M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

2 ^1-2 The Lord gave these further instructions to Moses and Aaron: “Each tribe will have its own tent area, with its flagpole and tribal banner; and at the center of these tribal compounds will be the Tabernacle.” ^3-31 Here are the tribal locations:^[a]

So the total of all those on Judah’s side of the camp was 186,400. These three tribes led the way whenever the Israelites traveled to a new campsite.

So the total of the Reuben side of the camp was 151,450. These three tribes were next in line whenever the Israelis traveled.

Next in the line of march was the Tabernacle, with the Levites. When traveling, each tribe stayed together under its own flag, just as each was separate from the others in camp.

So the total on the Ephraim side of the camp was 108,100, and they were next in the line of march.

So the total on Dan’s side of the camp was 157,600. They brought up the rear whenever Israel traveled. ^32-33 In summary, the armies of Israel totaled 603,550 (not including the Levites, who were exempted by Jehovah’s commandment to Moses). ³⁴ So the people of Israel set up their camps, each tribe under its own banner, in the locations indicated by the Lord to Moses.

36 Sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, forever urging them on to evil deeds. They have no fear of God to hold them back. ² Instead, in their conceit, they think they can hide their evil deeds and not get caught. ³ Everything they say is crooked and deceitful; they are no longer wise and good. ⁴ They lie awake at night to hatch their evil plots instead of planning how to keep away from wrong.

⁵ Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. ⁶ Your justice is as solid as God’s mountains. Your decisions are as full of wisdom as the oceans are with water. You are concerned^[a] for men and animals alike. ⁷ How precious is your constant love, O God! All humanity takes refuge in the shadow of your wings. ⁸ You feed them with blessings from your own table and let them drink from your rivers of delight.

⁹ For you are the Fountain of life; our light is from your light. ¹⁰ Pour out your unfailing love on those who know you! Never stop giving your blessings^[b] to those who long to do your will.

¹¹ Don’t let these proud men trample me. Don’t let their wicked hands push me around. ¹² Look! They have fallen. They are thrown down and will not rise again.

12 Don’t let the excitement of being young cause you to forget about your Creator. Honor him in your youth before the evil years come—when you’ll no longer enjoy living. ² It will be too late then to try to remember him when the sun and light and moon and stars are dim to your old eyes, and there is no silver lining left among your clouds. ³ For there will come a time when your limbs will tremble with age, your strong legs will become weak, and your teeth will be too few to do their work, and there will be blindness too. ⁴ Then let your lips be tightly closed while eating when your teeth are gone! And you will waken at dawn with the first note of the birds; but you yourself will be deaf and tuneless, with quavering voice. ⁵ You will be afraid of heights and of falling—a white-haired, withered old man, dragging himself along: without sexual desire, standing at death’s door, and nearing his everlasting home as the mourners go along the streets.

⁶ Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young—before the silver cord of life snaps and the gold bowl is broken; before the pitcher is broken at the fountain and the wheel is broken at the cistern; ⁷ then the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. ⁸ All is futile, says the Preacher; utterly futile.

⁹ But then, because the Preacher was wise, he went on teaching the people all he knew; and he collected proverbs and classified them. ¹⁰ For the Preacher was not only a wise man but a good teacher; he not only taught what he knew to the people, but taught them in an interesting manner. ¹¹ The wise man’s words are like goads that spur to action. They nail down important truths. Students are wise who master what their teachers tell them.

¹² But, my son, be warned: there is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!

¹³ Here is my final conclusion: fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the entire duty of man. ¹⁴ For God will judge us for everything we do, including every hidden thing, good or bad.

^1-2 From: Paul, in jail for preaching the Good News about Jesus Christ, and from Brother Timothy.

To: Philemon, our much-loved fellow worker, and to the church that meets in your home, and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus who, like myself, is a soldier of the cross.

³ May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you his blessings and his peace.

⁴ I always thank God when I am praying for you, dear Philemon, ⁵ because I keep hearing of your love and trust in the Lord Jesus and in his people. ⁶ And I pray that as you share your faith with others it will grip their lives too, as they see the wealth of good things in you that come from Christ Jesus. ⁷ I myself have gained much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because your kindness has so often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

^8-9 Now I want to ask a favor of you. I could demand it of you in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do, but I love you and prefer just to ask you—I, Paul, an old man now, here in jail for the sake of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ My plea is that you show kindness to my child Onesimus, whom I won to the Lord while here in my chains. ¹¹ Onesimus (whose name means “Useful”) hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is going to be of real use to both of us. ¹² I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

¹³ I really wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and you would have been helping me through him, ¹⁴ but I didn’t want to do it without your consent. I didn’t want you to be kind because you had to but because you wanted to. ¹⁵ Perhaps you could think of it this way: that he ran away from you for a little while so that now he can be yours forever, ¹⁶ no longer only a slave, but something much better—a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you too, because he is not only a servant but also your brother in Christ.

¹⁷ If I am really your friend, give him the same welcome you would give to me if I were the one who was coming. ¹⁸ If he has harmed you in any way or stolen anything from you, charge me for it. ¹⁹ I will pay it back (I, Paul, personally guarantee this by writing it here with my own hand) but I won’t mention how much you owe me! The fact is, you even owe me your very soul! ²⁰ Yes, dear brother, give me joy with this loving act and my weary heart will praise the Lord.

²¹ I’ve written you this letter because I am positive that you will do what I ask and even more!

²² Please keep a guest room ready for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me come to you soon.

²³ Epaphras my fellow prisoner, who is also here for preaching Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. ²⁴ So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵ The blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon your spirit.

Paul