M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Ammonites Refuse David’s Loyal Love
10 Afterwards the king of the Ammonites died,[a] and his son Hanun ruled in his place. 2 David said, “I will show loyal love with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed loyal love with me.” So David sent to console him concerning his father, by the hand of his servants. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites.[b] 3 But the commanders of the Ammonites[c] said to Hanun their master, “In your opinion,[d] is David honoring your father because he has sent condolences to you? Is it not in order to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it that David sent his servants to you?” 4 Then Hanun took the servants of David, and he shaved off half of their beards and cut their garments off in the middle up to their buttocks, then sent them away. 5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain in Jericho until your beards have grown, and then you can return.”
Israel Fights Ammon and Aram
6 When the Ammonites[e] saw that they had become odious to David, the Ammonites[f] sent word and hired Aram Beth-Rehob and Aram-Zobah, twenty thousand infantry; and they also hired the king of Maacah, a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men. 7 When David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty warriors. 8 The Ammonites[g] came out and drew up a battle formation[h] at the entrance of the gate, but Aram-Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were alone in the open field. 9 When Joab saw that the battle was to be fought on two fronts,[i] he chose from all the members of the elite troops of Israel and lined them up for battle[j] to meet Aram. 10 The rest of the army he placed into the hand of his brother Abishai, who arranged them in battle lines[k] to meet the Ammonites.[l] 11 Then he said, “If Aram is stronger than I am, you must become my deliverer; but if the Ammonites[m] are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for the sake of the people and for the sake of the cities of our God. May Yahweh do what is good in his eyes. 13 Joab and all the people who were with him moved forward into the battle against Aram, and they fled from before him. 14 When the Ammonites[n] saw that Aram had fled, they fled from before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites[o] and came to Jerusalem.
The Arameans Regroup for Attack
15 When the Arameans saw that they were defeated before Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 Then Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates, and they came to Helam. Now Shobach, the commander of the army of Hadadezer, was at their head.[p] 17 David was told, so he gathered all Israel and crossed over the Jordan and came to Helam. Aram arranged themselves in battle lines[q] to meet David, and they fought with him. 18 And Aram fled before Israel, and David killed from the Arameans seven hundred chariot teams and forty thousand horsemen. He struck down Shobach, the commander of his army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings, the servants of Hadadezer, saw that he had been defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them, and Aram was afraid to help the Ammonites[r] any longer.
New Covenant Ministry
3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all people, 3 revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Now we possess such confidence through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory. 10 For indeed what had been glorified has not been glorified in this case, on account of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was transitory came with glory, by much more what remains is with glory.
12 Therefore, because we[a] have such a hope, we use much boldness, 13 and not as Moses used to place a veil over his face, in order that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was transitory. 14 But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ. 15 But until today, whenever Moses is read aloud, a veil lies upon their heart, 16 but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting[b] the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine
17 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] 2 “Son of man,[c] tell a riddle and quote a proverb to the house of Israel, 3 and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The great eagle with great wings and long feathers[d] and full of variegated plumage[e] came to Lebanon and he took the treetop of the cedar. 4 He plucked the top of its new plant shoot, and he brought it to the land of Canaan and put it in a city of merchants, 5 and he took from the seed of the land and placed it in fertile soil[f] on[g] many waters; like a willow he planted it. 6 And it sprouted, and it became a vine spreading out,[h] low of height, turning its branches to him, and its roots were under it, and it became a vine,[i] and it made[j] branches, and it sent out foliage.
7 “‘“And there was another great eagle, great of wings and with abundant plumage, and look! This vine stretched out its roots toward him and extended its branches to him to water it from the garden bed where it was planted.[k] 8 It was planted in[l] a good field by[m] many waters[n] to produce branches[o] and to bear fruit to become[p] a beautiful vine.”’[q] 9 Say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Will it prosper? Will he not tear out its roots, and will he not make its fruit scaly, and it will wither, and all of the freshness of its vegetation will dry up? And to lift it from its roots will not require great strength or many people.[r] 10 And look! Though it is planted, will it prosper? When the east wind strikes it,[s] will it not dry up completely? On the garden bed of its vegetation it will dry up!”’”
11 And the word of Yahweh came[t] to me, saying, 12 “Say now to the rebellious house of Israel, ‘Do you not know what these are?’[u] Say, ‘Look! The king of Babylon will come to Jerusalem, and he will take its king and its officials, and he will bring[v] them to himself,[w] to Babylon. 13 And he took from the seed of the kingship, and he made with him a covenant, and he brought him under oath,[x] and he took the rulers of the land, 14 so that they would be a humble kingdom and not lift itself up to keep his covenant in order for it to stand.[y] 15 But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt to give to him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he escape doing these things, and can he break the covenant and escape? 16 As I live,’[z] declares[aa] the Lord Yahweh, ‘surely[ab] in the place of the king who made[ac] him king, who despised his oath and who broke his covenant with him—in the midst of Babylon he will die. 17 And not with a great army and with a great crowd will Pharaoh work[ad] with him in the war, at the pouring out of a siege ramp and the building of siege works to destroy many lives. 18 And he despised the oath to break covenant. And, look, he gave his hand in pledge, and yet he did all of these things. He will not escape.’ 19 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘As I live,[ae] surely[af] my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke I will return upon his head. 20 And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my hunting net, and I will bring him to Babylon, and I will enter into judgment with him there about his infidelity that he displayed against me. 21 And all of his choice troops, among all of his troops, they will fall by the sword, and those who are remaining,[ag] they will be scattered to all the directions of the wind, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have spoken.’ 22 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘And I will take, even I, from the treetop of the high cedar, and I will plant it, from the head of its new plant shoot I will pluck a tender one, and I will plant it, even I, on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the height of the mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it will carry[ah] branches,[ai] and it will bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar,[aj] and all of the birds of all wings[ak] will dwell under it in the shade of its branches. 24 And all of the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, I will bring low a high tree, and I will exalt a low, fresh tree, and I will make a dry tree flourish. I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will do it.’”
A Lament After a Defeat and a Prayer for Restoration
For the music director, according to Shushan Eduth.[a]
A miktam of David. To teach.
When he fought Mesopotamia and Aram Zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in the Valley of Salt, twelve thousand persons.[b]
60 O God, you have rejected us. You have broken us.
You have been angry. Restore us!
2 You have made the land quake. You have split it open.
Heal its fissures, because it totters.
3 You have shown your people hard things;
You have given us wine that staggers.
4 You have rallied those who fear you round a banner
out of bowshot,[c] Selah
5 so that your beloved ones may be rescued.
Save by your right hand and answer us.
6 God has spoken in his holiness,
“I will rejoice;
I will divide up Shechem,
and portion out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine,
and Ephraim is the helmet for[d] my head;
Judah is my scepter.[e]
8 Moab is my washing pot;
over Edom, I will cast my sandal.
On account of me, O Philistia, raise a shout.”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Have not you yourself rejected us, O God,
and not gone out with our armies, O God?
11 Give us help against the adversary,
for the help of humankind is futile.
12 Through God we will do valiantly,[f]
and it is he who will tread down our enemies.
Confidence in God’s Protection
For the music director, upon stringed instruments.[g] Of David.[h]
61 Hear, O God, my cry;
attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth[i] I call to you
when my heart grows faint.
You will lead me to a rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower from the enemy.
4 Let me reside in your tent forever.
Let me take refuge under the covering of your wings. Selah
5 For you, O God, you have heard my vows.
You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 You will add days to the days of the king,
his years like those of many generations.[j]
7 May he live[k] forever in the presence of God.
Appoint loyal love and faithfulness to preserve him.
8 So I will sing the praise of your name forever,
that I may fulfill[l] my vows daily.[m]
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