M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

1 It was on the fifteenth day of April^[a] of the second year after the Israelis left Egypt that the Lord issued the following instructions to Moses. (He was in the Tabernacle at the camp of Israel on the Sinai peninsula at the time.)

^2-15 “Take a census of all the men twenty years old and older who are able to go to war, indicating their tribe and family. You and Aaron are to direct the project, assisted by these leaders from each tribe”:

¹⁶ These were the tribal leaders elected from among the people.

^17-19 [b] On the same day Moses and Aaron and the above-named leaders summoned all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older to come and register, each man indicating his tribe and family, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ^20-46 Here is the final tabulation:

Grand Total: 603,550

^47-49 This total does not include the Levites, for the Lord had said to Moses, “Exempt the entire tribe of Levi from the draft, and do not include their number in the census. ⁵⁰ For the Levites are assigned for the work connected with the Tabernacle and its transportation. They are to live near the Tabernacle, ⁵¹ and whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites are to take it down and set it up again; anyone else touching it shall be executed. ⁵² Each tribe of Israel shall have a separate camping area with its own flag. ⁵³ The Levites’ tents shall be clustered around the Tabernacle as a wall between the people of Israel and God’s wrath—to protect them from his fierce anger against their sins.”

⁵⁴ So all these instructions of the Lord to Moses were put into effect.

35 O Lord, fight those fighting me; declare war on them for their attacks on me. ² Put on your armor, take your shield and protect me by standing in front. ³ Lift your spear in my defense, for my pursuers are getting very close. Let me hear you say that you will save me from them. ⁴ Dishonor those who are trying to kill me. Turn them back and confuse them. ⁵ Blow them away like chaff in the wind—wind sent by the Angel of the Lord. ⁶ Make their path dark and slippery before them, with the Angel of the Lord pursuing them. ⁷ For though I did them no wrong, yet they laid a trap for me and dug a pitfall in my path. ⁸ Let them be overtaken by sudden ruin, caught in their own net and destroyed.

⁹ But I will rejoice in the Lord. He shall rescue me! ¹⁰ From the bottom of my heart praise rises to him. Where is his equal in all of heaven and earth? Who else protects the weak and helpless from the strong, and the poor and needy from those who would rob them?

¹¹ These evil men swear to a lie. They accuse me of things I have never even heard about. ¹² I do them good, but they return me harm. I am sinking down to death. ¹³ When they were ill, I mourned before the Lord in sackcloth, asking him to make them well; I refused to eat; I prayed for them with utmost earnestness, but God did not listen. ¹⁴ I went about sadly as though it were my mother, friend, or brother who was sick and nearing death. ¹⁵ But now that I am in trouble they are glad; they come together in meetings filled with slander against me—I didn’t even know some of those who were there. ¹⁶ For they gather with the worthless fellows of the town and spend their time cursing me.

¹⁷ Lord, how long will you stand there, doing nothing? Act now and rescue me, for I have but one life and these young lions are out to get it. ¹⁸ Save me, and I will thank you publicly before the entire congregation, before the largest crowd I can find.

¹⁹ Don’t give victory to those who fight me without any reason! Don’t let them rejoice^[a] at my fall—let them die. ²⁰ They don’t talk of peace and doing good, but of plots against innocent men who are minding their own business. ²¹ They shout that they have seen me doing wrong! “Aha!” they say. “With our own eyes we saw him do it.” ²² Lord, you know all about it. Don’t stay silent! Don’t desert me now!

²³ Rise up, O Lord my God; vindicate me. ²⁴ Declare me “not guilty,” for you are just.^[b] Don’t let my enemies rejoice over me in my troubles. ²⁵ Don’t let them say, “Aha! Our dearest wish against him will soon be fulfilled!” and, “At last we have him!” ²⁶ Shame them; let these who boast against me and who rejoice at my troubles be themselves overcome by misfortune that strips them bare of everything they own. Bare them to dishonor. ²⁷ But give great joy to all who wish me well. Let them shout with delight, “Great is the Lord who enjoys helping his child!”^{[c] 28} And I will tell everyone how great and good you are; I will praise you all day long.

11 Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. ² Divide your gifts among many,^[a] for in the days ahead you yourself may need much help.

³ When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down; when a tree falls, whether south or north, the die is cast, for there it lies. ⁴ If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.^{[b] 5} God’s ways are as mysterious as the pathway of the wind and as the manner in which a human spirit is infused into the little body of a baby while it is yet in its mother’s womb. ⁶ Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will.

⁷ It is a wonderful thing to be alive! ⁸ If a person lives to be very old, let him rejoice in every day of life, but let him also remember that eternity is far longer and that everything down here is futile in comparison.

⁹ Young man, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it! Do all you want to; take in everything, but realize that you must account to God for everything you do. ¹⁰ So banish grief and pain, but remember that youth, with a whole life before it, can make serious mistakes.

3 Remind your people to obey the government and its officers, and always to be obedient and ready for any honest work. ² They must not speak evil of anyone, nor quarrel, but be gentle and truly courteous to all.

³ Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient; we were misled by others and became slaves to many evil pleasures and wicked desires. Our lives were full of resentment and envy. We hated others and they hated us.

⁴ But when the time came for the kindness and love of God our Savior to appear, ⁵ then he saved us—not because we were good enough to be saved but because of his kindness and pity—by washing away our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out upon us with wonderful fullness—and all because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did ⁷ so that he could declare us good in God’s eyes—all because of his great kindness; and now we can share in the wealth of the eternal life he gives us, and we are eagerly looking forward to receiving it. ⁸ These things I have told you are all true. Insist on them so that Christians will be careful to do good deeds all the time, for this is not only right, but it brings results.

⁹ Don’t get involved in arguing over unanswerable questions and controversial theological ideas; keep out of arguments and quarrels about obedience to Jewish laws, for this kind of thing isn’t worthwhile; it only does harm. ¹⁰ If anyone is causing divisions among you, he should be given a first and second warning. After that have nothing more to do with him, ¹¹ for such a person has a wrong sense of values. He is sinning, and he knows it.

¹² I am planning to send either Artemas or Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them arrives, please try to meet me at Nicopolis as quickly as you can, for I have decided to stay there for the winter. ¹³ Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos with their trip; see that they are given everything they need. ¹⁴ For our people must learn to help all who need their assistance, that their lives will be fruitful.

¹⁵ Everybody here sends greetings. Please say hello to all of the Christian friends there. May God’s blessings be with you all.

Sincerely, Paul