M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David’s Victories(A)
8 Afterward, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
2 He also defeated Moab. He measured them with a length of rope, forcing them to lie down on the ground. He measured two lengths of rope to be put to death, but the entirety of one length he allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David, bearing tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his authority over the River Euphrates. 4 David seized from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and David hamstrung all of the chariot horses, save those for one hundred chariots.
5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David defeated twenty-two thousand men of the Arameans. 6 David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants who bore tribute to David. The Lord helped David wherever he went.
7 David took the shields of gold that were issued to the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Betah[a] and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took great quantities of bronze.
9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and bless him on account of his fighting with Hadadezer and his defeat of him, for Hadadezer was an opponent of Toi. Joram brought with him implements of silver, gold, and bronze, 11 which King David dedicated to the Lord along with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all of the nations that he had subdued, 12 that is, from Aram,[b] Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and the plunder from Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 So David made a name for himself upon his return from defeating eighteen thousand Arameans[c] in the Valley of Salt.
14 He set up garrisons in Edom. Throughout all of Edom, he set up garrisons, and all of Edom became subject to David. The Lord helped David wherever he went.
David’s Officials(B)
15 David reigned over all of Israel, and he administered fair judgments to all of his people. 16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary. 17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelek the son of Abiathar were priests. Seraiah was scribe. 18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Kerethites and Pelethites. The sons of David were chief ministers.
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
9 David said, “Is there still anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness on behalf of Jonathan?”
2 Now there was a servant from the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So they summoned him to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
He replied, “I am your servant.”
3 The king said, “Is there no one else from the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?”
Ziba responded to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”
4 The king said to him, “Where is he?”
Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir the son of Ammiel at Lo Debar.”
5 So King David sent for and brought him from the house of Makir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
6 Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul came to David and fell upon his face and bowed down. Then David said, “Mephibosheth,” and he responded, “I am your servant.”
7 David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness on account of Jonathan, your father. I will return to you every field of Saul, your father, and you will eat at my table perpetually.”
8 He bowed low and said, “What is your servant that you should be concerned for a dead dog like me?”
9 The king summoned Ziba the servant of Saul, and he said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of your master. 10 You will work the ground for him—you, your sons, and your servants. You will bring in the produce so that the son of your master will have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, the son of your master, will always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Ziba said to the king, “Everything that my lord the king has commanded his servant, your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the table of David like one of the sons of the king.
12 Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mika, and all who dwelled in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he ate continually at the table of the king. Now he was lame in both of his feet.
2 But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. 2 For if I make you sorrowful, who then will there be to make me rejoice, but the one whom I have made sorrowful? 3 I wrote concerning this matter to you, so that when I came, I would not be grieved by those in whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all, that my joy is your joy. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly for you.
Forgiveness for the Offender
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but to some extent all of you, not to put it too severely. 6 This punishment which was inflicted by many on such a man is sufficient. 7 So on the contrary, you ought to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps he might be swallowed up with excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore I ask you to confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, so that I might know that you are proving yourselves by whether you are being obedient in all things. 10 Whomever you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if I forgave someone anything, for your sakes I forgave it in Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us. For we are not ignorant of his devices.
Paul’s Anxiety in Troas
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother. So taking my leave of them, I went from there into Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and through us reveals the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God a sweet fragrance of Christ among those who are saved and among those who perish. 16 To the one we are the fragrance of death, which brings death, and to the other the fragrance of life, which brings life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many are who peddle the word of God. Instead, being sent by God, we sincerely speak in Christ in the sight of God.
Jerusalem as an Adulterous Bride
16 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you. You were not rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you to do any of these to you, to have compassion on you. But you were cast out in the open field, to the loathing of your person, in the day that you were born.
6 When I passed by you and saw you polluted in your own blood, I said to you when you were in your blood, “Live!” Indeed, I said to you when you were in your blood, “Live!” 7 I have caused you to multiply as the bud of the field, and you have increased and become tall, and you have reached the age of fine ornaments. Your breasts were fashioned and your hair had grown, yet you were naked and bare.
8 Now when I passed by you and looked upon you, you were old enough for love. So I spread My garment over you and covered your nakedness. Indeed, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, and you became Mine.
9 Then I washed you with water. Indeed, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you also with embroidered work, and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet, and girded you about with fine linen, and covered you with silk. 11 I decked you also with ornaments, and put bracelets on your hands, and a chain on your neck. 12 I put a jewel on your forehead, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were decked with gold and silver. And your raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine flour, and honey, and oil. And you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. 14 Then your renown went out among the nations for your beauty. For it was perfect through My comeliness which I had put upon you, says the Lord God.
15 But you trusted in your own beauty, and played the harlot because of your renown, and poured out your fornications on every willing passerby. 16 Of your garments you took and decked your high places with various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about or happen. 17 You have also taken your fair jewels made of My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men that you might commit harlotry with them. 18 Then you took your embroidered garments and covered them. And you have set My oil and My incense before them. 19 My bread also which I gave you, fine flour, and oil, and honey, with which I fed you, you have even set before them for a sweet savor. And thus it was, says the Lord God.
20 Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to Me, and these you have sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? 21 You have slain My children and delivered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire. 22 Besides all your abominations and your harlotries you have not remembered the days of your youth when you were naked and bare and were polluted in your blood.
23 After all your wickedness (Woe, woe to you! says the Lord God) 24 you also built for yourself a shrine and have made yourself a high place in every street. 25 You have built yourself a high place at the head of every street, and have made your beauty to be abhorred, and have spread your legs to every passerby to multiply your harlotries. 26 You have also committed fornication with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and increased your harlotries to provoke Me to anger. 27 Therefore I have stretched out My hand against you and have diminished your ordinary food and delivered you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines who are ashamed of your lewd conduct. 28 You have played the harlot also with the Assyrians because you were insatiable. Indeed, you have played the harlot with them, and yet could not be satisfied. 29 You have moreover multiplied your fornication with the land of merchants, Chaldea. And yet you were not satisfied even with this.
30 How weak is your heart, says the Lord God, seeing you do all these things, the works of an imperious harlot. 31 When you built your shrine at the head of every street and made your high place in every square, you have not been as a harlot in that you scorned payment.
32 You have been as a wife who commits adultery, who takes strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all harlots. But you give your gifts to all your lovers, and hire them that they may come to you on every side for your harlotry. 34 Thus you are different from other women in your harlotries in that no one follows you to commit harlotries, because you give money, and no money is given to you. Thus you are different.
35 Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord. 36 Thus says the Lord God, Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness discovered through your harlotries with your lovers, and with all the idols of your abominations, and by the blood of your children, which you gave to idols, 37 therefore I will gather all your lovers with whom you have taken pleasure and all those whom you have loved with all those whom you have hated. I will even gather them from all around against you and will reveal your nakedness to them so that they may see all your nakedness. 38 I will judge you as women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged. And I will bring on you the blood of fury and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines, and shall break down your high places. They shall strip you also of your clothes, and shall take your fair jewels, and leave you naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring up a company against you, and they shall stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords. 41 They shall burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. And I will cause you to cease from playing the harlot, and you also shall give no hire anymore. 42 So I will make My fury toward you to rest, and My jealousy shall depart from you, and I will be quiet, and will be angry no more.
43 Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged Me in all these things, I also will recompense your way upon your head, says the Lord God, so that you shall not commit this lewdness above all your other abominations.
44 Everyone who uses proverbs shall use this proverb against you, saying, “Like mother, like daughter.” 45 You are your mother’s daughter who loathed her husband and her children. And you are the sister of your sisters who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 Now your elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters who dwell north of you. And your younger sister who dwells south of you is Sodom and her daughters. 47 Yet you have not walked after their ways, or done according to their abominations. But, as if that were a very little thing, you were corrupted more than they in all your ways. 48 As I live, says the Lord God, Sodom your sister has not done, she nor her daughters, as you and your daughters have done.
49 This was the iniquity of your sister Sodom. Pride, abundance of bread, and careless ease was in her and in her daughters, but she did strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I took them away when I saw it. 51 Moreover, Samaria did not commit half of your sins. But you have multiplied your abominations more than they and have made your sisters appear righteous in all your abominations which you have done. 52 Also bear your own shame in that you have made judgment favorable to your sisters. Because of your sins that you have committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than you. Indeed, be humiliated also and bear your shame in that you have made your sisters appear righteous.
53 Yet I shall restore their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and along with them your own captivity, 54 in order that you may bear your own shame and may be humiliated in all that you have done in that you are a comfort to them. 55 Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters and Samaria and her daughters, shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. 56 As the name of your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered, so now you have become the reproach of the daughters of Edom and all who are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you. 58 You have borne the punishment of your lewdness and your abominations, says the Lord.
An Everlasting Covenant
59 For thus, says the Lord God, I will even deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant. 60 Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then you shall remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, your elder and your younger. And I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. 62 Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 in order that you may remember, and be humiliated, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I am pacified toward you for all that you have done, says the Lord God.
Psalm 58
For the Music Director. To the melody of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David.
1 Do you truly speak righteousness, O heavenly gods?
Do you judge uprightly, O earthly men?
2 Indeed, in the heart you work wickedness;
you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb onward;
those who speak lies go astray from birth.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
they are like the deaf adder that plugs its ear,
5 and will not listen to the voice of charmers,
even the best and wisest enchanter.
6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God;
break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.
7 May they melt away as waters which run continually;
when he bends his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be trodden under.
8 May they become as a snail that melts as it goes,
like the untimely birth of a woman, may they not see the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the thorns’ heat, green or burning,
may He sweep them away.
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked;
11 and people will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who judges on the earth.”
Psalm 59
For the Music Director. To the melody of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men, and they watched the house to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
give me refuge from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
and save me from bloodthirsty people.
3 For they lie in wait for my life;
the mighty are gathered against me,
not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.
4 For no guilt of mine, they run and prepare themselves.
Arise to help me, and take notice.
5 You, O Lord God of Hosts, the God of Israel,
awake to punish all the nations;
do not be gracious to any wicked transgressors. Selah
6 They return at evening,
they growl like a dog,
and go around the city.
7 Indeed, they burst out with their mouth;
swords are in their lips;
for who listens?
8 But You, O Lord, will laugh at them;
You will have all the nations in derision.
9 O my strength, I will wait on You;
for God is my refuge.
10 The God of lovingkindness will go before me;
God will cause me to look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Do not slay them,
lest my people forget;
scatter them by Your power,
and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth
and the words of their lips,
may they be snared by their pride,
and because of curses and lies that they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath,
consume them so they no longer exist;
and let them know that God rules in Jacob
to the ends of the earth. Selah
14 At evening they return,
and growl like a dog,
and go around the city.
15 They roam about to eat,
and if they are not satisfied, they complain.
16 But I will sing of Your power;
I will sing aloud of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
for You have been my refuge
and escape in the day of my trouble.
17 To You, O my strength, I will sing,
for God is my refuge, and the God of my lovingkindness.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.