M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David, Nabal, and Abigail
25 Samuel died,(A) and all Israel assembled to mourn for him,(B) and they buried him by his home in Ramah.(C) David then went down to the Wilderness of Paran.[a](D)
2 A man in Maon(E) had a business in Carmel;(F) he was a very rich man with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite,(G) was harsh and evil in his dealings.
4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep, 5 so David sent 10 young men instructing them, “Go up to Carmel, and when you come to Nabal, greet him in my name.[b] 6 Then say this: ‘Long life to you,[c] and peace to you, to your family, and to all that is yours.(H) 7 I hear that you are shearing.[d] When your shepherds were with us, we did not harass them, and nothing of theirs was missing the whole time they were in Carmel.(I) 8 Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on a feast[e] day.(J) Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David.’”
9 David’s young men went and said all these things to Nabal on David’s behalf,[f] and they waited.[g] 10 Nabal asked them, “Who is David?(K) Who is Jesse’s son? Many slaves these days are running away from their masters. 11 Am I supposed to take my bread, my water, and my meat that I butchered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don’t know where they are from.”
12 David’s men retraced their steps. When they returned to him, they reported all these words. 13 He said to his men, “All of you, put on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords. About 400 men followed David while 200 stayed with the supplies.(L)
14 One of Nabal’s young men informed Abigail, Nabal’s wife: “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master,(M) but he yelled at them. 15 The men treated us well. When we were in the field, we weren’t harassed(N) and nothing of ours was missing the whole time we were living among them. 16 They were a wall around us, both day and night,(O) the entire time we were herding the sheep. 17 Now consider carefully what you must do, because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!”
18 Abigail hurried, taking 200 loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, a bushel[h] of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.(P) 19 Then she said to her male servants, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.”(Q) But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
20 As she rode the donkey down a mountain pass hidden from view, she saw David and his men coming toward her and met them. 21 David had just said, “I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness for nothing. He was not missing anything, yet he paid me back evil for good. 22 May God punish me[i] and do so severely(R) if I let any of his men[j] survive until morning.”(S)
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off the donkey and fell with her face to the ground in front of David.(T) 24 She fell at his feet and said, “The guilt is mine, my lord, but please let your servant speak to you directly. Listen to the words of your servant. 25 My lord should pay no attention to this worthless man Nabal, for he lives up to his name:[k] His name is Nabal,[l] and stupidity is all he knows.[m] I, your servant, didn’t see my lord’s young men whom you sent. 26 Now my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, it is the Lord who kept you from participating in bloodshed and avenging yourself(U) by your own hand. May your enemies and those who want trouble for my lord be like Nabal.(V) 27 Accept this gift(W) your servant has brought to my lord, and let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28 Please forgive your servant’s offense,(X) for the Lord is certain to make a lasting dynasty for my lord(Y) because he fights the Lord’s battles.(Z) Throughout your life, may evil[n] not be found in you.(AA)
29 “When someone pursues you and attempts to take your life, my lord’s life will be tucked safely in the place[o] where the Lord your God protects the living. However, He will fling away your enemies’ lives like stones from a sling.(AB) 30 When the Lord does for my lord all the good He promised and appoints you ruler over Israel,(AC) 31 there will not be remorse or a troubled conscience for my lord because of needless bloodshed or my lord’s revenge. And when the Lord does good things for my lord, may you remember me your servant.”(AD)
32 Then David said to Abigail, “Praise to the Lord God of Israel,(AE) who sent you to meet me today! 33 Your discernment is blessed, and you are blessed. Today you kept me from participating in bloodshed and avenging myself by my own hand.(AF) 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, who prevented me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, Nabal wouldn’t have had any men[p] left by morning light.” 35 Then David accepted what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace.(AG) See, I have heard what you said and have granted your request.”(AH)
36 Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king.(AI) Nabal was in a good mood[q] and very drunk, so she didn’t say anything[r] to him(AJ) until morning light.
37 In the morning when Nabal sobered up,[s] his wife told him about these events. Then he had a seizure[t] and became paralyzed.[u] 38 About 10 days later, the Lord struck Nabal dead.(AK)
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord who championed my cause against Nabal’s insults(AL) and restrained His servant from doing evil.(AM) The Lord brought Nabal’s evil deeds back on his own head.”(AN)
Then David sent messengers to speak to Abigail about marrying him. 40 When David’s servants came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David sent us to bring you to him as a wife.”
41 She stood up, then bowed her face to the ground(AO) and said, “Here I am, your servant, to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”(AP) 42 Then Abigail got up quickly, and with her five female servants accompanying her, rode on the donkey following David’s messengers.(AQ) And so she became his wife.
43 David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel,(AR) and the two of them became his wives. 44 But Saul gave his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Palti(AS) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.(AT)
Lawsuits among Believers
6 If any of you has a legal dispute against another, do you dare go to court(A) before the unrighteous,[a] and not before the saints? 2 Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest cases? 3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters? 4 So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those[b] who have no standing(B) in the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame!(C) Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between his brothers?(D) 6 Instead, believer[c] goes to court against believer, and that before unbelievers!(E)
7 Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you.(F) Why not rather put up with injustice?(G) Why not rather be cheated?(H) 8 Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers! 9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous(I) will not inherit God’s kingdom?(J) Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,(K) adulterers,(L) or anyone practicing homosexuality,[d](M) 10 no thieves,(N) greedy(O) people, drunkards, verbally abusive people,(P) or swindlers(Q) will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this.(R) But you were washed, you were sanctified,(S) you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Glorifying God in Body and Spirit
12 “Everything is permissible(T) for me,”[e] but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything. 13 “Food(U) for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both of them.[f] The body is not for sexual immorality(V) but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.(W) 15 Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?(X) So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.(Y)[g] 17 But anyone joined(Z) to the Lord is one spirit(AA) with Him.
18 Run(AB) from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.”[h] On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral(AC) sins against his own body. 19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary(AD) of the Holy Spirit(AE) who is in you,(AF) whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought(AG) at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.[i]
Jerusalem’s Siege Dramatized
4 “Now you, son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then lay siege against it:(A) construct a siege wall, build a ramp, pitch military camps, and place battering rams against it on all sides. 3 Take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign for the house of Israel.(B)
4 “Then lie down on your left side and place the iniquity[a] of the house of Israel on it. You will bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side. 5 For I have assigned you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days you lie down, 390 days; so you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.(C) 6 When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. 7 You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it. 8 Be aware that I will put cords on you so you cannot turn from side to side until you have finished the days of your siege.(D)
9 “Also take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt. Put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the number of days you lie on your side, 390 days. 10 The food you eat each day will be eight ounces[b] by weight; you will eat it from time to time.[c] 11 You are also to drink water by measure, a sixth of a gallon,[d] which you will drink from time to time. 12 You will eat it as you would a barley cake and bake it over dried human excrement in their sight.” 13 The Lord said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their bread—ceremonially unclean—among the nations where I will banish them.”(E)
14 But I said, “Oh, Lord God, I have never been defiled. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts.(F) And impure meat has never entered my mouth.”(G)
15 He replied to me, “Look, I will let you use cow dung instead of human excrement, and you can make your bread over that.” 16 Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem.(H) They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight and in dread drink water by measure.(I) 17 So they will lack bread and water; everyone will be devastated and waste away because of their iniquity.(J)
Psalm 40
Thanksgiving and a Cry for Help
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He turned to me and heard my cry for help.(A)
2 He brought me up from a desolate[a] pit,
out of the muddy clay,(B)
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.(C)
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.(D)
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.(E)
4 How happy is the man
who has put his trust in the Lord
and has not turned to the proud
or to those who run after lies!(F)
5 Lord my God, You have done many things—
Your wonderful works and Your plans for us;
none can compare with You.
If I were to report and speak of them,
they are more than can be told.(G)
6 You do not delight in sacrifice and offering;
You open my ears to listen.[b]
You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.(H)
7 Then I said, “See, I have come;
it is written about me in the volume of the scroll.(I)
8 I delight to do Your will, my God;(J)
Your instruction lives within me.”[c](K)
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
see, I do not keep my mouth closed[d]—
as You know, Lord.(L)
10 I did not hide Your righteousness in my heart;
I spoke about Your faithfulness and salvation;
I did not conceal Your constant love and truth
from the great assembly.(M)
11 Lord, do not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your constant love and truth will always guard me.(N)
12 For troubles without number have surrounded me;
my sins have overtaken me; I am unable to see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my courage leaves me.(O)
13 Lord, be pleased to deliver me;
hurry to help me, Lord.(P)
14 Let those who seek to take my life
be disgraced and confounded.
Let those who wish me harm
be driven back and humiliated.(Q)
15 Let those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
be horrified because of their shame.(R)
16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
let those who love Your salvation continually say,
“The Lord is great!”(S)
17 I am afflicted and needy;
the Lord thinks of me.
You are my helper and my deliverer;
my God, do not delay.(T)
Psalm 41
Victory in Spite of Betrayal
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 Happy is one who cares for the poor;
the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.(U)
2 The Lord will keep him and preserve him;
he will be blessed in the land.(V)
You will not give him over to the desire of his enemies.(W)
3 The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed;
You will heal him on the bed where he lies.(X)
4 I said, “Lord, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against You.”(Y)
5 My enemies speak maliciously about me:
“When will he die and be forgotten?”(Z)
6 When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully;
he stores up evil in his heart;
he goes out and talks.(AA)
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
they plan to harm me.(AB)
8 “Lethal poison has been poured into him,
and he won’t rise again from where he lies!”(AC)
9 Even my friend[e] in whom I trusted,
one who ate my bread,
has raised his heel against me.(AD)
10 But You, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up;
then I will repay them.(AE)
11 By this I know that You delight in me:(AF)
my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.(AG)
12 You supported me because of my integrity(AH)
and set me in Your presence forever.(AI)
13 May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen.(AJ)
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