M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Report of Saul’s Death by the Amalekite
1 After[a] the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and he stayed at Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day, a man came from the camp from being with Saul, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he came[b] to David, he fell to the ground and bowed down. 3 David said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 Then David said to him, “How did things go?[c] Please tell me.” He answered, “When[d] the army fled from the battle, and many of the people fell; also, Saul and Jonathan his son died.” 5 Then David asked the young man who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan died?” 6 The young man who was reporting to him said, “I merely happened to be on Mount Gilboa. Here Saul was leaning on his spear, and look, the chariots and the horsemen were getting close to him. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called to me, and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 8 Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I said to him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 He said to me, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for convulsions have seized me, even though my life is still in me.’ 10 So I stood over him and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after his falling; I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm; and here, I have brought them to my lord. 11 David grabbed at his clothes and tore them, as did all of the men who were with him. 12 Then they mourned and wept and fasted over Saul and Jonathan his son until the evening, as well as over the people of Yahweh and over the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword. 13 Then David said to the young man who was reporting to him, “Where are you from?” And he said, “I am the son of an alien man. I am an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed one?” 15 Then David called to one of the young men and said to him, “Come near; strike him.” So he struck him down and he died. 16 David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you by saying, ‘I killed Yahweh’s anointed one!’”
David Laments Jonathan with the “Song of the Bow”
17 Then David sang this funeral song over Saul and over Jonathan his son. 18 And he ordered “The Bow” to be taught to the children of Judah. Look, it is written on the scroll of Jashar.[e]
19 “The glory of Israel is on your high places; how the mighty have fallen!
20 Do not tell it in Gath; do not proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
21 O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you
or on the fields of grain for offerings,
for there the small shield of the mighty was defiled,
the small shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
and the sword of Saul did not return without effect.[f]
23 Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives
and were not separated in their death.
They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
24 O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
the one who clothed you with crimson,
the one who adorned your clothing with golden ornaments.[g]
25 How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle;
Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26 I am distressed[h] over you, my brother Jonathan.
you were very dear to me;
your love was more wonderful to me than the love of women.
27 How the mighty have fallen and the weapons of warfare perished.”
Varieties of Spiritual Gifts
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts,[a] brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the speechless idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed,” and no one is able to say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, 5 and there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord, 6 and there are varieties of activities, but the same God, who works all things in all people. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is beneficial to all. 8 For to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another[b] gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another[c] miraculous powers[d], to another[e] prophecy, to another[f] distinguishing of spirits, to another kinds of tongues, to another[g] interpretation of tongues. 11 But in all these things one and the same Spirit is at work, distributing to each one individually just as he wishes.
Unity in the Midst of Diversity
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the body, although they[h] are many, are one body, thus also Christ. 13 For by[i] one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free persons, and all were made to drink one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” not because of this is it not a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, not because of this is it not a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as he wanted. 19 And if they all were one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body.
21 Now the eye is not able to say to the hand, “I do not have need of you,” or again, the head to the feet, “I do not have need of you.” 22 But by much more the members of the body which are thought to be weaker are necessary, 23 and the parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, these we clothe with more abundant honor, and our unpresentable parts come to have more abundant presentability, 24 but our presentable parts do not have need of this. Yet God composed the body by giving more abundant honor to the part which lacked it, 25 in order that there not be a division in the body, but the members would have the same concern for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer together; if a member[j] is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members of it individually[k], 28 and whom God has appointed in the church: first, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues. 29 Not all are apostles, are they?[l] Not all are prophets, are they?[m] Not all are teachers, are they?[n] Not all are workers of miracles, are they?[o] 30 Not all have gifts of healing, do they?[p] Not all speak with tongues, do they?[q] Not all interpret, do they?[r] 31 But strive[s] for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
God’s Presence Leaves the Temple
10 And I looked, and look! On the expanse that was above the head of the cherubim something like a stone of sapphire,[a] and like the appearance of the shape of a throne it appeared above them. 2 And he spoke[b] to the man clothed in linen and said, “Go in among the wheel area under the cherubim[c] and fill the hollow of your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and toss them on the city.” And he went right before my eyes. 3 Now[d] the cherubim were standing on the south of the temple when the man went,[e] and the cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 And the glory of Yahweh rose up from on the cherub toward[f] the threshold of the house,[g] and the house[h] was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as[i] the outer courtyard; it was like the voice of God Shaddai[j] when he speaks.[k]
6 And then at his command[l] to the man clothed in linen, saying,[m] “Take fire from among the wheel area from among the cherubim,” he went and stood beside the wheel. 7 Then the cherub stretched out his hand from among[n] the cherubim toward the fire that was among[o] the cherubim, and he lifted up and gave[p] it into the hollow of the hand of the man clothed with linen, and he took it, and he went out.
8 And there appeared for[q] the cherubim the form of a human hand[r] under their wings. 9 And I saw, and look, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub,[s] and the appearance of the wheels was like the outward appearance of turquoise stone.[t] 10 Their appearance[u] was the same for each of the four of them,[v] as if the wheel was in the midst of a wheel. 11 When they went[w] to the four of their directions that they went, they did not change direction when they went,[x] for the place to which the head[y] turned, they went behind him; they did not change direction at their going. 12 And their whole body,[z] and their rims, and their spokes, and their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels for the four of them.[aa] 13 Concerning the wheels, he was calling them “the wheelwork” in my hearing.[ab] 14 And each one had four faces;[ac] the face of the one was the face of a cherub, and the face of the second was the face of a human, and the face of the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.
15 And the cherubim rose; that is, the living creatures[ad] that I saw at the Kebar River.[ae] 16 And when the cherubim went,[af] the wheels beside them went; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to rise up from the earth,[ag] the wheels also did not turn aside from beside them. 17 When they stood,[ah] they stood, and at their rising, they rose with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them. 18 And the glory of Yahweh went out from[ai] the threshold of the temple, and it stood above the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and they rose from the earth before my eyes. At their going out, the wheels were[aj] beside them. And he stood at the doorway of the eastern gate of the temple[ak] of Yahweh, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.[al]
20 This was[am] the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel at the Kebar River,[an] and I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces,[ao] and there were four wings for each, and the likeness of human hands[ap] was under their wings. 22 And the likeness of their faces, they were the faces that I saw at the Kebar River;[aq] thus was their appearance, and they each went straight ahead.[ar]
Wealth and the Fate of the Wicked
For the music director. Of the sons of Korah. A psalm.[a]
49 Hear this, all you peoples;
give ear, all you inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom,
and the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will propound[b] my riddle on a lyre.
5 Why should I fear in times of calamity,[c]
when iniquity surrounds me at my heels,
6 those who trust their wealth
and boast about the abundance of their riches?
7 Surely a man cannot redeem a brother.
He cannot give to God his ransom
8 (since[d] the redemption price for their life is costly
and it always fails),
9 so that he may stay alive forever
and not see the pit.
10 For he sees that the wise die,
together with the fool and brute they perish,
and leave their wealth to the next generation.
11 Within them they think their houses are forever,
their dwelling places from generation to generation.
They name[e] their lands by their own names.
12 But man cannot continue in his pomp.
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the journey[f] of those who have foolish confidence,
and those after them who accept their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are destined to Sheol;
death will shepherd them.
But the upright will rule over them in the morning,
and their forms will be for Sheol to consume,
far from his lofty abode.
15 Surely God will ransom my life
from the power[g] of Sheol,
because he will receive me. Selah
16 Do not fear when a man becomes rich,
when the wealth[h] of his house increases,
17 because when he dies he will not take away any of it.
His wealth will not follow down after him.
18 Though he congratulated his soul while he was living
—and people will praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 it[i] will go to the generation of his fathers.
Never will they see light.
20 Humankind in its pomp, but does not understand,
is like the beasts that perish.
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