M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Hushai Frustrates the Counsel of Ahithophel
17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David tonight.[a] 2 I will come upon him while he is weary and weak.[b] I will startle him, and all of the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king while he is alone. 3 Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead,[c] but all the people will be safe.” 4 The word was right in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. 5 Then Absalom said, “Please call also for Hushai the Arkite, and let us hear what he has to say[d] also.” 6 So Hushai came to Absalom, who said to him, “Shall we do according to this word that Ahithophel has spoken? If not, then you tell us.” 7 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel gave is not good at this time.”[e] 8 Hushai continued, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty warriors and they are enraged[f] as a bear robbed of her offspring in the field. Your father is a man of war, so he will not spend the night with the troops. 9 Now he has hidden himself in one of the caves or in one of the places. At the moment he falls on them[g] the first time, whoever hears[h] the report will say, ‘There has been a defeat among the people who follow after Absalom.’ 10 And he is also a valiant warrior,[i] whose heart is like the heart of the lion. He[j] will certainly melt[k] with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty warrior and those who are with him are valiant warriors.[l] 11 I give the advice that all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba should be completely gathered to you, as the sand which is on the seashore for abundance, with you personally[m] going into the battle. 12 Then we will come to him in one of the places where he may be found, and we shall come upon him as the dew falls on the ground. He and all the men who are with him will not survive, not even one! 13 Even if he withdraws to a city, all Israel will bring up ropes to that city, and they will drag him away to the valley until there is not even a pebble to be found.” 14 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” (Now Yahweh had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel in order for Yahweh to bring misery upon Absalom).
Hushai Sends Word to David
15 Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so[n] Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, but thus and so[o] I have advised. 16 So then, send quickly and tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night at the fords of the wilderness! Moreover, by all means cross over lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel, so a servant girl used to go and tell them, then they would go and tell King David, for they were not able to be seen coming to the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom, so both of them went quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim. Now he had a well in his courtyard, so they went down there. 19 Then the woman took and spread a covering over the opening of the well; then she spread out dried grain on it, so nothing was discovered. 20 When the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And she said to them, “They crossed over the brook of water.” So they searched but could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. 21 After they left, they came up from the well and went and told King David. They said to David, “Set out and cross over the water quickly, for thus Ahithophel has advised against you.” 22 So David and all the people who were with him set out, and they crossed over the Jordan until morning light until there was no one[p] missing who had not crossed over the Jordan. 23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled the donkey, and he set out and went up to his house in his city. After he set his house in order,[q] he hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors.[r]
24 Now David had come to Mahanaim, and Absalom had crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25 Absalom had appointed Amasa in place of Joab over the army. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who had married[s] Abigail the daughter of Nahash the sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab. 26 Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. 27 Just as David had arrived in Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites[t] and Makir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28 brought beds and basins and objects of pottery, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, curds, sheep, cheese, and cattle for David and for the people who were with him to eat. For they had thought, “The troops are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”
Paul’s Ministry Defended
10 Now I, Paul, appeal to you myself by the humility and gentleness of Christ, who when I am present in person[a] am humble among you, but when I[b] am absent am bold toward you— 2 now I ask when I[c] am present that I will not need to be bold with the confidence with which I propose to show boldness toward some who consider us as behaving according to the flesh. 3 For although we[d] are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments 5 and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 6 And we are ready[e] to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is completed.
7 You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ’s, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself is, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down[f], I will not be put to shame, 9 so that I do not want to appear as if I were terrifying you by my letters, 10 because it is said, “His letters are severe and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech is of no account.” 11 Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word by letters when we[g] are absent, we will also be in actions[h] when we[i] are present.
12 For we do not dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some who commend themselves, but they themselves, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, do not understand. 13 But we will not boast beyond limits[j], but according to the measure of the assignment that God has assigned to us as a measure to reach even as far as you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we[k] had not reached you, because we have reached even as far as you with the gospel of Christ, 15 not boasting beyond limits[l] in the labors of others, but having hope that as your faith is growing to be enlarged greatly by you according to our assignment, 16 so that we may proclaim the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast in the things accomplished in the area assigned to someone else. 17 But “the one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”[m] 18 For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
The Boiling Pot and the Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
24 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, saying,[b] 2 “Son of man,[c] write for yourself the name of the day, this very day.[d] The king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem on exactly this day! 3 And deliver a proverb[e] to the rebellious house,[f] and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Place the pot! Place it and also pour water into it. 4 Gather its pieces to it, every good piece, thigh and shoulder, fill it with choice bones; 5 take the choicest of the flock, and also pile the bones[g] under it; boil it vigorously;[h] indeed,[i] its bones boiled in the midst of it.”’”
6 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the city of bloodguilt! A pot that has its rust in it; its rust did not go out from it.[j] Bring it out piece by piece;[k] one is as good as another.[l] 7 For her blood was in the midst of her; she put it on a bare rock;[m] she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.[n] 8 To stir up rage, to avenge myself through vengeance, I placed its blood on the barrenness of a rock, so that it may not be covered.”[o]
9 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the city of bloodguilt! I, even I, will make the pile of wood great! 10 Pile up the logs; kindle the fire; finish cooking the meat, and mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned.[p] 11 And make it stand[q] empty upon its burning coals so that it may become hot, and its copper may become molten and be melted in the midst of it,[r] so that its uncleanness and its rust be consumed. 12 Through effort she has caused weariness; its thick rust[s] went not out of it. Its rust! Into the fire with its rust! 13 In your uncleanness is obscene conduct, because I cleansed you, but you were not clean from your uncleanness; you will not be clean again until I fully vent my rage[t] on you. 14 I, Yahweh, I have spoken. It is coming, and I did it; I will not disregard, and I will not take pity, and I will not reconsider. According to your ways and according to your deeds they will judge you!”[u] declares[v] the Lord Yahweh.
15 And the word of Yahweh came[w] to me, saying,[x] 16 “Son of man,[y] look! I am taking from you what is pleasing to your eyes with a plague,[z] but you shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not run down. 17 Sigh in silence for the dead; you shall not make a mourning ceremony. Bind your turban on you, and you must put your sandals on your feet. You must not cover your upper lip,[aa] and the bread of mourners[ab] you shall not eat.” 18 And I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening, and I did in the morning just as[ac] I was commanded. 19 And the people said to me, “Will you not make known to us what these things that you are doing mean for us?” 20 And I said to them that the word of Yahweh came[ad] to me, saying,[ae] 21 “Say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I will be profaning my sanctuary, the pride of your strength and the delight of your eyes and the object of your own[af] affection; and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind will fall by the sword, 22 and you shall do just as[ag] I did: You shall not cover your upper lip,[ah] and you shall not eat the bread of mourners.[ai] 23 And your turban must be on your heads, and your sandals must be on your feet. You shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, but you shall waste away because of your iniquities, and you shall groan to one another.[aj] 24 And Ezekiel will be to you as a sign; everything that he did[ak] you shall do; and when it comes you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.
25 “And you, son of man,[al] will it not be that on the day when I take from them[am] their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the delight of their eyes, and the longing of their inner self,[an] their sons and daughters— 26 on that day a survivor will come to you with the news.[ao] 27 On that day your mouth shall be opened at the arrival of the fugitive,[ap] and you shall speak, and you shall not be silent any longer, and you shall be to them as a sign, and they will know that I am Yahweh.”
A Prayer for the Prosperity of God’s Anointed King
Of Solomon.[a]
72 O God, give your judgments to the king,
and your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 Let the mountains yield prosperity[b] for the people,
and the hills in righteousness.
4 May he provide justice for the poor of the people,
save the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live long[c] while the sun endures[d]
as long as the moon[e] for all generations.[f]
6 May he descend like rain on mown grass,
like showers watering the earth.
7 May what is right blossom in his days
and an abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
8 And may he rule from sea up to sea,
and from the River[g] to the edges of the land.
9 Let the desert dwellers bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute.
Let the kings of Sheba and Seba present gifts,
11 and let all kings bow down to him.
Let all nations serve him.
12 Indeed he will deliver the needy who is crying for help,
and the afflicted who has no helper.
13 He will take pity on the helpless and needy,
and the lives of the needy he will save.
14 From oppression and from violence
he will redeem their lives,
and their blood will be precious in his eyes.
15 So may he live, and may gold from Sheba be given to him,
and may prayers be offered for him continually.
May blessings be invoked for him all day long.[h]
16 May there be an abundance of grain in the land
even on the top of the mountains.
May his crop[i] sway like the trees of Lebanon,
and may those from the city blossom like the grass of the earth.
17 May his name endure forever.
May his name increase as long as the sun shines,[j]
and let them be blessed in him.
Let all nations call him blessed.
18 Blessed be Yahweh God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful things.
19 And blessed be his glorious name forever,
and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are completed.
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