M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Syrian-Israeli Conflicts: Ben-Hadad vs. Ahab of Israel
20 Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered all of his army, and thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. He went up and laid siege against Samaria and fought with it. 2 He sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel. 3 He said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, and your women and your best sons are mine.’” 4 Then the king of Israel answered and said, “As your word, my master the king; I am yours, and all that is mine is yours.” 5 The messengers returned and said, “Thus says Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘I sent to you saying, “Your silver and gold are mine, and your women and your best sons you must give to me.” 6 So at this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you that they might search your house and the houses of your servants. All the desire of your eyes they will lay hands on[a] and take it away.’”
7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, “Please know and realize that this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my women, my sons, my silver, and my gold, and I did not withhold anything from him.” 8 All of the elders and all of the people said to him, “Do not listen and do not consent.” 9 So he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Say to my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded from your servant at the first, I will do, but this thing I am not able to do.’” Then the messengers went and made a report to him.[b] 10 Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, “Thus may the gods do to me and thus may they add if the dust of Samaria is sufficient for the hollow of a hand for all of the people who are at my feet.” 11 The king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast as one who takes off his armor.’” 12 It happened at the moment he heard this word, he and the kings were drinking in the tents.[c] He said to his servants, “Get ready to attack.” So they got ready to attack the city.
13 Suddenly a certain prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Have you seen all this great crowd? Behold, I am giving it into your hand today, that you may know that I am Yahweh.’” 14 Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘By the servants of the commanders of the provinces.’” He asked, “Who will begin the battle?” And he said, “You.” 15 So he mustered the servants of the commanders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two. After them he mustered all of the army, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.
16 They went out at noon while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the tents, he and the thirty-two kings helping him. 17 Then the servants of the commanders of the provinces went out first, and Ben-Hadad sent, and they reported to him, saying, “Men have come out from Samaria.” 18 Then he said, “If they have come out for peace, seize them alive; and if they have come out for war, seize them alive.” 19 But these had come out from the city, the servants of the commanders of the provinces, and the army that was after them. 20 Each man killed his man, and the Arameans fled, so Israel pursued them, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with cavalry. 21 The king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and the chariots and defeated Aram with a great blow.
22 Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and he said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; consider well[d] what you should do, for the king of Aram is coming against you at the turn of the year.”
23 The servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we.[e] Let us fight with them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they. 24 Do this thing: remove the kings each from his post, and put a governor in their place. 25 You must muster an army for yourself as the army you have lost,[f] and horses and chariots as the horses and chariots you lost, then we will fight them in the plain. Surely we will be stronger than they.” So he listened to their voice and did so.
26 It happened at the turning of the year that Ben-Hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek for the war with Israel. 27 The Israelites[g] had been mustered and provisioned, and they went to engage them. The Israelites[h] encamped opposite them as two flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the land. 28 Then the man of God approached, and he spoke to the king of Israel, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Because Aram has said, “Yahweh is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,”’ I will give all this great crowd into your hand that you may know that I am Yahweh.” 29 These encamped opposite for seven days, and it happened on the seventh day that the battle began,[i] and the Israelites[j] killed the Arameans, one hundred thousand infantry in one day. 30 Then those who remained fled to Aphek, to the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who had remained, so Ben-Hadad fled and went to the innermost rooms of the city.
31 Then his servants said to him, “Please now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are kings of mercy. Let us now put sackcloth on around our waists and ropes on our heads. Then let us go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will let you live.”[k] 32 So they tied sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads. Then they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And he said, “Is my brother still alive?” 33 The men took this as a good omen and they quickly accepted it as true from him, and they said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad lives.” So he said, “Go, get him.” Ben-Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up on the chariot. 34 Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I shall return. You may set up streets with stalls for yourself in Damascus just as my father set up in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “On these terms[l] I will let you go,” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.
35 A certain man from the sons of the prophets said to his fellow countryman, “By the word of Yahweh, please strike me.” But the man refused to strike him.
36 He said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, look, as you now are going from me, a lion will kill you.” When he went from beside him, the lion found him and killed him. 37 Then he found another man and said, “Strike me, please,” so the man struck him sharply and wounded him. 38 Then the prophet went and waited[m] for the king along the road and disguised himself with a[n] headband over his eyes. 39 As the king was passing by, he called to the king and said, “Your servant went out in the thick of the battle, and suddenly a man turned and brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man. If by any means he should be missed, it will be your life in his place, or you shall pay a talent of silver.’ 40 It happened that your servant was busy here and there,[o] and he disappeared.”[p] Then the king said to him, “Your own judgment has been determined.” 41 He quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was from the prophets. 42 He said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Because you have let the man I devoted for destruction go from your hand, your life shall be in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’” 43 Then the king of Israel went to his house, sullen and angry, and he came to Samaria.
Paul Sends Timothy to Thessalonica
3 Therefore when we[a] could bear it no longer, we determined to be left behind in Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and to encourage you about your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed for this, 4 for indeed when we were with you we told you beforehand that we were about to be afflicted, just as indeed it happened, and you know. 5 Because of this, I also, when I[b] could endure it no longer, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow the tempter tempted you and our labor should be in vain.
Timothy’s Positive Report
6 But now, because[c] Timothy has come to us from you and has brought good news to us of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us[d], desiring to see us just as also we desire to see you, 7 because of this, brothers, we have been comforted because of you in all our distress and affliction through your faith, 8 because now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we repay to God concerning you, because of all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, 10 night and day praying beyond all measure that we may see your face and complete what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and to abound in love for one another and for all, just as also we do for you, 13 so that your hearts may be established blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.[e]
The King’s Troubling Dream
2 Now[a] in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 So the king said to call the magicians[b] and the conjurers[c] and the sorcerers and the astrologers[d] to tell to the king his dreams. And they came in and they stood before[e] the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I have had a dream[f] and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”
4 And the astrologers[g] said to the king in Aramaic,[h] “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants and we will reveal the explanation.” 5 The king answered and said to the astrologers,[i] “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its explanation,[j] then you will be broken into pieces and your houses will be laid in ruins. 6 But if you tell me the dream and its explanation, you will receive gifts and rewards[k] and great honor from me. Therefore, tell me the dream and its explanation.”[l] 7 They answered once more and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants and we will make the explanation known.” 8 The king answered and said, “Certainly[m] I know that you are trying to gain time[n] because[o] you have seen that this matter is firmly decreed by me,[p] 9 for if you do not make the dream known to me, your verdict is fixed,[q] and you have conspired to say a lying and deceitful word to me until the circumstances[r] will change. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can tell me its explanation.” 10 The astrologers[s] answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth that is able to reveal the word of the king; in fact,[t] no great and powerful king has ever asked a thing like this of any magician[u] or conjurer[v] or astrologer.[w] 11 And the thing that the king is asking is too difficult and there is no one who[x] can reveal it to the king except the gods whose dwelling is not with mortals.”[y]
12 Because of this the king became angry, and he became very much enraged, and he said that all the wise men of Babylon are to be destroyed. 13 And the decree was issued, and the wise men were on the verge of being executed,[z] and they searched for Daniel and his companions to be executed. 14 Then Daniel responded prudently and discretely to Arioch, the commander of the imperial guard of the king, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 15 He asked[aa] and said to Arioch, the royal official of the king, “Why[ab] is the decree from the king so severe?” Then Arioch explained the matter[ac] to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested from the king that he would give him time, and he would tell the king[ad] the explanation.[ae]
17 Then Daniel went to his home, and he made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven[af] concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions, along with the remainder of the wise men of Babylon, would not be killed.
19 Then in a vision of the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel; then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel said:[ag]
“Let his name, the name of God,[ah] be blessed throughout the ages,[ai]
for the wisdom and the power are his.[aj]
21 And he changes the times and the seasons,
and he deposes kings and he sets up kings;
he gives wisdom[ak] to wise men
and knowledge to men who know understanding.
22 He reveals the deep and the hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, O God of my ancestors,[al]
I give thanks and I give praises,
for the wisdom and the power you gave to me,
and now you have made known to me
what we have asked from you,
for you have made known to us the matter of the king.”
Daniel Praises God and Interprets the King’s Dream
24 Therefore[am] Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed[an] to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and thus he said to him: “You must not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me in before the king and I will give the explanation[ao] to the king.”
25 Then Arioch quickly[ap] brought Daniel in before the king and thus he said to him: “I have found a man among the exiles[aq] of Judah[ar] who can relate[as] the explanation[at] to the king. 26 The king then asked[au] and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its explanation?”[av] 27 Daniel answered the king and said, “The mystery that the king asks, no wise men, conjurers,[aw] magicians,[ax] or diviners are able to make known to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what it is that will be at the end of days. This is your dream and the visions of your head on your bed.
29 “As for you, king,[ay] your thoughts on your bed turned to[az] what it was that would be in the future,[ba] and the revealer of mysteries has made known to you what that would be. 30 And as for me, it is not because of wisdom that is in me more than any other living person[bb] that this mystery is revealed to me, but in order that[bc] the explanation[bd] may be made known to the king and you will understand[be] the thoughts of your mind.[bf]
31 “You, O king, were looking and, look, there was one great statue. This statue was huge and its brilliance extraordinary, standing there before you, and its appearance was frightening.[bg] 32 The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet, part of them of iron and part of them of clay. 34 You were looking on until[bh] a stone was chiseled out[bi]—that not by hands—and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and it broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold all at once[bj] broke into pieces[bk] and they became like chaff from the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away and any trace of them could not be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and it filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream, and now we will tell its interpretation to the king. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power and the might and the glory, 38 and also human beings wherever they dwell,[bl] the animals of the field and the birds[bm] of heaven[bn]—he has given into your hand and made you ruler over all of them—you are the head of gold. 39 And after you another kingdom inferior to yours will arise, and another third kingdom of bronze that will rule over the whole earth. 40 And a fourth kingdom will be strong as iron, and just as[bo] iron crushes and smashes everything,[bp] and as iron shatters all of these other metals, so it will crush and it will shatter these nations. 41 And just as[bq] you saw the feet and the toes, partly potter’s clay[br] and partly iron,[bs] it will be a divided kingdom; and some hardness[bt] of the iron will be in it, just as[bu] you have seen the iron mixed with the wet clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so part of the kingdom will be strong and partly brittle.[bv] 43 And in that you saw the iron was mixed with wet clay, so they will mix in marriage[bw] and they will not cling to one another,[bx] just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the day of those kings,[by] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never[bz] be destroyed, and the kingdom will not be left for another nation,[ca] and it will bring an end to all these kingdoms, but it will stand forever.[cb] 45 Inasmuch as[cc] you saw that a stone from the mountain was chiseled out[cd] but not by hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, thereby the great God made known to the king what will be in the future,[ce] and the dream is certain and its explanation trustworthy.”
The King’s Response to Daniel and His God
46 Then the king, Nebuchadnezzar, fell on his face and he paid homage to Daniel; and he commanded them to offer a grain offering and incense offering to him. 47 The king answered Daniel and said, “Truly[cf] your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings, and he reveals mysteries, for you are able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and the chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel made a request from the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the court of the king.
Praise to Yahweh for His Faithfulness in Israel’s History
106 Praise Yah.[a] Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loyal love is forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of Yahweh,
or proclaim all his praise?
3 Blessed are those who observe justice,
he who does righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Yahweh, when you show favor to your people.
Look after me when you deliver,
5 that I may see the good done your chosen ones,
to be glad in the joy of your nation,
to glory together with your inheritance.
6 We have sinned along with our ancestors.[b]
We have committed iniquity; we have incurred guilt.
7 Our ancestors[c] in Egypt did not understand your wonderful works.
They did not remember your many acts of loyal love,
and so they rebelled by the sea at the Red Sea.[d]
8 Yet he saved them for the sake of his name,
to make known his might.
9 So he rebuked the Red Sea,[e] and it dried up,
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 Thus he saved them from the hand of the hater
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11 But waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.
13 They quickly forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
14 And they craved intensely[f] in the wilderness,
and tested God in the desert.
15 So he gave to them their request,
but he sent leanness into their souls.[g]
16 And they were jealous of Moses in the camp,
and of Aaron, the holy one of Yahweh.
17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and it covered over the gang of Abiram.
18 Also fire burned in their assembly;
the flame devoured the wicked.
19 They made a calf at Horeb
and bowed down to a cast image.
20 And so they exchanged their glory
for an image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wonders in the land of Ham,
awesome deeds by the Red Sea.[h]
23 So he said he would exterminate them,
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to reverse his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they refused the desirable land;
they did not believe his word,
25 but grumbled in their tents.
They did not obey the voice of Yahweh.
26 So he made an oath[i] against them,
to make them drop in the wilderness,
27 and to disperse[j] their descendants[k] among the nations
and to scatter them among the lands.
28 They also attached themselves to Baal of Peor,
and they ate sacrifices offered to the dead.[l]
29 Thus they provoked to anger by their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and so the plague was stopped,
31 and it was reckoned to him as righteousness
throughout all generations.[m]
32 They also angered God at the waters of Meribah,
and it went badly for Moses on account of them,
33 because they rebelled against his Spirit,[n]
and he spoke thoughtlessly with his lips.
34 They did not exterminate the peoples,
as Yahweh had commanded them, [o]
35 but they mingled with the nations
and learned their works,
36 and served their idols,
which became[p] a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and daughters
to the demons,
38 and they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and so the land was defiled with the blood.[q]
39 And they became unclean by their works,
and were unfaithful in their deeds.
40 So Yahweh’s anger burned against his people,
and he abhorred his inheritance.
41 Then he gave them into the hand of the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 And their enemies oppressed them,
and they were subdued under their hand.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they rebelled in their counsel,
and were brought low by their iniquity.
44 Yet he looked upon their distress
when he heard their cry.
45 And he remembered his covenant with them,
and relented based on the abundance of his loyal love.
46 And he let them find compassion[r]
before all their captors.
47 Save us, O Yahweh our God,
and gather us from the nations,
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and boast in your praise.
48 Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel,
from everlasting and to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise Yah.[s]
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