M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Sons of Aaron
3 This is the lineage of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar;(A) 3 these are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unholy fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.(B)
The Duties of the Levites
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him.(C) 7 They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle; 8 they shall be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and attend to the duties for the Israelites as they do service at the tabernacle. 9 You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his descendants; they are unreservedly given to him from among the Israelites.(D) 10 But you shall enroll Aaron and his descendants; it is they who shall attend to the priesthood, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”(E)
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “I hereby take the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine,(F) 13 for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the Lord.”(G)
A Census of the Levites
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “Enroll the Levites by ancestral houses and by clans. You shall enroll every male from a month old and up.”(H) 16 So Moses enrolled them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. 17 These were the sons of Levi, by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.(I) 18 These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 The sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, by their ancestral houses.(J)
21 To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites.(K) 22 Their enrollment, counting all the males from a month old and up, was seven thousand five hundred. 23 The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24 with Eliasaph son of Lael as head of the ancestral house of the Gershonites. 25 The responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting,(L) 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the entrance of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service pertaining to these.
27 To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.(M) 28 Counting all the males, from a month old and up, there were eight thousand six hundred performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29 The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,(N) 30 with Elizaphan son of Uzziel as head of the ancestral house of the clans of the Kohathites. 31 Their responsibility was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen—all the service pertaining to these. 32 Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites and to have oversight of those who performed the duties of the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites; these were the clans of Merari.(O) 34 Their enrollment, counting all the males from a month old and up, was six thousand two hundred. 35 The head of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The responsibility assigned to the sons of Merari was the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories—all the service pertaining to these,(P) 37 also the pillars of the court all around, with their bases and pegs and cords.
38 Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east—in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise—were Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons, who were to perform the duties of the sanctuary, whatever had to be done for the Israelites, and any outsider who came near was to be put to death.(Q) 39 The total enrollment of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron enrolled at the commandment of the Lord, by their clans, all the males from a month old and up, was twenty-two thousand.(R)
The Redemption of the Firstborn
40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Enroll all the firstborn males of the Israelites, from a month old and up, and count their names. 41 But you shall take the Levites for me—I am the Lord—as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites and the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.”(S) 42 So Moses enrolled all the firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. 43 The total enrollment, all the firstborn males from a month old and up, counting the number of names, was twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.(T)
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites and the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for their livestock, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.(U) 46 As the price of redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the Israelites, over and above the number of the Levites,(V) 47 you shall take five shekels apiece, reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, a shekel of twenty gerahs.(W) 48 Give to Aaron and his sons the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed.” 49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, reckoned by the shekel of the sanctuary,(X) 51 and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Psalm 37
Exhortation to Patience and Trust
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,(A)
2 for they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.(B)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
live in the land and enjoy security.(C)
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(D)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.(E)
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.(F)
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.(G)
8 Refrain from anger and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.(H)
9 For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.(I)
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.(J)
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.(K)
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them,(L)
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that their day is coming.(M)
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to kill those who walk uprightly;(N)
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.(O)
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has
than the abundance of many wicked.(P)
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.(Q)
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will abide forever;(R)
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.(S)
20 But the wicked perish,
and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.(T)
21 The wicked borrow and do not pay back,
but the righteous are generous and keep giving;(U)
22 surely those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.(V)
23 Our steps[a] are made firm by the Lord
when he delights in our[b] way;(W)
24 though we stumble, we[c] shall not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds us[d] by the hand.(X)
25 I have been young and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.(Y)
26 They are ever giving liberally and lending,
and their children become a blessing.(Z)
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
so you shall abide forever.(AA)
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his faithful ones.
The righteous shall be kept safe forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.(AB)
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
and live in it forever.(AC)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak justice.(AD)
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their steps do not slip.(AE)
32 The wicked watch for the righteous
and seek to kill them.(AF)
33 The Lord will not abandon them to their power
or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.(AG)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep to his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on the destruction of the wicked.(AH)
35 I have seen the wicked oppressing
and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.[e](AI)
36 Again I[f] passed by, and they were no more;
though I sought them, they could not be found.(AJ)
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.(A)
Colloquy of the Young Woman and Friends
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;(B)
3 your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is perfume poured out;
therefore the maidens love you.(C)
4 Draw me after you; let us make haste.
The king has brought me into his chambers.
We will exult and rejoice in you;
we will extol your love more than wine;
rightly do they love you.(D)
5 I am black and beautiful,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.(E)
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!(F)
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
where you pasture your flock,
where you make it lie down at noon,
for why should I be like one who is veiled
beside the flocks of your companions?(G)
8 If you do not know,
O fairest among women,
follow the tracks of the flock
and pasture your kids
beside the shepherds’ tents.(H)
Colloquy of the Young Man, Friends, and the Young Woman
9 I compare you, my love,
to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.(I)
10 Your cheeks are comely with ornaments,
your neck with strings of jewels.(J)
11 We will make you ornaments of gold,
studded with silver.
12 While the king was on his couch,
my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a bag of myrrh
that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of En-gedi.(K)
God Has Spoken by His Son
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,[a] whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.(A) 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains[b] all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for[c] sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,(B) 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.(C)
The Son Is Superior to Angels
5 For to which of the angels did God[d] ever say,
“You are my Son;
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son”?(D)
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds
and his servants flames of fire.”(E)
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is[e] forever and ever,
and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your[f] kingdom.(F)
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;[g]
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”(G)
10 And,
“In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;(H)
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like clothing;(I)
12 like a cloak you will roll them up,
and like clothing[h] they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will never end.”
13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?(J)
14 Are not all angels[i] spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?(K)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.