M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Saul and the Woman of En-dor
28 Now it happened in those days that (A)the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.” 2 And David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you [a]my bodyguard (B)for life.”
3 Now (C)Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him (D)in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who (E)were mediums and spiritists. 4 So the Philistines gathered together and came and camped (F)in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in (G)Gilboa. 5 Saul saw the camp of the Philistines and was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. 6 (H)So Saul asked of Yahweh, but (I)Yahweh did not answer him, either by (J)dreams or by (K)Urim or by prophets. 7 So Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, (L)there is a woman who is a medium at (M)En-dor.”
8 Then Saul (N)disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “(O)Divine for me, please, and (P)bring up for me whom I shall say to you.” 9 But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know (Q)what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?” 10 Then Saul swore to her by Yahweh, saying, “As Yahweh lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 And the woman saw Samuel and cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul.” 13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a [b]divine being coming up out of the earth.” 14 And he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and (R)he is wrapped with a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and (S)he bowed with his [c]face to the ground and prostrated himself.
15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed, for the Philistines are waging war against me, and (T)God has turned away from me and (U)no longer answers me, either by the hand of the prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since Yahweh has turned away from you and has become your adversary? 17 So Yahweh has done [d]accordingly (V)as He spoke by my hand, for Yahweh has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. 18 As (W)you did not listen to the voice of Yahweh and did not execute His burning anger on Amalek, so Yahweh has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover Yahweh will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow (X)you and your sons will be with me. Indeed Yahweh will give over the camp of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!”
20 Then Saul quickly fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no [e]food all day and all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Behold, your servant-woman has listened to your voice, and (Y)I have [f]taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. 22 So now also, please listen to the voice of your servant-woman, and let me set a piece of bread before you that you may eat and have strength when you go on your way.” 23 But he refused and said, “(Z)I will not eat.” (AA)However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to [g]them. So he arose from the ground and sat on (AB)the bed. 24 And the woman had a (AC)fattened calf in the house, and she quickly sacrificed it; and she (AD)took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 And she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night.
Paul Gives Up His Rights
9 Am I not (A)free? Am I not an (B)apostle? Have I not (C)seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not (D)my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the (E)seal of my (F)apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 (G)Do we not have authority to eat and drink? 5 (H)Do we not have authority to take along a [a]believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the (I)brothers of the Lord and (J)Cephas? 6 Or do only [b](K)Barnabas and I not have authority to refrain from working? 7 Who at any time serves (L)as a soldier at his own expense? Who (M)plants a vineyard and does not [c]consume the fruit of it? Or who shepherds a flock and does not [d]consume the milk of the flock?
8 Am I speaking these things (N)according to [e]human judgment? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “(O)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.” Is God merely concerned about (P)oxen? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, (Q)for our sake it was written, because (R)the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 (S)If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this authority over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we (T)did not use this authority, but we endure all things (U)so that we will cause no hindrance to the (V)gospel of Christ. 13 (W)Do you not know that those who (X)perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share [f]from the altar? 14 So also (Y)the Lord directed those who proclaim the (Z)gospel to (AA)get their living from the gospel.
15 But I have (AB)used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case, for it would be better for me to die than have anyone make (AC)my boast an empty one. 16 For if I proclaim the gospel, I have nothing to boast, for (AD)I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not proclaim (AE)the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a (AF)reward; but if against my will, I have a (AG)stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my (AH)reward? That, when I proclaim the gospel, I may offer the gospel (AI)without charge, so as (AJ)not to make full use of my authority in the gospel.
19 For though I am (AK)free from all, I have made myself (AL)a slave to all, so that I may (AM)win more. 20 (AN)And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews. To those who are under [g]the Law, as under [h]the Law though (AO)not being myself under [i]the Law, so that I might win those who are under [j]the Law. 21 To those who are (AP)without law, (AQ)as without law, though not being without the law of God but (AR)under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the (AS)weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become (AT)all things to all men, (AU)so that I may by all means save some. 23 So I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
24 (AV)Do you not know that those who run in a [k]race all run, but only one receives (AW)the prize? (AX)Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Now everyone who (AY)competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a corruptible (AZ)crown, but we an incorruptible. 26 Therefore I (BA)run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not (BB)beating the air; 27 but I [l]discipline (BC)my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
The Pitiless Wrath of Yahweh
7 Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 2 “Now as for you, son of man, thus says Lord Yahweh to the land of Israel, ‘An (A)end! The end is coming on the four corners of the earth. 3 Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and put all your abominations upon you. 4 For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will (B)put your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will (C)know that I am Yahweh!’
5 “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘A (D)calamitous evil, a unique calamitous evil, behold, it is coming! 6 An end has come; the end has come! It has (E)awakened against you; behold, it is coming! 7 Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The (F)time has come; the (G)day is near—confusion rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. 8 Now it is near when I will (H)pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you and (I)judge you according to your ways and put on you all your abominations. 9 My eye will show no pity, nor will I spare. I will give to you according to your ways, while your abominations are among you; then you will know that I, Yahweh, do the striking.
10 ‘Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your doom has gone forth; the (J)rod has blossomed; arrogance has budded. 11 Violence [a]has grown into a rod of (K)wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their multitude, none of their (L)moaning, nor anything eminent among them. 12 The (M)time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the (N)buyer be glad nor the seller mourn; for (O)wrath is against all their multitude. 13 Indeed, the seller will not (P)return to himself [b]what he sold as long as [c]they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not return empty, nor will any of them strengthen his life by his iniquity.
14 ‘They have (Q)blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all [d]their multitude. 15 The (R)sword is outside, and the plague and the famine are inside. He who is in the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also devour those in the city. 16 Even when their survivors (S)escape, they will be on the mountains like (T)doves of the valleys, all of them (U)moaning, each over his own iniquity. 17 All (V)hands will hang limp, and all knees will [e]become like water. 18 They will (W)gird themselves with sackcloth, and (X)horror will cover them; and shame will be on all faces and (Y)baldness on all their heads. 19 They will (Z)throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an impure thing; their (AA)silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the fury of Yahweh. They cannot satisfy their soul, nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling.
The Temple Profaned
20 They [f]transformed the beauty of His ornaments into pride, and (AB)they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an impure thing to them. 21 I will give it into the hands of the (AC)foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it. 22 I will also turn My (AD)face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it.
23 ‘(AE)Make the chain, for the land is full of (AF)judgments that promote bloodshed, and the city is (AG)full of violence. 24 Therefore, I will bring the most evil of the (AH)nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the (AI)pride of the strong ones cease, and their (AJ)holy places will be profaned. 25 Anguish has come, and they will seek (AK)peace, but there will be none. 26 (AL)Disaster will come upon disaster, and (AM)report will be added to report; then they will seek a (AN)vision from a prophet, but the (AO)law will be lost from the priest and (AP)counsel from the elders. 27 The king will mourn, the prince will be (AQ)clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land will be dismayed. According to their way I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am Yahweh.’”
Your Throne, O God, Is Forever
For the choir director. According to [a]Shoshannim. Of the sons of Korah. A [b]Maskil. A Song of Love.
45 My heart [c]overflows with a good theme;
I [d]address my [e]verses to the [f]King;
My tongue is the pen of (A)a skillful scribe.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
(B)Grace is poured [g]upon Your lips;
Therefore God has (C)blessed You forever.
3 Gird (D)Your sword on Your thigh, O [h](E)Mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty!
4 And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth and (F)meekness and righteousness;
Let Your (G)right hand teach You [i]awesome things.
5 Your (H)arrows are sharp;
The (I)peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are (J)in the heart of the King’s enemies.
6 (K)Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of (L)uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You have (M)loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has (N)anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your companions.
8 All Your garments are fragrant with (O)myrrh and aloes and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces (P)stringed instruments have made You glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among (Q)Your noble ladies;
At Your (R)right hand stands the queen in (S)gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear:
(T)Forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will desire your beauty.
Because He is your (U)Lord, (V)bow down to Him.
12 The daughter of (W)Tyre will come with a present;
The (X)rich among the people will seek your favor.
13 The King’s daughter is all glorious within her chamber;
Her clothing is (Y)interwoven with gold.
14 She will be (Z)led to the King (AA)in embroidered work;
The (AB)virgins, her companions who follow her,
Will be brought to You.
15 They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing;
They will enter into the King’s palace.
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