M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Israel Is Numbered by Families
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert, in the meeting tent on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. The Lord said, 2 “Number all the people of Israel, by their families, by those of their fathers’ houses. Write down the names of every male, head by head, 3 twenty years old and older. You and Aaron number by their armies whoever in Israel is able to go out to war. 4 A man from each family should be with you to help you. Each one should be the head of his father’s house. 5 These are the names of the men who will help you: Shedeur’s son Elizur from Reuben, 6 Zurishaddai’s son Shelumiel from Simeon, 7 Amminadab’s son Nahshon from Judah, 8 Zuar’s son Nethanel from Issachar, 9 and Helon’s son Eliab from Zebulun. 10 From the sons of Joseph there will be Ammihud’s son Elishama from Ephraim, and Pedahzur’s son Gamaliel from Manasseh. 11 There will be Gideoni’s son Abidan from Benjamin, 12 Ammishaddai’s son Ahiezer from Dan, 13 Ochran’s son Pagiel from Asher, 14 Deuel’s son Eliasaph from Gad, 15 and Enan’s son Ahira from Naphtali.” 16 These were the ones chosen from the people. They were the leaders of their fathers’ families, the heads of thousands in Israel.
17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been chosen by name. 18 And they gathered all the people together on the first day of the second month. The people gave their names by families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names from twenty years old and older, head by head. 19 They did just as the Lord had told Moses. So he numbered them in the desert of Sinai.
20 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s first-born, were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 21 The number of the family of Reuben was 46,500.
22 The sons of Simeon were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 23 The number of the family of Simeon was 59,300.
24 The sons of Gad were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 25 The number of the family of Gad was 45,650.
26 The sons of Judah were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 27 The number of the family of Judah was 74,600.
28 The sons of Issachar were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 29 The number of the family of Issachar was 54,400.
30 The sons of Zebulun were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 31 The number of the family of Zebulun was 57,400.
32 The sons of Joseph, the sons of Ephraim, were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 33 The number of the family of Ephraim was 40,500.
34 The sons of Manasseh were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 35 The number of the family of Manasseh was 32,200.
36 The sons of Benjamin were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 37 The number of the family of Benjamin was 35,400.
38 The sons of Dan were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 39 The number of the family of Dan was 62,700.
40 The sons of Asher were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 41 The number of the family of Asher was 41,500.
42 The sons of Naphtali were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ houses, by the number of names. Every male twenty years old and older was numbered, whoever was able to go out to war. 43 The number of the family of Naphtali was 53,400.
44 These were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each chosen from his father’s house. 45 All the men of Israel were numbered by their fathers’ houses, twenty years old and older, whoever in Israel was able to go out to war. 46 The number of all the men was 603,550. 47 But the Levites by their fathers’ family were not numbered with them. 48 For the Lord had told Moses, 49 “Only the family of Levi should not be numbered. Do not add their number among the sons of Israel. 50 But have the Levites take care of the meeting tent of the Law, and all that is in it, and all that belongs to it. They will carry the meeting tent and all that goes in it. They will take care of it, and set up their tents around it. 51 When the meeting tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When the meeting tent is brought to a place to stay, the Levites will set it up. If anyone else comes near, he must be put to death. 52 The people of Israel will set up their tents by their own groups and armies, each man by his own flag. 53 But the Levites will set up their tents around the meeting tent of the Law. Then no anger will come upon the people of Israel. The Levites must take care of the meeting tent of the Law.” 54 So the people of Israel did this. They did everything the Lord had told Moses.
Prayer for Help
35 O Lord, stand against those who stand against me. Fight those who fight me. 2 Take hold of a safe-covering and rise up to help me. 3 Take a spear and battle-ax against those who come to get me. Say to my soul, “I am the One Who saves you.” 4 Let the people be ashamed and without honor who want to take my life. Let those be turned away and brought to shame who plan to hurt me. 5 Let them be like straw in the wind. May the angel of the Lord drive them away. 6 Let their way be dark and dangerous, with the angel of the Lord going to get them. 7 For without a reason they hid their net for me. Without a reason, they dug a hole for my soul. 8 Let them be destroyed before they know it. And let them be caught in their own net. May they destroy themselves as they fall into their own hole.
9 My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves. 10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You? Who saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?” 11 People come telling lies. They ask me of things that I do not know. 12 They pay me what is bad in return for what is good. My soul is sad. 13 But when they were sick, I put on clothes made from hair. With no pride in my soul, I would not eat. And I prayed with my head on my chest. 14 I went about as if it were my friend or brother. I put my head down in sorrow, like one crying for his mother. 15 But when I would fall, they would gather together in joy. Those who say things to hurt people would gather against me. I did not know them. They spoke against me without stopping. 16 They ground their teeth at me like bad people making fun of others at a special supper.
17 Lord, how long will You look on? Save me from being destroyed by them. Save my life from the lions. 18 I will give You thanks in the big meeting. I will praise You among many people. 19 Do not let those who hate me for no reason stand over me with joy. Do not let those who hate me for no reason wink their eye. 20 They do not speak peace. But they make up lies against those who are quiet in the land. 21 And they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “O, O, our eyes have seen it.”
22 You have seen it, O Lord. Do not keep quiet. O Lord, do not be far from me. 23 Awake Yourself. Come and help me. Fight for me, my God and my Lord. 24 Say what is right or wrong with me, O Lord my God, because You are right and good. Do not let them have joy over me. 25 Do not let them say in their heart, “O, just what we wanted!” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!” 26 Let all who are happy because of my trouble be ashamed and without honor. Let those who think they are better than I, be covered with shame and without honor.
27 Let them call out for joy and be glad, who want to see the right thing done for me. Let them always say, “May the Lord be honored. He is pleased when all is going well for His servant.” 28 And my tongue will tell about how right and good You are, and about Your praise all day long.
The Ways of a Wise Man
11 Throw your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2 Share what you have with seven, or even with eight, for you do not know what trouble may come on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth. And if a tree falls to the south or to the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. 4 He who watches the wind will not plant his seeds. And he who looks at the clouds will not gather the food. 5 Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the bones are made of a child yet to be born, so you do not know the work of God Who makes all things. 6 Plant your seeds in the morning, and do not be lazy in the evening. You do not know which will grow well, the morning or evening planting, or if both of them alike will do well.
7 Light is pleasing. It is good for the eyes to see the sun. 8 If a man should live many years, let him have joy in them all. Yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is for nothing.
What Young People Should Do
9 Young man, be filled with joy while you are young. And let your heart be happy while you are a young man. Follow the ways of your heart and the desires of your eyes. But know that God will judge you for all these things. 10 So put away trouble from your heart, and put away pain from your body. Because the years when you were a child and the best years of your life are going by fast.
The Work of a Leader
3 Teach your people to obey the leaders of their country. They should be ready to do any good work. 2 They must not speak bad of anyone, and they must not argue. They should be gentle and kind to all people.
God Saved Us from All These Things
3 There was a time when we were foolish and did not obey. We were fooled in many ways. Strong desires held us in their power. We wanted only to please ourselves. We wanted what others had and were angry when we could not have them. We hated others and they hated us.
4 But God, the One Who saves, showed how kind He was and how He loved us 5 by saving us from the punishment of sin. It was not because we worked to be right with God. It was because of His loving-kindness that He washed our sins away. At the same time He gave us new life when the Holy Spirit came into our lives. 6 God gave the Holy Spirit to fill our lives through Jesus Christ, the One Who saves. 7 Because of this, we are made right with God by His loving-favor. Now we can have life that lasts forever as He has promised.
8 What I have told you is true. Teach these things all the time so those who have put their trust in God will be careful to do good things. These things are good and will help all men.
9 Do not argue with people about foolish questions and about the Law. Do not spend time talking about all of your early fathers. This does not help anyone and it is of no use. 10 Talk once or twice to a person who tries to divide people into groups against each other. If he does not stop, have nothing to do with him. 11 You can be sure he is going the wrong way. He is sinning and he knows it.
12 I will send Artemas or Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them gets there, try to come to me in the city of Nicopolis. I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Zenas, the man who knows the law, and Apollos are going on a trip. Do everything you can to help them. 14 Our people must learn to work hard. They must work for what they need and be able to give to others who need help. Then their lives will not be wasted. 15 All those with me here greet you. Greet my Christian friends there. May you have God’s loving-favor.
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