M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The Second Numbering of Israel

26 After the very bad disease came on the people because of Israel’s sin, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the religious leader, ² “Add the numbers of all the people of Israel who are twenty years old and older, by their fathers’ houses. Number whoever in Israel is able to go to war.” ³ So Moses and Eleazar the religious leader said to the people in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, ⁴ “Number the people who are twenty years old and older, as the Lord has told Moses.”

Now these were the sons of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt. ⁵ Reuben was the first-born son of Israel. Reuben’s sons were the family of the Hanochites from Hanoch, the family of the Palluites from Pallu, ⁶ the family of the Hezronites from Hezron, and the family of the Carmites from Carmi. ⁷ These are the families of the Reubenites, and their number was 43,730. ⁸ Eliab was the son of Pallu. ⁹ The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. These are Dathan and Abiram who were chosen by the people and who joined with Korah to argue against Moses and Aaron. They argued against the Lord, ¹⁰ and the earth opened its mouth and took them together with Korah, when that group died. The fire destroyed 250 men, and taught others to be careful. ¹¹ But the sons of Korah did not die.

¹² The sons of Simeon by their families were the family of the Nemuelites from Nemuel, the family of the Jaminites from Jamin, the family of the Jachinites from Jachin, ¹³ the family of the Zerahites from Zerah, and the family of the Shaulites from Shaul. ¹⁴ These are the families of the Simeonites, 22,200 people. ¹⁵ The sons of Gad by their families were the family of the Zephonites from Zephon, the family of the Haggites from Haggi, the family of the Shunites from Shuni, ¹⁶ the family of the Oznites from Ozni, the family of the Erites from Eri, ¹⁷ the family of the Arodites from Arod, and the family of the Arelites from Areli. ¹⁸ These are the families of the sons of Gad. Their number was 40,500.

¹⁹ The sons of Judah were Er and Onan. But Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The sons of Judah by their families were the family of the Shelanites from Shelah, the family of the Perezites from Perez, and the family of the Zerahites from Zerah. ²¹ The sons of Perez were the family of the Hezronites from Hezron, and the family of the Hamulites from Hamul. ²² These are the families of Judah. Their number was 76,500.

²³ The sons of Issachar by their families were the family of the Tolaites from Tola, the family of the Punites from Puvah, ²⁴ the family of the Jashubites from Jashub, and the family of the Shimronites from Shimron. ²⁵ These are the families of Issachar. Their number was 64,300.

²⁶ The sons of Zebulun by their families were the family of the Seredites from Sered, the family of the Elonites from Elon, and the family of the Jahleelites from Jahleel. ²⁷ These are the families of the Zebulunites. Their number was 60,500.

²⁸ The sons of Joseph by their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. ²⁹ The sons of Manasseh were the family of the Machirites from Machir, and the family of the Gileadites from Gilead. Machir was the father of Gilead. ³⁰ The sons of Gilead were the family of the Iezerites from Iezer, the family of the Helekites from Helek, ³¹ the family of the Asrielites from Asriel, the family of the Shechemites from Shechem, ³² the family of the Shemidaites from Shemida, and the family of the Hepherites from Hepher. ³³ Hepher’s son Zelophehad had no sons, but only daughters. The names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. ³⁴ These were the families of Manasseh. Their number was 52,700.

³⁵ The sons of Ephraim by their families were the family of the Shuthelaites from Shuthelah, the family of the Becherites from Becher, and the family of the Tahanites from Tahan. ³⁶ The sons of Shuthelah were the family of the Eranites from Eran. ³⁷ These are the families of the sons of Ephraim. Their number was 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph by their families.

³⁸ The sons of Benjamin by their families were the family of the Belaites from Bela, the family of the Ashbelites from Ashbel, the family of the Ahiramites from Ahiram, ³⁹ the family of the Shuphamites from Shupham, and the family of the Huphamites from Hupham. ⁴⁰ The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman, the family of the Ardites from Ard, and the family of the Naamites from Naaman. ⁴¹ These are the sons of Benjamin by their families. Their number was 45,600.

⁴² The sons of Dan by their families were the family of the Shuhamites from Shuham. These are the families of Dan by their families. ⁴³ The number of all the families of the Shuhamites was 64,400.

⁴⁴ The sons of Asher by their families were the family of the Imnites from Imnah, the family of the Ishvites from Ishvi, and the family of the Beriites from Beriah. ⁴⁵ The sons of Beriah were the family of the Heberites from Heber, and the family of the Malchielites from Malchiel. ⁴⁶ The name of Asher’s daughter was Serah. ⁴⁷ These are the families of the sons of Asher. Their number was 53,400.

⁴⁸ The sons of Naphtali by their families were the family of the Jahzeelites from Jahzeel, the family of the Gunites from Guni, ⁴⁹ the family of the Jezerites from Jezer, and the family of the Shillemites from Shillem. ⁵⁰ These are the families of Naphtali by their families. Their number was 45,400.

⁵¹ Those who were numbered of the sons of Israel were 601,730.

⁵² The Lord said to Moses, ⁵³ “The land will be divided among these people by the number of names. ⁵⁴ Give more land to the larger group. Give less land to the smaller group. Each family should be given land by the number of its people. ⁵⁵ But the land should be divided by drawing names. They will receive their land by the names of the families of their fathers. ⁵⁶ The land will be divided between the larger and smaller groups by the names that are drawn.”

⁵⁷ Those who were numbered of the Levites by their families were the family of the Gershonites from Gershon, the family of the Kohathites from Kohath, and the family of the Merarites from Merari. ⁵⁸ The families of Levi were the Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites. Kohath was the father of Amram. ⁵⁹ The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi. She was born to Levi in Egypt. And she gave birth to Amram’s children, Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. ⁶⁰ Aaron was the father of Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁶¹ But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned fire that was not holy before the Lord. ⁶² The number of all of their males a month old and older was 23,000. For they were not numbered among the people of Israel, because no land was given to them among the people of Israel.

⁶³ These are the people who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the religious leader. They numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. ⁶⁴ But among all these was not one of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the religious leader when the people of Israel were numbered in the Desert of Sinai. ⁶⁵ For the Lord had said of them, “For sure they will die in the desert.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

A Cry for Help

69 Save me, O God, for the waters have almost taken my life. ² I have gone down into deep mud and there is no place to put my feet. I have come into deep waters and a flood comes over me. ³ I have cried until I am tired. My mouth is dry. My eyes become weak while I wait for my God. ⁴ Those who hate me, without a reason, are more than the hairs on my head. Those who want to destroy me are powerful. I am made to return things that I did not steal.

⁵ O God, You know how foolish I am. My sins are not hidden from You. ⁶ May those who wait for You not be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of All. May those who look for You not lose respect because of me, O God of Israel. ⁷ I have been put to shame because of You. Shame has covered my face. ⁸ I have become a stranger to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons. ⁹ For the strong desire for Your house has burned me up. And the bad things said about You have fallen on me. ¹⁰ When I cried and went without food, I was put to shame. ¹¹ When I put on clothes made from hair, they made fun of me. ¹² Those who sit by the gate talk about me. And I am the song of those who drink too much.

¹³ But as for me, my prayer is to You at the right time, O Lord. Answer me with Your saving truth in Your great loving-kindness, O God. ¹⁴ Take me out of the mud and do not let me go down in it. Take me away from those who hate me and from the deep waters. ¹⁵ Keep the flood water from covering me. Do not let the sea swallow me up. Do not let the deep hole close its mouth over me.

¹⁶ Answer me, O Lord, for Your loving-kindness is good. Turn to me because of Your great loving-pity. ¹⁷ Do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in trouble. Hurry to answer me. ¹⁸ Come near to me and save me. Pay the price to set me free from those who hate me. ¹⁹ You know how I have been put to shame by the bad things said about me. All those who hate me are before You.

²⁰ Being put to shame has broken my heart, and I feel very sick. I looked for pity but there was none. I looked for someone to comfort me but there was no one. ²¹ They gave me bitter drink in my food. And because I was thirsty they gave me sour wine.

²² May their table in front of them become a net. May it become a trap when they are in peace. ²³ May their eyes grow dark so they cannot see. And may their backs always shake. ²⁴ Pour out Your anger on them. May Your burning anger catch up with them. ²⁵ May their place of living be empty and may no one live in their tents. ²⁶ For they have made it hard for the one You have punished. And they talk about the pain of those You have hurt. ²⁷ Let their sins add up, and may they not become right with You. ²⁸ May they be taken out of the book of life, and not be written down with those who are right with You.

²⁹ But I am suffering and in pain. O God, may You save me and set me up on high. ³⁰ I will praise the name of God with song. And I will give Him great honor with much thanks. ³¹ This will please the Lord more than any ox or young bull with horns and hoofs. ³² Those without pride will see it and be glad. You who look for God, let your heart receive new strength. ³³ For the Lord hears those who are in need, and does not hate His people in prison.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth and the seas and all the things that move in them give thanks to Him. ³⁵ For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah. Then His people may live there and have it for their own. ³⁶ And the children of those who obey Him will have it given to them. Those who love His name will live there.

Moab Is without Hope

16 Send lambs as taxes to the ruler of the land, from Sela by the way of the desert to the mountain of the people of Zion. ² Then, like birds driven from their nest, the people of Moab will be where the Arnon River can be crossed. ³ “Give us words of wisdom. Do what is right for us. Make your shadow like night at noonday. Hide those who have been sent away. Do not go against those who are running for their lives. ⁴ Let those of Moab who have been sent away stay with you. Hide them from the one who destroys.” For the one who uses sinful power has come to an end, and trouble has stopped. Those who make it hard for the people have gone from the land. ⁵ A throne will be set up in loving-kindness. A faithful judge will sit on it from the family of David. He will be fair as he judges, and will be quick to do what is right and good.

⁶ We have heard of the pride of Moab, how very proud he is. We have heard of how proud he is of himself and of his anger. His proud words are false. ⁷ So Moab will cry out. Everyone of Moab will cry out. You will cry for the dried-grape cakes of Kir-hareseth, as if you were in the worst trouble. ⁸ The fields of Heshbon and the vines of Sibmah have dried up. The lords of the nations have crushed under foot its best vines, which went as far as Jazer and the desert. They spread themselves out and passed over the sea. ⁹ So I will cry with much sorrow for Jazer and for the vines of Sibmah. I will make you wet with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh, because there is nothing to gather from your summer fruits. ¹⁰ Happiness and joy are taken away from the field that gives much fruit. No songs are sung in the grape-fields. No one crushes grapes to make wine, for I have stopped the cry of joy. ¹¹ So my heart cries with sorrow for Moab like a harp. Inside myself I cry for Kir-hareseth. ¹² When Moab goes to his high place, he will only become tired. When he goes to his holy place to pray, it will do him no good.

¹³ This is the word which the Lord spoke before about Moab. ¹⁴ But now the Lord says, “In three years, as a servant would count them, the shining-greatness of Moab and all his many people will be hated. And those left alive will be very few and weak.”

Following Christ Will Mean Suffering

4 Since Christ has suffered in His body, we must be ready to suffer also. Suffering puts an end to sin. ² You should no longer spend the rest of your life giving in to the sinful desires of the flesh. But do what God wants as long as you live in this world. ³ In the past you gave enough of your life over to living like the people who do not know God. You gave your life to sex sins and to sinful desires. You got drunk and went to wild parties and to drinking parties and you worshiped false gods. ⁴ Those who do not know God are surprised you do not join them in the sinful things they do. They laugh at you and say bad things against you. ⁵ Remember, they will give an answer to Him Who judges all who are living or dead. ⁶ For this reason, the Good News was preached to the dead. They stood in the flesh before the One Who judges so they might live in the Spirit as God wants.

Love Each Other

⁷ The end of the world is near. You must be the boss over your mind. Keep awake so you can pray. ⁸ Most of all, have a true love for each other. Love covers many sins. ⁹ Be happy to have people stay for the night and eat with you. ¹⁰ God has given each of you a gift. Use it to help each other. This will show God’s loving-favor. ¹¹ If a man preaches, let him do it with God speaking through him. If a man helps others, let him do it with the strength God gives. So in all things God may be honored through Jesus Christ. Shining-greatness and power belong to Him forever. Let it be so.

Stay True During Suffering

¹² Dear friends, your faith is going to be tested as if it were going through fire. Do not be surprised at this. ¹³ Be happy that you are able to share some of the suffering of Christ. When His shining-greatness is shown, you will be filled with much joy. ¹⁴ If men speak bad of you because you are a Christian, you will be happy because the Spirit of shining-greatness and of God is in you. ¹⁵ None of you should suffer as one who kills another person or as one who steals or as one who makes trouble or as one who tries to be the boss of other peoples’ lives. ¹⁶ But if a man suffers as a Christian, he should not be ashamed. He should thank God that he is a Christian. ¹⁷ The time has come for Christians to stand before God and He will judge. If this happens to us, what will happen to those who do not obey the Good News of God? ¹⁸ If it is hard for a man who is right with God to be saved, what will happen to the sinner? ¹⁹ So if God wants you to suffer, give yourself to Him. He will do what is right for you. He made you and He is faithful.