M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Holiness of Priests

21 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them:

“No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his relatives,^{(A) 2} except for his nearest kin: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother; ³ likewise, for a virgin sister close to him because she has had no husband, he may defile himself for her. ⁴ But he shall not defile himself for those related to him by marriage and so profane himself. ⁵ They shall not make bald spots upon their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or make any gashes in their flesh.^{(B) 6} They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the Lord’s offerings by fire,^[a] the food of their God; therefore they shall be holy.^{(C) 7} They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband. For they are holy to their God,^{(D) 8} and you shall treat them as holy, since they offer the food of your God; they shall be holy to you, for I the Lord, I who sanctify you, am holy. ⁹ When the daughter of a priest profanes herself through prostitution, she profanes her father; she shall be burned to death.

¹⁰ “The priest who is exalted above his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has been consecrated to wear the vestments, shall not dishevel his hair nor tear his vestments.^{(E) 11} He shall not go where there is a dead body; he shall not defile himself even for his father or mother.^{(F) 12} He shall not go outside the sanctuary and thus profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord.^{(G) 13} He shall marry only a woman who is a virgin.^{(H) 14} A widow or a divorced woman or a woman who has been defiled, a prostitute—these he shall not marry. He shall marry a virgin of his own people, ¹⁵ that he may not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord; I sanctify him.”

¹⁶ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁷ “Speak to Aaron and say: No one of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the food of his God.^{(I) 18} Indeed, no one who has a blemish shall draw near, one who is blind or lame, or one who is mutilated or deformed,^{[b](J) 19} or one who has a broken foot or a broken hand, ²⁰ or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a defect in his eyes or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.^{(K) 21} No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the Lord’s offerings by fire;^[c] since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God.^{(L) 22} He may eat the food of his God, of the most holy as well as of the holy. ²³ But he shall not come near the curtain or approach the altar because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the Lord; I sanctify them.”^{(M) 24} Thus Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the Israelites.

Psalm 26

Plea for Justice and Declaration of Righteousness

Of David.

Psalm 27

Triumphant Song of Confidence

Of David.

4 Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun. Look, the tears of the oppressed—with no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power—with no one to comfort them.^{(A) 2} And I commended the dead, who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive, ³ but better than both is the one who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.^(B)

⁴ Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(C)

⁷ Again, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸ the case of solitary individuals, without sons or brothers; yet there is no end to all their toil, and their eyes are never satisfied with riches. “For whom am I toiling,” they ask, “and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.^(F)

The Value of a Friend

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up the other, but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?^{(G) 12} And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³ Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who will no longer take advice.^{(H) 14} One can indeed come out of prison to reign, even though born poor in the kingdom.^{(I) 15} I saw all the living who, moving about under the sun, follow that^[a] youth who replaced the king;^{[b] 16} there was no end to all those people whom he led.^[c] Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.^(J)

6 Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed.^{(A) 2} Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are brothers and sisters; rather, they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.^[a]

False Teaching and True Riches

Teach and urge these duties.^{(B) 3} Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness^{(C) 4} is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions,^{(D) 5} and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.^{[b](E) 6} Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment,^{(F) 7} for we brought nothing into the world, so that^[c] we can take nothing out of it, ⁸ but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. ⁹ But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.^{(G) 10} For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

The Good Fight of Faith

¹¹ But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made^[d] the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.^{(H) 13} In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you^{(I) 14} to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,^{(J) 15} which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.^{(K) 16} It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.^(L)

¹⁷ As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.^{(M) 18} They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,^{(N) 19} thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Personal Instructions and Benediction

²⁰ Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge;^{(O) 21} by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.

Grace be with you.^[e]