M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

3 The war between the house of Sha’ul and the house of David dragged on, but David grew stronger, while the house of Sha’ul became weaker.

² Sons were born to David in Hevron. His firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Achino‘am from Yizre‘el; ³ his second, Kil’av, whose mother was Avigayil the widow of Naval from Karmel; the third, Avshalom, whose mother was Ma‘akhah the daughter of Talmai king of G’shur; ⁴ the fourth, Adoniyah the son of Haggit; the fifth, Sh’fatyah the son of Avital; ⁵ and the sixth, Yitre‘am, whose mother was ‘Eglah David’s wife. These were born to David in Hevron.

⁶ During the war that was going on between the house of Sha’ul and the house of David, Avner strengthened his position in the house of Sha’ul. ⁷ Sha’ul had had a concubine named Ritzpah, the daughter of Ayah; and [Ish-Boshet] challenged Avner: “Why did you go and sleep with my father’s concubine?” ⁸ These words of Ish-Boshet’s enraged Avner. “What am I,” he shouted, “[that you treat me with such contempt]? A dog’s head in Y’hudah? Till this moment I have shown only kindness to the house of Sha’ul your father, and to his brothers and to his friends; and I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet you choose today to pick a fight with me over this woman! ⁹ May God bring terrible curses on Avner and worse ones yet if I don’t accomplish what Adonai swore to David — ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the house of Sha’ul and set up the throne of David over Isra’el and Y’hudah, from Dan all the way to Be’er-Sheva!” ¹¹ Ish-Boshet couldn’t answer Avner a word, because he was afraid of him.

¹² Avner immediately sent envoys to David with this message: “Who is going to control the land? If you make yourself my ally, I will use my power to bring all Isra’el over to you.” ¹³ David sent this reply: “Very well, I will be your ally — on one condition: you will not come into my presence unless at the same time you bring with you Mikhal Sha’ul’s daughter.” ¹⁴ David sent messengers to say to Ish-Boshet the son of Sha’ul, “Give me back my wife Mikhal. I betrothed her to myself for 100 foreskins of the P’lishtim.” ¹⁵ Ish-Boshet sent and took her from her husband Palti’el the son of Layish. ¹⁶ Her husband went with her, crying as he went, and followed her to Bachurim. But when Avner told him, “Go back,” he returned.

¹⁷ Then Avner conferred with the leaders of Isra’el. He said, “In the past, you wanted David to be king over you. ¹⁸ So now, do it. For Adonai has said of David, ‘Through my servant David I will rescue my people Isra’el from the power of the P’lishtim and from the power of all their enemies.’” ¹⁹ Avner also spoke with the people of Binyamin.

Then Avner went to Hevron and reported to David everything that had been agreed to by Isra’el and the house of Binyamin. ²⁰ When Avner came to David in Hevron he brought twenty men with him. David held a feast for Avner and his men. ²¹ Avner said to David, “I must get up and go to gather all Isra’el to my lord the king, so that they can make a covenant with you. Then you will be able to rule over everything your heart desires.” David sent Avner off, giving him safe conduct.

²² Just then David’s men and Yo’av returned from a raid, bringing a lot of plunder with them. But Avner was not with David in Hevron, because he had sent him off under safe conduct. ²³ When Yo’av and all his army had arrived, Yo’av was told, “Avner the son of Ner came to the king, but he sent him off, and he has left under safe conduct.” ²⁴ Yo’av went to the king and said, “What have you done? Here, Avner came to you, and you sent him away, and now he’s gone! Why? ²⁵ You know Avner the son of Ner — he came only to deceive you, to learn what campaigns you’re planning and to find out everything you’re doing!”

²⁶ After leaving David, Yo’av sent messengers after Avner, and they brought him back from the water cistern at Sirah without David’s knowledge. ²⁷ Upon Avner’s return to Hevron, Yo’av took him aside into the space between the outer and inner city gates as if to speak with him privately; and there he struck him in the groin, so that he died — thus avenging the death of ‘Asah’el his brother.

²⁸ Afterwards, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent of the death of Avner the son of Ner. ²⁹ Let it fall on the head of Yo’av and all his father’s family. May Yo’av’s family always have someone with a hemorrhage or tzara‘at, or who has to walk with a cane, or who dies by the sword or who lacks food.” ³⁰ Thus Yo’av and Avishai his brother killed Avner, because he had killed their brother ‘Asah’el during the battle in Giv‘on. ³¹ But David said to Yo’av and all those with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Avner.” King David himself walked behind the body as it was carried. ³² They buried Avner at Hevron; the king wept aloud at Avner’s grave, and all the people wept. ³³ The king sang this lament over Avner:

Then all the people wept over him more than ever.

³⁵ All the people came to David and tried to make him eat some bread while it was still daytime; but David swore, “May God bring terrible curses on me and worse ones yet if I taste bread or anything else until the sun goes down.” ³⁶ All the people took note of this, and it pleased them; whatever the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ So that day, all the people and all Isra’el understood that the king had had no part in the killing of Avner the son of Ner. ³⁸ The king said to his servants, “You realize that a leader, a great man, has fallen today in Isra’el. ³⁹ Even though I have just been anointed king, I feel weak today; and these men, the sons of Tz’ruyah, are too brutal for me. May Adonai repay the criminal as his crime deserves!”

However, keep on eagerly seeking the things of the Spirit; and especially seek to be able to prophesy. ² For someone speaking in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God, because no one can understand, since he is uttering mysteries in the power of the Spirit. ³ But someone prophesying is speaking to people, edifying, encouraging and comforting them. ⁴ A person speaking in a tongue does edify himself, but a person prophesying edifies the congregation. ⁵ I wish you would all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you would all prophesy. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless someone gives an interpretation, so that the congregation can be edified.

⁶ Brothers, suppose I come to you now speaking in tongues. How can I be of benefit to you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ⁷ Even with lifeless musical instruments, such as a flute or a harp, how will anyone recognize the melody if one note can’t be distinguished from another? ⁸ And if the bugle gives an unclear sound, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ It’s the same with you: how will anyone know what you are saying unless you use your tongue to produce intelligible speech? You will be talking to the air! ¹⁰ There are undoubtedly all kinds of sounds in the world, and none is altogether meaningless; ¹¹ but if I don’t know what a person’s sounds mean, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. ¹² Likewise with you: since you eagerly seek the things of the Spirit, seek especially what will help in edifying the congregation.

¹³ Therefore someone who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit does pray, but my mind is unproductive. ¹⁵ So, what about it? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you are giving thanks with your spirit, how will someone who has not yet received much instruction be able to say, “Amen,” when you have finished giving thanks, since he doesn’t know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For undoubtedly you are giving thanks very nicely, but the other person is not being edified. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you, ¹⁹ but in a congregation meeting I would rather say five words with my mind in order to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue!

²⁰ Brothers, don’t be children in your thinking. In evil, be like infants; but in your thinking, be grown-up. ²¹ In the Torah it is written,

²² Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³ So if the whole congregation comes together with everybody speaking in tongues, and uninstructed people or unbelievers come in, won’t they say you’re crazy? ²⁴ But if you all prophesy, and some unbeliever or uninstructed person enters, he is convicted of sin by all, he is brought under judgment by all, ²⁵ and the secrets of his heart are laid bare; so he falls on his face and worships God, saying, “God is really here among you!”

²⁶ What is our conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, let everyone be ready with a psalm or a teaching or a revelation, or ready to use his gift of tongues or give an interpretation; but let everything be for edification. ²⁷ If the gift of tongues is exercised, let it be by two or at most three, and each in turn; and let someone interpret. ²⁸ And if there is no one present who can interpret, let the people who speak in tongues keep silent when the congregation meets — they can speak to themselves and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, while the others weigh what is said. ³⁰ And if something is revealed to a prophet who is sitting down, let the first one be silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, with the result that all will learn something and all will be encouraged. ³² Also, the prophets’ spirits are under the prophets’ control; ³³ for God is not a God of unruliness but of shalom.

As in all the congregations of God’s people, ³⁴ let the wives remain silent when the congregation meets; they are certainly not permitted to speak out. Rather, let them remain subordinate, as also the Torah says; ³⁵ and if there is something they want to know, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for a woman to speak out in a congregational meeting.

³⁶ Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷ If anyone thinks he is a prophet or is endowed with the Spirit, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is a command of the Lord. ³⁸ But if someone doesn’t recognize this, then let him remain unrecognized.

³⁹ So, my brothers, eagerly seek to prophesy; and do not forbid speaking in tongues; ⁴⁰ but let all things be done in a proper and orderly way.

12 The word of Adonai came to me: ² “Human being, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes that can see, but they don’t take notice; and they have ears that can hear, but they don’t pay attention; because they are a rebellious people. ³ So you, human being, prepare supplies for exile; and during the daytime, as they watch, go away as if you were going into exile — leave your place, and go somewhere else as they watch. Perhaps they will take notice, even though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ Bring out your belongings during the day while they watch, as supplies for exile; and you yourself, while they watch, are to leave as people do who are going into exile. ⁵ Dig a hole through the wall while they watch, and carry [your belongings] out through it. ⁶ While they watch, you are to shoulder your pack and carry it out into the dark, with your face covered, so that you can’t see the ground; for I am making you a sign for the house of Isra’el.”

⁷ So I did as I had been ordered — I brought out my belongings during the day as supplies for exile, and in the evening I dug a hole through the wall with my hand; then I carried my pack out on my shoulder in the dark as they watched.

⁸ In the morning the word of Adonai came to me: ⁹ “Human being, the house of Isra’el, that rebellious house, has asked you what you are doing. ¹⁰ Tell them that Adonai Elohim says this prophecy concerns the prince in Yerushalayim and all the house of Isra’el there. ¹¹ Say: ‘I am a sign for you. As I have done, so will it be done to them — they will go into exile, into captivity. ¹² The prince who is with them will shoulder his pack and leave in the dark. They will dig holes through the wall to carry out their supplies. He will cover his face, so that he won’t be able to see the ground with his eyes. ¹³ I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. Then I will bring him to Bavel, to the land of the Kasdim. But he will not see it, even though he is going to die there. ¹⁴ I will scatter to every wind all who are in attendance on him to help him, along with all his troops; and I will pursue them with the sword. ¹⁵ They will know that I am Adonai when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the countries. ¹⁶ But I will spare a few of them from sword, famine and plague; so that they can tell about all their disgusting practices among the nations where they go; thus they too will know that I am Adonai.’”

¹⁷ The word of Adonai came to me: ¹⁸ “Human being, shake as you eat your food; tremble anxiously as you drink your water; ¹⁹ and say to the people of the land, ‘Here is what Adonai Elohim says concerning those living in Yerushalayim in the land of Isra’el: “They will eat their bread in anxiety and drink their water in horror; because the land will be desolated from everything that fills it, due to the violence of those living there. ²⁰ The inhabited cities will be laid waste, the land will be desolate, and you will know that I am Adonai.”’”

²¹ The word of Adonai came to me: ²² “Human being, don’t you have this proverb in the land of Isra’el, ‘Time keeps passing, and none of the visions are fulfilled’? ²³ Therefore tell them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will put an end to that proverb; never again will they use it as a proverb in Isra’el.’ Tell them, ‘The time has come for the fulfillment of every vision. ²⁴ There will no longer be empty visions or falsely optimistic divinations in the house of Isra’el, ²⁵ because I am Adonai. I will speak; and whatever statement I make, it will be accomplished. It will no longer be delayed; for in your days, you rebellious house, I will speak the word and accomplish it,’ says Adonai Elohim.”

²⁶ Again, the word of Adonai came to me: ²⁷ “Human being, look! People from the house of Isra’el are saying, ‘The vision he sees concerns the distant future; he is prophesying about a time far off.’ ²⁸ Therefore, say to them that Adonai Elohim says, ‘None of my words will be delayed any more, but the word that I speak will be accomplished,’ says Adonai Elohim.”