M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David’s Military Victories(A)
18 After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines, and then took possession of Gath and its towns from Philistine control. 2 He also conquered Moab, placing them in servitude and making them pay tribute.
3 David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, which is near Hamath,[a] while he was going about establishing his hegemony[b] as far as the Euphrates[c] River. 4 David confiscated 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers from him, and hamstrung all of the chariot horses except for a reserve force of 100 chariots. 5 When Arameans came from Damascus to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. 6 David later erected garrisons[d] in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans were placed under servitude to David, to whom they paid tribute. 7 David also confiscated the gold shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s officials and took them to Jerusalem. 8 David also confiscated a vast quantity of bronze from Tibhath[e] and Cun, cities under Hadadezer’s control. Later on, Solomon crafted the bronze sea, the pillars, and the bronze vessels for the Temple.[f]
9 When King Tou of Hamath learned that David had conquered King Hadadezer of Zobah’s entire army, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David to meet and congratulate him, because he had fought against and defeated Hadadezer. Since Hadadezer had often been to war against Tou, he sent all sorts of gold, silver, and bronze goods 11 to King David, which David[g] also dedicated to the Lord, along with silver and gold that he confiscated from all the surrounding[h] nations, including Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.
12 Zeruiah’s son Abishai killed 18,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley. 13 He erected garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subservient to David, while the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.
David’s Reign(B)
14 So David reigned over all of Israel, administering justice and equity to all of his people. 15 Zeruiah’s son Joab served in charge of the army, Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was his personal archivist,[i] 16 Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Ahimelech were priests, Shavsha[j] was his personal secretary,[k] 17 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah supervised the special forces[l] and mercenaries,[m] while David’s sons worked as chief officials in service to the king.[n]
Advice for Rich People
5 Now listen, you rich people! Cry and moan over the miseries that are overtaking you. 2 Your riches are rotten, your clothes have been eaten by moths, 3 your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be used as evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasures in these last days. 4 Look! The wages that you kept back from the workers who harvested your fields are shouting out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 5 You have lived in luxury and pleasure on earth. You have fattened yourselves[a] for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the one who is righteous, even though he did not rebel against you.
Be Patient
7 So be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious crop from his land, being patient with it until it receives the fall and the spring rains. 8 You, too, must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain about each other, brothers, or you will be condemned. Look! The Judge is standing at the door! 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We consider those who endured to be blessed. You have heard about Job’s endurance and have seen the purpose of the Lord—that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Do Not Swear Oaths
12 Above all, brothers, do not swear oaths by heaven, by earth, or by any other object.[b] Instead, let your “Yes” mean yes and your “No” mean no! Otherwise,[c] you may fall under condemnation.
The Power of Prayer
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should keep on praying. Is anyone cheerful? He should keep reciting psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith[d] will save the person who is sick. The Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore, make it your habit to confess your sins to one another and to pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a person just like us, and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and rain never came to the land for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the skies poured out rain, and the ground produced its crops.
19 My brothers, if one of you wanders away from the truth and somebody brings him back, 20 you may be sure that whoever brings a sinner back from his wrong path will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Jonah’s Prayer for Deliverance
2 [a]Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the sea creature. 2 He said:
“I called out to the Lord from the midst of affliction directed at me,[b]
and he answered me.
From the depths[c] of death[d] I cried out for help;
and you heard my cry.[e]
3 You cast me into the deep—
into the heart of the sea.
Flood waters engulfed me.
All your breakers and your waves swirled over me.
4 So I told myself,[f] ‘I have been driven away from you.[g]
How[h] will I again gaze on your holy Temple?’
5 Flood waters encompassed me,
the deep surrounded me
while seaweed wrapped around my head.
6 I sank to the roots of the mountains;
the earth’s prison[i] bars closed[j] around me forever.
Yet you resurrect the dead[k] from the Pit,[l] Lord my God!
7 “As my life was fading away,
I remembered the Lord;
and my prayer came to you in your holy Temple.
8 Those who cling to vain idols
leave behind the gracious love that could have been theirs.[m]
9 But as for me, with a voice of thanksgiving I will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Deliverance[n] is the Lord’s!”
10 Then the Lord spoke to the sea creature, and it spewed Jonah onto the dry land.
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant(A)
7 After Jesus[a] had finished saying all these things[b] to the people who were there listening, he went to Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom he valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 When the centurion[c] heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and save his servant’s life. 4 So they went to Jesus and begged him repeatedly, “He deserves to have this done for him, 5 because he loves our people and built our synagogue for us.”
6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus,[d] “Sir,[e] stop troubling yourself, because I’m not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 That’s why I didn’t presume to come to you. But just say the word, and let my servant be healed, 8 because I, too, am a man under authority and have soldiers under me. I say to one ‘Go’ and he goes, to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my servant ‘Do this’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found this kind of faith!” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant in perfect health.
Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son
11 Soon afterwards, Jesus[f] went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were going along with him. 12 As he approached the entrance to the city, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only living[g] son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.
13 When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her. He told her, “You can stop crying.” 14 Then he went up and touched the bier, and the men who were carrying it stopped. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The man who had been dead sat up and began to speak, and Jesus[h] gave him back to his mother.
16 Fear gripped everyone, and they began to praise God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said, and “God has helped his people.” 17 This news about Jesus[i] spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding countryside.
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus(B)
18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. So John called two of his disciples 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the Coming One, or should we wait for someone else?”
20 When the men had come to Jesus,[j] they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the Coming One, or should we wait for someone else?’”
21 At that time Jesus[k] had healed many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. 22 So he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have observed and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear again, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news. 23 How blessed is anyone who is not offended by me!”
24 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus[l] began to ask the crowds about John. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look! Those who wear fine clothes and live in luxury are in royal palaces. 26 Really, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! 27 This is the man about whom it is written,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’[m]
28 I tell you, no one has ever been born who is[n] greater than John. Yet even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29 By having been baptized with John’s baptism, all the people who listened, including the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice.[o] 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law rejected God’s plan for themselves[p] by refusing to be baptized by John.[q]
31 Jesus continued,[r] “To what may I compare the people living today?[s] 32 They’re like little children who sit in the marketplace and shout to each other,
‘A wedding song we played for you,
the dance you all did scorn.
A woeful dirge we chanted, too,
but then you would not mourn.’
33 Because John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, yet you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look! He’s[t] a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Wisdom is vindicated by all[u] her children.”
Jesus Forgives a Sinful Woman
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus[v] to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee’s home and took his place at the table. 37 There was a woman who was a notorious[w] sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus[x] was eating at the Pharisee’s home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume 38 and knelt at his feet behind him. She was crying and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair.[y] Then she kissed his feet over and over again, anointing them constantly with the perfume.
39 Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus[z] saw this and told himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She’s a sinner!”
40 Jesus told him, “Simon, I have something to ask you.”
“Teacher,” he replied, “ask it.”
41 “Two men were in debt to a moneylender. One owed him 500 denarii,[aa] and the other 50. 42 When they couldn’t pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled.”
Jesus[ab] told him, “You have answered correctly.”
44 Then, turning to the woman, he told Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You didn’t give me any water for my feet, but this woman has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You didn’t give me a kiss,[ac] but this woman, from the moment I came in, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 So I’m telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that’s why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.”
48 Then Jesus[ad] told her, “Your sins are forgiven!”
49 Those who were at the table with them began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”
50 But Jesus[ae] told the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
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