M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Water from the Rock
20 The entire Israelite community entered the Wilderness of Zin(A) in the first month, and they[a] settled in Kadesh.(B) Miriam(C) died and was buried there.
2 There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses and said,(D) “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord.(E) 4 Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness(F) for us and our livestock to die here?(G) 5 Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates,(H) and there is no water to drink!”
6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord spoke to Moses, 8 “Take the staff(I) and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock(J) while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence(K) just as he had commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.(L)
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”(M) 13 These are the Waters of Meribah,[b](N) where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and he demonstrated his holiness to them.(O)
Edom Denies Passage
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel(P) says, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. 15 Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our ancestors badly. 16 When we cried out to the Lord, he heard our plea,[c] and sent an angel,[d](Q) and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. 17 Please let us travel through your land. We won’t travel through any field or vineyard, or drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway; we won’t turn to the right or the left until we have traveled through your territory.’”(R)
18 But Edom answered him, “You will not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
19 “We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price.(S) There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”
20 Yet Edom insisted, “You may not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people.[e] 21 Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
Aaron’s Death
22 After they set out from Kadesh, the entire Israelite community came to Mount Hor.(T) 23 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land I have given the Israelites, because you both rebelled against my command at the Waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and die there.”
27 So Moses did as the Lord commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. 28 After Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 When the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[a]
Do you judge people fairly?(A)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(B)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars wander about from birth.(C)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(D)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(E)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(F)
7 May they vanish like water that flows by;
may they aim their blunted arrows.[b](G)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
may they not see the sun.(H)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
he will sweep them away.[c](I)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(J)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(K)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!” (L)
Psalm 59
God Our Stronghold
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.(M)
1 Rescue me from my enemies, my God;(N)
protect me from those who rise up against me.(O)
2 Rescue me from evildoers,
and save me from men of bloodshed.(P)
3 Because look, Lord, they set an ambush for me.(Q)
Powerful men attack me,
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.(R)
4 For no fault of mine,
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.(S)
5 Lord God of Armies, you are the God of Israel.
Rise up to punish all the nations;
do not show favor to any wicked traitors.(T)Selah
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(U)
7 Look, they spew from their mouths—
sharp words from[d] their lips.(V)
“For who,” they say, “will hear?” (W)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;
you ridicule all the nations.(X)
9 I will keep watch for you, my[e] strength,
because God is my stronghold.(Y)
10 My faithful God[f] will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries.(Z)
11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.
By your power, make them homeless wanderers(AA)
and bring them down,
Lord, our shield.(AB)
12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
They utter curses and lies.(AC)
13 Consume them in fury;
consume them until they are gone.(AD)
Then people will know throughout[g] the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AE)Selah
The Hand Raised against Israel
8 The Lord sent a message against Jacob;
it came against Israel.
9 All the people—
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria(A)—will know it.
They will say with pride and arrogance,
10 “The bricks have fallen,
but we will rebuild with cut stones;
the sycamores have been cut down,
but we will replace them with cedars.”
11 The Lord has raised up Rezin’s adversaries against him
and stirred up his enemies.
12 Aram from the east and Philistia from the west
have consumed Israel with open mouths.
In all this, his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is still raised to strike.(B)
13 The people did not turn to him who struck them;
they did not seek the Lord of Armies.
14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,(C)
palm branch and reed in a single day.
15 The head is the elder, the honored one;(D)
the tail is the prophet, the one teaching lies.(E)
16 The leaders of the people mislead them,
and those they mislead are swallowed up.[a]
17 Therefore the Lord does not rejoice
over[b] Israel’s young men
and has no compassion
on its fatherless and widows,
for everyone is a godless evildoer,(F)
and every mouth speaks folly.
In all this, his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is still raised to strike.
18 For wickedness burns like a fire(G)
that consumes thorns and briers
and kindles the forest thickets
so that they go up in a column of smoke.
19 The land is scorched
by the wrath of the Lord of Armies,
and the people are like fuel for the fire.(H)
No one has compassion on his brother.(I)
20 They carve meat on the right,
but they are still hungry;(J)
they have eaten on the left,
but they are still not satisfied.
Each one eats the flesh of his arm.(K)
21 Manasseh eats Ephraim,
and Ephraim, Manasseh;
together, both are against Judah.(L)
In all this, his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is still raised to strike.(M)
10 Woe(N) to those enacting crooked statutes
and writing oppressive laws
2 to keep the poor from getting a fair trial
and to deprive the needy among my people of justice,(O)
so that widows can be their spoil
and they can plunder the fatherless.(P)
3 What will you do on the day of punishment
when devastation comes from far away?
Who will you run to for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
4 There will be nothing to do
except crouch among the prisoners
or fall among the slain.
In all this, his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is still raised to strike.(Q)
Controlling the Tongue
3 Not many should become teachers, my brothers,[a] because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.(A) 2 For we all stumble in many ways.(B) If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.(C) 3 Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us,(D) we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things.(E) Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed[b] among our members. It stains the whole body,(F) sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.(G) 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness.(H) 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
The Wisdom from Above
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.(I) 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth.(J) 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.(K) 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.(L) 18 And the fruit of righteousness(M) is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
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