M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David in Old Age
1 Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3 So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the (A)Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 Now the young woman was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and attended him, but the king did not [a]know her.
5 Now (B)Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So (C)he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men as runners before him. 6 But his father had never [b]grieved him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man in form, and [c](D)he was born after Absalom. 7 [d]And he had conferred with (E)Joab the son of Zeruiah and with (F)Abiathar the priest; and following (G)Adonijah, they helped him. 8 But (H)Zadok the priest, (I)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (J)Nathan the prophet, (K)Shimei, Rei, and (L)the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the [e]stone of Zoheleth, which is beside (M)En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and (N)Solomon his brother.
Nathan Speaks to Bathsheba
11 Then Nathan spoke to (O)Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 So now come, please let me (P)give you counsel and provide escape for your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go [f]at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “(Q)Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and fully confirm your words.”
15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now (R)the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself [g]before the king. And the king said, “What [h]do you wish?” 17 And she said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by [i]Yahweh your God, saying, ‘(S)Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 But now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 19 (T)And he has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will be, (U)as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered [j]offenders.”
22 Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23 Then they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And then he came in before the king and prostrated himself [k]before the king with his [l]face to the ground. 24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 (V)For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘(W)Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 (X)But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited. 27 Has this thing happened by my lord the king, and you have not made known to your [m]servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore and said, “(Y)As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30 surely as (Z)I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will surely do so this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her [n]face to the ground, and prostrated herself [o]before the king and said, “(AA)May my lord King David live forever.”
32 Then King David said, “Call to me (AB)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33 And the king said to them, “Take with you (AC)the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to (AD)Gihon. 34 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet shall (AE)anoint him there as king over Israel and (AF)blow the trumpet and say, ‘(AG)Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne. And he shall be king in my place; for I have commanded him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say. 37 (AH)As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and (AI)make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
Solomon Anointed King
38 So (AJ)Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, (AK)the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to (AL)Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest then (AM)took the horn of oil from the tent and (AN)anointed Solomon. Then they (AO)blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “(AP)Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, and the people [p]were playing on flutes and were glad with great gladness, so that the earth [q]shook at their sound.
41 And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. Then Joab heard the sound of the trumpet and said, “Why is the sound of the city such an uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, behold, (AQ)Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for (AR)you are a valiant man and bring good news.” 43 But Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there with gladness, (AS)so that the city is in an uproar. This is the sound which you have heard. 46 And also, (AT)Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And also, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May (AU)your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And (AV)the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 And also, the king said thus, ‘Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who (AW)has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”
49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled; and they arose and each went on his way. 50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went, and (AX)took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Then it was told to Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 And Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, (AY)not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself [r]before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
Christ Set Us Free
5 [a](A)It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, (B)stand firm and do not be subject again to a (C)yoke of slavery.
2 Behold I, (D)Paul, say to you that if you receive (E)circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I (F)testify again to every man who receives (G)circumcision, that he is under obligation to (H)keep the whole Law. 4 You have been [b]severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have (I)fallen from grace! 5 For we [c]through the Spirit, [d]by faith, are (J)eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in (K)Christ Jesus (L)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but (M)faith working through love.
7 You were (N)running well; who hindered you from [e]obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from (O)Him who calls you. 9 (P)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 (Q)I have confidence [f]in you in the Lord that you (R)will adopt no other view. But the one who is (S)disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still (T)persecuted? Then (U)the stumbling block of the cross would have been abolished. 12 I wish that (V)those who are upsetting you would even [g](W)mutilate themselves.
13 For you were called to (X)freedom, brothers; (Y)only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love (Z)serve one another. 14 For (AA)the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “(AB)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you (AC)bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.
Walk by the Spirit
16 But I say, (AD)walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out (AE)the desire of the flesh. 17 For (AF)the flesh [h]sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, (AG)so that you do not do the things that you want. 18 But if you are (AH)led by the Spirit, (AI)you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: (AJ)sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, (AK)sorcery, enmities, (AL)strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, (AM)selfish ambition, dissensions, [i](AN)factions, 21 envying, (AO)drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not (AP)inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But (AQ)the fruit of the Spirit is (AR)love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, (AS)self-control. Against such things (AT)there is no law. 24 Now those who [j]belong to (AU)Christ Jesus (AV)crucified the flesh with its passions and (AW)desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also [k]walk in step with (AX)the Spirit. 26 Let us not become those with (AY)vain glory, challenging one another, envying one another.
A Lament over Pharaoh and Egypt
32 And it happened in the (A)twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, take up a (B)lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him,
‘You liken yourself to a young (C)lion of the nations,
Yet you are like the (D)monster in the seas;
And you (E)burst forth in your rivers
And muddied the waters with your feet
And [a]fouled their rivers.’”
3 Thus says Lord Yahweh,
“So I will (F)spread My net over you
With an assembly of many peoples,
And they shall bring you up in My net.
4 I will abandon you on the land;
I will hurl you on the [b]open field.
And I will cause all the (G)birds of the sky to dwell on you,
And I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth [c]with you.
5 I will put your flesh (H)on the mountains
And fill the valleys with your refuse.
6 I will also make the land drink the discharge of your (I)blood
As far as the mountains,
And the ravines will be full of you.
7 And when I (J)extinguish you,
I will (K)cover the heavens and darken their (L)stars;
I will cover the (M)sun with a cloud,
And the moon will not give its light.
8 All the shining (N)lights in the heavens
I will darken over you
And will give darkness on your land,”
Declares Lord Yahweh.
9 “I will also (O)vex the hearts of many peoples when I (P)bring your destruction among the nations, into lands which you have not known. 10 I will make many peoples [d](Q)appalled at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and (R)they will tremble every moment, every man for his own life, on the day of your downfall.”
11 For (S)thus says Lord Yahweh, “The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. 12 By the swords of the mighty ones I will cause your multitude to fall; all of them are (T)ruthless ones of the nations,
And they will (U)devastate the lofty pride of Egypt,
And all its multitude will be destroyed.
13 I will also make all its cattle perish from beside many waters;
And (V)the foot of man will not muddy them anymore,
And the hoofs of beasts will not muddy them.
14 Then I will make their waters settle
And will cause their rivers to [e]run like oil,”
Declares Lord Yahweh.
15 “When I make the land of Egypt a (W)desolation,
And the land is desolate of its fullness,
When I strike all those who inhabit it,
Then they shall (X)know that I am Yahweh.
16 This is a (Y)lamentation, and they shall [f]lament over it. The daughters of the nations shall [g]lament over it. Over Egypt and over all her multitude they shall [h]lament over it,” declares Lord Yahweh.
17 Now it happened in the (Z)twelfth year, on the (AA)fifteenth of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 18 “Son of man, (AB)wail for the hordes of Egypt and (AC)bring it down, her and the daughters of the powerful nations, to the (AD)nether world, with those who go down to the pit;
19 ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty?
Go down and make your bed with the (AE)uncircumcised.’
20 They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword. [i]She is given over to the sword; they have (AF)drawn her and all her multitude away. 21 The [j](AG)dominant among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, ‘They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’
22 “(AH)Assyria is there and all her assembly; [k]her graves are round about [l]her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, 23 whose (AI)graves are put in the remotest parts of the pit, and her assembly is all round about her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, who put terror in the land of the living.
24 “(AJ)Elam is there and all her multitude all around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the (AK)lower parts of the earth, who put their terror in the (AL)land of the living and (AM)bore their dishonor with those who went down to the pit. 25 They have put a (AN)bed for her among the slain with all her multitude. Her graves are all around it; all of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword (although their terror was put in the land of the living), and they bore their dishonor with those who go down to the pit; [m]they were put in the midst of the slain.
26 “(AO)Meshech, (AP)Tubal, and all their multitude are there; their graves are all around them. All of them were slain by the sword (AQ)uncircumcised, though they put their terror in the land of the living. 27 (AR)Nor do they lie beside the fallen (AS)mighty ones of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war and whose swords were put under their heads; but the punishment for their (AT)iniquity rested on their bones, though the terror of these mighty ones was once in the land of the living. 28 But as for you, in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken and lie with those slain by the sword.
29 “There also is (AU)Edom, its kings, and all its [n]princes, who [o]for all their might are put with those slain by the sword; they will lie with the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit.
30 “There also are the [p]chiefs of the (AV)north, all of them, and all the (AW)Sidonians, who in spite of the terror resulting from their might, in shame went down with the slain. So they lay down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bore their dishonor with those who go down to the pit.
31 “These Pharaoh will see, and he will be (AX)comforted for all his multitude slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his military force,” declares Lord Yahweh. 32 “Though I put a terror of him in the land of the living, yet he will be made to lie down among the uncircumcised along with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his hordes,” declares Lord Yahweh.
O God, Restore Us
For the choir director. [a]El Shoshannim. [b]Eduth. Of Asaph. A Psalm.
80 O (A)Shepherd of Israel, give ear,
You who guide (B)Joseph like a flock;
You who (C)are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before (D)Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, (E)stir up Your might
And come to save us!
3 O God, (F)restore us
And (G)cause Your face to shine upon us, that we would be saved.
4 O (H)Yahweh God of hosts,
(I)How long will You [c]smolder against the prayer of Your people?
5 You have fed them with the (J)bread of tears,
And You have made them to drink tears in [d]large measure.
6 You set us as [e]an object of strife (K)to our neighbors,
And our enemies mock us among themselves.
7 O God of hosts, restore us
And cause Your face to shine upon us, that we might be saved.
8 You removed a (L)vine from Egypt;
You (M)drove out the [f]nations and then You (N)planted it.
9 You (O)cleared the ground before it,
And it (P)took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And [g]the cedars of God with its (Q)boughs.
11 It sent out its branches (R)to the sea
And its shoots to the River.
12 Why have You (S)broken down its [h]hedges,
So that all who pass that way pick its fruit?
13 A boar from the forest (T)devours it
And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.
14 O God of hosts, (U)return now, we beseech You;
(V)Look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine,
15 Even the [i](W)sapling which Your right hand has planted,
And on the [j]son whom You have [k]strengthened for Yourself.
16 It is (X)burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the (Y)rebuke of Your face.
17 Let (Z)Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You (AA)made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we shall not (AB)turn back from You;
(AC)Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19 O Yahweh God of hosts, (AD)restore us;
Cause Your face to shine upon us, that we might be saved.
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