M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Sheba Rebels Against David
20 There happened to be a worthless man there whose name was Sheba the son of Bikri, a Benjamite. He sounded the trumpet and said,
“We have no share in David,
nor do we have an inheritance in the son of Jesse;
every man to his tents, O Israel.”
2 So every man of Israel withdrew from following David and followed after Sheba the son of Bikri, but the men of Judah stayed with their king, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem.
3 When the king came to his house in Jerusalem, he took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep watch over the house, and he placed them in custody. He provided for them but did not go in to them. They were shut up until the day of their deaths, living as in widowhood.
4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon for me the men of Judah in three days, then present yourself here.” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the deadline determined for him.
6 So David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bikri will cause more harm for us than Absalom. You take your lord’s servants and pursue after him. Otherwise, he will find fortified cities and escape from our sight.” 7 The men of Joab went out after him, along with the Kerethites, the Pelethites, and all of the warriors; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bikri.
8 When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his battle armor, and fastened on it was a belt with a sword in its sheath at the waist. As he went forward, it fell out.
9 Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” and he took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the sword in the hand of Joab, and he struck him in the midsection spilling his entrails on the ground. He died without being struck a second time. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bikri.
11 Now one of the young men of Joab stood by him and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” 12 Now Amasa was wallowing in his own blood in the middle of the path. When the man saw that all of the people stood still, he moved Amasa from the path to the field and threw a covering over him, when he observed that everyone who passed by would stop. 13 Once he removed him from the path, all of the men passed by, following Joab in pursuit of Sheba the son of Bikri.
14 He passed through all of the tribes of Israel toward Abel Beth Maakah, also passing by all of the Bikrites. Once assembled, they also came after him. 15 They came and besieged him in Abel Beth Maakah. They constructed a siege ramp against the city, standing it against the rampart. As all of the people who were with Joab were battering the city wall in order to bring it down, 16 a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Say to Joab, ‘Come closer so that I may speak with you.’ ” 17 When he came near, the woman said, “Are you Joab?”
He said, “I am.”
She said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant,” and he said, “I’m listening.”
18 She said, “In former times, they would say, ‘Let them inquire carefully in Abel,’ and thus they would resolve an issue. 19 I am a trustworthy and faithful one of Israel. You are attempting to destroy a city, even a mother, in Israel. Why do you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?”
20 Joab responded, “Far be it, far be it from me to swallow up or destroy. 21 That is not true. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bikri by name, has lifted his hand against King David. Only deliver him, and I will depart from the city.”
And the woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22 The woman, with her wisdom, came to all of the people in the city, and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bikri. When they threw it to Joab, he blew the horn, and they dispersed from the city, each going to his own tent. Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
David’s Officials
23 Now Joab was over the entire army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites. 24 Adoniram was over conscripted labor. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary. 25 Sheva was scribe. Zadok and Abiathar were priests, 26 and also Ira the Jairite was priest to David.
Final Warnings and Greetings
13 This is the third time I am coming to you. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”[a] 2 I told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time. And being absent now, I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the others, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, 3 since you seek proof of Christ speaking through me, who toward you is not weak, but is mighty in you. 4 For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. So also we are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God serving you.
5 Examine yourselves, seeing whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do that which is honorable, whether or not we may seem disqualified. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak, and you are strong. We wish even your perfection. 10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should be sharp, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.
11 Finally, brothers, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, and live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
A Lament for Tyre
27 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 2 Now you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre. 3 And say to Tyre who is situated at the entrance of the sea, who is a merchant of the peoples for many coastlands, Thus says the Lord God:
O Tyre, you have said,
“I am perfect in beauty.”
4 Your borders are in the midst of the seas.
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
5 They have made all your ship boards
of fir trees from Senir;
they have taken cedars from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6 Of the oaks of Bashan
they have made your oars;
with ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood
out of the coastlands of Cyprus.
7 Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail,
so that it became your distinguishing sign;
blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah
was your awning.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your mariners;
your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots.
9 The elders of Byblos and her wise men
were in you repairing your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners
were in you to deal in your merchandise.
10 They of Persia and of Lydia and of Put
were in your army, your men of war;
they hung the shield and helmet in you;
they set forth your comeliness.
11 The sons of Arvad and your army
were upon your walls all around,
and the Gammad
were in your towers;
they hung their shields on your walls all around;
they have made your beauty perfect.
12 Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches. With silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in your wares.
13 Greece, Tubal, and Meshek, they were your merchants. They traded in your market with the lives of men and vessels of bronze.
14 Those of Beth Togarmah gave horses and horsemen and mules for your wares.
15 The sons of Dedan were your merchants. Many coastlands were your merchandise. They brought you for a payment horns of ivory and ebony.
16 Aram was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your wares. They paid for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and agate.
17 Judah and the land of Israel, they were your merchants. They traded in your market with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil, and balm.
18 Damascus was your merchant in the multitude of your wares, because of the multitude of all kinds of riches, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool.
19 Dan and Javan paid for your wares from Izal. Bright iron, cassia, and sweet cane were in your market.
20 Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for chariots.
21 Arabia and all the officials of Kedar, they were your customers in lambs, rams, and goats. For these they were your merchants.
22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were your merchants. They paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of spices and with all kinds of precious stones and gold.
23 Harran, and Kanneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Ashur, and Kilmad, were your merchants. 24 They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise.
25 The ships of Tarshish were
the carriers for your market.
And you were filled and were very glorious
in the midst of the seas.
26 Your rowers have brought you
into great waters;
the east wind has broken you
in the midst of the seas.
27 Your riches and your wares, your merchandise,
your mariners and your pilots, your caulkers,
and the dealers of your merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you,
with all your company which is in your midst,
shall fall into the midst of the seas
in the day of your ruin.
28 The meadowlands shall shake
at the sound of the cry of your pilots.
29 All who handle the oar,
the mariners and all the pilots of the sea,
shall come down from their ships;
they shall stand upon the land.
30 And they shall cause their voice to be heard against you,
and shall cry bitterly,
and shall cast up dust upon their heads;
they shall wallow in ashes.
31 Also they shall make themselves utterly bald for you,
and gird themselves with sackcloth;
and they shall weep for you with bitterness of heart
and bitter wailing.
32 Also, in their wailing
they shall take up a lamentation for you and lament over you, saying,
“Who is like Tyre, like her who is silent
in the midst of the sea?
33 When your wares went out by sea,
you filled many peoples;
you enriched the kings of the earth
with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise.
34 Now that you are broken by the seas
in the depths of the waters,
your merchandise and all your company
in your midst have fallen.
35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands
shall be astonished at you,
and their kings shall be sorely afraid;
they are troubled in countenance.
36 The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
you shall be a terror,
and you shall cease to be forever.”
Psalm 75
For the Music Director. To the melody of “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 We give thanks to You, O God;
we give thanks, and Your name is near;
Your wondrous works declare it.
2 When I select an appointed time,
I will judge with equity.
3 Though the earth and all its inhabitants are swaying,
I steady its pillars. Selah
4 I said to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn.
5 Do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with an arrogant neck.”
6 For neither from the east nor west,
nor from the wilderness comes victory.
7 But God is the judge;
He brings one low, and lifts up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
and it is full of mixed, foaming wine,
and He pours from it;
surely all the wicked of the earth will find and drink its dregs.
9 But I will declare forever,
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous will be exalted.
Psalm 76
For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 In Judah God is known;
in Israel His name is great.
2 In Salem is His abode,
and His dwelling place in Zion.
3 There He broke the fiery arrows of the bow,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah
4 You are more glorious and excellent
than the mountains of prey.
5 The strong of heart have been plundered;
they have been put to sleep;
and none of the mighty men
could use their hands.
6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both the chariot and horse lay stunned.
7 You, even You, are to be feared;
and who may stand in Your sight from the moment of Your anger?
8 From the heavens You gave their judgment,
and the earth feared and was silent,
9 when God arose to judgment,
to save all the meek of the earth. Selah
10 Surely the wrath of people shall bring You praise;
the remainder of wrath You shall put on.
11 Make your vows to the Lord your God, and fulfill them;
let all who surround Him
bring tribute to Him who is to be feared.
12 He reduces the spirit of princes,
and is feared among the kings of the earth.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.