M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Balaam Is Hired to Curse Israel
22 Then the Israelites moved and set up camp across from Jericho, on the plains of Moab east of the Jordan River.
2 Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 The Moabites were very afraid because there were so many Israelites. Besides, the Moabites couldn’t stand these people.
4 So the Moabites said to the leaders of Midian, “All those people will eventually eat up everything around us the same way an ox eats up the grass in a field.”
At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab. 5 He sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, who was at Pethor, on the Euphrates River, in the land where his people lived. Balak’s message was, “A nation has just come here from Egypt. They’ve spread out all over the countryside and are setting up their camp here in front of me. 6 Please come and curse these people for me, because they are too strong for me. Maybe then I’ll be able to defeat them and force them out of the country. I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed.”
7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left, taking money with them to pay for Balaam’s services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I’ll report to you what Yahweh tells me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 Elohim came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam answered, “Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, sent them with this message: 11 ‘Some people have just come from Egypt and are spreading out all over the countryside. Now come and curse them for me. Maybe I’ll be able to fight them and force them out.’”
12 But Elohim said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them! Don’t curse these people, because they are blessed.”
13 When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your own country, because Yahweh has refused to let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite princes went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Balak sent a larger group of more highly respected princes. 16 When they came to Balaam, they said to him, “This is what Balak, son of Zippor, says: Don’t let anything keep you from coming to me. 17 I will make sure you are richly rewarded, and I will do whatever you ask. Please, come and curse these people for me.”
18 But Balaam answered Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I couldn’t disobey the command of Yahweh my Elohim no matter whether the request was important or not. 19 Now, why don’t you stay here tonight, as the others did, and I’ll find out what else Yahweh may have to tell me.”
20 That night Elohim came to Balaam and said, “If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Balaam’s Journey to Moab
21 When Balaam got up in the morning, he saddled his donkey and left with the Moabite princes.
22 Elohim became angry that he was going. So the Messenger of Yahweh stood in the road to stop him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants. 23 When the donkey saw the Messenger of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn, the donkey turned off the road into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to get it back on the road.
24 Where the road went through the vineyards, it was narrow, with stone walls on both sides. Now the Messenger of Yahweh stood there. 25 When the donkey saw the Messenger of Yahweh, it moved over and pinned Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam hit the donkey again.
26 Then the Messenger of Yahweh moved ahead and stood in a narrower place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the Messenger of Yahweh, it lay down under Balaam. Balaam became so angry he hit the donkey with his stick. 28 Then Yahweh made the donkey speak, and it asked Balaam, “What have I done to make you hit me three times?”
29 Balaam answered, “You’ve made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “I’m your own donkey. You’ve always ridden me. Have I ever done this to you before?”
“No,” he answered.
31 Then Yahweh let Balaam see the Messenger of Yahweh who was standing in the road with his sword drawn. So Balaam knelt, bowing with his face touching the ground.
32 The Messenger of Yahweh asked him, “Why have you hit your donkey three times like this? I’ve come here to stop you because the trip you’re taking is evil.[a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you by now but spared the donkey.”
34 Balaam said to the Messenger of Yahweh, “I’ve sinned. I didn’t know you were standing there in the road to stop me. If you still think this trip is evil, I’ll go back.”
35 The Messenger of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s princes.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at Ir Moab, in the region of the Arnon Valley, right on the border of Moab. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Why didn’t you come when I summoned you? You knew I’d be able to reward you.”
38 Balaam replied, “Well, I’ve come to you now. But I can’t say whatever I want to. I can only say what Elohim tells me to say.”
39 Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats, and sent some of the meat to Balaam and the princes who were with him.
41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the Israelites’ camp.
Psalm 62
For the choir director; according to Jeduthun; a psalm by David.
1 My soul waits calmly for Elohim alone.
My salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my savior—my stronghold.
I cannot be severely shaken.
3 How long will all of you attack a person?
How long will you try to murder him,
as though he were a leaning wall or a sagging fence?
4 They plan to force him out of his high position.
They are happy to lie.
They bless with their mouths,
but in their hearts they curse. Selah
5 Wait calmly for Elohim alone, my soul,
because my hope comes from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my savior—my stronghold.
I cannot be shaken.
7 My salvation and my glory depend on Elohim.
Elohim is the rock of my strength, my Machseh.
8 Trust him at all times, you people.
Pour out your hearts in his presence.
Elohim is our Machseh. Selah
9 Common people are only a whisper in the wind.
Important people are only a delusion.
When all of them are weighed on a scale, they amount to nothing.
They are less than a whisper in the wind.
10 Do not count on extortion to make you rich.
Do not hope to gain anything through robbery.
When riches increase, do not depend on them.
11 Elohim has spoken once.
I have heard it said twice:
“Power belongs to Elohim.
12 Mercy belongs to you, O Adonay.
You reward a person based on what he has done.”
Psalm 63
A psalm by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O Elohim, you are my Elohim.
At dawn I search for you.
My soul thirsts for you.
My body longs for you
in a dry, parched land where there is no water.
2 So I look for you in the holy place
to see your power and your glory.
3 My lips will praise you
because your mercy is better than life itself.
4 So I will thank you as long as I live.
I will lift up my hands to pray in your name.
5 You satisfy my soul with the richest foods.
My mouth will sing your praise with joyful lips.
6 As I lie on my bed, I remember you.
Through the long hours of the night, I think about you.
7 You have been my help.
In the shadow of your wings, I sing joyfully.
8 My soul clings to you.
Your right hand supports me.
9 But those who try to destroy my life
will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be cut down by swords.
Their dead bodies will be left as food for jackals.
11 But the king will find joy in Elohim.
Everyone who takes an oath by Elohim will brag,
but the mouths of liars will be shut.
The Lord’s Kingdom Will Be Ruled by a Shoot from Jesse’s Stump
11 Then a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from its roots will bear fruit.
2 The Ruach Yahweh will rest on him—
the Ruach of wisdom and understanding,
the Ruach of advice and power,
the Ruach of knowledge and fear of Yahweh.
3 He will gladly bear the fear of Yahweh.
He will not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear.
4 He will judge the poor justly.
He will make fair decisions for the humble people on earth.
He will strike the earth with a rod from his mouth.
He will kill the wicked with the breath from his lips.
5 Justice will be the belt around his waist.
Faithfulness will be the belt around his hips.
6 Wolves will live with lambs.
Leopards will lie down with goats.
Calves, young lions, and year-old lambs will be together,
and little children will lead them.
7 Cows and bears will eat together.
Their young will lie down together.
Lions will eat straw like oxen.
8 Infants will play near cobras’ holes.
Toddlers will put their hands into vipers’ nests.
9 They will not hurt or destroy anyone anywhere on my holy mountain.
The world will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh
like water covering the sea.
10 At that time the root of Jesse will stand as a banner
for the people to gather around.
The nations will come to him.
His resting place will be glorious.
11 At that time Adonay will use his power again
to recover what remains of his people
in Assyria, Upper and Lower Egypt,
Sudan, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath,
and the islands of the sea.
12 He will raise a banner for the nations to gather around.
He will gather the outcasts of Israel
and bring together the scattered people of Judah
from the four corners of the earth.
13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,
and Judah’s opponents will come to an end.
Ephraim won’t be jealous of Judah,
and Judah won’t oppose Ephraim.
14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia in the west.
Together they will loot the people of the east.
They will conquer Edom and Moab.
The people of Ammon will be subject to them.
15 Yahweh will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian Sea.
He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River with his scorching wind
and divide it into seven streams
so that people can walk over it in their sandals.
16 There will be a highway
for the remaining few of his people left in Assyria
like there was for Israel when it came out of Egypt.
A Hymn of Praise from the Lord’s People in His Kingdom
12 At that time you will say,
“I will praise you, O Yahweh.
Although you had been angry with me,
you turned your anger away from me, and you comforted me.
2 Look! El is my Savior.
I am confident and unafraid,
because Yah is my strength and my song.
He is my Savior.”
3 With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation.
4 At that time you will say,
“Praise Yahweh.
Call on his name.
Make his deeds known among the nations.
Make them remember that his name is highly honored.
5 Make music to praise Yahweh.
He has done wonderful things.
Let this be known throughout the earth.
6 Shout loudly, and sing with joy, people of Zion!
Qedosh Yisrael is great. He is among you.”
Advice to Rich People
5 Pay attention to this if you’re rich. Cry and moan about the misery that is coming to you. 2 Your riches have decayed, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be used as evidence against you. Like fire, it will destroy your body.
You have stored up riches in these last days. 4 The wages you refused to pay the people who harvested your fields shout to God against you. The Lord of Armies has heard the cries of those who gather the crops. 5 You have lived in luxury and pleasure here on earth. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered people who have God’s approval, even though they didn’t resist you.
Be Patient
7 Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. See how farmers wait for their precious crops to grow. They wait patiently for fall and spring rains. 8 You, too, must be patient. Don’t give up hope. The Lord will soon be here. 9 Brothers and sisters, stop complaining about each other, or you will be condemned. Realize that the judge is standing at the door.
10 Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They were patient when they suffered unjustly. 11 We consider those who endure to be blessed. You have heard about Job’s endurance. You saw that the Lord ended Job’s suffering because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Don’t Take Oaths
12 Above all things, my brothers and sisters, do not take an oath on anything in heaven or on earth. Do not take any oath. If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no. Do this so that you won’t be condemned.
Prayer Is Powerful
13 If any of you are having trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing psalms. 14 If you are sick, call for the church leaders. Have them pray for you and anoint you with olive oil[a] in the name of the Lord. 15 (Prayers offered in faith will save those who are sick, and the Lord will cure them.) If you have sinned, you will be forgiven. 16 So admit your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you will be healed.
Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective. 17 Elijah was human like us. Yet, when he prayed that it wouldn’t rain, no rain fell on the ground for three-and-a-half years. 18 Then he prayed again. It rained, and the ground produced crops.
Help Those Who Have Wandered Away from the Truth
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you wanders from the truth, someone can bring that person back. 20 Realize that whoever brings a sinner back from the error of his ways will save him from death, and many sins will be forgiven.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.