep sleep;
a slacker will have nothing to eat.
16 Whoever keeps God’s commands lengthens his life,
but a careless lifestyle ends in death.
17 Whoever cares for the poor makes a loan to the Eternal;
such kindness will be repaid in full and with interest.
18 Discipline your children while there is still hope of influencing their future,
so as not to play a part in their destruction.
19 A hot-tempered man will pay a penalty;
if you bail him out, it will not be the last time; the cycle will repeat.
20 Heed counsel, act on instruction,
and you will become wise later in life.
21 The impulses of the human heart may run wild,
but the Eternal’s plan will prevail.
22 Loyalty is a trait admired in others,
and being destitute is better than being a liar.
23 Reverence for the Eternal leads to a fulfilled life;
those who have it will sleep well,
for disaster will not touch them.
24 Some people are so lazy—they reach for food on the plate
but lack the will to bring it up to their mouths.
25 If you beat one who mocks, the naive will see and learn a lesson;
if you correct someone with understanding, that’s all he needs to grow a little wiser.
26 Children who mistreat their father and run down their mother
are a root of shame and disgrace.
27 My child, should you stop listening to instruction,
you will wander from the voice of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness ridicules justice,
and the mouth of the wrongdoer savors every morsel of trouble.
29 Severe penalties are prepared for those who mock,
and fools expect their backs to be flogged.
At the heart of the good news is a mystery hidden in ancient Scriptures but now exposed to the world through the lives of the church’s holy ones. Paul never refers to just one “holy one”; he always uses the plural. He knows that holiness is too difficult for us to accomplish on our own. Each of us has to be called and equipped by God, but we also have to be accompanied by others who’ve answered the call. Those who say “yes” to Jesus become the church, the company of those rescued from darkness and ultimately from death. Paul is fond of calling the church the body of the risen Jesus. Our own hopes and dreams for the future are concentrated in Him. Not only do we dwell in Him, but He also dwells in us.
2 This battle I am facing is huge. And I want you to know I do it for you, for all those at Laodicea, and for everyone else (even those who have never seen my face). 2 I’m working hard to comfort and encourage them so that they will be knit together—that many hearts would become one through His love. I do it so they will be rich in understanding and have full knowledge of God’s mystery, which is the Anointed One Himself— 3 in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are concealed. 4 I only tell you this to warn you about those who would try and deceive you with their arguments. They seem plausible enough; but in the end, they are false. 5 Even though I cannot be there in the body, my spirit is with you; and I’m happy to know of your good order and your solid commitment to the Anointed One, our Liberating King.
Paul calls the believers in Colossae to remain steadfast in their faith.
6 Now that you have welcomed the Anointed One, Jesus the Lord, into your lives, continue to journey with Him and allow Him to shape your lives. 7 Let your roots grow down deeply in Him, and let Him build you up on a firm foundation. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always spill over with thankfulness. 8 Make sure no predator makes you his prey through some misleading philosophy and empty deception based on traditions fabricated by mere mortals. These are sourced in the elementary principles originating in this world and not in the Anointed One (so don’t let their talks capture you). 9 You see, all that is God, all His fullness, resides in His body. 10 You, too, are being completed in Him, the One who has dominion over all rule, all authority. 11 In Him you were also circumcised, set apart by a spiritual act performed without hands. The Anointed One’s circumcision cut you off from the sinfulness of your flesh. 12 You were buried with Him beneath the waters of the ceremonial washing called baptism[a] and then were raised up with Him by faith in the resurrection power of God, who brought Him back from the dead. 13 And when your flesh was still uncircumcised—dead in transgression and swathed in its sinful nature—it was God who brought us[b] to life with Him, forgave all our sins, and 14 eliminated the massive debt we incurred by the law that stood against us. He took it all away; He nailed it to the cross. But that’s not all. 15 He disarmed those who once ruled over us—those who had overpowered us. Like captives of war, He put them on display to the world to show His victory over them by means of the cross.
16 So don’t let anyone stand in judgment over you and dictate what you should eat or drink, what festivals you should celebrate, or how you should observe a new moon or Sabbath days— 17 all these are only a shadow of what shall come. The reality, the core, the import, is found in the Anointed One. 18 Don’t be cheated out of the prize by others who are peddling the worship of heavenly beings and false humility. People like this run about telling whoever will listen what they claim to have seen; but in reality they testify only to an inflated mind, saturated in conceit—not in the Spirit. 19 They are detached from the very head that nourishes and connects the whole body with all of its nerves and ligaments, a body that grows by the kind of growth that can only come from God.
20 Listen, if you have died with the Anointed One to the elemental spirits of the cosmos, then why are you submitting yourselves to its rules as if you still belonged to this world? 21 You hear, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste that! Don’t even touch it!” 22 but everything they are obsessed about will eventually decay with use. These rules are just human commands and teachings. 23 Here’s what they are promoting: fabricated religion, self-humiliation, and bodily abuse. No matter which way they try to tether their bodies, they cannot harness their desires.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.