M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Israel Commits Idolatry
25 While Israel was staying at Shittim, the men began to have sex with Moabite women 2 who invited the people to the sacrifices offered to their gods. The people ate the meat from the sacrifices and worshiped these gods. 3 Since the Israelites joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor, Yahweh became angry with Israel.
4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, and execute them in broad daylight in Yahweh’s presence. This will turn Yahweh’s anger away from Israel.”
5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill the men who have joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor.”
6 One of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to his brothers. He did this right in front of Moses and the whole community of Israel while they were crying at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, saw this. So he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand, 8 and went into the tent after the Israelite man. He drove the spear through the man and into the woman’s body. Because of this, the plague that the Israelites were experiencing stopped. 9 However, 24,000 people died from that plague.
10 Then Yahweh said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I didn’t have to stand up for myself and destroy them. 12 So tell Phinehas that I’m making a promise of peace to him. 13 My promise is that he and his descendants will be priests permanently because he stood up for his Elohim and he made peace with the Lord for the Israelites.”
14 The name of the Israelite man who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu. (Salu was the leader of a family from Simeon.) 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, daughter of Zur. (Zur was the head of a family from the Midianite tribes.)
16 Yahweh said to Moses, 17 “Treat the Midianites as your enemies, and kill them 18 because they treated you as enemies. They plotted to trick you in the incident that took place at Peor. They used their sister Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed on the day of the plague caused by the incident at Peor.”
Psalm 68
For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.
1 Elohim will arise.
His enemies will be scattered.
Those who hate him will flee from him.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Let wicked people melt in Elohim’s presence like wax next to a fire.
3 But let righteous people rejoice.
Let them celebrate in Elohim’s presence.
Let them overflow with joy.
4 Sing to Elohim; make music to praise his name.
Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts.[a]
Yah is his name.
Celebrate in his presence.
5 The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place
is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
6 Elohim places lonely people in families.
He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,
but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
7 O Elohim, when you went in front of your people,
when you marched through the desert, Selah
8 the earth quaked and the sky poured
in the presence of the Elohim of Sinai,
in the presence of the Elohim of Israel.
9 You watered the land with plenty of rain, O Elohim.
You refreshed it when your land was exhausted.
10 Your flock settled there.
Out of your goodness, O Elohim,
you provided for oppressed people.
11 Adonay gives instructions.
The women who announce the good news are a large army.
12 They say, “The kings of the armies flee; they run away.
The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
13 Though you stayed among the sheep pens,
you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its feathers with yellow gold.
14 Meanwhile, Shadday was still scattering kings there
like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.”
15 The mountain of Bashan is the mountain of Elohim.
The mountain of Bashan is the mountain with many peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains with many peaks,
at the mountain where Elohim has chosen to live?
Certainly, Yahweh will live there forever.
17 The chariots of Elohim are twenty thousand in number,
thousands upon thousands.
Adonay is among them.
The God of Sinai is in his holy place.
18 You went to the highest place.
You took prisoners captive.
You received gifts from people,
even from rebellious people, so that Yah Elohim may live there.
19 Thanks be to Adonay,
who daily carries our burdens for us.
El is our salvation. Selah
20 Our El is the El of victories.
Yahweh Adonay is our escape from death.
21 Certainly, Elohim will crush the heads of his enemies
and destroy even the hair on the heads
of those who continue to be guilty.
22 Adonay said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
23 so that you, my people, may bathe[b] your feet in blood
and the tongues of your dogs
may lick the blood of your enemies.”
24 Your festival processions, O Elohim, can be seen by everyone.
They are the processions for my Elohim, my Melek, into the holy place.
25 The singers are in front.
The musicians are behind them.
The young women beating tambourines are between them.
26 Thank Elohim, Yahweh, the source of Israel, with the choirs.
27 Benjamin, the youngest, is leading them,
next the leaders of Judah with their noisy crowds,
then the leaders of Zebulun,
then the leaders of Naphtali.
28 Your Elohim has decided you will be strong.
Display your strength, O Elohim,
as you have for us before.
29 Kings will bring you gifts
because of your temple high above Jerusalem.
30 Threaten the beast who is among the cattails,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the nations,
until it humbles itself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the people who find joy in war.[c]
31 Ambassadors will come from Egypt.
Sudan will stretch out its hands to Elohim in prayer.
32 You kingdoms of the world, sing to Elohim.
Make music to praise Adonay. Selah
33 Elohim rides through the ancient heaven, the highest heaven.
Listen! He makes his voice heard, his powerful voice.
34 Acknowledge the power of Elohim.
His majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.
35 Elohim, the El of Israel, is awe-inspiring in his holy place.
He gives strength and power to his people.
Thanks be to Elohim!
Moab Will Be Punished
15 This is the divine revelation about Moab.
In a single night Ar in Moab is laid waste and destroyed!
In a single night Kir in Moab is laid waste and destroyed!
2 The people of Dibon go to the temple,
to the worship sites, to cry.
Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba.
Every head is shaved bald, and every beard is cut off.[a]
3 In their streets they wear sackcloth.
On their roofs and in their city squares everyone wails and cries.
4 Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out.
Their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.
Moab’s armed men cry out.
Their courage is gone.
5 My heart cries out for Moab.
Its people flee as far as Zoar at Eglath Shelishiyah.
They go up the mountain road to Luhith.
They cry loudly over the destruction on the way to Horonaim.
6 The Nimrim Brook has run dry!
The grass dries up,
the vegetation withers,
and nothing green is left.
7 That is why they carry the wealth that they have earned and stored up
over Willow Ravine.
8 Cries for help echo throughout the land of Moab.
Their wailing echoes as far as Eglaim.
Their wailing echoes as far as Beer Elim.
9 The water in Dimon is red with blood,
yet I will bring even more on Dimon.
A lion will attack the fugitives from Moab
and the survivors from Adamah.[b]
3 Wives, in a similar way, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority. Some husbands may not obey God’s word. Their wives could win these men for Christ by the way they live without saying anything. 2 Their husbands would see how pure and reverent their lives are.
3 Wives must not let their beauty be something external. Beauty doesn’t come from hairstyles, gold jewelry, or clothes. 4 Rather, beauty is something internal that can’t be destroyed. Beauty expresses itself in a gentle and quiet attitude which God considers precious. 5 After all, this is how holy women who had confidence in God expressed their beauty in the past. They placed themselves under their husbands’ authority 6 as Sarah did. Sarah obeyed Abraham and spoke to him respectfully. You became Sarah’s daughters by not letting anything make you afraid to do good.
7 Husbands, in a similar way, live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are. Honor your wives as those who share God’s life-giving kindness[a] so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.
Dedicate Your Lives to Jesus
8 Finally, everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble. 9 Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you, or ridicule those who ridicule you. Instead, bless them, because you were called to inherit a blessing.
10 “People who want to live a full life and enjoy good days
must keep their tongues from saying evil things,
and their lips from speaking deceitful things.
11 They must turn away from evil and do good.
They must seek peace and pursue it.
12 The Lord’s eyes are on those who do what he approves.
His ears hear their prayer.
The Lord confronts those who do evil.”
13 Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what God approves, you are blessed. Don’t be afraid of those who want to harm you. Don’t get upset. 15 But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. 16 Keep your conscience clear. Then those who treat the good Christian life you live with contempt will feel ashamed that they have ridiculed you. 17 After all, if it is God’s will, it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong.
18 This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit. 19 In it he also went to proclaim his victory to the spirits kept in prison. 20 They are like those who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah when God waited patiently while Noah built the ship. In this ship a few people—eight in all—were saved by water. 21 Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn’t save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Yeshua Christ, who came back from death to life. 22 Christ has gone to heaven where he has the highest position that God gives. Angels, rulers, and powers have been placed under his authority.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.