M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The People Complain Again
14 That night all the people in the camp began crying loudly. 2 All the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron. All the people said to them, “We should have died in Egypt. Or we should have died in the desert. 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land? We will be killed with swords. Our wives and children will be taken away. We would be better off going back to Egypt.” 4 They said to each other, “Let’s get a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron bowed facedown in front of all the Israelites gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh were among those who had explored the land. They tore their clothes. 7 They said to all of the Israelites, “The land we went to explore is very good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land. He will give us that land where much food grows. 9 Don’t turn against the Lord! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land! We will chew them up. They have no protection, but we have the Lord. So don’t be afraid of them.”
10 Then all the people talked about killing them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the Meeting Tent to the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people ignore me? How long will it be before they believe me? I have done miracles among them. 12 I will give them a terrible sickness. I will destroy them. But I will make you into a great nation. It will be stronger than they are.”
13 Then Moses said to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it! You brought these people from there by your great power. 14 And the Egyptians will tell this to those who live in this land. They have already heard about you, Lord. They know that you are with your people. And they know you were seen face to face. They know your cloud stays over your people. They know you lead your people with that cloud during the day and with fire at night. 15 The nations have heard about your power. If you put to death your people all at once, the nations will talk. They will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he promised them. So he killed them in the desert.’
17 “So show your strength now, my Lord. Do what you said. You said: 18 ‘The Lord doesn’t become angry quickly. The Lord has great love. The Lord forgives sin and law breaking. He has great mercy. But the Lord does not forget to punish guilty people. When parents sin, he will also punish their children. He will punish their grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.’ 19 Show your great love. Forgive these people’s sin. Forgive them as you have from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20 The Lord answered, “I have forgiven them as you asked. 21 But, as surely as I live, I make this promise. As surely as my glory fills the whole earth, I make this promise. 22 All these men saw my glory. They saw the miracles I did in Egypt and in the desert. But they disobeyed me and tested me 10 times. 23 So not one will see the land I promised to their ancestors. No one who angered me will see that land. 24 But my servant Caleb has a different spirit. He follows me completely. So I will bring him into the land he has already seen. And his children will own that land. 25 The Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys. So leave tomorrow and go back. Follow the desert road toward the Gulf of Aqaba.”
The Lord Punishes the People
26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long will these evil people complain about me? I have heard these Israelites’ grumbling and complaining. 28 So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says. I heard what you said. As surely as I live, I will do those things to you. 29 You will die in this desert. Every one of you who is 20 years old or older and who was counted with the people will die. You complained against me, the Lord. 30 Not one of you will enter and live in the land I promised to you. Only Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun will go in. 31 You said that your children would be taken away. But I will bring them into the land. They will enjoy what you refused. 32 As for you, you will die in this desert. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for 40 years. They will suffer because you were not loyal. They will suffer until you lie dead in the desert. 34 For 40 years you will suffer for your sins. That is a year for each of the 40 days you explored the land. You will know me as your enemy.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken. I will certainly do these things to all these evil people. They have come together against me. So they will all die here in this desert.”
36 The men Moses had sent to explore the land had returned. They had spread complaints among all the Israelites. They had given a bad report about the land. 37 They were responsible for the bad report. So the Lord killed them with a terrible sickness. 38 Only two of the men did not die. They were Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh.
39 When Moses told these things to the Israelites, they were very sad. 40 Early the next morning they started to go toward the beginning of the mountains. They said, “We have sinned. We will go where the Lord told us.”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? You will not win! 42 Don’t go. The Lord is not with you. You will be beaten by your enemies. 43 You will run into the Amalekites and Canaanites. They will kill you with swords. You have turned away from the Lord. He will not be with you.”
44 But they were proud. They went toward the beginning of the mountains. But Moses and the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord did not leave the camp. 45 The Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those mountains came down. And they attacked the Israelites. They beat them back all the way to Hormah.
God Wants True Worship
A song of Asaph.
50 The God of gods, the Lord, speaks.
He calls the earth from the rising to the setting sun.
2 God shines from Jerusalem,
whose beauty is perfect.
3 Our God comes, and he will not be silent.
A fire burns in front of him,
and a storm surrounds him.
4 He calls to the sky and to the earth
to see him judge his people.
5 He says, “You who worship me, gather around.
You have made an agreement with me, using a sacrifice.”
6 God is the judge.
Even the skies say he is right. Selah
7 God says, “My people, listen to me.
Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
8 I do not scold you for your sacrifices.
You always bring me your burnt offerings.
9 But I do not need the bulls from your stalls
or the goats from your pens.
10 Every animal of the forest is already mine.
The cattle on a thousand hills are mine.
11 I know every bird on the mountains.
Every living thing in the fields is mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you.
The earth and everything on it are mine.
13 I don’t eat the meat of bulls
or drink the blood of goats.
14 Give an offering to show thanks to God.
Give God Most High what you have promised.
15 Call to me in times of trouble.
I will save you, and you will honor me.”
16 But God says to the wicked people,
“Why do you talk about my laws?
Why do you mention my agreement?
17 You hate my teachings.
You turn your back on what I say.
18 When you see a thief, you join him.
You take part in adultery.
19 You don’t stop your mouth from speaking evil.
Your tongue makes up lies.
20 You speak against your brother.
You lie about your mother’s son.
21 I have kept quiet while you did these things.
So you thought I was just like you.
But I will scold you.
I will accuse you to your face.
22 “Think about this, you people who forget God.
Otherwise, I will tear you apart,
and no one will save you.
23 Those people honor me
who give me offerings to show thanks.
And I, God, will save those who do that.”
God Will Punish Judah and Jerusalem
3 Understand what I am telling you.
The Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies,
will take away everything Judah and Jerusalem need.
He will take away all the food and water.
2 He will take away all the heroes and great soldiers.
He will take away all the judges, prophets,
people who do magic and elders.
3 He will take away the military leaders and government leaders.
He will take away the counselors, the skilled craftsmen and those who try to tell the future.
4 The Lord says, “I will cause young boys to be your leaders.
Foolish children will rule over you.
5 Everyone will be against everyone else.
Young people will not respect older people.
Common people will not respect important people.”
6 At that time a man will grab one of his brothers
from his own family and say,
“You have a coat. So you will be our leader.
You will be the leader over all these ruins.”
7 But that brother will stand up and say,
“I cannot help you.
I do not have food or clothes in my house.
You will not make me your leader.”
8 This will happen because Jerusalem has stumbled
and Judah has fallen.
The things they say and do are against the Lord.
They sin openly against the Lord.
9 The look on their faces shows they are guilty of doing wrong.
Like the people of Sodom, they are proud of their sin.
They don’t care who sees it.
How terrible it will be for them!
They have brought much trouble to themselves.
10 Tell the good people that good things will happen to them.
They will receive a reward for the good they do.
11 But how terrible it will be for wicked people!
They will be punished for all the wrong they have done.
12 Children treat my people cruelly.
Women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you in the wrong way.
They turn you away from what is right.
13 The Lord takes his place in court.
He stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord presents his case
against the elders and other leaders of his people.
He says, “You have burned my vineyard.
Your houses are full of what you took from the poor.
15 What gives you the right to crush my people?
How can you grind the faces of the poor into the dirt?”
The Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies, said this.
A Warning to Women of Jerusalem
16 The Lord says,
“The women of Jerusalem are proud.
They walk around with their heads held high.
They flirt with their eyes.
They take quick, short steps,
making noise with their ankle bracelets.”
17 So the Lord will put sores on the heads of those women in Jerusalem.
He will make them lose all their hair.
18 At that time the Lord will take away everything that makes them proud. He will take away their beautiful ankle bracelets, their headbands and their necklaces shaped like the moon. 19 He will take away their earrings, bracelets and veils. 20 He will take away their scarves, ankle chains, the cloth belts worn around their waists, their bottles of perfume and charms. 21 He will take away their signet rings, nose rings, 22 their fine robes, capes, shawls and purses. 23 And he will take away their mirrors, linen dresses, turbans and long shawls.
24 Instead of having sweet-smelling perfume, they will stink.
Instead of fine cloth belts, they will have ropes of captives to wear.
Instead of having their hair fixed in fancy ways, they will be bald.
Instead of fine clothes, they will have rough clothes of sadness.
Instead of having beauty, they will have the brand of a captive.
25 At that time your men will be killed with swords.
Your heroes will die in war.
26 There will be crying and sadness in the meeting places near the city gates.
Jerusalem will be like a woman who has lost everything and sits on the ground.
4 At that time seven women
will grab one man.
They will say, “We will make our own bread.
And we will make our own clothes.
But please marry us!
Please, take away our shame.”
The Branch of the Lord
2 At that time the Lord’s branch will be very beautiful and great. The people still living in Israel will be proud of what the land grows. 3 All the people who are still living in Jerusalem will be called holy. This will be all the people whose names are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth from the women of Jerusalem. He will wash the bloodstains out of Jerusalem. He will clean Jerusalem with the spirit of fairness and the spirit of fire. 5 As he did when Israel left Egypt, the Lord will cover them with a cloud of smoke during the day. And he will cover them with a bright, flaming fire at night. These proofs will be over Mount Zion. They will be over every meeting of the people there. There will be a covering over every person. 6 This covering will be a place of safety. It will protect the people from the heat of the sun. It will be a safe place to hide from the storm and rain.
Faith
11 Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. 2 People who lived in the past became famous because of faith.
3 It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God’s command. This means that what we see was made by something that cannot be seen.
4 It was by faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God said he was pleased with the gifts Abel offered. So God called Abel a good man because of his faith. Abel died, but through his faith he is still speaking.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken to heaven. He never died. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. Before he was taken, the Scripture says that he was a man who truly pleased God. 6 Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him.
7 It was by faith Noah heard God’s warnings about things that he could not yet see. He obeyed God and built a large boat to save his family. By his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.
8 It was by faith Abraham obeyed God’s call to go to another place that God promised to give him. He left his own country, not knowing where he was to go. 9 It was by faith that he lived in the country God promised to give him. He lived there like a visitor who did not belong. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who had received that same promise from God. 10 Abraham was waiting for the city[a] that has real foundations—the city planned and built by God.
11 He was too old to have children, and Sarah was not able to have children. It was by faith that Abraham was made able to become a father. Abraham trusted God to do what he had promised.[b] 12 This man was so old that he was almost dead. But from him came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. They are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore that cannot be counted.
13 All these great men died in faith. They did not get the things that God promised his people. But they saw them coming far in the future and were glad. They said that they were like visitors and strangers on earth. 14 When people say such things, then they show that they are looking for a country that will be their own country. 15 If they had been thinking about that country they had left, they could have gone back. 16 But those men were waiting for a better country—a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God. For he has prepared a city for them.
17 It was by faith that Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice. God made the promises to Abraham. But God tested him. And Abraham was ready to offer his own son as a sacrifice. 18 God had said, “The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.”[c] 19 Abraham believed that God could raise the dead. And really, it was as if Abraham got Isaac back from death.
20 It was by faith that Isaac blessed the future of Jacob and Esau. 21 It was by faith that Jacob blessed each one of Joseph’s sons. He did this while he was dying. Then he worshiped as he leaned on the top of his walking stick.
22 It was by faith that Joseph spoke about the Israelites leaving Egypt while he was dying. He told them what to do with his body.
23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born. They saw that Moses was a beautiful baby. And they were not afraid to disobey the king’s order.
24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of the king of Egypt’s daughter. 25 He chose to suffer with God’s people instead of enjoying sin for a short time. 26 He thought that it was better to suffer for the Christ than to have all the treasures of Egypt. He was looking only for God’s reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left Egypt. He was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses continued strong as if he could see the God that no one can see. 28 It was by faith that Moses prepared the Passover and spread the blood on the doors. It was spread so that the one who brings death would not kill the firstborn sons of Israel.
29 It was by faith that the people crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land. The Egyptians also tried to do it, but they were drowned.
30 It was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell. They fell after the people had marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days.
31 It was by faith that Rahab, the prostitute, welcomed the spies and was not killed with those who refused to obey God.
32 Do I need to give more examples? I do not have time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33 Through their faith they defeated kingdoms. They did what was right and received what God promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 stopped great fires and were saved from being killed with swords. They were weak, and yet were made strong. They were powerful in battle and defeated other armies. 35 Women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom. They did this so that they could be raised from death to a better life. 36 Some were laughed at and beaten. Others were tied and put into prison. 37 They were killed with stones and they were cut in half.[d] They were killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor, abused, and treated badly. 38 The world was not good enough for them! They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the earth.
39 All these people are known for their faith. But none of them received what God had promised. 40 God planned to give us something better. Then they would be made perfect, but only together with us.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.