M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Murder of Ish-bosheth
4 When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage[a] failed and all of Israel was disturbed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two officers in charge of some raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other was named Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon, a descendant of Benjamin from Beeroth, which was considered to belong to the tribe of[b] Benjamin. 3 (The residents of Beeroth had evacuated to Gittaim and live there as resident aliens to this day.)
4 Meanwhile, Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. When he was five years old, news had arrived about Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up to flee, but in her hurry to leave, he happened to fall and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.[c]
5 Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, left and arrived during the hottest part of the day at the home of Ish-bosheth while he was taking a noon day nap. 6 They entered the house as though they intended to obtain some grain and stabbed him in the abdomen. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. 7 While they were in the house, they struck him, killed him, and cut off his head while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They took his head, and traveled all night along the Arabah road.
David Punishes the Killers of Ish-bosheth
8 They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and told the king, “Look! Here’s the head of your enemy Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, who sought your life. Today the Lord has given your majesty the king vengeance on Saul and his descendants.”[d]
9 David responded to Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite: “As the Lord lives, who has saved my life in every adversity, 10 when the man who told me ‘Look! Saul is dead!’ thought he was bringing me good news, I arrested him and had him killed at Ziklag as the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much worse will it be, then, when evil men kill an innocent man on his own bed in his own house! Shouldn’t I avenge his blood—which you are responsible for shedding[e]—by removing you from the earth?” 12 So David commanded his personal guards,[f] and they killed Rechab and Baanah,[g] cut off their hands and feet, and hung up their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. They took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.
David Becomes King over Israel(A)
5 After this, all of the tribes of Israel assembled with David at Hebron and declared, “Look, we’re your own flesh and blood![h] 2 Even back when Saul was our king, it was you who kept on leading Israel out to battle[i] and bringing them back again.[j] The Lord told you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and serve as Commander-in-Chief[k] over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel approached the king at Hebron, where King David entered into a covenant with them in the presence of the Lord. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel.
David Establishes Jerusalem as His Capital(B)
4 David began to reign when he was 30 years old, and he reigned 40 years. 5 He reigned over Judah for seven years and six months in Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel including Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem. 6 Later, the king and his army marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who were inhabiting the territory at that time[l] and who had told David, “You’re not coming in here! Even the blind and the lame could turn you away!” because they were thinking[m] “David can’t come here.” 7 Even so, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as[n] the City of David.
8 At that time,[o] David had said, “Whoever intends to attack the Jebusites will have to climb up the water shaft to attack the lame and blind, who hate David.”[p]
Therefore they say, “The blind and lame are never to come into the house.” 9 David occupied[q] the fortress, naming it the City of David. He[r] built up the surroundings from the terrace ramparts[s] inward. 10 David became more and more esteemed because the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies was with him.
11 Later, King Hiram of Tyre sent a delegation to David, accompanied by cedar[t] logs, carpenters, and stone masons. They built a palace for David. 12 So David concluded[u] that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom in order to benefit his people Israel. 13 But after arriving in Jerusalem after leaving Hebron, David took more wives and mistresses,[v] and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
David Battles the Philistines(C)
17 When the Philistines eventually learned that Israel[w] had anointed David to be king over Israel, they marched out in search of him.[x] But David heard about it and retreated to his stronghold. 18 Meanwhile, the Philistines arrived and encamped in the Rephaim Valley, 19 so David asked the Lord, “Am I to go attack the Philistines? Will you give me victory over them?”[y]
“Go get them,” the Lord replied to David, “because I’m going to put the Philistines right into your hand!”
20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there. He called the place Baal-perazim,[z] because he said, “Like a bursting flood, the Lord has jumped out in front of me to fight my enemies.” 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his army carried them off.
22 Later, the Philistines once again marched out and encamped in the Rephaim Valley. 23 When David asked the Lord about it, he said, “Don’t attack them directly. Instead, go around to the rear and attack them opposite those balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching coming from the tops of the balsam trees, then be sure to act quickly, since the Lord will have gone out ahead of you to cut down the Philistine army.” 25 So David did exactly what the Lord ordered him to do, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.
The Resurrection of the Messiah
15 Now I’m making known to you, brothers, the gospel that I proclaimed to you, which you accepted, on which you have taken your stand, 2 and by which you are also being saved if you hold firmly to the message I proclaimed to you—unless, of course, your faith was worthless.
3 For I passed on to you the most important points that[a] I received: The Messiah[b] died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures—and is still alive!— 5 and he was seen by Cephas,[c] and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.[d] 7 Next he was seen by James, then by all the apostles, 8 and finally he was seen by me, as though I were born abnormally late.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God’s church. 10 But by God’s grace I am what I am, and his grace shown to me was not wasted. Instead, I worked harder than all the others—not I, of course, but God’s grace that was with me. 11 So, whether it was I or the others, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if we preach that the Messiah[e] has been raised from the dead, how can some of you keep claiming there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah[f] has not been raised, 14 and if the Messiah[g] has not been raised, then our message means nothing and your[h] faith means nothing. 15 In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God because we testified on God’s behalf that he raised the Messiah[i]—whom he did not raise if in fact it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah[j] has not been raised, 17 and if the Messiah[k] has not been raised, your faith is worthless and you are still imprisoned by your sins. 18 Yes, even those who have died[l] believing[m] in the Messiah[n] are lost. 19 If we have set our hopes on the Messiah[o] in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people.
20 But at this moment the Messiah[p] stands risen from the dead, the first one offered in the harvest[q] of those who have died.[r] 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in the Messiah[s] will all be made alive. 23 However, this will happen to each person in the proper order: first the Messiah,[t] then those who belong to the Messiah[u] when he comes. 24 Then the end will come, when after he has done away with every ruler and every authority and power, the Messiah[v] hands over the kingdom to God the Father. 25 For he must rule until God[w] puts all the Messiah’s[x] enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be done away with is death, 27 for “God[y] has put everything under his feet.”[z] Now when he says, “Everything has been put under him,” this clearly excludes the one who put everything under him. 28 But when everything has been put under him, then the Son himself will also become subject to the one who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
29 Otherwise, what will those people do who are being baptized because of those who have died? If the dead are not raised at all, why are they being baptized because of them? 30 And why in fact are we being endangered every hour? 31 I face death every day! That is as certain, brothers,[aa] as it is that I am proud of you in the Messiah,[ab] Jesus our Lord. 32 If I have fought with wild animals in Ephesus from merely human motives, what do I get out of it? If the dead are not raised,
“Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”[ac]
33 Stop being deceived:
“Wicked friends lead to evil ends.”[ad]
34 Come back to your senses as you should, and stop sinning! For some of you—I say this to your shame—don’t fully know God.
The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come back?” 36 You fool! The seed you plant does not come to life unless it dies, 37 and what you plant is not the form that it will be, but a bare kernel, whether it is wheat or something else. 38 But God gives the plant[ae] the form he wants it to have, and to each kind of seed its own form. 39 Not all flesh is the same.[af] Humans have one kind of flesh,[ag] animals in general have another,[ah] birds have another,[ai] and fish have still another. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of those in heaven is of one kind, and that of those on earth is of another. 41 One kind of splendor belongs to the sun, another[aj] to the moon, and still another[ak] to the stars. In fact, one star differs from another star in splendor.
42 This is how it will be at the resurrection of the dead. What is planted is decaying, what is raised cannot decay. 43 The body[al] is planted in a state of dishonor but is raised in a state of splendor. It is planted in weakness but is raised in power. 44 It is planted a physical body but is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.[am]
45 This, indeed, is what is written: “The first man, Adam, became a living being.”[an] The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual does not come first, but the physical does, and then comes the spiritual. 47 The first man came from the dust of the earth; the second man came from heaven. 48 Those who are made of the dust are like the man from the dust; those who are heavenly are like the man who is from heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the likeness of the man who was made from dust, we will[ao] also bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
50 Brothers, this is what I mean: Mortal bodies[ap] cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and what decays cannot inherit what does not decay. 51 Let me tell you a secret. Not all of us will die,[aq] but all of us will be changed— 52 in a moment, faster than an eye can blink, at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet[ar] will sound, and then the dead will be raised never to decay, and we will be changed. 53 For what is decaying must be clothed with what cannot decay, and what is dying must be clothed with what cannot die. 54 Now, when what is decaying is clothed with what cannot decay, and what is dying is clothed with what cannot die, then the written word will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up by victory!”[as]
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[at]
56 Now death’s stinger is sin, and sin’s power is the Law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus the Messiah![au]
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, unmovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that the work that you do for the Lord isn’t wasted.
A Prophecy against Prophets
13 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who even now are prophesying, and tell those prophets that keep on prophesying according to what they wish would happen,[a] ‘Listen to what the Lord says.’”
3 “This is what the Lord God says, ‘How terrible it will be for the false prophets who walk according to their own wrong inclinations[b] and see nothing. 4 Israel, your prophets have become like foxes among ruins. 5 You didn’t go up to repair[c] the breaches in the walls and you didn’t build the walls so Israel’s house would be able to endure battle on the Day of the Lord. 6 Instead, they crafted[d] false prophecies and divination.
“‘They say, “…declares the Lord,” even though the Lord didn’t send them. And they hope for the fulfillment of their message. 7 You’ve crafted[e] a false prophesy and spoken deceptive divination, haven’t you? But then you say, “…declares the Lord,” although I haven’t spoken a single word.
8 “‘Therefore this is what the Lord God says, “Because you’ve spoken falsehood and deceptions, I am therefore opposing[f] you,” declares the Lord God. 9 My hand will oppose the prophets who see false visions and speak deceptive divinations. They won’t be included with the council of my people, nor will they be entered into the registry of Israel’s house or enter Israel’s land. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord God, 10 because they’ve truly caused my people to stray saying, “Peace,” but there’s no peace.’”
Metaphor of the Whitewashed Wall
“When someone builds a wall, they coat it with whitewash. 11 Tell those who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. It will be washed off by the rain. Great hailstones will fall and a stormy wind will strip it off.[g] 12 Look! When the wall collapses, won’t it be said of you, ‘Where’s the coat of paint that you spread all over the wall?’
13 “Therefore this is what the Lord God says, ‘In my burning anger, I’ll rip it open with a windstorm. In my anger, I’ll rinse it off with rain, and put an end to it with a hailstorm in my destructive rage. 14 I’ll tear down the wall that you’ve smeared with whitewash, level it to the ground, and tear out its foundation. Then it will collapse—and you’ll perish with it! Then you’ll know that I am the Lord.
15 “‘That’s how I’ll vent my anger on the wall and on the ones who coated it with whitewash. And I’ll say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who coated it.”[h] 16 The prophets of Israel prophesied about Jerusalem and saw visions of peace concerning her, yet there’s no peace,’” declares the Lord God.
A Rebuke to Israel’s Women
17 “And now, Son of Man, turn toward and oppose[i] the women[j] of your people who prophesy according to their own wrong inclinations[k] and prophesy against them. 18 Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “How terrible it will be for those women who sew magical bracelets on all their wrists and make one-size-fits all headbands,[l] in order to entrap their souls. Will you hunt for the souls of my people and remain alive? 19 You’ve profaned me among my people for a handful of barley and a morsel of bread. You’re causing people to die who shouldn’t have to die, and you’re causing people to live who shouldn’t survive, when you deceive my people who tend to listen to lies.”
20 “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says, “Watch out! I’m opposing your amulets with which you hunt souls as one would swat at a flying insect.[m] I’ll tear them off your arms and then deliver those people, whom you’ve hunted like birds. 21 I’ll also tear off your headbands[n] and deliver my people from your grip so that they won’t be under your control anymore. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord.
22 “‘“Because you’ve dismayed the heart of the righteous—whom I never intended to dismay—with lies, and because you’ve encouraged[o] the wicked so that he wouldn’t abandon his evil behavior and by doing so live, 23 you’ll no longer see false visions or again practice divination, because I’m going to deliver my people from your power. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord.”’”
To the Director: A Davidic instruction[a] about Doeg, the Edomite, when he went to Saul and told him, “David went to the house of Abimelech.”
A Rebuke to the Deceitful
52 Why do you make evil
the foundation of your boasting, mighty one?[b]
God’s gracious love never ceases.[c]
2 Your tongue, like a sharp razor, devises wicked things
and crafts treachery.
3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking uprightly.
4 You love all words that destroy, you deceitful tongue!
5 But God will tear you down forever;
he will take you away,
even snatching you out of your tent!
He will uproot you from the land of the living.
6 The righteous will fear when they see this,
but then they will laugh at him, saying,
7 “Look, here is a young man who refused to make God his strength;
instead, he trusted in his great wealth
and made his wickedness his strength.
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the gracious love of God forever and ever.
9 Therefore I will praise you forever
because of what you did;
I will proclaim that your name is good
in the midst of your faithful ones.
To the Director: Upon machalath.[d] A Davidic instruction.[e]
The Fool and God’s Response
53 Fools say to themselves “There is no God.”
They are corrupt and commit iniquity;
not one of them practices what is good.
2 God looks down from the heavens upon humanity[f]
to see if anyone shows discernment as he searches for God.
3 All of them[g] have fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
no one does what is good, not even one.
4 Will those who do evil ever learn?
They devour my people like they devour bread,
and never call on God.
5 There the Israelis[h] were seized with terror,
when there was nothing to fear.
For God scattered the bones of those who laid siege against you[i]—
you put them to shame,[j]
for God rejected them.
6 Would that Israel’s deliverance come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad.[k]
To the Director: With stringed instruments. A Davidic instruction,[l] when the Ziphites came and told Saul, “David is hiding among us, is he not?”
A Prayer in Times of Trouble
54 God, by your name deliver me,
and by your power vindicate me.
2 God, listen to my prayer,
and pay attention to the words of my mouth.
3 For the arrogant have arisen against me;
oppressors have sought to take my life.
They do not keep God in mind![m]
4 Look, God is my helper;
the Lord is with those who are guarding my life.
5 He will turn the evil upon those who lie in wait for me.
Cut them off with your truth.
6 With a free will offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, Lord,
because it is good,
7 for he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eyes have seen the end of[n] my enemies.
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