M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

17 And Achitophel said to Absalom: I will choose me twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.

² And coming upon him (for he is now weary, and weak handed) I will defeat him: and when all the people is put to flight that is with him, I will kill the king who will be left alone.

³ And I will bring back all the people, as if they were but one man: for thou seekest but one man: and all the people shall be in peace.

⁴ And his saying pleased Absalom, and all the ancients of Israel.

⁵ But Absalom said: Call Chusai the Arachite, and let us hear what he also saith.

⁶ And when Chusai was come to Absalom, Absalom said to him: Achitophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do it or not? what counsel dost thou give?

⁷ And Chusai said to Absalom: The counsel that Achitophel hath given this time is not good.

⁸ And again Chusai said: Thou knowest thy father, and the men that are with him, that they are very valiant, and bitter in their mind, as a bear raging in the wood when her whelps are taken away: and thy father is a warrior, and will not lodge with the people.

⁹ Perhaps he now lieth hid in pits, or in some other place where he list: and when any one shall fall at the first, every one that heareth it shall say: There is a slaughter among the people that followed Absalom.

¹⁰ And the most valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall melt for fear: for all the people of Israel know thy father to be a valiant man, and that all who are with him are valiant.

¹¹ But this seemeth to me to be good counsel: Let all Israel be gathered to thee, from Dan to Bersabee, as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered: and thou shalt be in the midst of them.

¹² And we shall come upon him in what place soever he shall be found: and we shall cover him, as the dew falleth upon the ground, and we shall not leave of the men that are with him, not so much as one.

¹³ And if he shall enter into any city, all Israel shall cast ropes round about that city, and we will draw it into the river, so that there shall not be found so much as one small stone thereof.

¹⁴ And Absalom, and all the men of Israel said: The counsel of Chusai the Arachite is better than the counsel of Achitophel: and by the will of the Lord the profitable counsel of Achitophel was defeated, that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

¹⁵ And Chusai said to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests: Thus and thus did Achitophel counsel Absalom, and the ancients of Israel: and thus and thus did I counsel them.

¹⁶ Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Tarry not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but without delay pass over: lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him.

¹⁷ And Jonathan and Achimaas stayed by the fountain Rogel: and there went a maid and told them: and they went forward, to carry the message to king David, for they might not be seen, nor enter into the city.

¹⁸ But a certain boy saw them, and told Absalom: but they making haste went into the house of a certain man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.

¹⁹ And a woman took, and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as it were to dry sodden barley: and so the thing was not known.

²⁰ And when Absalom's servants were come into the house, they said to the woman: Where is Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman answered them: They passed on in haste, after they had tasted a little water. But they that sought them, when they found them not, returned into Jerusalem.

²¹ And when they were gone, they came up out of the well, and going on told king David, and said: Arise, and pass quickly over the river: for this manner of counsel has Achitophel given against you.

²² So David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan, until it grew light, and not one of them was left that was not gone over the river.

²³ But Achitophel seeing that his counsel was not followed, saddled his ass, and arose and went home to his house and to his city, and putting his house in order, hanged himself, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

²⁴ But David came to the camp, and Absalom passed over the Jordan, be and all the men of Israel with him.

²⁵ Now Absalom appointed Amasa in Joab's stead over the army: and Amasa was the son of a man who was called Jethra of Jezrael, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Naas, the sister of Sarvia who was the mother of Joab.

²⁶ And Israel camped with Absalom in the land of Galaad.

²⁷ And when David was come to the camp, Sobi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammihel of Lodabar, and Berzellai the Galaadite of Rogelim,

²⁸ Brought him beds, and tapestry, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and fried pulse,

²⁹ And honey, and butter, and sheep, and fat calves, and they gave to David and the people that were with him, to eat: for they suspected that the people were faint with hunger and thirst in the wilderness.

10 Now I Paul myself beseech you, by the mildness and modesty of Christ, who in presence indeed am lowly among you, but being absent, am bold toward you.

² But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present, with that confidence wherewith I am thought to be bold, against some, who reckon us as if we walked according to the flesh.

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels,

⁵ And every height that exhalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ;

⁶ And having in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be fulfilled.

⁷ See the things that are according to outward appearance. If any man trust to himself, that he is Christ's, let him think this again with himself, that as he is Christ's, so are we also.

⁸ For if also I should boast somewhat more of our power, which the Lord hath given us unto edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.

⁹ But that I may not be thought as it were to terrify you by epistles,

¹⁰ (For his epistles indeed, say they, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible,)

¹¹ Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by epistles, when absent, such also we will be indeed when present.

¹² For we dare not match, or compare ourselves with some, that commend themselves; but we measure ourselves by ourselves, and compare ourselves with ourselves.

¹³ But we will not glory beyond our measure; but according to the measure of the rule, which God hath measured to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

¹⁴ For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as if we reached not unto you. For we are come as far as to you in the gospel of Christ.

¹⁵ Not glorying beyond measure in other men's labours; but having hope of your increasing faith, to be magnified in you according to our rule abundantly;

¹⁶ Yea, unto those places that are beyond you, to preach the gospel, not to glory in another man's rule, in those things that are made ready to our hand.

¹⁷ But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

¹⁸ For not he who commendeth himself, is approved, but he, whom God commendeth.

24 And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, the tenth day of the month, saying:

² Son of man, write thee the name of this day, on which the king of Babylon hath set himself against Jerusalem to day.

³ And thou shalt speak by a figure a parable to the provoking house, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Set on a pot, set it on, I say, and put water into it.

⁴ Heap together into it the pieces thereof, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, choice pieces and full of bones.

⁵ Take the fattest of the flock, and lay together piles of bones under it: the seething thereof is boiling hot, and the bones thereof are thoroughly sodden in the midst of it.

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose rust is in it, and its rust is not gone out of it: cast it out piece by piece, there hath no lot fallen upon it.

⁷ For her blood is in the midst of her, she hath shed it upon the smooth rock: she hath not shed it upon the ground, that it might be covered with dust.

⁸ And that I might bring my indignation upon her, and take my vengeance: I have shed her blood upon the smooth rock, that it should not be covered.

⁹ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, of which I will make a great bonfire.

¹⁰ Heap together the bones, which I will burn with fire: the flesh shall be consumed, and the whole composition shall be sodden, and the bones shall be consumed.

¹¹ Then set it empty upon burning coals, that it may be hot, and the brass thereof may be melted: and let the filth of it be melted in the midst thereof, and let the rust of it be consumed.

¹² Great pains have been taken, and the great rust thereof is not gone out, not even by fire.

¹³ Thy uncleanness is execrable: because I desired to cleanse thee, and thou art not cleansed from thy filthiness: neither shalt thou be cleansed, before I cause my indignation to rest in thee.

¹⁴ I the Lord have spoken: it shall come to pass, and I will do it: I will not pass by, nor spare, nor be pacified: I will judge thee according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, saith the Lord.

¹⁵ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

¹⁶ Son of man, behold I take from thee the desire of thy eyes with a stroke: and thou shalt not lament, nor weep: neither shall thy tears run down.

¹⁷ Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead: let the tire of thy head be upon thee, and thy shoes on thy feet, and cover not thy face, nor eat the meat of mourners.

¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening: and I did in the morning as he had commanded me.

¹⁹ And the people said to me: Why dost thou not tell us what these things mean that thou doest?

²⁰ And I said to them: The word of the Lord came to me, saying:

²¹ Speak to the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will profane my sanctuary, the glory of your realm, and the thing that your eyes desire, and for which your soul feareth: your sons, and your daughters, whom you have left, shall fall by the sword.

²² And you shall do as I have done: you shall not cover your faces, nor shall you eat the meat of mourners.

²³ You shall have crowns on your heads, and shoes on your feet: you shall not lament nor weep, but you shall pine away for your iniquities, and every one shall sigh with his brother.

²⁴ And Ezechiel shall be unto you for a sign of things to come: according to all that he hath done, so shall you do, when this shall come to pass: and you shall know that I am the Lord God.

²⁵ And thou, O son of man, behold in the day wherein I will take away from them their strength, and the joy of their glory, and the desire of their eyes, upon which their souls rest, their sons and their daughters.

²⁶ In that day when he that escapeth shall come to thee, to tell thee:

²⁷ In that day, I say, shall thy mouth be opened to him that hath escaped, and thou shalt speak, and shalt be silent no more: and thou shalt be unto them for a sign of things to come, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

72 A psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart!

² But my feet were almost moved; my steps had well nigh slipped.

³ Because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners.

⁴ For there is no regard to their death, nor is there strength in their stripes.

⁵ They are not in the labour of men: neither shall they be scourged like other men.

⁶ Therefore pride hath held them fast: they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness.

⁷ Their iniquity hath come forth, as it were from fatness: they have passed into the affection of the heart.

⁸ They have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high.

⁹ They have set their mouth against heaven: and their tongue hath passed through the earth.

¹⁰ Therefore will my people return here and full days shall be found in them.

¹¹ And they said: How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

¹² Behold these are sinners; and yet abounding in the world they have obtained riches.

¹³ And I said: Then have I in vain justified my heart, and washed my hands among the innocent.

¹⁴ And I have been scourged all the day; and my chastisement hath been in the mornings.

¹⁵ If I said: I will speak thus; behold I should condemn the generation of thy children.

¹⁶ I studied that I might know this thing, it is a labour in my sight:

¹⁷ Until I go into the sanctuary of God, and understand concerning their last ends.

¹⁸ But indeed for deceits thou hast put it to them: when they were lifted up thou hast cast them down.

¹⁹ How are they brought to desolation? they have suddenly ceased to be: they have perished by reason of their iniquity.

²⁰ As the dream of them that awake, O Lord; so in thy city thou shalt bring their image to nothing.

²¹ For my heart hath been inflamed, and my reins have been changed:

²² And I am brought to nothing, and I knew not.

²³ I am become as a beast before thee: and I am always with thee.

²⁴ Thou hast held me by my right hand; and by thy will thou hast conducted me, and with thy glory thou hast received me.

²⁵ For what have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth?

²⁶ For thee my flesh and my heart hath fainted away: thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for ever.

²⁷ For behold they that go far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that are disloyal to thee.

²⁸ But it is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God: That I may declare all thy praises, in the gates of the daughter of Sion.