M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
All Israel makes David king
11 All the Israelites gathered around David at Hebron. “We’re your own flesh and blood,” they said. 2 “In the past, even when Saul ruled over us, you were the one who led Israel. The Lord your God told you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become a leader over my people Israel.’” 3 So all of Israel’s elders came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the Lord. They anointed David to make him king over Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.
David captures Jerusalem
4 Then David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites lived. 5 The people who lived in Jebus told David, “You’ll never get in here!”
But David captured the mountain fortress of Zion, which became David’s City. 6 David had said, “The first one to kill a Jebusite will become commander in chief!” Joab, Zeruiah’s son, was the first to attack and so became commander in chief. 7 David occupied the fortress, so it was renamed David’s City. 8 He also built up the city on all sides, including its own foundations and the surrounding areas, while Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David grew increasingly powerful, and the Lord of heavenly forces was with him.
David and his warriors
10 These are the commanders of David’s warriors who continued to support him while he was king. Together with all Israel, they made him king, as the Lord had promised Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:
Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was commander of the Thirty. He raised his spear against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.
12 Next in command came Eleazar, Dodo’s son the Ahohite, who was one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim. The Philistines were gathered there for battle, where part of a field was full of barley. When the people ran away from the Philistines, 14 he and David stood in the middle of the field, held their ground, and defeated the Philistines. So the Lord achieved a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty commanders went down from the rock to David at the fortress[a] of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines camped in the Rephaim Valley. 16 At that time David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem. 17 David had a craving and said, “If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 18 So the three warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it and poured it out to the Lord.
19 “God forbid that I should do that,” he said. “Isn’t this the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Since they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it.
These were the kinds of things the three warriors did.
20 Abishai, Joab’s brother, was chief of the Thirty.[b] He raised his spear against the three hundred men he had slain, but he wasn’t considered one of the Three. 21 He was the most famous of the Thirty. He became their commander, but he wasn’t among the Three.
22 Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son from Kabzeel, was a hero who performed great deeds. He killed two of Moab’s leaders,[c] and on a snowy day went down into a pit where he killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian seven and a half feet tall, who was holding a spear like a weaver’s beam. Benaiah went down to him with a club, grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with it. 24 These were the exploits of Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son; he wasn’t considered one of the three warriors. 25 He was famous among the Thirty, but didn’t become one of the Three. David placed him in command of his own bodyguard.
26 The mighty warriors:
Asahel, Joab’s brother;
Elhanan, Dodo’s son from Bethlehem;
27 Shammoth from Haror;
Helez from Pelon;
28 Ira, Ikkesh’s son from Tekoa;
Abiezer from Anathoth;
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite;
Ilai from Ahoh;
30 Maharai from Netophah;
Heled, Baanah’s son from Netophah;
31 Ithai, Ribai’s son from Gibeah of the Benjaminites;
Benaiah from Pirathon;
32 Hurai from the Gaash ravines;
Abiel the Arbathite;
33 Azmaveth from Baharum;
Eliahba from Shaalbon;
34 Hashem[d] the Gizonite;
Jonathan, Shagee’s son from Harar;
35 Ahiam, Sachar’s son from Harar;
Eliphal, Ur’s son;
36 Hepher the Mecherathite;
Ahijah the Pelonite;
37 Hezro from Carmel;
Naarai, Ezbai’s son;
38 Joel, Nathan’s brother;
Mibhar, Hagri’s son;
39 Zelek the Ammonite;
Naharai from Beeroth, Zeruiah’s son and the armor-bearer for Joab;
40 Ira from Ither;
Gareb from Ither;
41 Uriah the Hittite;
Zabad, Ahlai’s son;
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;
43 Hanan, Maacah’s son;
Joshaphat the Mithnite;
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite;
Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite;
45 Jediael, Shimri’s son, and his brother Joha the Tizite;
46 Eliel the Mahavite;
Jeribai and Joshaviah, Elnaam’s sons;
Ithmah the Moabite;
47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
David’s desert army
12 The following persons came to David at Ziklag while he was banished from the presence of Saul, Kish’s son. They were some of the warriors who helped him in battle, 2 armed with bows, and they could use either hand to shoot arrows or sling stones. They were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin:
3 Ahiezer was the leader, then Joash, both Shemaah’s sons from Gibeah; Jeziel and Pelet, Azmaveth’s sons; Beracah; Jehu of Anathoth; 4 Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a warrior in the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty;[e] Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad from Gederah; 5 [f] Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam the Korahites; 7 Joelah; and Zebadiah, Jeroham’s son from Gedor.
8 Some left Gad to join David at the desert fortress, brave warriors trained for battle, armed with shield and spear, who looked like lions and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains: 9 Ezer the leader, Obadiah second, Eliab third, 10 Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, 11 Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, 12 Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, 13 Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.
14 These Gadites were military officers, the least of them ready to fight a hundred and the greatest a thousand. 15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and chased away everyone living in the valleys to the east and the west.
16 Some Benjaminites and Judahites also came to David at the fortress. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you’ve come to me with good intentions in order to help me, then we will join forces. But if you’ve come to betray me to my enemies, though I’ve done no wrong, then may our ancestors’ God see it and punish you.”
18 Then a spirit took hold of Amasai, the leader of the Thirty:
David, we are yours;
and on your side, Jesse’s son!
May it go very well for you,
and may it go well for whoever helps you!
Yes, your God has helped you.
Then David received them, and put them at the head of his troops.
19 Some of the Manassites also joined David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. But he[g] didn’t help them, because after considering the matter, the Philistine rulers sent him away. “He’ll rejoin his master Saul,” they said, “and it will cost us our heads.” 20 When he went to Ziklag some joined him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against the raiding bands because they were all warriors and officers in the army. 22 Reinforcements came to David daily until there was an army as mighty as God’s army.
23 These are the numbers of the commanders of those armed for battle who came to David in Hebron to make sure he took over Saul’s kingdom, according to the Lord’s word:
24 from Judah, carrying shield and spear, 6,800 troops armed for battle;
25 from Simeon, mighty warriors, 7,100;
26 from Levi, 4,600;
27 also Jehoiada, leader of Aaron’s line, and with him 3,700;
28 and Zadok, a young man, a mighty warrior, and 22 officers from his household;
29 from Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, 3,000, most of whom had been loyal to Saul’s household;
30 from Ephraim, 20,800, mighty warriors, famous in their households;
31 from half the tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, designated by name to come and make David king;
32 from Issachar, those who understood the times and what Israel should do, 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;
33 from Zebulun, 50,000 experienced troops, armed for battle with all the weapons of war, to help with undivided loyalty;
34 from Naphtali, 1,000 officers, as well as 37,000 armed with shield and spear;
35 from Dan, 28,600 armed for battle;
36 from Asher, 40,000 experienced troops armed for battle;
37 from the other side of the Jordan, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the other half of the tribe of Manasseh, 120,000 armed with all the weapons of war.
38 All these men of war, armed[h] for battle, came to Hebron determined to make David king over all Israel, and all the rest of Israel were fully agreed to make David king. 39 They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, while their relatives provided food for them. 40 Even their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali were bringing food by donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There was an abundance of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, because Israel was joyful.
Our acts of service and sacrifice
13 Keep loving each other like family. 2 Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. 3 Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. 4 Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. 5 Your way of life should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. After all, he has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.[a] 6 This is why we can confidently say,
The Lord is my helper,
and I won’t be afraid.
What can people do to me?[b]
7 Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
9 Don’t be misled by the many strange teachings out there. It’s a good thing for the heart to be strengthened by grace rather than by food. Food doesn’t help those who live in this context. 10 We have an altar, and those who serve as priests in the meeting tent don’t have the right to eat from it. 11 The blood of the animals is carried into the holy of holies by the high priest as an offering for sin, and their bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy with his own blood.
13 So now, let’s go to him outside the camp, bearing his shame. 14 We don’t have a permanent city here, but rather we are looking for the city that is still to come.
15 So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name. 16 Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.
Closing greeting and blessing
17 Rely on your leaders and defer to them, because they watch over your whole being as people who are going to be held responsible for you. They need to be able to do this with pleasure and not with complaints about you, because that wouldn’t help you. 18 Pray for us. We’re sure that we have a good conscience, and we want to do the right thing in every way. 19 I’m particularly asking you to do this so that I can be returned to you quickly.
20 May the God of peace,
who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep,
our Lord Jesus,
from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant,
21 equip you with every good thing to do his will,
by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory forever and always. Amen.
22 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to put up with this message of encouragement, since I’ve only written a short letter to you! 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he comes soon, we will travel together to see you.
24 Greet your leaders and all of God’s holy people. The group from Italy greets you.
25 May grace be with all of you.
A vision of locusts
7 This is what the Lord God showed me: The Lord God was forming locusts at the time the late grass began to sprout. (It was the late grass after the king’s harvest.) 2 When they had finished eating the green plants of the land, I said,
“Lord God, please forgive!
How can Jacob survive?
He is so small!”
3 The Lord relented concerning this:
“It won’t take place,”
says the Lord.
A vision of fire
4 This is what the Lord God showed me: The Lord God was calling for judgment with fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up part of the land. 5 Then I said,
“Lord God, I beg you, stop!
How can Jacob survive?
He is so small!”
6 The Lord relented concerning this:
“This also won’t take place,”
says the Lord God.
A vision of a plumb line
7 This is what the Lord showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”
“A plumb line,” I said.
Then the Lord said,
“See, I am setting a plumb line
in the middle of my people Israel.
I will never again forgive them.
9 The shrines of Isaac will be made desolate,
and the holy places of Israel will be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Exchange between Amaziah, Jeroboam, and Amos
10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, reported to Israel’s King Jeroboam, “Amos has plotted against you within the house of Israel. The land isn’t able to cope with everything that he is saying. 11 Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will be forced out of its land.’”
12 Amaziah said to Amos, “You who see things, go, run away to the land of Judah, eat your bread there, and prophesy there; 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s holy place and his royal house.”
14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I am[a] not a prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son; but I am a shepherd, and a trimmer of sycamore trees. 15 But the Lord took me from shepherding the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
16 “Now then hear the Lord’s word.
You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel,
and don’t preach
against the house of Isaac.’
17 “Therefore, the Lord proclaims:
‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword,
and your land will be measured and divided up;
you yourself will die in an unclean land,
and Israel will surely be taken away from its land.’”
Jesus’ birth
2 In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom.
Announcement to shepherds
8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
15 When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16 They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18 Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20 The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.
Jesus’ circumcision, naming, and temple presentation
21 When eight days had passed, Jesus’ parents circumcised him and gave him the name Jesus. This was the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived. 22 When the time came for their ritual cleansing, in accordance with the Law from Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (23 It’s written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord.”) 24 They offered a sacrifice in keeping with what’s stated in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.[a]
Simeon’s response to Jesus
25 A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He was righteous and devout. He eagerly anticipated the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wouldn’t die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple area. Meanwhile, Jesus’ parents brought the child to the temple so that they could do what was customary under the Law. 28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,
29 “Now, master, let your servant go in peace according to your word,
30 because my eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You prepared this salvation in the presence of all peoples.
32 It’s a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and a glory for your people Israel.”
33 His father and mother were amazed by what was said about him. 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “This boy is assigned to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposition 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your innermost being too.”
Anna’s response to Jesus
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old. After she married, she lived with her husband for seven years. 37 She was now an 84-year-old widow. She never left the temple area but worshipped God with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 She approached at that very moment and began to praise God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Jesus as a child in Nazareth
39 When Mary and Joseph had completed everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown, Nazareth in Galilee. 40 The child grew up and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Jesus in the temple at Passover
41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom. 43 After the festival was over, they were returning home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t know it. 44 Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. 45 When they didn’t find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked.
His mother said, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We’ve been looking for you!”
49 Jesus replied, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he said to them.
51 Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. 52 Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible