M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

24 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel, he went not as he had gone before, that he should seek false divining by chittering of birds, but he (ad)dressed his face against the desert, (And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord when he blessed Israel, he went not as he had gone before, to seek out false divining by the twittering of birds, but he directed his face towards the wilderness,)

² and he raised up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling in tents by his lineages (and he raised up his eyes, and he saw the Israelites living in their tents, tribe by tribe). And when the Spirit of God fell upon him,

³ and when the parable was taken (and when he had received his prophecy), he said, Balaam, the son of Beor, said, (yea,) a man, whose eye is stopped, said,

⁴ the hearer of God’s words said, which beheld the revelation of Almighty God, which falleth down, and his eyes be opened so, (yea, the hearer of God’s words said, who beheld the revelation of Almighty God, and who falleth down, but his eyes still be open,)

⁵ How fair be thy tabernacles, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!

⁶ as valleys full of trees, and moist gardens beside floods, as tabernacles which the Lord hath set (up), as cedar trees beside waters; (like valleys full of trees, and watered gardens beside the river, like aloes planted by the Lord, and cedar trees beside the water;)

⁷ water shall flow (out) of his bucket, and his seed shall be into many waters, that is, peoples. The king of him shall be taken away for Agag, and the realm of him shall be done away. (water shall flow out of his bucket, and his descendants shall be like many waters, that is, they shall become many people. His king shall be greater than Agag, and his kingdom shall prevail.)

⁸ God led him out of Egypt, whose strength is like an unicorn; the sons of Israel shall waste, or devour, (the) heathen men, their enemies; and they shall break the bones of them, and pierce (them through) with (their) arrows.

⁹ He rested, and slept as a lion, and as a lioness, whom no man shall dare raise. He that blesseth thee, shall be blessed; and he that curseth, shall be areckoned into cursing. (He rested, and slept like a lion, and like a lioness, whom no man shall dare raise up. He who blesseth thee, shall be blessed; and he who curseth thee, shall be cursed.)

¹⁰ And Balak was wroth against Balaam, and he said, when his hands were wrung together, I called thee to curse mine enemies, whom, on the contrary, thou hast blessed thrice (but who, instead, thou hast now blessed three times!).

¹¹ Turn again to thy place; forsooth I deemed to honour thee greatly, but the Lord deprived thee from [thine] honour (that was) disposed. (Return to thy place; I had intended to greatly reward thee, but the Lord hath now deprived thee of the reward which I had ordained for thee.)

¹² Balaam answered to Balak, Whether I said not to thy messengers, which thou sentest to me, (Balaam answered to Balak, Did I not say to thy messengers, whom thou sentest to me,)

¹³ Though Balak shall give to me his house full of silver and of gold, I shall not be able to pass [over] the word of my Lord God, that I bring forth of mine heart anything, either of good or of evil, but whatever thing the Lord shall say, I shall speak that? (Even if Balak shall give me all the gold and silver in his house, I shall not change the word of the Lord my God, so that I bring forth something out of my own heart, either good or bad, nay, but whatever thing the Lord shall say, that I shall speak?)

¹⁴ Nevertheless I shall go to my people, and I shall give counsel to thee, what thy people shall do in the last time to this people. (Nevertheless, I shall now return to my people, but first I shall give thee counsel, what these people shall do to thy people in the days to come.)

¹⁵ Therefore when a parable was taken (And so when he had received his prophecy), he said again, Balaam, the son of Beor, said, (yea,) a man, whose eye is stopped, said,

¹⁶ the hearer of God’s words said, which knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the revelation of Almighty God, which falleth down, and hath open eyes (yea, the hearer of God’s words said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the revelation of Almighty God, and who falleth down, but his eyes still be open,)

¹⁷ I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; a star shall be born of Jacob, and a rod shall rise (out) of Israel; and he shall smite the dukes of Moab, and he shall waste all the sons of Seth; (I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near; a star shall be born in Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise up out of Israel; and he shall strike down Moab’s leaders, and he shall destroy all the sons of strife;)

¹⁸ and Idumea shall be his possession, the heritage of Seir shall befall to his enemies; soothly Israel shall do strongly, (and Edom shall become his possession, yea, the inheritance of Seir shall befall to their enemies; and Israel shall be victorious,)

¹⁹ of Jacob shall be he that shall be lord, and shall lose the relics, or (the) remnants, of the city. (for out of Jacob shall come he who shall be their lord, and he shall destroy those who last remain in the city of Ar.)

²⁰ And when he had seen Amalek, he took a parable, and said, Amalek is the beginning of heathen men, whose last things shall be lost. (And in a vision he saw the Amalekites, and when he had received his prophecy, he said, Amalek was the first in all the heathen, but its end shall be utter destruction.)

²¹ Also he saw Kenites, and when a parable was taken, he said, Soothly thy dwelling place is strong, but if thou shalt set thy nest in a stone, (And he also saw the Kenites, and when he had received his prophecy, he said, Thy dwelling place is strong, and thou shalt set thy nest in a stone,)

²² and shalt be chosen of the generation of Kenites, how long shalt thou be able to dwell? soothly Assur shall take thee. (and shalt be the chosen of the generation of Kenites, but how long shalt thou be able to live there? for Assyria shall take thee captive.)

²³ And when a parable was taken, or showed to him, he said again (And when he had received his prophecy, he said), Alas! who shall live, when the Lord shall do these things?

²⁴ They shall come in great ships from Italy (They shall come in great ships from Chittim), (and) they shall overcome Assyria, and they shall destroy Eber, and at the last also they themselves shall perish.

²⁵ And Balaam rose, and turned again into his place; and Balak went again by the way in which he came. (And then Balaam rose up, and returned to his home; and Balak returned by the way by which he came.)

66 To victory, the song of [the] psalm. All the earth, make ye joy heartily to God (All the earth, heartily make ye joy to God),

² say ye psalm to his name; give ye glory to his praising. (sing ye a song to his name; give ye him glorious praise.)

³ Say ye to God, Lord, thy works be full dreadful; in the multitude of thy virtue thine enemies shall lie (down) to thee. (Say ye to God, Lord, thy works be very fearful/how awesome be thy works; because of thy great strength thy enemies shall fall down before thee.)

⁴ God, all the earth worship thee, and sing to thee; say it psalm to thy name. (God, let all the earth worship thee, and sing to thee; yea, sing they a song to thy name.)

⁵ Come ye and see ye the works of God; fearedful in counsels on the sons of men (fearful, or awesome, in his counsels toward the sons and daughters of men).

⁶ Which turned the sea into dry land; in the flood they shall pass [through] with foot, there we shall be glad in him. (Who turned the sea into dry land; yea, they passed through the river on foot, and there we rejoiced in him.)

⁷ The which is Lord in his virtue [into] without end, his eyes behold on folks; they that make sharp be not enhanced in themselves. (Who is the ruler by his might, or his power, forever, and his eyes look on the nations; let not they who rebel against him exalt themselves.)

⁸ Ye heathen men, bless our God; and make ye heard the voice of his praising. (All ye heathen, bless our God; and make ye the sound of your praises heard.)

⁹ That hath set my soul to life, and gave not my feet into stirring. (He hath given life to my soul/He hath given life to me, and kept my feet from slipping, or stumbling.)

¹⁰ For thou, God, hast proved us; thou hast examined us by fire, as silver is examined (thou hast assayed us by fire, like silver is proved, or assayed).

¹¹ Thou leddest us into a snare, thou puttedest tribulations in our back (thou puttedest troubles upon our backs);

¹² thou settedest men on our heads. We passed by fire and water; and thou leddest us out into refreshing. (thou settedest men to ride upon our heads. We passed through fire and water; and then thou leddest us out into refreshing.)

¹³ I shall enter into thine house in burnt sacrifices; I shall yield to thee my vows, (I shall enter into thy House with burnt sacrifices; I shall pay my vows to thee,)

¹⁴ which my lips spake distinctly. And my mouth spake in my tribulation; (which my lips shall speak clearly, or distinctly. Yea, what I said I would do, when I was in trouble, and you helped me.)

¹⁵ I shall offer to thee burnt sacrifices full of marrow, with the burning of rams; I shall offer to thee oxes with bucks of goats.

¹⁶ All ye that dread God, come and hear, and I shall tell; how great things he hath done to my soul. (All ye who fear God, come and listen; and I shall tell you what great things he hath done for my soul./All ye who revere God, come and listen; and I shall tell you what great things he hath done for me.)

¹⁷ I cried to him with my mouth; and I joyed fully under my tongue. (I cried to him with my mouth; and I praised him with my tongue.)

¹⁸ If I beheld wickedness in mine heart; the Lord shall not hear. (And if I had still held wickedness in my heart; then the Lord would not have heard me.)

¹⁹ Therefore God heard; and he perceived the voice of my beseeching. (But truly God did hear me; and he hath listened to the words of my plea.)

²⁰ Blessed be God; that removed not my prayer, nor his mercy from me. (Blessed be God; who did not turn my prayer away, nor kept back his love from me.)

67 To victory in organs, the psalm of the song. God have mercy on us, and bless us; lighten he his cheer on us, and have he mercy on us. (To victory, on instruments, the psalm of the song. God have mercy on us, and bless us; make he his face to shine upon us, and have he mercy on us.)

² That we know thy way on earth; thine health in all folks. (So that we can know thy ways upon the earth; and thy salvation, or thy deliverance, among all the nations.)

³ God, peoples acknowledge to thee; all peoples acknowledge to thee. (God, may the peoples praise thee; may all the peoples praise thee.)

⁴ Heathen men be glad, and make fully joy, for thou deemest peoples in equity; and (ad)dressest heathen men in earth. (Let the heathen be glad, and make full out joy, or rejoice; for thou judgest the peoples with fairness, and directest, or guidest, the heathen upon the earth.)

⁵ God, peoples acknowledge to thee, all peoples acknowledge to thee; (God, may the peoples praise thee, may all the peoples praise thee;)

⁶ the earth hath given his fruit (the earth hath given its fruits). God, our God, bless us,

⁷ God bless us; and all the coasts of earth dread him. (God bless us; and may all the ends of the earth fear him/and may all the ends of the earth revere him.)

14 for why the Lord shall have mercy of Jacob, and he shall choose yet of Israel, and shall make them for to rest on their land; a comeling shall be joined to them, and shall cleave to the house of Jacob. (for the Lord shall have mercy on Jacob, and he shall yet choose Israel, and shall give them rest on their land; a newcomer shall be joined to them, and shall cleave to the house of Jacob.)

² And peoples shall hold them, and shall bring them into their place. And the house of Israel shall have them in possession into servants and handmaids on the land of the Lord; and they shall take those men that took them, and they shall make subject their wrongful askers. (And the peoples, or the nations, shall help them, and shall bring them back to their place. And then the house of Israel shall have them in possession for servants and servantesses in the land of the Lord; and they shall take captive those who took them captive, and they shall make subject their oppressors.)

³ And it shall be in that day, when God shall give to thee rest of thy travail, and of thy shaking, and of hard servage, in which thou servedest before, (And it shall be on that day, when God shall give thee rest from thy labour, and from thy fear and trembling, and from the hard servitude, or from the slavery, in which thou servedest before,)

⁴ thou shalt take this parable against the king of Babylon, and thou shalt say, How ceased the wrongful asker, rested [the] tribute? (thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and thou shalt say, How the oppressor hath fallen! the tribute is now ceased!/How the mighty have fallen! the oppression, or the servitude, is now ended!)

⁵ The Lord hath all-broken the staff of wicked men, the rod of lords,

⁶ that beat peoples in indignation, with uncurable wound, that subjected folks in strong vengeance, that pursued cruelly. (they who beat the peoples in anger, with incurable wounds, they who subjected the nations to strong vengeance, and who cruelly pursued them.)

⁷ Each land rested, and was still; it was joyful, and made full out joy.

⁸ Also (the) fir trees and cedars of the Lebanon were glad on thee; (and said,) Since thou sleptest, none ascendeth that cutteth us down.

⁹ Hell under thee is troubled for the meeting of thy coming; he shall raise giants to thee; all the princes of [the] earth have risen from their seats, all the princes of nations. (Sheol under thee is troubled at the meeting of thy coming; it shall raise up the dead for thee; all the kings of the earth have risen up from their thrones, all the leaders of the nations.)

¹⁰ All they shall answer, and they shall say to thee, And thou art wounded as we, thou art made like us. (They all shall answer, and they shall say to thee, And thou art wounded like we be, thou art made like us.)

¹¹ Thy pride is drawn down to hells, thy dead carrion fell down (Thy pride is drawn down to Sheol, or the land of the dead, thy corpses fell down); a moth shall be strewed under thee, and thy covering shall be worms.

¹² A! Lucifer, that risedest early, how fellest thou down from heaven; thou that woundedest folks, felledest down (al)together into [the] earth. (O! Lucifer, who risedest up early, how thou hast fallen down from heaven; thou who hast wounded the nations, fell down to the ground.)

¹³ Which saidest in thine heart, I shall ascend into heaven, I shall enhance my seat above the stars of (the) heaven(s); I shall sit in the hill of (the) testament, in the sides of the north. (Who saidest in thy heart, I shall ascend into heaven, I shall exalt, or I shall set, my throne above the stars of the heavens; I shall sit on the mountain where the gods meet, on the sides of the north.)

¹⁴ I shall ascend on the highness of (the) clouds; I shall be like the Highest.

¹⁵ Nevertheless thou shalt be drawn down to hell, into the depth of the pit.

¹⁶ They that shall see thee, shall be bowed down to thee, and shall behold thee. (And they shall say,) Whether this is the man, that troubled [the] earth, that shook together realms? (And they shall say, Is this the man, who troubled the earth, who shook the kingdoms?)

¹⁷ that setted the world desert, and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the prison to the bound men of him? (who turned the world into a desert, and destroyed its cities, and never opened his prison to release his bound?/to release his prisoners?)

¹⁸ All the kings of heathen men, all slept in glory, a man in his house. (All the kings of the heathen, they all slept in glory, each man in his own house, or in his own tomb.)

¹⁹ But thou art cast out of thy sepulchre, as an unprofitable stock, as defouled with rot; and wrapped with them that be slain with sword, and went down to the foundament of the pit. As a rotten carrion (Like a rotten corpse),

²⁰ thou shalt not have fellowship, neither with them in sepulchre, for thou hast lost thy land, thou hast slain the people; the seed of the worst men shall not be called without end. (thou shalt not have fellowship with them in the tomb, or in the grave, for thou hast destroyed thy land, and thou hast killed thy own people; the children, or the descendants, of these evil people shall never be seen again.)

²¹ Make ye ready his sons to slaying, for the wickedness of their fathers; they shall not rise, neither they shall inherit the land, neither they shall fill the face of the roundness (of the earth) of cities. (Prepare ye his sons for killing, for the wickedness of their forefathers; they shall not rise up and inherit the land, nor shall they fill the face of the roundness of the earth with their cities.)

²² And I shall rise [up] on them, saith the Lord of hosts, and I shall lose the name of Babylon, and the remnants, and generation, and seed, saith the Lord. (For I shall rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and I shall destroy the name of Babylon, and its remnants, and its children, and its descendants, saith the Lord.)

²³ And I shall set that Babylon into possession of an urchin, and into marishes of waters; and I shall sweep it with a besom, and I shall stamp (it), saith the Lord of hosts. (And I shall give that Babylon into the possession of hedgehogs, or of conies, and to the marshes of water; and I shall sweep it with a broom, and I shall stamp it, saith the Lord of hosts.)

²⁴ The Lord of hosts swore, saying, Whether it shall not be so, as I guessed, and it shall befall so, as I treated in soul? (The Lord of hosts swore, saying, Shall it not be so, just as I thought, and shall it not befall, just as I said?)

²⁵ That I all-break the king of Assyrians in my land, and that I defoul him in mine hills; and his yoke shall be taken away from them, and his burden shall be taken away from the shoulder of them. (That I all-break the king of Assyria in my land, and that I defile him in my hills; and his yoke shall be taken away from them, and his burden shall be taken off their shoulders.)

²⁶ This is the counsel which I thought on all the land, and this is the hand stretched forth on all folks. (This is the plan which I thought up for all the world, and this is the hand stretched forth upon all the nations.)

²⁷ For why the Lord of hosts hath deemed, and who may make unsteadfast? (For the Lord of hosts hath determined, and who can make it unsteadfast?) and his hand is stretched forth, and who shall turn it away?

²⁸ The burden of (the) Philistines. In the year wherein king Ahaz died, this burden was made.

²⁹ All thou Philistia, be not glad, for the rod of thy smiter is made less; for why a cockatrice shall go out of the root of an adder, and his seed shall swallow up a bird (and its fruit, or its children, shall be flying serpents).

³⁰ And the first engendered of poor men shall be fed, and poor men shall rest faithfully; and I shall make thy root to perish in hunger, and I shall slay thy remnants. (And the first begotten of the poor shall be fed, and the poor shall rest peacefully; but I shall make thy roots to perish from hunger, and I shall kill thy remnants.)

³¹ Yell, thou gate; cry, thou city; all Philistia is cast down; for why smoke shall come from the north, and none is that shall escape his host. (Yell, O gate; cry, O city; all Philistia is cast down; and a tumult, or a column of smoke/or a cloud of dust, shall come from the north, and no one shall escape his army.)

³² And what shall be answered to the messengers of [the] folk? for the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor men of his people shall hope in him. (And what shall be answered to the messengers of the nation? that the Lord hath founded Zion, and that the poor among his people shall have hope there.)

2 Therefore put ye away all malice, and all guile, and feignings, and envies, and all backbitings; [Therefore putting away all malice, and all guile, and simulations, or feignings, and envies, and all detractions;]

² as now born young children, reasonable, without guile, covet ye milk [of full teaching], that in it ye wax into health;

³ if nevertheless ye have tasted, that the Lord is sweet.

⁴ And approach ye to him, that is a living stone, and reproved of men [To whom ye going nigh, a quick stone, reproved soothly of men], but chosen of God, and honoured;

⁵ and yourselves as quick stones be ye above builded [and yourselves as quick stones be above builded] into spiritual houses, and an holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁶ For which thing the scripture saith, Lo! I shall set in Sion the highest corner stone, chosen and precious [For which thing the scripture holdeth, Lo! I shall put in Sion the highest stone, a corner stone, chosen, precious]; and he that shall believe in him, shall not be confounded.

⁷ Therefore honour to you that believe; but to men that believe not, the stone whom the builders reproved, this is made into the head of the corner;

⁸ and the stone of hurting, and the stone of stumbling, to them that offend to the word, neither believe it, in which they be set.^[a]

⁹ But ye be a chosen kin, a kingly priesthood, holy folk, a people of purchasing, that ye tell the virtues of him, that called you from darknesses into his wonderful light.

¹⁰ Which sometime were not a people of God, but now ye be the people of God; which had not mercy, but now ye have mercy.

¹¹ Most dear, I beseech you, as comelings and pilgrims, to abstain you from fleshly desires, that fight against the soul;

¹² and have ye your conversation good among heathen men [having your conversation, or life, good among heathen men], that in that thing that they backbite of you, as of misdoers, they behold you of good works, and glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹³ Be ye subject to each creature of man, for God; either to the king, as to him that is higher in state [as precellent, or more worthy in state],

¹⁴ either to dukes, as to those that be sent of him to the vengeance of misdoers, and to the praising of good men [forsooth to the praising of good deeds, or good men].

¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that ye do well, and make the unknowingness of unprudent men to be dumb. [For so is the will of God, that ye doing well, make the unknowingness of unwise men to be dumb.]

¹⁶ As free men, and not as having freedom the covering of malice, but as the servants of God.

¹⁷ Honour ye all men, love ye brotherhood, dread ye God, honour ye the king.

¹⁸ Servants, be ye subject in all dread to lords, not only to good and to mild [not only to good and mild], but also to tyrants.

¹⁹ For this is grace, if for conscience of God any man suffereth heavinesses, and suffereth unjustly. [Forsooth this is grace, if for conscience of God any man suffereth sorrows, or heavinesses, suffering unjustly.]

²⁰ For what grace is it, if ye sin, and be buffeted, and suffer? But if ye do well, and suffer patiently, this is grace with God.

²¹ For to this thing ye be called. For also Christ suffered for us, and left ensample to you [leaving to you example], that ye follow the steps of him.

²² Which did not sin, neither guile was found in his mouth.

²³ And when he was cursed, he cursed not [Which, when he was cursed, cursed not]; when he suffered, he menaced not; but he betook himself to him, that deemed him unjustly.

²⁴ And he himself bare our sins in his body on a tree [Which he himself suffered, or bare, our sins in his body on the tree], that we be dead to sins, and live to rightwiseness, by whose wan wound ye be healed.

²⁵ For ye were as sheep erring, but ye be now turned to the shepherd, and bishop of your souls.