M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Balaam’s First Message
23 Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams] for me.” 2 Balak did what Balaam asked, and they offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each of the altars.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] and I will go. If the Lord comes to me, I will tell you whatever he shows me.” Then Balaam went to a ·higher place [or barren height].
4 God came to Balaam there, and Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each altar.”
5 The Lord ·told Balaam what he should say [L put a word in the mouth of Balaam]. Then the Lord said, “Go back to Balak and ·give him this message [L thus you will speak].”
6 So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and all the leaders of Moab were still standing beside his burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] 7 when Balaam gave them this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“Balak brought me here from Aram;
the king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains.
Balak said, ‘Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for me.
Come, call down evil on the people of Israel.’
8 But ·God has not cursed them,
so I cannot curse them [L how can I curse what God has not cursed?].
·The Lord has not called down evil on them,
so I cannot call down evil on them [L How can I call down evil on/denounce what the Lord has not called down evil/denouced?].
9 I see them from the top of the ·mountains [cliffs];
I see them from the hills.
I see a people who live alone,
who think they are different from other nations [Ex. 19:5–6].
10 No one can number the ·many people [L dust; Gen. 13:16; 28:14] of Jacob,
and no one can count a ·fourth [or dust cloud] of Israel.
Let me die like ·good [virtuous; upright] people,
and let me end up like them!”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have only blessed them!”
12 But Balaam answered, “·I must [L Must I not…?] say what the Lord ·tells me to say [L put in my mouth].”
Balaam’s Second Message
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place, where you can also see the people. But you can only see part of them, not all of them [C perhaps he could curse a part of Israel]. Curse them for me from there.” 14 So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim, on top of Mount Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars and offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each altar.
15 So Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17], and I will meet with God over there.”
16 So the Lord came to Balaam and ·told him what to say [L put a word in his mouth]. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and say ·such and such [L thus].”
17 So Balaam went to Balak, where he and the leaders of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17]. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then Balaam gave this ·message [or oracle; or poem]:
“Stand up, Balak, and listen.
Hear me, son of Zippor.
19 God is not a human being, and he will not lie.
He is not a human, and he does not change his mind.
What he says he will do, ·he does [L will he not do it?].
What he promises, ·he makes come true [L will he not fulfill it/make it come true?].
20 He ·told [commanded] me to bless them,
so I cannot change the blessing.
21 He ·has found [observes] no wrong in the people of Jacob;
he saw no ·fault [trouble] in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them,
and they praise their King.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;
they are ·as strong as [L like the horns of] a wild ox.
23 No ·tricks [divination] will work on the people of Jacob,
and no magic will work against Israel.
People now say about ·them [L Jacob],
‘Look what God has done for Israel!’
24 The people rise up like a lioness;
they get up like a lion.
Lions don’t rest until they have eaten prey,
until they have drunk ·their enemies’ blood [L the blood of corpses].”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “You haven’t cursed these people, so at least don’t bless them!”
26 Balaam answered Balak, “·I told [L Did I not tell…?] you before that I can only do what the Lord tells me.”
Balaam’s Third Message
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to another place. Maybe ·God will be pleased [L it will be right in the eyes/sight of God] to let you curse them from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, the mountain that looks over the ·desert [wasteland; or Jeshimon].
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven ·male sheep [rams].” 30 Balak did what Balaam asked, and he offered a bull and a ·male sheep [ram] on each altar.
A Prayer Against Enemies
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
64 God, listen to my complaint.
·I am afraid of my enemies;
protect my life from them [L Protect my life from the dread of my enemies].
2 Hide me from ·those who plan wicked things [L the secret plans/conspiracy of the wicked],
from that ·gang [mob; restless group] who does evil [Prov. 1:8–19].
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and ·shoot [aim] bitter words like arrows.
4 From their hiding places they shoot at ·innocent [blameless] people;
they shoot suddenly and are not afraid.
5 They encourage each other to do wrong.
They talk about setting traps,
·thinking [or saying] ·no one will [L who can…?] see them.
6 They plan wicked things and say,
“We have a perfect plan.”
The ·mind [L insides and the heart/mind] of human beings is ·hard to understand [L deep].
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 Their own ·words [tongues] will ·be used against them [L make them stumble].
All who see them will shake their heads [C in amazement at their downfall].
9 Then everyone will fear God [Prov. 1:7].
They will tell what God has done,
and they will ·learn from [reflect on] what he has done.
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be happy in the Lord
and will find ·protection [refuge] in him.
Let everyone who is ·honest [virtuous in heart] praise the Lord.
A Hymn of Thanksgiving
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
65 God, ·you will be praised in Jerusalem [L praise is due/proper/ fitting to you in Zion; C the location of the Temple].
We will ·keep our promises [fulfill our vows] to you.
2 You ·hear [or answer] our prayers.
All ·people [L flesh] will come to you.
3 Our guilt ·overwhelms [overpowers] us,
but you ·forgive [wipe/blot out; make atonement for] our ·sins [transgressions].
4 ·Happy [Blessed] are the people you choose
and ·invite [L bring near] to stay in your court.
We are ·filled [satisfied] with good things in your house,
your holy Temple.
5 You answer us in amazing ways with ·vindication [victory; righteousness],
God our ·Savior [Victor].
People ·everywhere on [L of all the ends of] the earth
and ·beyond the sea [L the farthest seas] ·trust [have confidence in] you.
6 You ·made [established] the mountains by your strength;
you are ·dressed [girded; armed] in power.
7 You ·stopped [silence; calm] the roaring seas,
the roaring waves [C representing chaos],
and the ·uproar [tumult] of the ·nations [peoples].
8 Even those people at the ends of the earth fear your ·miracles [signs].
You are praised from ·where the sun rises [the east; L the gateways of the morning] to ·where it sets [the west; L evening].
9 You ·take care of [visit] the land and water it;
you make it very ·fertile [rich].
The ·rivers [channels] of God are full of water.
Grain grows because you make it grow.
10 You send rain to the plowed fields;
you ·fill the rows with water [level its ridges].
You soften the ground with rain,
and then you bless ·it with crops [its growth].
11 You ·give [L crown] the year ·a good harvest [L with your goodness/bounty],
and ·you load the wagons with many crops [L your wagon tracks/ruts drip with plenty].
12 The ·desert [wilderness] ·is covered [drips] with ·grass [pasturage]
and the hills with happiness.
13 The ·pastures [meadows] are ·full of [L clothed with] flocks,
and the valleys are ·covered [wrapped] with grain.
Everything shouts and sings for joy.
God’s Message to Babylon
13 God showed Isaiah son of Amoz this ·message [oracle; T burden] about Babylon:
2 Raise a ·flag [banner; signal flag] on the bare mountain.
·Call out [Shout] to them.
·Raise [Wave] your hand to signal them
to enter through the gates ·for important people [of the nobles/princes].
3 I myself have commanded those people
·whom I have separated as mine [or my holy/sanctified/chosen ones].
I have ·called [summoned] those warriors to carry out my anger.
They rejoice ·and are glad to do my will [or in my triumph/exaltation].
4 Listen to the loud ·noise [tumult] in the mountains,
the sound of ·many people [a great crowd/army].
Listen to the ·noise [uproar; commotion] among the kingdoms,
the sound of nations gathering together.
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is ·calling together [summoning; mustering] his army for battle.
5 They are coming from a faraway land,
from the ·edge of the horizon [or end of the heavens].
·In anger the Lord is using this army like a weapon [L The Lord and his weapons of wrath/indignation]
to destroy the whole ·country [land; or earth].
6 ·Cry [Wail], because the Lord’s day of judging is near;
the Almighty is sending destruction.
7 ·People will be weak with fear [L All hands will go limp/fail],
and ·their courage [L every human heart] will melt away.
8 Everyone will be ·afraid [terrified; dismayed].
Pain and ·hurt [anguish] will ·grab [grip; seize] them;
they will ·hurt [writhe in pain] like a woman giving birth.
They will look at each other ·in fear [aghast; or in shock/amazement],
with their faces ·red [aflame] like fire.
God’s Judgment Against Babylon
9 ·Look [T Behold], the Lord’s day of judging is coming—
a ·terrible [cruel] day, a day of ·God’s anger [L wrath and rage of anger].
He will ·destroy [desolate] the ·land [or earth]
and the sinners who live in it.
10 [L For] The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The sun will grow dark as it rises,
and the moon will not give its light.
11 The Lord says, “I will punish the world for its evil
and wicked people for their sins.
I will cause ·proud people [the arrogant] to lose their pride,
and I will ·destroy [humble; lay low] the pride of ·those who are cruel to others [the ruthless/tyrants].
12 People will be ·harder to find [scarcer] than pure gold;
there will be fewer people than there is fine gold in Ophir [C perhaps a region in southern Arabia].
13 I will make the ·sky [or heavens] shake,
and the earth will be ·moved [shaken] from its place
by the ·anger [wrath; fury] of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
·at the time [L in the day] of his burning anger.
14 “Then the people from Babylon will run away like hunted ·deer [gazelle]
or like sheep who have no shepherd.
Everyone will turn back to his own people;
each will run back to his own land.
15 Everyone who is captured will be ·killed [stabbed; thrust through];
everyone who is caught will ·be killed with a [L fall by the] sword.
16 Their little children will be ·beaten to death [dashed to pieces] in front of them.
Their houses will be ·robbed [looted; plundered]
and their wives raped.
17 “·Look [T Behold], I will ·cause the armies of Media to attack Babylon [L stir up the Medes against them; C fulfilled by Cyrus the Great in 539 bc].
They do not care about silver
or delight in gold.
18 Their soldiers will shoot the young men with ·arrows [L bows];
they will show no mercy on ·children [L the fruit of the womb],
nor will they feel ·sorry [pity; compassion] for ·little ones [children; sons].
19 Babylon is the most beautiful of all kingdoms,
·and the Babylonians are very proud of it [L the glory and pride of the Chaldeans].
But God will destroy it
like Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen. 19:23–29].
20 No one will ever live there
or settle there ·again [from generation to generation].
No ·Arab [or bedouin; nomad] will put a tent there;
no shepherd will ·bring [bed down their] sheep there.
21 Only desert animals will live there,
and their houses will be full of ·wild dogs [or jackals; hyenas; howling creatures; or owls].
Owls will live there,
and wild goats will ·leap [skip] about in the houses.
22 ·Wolves [or Hyenas] will howl within the ·strong walls [citadels; towers],
and ·wild dogs [jackals] will bark in the ·beautiful [delightful] ·buildings [palaces].
·The end of Babylon is near [L Her time has nearly come];
·its time is almost over [L and her days will not be extended].”
1 From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. To God’s ·chosen [elect] people who are ·away from their homes [exiles; temporary residents; refugees; foreigners] ·and are scattered [L of the Diaspora/Dispersion; C an analogy to the Jewish people scattered around the known world since the Babylonian exile] all around Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia [C all located in Asia Minor, present-day Turkey]. 2 God the Father ·planned long ago to choose you [L chose you according to his foreknowledge] ·by making you his holy people, which is the Spirit’s work [or by the sanctifying/purifying work of the Spirit; or by setting you apart by means of the Spirit]. God wanted you to obey him and to be ·made clean [L sprinkled] by the blood of the death of Jesus Christ. [C In the OT blood from animal sacrifices was sprinkled on persons and objects to indicate purification or forgiveness of sins; Ex. 24:3–8.]
Grace and peace be ·yours more and more [L multiplied to you].
We Have a Living Hope
3 ·Praise be to [L Blessed be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s ·great [abundant] mercy he has caused us to be born ·again [anew; John 3:5–8] into a living hope, ·because Jesus Christ rose [or by means of the resurrection of Jesus Christ] from the dead. 4 ·Now we hope for [or This new birth provides us with] ·the blessings God has for his children [L an inheritance]. ·These blessings [or This inheritance], which cannot be destroyed or be ·spoiled [corrupted; defiled] or lose their beauty, ·are [is] kept in heaven for you [Matt. 6:19–21; Luke 12:33]. 5 God’s power protects you through your faith until ·salvation is shown to you [or the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed] ·at the end of [in the last] time. 6 ·This makes you very happy [or Rejoice in this], even though now for a short time ·different kinds of troubles may make you sad [you have had to suffer various kinds of trials/testings]. 7 These ·troubles [trials; testings] come ·to prove that your faith is pure [to test and prove the authenticity of your faith; C a test that proves the genuineness of a valuable metal]. This ·purity of faith [or tested and proven authenticity] is ·worth more [more precious; more valuable] than gold, which can be ·proved to be pure [tested and proven authentic] by fire [Ps. 66:10; Prov. 17:3; 27:21; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:3] but ·can [or will] be destroyed. But the ·purity [tested and proven authenticity] of your faith will bring you praise and glory and honor ·when Jesus Christ is shown to you [L at the revelation of Jesus Christ]. 8 You have not seen ·Christ [L him], but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you ·are filled [rejoice] with ·a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory [an inexpressible and glorious joy]. 9 ·And you are receiving [or …because you are receiving] the ·goal [outcome; purpose] of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
10 The prophets [C of the Old Testament] searched carefully and ·tried to learn [diligently inquired/investigated] about this salvation. They prophesied about the grace that was coming to you. 11 The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets, ·telling [witnessing; testifying] in advance about the sufferings of Christ and about the glory that would follow those sufferings [Luke 24:25–27, 45–49]. The prophets ·tried to learn [inquired; investigated] about what the Spirit was showing them, ·when those things would happen, and what the world would be like at that time [about the circumstances and time; or about the person and time]. 12 It was ·shown [revealed to] them that their service was not for themselves but for you, when they ·told about [announced] the truths [L things] you have now heard. Those who preached the ·Good News [Gospel] to you ·told you [announced] those things with the help of the Holy Spirit who was sent from heaven—things into which angels desire to look.
A Call to Holy Living
13 ·So [Therefore; For this reason] ·prepare your minds for service [prepare your minds for action; or, be alert; L gird the loins of your mind] and ·have self-control [be disciplined]. ·All your hope should be for [Focus all your hope on] the gift of grace that will be ·yours [brought/given to you] ·when Jesus Christ is shown to you [L at the revelation of Jesus Christ]. 14 ·Now that you are [As; or Like] obedient ·children of God [L children] ·do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted [L do not be shaped by the desires/lusts of your former ignorance]. 15 But be holy in all ·you do [your behavior/conduct], just as ·God, the One [L the One] who called you, is holy. 16 [L For; Because] It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy [Lev. 11:45; 19:2; 20:7].”
17 ·You pray to God and call him Father, and he [L Since you address as Father the one who] judges each person’s ·work [deeds] ·equally [impartially; without prejudice]. So while you are ·here on earth [living as exiles/strangers/sojourners], you should live with ·respect [fear] for God [Prov. 1:7]. 18 [L For] You know that in the past you were living in a ·worthless [meaningless; futile; vain; Eccl. 1:2] way, a way passed down from ·the people who lived before you [your ancestors]. But you were saved [ransomed; redeemed] from that useless life. You were ·bought [ransomed; redeemed; C like a slave whose freedom was purchased by a payment], not with something that ·ruins [perishes; spoils] like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ [Is. 52:3], who was like ·a pure and perfect lamb [a lamb without defect or blemish; Lev. 1:3]. 20 Christ was ·chosen [destined; L foreknown] before ·the world was made [L the foundation/creation of the world], but he was ·shown to the world [revealed] in these last times for your sake. 21 Through Christ you ·believe [have faith/trust] in God, who raised Christ from the dead and gave him glory. So your faith and your hope are in God.
22 Now that your obedience to the truth has purified your ·souls [or lives], you can have ·true [genuine; sincere] love for your Christian brothers and sisters. So love each other ·deeply [earnestly] ·with all your [L from the] heart.[a] 23 You have been born ·again [or anew], and this new life did not come from ·something that dies [L a perishable seed], but from ·something that cannot die [L an imperishable seed]. You were born ·again [or anew] through ·God’s living message that continues forever [L the living and abiding/enduring word of God]. 24 ·The Scripture says [L For; Therefore],
“All ·people are [T flesh is] like the grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the ·field [L grass].
The grass ·dies [withers] and the flowers ·fall [drop off],
25 but the word of the Lord ·will live [remains; abides; endures] forever [Is. 40:6–8].”
And this is the word that was ·preached [or proclaimed as Good News/Gospel] to you.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.