M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Yahweh Makes a Covenant with David
7 It happened that the king settled in his house. (Now Yahweh had given rest to him from all his enemies all around.) 2 And the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, please, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is staying in the middle of the tent.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.” 4 But it happened that night,[a] the word of Yahweh came[b] to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Are you the one to build for me a house for my dwelling? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up the Israelites[c] from Egypt until this day; rather, I was going about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all of my going about among all the Israelites,[d] did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why did you not build me a cedar house?’”’ 8 So then, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I took you from the pasture from following[e] the sheep to be a leader over my people, over Israel, 9 and I have been with you everywhere you went.[f] I have cut off all of your enemies from in front of you, and I will make a great name for you, as the name of the great ones who are on the earth. 10 I will make a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them[g] so that they[h] can dwell in their own place.[i] They will not tremble any longer, and the children of wickedness will not afflict them again, as in the former days. 11 In the manner that[j] I appointed judges over my people Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies. And Yahweh declares to you that Yahweh will build a house for you. 12 When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors,[k] I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son for me, whom I will punish when he does wrong, with a rod of men and with blows of the human beings.[l] 15 But my loyal love shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.”’”
David Responds to Yahweh’s Covenant
17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, this Nathan spoke to David. 18 Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, my lord Yahweh, and what is my house that you have brought me up to this place?[m] 19 Still, this was insignificant[n] in your eyes, my lord Yahweh, and also you have spoken about the house of your servant from afar, and this may be the teaching of humans, my lord Yahweh. 20 What more can David say to you?[o] You know your servant, my lord Yahweh. 21 Because of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this great thing, in order to let your servant know. 22 Therefore you are great, my lord Yahweh, for there is no one like you, and there is no god except you, in all that we have heard with our ears. 23 Who is like your people, like Israel? Israel is the one nation on earth whose God led them,[p] in order to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for you[q] the great and awesome things for your land in the presence of your people whom he redeemed for himself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. 24 You have established your people Israel for yourself as a people forever, and you, O Yahweh, have become their God. 25 So then, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do just as you have promised. 26 Your name shall be great forever, and they will say,[r] ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you. 27 For you, O Yahweh of hosts, are God of Israel! You have revealed to the ear of your servant, ‘I will build a house for you’; therefore your servant has found courage[s] to pray this prayer to you. 28 Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are[t] true. You have promised this good to your servant. 29 So then, be content and bless the house of your servant to be forever in your presence, for you, my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and because of your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, together with all the saints who are in all Achaia. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving for God’s Compassion and Comfort
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in all affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, thus through Christ our comfort overflows also. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that is at work in the patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we[a] know that as you are sharers in the sufferings, so also you will be sharers in the comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning our affliction that happened in the province of Asia,[b] that we were burdened to an extraordinary degree, beyond our strength, so that we were in despair even of living. 9 But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we would not be putting confidence in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a risk of death, and will deliver us, in whom we have put our hope that he will also deliver us again, 11 while[c] you also join in helping on our behalf[d] by prayer, so that thanks may be given on our behalf[e] by many persons for this gracious gift given to us through the help of many.
Paul’s Clear Conscience
12 For our reason for boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, in holiness[f] and purity of motive from God, not[g] in merely human wisdom, but by the grace of God. 13 For we are not writing anything else to you except what you can read or also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely[h], 14 just as you have also understood us in part, that we are your reason for boasting, just as you are also ours in the day of our Lord Jesus.
Paul Delays His Visit to Corinth
15 And with this confidence, I was wanting to come to you previously, in order that you may have a second proof of my goodwill, 16 and through you to go to Macedonia, and to come to you again from Macedonia, and to be sent on my way by you to Judea. 17 Therefore, when I[i] was wanting to do this, perhaps then was I making use of vacillation? Or was I deciding what I was deciding according to the flesh, in order that with me my “yes” may be “yes” and my “no” may be “no” at the same time?[j] 18 But God is faithful, so that our word to you is not “yes” and “no.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, did not become “yes” and “no,” but has become “yes” in him. 20 For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are “yes”; therefore also through him is the “amen” to the glory of God through us. 21 Now the one who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anoints us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.
23 But I call upon God as witness against my life, that in order to[k] spare you, I did not come again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.
Jerusalem a Useless Vine
15 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] 2 “Son of man, how will the wood of the vine be better than[c] any of the wood of[d] the branch which is among the trees of the forest?[e] 3 Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can they take a tent peg from it to hang on it any object?[f] 4 Look! It is given to the fire as fuel. The fire will consume two of its ends, and its middle will be charred. Is it useful for anything? 5 Look! When it is in perfect condition,[g] it will not be used for anything, how much less[h] when the fire has consumed it[i] and it is charred; and then can it be used again for anything? 6 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Just like[j] the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest[k] which I gave to the fire for fuel, so I have given the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them. From the fire they mayescape,[l] but the fire will yet consume them, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I set my face against them.[m] 8 And I will make the land a desolation because they acted very unfaithfully!”[n] declares[o] the Lord Yahweh.
Prayer for Deliverance and Confidence in God
For the music director, according to The Silent Dove of Distant Lands.
Of David. A miktam.
When the Philistines seized him in Gath.[a]
56 Be gracious to me, O God, because humankind has trampled me;
fighting all the day he oppresses me.
2 My enemies[b] trample all day,
because many are attacking me proudly.
3 When[c] I fear, I trust you.
4 God, whose word I praise,
God I trust; I do not fear.
What can mere flesh do to me?
5 All day they twist my words;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They attack,[d] they hide, they watch my steps,[e]
as they lie in wait for my life.
7 Because of iniquity will they escape?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God.
8 You have kept count of my wonderings.
Put my tears in your bottle;
are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back when[f] I call.[g]
This I know because[h] God is for me.
10 God, whose word I praise,
Yahweh, whose word I praise,
11 God I trust; I do not fear.
What can mere humankind do to me?
12 My vows to you, O God, are binding upon me.
I will pay thank offerings to you,
13 because you have delivered my soul from death.
Have you not kept my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of the living?
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies
For the music director, according to Do Not Destroy.
Of David. A miktam.
When he fled from Saul into the cave.[i]
57 Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,
because in you my soul takes refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge
until destruction passes by.
2 I will call to God Most High,
to God who accomplishes things concerning me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will reproach the one who tramples me. Selah
God will send his loyal love and his faithfulness.
4 My soul is among lions.
I lie down among those who devour—
the children[j] of humankind whose teeth are spears and arrows
and whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God.
Let your glory be above all the earth.
6 They have set a net for my steps;
my soul is bowed down.
They have dug a pit before me;
they have fallen into the midst of it. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God;
My heart is steadfast.
I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake, my glory;
Awake, harp and lyre.
I will awake the dawn.[k]
9 I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord;
I will give you praise among the nations.
10 Because your loyal love is high to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God.
Let your glory be above all the earth.
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