M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Ish-bosheth Is Killed

4 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost his strength of heart. All Israel was troubled. ² Saul’s son had two men who were captains of small armies. The name of one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of Benjamin. (For Beeroth is thought of as part of Benjamin. ³ The people of Beeroth ran to Gittaim, and have been strangers there to this day.)

⁴ Now Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who could not walk because of his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse had picked him up and ran. In her hurry to get away, he fell and hurt his feet so he could not walk. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the family of Ish-bosheth. It was during the heat of the day, while Ish-bosheth was taking his noon rest. ⁶ They came to the center of the house as if to get wheat, and they hit Ish-bosheth in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah ran away. ⁷ They had come into the house while he was lying on his bed in his room. And they had hit him and killed him and cut off his head. They took his head and traveled by the way of Arabah all night. ⁸ Then they brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “See, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, who hated you and tried to kill you. So this day the Lord has punished Saul and his children for the king.”

⁹ David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite. He said to them, “As the Lord lives, Who has saved my life from all trouble, ¹⁰ when one told me, ‘See, Saul is dead,’ he thought he was bringing good news. But I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag. This was the reward I gave him for his news. ¹¹ How much worse it is when sinful men have killed a man who is right and good, on his bed in his own house! Should I not now punish you for his blood and destroy you from the earth?” ¹² Then David had the young men kill them and cut off their hands and feet. They hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.

David Becomes King over All Israel

5 Then all the families of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “See, we are your bone and your flesh. ² When Saul was our king, you were the one who led Israel out and in. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be a ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And there King David made an agreement with them before the Lord. Then they chose David to be the king of Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled for forty years. ⁵ He ruled over Judah seven years and six months at Hebron. Then he ruled in Jerusalem thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

David Takes Jerusalem

⁶ Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the people living in the land. They said to David, “You will not come here. Even those who cannot see or walk could stop you.” They thought that David could not come here. ⁷ But David took the strong place of Zion, that is, the city of David. ⁸ David said on that day, “Whoever would kill the Jebusites, let him go up through the hole where the water flows, to those who cannot walk or see and who are hated by David’s soul.” So it is said, “Those who cannot see or walk will not come to the house.” ⁹ David lived in the strong place and called it the city of David. He built all around it from Millo toward the center. ¹⁰ David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of All was with him.

¹¹ Hiram king of Tyre sent men to David with cedar trees and men who build with wood and stone. And they built a house for David. ¹² David understood that the Lord had made him the king of Israel, and that the Lord had given honor to David’s rule because of His people Israel.

¹³ David took more wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron. And more sons and daughters were born to him. ¹⁴ The names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Wins the Battle over the Philistines

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been chosen to be king of Israel, all the Philistines went up to find him. When David heard of it, he went down to the strong place. ¹⁸ The Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ Then David asked the Lord, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for it is sure that I will give the Philistines into your hand.” ²⁰ So David came to Baal-perazim and beat them there in battle. He said, “The Lord has broken through those who hate me like the breaking through of a flood.” So he gave that place the name Baal-perazim. ²¹ The Philistines left their false gods there, and David and his men carried them away.

²² The Philistines came up again, and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ David asked the Lord what he should do. And the Lord said, “Do not go up, but go around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ²⁴ When you hear the sound of their steps in the tops of the balsam trees, then hurry to fight, for then the Lord will have gone out before you to destroy the Philistine army.” ²⁵ David did just as the Lord told him. He killed the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

Jesus Christ Was Raised from the Dead

15 Christian brothers, I want to tell the Good News to you again. It is the same as I preached to you before. You received it and your faith has been made strong by it. ² This is what I preached to you. You are saved from the punishment of sin by the Good News if you keep hold of it, unless your faith was worth nothing.

³ First of all, I taught you what I had received. It was this: Christ died for our sins as the Holy Writings said He would. ^{(A) 4} Christ was buried. He was raised from the dead three days later as the Holy Writings said He would. ^{(B) 5} Christ was seen by Peter. After that, the twelve followers saw Him. ⁶ After that, more than 500 of His followers saw Him at one time. Most of them are still here, but some have died. ⁷ After that, James saw Christ. Then all the missionaries saw Him. ⁸ Last of all, Christ showed Himself to me as if I had been born too late. ⁹ For I am the least important of all the missionaries. I should not be called a missionary because I made it so hard for God’s church. ¹⁰ I am different now. It is all because of what God did for me by His loving-favor. His loving-favor was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other missionaries. But it was not I who worked. It was God’s loving-favor working through me. ¹¹ It makes no difference how you heard the Good News. It could have been through the other missionaries or through me. The important thing is this: We preached the Good News to you and you believed it.

We Will Be Raised from the Dead Also

¹² We preached to you that Christ has been raised from the dead. But some of you say that people are not raised from the dead. Why do you say this? ¹³ If the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised from the dead. ¹⁴ If Christ was not raised from the dead, then what we preach to you is worth nothing. Your faith in Christ is worth nothing. ¹⁵ That makes us all liars because we said that God raised Christ from the dead. But God did not raise Christ from the dead if the dead do not come to life again. ¹⁶ If the dead are not raised, then not even Christ was raised from the dead. ¹⁷ If Christ was not raised from the dead, your faith is worth nothing and you are still living in your sins. ¹⁸ Then the Christians who have already died are lost in sin. ¹⁹ If we have hope in Christ in this life only, we are more sad than anyone else.

²⁰ But it is true! Christ has been raised from the dead! He was the first One to be raised from the dead and all those who are in graves will follow. ²¹ Death came because of a man, Adam. Being raised from the dead also came because of a Man, Christ. ²² All men will die as Adam died. But all those who belong to Christ will be raised to new life. ²³ This is the way it is: Christ was raised from the dead first. Then all those who belong to Christ will be raised from the dead when He comes again. ²⁴ Next, at the end of the world, Christ will give His holy nation over to God the Father. Christ will have destroyed every nation and power. ²⁵ Christ must be King until He has destroyed all those who hate Him and work against Him. ²⁶ The last thing that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷ The Holy Writings say that God has put all things under Christ’s feet except Himself. ²⁸ When Christ is over all things, He will put Himself under God Who put all things under Christ. And God will be over all things.

²⁹ What good will it do people if they are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised, why are people baptized for them? ³⁰ Why are we also in danger every hour? ³¹ I say this, Christian brothers, I have joy in what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for you. That is why I face death every day. ³² As men look at it, what good has it done for me in the city of Ephesus to fight with men who act like wild animals? If the dead are not raised, we might as well be like those who say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

³³ Do not let anyone fool you. Bad people can make those who want to live good become bad. ³⁴ Keep your minds awake! Stop sinning. Some do not know God at all. I say this to your shame.

The Body That Will Be Raised

³⁵ Someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” ³⁶ What a foolish question! When you plant a seed, it must die before it starts new life. ³⁷ When you put it in the earth, you are not planting the body which it will become. You put in only a seed. ³⁸ It is God Who gives it a body just as He wants it to have. Each kind of seed becomes a different kind of body.

³⁹ All flesh is not the same. Men have one kind of flesh. Animals have another kind. Fish have another kind, and birds have another kind. ⁴⁰ There are bodies in the heavens. There are bodies on earth. Their greatness is not the same. ⁴¹ The sun has its greatness. The moon has its greatness. Stars have their greatness. One star is different from another star in greatness.

⁴² It is the same with people who are raised from the dead. The body will turn back to dust when it is put in a grave. When the body is raised from the grave, it will never die. ⁴³ It has no greatness when it is put in a grave, but it is raised with shining-greatness. It is weak when it is put in a grave, but it is raised with power. ⁴⁴ It is a human body when it dies, but it is a God-like body when it is raised from the dead. There are human bodies and there are God-like bodies. ⁴⁵ The Holy Writings say, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” But the last Adam (Christ) is a life-giving Spirit.

⁴⁶ We have these human bodies first. Then we are given God-like bodies that are ready for heaven. ⁴⁷ Adam was the first man. He was made from the dust of the earth. Christ was the second man. He came down from heaven. ⁴⁸ All men of the earth are made like Adam. But those who belong to Christ will have a body like the body of Christ Who came from heaven. ⁴⁹ Now, our bodies are like Adam’s body. But in heaven, our bodies will be like the body of Christ.

⁵⁰ Christian brothers, our bodies which are made of flesh and blood will not go into the holy nation of God. That which dies can have no part in that which will never die. ⁵¹ For sure, I am telling you a secret. We will not all die, but we will all be changed. ⁵² In a very short time, no longer than it takes for the eye to close and open, the Christians who have died will be raised. It will happen when the last horn sounds. The dead will be raised never to die again. Then the rest of us who are alive will be changed. ⁵³ Our human bodies made from dust must be changed into a body that cannot be destroyed. Our human bodies that can die must be changed into bodies that will never die. ⁵⁴ When this that can be destroyed has been changed into that which cannot be destroyed, and when this that does die has been changed into that which cannot die, then it will happen as the Holy Writings said it would happen. They said, “Death has no more power over life.” ^{(C) 55} O death, where is your power? O death, where are your pains? ⁵⁶ The pain in death is sin. Sin has power over those under the Law. ⁵⁷ But God is the One Who gives us power over sin through Jesus Christ our Lord. We give thanks to Him for this.

⁵⁸ So then, Christian brothers, because of all this, be strong. Do not allow anyone to change your mind. Always do your work well for the Lord. You know that whatever you do for Him will not be wasted.

Word against False Preachers

13 Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, ² “Son of man, speak against those of Israel who speak false words in My name. Say to those who tell what is going to happen in the future out of their own minds, ‘Listen to the Word of the Lord! ³ The Lord God says, “It is bad for the foolish people who tell what is going to happen by following their own spirit and have seen nothing. ⁴ O Israel, your men who speak in My name are of no more worth than foxes in destroyed cities. ⁵ You have not gone up to the broken places to build the wall around the people of Israel so that it will stand in the battle on the day of the Lord. ⁶ They have lied and have spoken false words using their secret ways, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says,’ when the Lord has not sent them. Yet they hope that what they say will come true. ⁷ Did you not see a false dream and tell a lie using your secret ways when you said, ‘This is what the Lord says,’ when I have not spoken?”’”

⁸ So the Lord God says: “Because you have spoken false words and seen a lie, I am against you,” says the Lord God. ⁹ “My hand will be against those who see false dreams and speak false words. They will have no place in the gathering of My wise people. Their names will not be written down with the people of Israel. And they will not go into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God. ¹⁰ Because they have led My people the wrong way by saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when anyone builds a bad wall, they cover it with whitewash, ¹¹ tell those who cover it with whitewash that it will fall! A flood of rain will come, and large hailstones will fall. And a strong wind will break out. ¹² When the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, ‘Where is the covering you used to cover the wall?’” ¹³ So the Lord God says, “I will make a strong wind break out in My anger. There will also be a flood of rain in My anger, and large hailstones to destroy that wall. ¹⁴ I will break down the wall that you covered with whitewash. I will bring it down to the ground so that its base will be showing. And when it falls, you will be destroyed with it. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ I will send My anger upon the wall and upon those who have covered it with whitewash. And I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone and the ones who covered it are gone. ¹⁶ There are no more people of Israel who speak false words to Jerusalem in My name, and who see dreams of peace for her when there is no peace,’ says the Lord God.

¹⁷ “Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are telling what will happen from their own minds. Speak against them, ¹⁸ and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is bad for the women who sew objects with secret powers to wear on their arms, and make coverings for the heads to trap people. Will you go after the lives of My people, but save the lives of others for yourselves? ¹⁹ You have used Me in a sinful way among My people for hands full of barley and for pieces of bread. You have killed people who should not die, and have kept others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.”’”

²⁰ So the Lord God says, “I am against your objects with secret powers that you wear on your arms with which you trap people like birds. I will tear them from your arms. And I will let the people go that you trap like birds. ²¹ I will also tear off your head-coverings and save My people from you. They will no longer be trapped by your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ²² You have made My good people sad because of your lies whom I did not want to hurt. But you have helped the sinful man, so that he does not turn from his sinful way and save his life. ²³ So you women will no longer see false dreams or use your secret ways to learn the future. I will save My people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.”

Trust in God’s Love

52 Why do you take pride in wrong-doing, O powerful man? The loving-kindness of God lasts all day long. ² Your tongue makes plans to destroy like a sharp knife, you who lie. ³ You love what is bad more than what is good, and you speak lies more than you speak the truth. ⁴ You love all words that destroy, O lying tongue.

⁵ But God will destroy you forever. He will pick you up and pull you away from your tent. He will pull up your roots from the land of the living. ⁶ And those who are right will see and be afraid. They will laugh at him, saying, ⁷ “Look, the man who would not make God his safe place, but trusted in his many riches and was strong in his sinful desire.”

⁸ But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the loving-kindness of God forever and ever. ⁹ I will give You thanks forever because of what You have done. And I will hope in Your name, for it is good to be where those who belong to You are.

Foolish Men

53 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are sinful and have done bad things. There is no one who does good. ² God has looked down from heaven at the children of men to see if there is anyone who understands and looks for God. ³ They have all turned back. They have all turned to sin. There is no one who does good, not even one. ⁴ Have those who do wrong no understanding? They eat up My people like they eat bread. They have not called upon God. ⁵ There they were, in much fear, where there was nothing to be afraid of. For God has spread out the bones of those who come against you. You put them to shame, because God has turned away from them. ⁶ O, that the saving of Israel would come out of Zion! Jacob will be full of joy and Israel will be glad when God returns His people to their land.

Prayer for a Safe Place

54 Save me by Your name, O God. And stand with me by Your power. ² Hear my prayer, O God. Listen to the words of my mouth. ³ For strangers have risen against me. And men who hurt others want to take my life. They do not think about God.

⁴ See, God is my Helper. The Lord is the One Who keeps my soul alive. ⁵ He will punish those who hate me, for the wrong they have done. He will destroy them because He is faithful.

⁶ I will be glad to give You a gift on the altar. I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good. ⁷ For He has taken me out of all trouble. And my eyes have looked without fear upon those who hate me.