M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Silver Trumpets
10 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them to call the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] together and to march out of camp. 3 When both trumpets are blown, the ·people [community; congregation; assembly] should gather before you at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. 4 If you blow only one trumpet, the leaders, the heads of the ·family groups [clans] of Israel, should meet before you. 5 When you loudly blow the trumpets, the ·tribes [L camps] camping on the east should move. 6 When you loudly blow them again, the ·tribes [L camps] camping on the south should move; the loud sound will tell them to move. 7 When you want to gather the people, blow the trumpets, but don’t blow them as loudly.
8 “Aaron’s sons, the priests, should blow the trumpets. This is a ·law [perpetual/eternal regulation] for you and your descendants ·from now on [throughout your generations]. 9 When you are fighting an enemy who attacks you in your own land, blow the trumpets loudly. The Lord your God will ·take notice of [remember] you and will save you from your enemies. 10 Also blow your trumpets at happy times and during your feasts and at New Moon festivals [29:6; 1 Sam. 20:5; 2 Kin. 4:23; Ezra 3:5; Ps. 81:3; Is. 1:13; Amos 8:5]. Blow them over your burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1], because they will help you remember your God. I am the Lord your God.”
The Israelites Move Camp
11 The cloud lifted from the ·Tent [Tabernacle] of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year. 12 So the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] moved from the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Sinai and continued until the cloud stopped in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Paran. 13 This was their first time to move, and they did it as the Lord had commanded Moses.
14 The divisions from the camp of ·Judah [L the sons/descendants of Judah] moved first under their ·flag [banner]. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the commander. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of ·Issachar [L the sons/descendants of Issachar]. 16 Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of ·Zebulun [L the sons/descendants of Zebulun]. 17 Then the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] was taken down, and the ·Gershonites [L sons/descendants of Gershon; 3:18, 21–26; 4:21–28] and ·Merarites [L sons/descendants of Merari; 3:20, 33–37; 4:29–33], who carried it, moved next.
18 Then came the divisions from the camp of Reuben under their ·flag [banner], and Elizur son of Shedeur was the commander. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of ·Simeon [L the sons/descendants of Simeon]. 20 Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad. 21 Then came the Kohathites [3:19, 27–32; 4:1–20], who carried the holy things; the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] was to be set up before they arrived.
22 Next came the divisions from the camp of ·Ephraim [L the sons/descendants of Ephraim] under their ·flag [banner], and Elishama son of Ammihud was the commander. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of ·Manasseh [L the sons/descendants of Manasseh], 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of ·Benjamin [L the sons/descendants of Benjamin].
25 The last ones were the rear guard for all the tribes. These were the divisions from the camp of ·Dan [L the sons/descendants of Dan] under their flag, and Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the commander. 26 Pagiel son of Ocran was over the division of the tribe of ·Asher [L the sons/descendants of Asher]; 27 Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of ·Naphtali [L the sons/descendants of Naphtali]. 28 This was the order the Israelite divisions marched in when they moved.
29 Hobab was the son of Reuel the Midianite, who was Moses’ father-in-law [C also called Jethro; Ex. 2:16]. Moses said to Hobab, “We are moving to the land the Lord promised to give us. Come with us and we will be good to you, because the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”
30 But Hobab answered, “No, I will not go. I will go back to my own land where I was born.”
31 But Moses said, “Please don’t ·leave [abandon; forsake] us. You know where we can camp in the ·desert [wilderness], and you can be our ·guide [L eyes]. 32 Come with us. We will share with you all the good things the Lord gives us.” 33 So they left the mountain of the Lord [C Mount Sinai] and traveled for three days. The Ark of the Lord’s ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 25:10] went in front of the people for those three days, as they looked for a ·place to camp [resting place]. 34 The Lord’s cloud [C symbolic of God’s presence] was over them during the day when they left their camp.
35 When the Ark left the camp, Moses said,
“Rise up, Lord!
Scatter your enemies:
make those who hate you run from you [C the wilderness journey was seen as a march into battle].”
36 And when the Ark ·was set down [came to rest], Moses said,
“Return, Lord,
to the thousands of people of Israel.”
God Protects His People
For the director of music. By ·alamoth [maidens; young women; C perhaps for soprano voices]. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as Temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
46 God is our ·protection [refuge] and our strength.
He ·always helps [is an ever present/timely help] in times of ·trouble [distress].
2 So we will not be afraid even if the earth ·shakes [quakes],
or the mountains ·fall [reel; totter] into the heart of the sea,
3 even if the ·oceans [L waters] roar and foam,
or the mountains ·shake [tremble] at ·the raging sea [L its surging]. ·
4 There is a river ·that [L whose channels/streams] brings joy to the city of God,
the holy place where God Most High lives.
5 God is in that city, and so it will not ·be shaken [reel; totter].
God will help her at dawn.
6 Nations ·tremble [roar] and kingdoms ·shake [reel; totter].
God ·shouts [L gives forth his voice] and the earth ·crumbles [melts].
7 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is with us;
the God of Jacob is our ·defender [refuge; fortress]. ·
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
·the amazing things he has done [or the desolations he has brought] on the earth.
9 He stops wars ·everywhere on [L to the ends of] the earth.
He breaks all bows and shatters spears
and burns up the ·chariots [or shields] with fire.
10 God says, “Be still and know that I am God.
I will be ·praised [exalted] in all the nations;
I will be ·praised [exalted] throughout the earth.”
11 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is with us;
the God of Jacob is our ·defender [refuge; fortress]. ·
God, the King of the World
For the director of music. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as Temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
47 Clap your hands, all you people.
Shout to God with ·joy [jubilant shouts/cries/L sound].
2 The Lord Most High is ·wonderful [awesome].
He is the great King over all the earth!
3 He ·defeated [subdues] ·nations [or armies] ·for [L under] us
and ·put them under our control [L peoples under our feet].
4 He chose ·the land we would inherit [L for us our heritage/inheritance].
We are the ·children [L pride] of Jacob, whom he loved. ·
5 God has risen with a shout of joy;
the Lord has risen ·as the trumpets sounded [L with the sound of the ram’s horn].
6 Sing praises to God. Sing praises.
Sing praises to our King. Sing praises.
7 God is King of all the earth,
so sing a ·song of praise [psalm; a skillful psalm; meditation; L maskil] to him.
8 God is King over the nations.
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The ·leaders [princes] of the ·nations [or armies] ·meet [L gather together]
with the ·people [or army] of the God of Abraham,
because the ·leaders [L shields; C military leaders] of the earth belong to God.
He is ·supreme [highly exalted].
8 I wish you were like my brother
who ·fed [L sucked] at my mother’s breasts [C so she could be affectionate toward him in public].
If I found you outside,
I would kiss you,
and no one would ·look down on [shame] me.
2 I would lead you and bring you
to my mother’s house;
she is the one who taught me.
I would give you a drink of spiced wine
from my pomegranates.
The Woman Speaks to the Friends
3 My lover’s left hand is under my head,
and his right arm ·holds me tight [embraces me; 2:6].
4 ·Women [L Daughters] of Jerusalem [1:5],
·promise [I adjure you] 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; 3:5].
The Friends Speak
5 Who is this coming out of the ·desert [wilderness; 3:6],
leaning on her lover?
The Man Speaks to the Woman
I ·woke [aroused] you under the apple tree
where ·you were born [L your mother conceived you];
there ·your mother gave birth to you [L the one who gave you birth conceived you].
6 ·Put [Set] me like a seal [C leaving an impression on clay, showing ownership] on your heart [C inside],
like a seal on your arm [C outside].
Love is as strong as death;
·jealousy [or passion] is as ·strong [tenacious] as the grave.
·Love bursts into flames [L Its flame is an intense fire]
·and burns like a hot fire [or a godlike flame].
7 Even much water cannot put out the flame of love;
floods cannot ·drown [flood] love.
If a man offered ·everything [L all the wealth] in his house for love,
·people would totally reject it [or he would be completely despised].
The Woman’s Brothers Speak
8 We have a ·little [small] sister,
and ·her breasts are not yet grown [L she has no breasts].
What should we do for our sister
on the day she ·becomes engaged [L is spoken for; C brothers were in charge of marriage negotiations]?
9 If she is a wall [C chaste],
we will put silver towers on her [C support and honor her].
If she is a door [C promiscuous],
we will ·protect [enclose] her with cedar boards [C put a stop to her sexual activity].
The Woman Speaks
10 I am a wall [C chaste],
and my breasts are like towers [C she is mature].
So I ·was to him [or will be in his eyes],
as one who brings ·happiness [peace; contentment].
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon.
He ·rented [entrusted] the vineyards ·for others to tend [or to guards],
and everyone who rented had to pay
·twenty-five pounds [L a thousand pieces] of silver for the fruit.
12 But my own vineyard is mine ·to give [alone].
Solomon, the ·twenty-five pounds [L thousand pieces] of silver are for you,
and ·five pounds [L two hundred] are for those who ·tend [guard] the fruit.
The Man Speaks to the Woman
13 You who live in the gardens,
my friends are listening for your voice;
let me hear it.
The Woman Speaks to the Man
14 ·Hurry [Sneak away], my lover,
be like a gazelle
or a young deer
on the mountains where spices grow.
Jesus Is Our High Priest
8 Here is the [main; most important] point of what we are saying: We have a high priest who sits on the right side of ·God’s [L the Majesty’s] throne in heaven. 2 Our high priest ·serves [ministers; performs priestly service] in the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things], the true ·place of worship [Tabernacle; Holy Tent; Ex. 33:7] that was made by the Lord, not by humans.
3 [L For] Every high priest ·has the work of offering [is appointed to offer] gifts and sacrifices to God. So our high priest must also ·offer something to God [L have something to offer]. 4 If our high priest were now living on earth, he would not be a priest, because there are already priests here who follow the law by offering gifts to God. 5 ·The work they do as priests [or The sanctuary in which they serve] is only a ·copy [model; prototype] and a shadow of what is in heaven. This is why God warned Moses when he was ready to build the ·Holy Tent [T Tabernacle]: “Be very careful to make everything by the ·plan [pattern; design] I showed you on the mountain [Ex. 25:40].” 6 But the priestly ·work [service; ministry] that has been given to Jesus is ·much greater than [far superior to] the work that was given to the other priests. In the same way, the new ·agreement [covenant; contract] that Jesus ·brought from God to his people [L mediates] is much ·greater [better] than the old one. And the new ·agreement [covenant; contract] is ·based [founded; legally enacted] on ·promises of better things [L better promises; C all God’s promises are reliable, but these promises bring greater blessings].
7 If there had been ·nothing wrong [no fault] with the first ·agreement [covenant; contract; C given to Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai], there would have been no ·need for [or reason to look for; or occasion for God to establish] a second ·agreement [L one; C the Mosaic covenant was insufficient because it did not provide true forgiveness of sins; 10:1]. 8 But God ·found something wrong with his people and said [or found fault with the covenant, and said to his people]:[a]
“·Look [T Behold], the ·time is [days are] coming, says the Lord,
when I will ·make [complete; establish] a new ·agreement [covenant; contract]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel
and the ·people [L house] of Judah.
9 It will not be like the ·agreement [covenant]
I made with their ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers]
when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of [L the land of] Egypt.
But they ·broke [L did not abide by] that ·agreement [covenant; contract],
and I ·turned away from [abandoned; stopped caring for] them, says the Lord.
10 [For; But] This is the ·agreement [covenant; contract] I will make
with the ·people [L house] of Israel ·at that time [L after those days], says the Lord.
I will put my ·teachings [L laws] in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11 People will no longer have to teach their ·neighbors [fellow citizens] and ·relatives [L brothers (and sisters)]
·to know the Lord [L saying, “Know the Lord”],
because all people will know me,
from the least to the ·most important [greatest].
12 I will ·forgive them for [be merciful with regard to] ·the wicked things they did [their unrighteousness/wickedness],
and I will not remember their sins anymore [Jer. 31:31–34; Luke 22:20].”
13 God called this a new ·agreement [covenant; contract], so he has made ·the first agreement [L the first one] ·old [obsolete; outdated]. And anything that is ·old [obsolete; outdated] and worn out is ready to disappear.
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