M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Parashat Bamidbar
Census of Fighting Men
1 In the wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month in the second year from the Exodus from the land of Egypt, Adonai spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting saying, 2 “Do a head count of all the community of Bnei-Yisrael by their families and their ancestral house, with a total of every male one by one. 3 You and Aaron are to muster by their divisions every son from 20 years and upward available to serve in the army of Israel. 4 One man from each tribe, each head of his father’s household, is to assist you.
5 “These then are the names of the men who will assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. 6 From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 7 From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. 8 From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. 9 From Zebulon, Eliab son of Helon. 10 From the sons of Joseph—from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 11 From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. 12 From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
13 From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran. 14 From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15 From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” 16 These were those selected from the community, princes of their ancestral tribes. They were heads of the thousands of Israel.
17 So Moses and Aaron took these men designated by name. 18 They assembled all the community on the first day of the second month. They declared their lineage according to their families, the households of their forefathers, with the number of the names of those 20 years old and upward being listed individually. 19 Moses numbered Israel in the wilderness of Sinai just as Adonai had commanded him.
20 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn (their generations, their families, by their ancestral households, according to the count of their names, every male from 20 years and upward, all available for the army), 21 those counted from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
22 From the sons of Simeon (their generations, according to their families, their ancestral households, whose names were counted by polls, every male 20 years and upward, every one who would go with the army), 23 they counted from the tribe of Simeon 59,300.
24 From the sons of Gad (their generations according to their families, to their ancestral households, in the count of names of every male 20 years old and upward, every one available to go out with the army), 25 those counted from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
26 From the sons of Judah (their generations, by their families, their ancestral households, the count of their names, all who would go out with the army), 27 those counted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
28 From the sons of Issachar (their generations, according to their families, their ancestral households, by number of the names of every male 20 years old and upward, going out with the army), 29 those counted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
30 From the sons of Zebulon (their generations, according to their families, to their ancestral households, by number of the names of everyone 20 years old and upward going out with the army), 31 those counted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
32 From the sons of Joseph—the sons of Ephraim (their generations according to their families, to their ancestral households, by count of the names of all those 20 years old and upward going out with the army), 33 those numbered from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
34 From the sons of Manasseh (their generations according to their families, their ancestral households, by number of the names of those 20 years old and upward going out with the army), 35 those counted from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
36 From the sons of Benjamin (their generations by their families, their ancestral households, by number of the names of every one 20 years old and upward going out with the army), 37 those numbered from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
38 From the sons of Dan, their generations by their families their ancestral households, by number of everyone 20 years old and upward who would go out with the army, 39 those numbered from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
40 From the sons of Asher (their generations by their families, their ancestral households, by number everyone 20 years old and upward who could go out with the army), 41 those counted from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
42 From the sons of Naphtali (their generations by their families, their ancestral households, by number everyone 20 years old and upward who would go out with the army), 43 those counted from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
44 These were the ones numbered—Moses, Aaron and the princes of Israel counted them. Each of the twelve men represented his ancestral house. 45 So all those counted from Bnei-Yisrael, according to their ancestral houses, from 20 years old and up—all able to go out with the army in Israel— 46 all those who were counted totaled 603,550.
Duties of the Levities
47 The Levites, however, were not counted by the tribe of their ancestors, 48 for Adonai told Moses saying, 49 “Definitely you are not to number the tribe of Levi, nor take the sum of them among Bnei-Yisrael. 50 Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its implements and all pertaining to it. They are to carry the Tabernacle and all its utensils, tend to it and camp around it.
51 Whenever the Tabernacle sets out, the Levites are to dismantle it, and whenever the Tabernacle is pitched, the Levites are to set it up. But the commoner who comes near to it must be put to death.
52 Bnei-Yisrael will encamp, each man with his own camp, each with his own standard, according to their own divisions. 53 The Levites are to camp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, so that there will be no wrath unleashed on the community of Bnei-Yisrael. So the Levites are to maintain care of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.
54 So Bnei-Yisrael did—all that Adonai commanded Moses, so they did.
Justice for the Oppressed
Psalm 35
1 A psalm of David.
Adonai, oppose those who oppose me.
Fight those who fight me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and rise up to my help.
3 Draw out also a spear and battle-axe.
Stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life
be ashamed and disgraced.
May they be turned back and humiliated
—those who plot evil against me.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of Adonai driving them off.
6 May their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of Adonai pursuing them.
7 For without cause they hid their net for me,
and without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let ruin come upon him by surprise.
Let the net he hid entangle himself
—into that same pit let him fall.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in Adonai
and delight in His salvation.
10 All my bones will say:
“Adonai, who is like You,
rescuing the poor from one too strong for him,
the poor and needy from one who robs him?”
11 Violent witnesses rise up.
They question me about things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good—
my soul is forlorn.
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
my clothing was sackcloth.
I afflicted my soul with fasting,
my prayer kept returning to my heart.
14 I went about mourning as though for my own friend or brother.
I bowed down dressed in black as though for my own mother.
15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee.
Wretches gathered against me whom I did not know,
tearing at me without ceasing.
16 They mocked profanely, as if at a feast,
they gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 My Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages—
my solitary existence from the lions.
18 I praise You in the great assembly,
acclaiming You among a throng of people.
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies gloat over me without cause,
nor let those who hate me for nothing wink an eye.[a]
20 For they never speak shalom,
but devise deceitful words against the quiet ones in the land.
21 Yes, they open their mouth wide against me, saying:
“Aha! Aha! Our own eyes have seen it!”
22 You have seen it, Adonai—be not silent!
Adonai, be not far from me.
23 Arise, awaken to my defense,
to my cause—my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, Adonai my God,
according to Your justice,
and do not let them gloat over me.
25 Don’t let them say in their heart:
“Aha! Just what we wanted!”
Don’t let them say:
“We swallowed him up!”
26 May they be ashamed and humiliated,
those who rejoice over my misery.
May they who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May they shout for joy and be glad,
those who delight in my righteous cause.
May they always say:
“Exalted be Adonai, who delights in His servant’s shalom.”
28 Then my tongue will declare aloud
Your justice and Your praises all day.
Wisdom of the Long View
11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it.
2 Give portions to seven, or even to eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen upon the earth.
3 If the clouds are full,
they empty out rain upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to south or north,
the tree lies wherever it falls.
4 Whoever keeps watching the wind will not sow
and whoever gazes at the clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you do not know how the spirit passes into the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman,
so you do not know the work of God who makes all things.
6 In the morning sow your seed,
and in the evening do not let your hand be idle,
for you do not know if this or that will succeed,
or if both will prosper together.
7 Light is sweet,
and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8 For if a man lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all.
But let him remember the days of darkness—
for there will be many.
Everything to come is obscure.
9 Rejoice, young man, in your childhood,
and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.
Walk in the ways of your heart
and in the sight of your eyes,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment.
10 So banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off distress from your body,
for youth and prime of life are fleeting.
Be Ready for Good Deeds
3 Remind the people to be submitted to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to slander no one, without fighting, gentle, showing every courtesy to all people. 3 For we also once were foolish, disobedient, deluded, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness of God our Savior
and His love for mankind appeared—
5 not by deeds of righteousness
which we had done ourselves,
but because of His mercy—
He saved us through the mikveh of
rebirth
and renewing of the Ruach ha-Kodesh,
6 whom He abundantly poured out on us
through Messiah Yeshua our Savior,
7 so that being set right by His grace,
we might become heirs
with the confident hope of eternal life!
8 Trustworthy is the saying, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have put their trust in God may be careful to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.
9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about Torah, for they are unprofitable and useless. 10 Dismiss a quarrelsome person after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a person is twisted and is sinning—he is self-condemned.
Final Words
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, hurry to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to winter there. 13 Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with great care, so that nothing is lacking for them. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to doing mitzvot to meet urgent needs, so they will not be unfruitful.
15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.