M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Samuel’s Call

3 Now the boy Samuel was working for the Lord with Eli. There were few words from the Lord given in those days, and there were not many special dreams. ² At that time Eli was lying down in his own place. His eyes had become weak and he could not see well. ³ The lamp of God had not gone out yet. And Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord where the special box of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel, and Samuel said, “Here I am.” ⁵ He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you. Lie down again.” So Samuel went and lay down. ⁶ The Lord called again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Lie down again.” ⁷ Now Samuel did not know the Lord yet. And the Word of the Lord had not been made known to him. ⁸ The Lord called Samuel again for the third time. He got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down. If He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ Then the Lord came and stood and called as He did the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” ¹¹ The Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do a thing in Israel which will make both ears of everyone who hears it feel strange. ¹² On that day I will do all I have said I will do against the family of Eli. ¹³ I have told him that I will punish his family forever for the sin he knew about. Because his sons brought the sin upon themselves, and Eli did not stop them. ¹⁴ So I swear to the family of Eli that the sin of his family will not be paid for with gifts given on the altar forever.”

¹⁵ Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the special dream. ¹⁶ Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And Samuel said, “Here I am.” ¹⁷ Eli said, “What did the Lord tell you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more, if you hide anything from me of all He said to you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And Eli said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”

¹⁹ Samuel grew. And the Lord was with him and made everything he said come true. ²⁰ All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had become a man of God. ²¹ The Lord came again to Shiloh. For the Lord made Himself known to Samuel at Shiloh, by the Word of the Lord.

3 Do the Jews have anything that those who are not Jews do not have? What good does it do to go through the religious act of becoming a Jew? ² Yes, the Jews have much more in every way. First of all, God gave the Jews His Law. ³ If some of them were not faithful, does it mean that God will not be faithful? ⁴ No, not at all! God is always true even if every man lies. The Holy Writings say, “Speak the truth and you will not be proven guilty.” ^(A)

⁵ If our sins show how right God is, what can we say? Is it wrong for God to punish us for it? (I am speaking as men do.) ⁶ No, not at all! If it were wrong for God to punish us, how could He judge the world? ⁷ If my lies honor God by showing how true He is, why am I still being judged as a sinner? ⁸ Why not say, “Let us sin that good will come from it.” (Some people have said I talk like this!) They will be punished as they should be.

⁹ What about it then? Are we Jews better than the people who are not Jews? Not at all! I have already said that Jews and the people who are not Jews are all sinners. ¹⁰ The Holy Writings say, “There is not one person who is right with God. No, not even one! ¹¹ There is not one who understands. There is not one who tries to find God.” ^{(B) 12} Everyone has turned away from God. They have all done wrong. Not one of them does what is good. No, not even one! ¹³ Their mouth is like an open grave. They tell lies with their tongues. ^(C) Whatever they say is like the poison of snakes. ¹⁴ Their mouths speak bad things against God. They say bad things about other people. ^{(D) 15} They are quick to hurt and kill people. ¹⁶ Wherever they go, they destroy and make people suffer. ¹⁷ They know nothing about peace. ^{(E) 18} They do not honor God with love and fear.” ^(F)

¹⁹ Now we know that the Law speaks to those who live under the Law. No one can say that he does not know what sin is. Yes, every person in the world stands guilty before God. ²⁰ No person will be made right with God by doing what the Law says. The Law shows us how sinful we are.

²¹ But now God has made another way to make men right with Himself. It is not by the Law. The Law and the early preachers tell about it. ²² Men become right with God by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. God will accept men if they come this way. All men are the same to God. ²³ For all men have sinned and have missed the shining-greatness of God. ²⁴ Anyone can be made right with God by the free gift of His loving-favor. It is Jesus Christ Who bought them with His blood and made them free from their sins. ²⁵ God gave Jesus Christ to the world. Men’s sins can be forgiven through the blood of Christ when they put their trust in Him. God gave His Son Jesus Christ to show how right He is. Before this, God did not look on the sins that were done. ²⁶ But now God proves that He is right in saving men from sin. He shows that He is the One Who has no sin. God makes anyone right with Himself who puts his trust in Jesus.

²⁷ What then do we have to be proud of? Nothing at all! Why? Is it because men obey the Law? No! It is because men put their trust in Christ. ²⁸ This is what we have come to know. A man is made right with God by putting his trust in Christ. It is not by his doing what the Law says. ²⁹ Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the people who are not Jews also? He is for sure. ³⁰ He is one God. He will make Jews and the people who are not Jews right with Himself if they put their trust in Christ. ³¹ Does this mean that we do away with the Law when we put our trust in Christ? No, not at all. It means we know the Law is important.

41 In the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the king’s family, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam at Mizpah. He came with one of the head captains of the king, and ten other men. While they were eating bread together there in Mizpah, ² Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him rose up and killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword. They killed the one whom the king of Babylon had chosen to rule the land. ³ Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Babylonian soldiers who were found there.

⁴ The next day, before anyone knew that Gedaliah had been killed, ⁵ eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria. Their hair was cut from their faces, their clothes were torn, and their bodies were cut. They came with grain gifts and special perfume in their hands to bring to the house of the Lord. ⁶ Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, crying as he went. As he met them he said, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.” ⁷ When they came inside the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him killed them, and threw them into the well. ⁸ But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us! For we have stores of grain, barley, oil and honey hidden in the field.” So he did not kill them with their friends.

⁹ The well where Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had killed because of Gedaliah was the one that King Asa had made because of his fear of Baasha, king of Israel. Ishmael the son the Nethaniah filled it with the dead. ¹⁰ Then he put all the rest of the Jews in chains who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the prison soldiers, had put under the rule of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them and started to cross over to the sons of Ammon.

¹¹ But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the armies that were with him, heard about all the bad things that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. ¹² So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They found him by the large pool in Gibeon. ¹³ When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and the captains of the armies with him, they were glad. ¹⁴ So all the people Ishmael had taken from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. ¹⁵ But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah got away from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon. ¹⁶ Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the armies that were with him took all the rest of the people whom Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had taken away from Mizpah after he had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. They took the soldiers, the women, the children, and the servants, whom Johanan had brought back from Gibeon, ¹⁷ and they went and stayed in GeruthChimham near Bethlehem. They were on their way to Egypt ¹⁸ because of the Babylonians. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had chosen to rule the land.

Prayer for Help in Time of Trouble

17 Hear what is right, O Lord. Listen to my cry. Hear my prayer, for it does not come from lying lips. ² May You decide in my favor. May Your eyes see what is right. ³ You have tested my heart. You have visited me during the night. You have tested me and have found nothing wrong. I have decided that my mouth will not sin. ⁴ As for the actions of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept myself from the paths of those who want to hurt others. ⁵ My steps have followed Your paths. My feet have not turned from them.

⁶ I have called to You, O God, for You will answer me. Listen to me and hear my words. ⁷ Show Your great loving-kindness. You save by Your right hand the people that come to You for help from those who hate them. ⁸ Keep me safe as You would Your own eye. Hide me in the shadow of Your wings, ⁹ from the sinful who fight against me, those who would kill me and are all around me. ¹⁰ They have closed their fat hearts to pity. And their mouths speak with pride. ¹¹ They have followed our every step and are all around us. They are watching for a way to bring us down to the ground. ¹² He is like a hungry lion, like a young lion hiding and waiting.

¹³ Rise up, O Lord. Stand against him. Bring him down. Save me from the sinful with Your sword. ¹⁴ O Lord, save me by Your hand from such men. Their riches are in this life. Their stomach is filled with what you have stored for them. Their children are filled. Let them leave some for their babies. ¹⁵ As for me, I will see Your face in what is right and good. I will be happy to see You when I awake.