M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
How Lovely the Tents of Jacob
24 When Balaam realized that it was pleasing in the eyes of Adonai to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorceries as at the other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. 2 Lifting up his eyes, Balaam saw Israel dwelling by tribes. The Ruach Elohim came over him. 3 He uttered his oracle and said:
“This is the oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
and the oracle of a strong man whose eye has been opened,
4 the oracle of one hearing God’s speech,
one seeing Shaddai’s vision,
one fallen down, yet with open eyes:
5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
and your dwellings, O Israel!
6 Like valleys they are spread out,
like gardens beside a river,
like aloes planted by Adonai,
like cedars beside the waters.
7 Water will flow from his buckets,
his seed by abundant water.
His king will be greater than Agag,
his kingdom will be exalted.
8 God is bringing him out of Egypt.
like the strong horns of a wild ox.
He devours nations hostile to him.
He will crush their bones.
His arrows will pierce them.
9 He crouches like a lion or a lioness—
who would rouse him?
He who blesses you will be blessed,
and he who curses you will be cursed.”
10 Then Balak became furious at Balaam, and struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but look, you have blessed them these three times! 11 Now, go home! I said I would reward you, but see, Adonai has kept you from reward!”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I indeed tell your messengers whom you sent to me saying: 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the mouth of Adonai, to do good or bad from my own heart? Whatever Adonai may speak, I will speak!’ 14 Now, behold, I am going back to my people. Come, let me counsel you what these people will do to your people in the latter days. 15 Then he uttered his oracle:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the strong man whose eye is opened,
16 the oracle of one hearing God’s speech,
one experiencing Elyon’s knowledge,
one seeing Shaddai’s vision,
one fallen down,
yet with open eyes:
17 ‘I see him, yet not at this moment.
I behold him, yet not in this location.
For a star will come from Jacob,
a scepter will arise from Israel.[a]
He will crush the foreheads of Moab
and the skulls of all the sons of Seth.
18 Edom will be conquered—
his enemies will conquer Seir,
but Israel will triumph.
19 One from Jacob will rule
and destroy the city’s survivors.”
20 Then he saw Amalek,
so he uttered his oracle and said:
“Amalek was the first of nations,
but will come to ruin at last.”
21 Then he saw the Kenite,
so he uttered his oracle and said,
“Your dwelling is secure.
Your nest is set in the rock.
22 Yet Kain will be destroyed,
when Asshur captures you.”
23 Again he uttered his oracle and said,
“O, who can live when God does this?
24 Ships will come from Kittim’s shore.
They will afflict Asshur and Eber,
but they too will come to destruction.”
25 Then Balaam got up and went and returned to his own place, and Balak went on his way.
How Awesome Your Deeds
Psalm 66
1 For the music director, a song, a psalm.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of His Name—
make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God:
“How awesome are Your deeds!
Because of Your great power,
Your enemies cringe before You.
4 All the earth bows down to You,
and sings praises to You.
All sing praises to Your Name.” Selah
5 Come and see the works of God.
How awesome His deeds for the children of Adam!
6 He turned the sea into dry land.
They crossed the river on foot.
There let us rejoice in Him!
7 He rules by His might forever.
His eyes keep watch on the nations.
Let no rebels exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples!
Let the sound of His praise be heard.
9 Keeping our soul in life,
He has not let our foot slip.
10 For You have tested us, O God—
You have purified us, as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into a net.
You laid a burden on our backs.
12 You caused men to ride over our heads.
We went through fire and water.
Yet You brought us out to superabundance.
13 With burnt offerings I will come to Your House,
fulfilling my vows to You
14 that my lips uttered and mouth spoke,
when I was in trouble.
15 To You I will present burnt offerings of fat animals,
with the sweet smoke of rams.
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God.
I will tell what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried out to Him with my mouth,
and exaltation was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But surely God has heard.
He has listened to my voice in prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
nor His lovingkindness from me.
Let All Peoples Praise You
Psalm 67
1 For the music director, with stringed instruments, a psalm, a song.
2 May God be gracious to us and bless us.
May He cause His face to shine upon us—Selah
3 so that Your way may be known on earth,
and Your salvation among all nations.
4 Let the peoples praise You, O God.
Let all the peoples praise You.
5 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for You will judge the peoples fairly,
and guide the nations on the earth. Selah
6 Let the peoples praise You, O God.
Let all the peoples praise You.
7 The earth has yielded its harvest—
God, our God will bless us.
8 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.
God’s People Restored
14 For Adonai will have compassion on Jacob
and will again choose Israel
and settle them in their own land.
The outsider will join himself with them
and will cling to the house of Jacob.
2 The peoples will take them
and escort them to their place.
The house of Israel will possess them
in the land of Adonai as servants and handmaids.
They will take their captors captive,
and rule over their oppressors.
Taunt Against Babylon’s King
3 Now in the day when Adonai will give you rest from your sorrow and your turmoil, and from the hard service you were forced to do, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon and say:
“How the taskmaster has ceased!
The raging oppressor, exacter of gold, has ceased!
5 Adonai has broken the rod of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers,
6 which struck the people in wrath
with continual strokes,
which ruled the nations in fury,
with relentless persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest, and quiet.
They break forth with a ringing cry!
8 Even the cypress trees rejoice over you,
along with the cedars of Lebanon:
“Since you were laid low,
no woodcutter comes up against us.”
9 Sheol from below is excited about you,
to meet you at your coming!
He stirs up the dead spirits for you,
even the chief ones[a] of the earth.
He makes all the kings of the nations
rise up from their thrones.
10 They all answer and say to you:
“Even you have become as weak as us?
Have you become like us?
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol
with the music of your harps.
Maggots are spread out under you,
and worms cover you.”
Shining One Fallen From Heaven
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
O brighstar[b], son of the dawn![c]
How you are cut down to the earth,
you who made the nations prostrate!
13 You said in your heart:
“I will ascend to heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.[d]
I will sit upon the mount of meeting,
in the uttermost parts of the north.
14 I will ascend above the high places of the clouds—
I will make myself like Elyon.”
15 Yet you will be brought down to Sheol,
to the lowest parts of the Pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you,
reflecting on what has become of you:
“Is this the one who shook the earth,
who made kingdoms tremble,
17 who made the world a wilderness
and destroyed its cities,
who never opened the house of his prisoners?”
18 All the kings of the nations, all of them,
lie in glory, each in his own house.
19 But you are cast out of your tomb
as a discarded branch,
garment of the slain,
pierced with a sword,
dumped into a stony pit,
a corpse trodden underfoot.
20 You will not join with them in burial,
because you ruined your land,
you slaughtered your own people.
The offspring of evildoers will never be named.
21 Prepare slaughter for his children
for the iniquity of their fathers,
so they would not rise up and possess the land,
or fill the face of the earth with cities.
22 “For I will rise up against them”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—“and I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, offshoot and offspring,” declares Adonai. 23 “I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, with marshes of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction.” It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
24 Adonai Tzva’ot has sworn, saying:
“Surely, as I thought it, so it will be.
As I have purposed, so it will stand.
25 I will break Assyria in My land.
On My mountains I will trample him.
Then his yoke will be taken off them,
his burden removed from their shoulder.
26 This is the purpose planned for the whole earth,
and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.”
27 For Adonai-Tzva’ot has purposed,
so who will annul it?
Since His hand is stretched out,
who will turn it back?
Doom of Philistia
28 In the year king Ahaz died came this burden:
29 Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia,
that the rod that struck you is broken.
For from the serpent’s root comes a viper
and its fruit will be a flying serpent.
30 The firstborn of the poor will feed,
and the needy will lie down in safety.
I will kill your root with famine,
and your survivors will be slain.
31 Wail, O gate! Cry, O city!
Melt away, all you of Philistia!
For smoke is coming from the north,
and there is no straggler in its ranks.
32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation?
For Adonai has founded Zion,
and the afflicted of His people will find refuge in her.
Living Stones
2 So get rid of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all lashon ha-ra. 2 As newborn babes, long for pure spiritual milk,[a] so that by it you may grow toward salvation— 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. [b] 4 As you come to Him, a living stone[c] rejected by men but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house—a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua. 6 For it says in Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone,
a chosen, precious cornerstone.
Whoever trusts in Him
will never be put to shame.”[d]
7 Now the value is for you who keep trusting; but for those who do not trust,
“The stone which the builders rejected—
this One has become the chief cornerstone,”[e]
8 and
“a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”[f]
They stumble because they are disobeying the word—to this they were also appointed. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.[g]
10 Once you were “not a people,”
but now you are “God’s people.”
You were shown “no mercy,”
but now you have been shown “mercy.”[h]
11 Loved ones, I urge you as strangers and sojourners to keep away from the fleshly cravings that war against the soul. 12 Keep your conduct honorable among the Gentiles. Then while they speak against you as evildoers, they may—from noticing your good deeds—glorify God in the day of visitation.
Respect and Order
13 For the Lord’s sake, submit yourselves to every human authority—whether to a king as supreme, 14 or to governors sent by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is God’s will, that you silence the ignorance of foolish men by doing good. 16 Live as free people, but not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Rather, live as God’s slaves. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 Slaves, with all respect submit yourselves to your masters—not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For this finds favor if, for the sake of conscience toward God, someone endures grief from suffering undeservedly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and get a beating, you endure? But if you endure when you do good and suffer for it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you were called to this, because Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in His footsteps:
22 “He committed no sin,
nor was any deceit found in His mouth.”[i]
23 When He was abused, He did not return the abuse.[j] While suffering, He made no threats. Instead, He kept entrusting Himself to the One who judges righteously. 24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, removed from sins, might live for righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.”[k]
25 For you like sheep were going astray,[l]
but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.