M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The People Complain
14 Then all the people cried out with a loud voice, and they cried that night. 2 All the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this desert! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to be killed by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken away. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and return to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of all the gathering of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh tore their clothes. They were among those who had spied out the land. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we passed through to spy out is a very good land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us. It is a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not go against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land. For they will be our food. They have no way to keep safe, and the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10 But all the people said to throw stones at Joshua and Caleb. Then the shining-greatness of the Lord was seen in the meeting tent by all the people of Israel.
Moses Prays for the People
11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people turn away from Me? How long will they not believe in Me, even after all the great works I have done among them? 12 I will punish them with disease, and will not give them the land. And I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”
13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it. For You brought this people here by Your strength from among them. 14 And they will tell the people who live in this land. They have heard
that You, O Lord, are with these people and that You, O Lord, are seen face to face as Your cloud is over them. You go before them in a cloud during the day, and in fire during the night. 15 Now if You kill these people as one man, the nations who have heard how great You are will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land He promised to give them. So He has killed them in the desert.’ 17 But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great as You have promised, saying, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with loving-kindness, forgiving sin and wrong-doing. But He will not let the guilty go without being punished. He brings the sin of fathers down upon the children, even the great-grandchildren.’ 19 I pray that You will forgive the sin of this people by the greatness of Your loving-kindness. Forgive them as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”
20 So the Lord said, “I have forgiven them as you asked. 21 But for sure, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the shining-greatness of the Lord. 22 All the men who have seen My greatness and My wonderful works which I did in Egypt and in the desert but have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, for sure, they 23 will not see the land I promised to their fathers. None of those who have turned away from Me will see it. 24 But My servant Caleb has had a different spirit and has followed Me in every way. I will bring him into the land where he went, and his children will take it for themselves. 25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys. So turn tomorrow and move on to the desert by the way of the Red Sea.”
Punishment for the People Who Complained
26 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long will these sinful people speak against Me? I have heard the people of Israel complaining against Me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you,’ says the Lord. 29 ‘Your dead bodies will fall in this desert, all of you who were numbered from twenty years old and older, who have spoken against Me. 30 For sure, not one will go into the land where I promised to have you live, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 You said that your children would be taken and killed. But I will bring them in, and they will know the land you have turned away from. 32 But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this desert. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the desert for forty years. They will suffer because you were not faithful, until your dead bodies lie in the desert. 34 You spied out the land for forty days. For each day you will carry your guilt a year, forty years. And you will know that I am against you. 35 I the Lord have spoken. For sure I will do this to all these sinful people who are gathered together against Me. They will be destroyed in this desert. And there they will die.’” 36 Moses had sent men to spy out the land. They returned and made all the people complain against him by bringing bad news about the land. 37 These men who brought the very bad news about the land died of a disease before the Lord. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh stayed alive, of those men who went to spy out the land.
39 When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people were filled with much sorrow. 40 They got up early in the morning and went up to the top of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. It is true we have sinned. But we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised.” 41 But Moses said, “Why now do you sin against the Word of the Lord? It will not get you what you want. 42 Do not go up, or you will be killed by those who fight against you. For the Lord is not with you. 43 The Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will be killed by the sword. Because you have turned away from following the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.” 44 But they would not listen and went up to the top of the hill country. The special box with the Law of the Lord, and Moses, did not leave the tents. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and went against them and beat them down as far as Hormah.
God Decides Right from Wrong
50 The Powerful One, God, the Lord, has spoken. And He calls the earth from where the sun rises to where the sun goes down. 2 God shines from Zion, perfect in beauty. 3 May our God come and not keep quiet. A fire burns before Him, and around Him is a powerful storm. 4 He calls the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people: 5 “Gather My holy ones to Me, those who have made an agreement with Me by their gifts given on an altar.” 6 And the heavens will tell how right and good He is, for God Himself is judge.
7 “Listen, O My people, and I will speak. O Israel, I will speak against you. I am God, your God. 8 I do not speak sharp words to you for your gifts given on an altar. And your burnt gifts are always before Me. 9 I will not take a young bull out of your house, or male goats out of your fields. 10 For every animal among the trees is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird of the mountains. And all things that move in the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you. For the world is Mine, and all that is in it. 13 Should I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of male goats? 14 Give a gift of thanks on the altar to God. And pay your promises to the Most High. 15 Call on Me in the day of trouble. I will take you out of trouble, and you will honor Me.”
16 But to the sinful, God says: “What right do you have to tell of My Laws, and take My agreement in your mouth? 17 For you hate to be told what to do, and you throw My words behind you. 18 When you see a robber, you are pleased with him. And you join those who do sex sins. 19 You say bad things with your mouth, and you lie with your tongue. 20 You sit and speak against your brother. You talk against your own mother’s son. 21 You have done these things, and I have kept quiet. You thought that I was just like you. But I will speak sharp words to you, and tell you who is guilty to your face.
22 “Now think about this, you who forget God, or I will tear you in pieces and there will be no one to save you. 23 He who gives a gift of thanks honors Me. And to him who makes his way right, I will show him the saving power of God.”
God Will Remove the Leaders of Judah
3 See, the Lord, the Lord God of All, is going to take away from Jerusalem and Judah all they have to keep themselves alive and safe, all the bread and all the water. 2 He will take away the strong man, the man of war, the man who judges, the man who tells what will happen in the future, the man who uses secret ways, and the leader. 3 He will take away the captain of fifty, the man of honor, the wise man, the able workman, and the one who uses secret powers. 4 I will make boys their rulers. Foolish children will rule over them. 5 The people will make it hard for each other. Each one will hurt the other, and each one will be hurt by his neighbor. The younger will show anger toward the older. And the man who is not respected will show anger toward the man of honor.
6 A man will take hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, “You have a coat. You will be our ruler. This destroyed city will be under your rule.” 7 In that day he will call out, “I can not be of help to you. For in my house there is no bread or coat. You should not choose me to be ruler of the people.” 8 For Jerusalem has no strength, and Judah has fallen, because their speaking and their actions are against the Lord. They have turned against His shining-greatness. 9 The look on their faces speaks against them. They show their sin like Sodom. They do not even hide it. It is bad for them! For they have brought trouble upon themselves. 10 Tell those who are right and good that it will go well for them. For they will enjoy the fruit of what they do. 11 It will be bad for the sinful man! It will not go well for him, for what he has done will be done to him. 12 O My people! Children make it hard for them. And women rule over them. O My people! Your leaders lead you in the wrong way. You do not know which path to take.
The Lord Will Judge His People
13 The Lord is ready to say what He thinks and stands to judge the people. 14 The Lord judges the leaders and rulers of His people: “It is you who have destroyed the grape-field. What had belonged to the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing My people, and grinding the faces of the poor?” says the Lord God of All.
Women of Jerusalem Will Suffer
16 The Lord said, “The daughters of Zion are proud. They walk with heads held high and a wrong desire in their eyes. They walk with short steps, making noise with the chains on their ankles. 17 So the Lord will make sores come upon the heads of the daughters of Zion, and take the hair from their head. 18 In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their ankle chains, headbands, moon-like objects, 19 rings worn on their ears and arms, face-coverings, 20 head-dresses, leg-chains, wide belts, perfume boxes, objects with secret powers, 21 finger rings, nose rings, 22 bright clothing, coats, money-bags, 23 hand mirrors, underclothes, head-coverings, and face-coverings. 24 Instead of sweet perfume there will be a bad smell. Instead of a belt there will be a rope. Instead of well set hair there will be no hair. Instead of fine clothes they will wear cloth made from hair. And there will be burnt marks instead of beauty. 25 Your men will fall by the sword. Your strong ones will fall in battle. 26 Jerusalem’s gates will be filled with sorrow. She will sit on the ground, laid waste and empty.
Jerusalem to Have Its Shining-Greatness Again
4 Seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes. Only let us be called by your name. Take away our shame!”
2 In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and shining with greatness. The fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of those of Israel who are still alive. 3 He who is left in Zion and stays in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been written down among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the sin of the daughters of Zion. He will wash away the blood that was shed in Jerusalem, by the spirit of punishment and the spirit of fire. 5 Then the Lord will cover the whole land of Mount Zion and her people with a cloud of smoke during the day, and a bright fire that shines during the night. The Lord’s shining-greatness will cover everything. 6 It will be a covering from the heat during the day and it will keep the people safe from the storm and the rain.
Faith
11 Now faith is being sure we will get what we hope for. It is being sure of what we cannot see. 2 God was pleased with the men who had faith who lived long ago.
3 Through faith we understand that the world was made by the Word of God. Things we see were made from what could not be seen.
4 Because Abel had faith, he gave a better gift in worship to God than Cain. His gift pleased God. Abel was right with God. Abel died, but by faith he is still speaking to us.
5 Because Enoch had faith, he was taken up from the earth without dying. He could not be found because God had taken him. The Holy Writings tell how he pleased God before he was taken up. 6 A man cannot please God unless he has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.
7 Because Noah had faith, he built a large boat for his family. God told him what was going to happen. His faith made him hear God speak and he obeyed. His family was saved from death because he built the boat. In this way, Noah showed the world how sinful it was. Noah became right with God because of his faith in God.
8 Because Abraham had faith, he obeyed God when God called him to leave his home. He was to go to another country that God promised to give him. He left his home without knowing where he was going. 9 His faith in God kept him living as a stranger in the country God had promised to him. Isaac and Jacob had received the same promise. They all lived in tents together. 10 Abraham was looking to God and waiting for a city that could not be moved. It was a city planned and built by God.
11 Because Sarah had faith, she was able to have a child long after she was past the age to have children. She had faith to believe that God would do what He promised. 12 Abraham was too old to have children. But from this one man came a family with as many in it as the stars in the sky and as many as the sand by the sea.
13 These people all died having faith in God. They did not receive what God had promised to them. But they could see far ahead to all the things God promised and they were glad for them. They knew they were strangers here. This earth was not their home. 14 People who say these things show they are looking for a country of their own. 15 They did not think about the country they had come from. If they had, they might have gone back. 16 But they wanted a better country. And so God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has made a city for them.
17 Because Abraham had faith, when he was tested, he gave his son Isaac as a gift on the altar in worship. God had made a promise to Abraham that He would give him a son. And yet Abraham was willing to give his only son as a gift on the altar in worship. 18 God had said to Abraham, “Your family will come from Isaac.” (A) 19 Abraham believed God was able to bring Isaac back to life again. And so it may be said that Abraham did receive him back from death.
20 Because Isaac had faith, he said that good would come to Jacob and Esau in the future. 21 Because Jacob had faith, he said that good would come to each of Joseph’s sons as he was dying. He used his walking stick to hold him up as he prayed to God.
22 Because Joseph had faith, he spoke of the Jews leaving the country of Egypt. He was going to die soon, and he told them to bury his body in the country where they were going.
23 Because of faith, Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months. They saw that he was a beautiful child. They were not afraid of the king when he said that all baby boys should be killed.
24 Because Moses had faith, he would not be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he grew up. 25 He chose to suffer with God’s people instead of having fun doing sinful things for awhile. 26 Any shame that he suffered for Christ was worth more than all the riches in Egypt. He kept his eyes on the reward God was going to give him.
27 Because Moses had faith, he left Egypt. He was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses did not turn from the right way but kept seeing God in front of him. 28 Because Moses had faith, he told all the Jews to put blood over their doors. Then the angel of death would pass over their houses and not kill their oldest sons.
29 Because the Jews had faith, they went through the Red Sea as if they were on dry ground. But when the people of Egypt tried to go through, they were all killed by the water.
30 Because the Jews had faith, the walls of the city of Jericho fell down after the Jews had walked around the city for seven days. 31 Because Rahab had faith, she was kept from being killed along with those who did not obey God. She was a woman who sold the use of her body. But she helped the men who had come in secret to look over the country.
There Were Many More Who Had Faith in God
32 What more should I say? There is not enough time to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthah and of David and of Samuel and of the early preachers. 33 It was because these people had faith that they won wars over other countries. They were good leaders. They received what God promised to them. They closed the mouths of lions 34 and stopped fire that was burning. They got away from being killed with swords. They were made strong again after they had been weak and sick. They were strong in war. They made fighting men from other countries run home. 35 It was because some women had faith that they received their dead back to life. Others chose to be beaten instead of being set free, because they would not turn against God. In this way, they would be raised to a better life. 36 Others were talked against. Some were beaten. Some were put in chains and in prison. 37 They were killed by stones being thrown at them. People were cut in pieces. They were tested. They were killed with swords. They wore skins of sheep and goats and had nothing they could call their own. They were hungry and sick. Everyone was bad to them. 38 They walked around in deserts and in mountains. They looked for caves and holes in the earth to live in. They were too good for this world. 39 It was because of their faith that God was pleased with them. But they did not receive what God had promised. 40 God had planned something better for us. These men could not be made perfect without us.
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