M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Zelophehad’s Daughters
27 Then the daughters of Zelophehad came near. Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh. Zelophehad’s daughters belonged to the ·family groups [clans] of Manasseh son of Joseph [26:29–34]. The daughters’ names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They went to the entrance of the Meeting Tent and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the ·people [community; congregation; assembly]. They said, 3 “Our father died in the ·desert [wilderness]. He was not ·one of Korah’s followers [L in the community/congregation/assembly of Korah] who came together against the Lord [16:1–50], but he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 ·Our father’s name will [L Why should our father’s name…?] die out because he had no sons. Give us ·property [a possession] among our father’s relatives [36:1–13; Josh. 17:3–6].”
5 So Moses brought their case to the Lord, 6 and the Lord said to him, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right; they should certainly get ·what their father owned [L a possession of the inheritance in the midst of the relatives of their father]. ·Give [L Pass on to] them ·property among their father’s relatives [L the inheritance of their father].
8 “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], ‘If a man dies and has no son, then ·everything he owned should go [L pass on his inheritance] to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then ·everything he owned should go [L you should give his inheritance] to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then ·everything he owned should go [L you should give his inheritance] to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father had no brothers, then ·everything he owned should go [L you should give his inheritance] to the nearest relative in his ·family group [clan]. This should be a ·rule [statute; ordinance; requirement] among the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel, as the Lord has given this command to Moses.’”
Joshua Is the New Leader
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Climb this mountain in the Abarim Mountains, and look at the land I have given to the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]. 13 After you have seen it, you will ·die and join your ancestors [L be gathered to your people] as your brother Aaron ·did [L was gathered; 20:22–29], 14 because you both ·acted [rebelled] against my command in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Zin. You did not honor me as holy before the people at the waters of Meribah [20:1–13].” (This was at Meribah in Kadesh in the ·Desert [L Wilderness] of Zin.)
15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “The Lord is the God of the spirits of all ·people [L flesh]. May he ·choose a leader for these people [L appoint someone over the community/assembly/congregation], 17 who will go in and out before them. He must lead them out like sheep and bring them in; the Lord’s ·people [community; assembly; congregation] must not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, because my Spirit is in him. ·Put [Lay] your hand on him, 19 and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the ·people [community; assembly; congregation]. Then give him his orders ·as they watch [L before their eyes]. 20 Let him share your honor so that all the ·Israelites [L community/assembly/congregation of the sons/T children of Israel] will ·obey [listen to] him. 21 He must stand before Eleazar the priest, and Eleazar will get advice from the Lord by using the Urim [Ex. 28:30]. At his command all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel, the whole community/assembly/congregation] will go out, and at his command they will all come in.”
22 Moses did what the Lord told him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the ·people [community; assembly; congregation], 23 and he ·put [lay] his hands on him and gave him orders, just as the Lord had told him.
A Cry for God to Help Quickly
For the director of music. A psalm of David. ·To help people remember [For remembrance; or For a memorial offering].
70 God, ·come quickly and save [L protect] me.
Lord, hurry to help me.
2 Let those who are ·trying to kill me [L seeking my life]
be ashamed and ·disgraced [scorned; reproached].
Let those who want to hurt me
·run away [L turn back] in disgrace.
3 Let those who ·make fun of me [L say, “Aha, Aha!”]
·stop [withdraw] because of their shame.
4 But let all those who ·worship [L seek] you
rejoice and be glad.
Let those who love your ·salvation [victory]
always say, “·Praise the greatness of [Magnify] God.”
5 I am poor and ·helpless [needy];
God, hurry to me.
You ·help me and save me [L are my helper and my rescuer].
Lord, do not ·wait [delay].
An Old Person’s Prayer
71 In you, Lord, ·is my protection [L I find refuge].
Never let me be ashamed.
2 Because you ·do what is right [are righteous], ·save [protect] and rescue me;
·listen [L extend your ear] to me and ·save me [give me victory].
3 Be my ·place of safety [L rock of refuge]
where I can always come.
Give the command to ·save me [give me victory],
because you are my rock and my ·strong, walled city [fortress].
4 My God, ·save [rescue] me from the ·power [L hand] of the wicked
and from the ·hold [grasp; L palm] of evil and cruel people.
5 Lord, you are my hope.
Lord, I have ·trusted [had confidence in] you since I was young.
6 I have ·depended [L leaned] on you ·since I was born [L from the belly; C the womb];
you ·helped me even on the day of my birth [brought me forth/cut off my umbilical cord from my mother’s innards].
I will always praise you.
7 I am an ·example [portent] to many people,
because you are my strong ·protection [refuge].
8 ·I am always praising you [L My mouth is filled with your praise];
all day long I ·honor [glorify] you.
9 Do not ·reject me [cast me off] when I am old;
do not ·leave [abandon; forsake] me when my strength is ·gone [exhausted].
10 My enemies ·make plans [speak] against me,
and they ·meet [take counsel] together to kill me.
11 They say, “God has ·left [abandoned; forsaken] him.
·Go after [Pursue; Persecute] him and ·take [capture] him,
because no one will ·save [protect] him.”
12 God, don’t be far off.
My God, hurry to help me.
13 Let those who accuse me
be ashamed and ·destroyed [annihilated].
Let those who are ·trying [seeking] to hurt me
be covered with shame and disgrace.
14 But I will always have hope
and will praise you more and more.
15 ·I will tell how you do what is right [L My mouth will recount your righteousness].
I will tell about your ·salvation [victory] all day long,
even though ·it is more than I can tell [L I do not know the number].
16 I will come and tell about your powerful works, Lord God.
I will remind people ·that only you do what is right [L that you alone are righteous].
17 God, you have taught me since I was young.
To this day I tell ·about the miracles you do [of your wonderful works].
18 Even though I am old and gray,
do not ·leave [abandon; forsake] me, God.
I will tell ·the children [L a generation, to all that come] about your ·power [L arm];
I will tell of your might.
19 God, your ·justice [righteousness] reaches to the ·skies [L high heavens].
You have done great things;
God, there is no one like you.
20 You have ·given [L shown] me ·many troubles [much distress] and bad times,
but you will give me life again.
·When I am almost dead [L From the depths of the earth],
you ·will keep me alive [L again bring me up].
21 You will make me greater than ever,
and you will comfort me again.
22 I will ·praise [thank] you with the harp.
·I trust you […for your faithfulness], my God.
I will ·sing to [make a psalm for] you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.
23 ·I will [L My lips] shout for joy when I ·sing praises to [make a psalm for] you.
You have ·saved [redeemed] me.
24 ·I [L My tongue] will tell about your ·justice [righteousness] all day long.
And those who ·want [seek] to hurt me
will be ·ashamed [scorned and reproached] and disgraced.
God’s Message to Aram
17 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Damascus:
“[L Look; T Behold] The city of Damascus will ·be destroyed [L cease to be];
only ruins will remain.
2 The cities of Aroer will be ·abandoned [deserted; desolate].
·Flocks will wander freely in those empty towns [L They will be for flocks];
they will lie down and no one will ·bother [disturb; frighten] them.
3 The ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of ·Israel [L Ephraim; C the most influential tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] will be destroyed.
The ·government in Damascus will end [L kingdom from Damascus; C the capital of Syria].
·Those left alive [The remnant] of Aram [C Syria] will be
like the glory of Israel,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
4 “·At that time [L In that day] ·Israel’s wealth [L Jacob’s glory] will ·all be gone [or fade; wane].
·Israel will be like a body wasting away from sickness [L The fatness of his flesh will grow lean].
5 That time will be like the grain harvest in the Valley of Rephaim.
The workers cut the wheat.
Then they cut the heads of grain from the plants
and collect the grain.
6 That time will also be like ·the olive harvest [when an olive tree is beaten],
when ·a few olives [L gleanings] are left [24:13].
Two or three olives are left in the top branches.
Four or five olives are left on full branches,” says the Lord, the God of Israel.
7 ·At that time [L In that day] people will look to their Maker;
their eyes will ·see [or L look toward] the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
8 They will not trust the altars ·they have made [L the work of their hands],
nor will they trust what their ·hands [L fingers] have made,
not even the ·Asherah idols [L Asherahs; C sacred trees or poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah] and ·altars [incense altars].
9 ·At that time [L In that day] all their strong cities will be empty. They will be like the ·cities the Hivites and [or wooded heights] the Amorites left when the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] came to take the land. Everything will be ruined.
10 You have forgotten the God who ·saves [rescues] you;
you have not remembered ·that God is your place of safety [L the Rock, your stronghold/strength].
You plant ·the finest [beautiful; pleasant] plants
and grapevines from ·faraway [exotic; foreign] places.
11 You plant your grapevines one day and try to make them grow,
and ·the next day [in the morning] you make them blossom.
But ·at harvest time everything will be dead [L the harvest will be a heap/disaster];
·a sickness will kill all the plants [L in the day of disease and incurable pain].
12 ·Listen [or Woe] to the many people!
·Their crying is like the noise from the sea [They rage/roar like the raging/roaring sea].
·Listen [or Woe] to the nations!
Their ·crying [roar] is like the ·crashing [roaring] of great ·waves [waters].
13 The people roar like the ·waves [roaring of many waters],
but when ·God [L he] ·speaks harshly to [shouts at; rebukes] them, they will ·run [flee far] away.
They will be like chaff on the hills being blown by the wind,
or like ·tumbleweeds [L a rolling thing] blown away by a storm.
14 ·At night [L In the time of evening] ·the people will be very frightened [L look/T behold, terror!].
Before morning, ·no one will be left [the enemy will be gone; L he is no more].
This is the ·fate [portion] of those who ·steal from [plunder] us,
and ·what happens to [the lot of] those who ·rob [loot] us.
God’s Message to Cush
18 ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to; or Listen,] the land beyond the rivers of ·Cush [or Ethiopia; C the upper Nile region].
·It is filled with the sound of wings [L …the land of buzzing wings; or …the land of flapping sails].
2 That land sends ·messengers [envoys; ambassadors] across the sea;
they go on the water in boats made of ·reeds [papyrus; C light and speedy].
Go, ·quick [swiftly] messengers,
to a people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
who are feared ·everywhere [far and wide].
They are a powerful nation ·that defeats other nations [or who speak a strange language].
Their land is divided by rivers.
3 All you ·people [inhabitants] of the world, look!
Everyone who lives in the world, look!
You will see a ·banner [standard; signal flag] raised on a mountain.
You will hear a trumpet sound.
4 The Lord said to me,
“I will quietly watch from ·where I live [my dwelling place],
like ·heat in the sunshine [L glowing heat upon the light],
like ·the dew [L a cloud of dew] in the heat of harvest time.”
5 The time will come, after the flowers have bloomed and before the harvest,
when ·new grapes will be budding and growing [the flower becomes a ripening grape].
·The enemy [or The Lord; L He] will cut the plants with pruning knives;
he will cut down the ·vines [branches; tendrils] and take them away.
6 They will be left for the ·birds [or birds of prey] of the mountains
and for the wild animals.
Birds will feed on them all summer,
and wild animals will eat them that winter.”
7 ·At that time [L In that day] ·a gift [tribute] will be brought to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
from the people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
who are feared ·everywhere [far and wide].
They are a powerful nation ·that defeats other nations [or who speak a strange language].
Their land is divided by rivers.
These gifts will be brought to the place ·of [L of the name of] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
to Mount Zion.
The Flock of God
5 ·Now [L Therefore] I ·have something to say to [exhort; appeal to] the elders in your group. I also am an elder. I ·have seen [was a witness to] ·Christ’s [or the Messiah’s] sufferings [Matt. 16:13–23; Mark 8:27–33; Luke 9:18–22], and I will share in the glory that will be ·shown [revealed] to us. I ·beg [exhort; urge] you to 2 ·shepherd [tend] God’s flock [John 21:15–19], ·for whom you are responsible [which is under your care]. ·Watch over [Oversee] them because you want to, not because you are forced. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are ·happy [eager] to serve, not because ·you want money [of greed]. 3 Do not ·be like a ruler over people [T lord it over those; dominate those; Matt. 20:25–27; Mark 10:42–45; Luke 22:25–27] ·you are responsible for [under your care; L those allotted (to you)], but be good examples to ·them [L the flock]. 4 Then when the Chief Shepherd [C Christ] ·comes [L appears], you will get a glorious crown that will never ·lose its beauty [fade away; C crowns for athletic success made from flowers wilted quickly; 1 Cor. 9:25].
5 In the same way, younger people should be willing to ·be under [submit/be subject to] ·older people [or the elders]. And all of you should ·be very humble with each other [L clothe yourselves with humility toward one another]. [L Because:]
“God ·is against [resists; opposes] the proud,
but he gives grace to the humble [Prov. 3:34].”
6 Be humble [L therefore] under God’s powerful hand so he will ·lift you up [exalt you] ·when the right time comes [in due time]. 7 ·Give all your worries to him [Cast all your anxiety on him], because he cares about you.
8 ·Control [Discipline] yourselves and be ·careful [alert]! The devil, your enemy, ·goes around [prowls] like a roaring lion looking for someone to ·eat [devour]. 9 ·Refuse to give in to [Resist] him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your ·Christian family [community of believers; L brotherhood] all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering.
10 And after you suffer ·for a short time [or a little], God, who gives all grace, will ·make everything right [L restore you]. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you ·to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever [L into his eternal glory in Christ]. 11 ·All power is his [or To him be the power] forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 I wrote this short letter ·with the help of Silas [L through Silvanus; C a variant of Silas; he either helped write the letter or carried it], who I know is a faithful brother in Christ. I wrote to ·encourage [exhort] you and to ·tell [testify/witness to] you that this is the true grace of God. Stand strong in that grace.
13 ·The church in Babylon [L She who is in Babylon; C “Babylon” is probably a veiled (and negative) name for Rome], who was chosen like you, sends you greetings. Mark, ·my son in Christ [L my son; C but probably a spiritual rather than a physical relationship], also greets you. 14 ·Give each other a kiss of Christian love when you meet [L Greet one another with a kiss of love].
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
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