M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Men of Israel Are Counted a Second Time
26 After the plague, the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest. Eleazar was the son of Aaron. The Lord said, 2 “Count all the men of Israel. Make a list of them by their families. Count all the men who are able to serve in Israel’s army. They must be 20 years old or more.” 3 At that time the Israelites were on the plains of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them. They said, 4 “Count all the men 20 years old or more. Do it just as the Lord commanded Moses.”
Here are the men of Israel who came out of Egypt.
5 Reuben was Israel’s oldest son. Here are the names of his sons.
The Hanokite family came from Hanok.
The Palluite family came from Pallu.
6 The Hezronite family came from Hezron.
The Karmite family came from Karmi.
7 These were the families of Reuben. The number of men was 43,730.
8 Eliab was the son of Pallu. 9 Eliab’s sons were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were the same community officials who refused to obey Moses and Aaron. They were among the followers of Korah who refused to obey the Lord. 10 The ground opened its mouth. It swallowed them up along with Korah. The followers of Korah died when fire burned up 250 men. Their deaths were a warning to the rest of Israel. 11 But the family line of Korah didn’t die out completely.
12 Here are the names of Simeon’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Nemuelite family came from Nemuel.
The Jaminite family came from Jamin.
The Jakinite family came from Jakin.
13 The Zerahite family came from Zerah.
The Shaulite family came from Shaul.
14 These were the families of Simeon. The number of the men counted was 22,200.
15 Here are the names of Gad’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Zephonite family came from Zephon.
The Haggite family came from Haggi.
The Shunite family came from Shuni.
16 The Oznite family came from Ozni.
The Erite family came from Eri.
17 The Arodite family came from Arodi.
The Arelite family came from Areli.
18 These were the families of Gad. The number of the men counted was 40,500.
19 Er and Onan were sons of Judah. But they died in Canaan.
20 Here are the names of Judah’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Shelanite family came from Shelah.
The Perezite family came from Perez.
The Zerahite family came from Zerah.
21 Here are the names of the sons of Perez.
The Hezronite family came from Hezron.
The Hamulite family came from Hamul.
22 These were the families of Judah. The number of the men counted was 76,500.
23 Here are the names of Issachar’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Tolaite family came from Tola.
The Puite family came from Puah.
24 The Jashubite family came from Jashub.
The Shimronite family came from Shimron.
25 These were the families of Issachar. The number of the men counted was 64,300.
26 Here are the names of Zebulun’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Seredite family came from Sered.
The Elonite family came from Elon.
The Jahleelite family came from Jahleel.
27 These were the families of Zebulun. The number of the men counted was 60,500.
28 Here are the names of Joseph’s sons. They are listed by their families. The families came from Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph.
29 Here are the names of Manasseh’s sons.
The Makirite family came from Makir. Makir was the father of Gilead.
The Gileadite family came from Gilead.
30 Here are the names of Gilead’s sons.
The Iezerite family came from Iezer.
The Helekite family came from Helek.
31 The Asrielite family came from Asriel.
The Shechemite family came from Shechem.
32 The Shemidaite family came from Shemida.
The Hepherite family came from Hepher.
33 Zelophehad was the son of Hepher. Zelophehad didn’t have any sons. All he had was daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah.
34 These were the families of Manasseh. The number of the men counted was 52,700.
35 Here are the names of Ephraim’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Shuthelahite family came from Shuthelah.
The Bekerite family came from Beker.
The Tahanite family came from Tahan.
36 The sons of Shuthelah were the Eranite family. They came from Eran.
37 These were the families of Ephraim. The number of the men counted was 32,500.
These were the sons of Joseph. They are listed by their families.
38 Here are the names of Benjamin’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Belaite family came from Bela.
The Ashbelite family came from Ashbel.
The Ahiramite family came from Ahiram.
39 The Shuphamite family came from Shupham.
The Huphamite family came from Hupham.
40 Bela’s sons came from Ard and Naaman.
The Ardite family came from Ard.
The Naamite family came from Naaman.
41 These were the families of Benjamin. The number of the men counted was 45,600.
42 Here is the name of Dan’s son. He is listed by his family.
The Shuhamite family came from Shuham.
This was the family of Dan. 43 All the men in Dan’s family were Shuhamites. The number of the men counted was 64,400.
44 Here are the names of Asher’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Imnite family came from Imnah.
The Ishvite family came from Ishvi.
The Beriite family came from Beriah.
45 Here are the names of the families that came from Beriah’s sons.
The Heberite family came from Heber.
The Malkielite family came from Malkiel.
46 Asher also had a daughter named Serah.
47 These were the families of Asher. The number of the men counted was 53,400.
48 Here are the names of Naphtali’s sons. They are listed by their families.
The Jahzeelite family came from Jahzeel.
The Gunite family came from Guni.
49 The Jezerite family came from Jezer.
The Shillemite family came from Shillem.
50 These were the families of Naphtali. The number of the men counted was 45,400.
51 The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.
52 The Lord said to Moses, 53 “I will give the land to them. The amount of land each family receives will be based on the number of its men. 54 Give a larger share to a larger family. Give a smaller share to a smaller family. Each family will receive its share based on the number of men listed in it.
55 “Be sure that you cast lots when you give out the land. What each family receives will be based on the number of men listed in its tribe. 56 Cast lots when you give out each share. Cast lots for the larger and smaller families alike.”
57 Here are the names of the Levites. They are listed by their families.
The Gershonite family came from Gershon.
The Kohathite family came from Kohath.
The Merarite family came from Merari.
58 Here are the names of the other Levite families. They are
the Libnite family,
the Hebronite family,
the Mahlite family,
the Mushite family,
the Korahite family.
Amram came from the Kohathite family. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed. She was from the family line of Levi. She was born to the Levites in Egypt. Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam were born in the family line of Amram and Jochebed. 60 Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu. He was also the father of Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn’t allowed. So they died.
62 The number of male Levites a month old or more was 23,000. They weren’t listed along with the other men of Israel. That’s because they didn’t receive a share among them.
63 These are the men counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest. At that time the Israelites were on the plains of Moab. They were by the Jordan River across from Jericho. 64 The men of Israel had been counted before in the Sinai Desert by Moses and Aaron the priest. But not one of them was among the men counted this time. 65 The Lord had told the Israelites at Kadesh Barnea that they would certainly die in the desert. Not one of them was left alive except Caleb and Joshua. Caleb was the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua was the son of Nun.
For the director of music. A psalm of David to the tune of “Lilies.”
69 God, save me.
My troubles are like a flood.
I’m up to my neck in them.
2 I’m sinking in deep mud.
I have no firm place to stand.
I am out in deep water.
The waves roll over me.
3 I’m worn out from calling for help.
My throat is very dry.
My eyes grow tired
looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me without any reason
are more than the hairs on my head.
Many people who don’t have any reason to be my enemies
are trying to destroy me.
They force me to give back
what I didn’t steal.
5 God, you know how foolish I’ve been.
My guilt is not hidden from you.
6 Lord, you are the Lord who rules over all.
May those who put their hope in you not be dishonored because of me.
You are the God of Israel.
May those who worship you not be put to shame because of me.
7 Because of you, people laugh at me.
My face is covered with shame.
8 I’m an outsider to my own family.
I’m a stranger to my own mother’s children.
9 My great love for your house destroys me.
Those who make fun of you make fun of me also.
10 When I weep and go without eating,
they laugh at me.
11 When I put on rough clothing to show how sad I am,
people make jokes about me.
12 Those who gather in public places make fun of me.
Those who get drunk make up songs about me.
13 But Lord, I pray to you.
May this be the time you help me.
God, answer me because you love me so much.
Save me, as you always do.
14 Save me from the trouble I’m in.
It’s like slippery mud, so don’t let me sink in it.
Save me from those who hate me.
Save me from the deep water I’m in.
15 Don’t let the floods cover me.
Don’t let the deep water swallow me up.
Don’t let the grave close its mouth over me.
16 Lord, answer me because your love is so good.
Turn to me because you are so kind.
17 Don’t turn your face away from me.
Answer me quickly. I’m in trouble.
18 Come near and save me.
Set me free from my enemies.
19 You know how they make fun of me.
They dishonor me and put me to shame.
You know all about my enemies.
20 They have broken my heart by saying evil things about me.
It has left me helpless.
I looked for pity, but I didn’t find any.
I looked for someone to comfort me, but I didn’t find anyone.
21 They put bitter spices in my food.
They gave me vinegar when I was thirsty.
22 Let their feast be a trap and a snare.
Let my enemies get what’s coming to them.
23 Let their eyes grow weak so they can’t see.
Let their backs be bent forever.
24 Pour out your anger on them.
Let them feel what it is like.
25 May their homes be deserted.
May no one live in their tents.
26 They attack those you have wounded.
They talk about the pain of those you have hurt.
27 Charge them with one crime after another.
Don’t save them.
28 May their names be erased from the book of life.
Don’t include them in the list of those who do right.
29 I’m in pain. I’m in deep trouble.
God, save me and keep me safe.
30 I will praise God’s name by singing to him.
I will bring him glory by giving him thanks.
31 That will please the Lord more than offering him an ox.
It will please him more than offering him a bull with its horns and hooves.
32 Poor people will see it and be glad.
The hearts of those who worship God will be strengthened.
33 The Lord hears those who are in need.
He doesn’t forget his people in prison.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him.
Let the oceans and everything that moves in them praise him.
35 God will save Zion.
He will build the cities of Judah again.
Then people will live in them and own the land.
36 The children of those who serve God will receive it.
Those who love him will live there.
16 People of Moab, send lambs as a gift
to the ruler of Judah.
Send them from Sela.
Send them across the desert.
Send them to Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem.
2 The women of Moab are at the places
where people go across the Arnon River.
They are like birds that flap their wings
when they are pushed from their nest.
3 The Moabites say to the rulers of Judah,
“Make up your mind. Make a decision.
Cover us with your shadow.
Make it like night even at noon.
Hide those of us who are running away.
Don’t turn them over to their enemies.
4 Let those who have run away from Moab stay with you.
Keep them safe from those who are trying to destroy them.”
Those who crush others will be destroyed.
The killing will stop.
The attackers will disappear from the earth.
5 A man from the royal house of David will sit on Judah’s throne.
He will rule with faithful love.
When he judges he will do what is fair.
He will be quick to do what is right.
6 We have heard all about Moab’s pride.
We have heard how very proud they are.
They think they are so much better than others.
They brag about themselves.
But all their bragging is nothing but empty words.
7 So the people of Moab cry out.
All of them cry over their country.
Sing a song of sadness.
Weep that you can no longer enjoy the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth.
8 The fields of Heshbon dry up.
So do the vines of Sibmah.
The rulers of the nations
have walked all over its finest vines.
Those vines once reached as far as Jazer.
They spread out toward the desert.
Their new growth went
all the way to the Dead Sea.
9 Jazer weeps for the vines of Sibmah.
And so do I.
Heshbon and Elealeh,
I soak you with my tears!
There isn’t any ripe fruit for people to shout about.
There isn’t any harvest to make them happy.
10 Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards.
No one sings or shouts in the vineyards.
No one stomps on grapes at the winepresses.
That’s because the Lord has put an end to the shouting.
11 My heart mourns over Moab like a song of sadness played on a harp.
Deep down inside me I mourn over Kir Hareseth.
12 Moab’s people go to their high place to pray.
But all they do is wear themselves out.
Their god Chemosh can’t help them at all.
13 That’s the message the Lord has already spoken against Moab. 14 But now he says, “In exactly three years, people will look down on Moab’s glory. Now Moab has many people. But by that time only a few of them will be left alive. And even they will be weak.”
Living for God
4 Christ suffered in his body. So prepare yourselves to think in the same way Christ did. Do this because whoever suffers in their body is finished with sin. 2 As a result, they don’t live the rest of their earthly life for evil human desires. Instead, they live to do what God wants. 3 You have spent enough time in the past doing what ungodly people choose to do. You lived a wild life. You longed for evil things. You got drunk. You went to wild parties. You worshiped statues of gods, which the Lord hates. 4 Ungodly people are surprised that you no longer join them in what they do. They want you to join them in their wild and wasteful living. So they say bad things about you. 5 But they will have to explain their actions to God. He is ready to judge those who are alive and those who are dead. 6 That’s why the good news was preached even to people who are now dead. It was preached to them for two reasons. It was preached so that their bodies might be judged. This judgment is made by human standards. But the good news was also preached so that their spirits might live. This life comes by means of God’s power.
7 The end of all things is near. So be watchful and control yourselves. Then you may pray. 8 Most of all, love one another deeply. Love erases many sins by forgiving them. 9 Welcome others into your homes without complaining. 10 God’s gifts of grace come in many forms. Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others. You should use it faithfully. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do it as one speaking God’s words. If anyone serves, they should do it with the strength God provides. Then in all things God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Glory and power belong to him for ever and ever. Amen.
Suffering for Being a Christian
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the terrible things happening to you. The trouble you are having has come to test you. So don’t feel as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be joyful that you are taking part in Christ’s sufferings. Then you will have even more joy when Christ returns in glory. 14 Suppose people say bad things about you because you believe in Christ. Then you are blessed, because God’s Spirit rests on you. He is the Spirit of glory. 15 If you suffer, it shouldn’t be because you are a murderer. It shouldn’t be because you are a thief or someone who does evil things. It shouldn’t be because you interfere with other people’s business. 16 But suppose you suffer for being a Christian. Then don’t be ashamed. Instead, praise God because you are known by the name of Christ. 17 It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And since it begins with us, what will happen to people who don’t obey God’s good news? 18 Scripture says,
“Suppose it is hard for godly people to be saved.
Then what will happen to ungodly people and sinners?” (Proverbs 11:31)
19 Here is what people who suffer because of God’s plan should do. They should commit themselves to their faithful Creator. And they should continue to do good.
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