M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Rules About Cleanliness
5 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] to send away from camp anyone with ·a harmful skin disease [T leprosy; C the term does not refer to modern leprosy (Hansen’s disease), but to various skin disorders; Lev. 13:2]. Send away anyone who gives off body fluid [Lev. 15:2] or who has become unclean by touching a dead body [Lev. 5:2; 21:11]. 3 Send both men and women outside the camp so that they won’t spread the disease there, where I am living among you.” 4 So ·Israel [L the sons/T children of Israel] obeyed the Lord’s command and sent those people outside the camp. They did just as the Lord had told Moses.
Paying for Doing Wrong
5 The Lord said to Moses, 6 “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]: ‘When a man or woman does something wrong to another person, that is really sinning against the Lord. That person is guilty 7 and must ·admit [confess] the wrong that has been done. The person must fully pay for the wrong that has been done, adding one-fifth to it, and giving it to the person who was wronged. 8 But if that person is dead and does not have any close relatives to receive the payment, the one who did wrong owes the Lord and must pay the priest. In addition, the priest must sacrifice a male sheep to remove the wrong so that the person will belong to the Lord. 9 When an Israelite brings a holy gift, it should be given to the priest. 10 No one has to give these holy gifts, but if someone does give them, they belong to the priest [Lev. 6:1–7].’”
Suspicious Husbands
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]: ‘A man’s wife might ·be unfaithful to him [L go astray and break faith with him] 13 and have sexual relations with another man. Her sin might be kept hidden from her husband so that he does not know about the wrong she did. Perhaps ·no one saw it [there was no witness], and she wasn’t caught. 14 But if her husband has feelings of jealousy and suspects she has sinned—whether she has or not— 15 he should take her to the priest. The husband must also take an offering for her of ·two quarts [L one tenth of an ephah] of barley flour. He must not pour oil or incense on it, because this is a ·grain [L gift; tribute] offering for jealousy [Lev. 2:1], an offering of remembrance. It is to find out if she is guilty.
16 “‘The priest will bring ·in [near] the woman and make her stand before the Lord. 17 He will take some holy water in a clay jar, and he will put some ·dirt [dust] from the floor of the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] into the water. 18 The priest will make the woman stand before the Lord, and he will loosen her hair [C perhaps signifying ritual uncleanness; Lev. 13:45]. He will hand her the grain [L tribute; gift] offering [Lev. 2:1] of remembrance, the ·grain [L tribute; gift] offering [Lev. 2:1] for jealousy; he will hold the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 The priest will make her take an oath and ask her, “Has another man had sexual relations with you? Have you been unfaithful to your husband? If you haven’t, this bitter water that brings a curse won’t hurt you. 20 But if you have been unfaithful to your husband and have defiled yourself and had sexual relations with a man besides him”— 21 the priest will then put on her the curse that the oath will bring—“the Lord will make the people curse and reject you. He will make your ·stomach get big [uterus drop], and he will make your ·body unable to give birth to another baby [womb discharge; L thigh waste away/wither; C a euphemism for the womb]. 22 This water that brings a curse will go inside you and make your ·stomach get big [or uterus drop] and make your ·body unable to give birth to another baby [womb discharge; L your thigh waste away/wither; 5:21].”
“‘The woman must say, “I agree.”
23 “‘The priest should write these curses on a scroll, wash the words off into the bitter water, 24 and make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse. If she is guilty, the water will ·make her sick [cause bitter pain]. 25 Then the priest will take the ·grain [L tribute; gift] offering [Lev. 2:1] for jealousy from her. He will ·present [elevate] it before the Lord and bring it to the altar. 26 He will take a handful of the grain, which is a memorial offering, and ·burn it [turn it into smoke] on the altar. After that he will make the woman drink the water 27 to see if she ·is not pure [defiled herself] and if she has sinned against her husband. When it goes into her, if her ·stomach gets big [or uterus falls] and ·she is not able to have another baby [her thigh wastes away/withers; 5:21], her people will reject her. 28 But if the woman has not sinned, she is pure. She is not guilty, and she will be able to have babies.
29 “‘So this is the ·teaching [instruction; law] about jealousy. This is what to do when a woman does wrong and is unfaithful while she is married to her husband. 30 It also should be done if the man gets jealous because he suspects his wife. The priest will have her stand before the Lord, and he will do all these things, just as the ·teaching [instruction; law] commands. 31 In this way the husband can be proven correct, and the woman will suffer if she has done wrong.’”
Life Is Short
For the director of music. For Jeduthun [C Levitical musician; 1 Chr. 16:41–42; 25:1, 6; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will ·be careful how I act [L guard my way]
and will not sin ·by what I say [L with my tongue].
I will ·be careful what I say [L keep a muzzle on my mouth]
around wicked people.”
2 So I kept ·very quiet [silent and still].
I didn’t even say anything good,
but ·I became even more upset [L my agony/sorrow got worse].
3 ·I became very angry inside [L My heart grew hot within me],
and as I ·thought [meditated] about it, ·my anger [L a fire] burned.
So I ·spoke [L said with my tongue]:
4 “Lord, ·tell [inform; reveal to] me when ·the end [or my end] will come
and how long ·I will live [L will be my days].
Let me know how ·long I have [L fleeting I am; 90:1–12].
5 You have given ·me only a short life [L my days a handbreadth; C about four inches];
my lifetime is like nothing to you.
Everyone’s life is only ·a breath [vapor; Eccl. 1:2]. ·
6 People are like shadows moving about.
All their ·work [or wealth; or turmoil] is ·for nothing [a breath/vapor; Luke 12:13–21; James 4:3–17];
they ·collect things [accumulate riches/wealth] but don’t know who will ·get [gather] them.
7 “So, Lord, what ·hope do I have [do I wait for]?
You are my hope.
8 Save me from all my ·sins [transgressions].
Don’t ·let wicked fools make fun of me [L set the scorn of fools on me].
9 I am quiet; I do not open my mouth,
because you are the one who has done this.
10 ·Quit punishing me [L Turn your blows/scourge away from me];
·your beating is about to kill me [L I am exhausted/finished from the hostility/beatings of your hand].
11 You correct and punish people for their sins;
like a moth, you destroy what they ·love [covet; desire].
Everyone’s life is only a ·breath [vapor; Eccl. 1:2]. ·
12 “Lord, hear my prayer,
and listen to my cry.
Do not ignore my tears.
I am like a ·visitor [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] with you.
Like my ·ancestors [fathers], I’m only ·here a short time [a temporary resident].
13 Leave me alone so I can be happy
before I leave and am no more.”
The Woman Dreams
3 ·At night [or During many nights] on my bed,
I ·looked [searched] for the one ·I love [my soul loves];
I ·looked [searched] for him, but I could not find him.
2 I ·got [rose] up and went around the city,
in the streets and ·squares [public areas],
·looking [searching] for the one ·I love [my soul loves].
I ·looked [searched] for him, but I could not find him.
3 The ·watchmen [guards; C ancient equivalent to the police] found me as they patrolled the city,
so I asked, “Have you seen the one ·I love [L my soul loves]?”
4 ·As soon as [or A little while after] I had left them,
I found the one ·I love [L my soul loves].
I ·held [seized; grabbed] him and would not let him go
until I brought him to my mother’s house,
to the room where ·I was born [L she conceived me; 8:2].
The Woman Speaks to the Friends
5 ·Women [L Daughters] of Jerusalem [1:5], ·promise me [I adjure you]
by the gazelles and the deer of the field [C in Hebrew sounds like “by the (Lord) of Hosts” or “by God Almighty”]
not to awaken
or ·excite [arouse] love
until it ·is ready [so desires; C likely a warning to the women to wait for love until the right person comes along; 2:7; 8:4].
6 ·Who [or What] is this coming out of the ·desert [wilderness]
like a ·cloud [pillar] of smoke?
·Who is this that smells like [L …perfumed with] myrrh, ·incense [frankincense],
and ·other spices [L from all the scented powders of the trader]?
7 Look, it’s Solomon’s ·couch [palanquin; litter; C a bed carried by servants]
with sixty soldiers around it,
the ·finest soldiers [heroes; mighty men] of Israel.
8 These soldiers all carry swords
and have been trained in war.
Every man wears a sword at his ·side [thigh]
and is ready for the dangers of the night.
9 King Solomon had a ·couch [litter; v. 7] made for himself
of wood from Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver
and its ·braces [canopy] of gold.
The seat was covered with purple [C the color of royalty] cloth
that the ·women [L daughters] of Jerusalem [1:5] ·wove [inlaid its interior] with love.
11 ·Women [L Daughters] of ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:5], go out and see King Solomon.
He is wearing the crown his mother put on his head
on his wedding day,
when his heart was happy!
Jesus Is Greater than Moses
3 ·So all of you [L Therefore] holy brothers and sisters, who ·were called by God [are partners/partakers in a heavenly calling], ·think about [consider; focus on] Jesus, who ·was sent to us [or is our apostle; C a commissioned messenger] and is the high priest ·of our faith [or whom we acknowledge/confess; L of our confession]. 2 Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him just as Moses was faithful in God’s ·family [household; house]. 3 Jesus ·has [deserves; is worthy of] more honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 [L For] Every house is built by someone, but the builder of everything is God himself. 5 Moses was faithful in ·God’s family [L all of God’s house; Num. 12:7] as a servant, and he ·told [testified to] what God would say in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house. And we are God’s house if we ·confidently maintain our hope [or maintain our courage and confident hope].
We Must Continue to Follow God
7 So it is as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today ·listen to what he says [L if you hear his voice…].
8 Do not ·be stubborn [L harden your hearts] as in the past
·when you turned against God [L as in the rebellion; Ex. 17:1–7],
when you tested God in the desert.
9 There your ancestors tried me and tested me
and saw the things I did for forty years.
10 I was angry with ·them [L that generation].
I said, ‘·They are not loyal to me [L Their hearts are always wandering]
and have not ·understood my ways [or discerned/obeyed my will].’
11 I was angry and ·made a promise [L swore an oath],
‘They will never enter my rest [Ps. 95:7–11; C referring to the generation of Israel that disobeyed God and so were not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num. 14:23)].’”
12 So brothers and sisters, ·be careful [see to it] that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that will ·turn you away from [desert; forsake] the living God. 13 But encourage each other every day while it is “today” [C meaning the time of opportunity to be saved; v. 7]. ·Help [Encourage] each other so none of you will become hardened ·because sin has tricked you [by sin’s deception]. 14 [L For] We all ·share in [or have become partners with] Christ if [indeed; in fact] we ·keep [hold firm] till the end the sure ·faith [conviction; confidence] we had in the beginning. 15 This is what the Scripture says:
“Today ·listen to what he says [L if you hear his voice…].
Do not ·be stubborn [L harden your hearts] as in the past
·when you turned against God [L as in the rebellion; Ps. 95:7–8; C referring to Ex. 17:1–7].”
16 Who heard God’s voice and ·was against [rebelled against; provoked] him? ·It was [L Was it not…?] all those people Moses led out of Egypt. 17 And with whom was God angry for forty years? ·He was angry [L Was it not…?] with those who sinned, ·who died [L whose corpses/bodies fell] in the desert [Num. 14:29, 32]. 18 And to whom ·was God talking when he promised [L did he swear] that they would never enter his rest [v. 11]? He was talking to those who did not ·obey [or believe] him. 19 So we see they were not allowed to enter [C the Promised Land and God’s promised rest] because ·they did not believe [of unbelief/faithlessness].
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