M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 32
Request of Gad and Reuben. 1 Now the Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. Noticing that the land of Jazer and of Gilead[a] was a place suited to livestock, 2 the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses and Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the community and said, 3 [b]“The region of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Baal-meon— 4 the land which the Lord has laid low before the community of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 They continued, “If we find favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as their possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”
Moses’ Rebuke. 6 But Moses answered the Gadites and Reubenites: “Are your kindred, then, to go to war, while you remain here? 7 Why do you wish to discourage the Israelites from crossing to the land the Lord has given them? 8 That is just what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to reconnoiter the land.(A) 9 They went up to the Wadi Eshcol and reconnoitered the land, then so discouraged the Israelites that they would not enter the land the Lord had given them. 10 (B)At that time the anger of the Lord flared up, and he swore: 11 None of the men twenty years old or more who have come up from Egypt will see the land I promised under oath to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, because they have not followed me unreservedly— 12 (C)except the Kenizzite[c] Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, since they have followed the Lord unreservedly. 13 So the anger of the Lord flared up against the Israelites and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord had disappeared. 14 And now here you are, offspring of sinful stock, rising up in your ancestors’ place to add still more to the Lord’s blazing anger against the Israelites. 15 If you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will bring about the ruin of this entire people.”
Counter Proposal. 16 But they approached him and said: “We will only build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our families; 17 but we ourselves will march as troops in the vanguard before the Israelites,(D) until we have led them to their destination. Meanwhile our families will remain in the fortified towns because of the land’s inhabitants. 18 We will not return to our homes until all the Israelites have taken possession of their heritage. 19 (E)But we will not claim any heritage with them across the Jordan and beyond, because we have received a heritage for ourselves on the eastern side of the Jordan.”
Agreement Reached. 20 [d]Moses said to them in reply: “If you do this—if you march as troops before the Lord into battle 21 and cross the Jordan in full force before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out of his way 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord, then you may return here, free from every obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land will be your possession before the Lord.(F) 23 But if you do not do this, you will have sinned against the Lord, and you can be sure that the consequences of your sin will overtake you. 24 Build the towns, then, for your families, and the folds for your flocks, but fulfill what you have promised.”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 (G)While our wives and children, our livestock and other animals remain there in the towns of Gilead, 27 all your servants will go across as armed troops before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”
28 So Moses gave this command in their regard to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua, son of Nun, and to the heads of the ancestral houses of the Israelite tribes: 29 He said to them, “If all the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you in full force before the Lord into battle, the land will be subdued before you, and you will give them Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they will not go across in force with you before the Lord, you will bring their wives and children and livestock across before you into Canaan, and they will possess a holding among you in the land of Canaan.”
31 To this the Gadites and Reubenites replied, “We will do what the Lord has ordered your servants. 32 We ourselves will go across in force before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but we will retain our hereditary property on this side of the Jordan.”[e] 33 So Moses gave them—[f]the Gadites and Reubenites, as well as half the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph—the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan, the land with its towns, and the districts of the surrounding towns.(H)
34 The Gadites rebuilt the cities of Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran—fortified cities—and sheepfolds. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, Baal-meon (names to be changed!),[g] and Sibmah. These towns, which they rebuilt, they called by their old names.
Other Conquests. 39 The descendants of Machir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead and captured it, dispossessing the Amorites who were there. 40 (Moses gave Gilead to Machir,(I) son of Manasseh, and he settled there.) 41 Jair,(J) a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their tent villages, and called them Havvoth-jair.[h] 42 Nobah went and captured Kenath with its dependencies and called it Nobah after his own name.
Psalm 77[a]
Confidence in God During National Distress
1 For the leader; According to Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph.
I
2 I cry aloud to God,
I cry to God to hear me.
3 On the day of my distress I seek the Lord;
by night my hands are stretched out unceasingly;(A)
I refuse to be consoled.
4 When I think of God, I groan;
as I meditate, my spirit grows faint.(B)
Selah
5 You have kept me from closing my eyes in sleep;
I am troubled and cannot speak.
6 I consider the days of old;
the years long past 7 I remember.(C)
At night I ponder in my heart;
and as I meditate, my spirit probes:
8 “Will the Lord reject us forever,(D)
never again show favor?
9 Has God’s mercy ceased forever?
The promise to go unfulfilled for future ages?
10 Has God forgotten how to show mercy,
in anger withheld his compassion?”
Selah
11 [b]I conclude: “My sorrow is this,
the right hand of the Most High has abandoned us.”(E)
II
12 [c]I will recall the deeds of the Lord;
yes, recall your wonders of old.(F)
13 I will ponder all your works;
on your exploits I will meditate.
14 Your way, God, is holy;
what god is as great as our God?(G)
15 You are the God who does wonders;
among the peoples you have revealed your might.(H)
16 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.(I)
Selah
17 The waters saw you, God;
the waters saw you and lashed about,
even the deeps of the sea[d] trembled.(J)
18 The clouds poured down their rains;
the thunderheads rumbled;
your arrows flashed back and forth.(K)
19 The thunder of your chariot wheels resounded;
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.(L)
20 Through the sea was your way;
your path, through the mighty waters,
though your footsteps were unseen.(M)
21 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.(N)
D. Apocalypse of Isaiah[a]
Chapter 24
Judgment upon the World and the Lord’s Enthronement on Mount Zion[b]
1 See! The Lord is about to empty the earth and lay it waste;
he will twist its surface,
and scatter its inhabitants:(A)
2 People and priest shall fare alike:
servant and master,
Maid and mistress,
buyer and seller,
Lender and borrower,
creditor and debtor.(B)
3 The earth shall be utterly laid waste, utterly stripped,
for the Lord has decreed this word.
4 The earth mourns and fades,
the world languishes and fades;
both heaven and earth languish.(C)
5 The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants,
for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes,
broken the ancient covenant.[c](D)
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants pay for their guilt;
Therefore they who dwell on earth have dwindled,
and only a few are left.(E)
7 The new wine mourns, the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted groan.(F)
8 Stilled are the cheerful timbrels,
ended the shouts of the jubilant,
stilled the cheerful harp.(G)
9 They no longer drink wine and sing;
strong brew is bitter to those who drink it.(H)
10 Broken down is the city of chaos,[d]
every house is shut against entry.(I)
11 In the streets they cry out for lack of wine;
all joy has grown dim,
cheer is exiled from the land.(J)
12 In the city nothing remains but desolation,
gates battered into ruins.
13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth,
among the peoples,
As when an olive tree has been beaten,
as with a gleaning when the vintage is done.(K)
14 These[e] shall lift up their voice,
they shall sing for joy in the majesty of the Lord,
they shall shout from the western sea:
15 “Therefore, in the east
give glory to the Lord!
In the coastlands of the sea,
to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel!”(L)
16 From the end of the earth we hear songs:
“Splendor to the Just One!”
But I said, “I am wasted, wasted away.
Woe is me! The traitors betray;
with treachery have the traitors betrayed!(M)
17 Terror, pit, and trap
for you, inhabitant of the earth!(N)
18 One who flees at the sound of terror
will fall into the pit;
One who climbs out of the pit
will be caught in the trap.
For the windows on high are open
and the foundations of the earth shake.(O)
19 The earth will burst asunder,
the earth will be shaken apart,
the earth will be convulsed.
20 The earth will reel like a drunkard,
sway like a hut;
Its rebellion will weigh it down;
it will fall, never to rise again.”(P)
21 On that day the Lord will punish
the host of the heavens[f] in the heavens,
and the kings of the earth on the earth.
22 They will be gathered together
like prisoners into a pit;
They will be shut up in a dungeon,
and after many days they will be punished.(Q)
23 Then the moon will blush
and the sun be ashamed,(R)
For the Lord of hosts will reign
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
glorious in the sight of the elders.[g](S)
Chapter 2
Christ and His Commandments. 1 My children,[a] I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.(A) 2 He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.(B) 3 The way we may be sure[b] that we know him is to keep his commandments.(C) 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.(D) 5 But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:(E) 6 whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived.
The New Commandment.[c] 7 Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.(F) 8 And yet I do write a new commandment to you, which holds true in him and among you,[d] for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.(G) 9 Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.(H) 10 Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.(I) 11 Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Members of the Community.[e] 12 I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven(J) for his name’s sake.[f]
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one.(K)
14 I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or the things of the world.[g] If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.(L) 16 For all that is in the world, sensual lust,[h] enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.(M)
Antichrists. 18 Children, it is the last hour;[i] and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour.(N) 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;[j] if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. 20 But you have the anointing that comes from the holy one,[k] and you all have knowledge.(O) 21 I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.(P) 22 [l]Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.(Q) 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.(R)
Life from God’s Anointing. 24 (S)Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.[m] 25 And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.(T) 26 I write you these things about those who would deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him.
Children of God. 28 [n]And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming. 29 If you consider that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.