M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
David’s Experience with His Adversaries
16 Now just as David happened to have passed the summit of the Mount of Olives,[a] suddenly Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba met him, accompanied by a couple of saddled donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 pieces of summer fruit, and a skin of wine! 2 The king asked Ziba, “What are those for?”
Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for your young men to eat, and the wine is for whoever wants to drink if they get weary in the wilderness.”
3 Then the king asked, “Where is your master’s son?”
“He’s staying in Jerusalem!” Ziba answered the king. “He’s saying ‘The nation[b] of Israel will restore my father’s kingdom to me today!’”
4 So the king told Ziba, “Pay attention! Everything that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!”
In response Ziba said, “I’m submitting to you. Let me find favor in your sight, your majesty the king!”
Shimei Curses David
5 Later on, as King David approached Bahurim, Gera’s son Shimei, who was related to the family of Saul’s household, went out to meet David,[c] cursing continually as he approached. 6 He threw rocks at David and all of David’s staff who were accompanying him, while all the rest of the entourage, including all of David’s security detail, were close by him.[d] 7 “Get out of here![e] Get out!” Shimei yelled as he cursed. “You murderer! You who think you’re above the law![f] 8 The Lord has repaid you personally for murdering the entire dynasty of Saul, whose place you’ve taken to reign! And the Lord has given the kingdom into your son Absalom’s control. Now look! Your own evil has caught up with you, because you’re guilty of murder!”
9 At this point, Zeruiah’s son Abishai asked the king, “Why should this dead dog be cursing your majesty the king? May I have permission to go over and cut off his head?”
10 But the king responded, “What do I have in common with you sons of Zeruiah? If he continues to curse—and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David!’—then who are you to be demanding to know[g] ‘Why have you done this?’”
11 So David ordered Abishai and all of his staff: “Look! My own son wants to kill me! How much more now is this descendant of Benjamin? Leave him alone and let him go on cursing, because the Lord has ordered him to do this.[h] 12 Perhaps the Lord will take note of my troubles and return good to me instead of curses today!”
13 So David and his entourage went on their way, and Shimei walked along the hillside with him, cursing, throwing rocks, and tossing dirt at David[i] as they went along. 14 Eventually, the king and his entourage arrived exhausted at their destination, and David[j] refreshed himself there.
Absalom Captures Jerusalem
15 Right about then, Absalom and his entourage from the people of Israel entered Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. 16 When David’s friend Hushai the Archite approached Absalom, Hushai greeted Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 But Absalom asked Hushai, “So this is how you demonstrate your loyalty[k] to your closest friends? Why didn’t you leave with your friend?”
18 Hushai replied, “No! On the contrary, whomever the Lord, this group, and all the men of Israel choose is where I’ll be, and I’ll remain with him! 19 Besides, who else should I be serving? Why not the son? The same way I served your father, I’ll serve you.”[l]
Ahithophel Counsels Absalom
20 So Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?”
21 Ahithophel responded, “Go inside and have sex with your father’s mistresses[m], whom he left to keep the palace in order. Then everyone in Israel will hear how your father has come to hate you and everyone who has joined you will be emboldened to act.” 22 So they erected a tent for Absalom on the palace roof and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s mistresses right in front of all Israel.
Ahithophel Tries to Crush David’s Supporters
23 Now Ahithophel’s advice that he provided at that time was being compared to one who inquired of God, so highly regarded was Ahithophel’s counsel by both David and Absalom.
Why Giving is Important
9 I do not need to write to you any further about the ministry to the saints. 2 For I know how willing you are, and I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying[a] that Achaia has been ready since last year, and your enthusiasm has stimulated most of them. 3 Now I have sent the brothers so that our boasting about you in this matter may not prove to be an idle boast, and so that you may stand ready, just as I said. 4 Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find out that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking. 5 Therefore, I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to visit you ahead of me, to make arrangements in advance for this gift you promised, and to have it ready as something given generously and not forced.
6 Remember[b] this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work. 9 As it is written,
“He scatters everywhere and gives to the poor;
his righteousness lasts forever.”[c]
10 Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness. 11 In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us, 12 since this ministry you render is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, it is also overflowing with more and more prayers of thanksgiving to God. 13 Because your service in giving proves your love,[d] you will be glorifying God as you obey what your confession of the Messiah’s[e] gospel demands,[f] since you are generous in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And so in their prayers for you they will long for you because of God’s exceptional grace that was shown to you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Introducing Oholah and Oholibah
23 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, here are two sisters who are daughters from the same mother. 3 They committed sexual immorality in Egypt. They did this[a] in their youth. There, their breasts were caressed. Their virgin breasts were fondled. 4 The older one was named Oholah[b] and her sister was named Oholibah.[c] They belonged to me and gave birth to sons and daughters. Now as to their real identities, Oholah refers to Samaria and Oholibah to Jerusalem.”
The Sins of Samaria
5 “Oholah committed sexual immorality while she belonged to me. She lusted for Assyria’s warriors, 6 who were clothed in blue—including governors and commanders. All of them were desirable young men—horsemen mounted on horses. 7 She bestowed her sexual favors[d] on them—all of them, the best of the Assyrians—and with whomever she lusted for.
“She defiled herself with all their idols. 8 She never abandoned the immorality that she practiced in Egypt during her youth, where they laid down with her and fondled her virgin breasts, lavishing her with all kinds of favors. 9 Therefore, I turned her over to the control[e] of her lovers, that is, into the control[f] of the Assyrians for whom she lusted. 10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and executed her with a sword. She became an object of ridicule[g] among other nations[h] when they punished her.”
The Sins of Jerusalem
11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this, but she was more corrupt in her lust and sexual immorality than her sister had been in her own sexual immorality. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians—governors, commanders, warriors clothed in gorgeous attire, cavalry mounted on their horses—all of them desirable young men. 13 I saw that she was defiled, because the two of them both were on the same[i] path.
14 “She became even more sexually immoral when she saw the images of the Chaldean men who had been carved in red on their walls. 15 Girded with waistbands around their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looked like chariot officers, similar to the Babylonians from Chaldea, where they had been born.
16 “She lusted after them when she saw them, so she sent messengers to summon them from Chaldea. 17 The Babylonians came to her love nest[j] and defiled her with their sexual immorality. As a result, she was defiled by them. Even so, she turned away from them in disgust. 18 She displayed her immorality publicly and stripped herself naked, so I turned away in disgust from her, just as I had turned away in disgust from her sister.
19 “Nevertheless, she became even more sexually immoral, even reminiscing about when she was young, when she kept on practicing sexual immorality in the land of Egypt. 20 She lusted after her paramours, whose genitals are[k] like those of donkeys, and whose emissions are like those of horses. 21 Think about the wickedness that you practiced when you were young, when the Egyptians fondled your breasts, the breasts of your youth.”
God’s Rebuke to Jerusalem
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Look! I’m about to stir up your lovers against you, the ones from whom you’ve turned away in disgust. I’m going to bring them against you from every direction— 23 the Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all of the Assyrians with them. They’re all desirable young men, governors, commanders, chariot officers, and famous men, all of them mounted on horses.
24 “‘They’ll invade you with weapons, chariots, wagons, and a vast army. They’ll set themselves in place to attack you from every direction with large shields, small shields, and helmets. I’ll turn over judgment to them, and they’ll punish you according to their own standards.[l] 25 I’ll expend my jealousy on you so they’ll deal with you in anger. They’ll cut off your noses and your ears. Your survivors will die violently.[m] They’ll take your sons and daughters away from you, but your survivors will be incinerated. 26 They’ll strip off your clothes and confiscate your jewelry.[n] 27 That’s how I’ll put an end to your obscene conduct and sexual immorality that you kept on practicing since the day you left[o] the land of Egypt so that you won’t look in Egypt’s direction or even remember it anymore.’
28 “This is what the Lord God says, ‘I’m about to turn you over to the control[p] of those you hate, to the control of those from whom you turned away in disgust. 29 They’ll deal with you with hatred. They’ll take away your productivity, leaving you naked and defenseless, so that the nakedness of your sexual immorality will be uncovered—your licentious sexual immorality. 30 These things will happen to you because of your sexual immorality that was patterned after what the nations do. You’ve been defiled by their idols. 31 You took the path of your sister, so I’ll place her cup in your hand.’
32 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘You’ll drink from your sister’s cup, which is both large and deep. You’ll become a laughing stock and an object of derision, since the cup is so full! 33 You’ll be filled with drunkenness and grief. The cup that belongs to your sister Samaria is filled with horror and devastation, 34 but you’ll drink from it and drain it completely. As for the vessel, you’ll break it to pieces and you’ll tear at your breasts, for I’ve spoken,’ declares the Lord God.
35 “Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you abandoned me and threw me behind your back, you will bear the consequences of your obscene conduct and sexual immorality.’”
What Israel and Samaria Did
36 Then the Lord spoke to me. “Son of Man, speak out in judgment of both Oholah and Oholibah. Make their detestable practices widely known, 37 because they’ve committed adultery, and blood covers their hands. They’ve also committed adultery with their idols, making their sons born to me to pass through the fire[q] as an offering to[r] them.
38 “They’ve also done this to me: They defiled my sanctuary and profaned my Sabbaths, all at the same time![s] 39 When they killed their sons as offerings to[t] their idols, they brought them to my sanctuary and defiled it.[u] Look what they’ve done with my Temple!
40 “In addition, they sent messengers for men to come from afar. When they arrived, you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes, adorned yourself with jewelry, 41 then sat down on an elegant bed. A table was arranged in front of it, on which you set out my incense and oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude accompanied her. Men from a multitude of peoples were coming—including Sabeans[v] from the wilderness, adorned[w] with bracelets on their hands and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 “After she had worn herself out by her adulterous behavior, I asked her, ‘Will they continue with their sexual immorality and with their prostitution?’ 44 They’ve gone to her, like men do, to have sex with a prostitute. They[x] had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those licentious women. 45 Righteous men will judge them with punishments fit for adulterers and for those who shed blood, because they’re adulterers with blood on their hands.”
The Coming Invasion
46 This is what the Lord God says: “Bring an army[y] against them and deliver them over to terror and plunder. 47 Then the army will stone them with stones and cut them to pieces with their swords. They’ll kill their sons and daughters and incinerate their houses. 48 I’ll cause obscene conduct to stop throughout the land, because all the women will be admonished not to practice their obscene conduct. 49 You’ll receive the consequences for your obscene conduct and bear the punishment for your sins of idolatry. Then you’ll know that I am the Lord God.”
To the Music director. Davidic. As a memorial.
A Call for Help
70 God, come to my rescue.
Lord, hurry to help me.
2 May those who seek to kill me be publicly humiliated.
May those who take pleasure in my harm
be turned back in humiliation.
3 May those who say “Aha! Aha!”
be turned back because of their shameful deeds.[a]
4 Let those who seek you greatly rejoice in you.
Let those who love your deliverance say,
“May God be continuously exalted.”
5 As for me, I am poor and needy.
God, come quickly to me.
You are my helper and my deliverer.
Lord, please do not delay.
A Prayer for Deliverance
71 In you, Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be humiliated.
2 Rescue and deliver me,[b] because you are righteous.
Turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my sheltering refuge where I may go continuously;
command my deliverance
for you are my rock and fortress.
4 My God, deliver me from the power of the wicked
and the grasp of ruthless practicers of evil.
5 For you are my hope, Lord God,
my security since I was young.
6 I depended on you since birth,[c]
when you brought me[d] from my mother’s womb;
I praise you continuously.
7 I have become an example to many
that you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise
and your splendor daily.
9 Don’t throw me away when I am old;
do not abandon me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies talk against me;
those who seek to kill me plot together
11 and say, “God has abandoned him.
Run after him and seize him,
because there’s no deliverer.”
12 God, do not be distant from me.
My God, come quickly to help me.
13 Let my adversaries be ashamed and consumed;[e]
let those who seek my destruction
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will hope continuously
and will praise you more and more.
15 I[f] will declare your righteousness
and your salvation every day,
though I do not fully understand
what the outcome will be.[g]
16 Lord God, I will come in the power of[h] your mighty acts,
remembering your righteousness—yours alone.
17 God, you taught me from my youth,
so I am still declaring your awesome deeds.
18 Also, when I reach old age and have gray hair,
God, do not forsake me,
until I have declared your power
to this generation
and your might to the next one.
19 Your many righteous deeds,[i] God, are great,
20 God, who can compare to you,
who caused me to experience[j] troubles
that were numerous and disastrous?
You will return to revive me
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.
22 I also will praise you with the harp;
because of your faithfulness, my God,
I will praise you with the lyre—
Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you,
whose life you have redeemed.
24 Moreover, my tongue will speak all day about your justice;
for those who seek my destruction will be utterly humiliated.
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