M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
The Woman of Tekoa
14 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that (A)the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom. 2 So Joab sent to (B)Tekoa and [a]brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not (C)anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days; 3 then go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab put (D)the words in her mouth.
4 Now when the woman of Tekoa [b]spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and (E)prostrated herself and said, “(F)Help, O king.” 5 The king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she [c]answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead. 6 Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no [d]one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him. 7 Now behold, (G)the whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, (H)and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to [e]leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord, the king, (I)the iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but (J)the king and his throne are guiltless.” 10 So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.” 11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, (K)so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And he said, “(L)As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” 13 The woman said, “(M)Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back (N)his banished one. 14 For (O)we will surely die and are (P)like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans [f]ways so that (Q)the banished one will not be cast out from him. 15 Now [g]the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the [h]request of his maidservant. 16 For the king will hear [i]and deliver his maidservant from the [j]hand of the man who would destroy [k]both me and my son from (R)the inheritance of God.’ 17 Then your maidservant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be [l]comforting, for as (S)the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’”
18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.” 19 So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was (T)your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant; 20 in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, (U)like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.”
Absalom Is Recalled
21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, (V)I will surely do this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the [m]request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to (W)Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 However the king said, “Let him turn to (X)his own house, and let him not see my face.” So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.
25 Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; (Y)from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. 26 When he (Z)cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, for it was heavy on him so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king’s weight. 27 (AA)To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was (AB)Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.
28 Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, (AC)and did not see the king’s face. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come. 30 Therefore he said to his servants, “See, (AD)Joab’s [n]field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the [o]field on fire. 31 Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my [p]field on fire?” 32 Absalom [q]answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.”’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face, (AE)and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death.” 33 So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and (AF)the king kissed Absalom.
Paul Reveals His Heart
7 Therefore, having these promises, (A)beloved, (B)let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 (C)Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 3 I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said (D)before that you are (E)in our hearts to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my (F)confidence [a]in you; great is my (G)boasting on your behalf. I am filled with (H)comfort; I am overflowing with (I)joy in all our affliction.
5 For even when we came into (J)Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were (K)afflicted on every side: (L)conflicts without, fears within. 6 But (M)God, who comforts the [b]depressed, (N)comforted us by the coming of (O)Titus; 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For though I (P)caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything [c]through us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a (Q)repentance [d]without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this [e]godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what (R)longing, what zeal, what (S)avenging of wrong! In everything you (T)demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 12 So although (U)I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of (V)the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been (W)comforted.
And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of (X)Titus, because his (Y)spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For if in anything I have (Z)boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before (AA)Titus proved to be the truth. 15 His [f]affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the (AB)obedience of you all, how you received him with (AC)fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice that in everything (AD)I have confidence in you.
Parable of the Sword of the Lord
21 [a]And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, (A)set your face toward Jerusalem, and [b](B)speak against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel; 3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, (C)I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the (D)righteous and the wicked. 4 Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against (E)all flesh from south to north. 5 Thus all flesh will know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath. It will (F)not return to its sheath again.”’ 6 As for you, son of man, groan with breaking [c]heart and bitter grief, groan in their sight. 7 And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the (G)news that is coming; and (H)every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will [d]faint and all knees will [e]be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will happen,’ declares the Lord [f]God.”
8 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ Say,
‘(I)A sword, a sword sharpened
And also polished!
10 ‘Sharpened to make a (J)slaughter,
Polished [g]to flash like lightning!’
Or shall we rejoice, the [h]rod of My son (K)despising every tree? 11 It is given to be polished, that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. 12 (L)Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people, it is against all the (M)officials of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people, therefore strike your thigh. 13 For there is a testing; and what if even the [i]rod which despises will be no more?” declares the Lord God.
14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together; and let the sword be (N)doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, 15 that their (O)hearts may melt, and many (P)fall at all their (Q)gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter. 16 [j]Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your [k]edge is appointed. 17 I will also clap My hands together, and I will [l](R)appease My wrath; I, the Lord, have spoken.”
The Instrument of God’s Judgment
18 The word of the Lord came to me saying, 19 “As for you, son of man, [m](S)make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And [n]make a signpost; [o]make it at the head of the way to the city. 20 You shall [p]mark a way for the sword to come to (T)Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into (U)fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the [q]parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use (V)divination; he (W)shakes the arrows, he consults the [r](X)household idols, he looks at the liver. 22 Into his right hand came the divination, ‘Jerusalem,’ to (Y)set battering rams, to open the mouth [s]for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall. 23 And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; (Z)they have sworn solemn oaths. But he (AA)brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized.
24 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand. 25 And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose (AB)day has come, in the time of the [t]punishment of the end,’ 26 thus says the Lord God, ‘Remove the turban and take off the (AC)crown; this will [u]no longer be the same. (AD)Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high. 27 (AE)A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it. This also will be no more until (AF)He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him.’
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their (AG)reproach,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it [v]to (AH)consume, that it may be like lightning— 29 while they see for you (AI)false visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the (AJ)time of the [w]punishment of the end. 30 (AK)Return it to its sheath. In the (AL)place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. 31 I will (AM)pour out My indignation on you; I will (AN)blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, [x](AO)skilled in destruction. 32 You will be [y](AP)fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will (AQ)not be remembered, for I, the Lord, have spoken.’”
The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.
68 [a]Let (A)God arise, [b]let His enemies be scattered,
And [c]let those who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As (B)smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As (C)wax melts before the fire,
So let the (D)wicked perish before God.
3 But let the (E)righteous be glad; let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing to God, (F)sing praises to His name;
[d](G)Lift up a song for Him who (H)rides through the deserts,
Whose (I)name is [e]the Lord, and exult before Him.
5 A (J)father of the fatherless and a (K)judge [f]for the widows,
Is God in His (L)holy habitation.
6 God [g](M)makes a home for the lonely;
He (N)leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only (O)the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when You (P)went forth before Your people,
When You (Q)marched through the wilderness, [h]Selah.
8 The (R)earth quaked;
The (S)heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
[i](T)Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You (U)shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was [j]parched.
10 Your creatures settled in it;
You (V)provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.
11 The Lord gives the [k]command;
The (W)women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host:
12 “(X)Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will (Y)divide the spoil!”
13 [l]When you lie down (Z)among the [m]sheepfolds,
You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And its pinions with glistening gold.
14 When the Almighty (AA)scattered the kings [n]there,
It was snowing in (AB)Zalmon.
15 A [o](AC)mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks,
At the mountain which God has (AD)desired for His abode?
Surely (AE)the Lord will dwell there forever.
17 The (AF)chariots of God are [p]myriads, (AG)thousands upon thousands;
[q]The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
18 You have (AH)ascended on high, You have (AI)led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men,
Even among the rebellious also, that [r]the Lord God may dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily (AJ)bears our burden,
(AK)The God who is our salvation. Selah.
20 God is to us a (AL)God of deliverances;
And (AM)to [s]God the Lord belong escapes [t]from death.
21 Surely God will (AN)shatter the head of His enemies,
The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
22 The Lord [u]said, “(AO)I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;
23 That [v](AP)your foot may shatter them in blood,
The tongue of your (AQ)dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”
24 They have seen (AR)Your [w]procession, O God,
The [x]procession of my God, my King, [y](AS)into the sanctuary.
25 The (AT)singers went on, the musicians after them,
[z]In the midst of the (AU)maidens beating tambourines.
26 (AV)Bless God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, you who are of the (AW)fountain of Israel.
27 There is (AX)Benjamin, the [aa]youngest, [ab]ruling them,
The princes of Judah in their throng,
The princes of (AY)Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 [ac]Your God has (AZ)commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, O God, (BA)who have acted [ad]on our behalf.
29 [ae]Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
(BB)Kings will bring gifts to You.
30 Rebuke the (BC)beasts [af]in the reeds,
The herd of (BD)bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling under foot the pieces of silver;
He has (BE)scattered the peoples who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come out of (BF)Egypt;
[ag](BG)Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, O (BH)kingdoms of the earth,
(BI)Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
33 To Him who (BJ)rides upon the [ah](BK)highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, (BL)He [ai]speaks forth with His voice, a (BM)mighty voice.
34 (BN)Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And (BO)His strength is in the [aj]skies.
35 [ak]O God, You are (BP)awesome from Your [al]sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself (BQ)gives strength and power to the people.
(BR)Blessed be God!
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.