M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

David’s Men Follow Sheba

20 A man of no worth happened to be there whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. He sounded the horn and said, “We have no share in David! We have no share in the son of Jesse! Every man to his tents, O Israel!” ² So all the men of Israel stopped following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah were not moved from following their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

³ Then David came to his house at Jerusalem. The king took his ten women whom he had left to take care of the house, and had a prison soldier watch them. David gave them food, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as women whose husbands had died.

⁴ Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and you be here yourself.” ⁵ So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah. But he took longer than the time which had been given him. ⁶ David said to Abishai, “Now Bichri’s son Sheba will bring us more trouble than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and go after him. Or he might find strong cities for himself, and get away from us.” ⁷ So Joab’s men went out after him. With them went the Cherethites, the Pelethites and all the strong men. They left Jerusalem to go after Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸ Amasa came to meet them at the large stone in Gibeon. Now Joab was dressed in soldier’s clothing. Over his clothing was a belt with a sword in its holder tied at his side. As he walked, the sword fell out. ⁹ Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And he took Amasa by the hair of his face with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ But Amasa did not see the sword which was in Joab’s hand. So Joab hit him in the stomach with it, and poured his inside parts out on the ground. He did not hit him again, and Amasa died.

Then Joab and his brother Abishai went after Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹¹ Now one of Joab’s young men stood by him and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” ¹² But Amasa lay in his blood in the center of the road. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he took Amasa out of the road and into the field. And he threw a covering over him. ¹³ After he was taken out of the road, all the men went on and followed Joab to go after Sheba the son of Bichri.

¹⁴ Sheba passed through all the families of Israel to Abel Bethmaacah. Then all the Berites gathered together and followed him into the city. ¹⁵ And all the men who were with Joab came and gathered their armies around him in Abel Bethmaacah. They built up a hill of dirt against the wall of the city. And they were trying their best to make the wall fall down. ¹⁶ Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! I beg you, tell Joab to come here that I may speak with him.” ¹⁷ So he came to her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your woman servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” ¹⁸ Then she said, “In the past they used to say, ‘Let them ask for words of wisdom at Abel.’ And so they would stop fighting. ¹⁹ I am one of peace and faith in Israel. You want to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the gift of the Lord?” ²⁰ Joab answered, “Far be it from me! Far be it that I should swallow up or destroy! ²¹ That is not true. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim has turned against King David. His name is Sheba the son of Bichri. Give up only him, and I will leave the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “See, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” ²² Then the woman went to all the people with her plan. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the horn and they left the city, every man going to his home. Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.

²³ Now Joab was the captain of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was captain of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. ²⁴ Adoram was captain of those who were made to work. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud wrote down the things that happened. ²⁵ Sheva was the teacher. Zadok and Abiathar were religious leaders. ²⁶ And Ira the Jairite was a religious leader to David also.

13 This is my third visit to you. The Holy Writings tell us that when people think someone has done wrong, it must be proven by two or three people who saw the wrong being done. ² During my second visit I talked to you who have been sinning and to all the others. While I am away, I tell you this again. The next time I come I will be hard on those who sin. ³ Since you want to know, I will prove to you that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when He works in your hearts. He uses His power in you. ⁴ Christ’s weak human body died on a cross. It is by God’s power that Christ lives today. We are weak. We are as He was. But we will be alive with Christ through the power God has for us.

⁵ Put yourselves through a test. See if you belong to Christ. Then you will know you belong to Christ, unless you do not pass the test. ⁶ I trust you see that we belong to Him and have passed the test. ⁷ We pray to God that you do no wrong. We do not pray this to show that our teaching is so great, but that you will keep on doing what is right, even if it looks as if we have done much wrong. ⁸ We cannot work against the truth of God. We only work for it. ⁹ We are glad when we are weak and you are strong. We pray that you will become strong Christians. ¹⁰ This is why I am writing these things while I am away from you. Then when I get there, I will not have to use strong words or punish you to show you that the Lord gives me this power. This power is to be used to make you stronger Christians, not to make you weak by hurting your faith.

¹¹ Last of all, Christian brothers, good-bye. Do that which makes you complete. Be comforted. Work to get along with others. Live in peace. The God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet each other with a kiss of holy love. ¹³ All those here who belong to Christ say hello. ¹⁴ May you have loving-favor from our Lord Jesus Christ. May you have the love of God. May you be joined together by the Holy Spirit.

A Song of Sorrow for Tyre

27 The Word of the Lord came to me saying, ² “Son of man, sing a song of sorrow over Tyre. ³ Say to Tyre, whose people live at the gateway to the sea and trade with people from many lands, ‘The Lord God says, “O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ ⁴ Your home is on the sea. Your builders have made you perfect in beauty. ⁵ They made your pieces of wood from the fir trees from Senir. They made the wood that holds your sail out of a cedar from Lebanon. ⁶ They made your oars out of oak trees from Bashan. They made your floor of ivory and boxwood from the land of Cyprus. ⁷ Your sail was made of fine and beautiful linen from Egypt, to show all people who you are. Your covering was made of blue and purple cloth from the land of Elishah. ⁸ The people of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your own wise and able men were your sailors. ⁹ The leaders and wise men of Gebal were with you, putting tar where it was needed to keep the water out. All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you to trade for your good things.

¹⁰ “Soldiers from Persia and Lud and Put were in your army. They hung battle-coverings and head-coverings in you, and made you beautiful. ¹¹ The men of Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around. And men of Gammad were in your towers. They hung their battle-coverings all around your walls, and made you perfect in beauty.

¹² “Tarshish traded with you because of all your riches of every kind. They paid for your good things with silver, iron, tin, and lead. ¹³ Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you. They paid for your good things with servants and objects of brass. ¹⁴ Men of Beth-togarmah paid for your good things with horses, war horses, and mules. ¹⁵ The men of Dedan traded with you. Many lands beside the sea traded with you, paying you with ivory horns and beautiful dark wood. ¹⁶ Syria traded with you because of all your good things. They bought them with stones of great worth, purple cloth, cloth with beautiful sewing, fine linen, and coral. ¹⁷ Judah and the land of Israel traded with you. They paid for your good things with the grain of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil, and medicine. ¹⁸ Damascus traded with you because of all your good things and riches of all kinds. They paid for them with the wine of Helbon and white wool. ¹⁹ Vedan and Javan traded with you from Uzal. They paid you with pure iron and spices. ²⁰ Dedan paid you with horse coverings. ²¹ Arabia and all the leaders of Kedar traded with you. They paid you with lambs, rams, and goats. ²² Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They paid for your good things with the best of all kinds of spices, stones of great worth, and gold. ²³ Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. ²⁴ They paid you with the best clothing, clothes of blue cloth and beautiful sewing, floor coverings of many colors, and strong ropes. ²⁵ The ships of Tarshish carried your good things for you. You were filled and honored in the middle of the seas.

²⁶ “Your rowers have brought you into deep waters. The east wind has wrecked you far out in the sea. ²⁷ Your riches, your good things, the things you trade, your sailors, your pilots, your builders, your traders, all your soldiers, and all your people will fall into the sea on the day you are destroyed. ²⁸ The lands by the sea will shake at the sound of your sailors’ cry. ²⁹ All the rowers and sailors of the sea will leave their ships. They will stand on the land ³⁰ and cry in a loud voice of sorrow over you. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. ³¹ They will cut off their hair because of you, and dress themselves in cloth made from hair. They will cry over you with much sorrow in their soul. ³² In their crying they will sing a song of sorrow for you, saying, ‘Who is like Tyre, destroyed and quiet in the sea? ³³ When your good things went out on the sea, you pleased many nations. With all your riches and good things you made the kings of the earth rich. ³⁴ Now you are wrecked by the sea, in the deep waters. Your good things and all your people have gone down with you. ³⁵ All the people who live on the islands are full of fear and wonder because of you. Their kings are very afraid. Their faces are troubled. ³⁶ The traders among the nations make sounds of surprise at you. You have come to an end and you will be no more.’”

God Puts Down the Proud and Lifts Up Those Who Are Right with Himself

75 We give thanks to You, O God. We give thanks that Your name is near. Men tell about the great things You have done. ² You say, “When the right time has come, I will be right and fair in deciding who is guilty or not. ³ When the earth and all its people shake, it is I Who will hold it together. ⁴ I said to the proud, ‘Do not speak with pride.’ And I said to the sinful, ‘Do not lift up the horn. ⁵ Do not lift your horn up high. Do not speak in your pride.’”

⁶ For honor does not come from the east or the west or from the desert. ⁷ But God is the One Who decides. He puts down one and brings respect to another. ⁸ For there is a cup in the Lord’s hand. It is full of strong wine that is well mixed. He pours out from it, and all the sinful people of the earth must drink all of it.

⁹ But as for me, I will tell of it forever. I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. ¹⁰ He will cut off all the horns of the sinful. But the horns of those who are right with God will be lifted up.

The Power That Wins

76 God is known in Judah. His name is great in Israel. ² His holy tent of worship is in Salem. He lives in Zion. ³ There He broke the burning arrows, the iron covering and the sword, and all the things used for fighting in war.

⁴ You are shining with greatness, more beautiful than the mountains with many animals. ⁵ Strong men have been robbed. They sleep their last sleep. Not one of the soldiers can lift his hands. ⁶ O God of Jacob, both soldier and horse were put in a dead sleep because of Your sharp words. ⁷ You alone are to be feared. Who may stand before You when You are angry?

⁸ You said from heaven who is guilty or not. The earth was afraid and quiet ⁹ when God stood up to say who is guilty or not, and to save all the people of the earth who are not proud. ¹⁰ For the anger of man will praise You. And You will keep what is left of anger around You.

¹¹ Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them. Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him, Who is to be feared. ¹² He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.