M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

David Hears of Saul’s Death

1 Now after the death of Saul, David returned from killing the Amalekites and stayed two days in Ziklag. ² On the third day, a man came from the tents of Saul. His clothes were torn and he had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell with his face to the ground. ³ David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I have run away from the tents of Israel.” ⁴ David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And the man said, “The people have run from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.” ⁵ David said to the young man, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” ⁶ The young man said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul holding himself up with his spear. The war-wagons and the horsemen were coming close after him. ⁷ When he looked behind him, he saw me. He called to me and I said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ Then he said to me, ‘I beg you, stand beside me and kill me. I am in pain, and yet I am still alive.’ ¹⁰ So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the beautiful gold band which he wore on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹² They cried in sorrow and did not eat until evening, because of Saul and his son Jonathan, and of the people of the Lord and of the family of Israel. For they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ David said to the young man, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of one from another land, an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ Then David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s chosen one?” ¹⁵ Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he hit him and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, “Your blood is on your head. Because your mouth has spoken against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s chosen one.’”

David’s Song of Sorrow for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ Then David sang a song of sorrow for Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹⁸ He told them to teach the song of the bow to the people of Judah. See, it is written in the book of Jashar. ¹⁹ “O Israel, your beauty is destroyed on your high places! How have the powerful fallen! ²⁰ Do not tell about it in Gath. Do not tell about it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines might be filled with joy. The daughters of those who have not gone through our religious act might be filled with joy. ²¹ O mountains of Gilboa, do not let the water that is on the grass in the early morning or rain be on you. Let not grass be grown on your fields. For there the covering of the powerful was made dirty, the covering of Saul, as if he had not been set apart with oil. ²² The bow of Jonathan did not turn away. The sword of Saul did not return empty. They did not turn from the blood of the dead and the fat of the powerful. ²³ Saul and Jonathan were loved and pleasing in their life. And they were not divided in their death. They were faster than eagles. They were stronger than lions. ²⁴ O daughters of Israel, cry for Saul. He dressed you in fine red clothing. He put on your clothing objects of gold. ²⁵ How have the powerful fallen in the center of the battle! Jonathan has been killed on your high places. ²⁶ I am troubled because of you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasing to me. Your love to me was greater than the love of women. ²⁷ How have the powerful fallen, and the bows and swords of war destroyed!”

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

12 Christian brothers, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You need to understand the truth about this. ² You know that before you were Christians you were led to worship false gods. None of these gods could speak. ³ So I tell you that no one speaking by the help of the Holy Spirit can say that he hates Jesus. No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the help of the Holy Spirit.

The Kinds of Gifts

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts. But it is the same Holy Spirit Who gives them. ⁵ There are different kinds of work to be done for Him. But the work is for the same Lord. ⁶ There are different ways of doing His work. But it is the same God who uses all these ways in all people. ⁷ The Holy Spirit works in each person in one way or another for the good of all. ⁸ One person is given the gift of teaching words of wisdom. Another person is given the gift of teaching what he has learned and knows. These gifts are by the same Holy Spirit. ⁹ One person receives the gift of faith. Another person receives the gifts of healing. These gifts are given by the same Holy Spirit. ¹⁰ One person is given the gift of doing powerful works. Another person is given the gift of speaking God’s Word. Another person is given the gift of telling the difference between the Holy Spirit and false spirits. Another person is given the gift of speaking in special sounds. Another person is given the gift of telling what these special sounds mean. ¹¹ But it is the same Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, Who does all these things. He gives to each person as He wants to give.

Our Body Is Like the Body of Christ

¹² Our own body has many parts. When all these many parts are put together, they are only one body. The body of Christ is like this. ¹³ It is the same way with us. Jews or those who are not Jews, men who are owned by someone or men who are free to do what they want to do, have all been baptized into the one body by the same Holy Spirit. We have all received the one Spirit.

¹⁴ The body is not one part, but many parts. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that would not stop it from being a part of the body. ¹⁶ If the ear should say, “I am not a part of the body because I am not an eye,” that would not stop it from being a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye how would it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how would it smell? ¹⁸ But God has put all the parts into the body just as He wants to have them. ¹⁹ If all the parts were the same, it could not be a body. ²⁰ But now there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Or the head cannot say to the feet, “I do not need you.” ²² Some of the parts we think are weak and not important are very important. ²³ We take good care of and cover with clothes the parts of the body that look less important. The parts which do not look beautiful have an important work to do. ²⁴ The parts that can be seen do not need as much care. God has made the body so more care is given to the parts that need it most. ²⁵ This is so the body will not be divided into parts. All the parts care for each other. ²⁶ If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. If one part is given special care, the other parts are happy.

The Body of Christ

²⁷ You are all a part of the body of Christ. ²⁸ God has chosen different ones in the church to do His work. First, there are missionaries. Second, there are preachers or those who speak for God. And third, there are teachers. He has also chosen those who do powerful works and those who have the gifts of healing. And He has chosen those who help others who are in need and those who are able to lead others in work and those who speak in special sounds. ²⁹ Are they all missionaries? No. Are they all preachers or those who speak for God? No. Do they all do powerful works? No. ³⁰ Do they all have the gifts of healing? No. Do they all speak in special sounds? No. Are they all able to tell what the special sounds mean? No. ³¹ But from your heart you should want the best gifts. Now I will show you even a better way.

God’s Shining-Greatness Leaves the House of God

10 Then I looked and saw something like a sapphire stone in the open space that was over the cherubim’s heads. It looked like a throne above them. ² And the Lord said to the man dressed in linen, “Go in between the wheels under the cherubim. Fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and throw them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

³ Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the house of the Lord when the man went in. And the cloud filled the open space inside. ⁴ Then the shining-greatness of the Lord went up from above the cherubim to the door of the Lord’s house. The house of the Lord was filled with the cloud. And the open space was filled with the bright and shining-greatness of the Lord. ⁵ The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outside open space. It was like the voice of God All-powerful when He speaks.

⁶ When He told the man dressed in linen, “Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ Then one of the cherubim put out his hand to the fire which was among them. He took some and put it into the hands of the one dressed in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ (The cherubim had what looked like a man’s hands under their wings.)

⁹ Then I looked and saw four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub. The wheels looked like they were made of shining chrysolite stone. ¹⁰ All four of them looked the same. Each looked like they had one wheel inside another wheel. ¹¹ When they moved, they went in any of their four ways without turning as they went, but followed the way the head was facing without turning as they went. ¹² And their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. ¹³ The wheels were called in my hearing, “the turning wheels.” ¹⁴ Each one of the cherubim had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub. The second face was the face of a man. The third was the face of a lion. And the fourth was the face of an eagle.

¹⁵ Then the cherubim rose up. They were the living beings that I saw by the Chebar River. ¹⁶ Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels went beside them. And when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. ¹⁷ When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still. When they rose up, the wheels rose with them. For the spirit of the living beings was in them.

¹⁸ Then the shining-greatness of the Lord left the door of the Lord’s house and stood over the cherubim. ¹⁹ When the cherubim left, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in front of my eyes, with the wheels beside them. And they stood still at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house. The shining-greatness of the God of Israel was over them.

²⁰ These are the living beings that I saw under the God of Israel by the Chebar River, so I knew that they were cherubim. ²¹ Each one had four faces and four wings, and under their wings were what looked like human hands. ²² Their faces looked the same as those I had seen by the Chebar River. Each one went straight ahead.

A Fool Trusts in Riches

49 Hear this, all people. Listen, all who live in the world, ² both small and great, rich and poor together. ³ My mouth will speak wisdom. And the thoughts of my heart will be understanding. ⁴ I will turn my ear to a wise saying. With a harp, I will tell what is hard to understand.

⁵ Why should I be afraid in the days of trouble, when the sin of those who hate me is all around me? ⁶ They trust in their riches, and are proud of all they have. ⁷ No man can save his brother. No man can pay God enough to save him. ⁸ The cost is much for his soul to be saved. Man should stop trying ⁹ to live forever and not see the grave.

¹⁰ For he sees that even wise men die. The fool and those who cannot think well die alike. And they leave their riches to others. ¹¹ They think in their hearts that their houses will last forever, and that the places where they live will last for all their children to follow. They have used their own names to name their lands. ¹² But man with all his honor does not last. He is like the animals that die.

¹³ This is the way of the foolish, and of those after them who believe in their words. ¹⁴ Like sheep they are meant for the grave. Death will be their shepherd. And those who are right with God will rule over them in the morning. Their bodies will be eaten by the grave, so that they have no place to stay. ¹⁵ But God will free my soul from the power of the grave. For He will take me to Himself.

¹⁶ Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and when his house grows in greatness. ¹⁷ For when he dies he will take nothing with him. His greatness will not go down with him. ¹⁸ Even if while he lives, he thinks good of himself, and even though men praise you when you do well for yourself, ¹⁹ he will go and join the family of his fathers. They will never see the light. ²⁰ Man with all his honor, yet without understanding, is like the animals that die.