M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
18 ¶ And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab and another third under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and the other third under the hand of Ittai, the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us; but now thou art worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, now it is better that thou help us out of the city.
4 Then the king said unto them, I will do what seems best unto you. And the king stood beside the gate, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim,
7 where the people of Israel were slain before the slaves of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 ¶ And Absalom met the slaves of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
10 And a certain man saw it and told Joab, saying, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
11 And Joab replied unto the man that told him, Behold, when thou didst see him, why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle.
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king’s son, for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that no one touch the young man Absalom.
13 Otherwise, I should have wrought falsehood against my own soul (for there is no matter hid from the king), and thou thyself would have set thyself against me.
14 Then Joab answered, I may not tarry thus with thee. And taking three darts in his hand, he thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
15 And ten young men that bore Joab’s armour surrounded and smote Absalom and slew him.
16 Then Joab blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.
17 And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and laid a very great heap of stones upon him; and all Israel fled each one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom, while he was alive, had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s valley; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. And he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place. {Heb. hand}
19 ¶ Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD has vindicated him of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings today, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings because the king’s son is dead.
21 And Joab said to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab and ran.
22 Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said yet again unto Joab, Be what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt receive no reward for the tidings?
23 But, said he, let me run, be what may. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and overran Cushi.
24 And David sat between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold a man running alone.
25 And the watchman cried and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, he brings good news. And while he kept on drawing near,
26 the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called unto the porter and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
27 And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man and comes with good tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called and said unto the king peace. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, who has delivered up those men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom at peace? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s slave, and me thy slave, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was.
30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside and stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.
31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king, for the LORD has vindicated thee today of all those that rose up against thee.
32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom at peace? And Cushi answered, Let the enemies of my lord the king and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man.
33 Then the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept; and as he went, he said this: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! I would rather have died instead of thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
11 ¶ I wish ye could bear with me a little in my folly and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to the Christ.
3 But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve through his craftiness, so your senses should be corrupted in some way, and ye should fall from the simplicity that is in the Christ.
4 Therefore if anyone comes preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached or if ye receive another spirit from that which ye have received or another gospel from that which ye have accepted, ye bear well with it.
5 ¶ I reckon that I have not been inferior in any way to those grandiose apostles.
6 But though I am rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offence in humbling myself that ye might be exalted because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I deprived the other congregations, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} taking wages of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you and had need, I was not a burden to any of you, for that which was lacking to me was supplied by the brethren which came from Macedonia; and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10 It is the truth of Christ in me that this glory shall not be sealed up unto me in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? because I do not love you? God knows.
12 But what I do, I will continue to do that I may take away the occasion from those who desire it to be found like unto us in that in which they glory.
13 For these false apostles are deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
16 ¶ I say again, Let no one think me a fool if otherwise, receive me as a fool, that I may yet glory a little.
17 That which I speak, I speak it not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of glory.
18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20 For ye suffer it if anyone brings you into bondage, if anyone devours you, if anyone takes of you, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone smites you on the face.
21 I speak as concerning the reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit in that in which another is bold, (I speak foolishly), I am bold also.
22 ¶ Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more, in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.
24 Of the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck, night and day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by those of my nation, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in labour and travail, in many watches, in hunger and thirst, in many fasts, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, my daily combat is the welfare of all the congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}
29 Who is sick, and I am not sick? who stumbles, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern my weakness.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me;
33 and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall and escaped his hands.
25 ¶ The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them
3 and say unto the sons of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord GOD, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because thou didst say, Aha, it is well! upon my sanctuary, which was profaned; and upon the land of Israel, which it was made desolate; and upon the house of Judah, because they went into captivity;
4 behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee and pitch their tents in thee; they shall eat thy plantings, and they shall drink thy milk.
5 And I will make Rabbah a habitation for camels and the sons of Ammon a resting place for sheep: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
6 For thus hath the Lord GOD said; Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in thy soul with all thy despite upon the land of Israel,
7 behold, therefore I will stretch out my hand upon thee and will deliver thee unto the Gentiles as a spoil, and I will cut thee off from among the peoples, and I will destroy thee from among the countries; I will pluck thee out; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
8 ¶ Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because Moab and Seir said, Behold, the house of the LORD is like unto all the Gentiles submitted to Babylon,
9 therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the desirable lands of Bethjeshimoth and Baalmeon and Kiriathaim,
10 unto the sons of the east against the sons of Ammon and will give them in possession that the sons of Ammon may not be remembered any more among the Gentiles.
11 I will also execute judgments in Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
12 Thus hath the Lord GOD spoken; Because of what Edom did when he took vengeance against the house of Judah, (for they are condemned as guilty) and revenged themselves upon them;
13 therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: I will also stretch out my hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from her; and I will make her desolate from Teman; and those of Dedan shall fall by the sword.
14 And I will place my vengeance in Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, said the Lord GOD.
15 Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because the Palestinians have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart to destroying because of perpetual enmity,
16 therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said; Behold, I stretch out my hand upon the Palestinians, and I will cut off the Cherethims and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
17 And I will execute great vengeance in them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD when I shall give my vengeance in them.
1 ¶ Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet almost departed from the way; my steps had almost slipped.
3 For I became angry against the foolish when I saw the peace of the wicked.
4 Because there is no restraint that would bring about their death, but their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore they are crowned with pride; they cover themselves with violence as a garment.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness; they easily obtain the desires of their heart.
8 They are lawless and speak wickedly of doing violence; they speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people shall return here; and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Behold, these ungodly men, without being troubled by the world obtain riches.
13 Verily, in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency
14 and been plagued all day long and chastened every morning:
15 ¶ If I should say, I will speak as they do; behold, I should deny the generation of thy sons.
16 I shall meditate that I might understand this; it is very hard for me to see.
17 When I come into the sanctuary of God, then I shall understand their end.
18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; in desolation thou shalt cause them to fall.
19 How they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They have come to an end; they are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As the dream of one who awakes; so, O Lord, when thou shalt rise up, thou shalt despise their appearances.
21 ¶ Truly my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my kidneys.
22 But I was ignorant and did not understand; I was as a beast before thee.
23 Nevertheless I was continually with thee; thou hast apprehended me by my right hand.
24 Thou hast guided me with thy counsel, and afterward thou shalt receive me unto glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? And apart from thee there is nothing upon the earth that I desire.
26 My flesh and my heart fail; the strength of my heart is that God is my portion for ever.
27 For, behold, those that stray from thee shall perish; thou dost cut off all those that go a whoring from thee.
28 But as for me, to draw near to God is good; I have put my hope in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
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