M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Balak Sends For Balaam
22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab. They camped along the Jordan River across from Jericho.
2 Balak saw everything that Israel had done to the Amorites. Balak was the son of Zippor. 3 The Moabites were terrified because there were so many Israelites. In fact, the Moabites were filled with panic because of the Israelites.
4 The Moabites spoke to the elders of Midian. They said, “This huge mob is going to destroy everything around us. They’ll lick it up as an ox licks up all the grass in the fields.”
Balak, the son of Zippor, was the king of Moab at that time. 5 He sent messengers to get Balaam. Balaam was the son of Beor. Balaam was at the city of Pethor near the Euphrates River. Pethor was in the land where Balaam had been born. Balak told the messengers to say to Balaam,
“A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the face of the land. They’ve set up camp next to me. 6 So come and put a curse on these people. They are too powerful for me. Maybe I’ll be able to win the battle over them. Maybe I’ll be able to drive them out of the land. I know that whoever you bless is blessed. And I know that whoever you cursed is cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian left. They took with them the money they knew Balaam would ask for. They wanted him to use evil magic to figure things out for them. They came to where Balaam was. And they told him what Balak had said.
8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them. “I’ll report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.
9 God came to Balaam. He asked, “Who are these men with you?”
10 Balaam said to God, “Balak king of Moab, the son of Zippor, sent me a message. 11 He said, ‘A nation has come out of Egypt. They are covering the whole surface of the land. So come and put a curse on them for me. Maybe I’ll be able to fight them. Maybe I’ll be able to drive them away.’ ”
12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people. I have blessed them.”
13 The next morning Balaam got up. He said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country. The Lord won’t let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak. They said, “Balaam wouldn’t come with us.”
15 Then Balak sent other officials. They were more important than the first ones. And there were more of them. 16 They came to Balaam. They said,
“Balak, the son of Zippor, says, ‘Don’t let anything keep you from coming to me. 17 I’ll make you very rich. I’ll do anything you say. So come and put a curse on those people for me.’ ”
18 But Balaam gave them his answer. He said, “Balak could give me all the silver and gold in his palace. Even then, I still couldn’t do anything at all that goes beyond what the Lord my God commands. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.”
20 That night God came to Balaam. He said, “These men have come to get you. So go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”
Balaam’s Donkey
21 Balaam got up in the morning. He put a saddle on his donkey. Then he went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when Balaam went. So the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey. His two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. The angel was holding a sword. He was ready for battle. So the donkey left the road and went into a field. Balaam hit the donkey. He wanted to get it back on the road.
24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path. The path went through the vineyards. There were walls on both sides. 25 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it moved close to the wall. It crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he hit the donkey again.
26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead. He stood in a narrow place. There was no room to turn, either right or left. 27 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord. So it lay down under Balaam. That made him angry. He hit the donkey with his walking stick. 28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth. It said to Balaam, “What have I done to you? Why did you hit me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey. He said, “You have made me look foolish! I wish I had a sword in my hand. If I did, I’d kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “I’m your own donkey. I’m the one you have always ridden. Haven’t you been riding me to this very day? Have I ever made you look foolish before?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes. He saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road. He saw that the angel was holding a sword. The angel was ready for battle. So Balaam bowed down. He fell with his face to the ground.
32 The angel of the Lord spoke to him. He asked him, “Why have you hit your donkey three times? I have come here to oppose you. What you are doing is foolish. 33 The donkey saw me. It turned away from me three times. Suppose it had not turned away. Then I would certainly have killed you by now. But I would have spared the donkey.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Tell me whether you are pleased with me. If you aren’t, I’ll go back.”
35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 Balak heard that Balaam was coming. So he went out to meet him. They met at a Moabite town near the Arnon River. The town was on the border of Balak’s territory. 37 Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I send messengers to you? I wanted you to come quickly. So why didn’t you come? I can make you very rich.”
38 “Well, I’ve come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I can only speak the words God puts in my mouth.”
39 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep. He gave some to Balaam. He also gave some to the officials with him. 41 The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal. From there he could see the outer edges of the Israelite camp.
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
62 It is surely true that I find my rest in God.
He is the God who saves me.
2 It is surely true that he is my rock. He is the God who saves me.
He is like a fort to me. I will always be secure.
3 How long will you enemies attack me?
Will all of you throw me down?
I’m like a leaning wall.
I’m like a fence about to fall.
4 Surely my enemies only want to pull me down
from my place of honor.
They take delight in telling lies.
They bless me with what they say.
But in their hearts they ask for bad things to happen to me.
5 Yes, I must find my rest in God.
He is the God who gives me hope.
6 It is surely true that he is my rock and the God who saves me.
He is like a fort to me, so I will always be secure.
7 I depend on God to save me and to honor me.
He is my mighty rock and my place of safety.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people.
Tell him all your troubles.
God is our place of safety.
9 Surely ordinary people are only a breath.
Important people are not what they seem to be.
If they were weighed on a scale, they wouldn’t amount to anything.
Together they are only a breath.
10 Don’t trust in money you have taken from others.
Don’t put false hope in things you have stolen.
Even if your riches grow,
don’t put your trust in them.
11 God, I have heard you say two things.
One is that power belongs to you, God.
12 The other is that your love, Lord, never ends.
You will reward everyone
in keeping with what they have done.
A psalm of David when he was in the Desert of Judah.
63 God, you are my God.
I seek you with all my heart.
With all my strength I thirst for you
in this dry desert
where there isn’t any water.
2 I have seen you in the sacred tent.
There I have seen your power and your glory.
3 Your love is better than life.
So I will bring glory to you with my lips.
4 I will praise you as long as I live.
I will call on your name when I lift up my hands in prayer.
5 I will be as satisfied as if I had eaten the best food there is.
I will sing praise to you with my mouth.
6 As I lie on my bed I remember you.
I think of you all night long.
7 Because you have helped me,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I hold on to you tightly.
Your powerful right hand takes good care of me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed.
They will go down into the grave.
10 They will be killed by swords.
They will become food for wild dogs.
11 But the king will be filled with joy because of what God has done.
All those who make promises in God’s name will be able to brag.
But the mouths of liars will be shut.
A Branch Will Come From Jesse’s Family Line
11 Jesse’s family is like a tree that has been cut down.
A new little tree will grow from its stump.
From its roots a Branch will grow and produce fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on that Branch.
The Spirit will help him to be wise and understanding.
The Spirit will help him make wise plans and carry them out.
The Spirit will help him know the Lord and have respect for him.
3 The Branch will take delight
in respecting the Lord.
He will not judge things only by the way they look.
He won’t make decisions based simply on what people say.
4 He will always do what is right
when he judges those who are in need.
He’ll be completely fair
when he makes decisions about poor people.
When he commands that people be punished,
it will happen.
When he orders that evil people be put to death,
it will take place.
5 He will put on godliness as if it were his belt.
He’ll wear faithfulness around his waist.
6 Wolves will live with lambs.
Leopards will lie down with goats.
Calves and lions will eat together.
And little children will lead them around.
7 Cows will eat with bears.
Their little ones will lie down together.
And lions will eat straw like oxen.
8 A baby will play near a hole where cobras live.
A young child will put its hand into a nest
where poisonous snakes live.
9 None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone
on my holy mountain of Zion.
The oceans are full of water.
In the same way, the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord.
10 At that time, here is what the man who is called the Root of Jesse will do. He will be like a banner that brings nations together. They will come to him. And the place where he rules will be glorious. 11 At that time the Lord will reach out his hand. He will gather his people a second time. He will bring back those who are left alive. He’ll bring them back from Assyria, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt and Cush. He’ll bring them from Elam, Babylon and Hamath. He will also bring them from the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.
12 He will lift up a banner.
It will show the nations that he is gathering the people of Israel.
He’ll bring back those who had been taken away as prisoners.
He’ll gather together the scattered people of Judah.
He’ll bring them back from all four directions.
13 Ephraim’s people won’t be jealous anymore.
Judah’s attackers will be destroyed.
Ephraim won’t be jealous of Judah.
And Judah won’t attack Ephraim.
14 Together they will rush down the slopes of Philistia to the west.
They’ll take what belongs to the people of the east.
They’ll take over Edom and Moab.
The people of Ammon will be under their control.
15 The Lord will dry up
the Red Sea in Egypt.
By his power he’ll send a burning wind
to sweep over the Euphrates River.
He will break it up into many streams.
Then people will be able to go across it wearing sandals.
16 There was a road the people of Israel used
when they came up from Egypt.
In the same way, there will be a wide road coming out of Assyria.
It will be used by the Lord’s people who are left alive there.
Two Songs of Praise
12 In days to come, the people of Israel will sing,
“Lord, we will praise you.
You were angry with us.
But now your anger has turned away from us.
And you have brought us comfort.
2 God, you are the one who saves us.
We will trust in you.
Then we won’t be afraid.
Lord, you are the one who gives us strength.
You are the one who keeps us safe.
Lord, you have saved us.”
3 People of Israel, he will save you.
That will bring you joy like water brought up from wells.
4 In days to come, the people of Israel will sing,
“Give praise to the Lord. Make his name known.
Tell the nations what he has done.
Announce how honored he is.
5 Sing to the Lord. He has done glorious things.
Let it be known all over the world.
6 People of Zion, give a loud shout!
Sing for joy!
The Holy One of Israel is among you.
And he is great.”
A Warning to Rich People
5 You rich people, listen to me. Cry and weep, because you will soon be suffering. 2 Your riches have rotted. Moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver have lost their brightness. Their dullness will be a witness against you. Your wanting more and more will eat your body like fire. You have stored up riches in these last days. 4 You have even failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields. Their pay is crying out against you. The cries of those who gathered the harvest have reached the ears of the Lord. He rules over all. 5 You have lived an easy life on earth. You have given yourselves everything you wanted. You have made yourselves fat like cattle that will soon be butchered. 6 You have judged and murdered people who aren’t guilty. And they weren’t even opposing you.
Be Patient When You Suffer
7 Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes. See how the farmer waits for the land to produce its rich crop. See how patient the farmer is for the fall and spring rains. 8 You too must be patient. You must remain strong. The Lord will soon come back. 9 Brothers and sisters, don’t find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. And the Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, think about the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They are an example of how to be patient when you suffer. 11 As you know, we think that people who don’t give up are blessed. You have heard that Job was patient. And you have seen what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of tender mercy and loving concern.
12 My brothers and sisters, here is what is most important. Don’t make a promise by giving your word. Don’t promise by heaven or earth. And don’t promise by anything else to back up what you say. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” If you do more than this, you will be judged.
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Then that person should pray. Is anyone among you happy? Then that person should sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then that person should send for the elders of the church to pray over them. They should ask the elders to anoint them with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer offered by those who have faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will heal them. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.
17 Elijah was a human being, just as we are. He prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain. And it didn’t rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Then he prayed again. That time it rained. And the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, suppose one of you wanders away from the truth. And suppose someone brings that person back. 20 Then here is what I want you to remember. Anyone who keeps a sinner from going astray will save them from death. God will erase many sins by forgiving them.
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