M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David Protected from Saul
19 Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants (A)to put David to death. But (B)Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. 2 So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. Now therefore, please be on guard in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you; (C)if I [a]find out anything, then I will tell you.” 4 Then Jonathan (D)spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “(E)Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his deeds have been very [b]beneficial to you. 5 For (F)he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and (G)the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. (H)Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?” 6 Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul vowed, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as (I)formerly.
8 When there was war again, David went out and fought with the Philistines and [c]defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled before him. 9 Now there was (J)an evil spirit from the Lord on Saul as he was sitting in his house (K)with his spear in his hand, (L)and David was playing the harp with his hand. 10 (M)Saul tried to [d]pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that he [e]stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 Then (N)Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.” 12 (O)So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. 13 Michal took (P)the [f]household idol and laid it on the bed, and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “(Q)He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on [g]his bed, that I may put him to death.” 16 When the messengers entered, behold, the [h]household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. 17 So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! (R)Why should I put you to death?’”
18 Now David fled and escaped and came (S)to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in (T)Naioth. 19 It was told Saul, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then (U)Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw (V)the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and (W)they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And someone said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 He [i]proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and (X)the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and [j]lay down [k](Y)naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “(Z)Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Appeal to Unity
1 Paul, (A)called as an apostle of Jesus Christ [a]by (B)the will of God, and (C)Sosthenes our (D)brother,
2 To (E)the church of God which is at (F)Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, [b]saints (G)by calling, with all who in every place (H)call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
3 (I)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 (J)I thank [c]my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were (K)enriched in Him, in all (L)speech and (M)all knowledge, 6 even as (N)the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed [d]in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, (O)awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 (P)who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in (Q)the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 (R)God is faithful, through whom you were (S)called into (T)fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Now (U)I exhort you, (V)brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all [e]agree and that there be no [f](W)divisions among you, but that you be [g]made complete in (X)the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that (Y)each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of (Z)Apollos,” and “I of (AA)Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 [h]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you (AB)baptized [i]in the name of Paul? 14 [j]I thank God that I (AC)baptized none of you except (AD)Crispus and (AE)Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized [k]in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the (AF)household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 (AG)For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, (AH)not in [l]cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
The Wisdom of God
18 For the word of the cross is (AI)foolishness to (AJ)those who [m]are perishing, but to us who [n]are being saved it is (AK)the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“(AL)I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”
20 (AM)Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of (AN)this age? Has not God (AO)made foolish the wisdom of (AP)the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God (AQ)the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, (AR)God was well-pleased through the (AS)foolishness of the [o]message preached to (AT)save those who believe. 22 For indeed (AU)Jews ask for [p]signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach [q](AV)Christ crucified, (AW)to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles (AX)foolishness, 24 but to those who are (AY)the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (AZ)the power of God and (BA)the wisdom of God. 25 Because the (BB)foolishness of God is wiser than men, and (BC)the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For [r]consider your (BD)calling, brethren, that there were (BE)not many wise according to [s]the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but (BF)God has chosen the foolish things of (BG)the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of (BH)the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of (BI)the world and the despised God has chosen, (BJ)the things that are not, so that He may (BK)nullify the things that are, 29 so that (BL)no [t]man may boast before God. 30 But [u]by His doing you are in (BM)Christ Jesus, who became to us (BN)wisdom from God, [v]and (BO)righteousness and (BP)sanctification, and (BQ)redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “(BR)Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Distress of the Siege Described
4 How (A)dark the gold has become,
How the pure gold has changed!
The sacred stones are poured out
At the [a]corner of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
Weighed against fine gold,
How they are regarded as (B)earthen jars,
The work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even (C)jackals offer the breast,
They nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people has become (D)cruel
Like (E)ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The (F)tongue of the infant cleaves
To the roof of its mouth because of (G)thirst;
The little ones (H)ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
5 Those who ate (I)delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those [b]reared in purple
Embrace ash pits.
6 For the [c]iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the [d](J)sin of Sodom,
Which was (K)overthrown as in a moment,
And no hands were [e]turned toward her.
7 Her [f]consecrated ones were (L)purer than snow,
They were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in [g]body than corals,
Their polishing was like [h](M)lapis lazuli.
8 Their appearance is (N)blacker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their (O)skin is shriveled on their bones,
It is withered, it has become like wood.
9 Better are those [i](P)slain with the sword
Than those [j]slain with hunger;
For they [k](Q)pine away, being stricken
For lack of the fruits of [l]the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women
(R)Boiled their own children;
They became (S)food for them
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord has (T)accomplished His wrath,
He has poured out His fierce anger;
And He has (U)kindled a fire in Zion
Which has consumed its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor did any of (V)the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy
Could (W)enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Because of the sins of her (X)prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
Who have shed in her midst
The (Y)blood of the righteous;
14 They wandered, (Z)blind, in the streets;
They were defiled with (AA)blood
So that no one could touch their (AB)garments.
15 “Depart! (AC)Unclean!” [m]they cried of themselves.
“Depart, depart, do not touch!”
So they (AD)fled and wandered;
Men among the nations said,
“They shall not continue to dwell with us.”
16 The presence of the Lord has scattered them,
He will not continue to regard them;
They did not [n](AE)honor the priests,
They did not favor the elders.
17 Yet our eyes failed,
Looking for [o]help was (AF)useless;
In our watching we have watched
For a (AG)nation that could not save.
18 They (AH)hunted our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets;
Our (AI)end drew near,
Our days were [p]finished
For our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were (AJ)swifter
Than the eagles of the sky;
They chased us on the mountains,
They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
20 The (AK)breath of our nostrils, the (AL)Lord’s anointed,
Was (AM)captured in their pits,
Of whom we had said, “Under his (AN)shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of (AO)Edom,
Who dwells in the land of Uz;
But the (AP)cup will come around to you as well,
You will become drunk and make yourself naked.
22 The punishment of your iniquity has been (AQ)completed, O daughter of Zion;
He will exile you no longer.
But He (AR)will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom;
He will expose your sins!
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
A Psalm of David.
35 Contend, O Lord, with those who (A)contend with me;
Fight against those who (B)fight against me.
2 Take hold of [a](C)buckler and shield
And rise up for (D)my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am (E)your salvation.”
4 Let those be (F)ashamed and dishonored who seek my [c]life;
Let those be (G)turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be (H)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and (I)slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 For (J)without cause they (K)hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a [d]pit for my soul.
8 Let (L)destruction come upon him unawares,
And (M)let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very (N)destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall (O)rejoice in the Lord;
It shall (P)exult in His salvation.
10 All my (Q)bones will say, “Lord, (R)who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him (S)who is too strong for him,
And (T)the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”
11 (U)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They (V)repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, (W)when they were sick, my (X)clothing was sackcloth;
I (Y)humbled my soul with fasting,
And my (Z)prayer kept returning to my bosom.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I (AA)bowed down [e]mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
15 But (AB)at my [f]stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The [g](AC)smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They [h](AD)slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They (AE)gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, (AF)how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul (AG)from their ravages,
My (AH)only life from the lions.
18 I will (AI)give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will (AJ)praise You among a mighty throng.
19 (AK)Do not let those who are wrongfully (AL)my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those (AM)who hate me without cause [i](AN)wink maliciously.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise (AO)deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They (AP)opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “(AQ)Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”
22 (AR)You have seen it, O Lord, (AS)do not keep silent;
O Lord, (AT)do not be far from me.
23 (AU)Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 (AV)Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
And (AW)do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, “(AX)Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have (AY)swallowed him up!”
26 Let (AZ)those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be (BA)clothed with shame and dishonor who (BB)magnify themselves over me.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.