M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Balak and Balaam
22 The Israelites[a] set out, and they encamped on the desert-plateau of Moab, across from Jericho beyond the Jordan. 2 Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel did to the Amorites,[b] 3 and Moab was very terrified in the presence of the people because they[c] were numerous; and Moab dreaded the presence of the Israelites.[d] 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now the crowd will lick up all around us, like a bull devours the grass of the field.” And Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5 He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the river,[e] in the land of the children of his people, to summon him, saying, “Look! A people went out from Egypt. Look! They cover the surface of the land;[f] they are about to dwell opposite me. 6 Now, please go, curse this people for me because they[g] are stronger than me; perhaps I will be able to strike them[h] and drive them[i] out from the land because I know whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you cursed is cursed.”
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with a fee for divination in their hand; they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him. 8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will return, and I will return word to you, just as Yahweh speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me, 11 ‘Look! A people went out from Egypt. Look! They cover the surface of the land.[j] Now, go, curse them[k] for me. Perhaps I will be able to attack them[l] and drive them[m] out.” 12 God said to Balaam, “You will not go with them; you will not curse the people, because they[n] are blessed.” 13 Balaam got up in the morning, and he said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, because Yahweh refused to allow me to go with you.” 14 The princes of Moab got up and went to Balak, and they said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Balak again sent many princes, who were more honored than the former.[o] 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor, ‘Please, let nothing keep you from coming to me 17 because I will surely honor you greatly, and all that you say to me I will do. Please, come; curse this people for me.’” 18 Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Even though Balak gives to me his house full of silver and gold, I am not able to go beyond the command of Yahweh[p] my God to do a little or a lot. 19 And now please, you also stay here[q] the night, and let me find out[r] again what Yahweh will say with me.” 20 And God came to Balaam at night, and he said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but only the word that I will speak to you, you will do.” 21 So Balaam got up in the morning and saddled his donkey, and he went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam and the Angel
22 But God became angry[s] because he was going, and the angel of Yahweh stood in the road as an adversary to him; he was riding on his donkey, and two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road. 24 The angel of Yahweh stood in the narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on either side.[t] 25 When the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, she pressed herself into the wall, and she pressed the foot of Balaam into the wall, so he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of Yahweh went further ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was not a way to turn aside to the right or left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, she lay down under Balaam, so Balaam became angry,[u] and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What did I do to you that you struck me these three times?” 29 Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you made a mockery of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” He said, “No.”
31 Then Yahweh exposed the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and he bowed down and worshiped to his face. 32 The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck this donkey three times? Look, I have come out as an adversary because your conduct is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from my face, then I would have killed you and kept her alive.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “I have sinned because I did not know that you were standing to meet me in the road. Now, if it is displeasing to you,[v] I will turn back.” 35 The angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I will speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him by the city of Moab, which was on the boundary of Aaron at the end of the territory. 37 And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to meet with you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to honor you?” 38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I came to you now. Am I really able to speak anything at all? I speak the word that God puts in my mouth.” 39 Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-Huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he sent them to Balaam and to the princes who were with him. 41 And it happened, in the morning Balak took Balaam and took him up to Bamoth-Baal, and he saw from there the end of the nation.
Confidence in God’s Salvation
For the music director, on Jeduthun.[a]
A psalm of David.[b]
62 Only for God my soul waits in silence.
From him is my salvation.
2 Only he is my rock and my salvation,
my high stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.
3 How long will you attack a man?
All of you will be shattered[c]
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence.
4 They only[d] plan to thrust him down from his high position;
they are pleased with deception.
With their mouths[e] they bless,
but inwardly[f] they curse. Selah
5 Only for God wait in silence, O my soul,
because my hope is from him.
6 Only he is my rock and my salvation,
my high stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
God[g] is my strong rock, my refuge.
8 Trust him at all times, O people;
pour out before him your heart.
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Only a vapor[h] are men of low degree,
a deception are men of high degree.
Weighed[i] in a balance,
together they are lighter than a vapor.
10 Do not trust in extortion,
and do not put vain confidence in robbery.
If wealth increases,
do not set your heart on it.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice I have heard this:
that strength belongs to God.
12 And to you belongs loyal love, O Lord,
because you will render to each according to his work.
Longing for God
A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.[j]
63 O God, you are my God;
I will seek you diligently.
My soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you
as in a dry and weary land without water.
2 Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary,
beholding your strength and glory.
3 Because your loyal love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands[k] in your name.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the best and richest food,
and with joyful lips my mouth will praise.
6 When I remember you on my bed,
I meditate on you in the night watches.
7 Because you have been my help,
therefore[l] in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to[m] you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 But as for them who seek my life for ruin,
they will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They who would deliver him to the sword[n]
will become a portion for jackals.
11 However, the king will rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears an oath by him will boast,
because the mouth of the liars will be stopped.
The Branch’s Righteous Reign
11 And a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from its roots will bear fruit.
2 And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest on him—
a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a spirit of counsel and might,
a spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.
3 And his breath[a] is in the fear of Yahweh.
And he shall judge not by his eyesight,
and he shall rebuke not by what he hears with[b] his ears.
4 But he shall judge the poor with righteousness,
and he shall decide for the needy of the earth with rectitude.
And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and he shall kill the wicked person with the breath of his lips.
5 And righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 And a wolf shall stay[c] with a lamb,
and a leopard shall lie down with a kid,
and a calf and a lion and a fatling together
as a small boy leads[d] them.
7 And a cow and a bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together.
And a lion shall eat straw like the cattle.
8 And an infant[e] shall play over a serpent’s hole,
and a toddler[f] shall put his hand on a viper’s hole.
9 They will not injure and they will not destroy on all of my holy mountain,[g]
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh,
as the waters cover the sea.
10 And this shall happen on that day:
the nations shall inquire of the root of Jesse,
which shall be standing as a signal to the peoples,
and his resting place shall be glorious.
The Regathered Remnant
11 And this shall happen on that day:
The Lord will again extend his hand a second time
to acquire the remnant of his people that is left,
from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coastlands of the sea,
12 and he will raise a signal for the nations.
And he will gather the outcasts of Israel,
and he will gather the scattered ones of Judah together from the four corners[h] of the earth.
13 And the jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,
and the enemies of Judah shall be cut off.
Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
and Judah shall not be an enemy of Ephraim.
14 But they shall swoop[i] upon the Philistine shoulder,[j] westward.[k]
Together they shall plunder the sons of the east.
Edom and Moab will be under their command,[l]
and the sons of Ammon will be their subjugated people.
15 And Yahweh will divide[m] the tongue[n] of the sea of Egypt,[o]
and he will wave his hand over the river[p] with his scorching wind;
and he will strike it into seven streams,
and he will make it passable by foot.[q]
16 So there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant of his people that remains,
as there was for Israel when[r] it went up from the land of Egypt.
A Song of Thanksgiving
12 And you will say on that day,
“I will give you thanks, Yahweh,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
and you comforted me.
2 Look! God is my salvation;
I will trust, and I will not be afraid,
for my strength and might is Yah, Yahweh;
and he has become salvation for me.”
3 And you will draw water from the wells of salvation in joy. 4 And you will say on that day,
“Give thanks to Yahweh;
call on his name.
Make his deeds known among the peoples;
bring to remembrance that his name is exalted.
5 Sing praises to Yahweh, for he has done a glorious thing;
this is known in all the earth.
6 Inhabitant of Zion, shout out and sing for joy,
for the holy one of Israel is great in your midst.”
Woes on the Rich Who Oppress Others
5 Come now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your wealth has rotted, and your clothing has become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have become corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and it will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages that were held back by you from the workers who reap your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have come to the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived self-indulgently on the earth[a] and have lived luxuriously. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person; he does not resist you.
Exhortation to Patience
7 Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient concerning it until it receives the early and late rains. 8 You also be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Brothers, do not complain against one another, in order that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the doors! 10 Brothers, take as an example of perseverance and endurance the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12 Now above all, my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no, no, in order that you may not fall under judgment.
The Effective Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you suffering misfortune? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the elders of the church and they should pray over him, anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven[b]. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much. 17 Elijah was a human being[c] with the same nature as us, and he prayed fervently[d] for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save that person’s[e] soul from death, and will cover over a great number of sins.
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