M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
15 Now after these things Absalom made himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
2 And Absalom rising up early stood by the entrance of the gate, and when any man had business to come to the king's judgment, Absalom called him to him, and said: Of what city art thou? He answered, and said: Thy servant is of such a tribe of Israel.
3 And Absalom answered him: Thy words seem to me good and just. But there is no man appointed by the king to hear thee. And Absalom said:
4 O that they would make me judge over the land, that all that have business might come to me, that I might do them justice.
5 Moreover when any man came to him to salute him, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
6 And this he did to all Israel that came for judgment, to be heard by the king, and he enticed the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And after forty years, Absalom said to king David: Let me go, and pay my vows which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron.
8 For thy servant made avow, when he was in Gessur of Syria, saying: If the Lord shall bring me again into Jerusalem I will offer sacrifice to the Lord.
9 And king David said to him: Go in peace. And he arose, and went to Hebron.
10 And Absalom sent spies into all the tribes of Israel, saying: As soon as you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, say ye: Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
11 Now there went with Absalom two hundred men out of Jerusalem that were called, going with simplicity of heart, and knowing nothing of the design.
12 Absalom also sent for Achitophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city Gilo. And while he was offering sacrifices, there was a strong conspiracy, and the people running together increased with Absalom.
13 And there came a messenger to David, saying: All Israel with their whole heart followeth Absalom.
14 And David said to his servants, that were with him in Jerusalem: Arise and let us flee: for we shall not escape else from the face of Absalom: make haste to go out, lest he come and overtake us, and bring ruin upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15 And the king's servants said to him: Whatsoever our lord the king shall command, we thy servants will willingly execute.
16 And the king went forth, and all his household on foot: and the king left ten women his concubines to keep the house:
17 And the king going forth and all Israel on foot, stood afar off from the house:
18 And all his servants walked by him, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the Gethites, valiant warriors, six hundred men who had followed him from Geth on foot, went before the king.
19 And the king said to Ethai the Gethite: Why comest thou with us? return and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and art come out of thy own place.
20 Yesterday thou camest, and to day shalt thou be forced to go forth with us? but I shall go whither I am going: return thou, and take back thy brethren with thee, and the Lord will shew thee mercy, and truth, because thou hast shewn grace and fidelity.
21 And Ethai answered the king, saying: As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth: in what place soever thou shalt be, my lord, O king, either in death, or in life, there will thy servant be.
22 And David said to Ethai: Come, and pass over. And Ethai the Gethite passed, and all the men that were with him, and the rest of the people.
23 And they all wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself went over the brook Cedron, and all the people marched towards the way that looketh to the desert.
24 And Sadoc the priest also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God: and Abiathar went up, till all the people that was come out of the city had done passing.
25 And the king said to Sadoc: Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will bring me again, and he will shew me it, and his tabernacle.
26 But if he shall say to me: Thou pleasest me not: I am ready, let him do that which is good before him.
27 And the king said to Sadoc the priest: O seer, return into the city in peace: and let Achimaas thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.
28 Behold I will lie hid in the plains of the wilderness, till there come word from you to certify me.
29 So Sadoc and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
30 But David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, going up and weeping, walking barefoot, and with his head covered, and all the people that were with them, went up with their heads covered weeping.
31 And it was told David that Achitophel also was in the conspiracy with Absalom, and David said: Infatuate, O Lord, I beseech thee, the counsel of Achitophel.
32 And when David was come to the top of the mountain, where he was about to adore the Lord, behold Chusai the Arachite, came to meet him with his garment rent and his head covered with earth.
33 And David said to him: If thou come with me, thou wilt be a burden to me:
34 But if thou return into the city, and wilt say to Absalom: I am thy servant, O king: as I have been thy father's servant, so I will be thy servant: thou shalt defeat the counsel of Achitophel.
35 And thou hast with thee Sadoc, and Abiathar the priests: and what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.
36 And there are with them their two sons Achimaas the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar: and you shall send by them to me every thing that you shall hear.
37 Then Chusai the friend of David went into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
8 Now we make known unto you, brethren, the grace of God, that hath been given in the churches of Macedonia.
2 That in much experience of tribulation, they have had abundance of joy; and their very deep poverty hath abounded unto the riches of their simplicity.
3 For according to their power (I bear them witness), and beyond their power, they were willing.
4 With much entreaty begging of us the grace and communication of the ministry that is done toward the saints.
5 And not as we hoped, but they gave their own selves first to the Lord, then to us by the will of God:
6 Insomuch, that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so also he would finish among you this same grace.
7 That as in all things you abound in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all carefulness; moreover also in your charity towards us, so in this grace also you may abound.
8 I speak not as commanding; but by the carefulness of others, approving also the good disposition of your charity.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor, for your sakes; that through his poverty you might be rich.
10 And herein I give my advice; for this is profitable for you, who have begun not only to do, but also to be willing, a year ago.
11 Now therefore perform ye it also in deed; that as your mind is forward to be willing, so it may be also to perform, out of that which you have.
12 For if the will be forward, it is accepted according to that which a man hath, not according to that which he hath not.
13 For I mean not that others should be eased, and you burthened, but by an equality.
14 In this present time let your abundance supply their want, that their abundance also may supply your want, that there may be an equality,
15 As it is written: He that had much, had nothing over; and he that had little, had no want.
16 And thanks be to God, who hath given the same carefulness for you in the heart of Titus.
17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more careful, of his own will he went unto you.
18 We have sent also with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel through all the churches.
19 And not that only, but he was also ordained by the churches companion of our travels, for this grace, which is administered by us, to the glory of the Lord, and our determined will:
20 Avoiding this, lest any man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us.
21 For we forecast what may be good not only before God, but also before men.
22 And we have sent with them our brother also, whom we have often proved diligent in many things; but now much more diligent, with much confidence in you,
23 Either for Titus, who is my companion and fellow labourer towards you, or our brethren, the apostles of the churches, the glory of Christ.
24 Wherefore shew ye to them, in the sight of the churches, the evidence of your charity, and of our boasting on your behalf.
22 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 And thou son of man, dost thou not judge, dost thou not judge the city of blood?
3 And thou shalt shew her all her abominations, and shalt say: Thus saith the Lord God: This is the city that sheddeth blood in the midst of her, that her time may come: and that hath made idols against herself, to defile herself.
4 Thou art become guilty in thy blood which thou hast shed: and thou art defiled in thy idols which thou hast made: and thou hast made thy days to draw near, and hast brought on the time of thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach to the Gentiles, and a mockery to all countries.
5 Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall triumph over thee: thou filthy one, infamous, great in destruction.
6 Behold the princes of Israel, every one hath employed his arm in thee to shed blood.
7 They have abused father and mother in thee, they have oppressed the stranger in the midst of thee, they have grieved the fatherless and widow in thee.
8 Thou hast despised my sanctuaries, and profaned my sabbaths.
9 Slanderers have been in thee to shed blood, and they have eaten upon the mountains in thee, they have committed wickedness in the midst of thee.
10 They have discovered the nakedness of their father in thee, they have humbled the uncleanness of the menstruous woman in thee.
11 And every one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife, and the father in law hath wickedly defiled his daughter in law, the brother hath oppressed his sister the daughter of his father in thee.
12 They have taken gifts in thee to shed blood: thou hast taken usury and increase, and hast covetously oppressed thy neighbours: and thou hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God.
13 Behold, I have clapped my hands at thy covetousness, which thou hast exercised: and at the blood that hath been shed in the midst of thee.
14 Shall thy heart endure, or shall thy hands prevail ill the days which I will bring upon thee: I the Lord have spoken, and will do it.
15 And I will disperse thee in the nations, and will scatter thee among the countries, and I will put an end to thy uncleanness in thee.
16 And I will possess thee in the sight of the Gentiles, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross to me: all these are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace: they are become the dross of silver.
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because you are all turned into dross, therefore behold I will gather you together in the midst of Jerusalem.
20 As they gather silver, and brass, and tin, and iron, and lead in the midst of the furnace: that I may kindle a fire in it to melt it: so will I gather you together in my fury and in my wrath, and will take my rest, and I will melt you down.
21 And I will gather you together, and will burn you in the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst thereof.
22 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall you be in the midst thereof: and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have poured out my indignation upon you.
23 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
24 Son of man, say to her: Thou art a land that is unclean, and not rained upon in the day of wrath.
25 There is a conspiracy of prophets in the midst thereof: like a lion that roareth and catcheth the prey, they have devoured souls, they have taken riches and hire, they have made many widows in the midst thereof.
26 Her priests have despised my law, and have defiled my sanctuaries: they have put no difference between holy and profane: nor have distinguished between the polluted and the clean: and they have turned away their eyes from my sabbaths, and I was profaned in the midst of them.
27 Her princes in the midst of her, are like wolves ravening the prey to shed blood, and to destroy souls, and to run after gains through covetousness.
28 And her prophets have daubed them without tempering the mortar, seeing vain things, and divining lies unto them, saying: Thus saith the Lord God: when the Lord hath not spoken.
29 The people of the land have used oppression, and committed robbery: they afflicted the needy and poor, and they oppressed the stranger by calumny without judgment.
30 And I sought among them for a man that might set up a hedge, and stand in the gap before me in favour of the land, that I might not destroy it: and I found none.
31 And I poured out my indignation upon them, in the fire of my wrath I consumed them: I have rendered their way upon their own head, saith the Lord God.
69 Unto the end, a psalm for David, to bring to remembrance that the Lord saved him.
2 O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.
3 Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul:
4 Let them be turned backward, and blush for shame that desire evils to me: Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me: Tis well, tis well.
5 Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified.
6 But I am needy and poor; O God, help me. Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no delay.
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