M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part 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 for us; neither if half of us die will they care for us. But now thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou succor us from the city.”
4 And the king said unto them, “What seemeth to you best I will do.” And the king stood by the gate side, 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 wood of Ephraim,
7 where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David; and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
8 For the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country; and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 And Absalom met the servants 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 and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.”
11 And Joab said unto the man who told him, “And behold, thou sawest him, and why did thou not smite him there to the ground? And 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 mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.’
13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life; for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.”
14 Then said Joab, “I may not tarry thus with thee.” And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
15 And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, 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 wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him; and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the King’s Dale, 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.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, “Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how the Lord hath avenged him of his enemies.”
20 And Joab said unto him, “Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.”
21 Then said Joab to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what thou hast seen.” And the Cushite bowed himself unto Joab and ran.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, “But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?”
23 “But howsoever,” said he, “let me run.” And he said unto him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
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 be alone, there are tidings in his mouth.” And he came apace and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the gatekeeper 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 cometh with good tidings.”
28 And Ahimaaz called and said unto the king, “All is well.” And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king and said, “Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.”
29 And the king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not 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, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Tidings, my lord the king; for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all those who rose up against thee.”
32 And the king said unto the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” And the Cushite answered, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.”
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, thus he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
11 Would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly — and indeed you do bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
5 For I consider myself not a whit lower than the very chiefest apostles.
6 Though I am rude in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; for we have been made thoroughly manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the Gospel of God without charge?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you and was in want, I was burdensome to no man, for that which I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied; and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why so? Because I love you not? God knoweth!
12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion, that wherein they glory they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no man think me a fool. But if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast of myself a little.
17 (That which I now speak, I speak it not from the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence as boasting.
18 Since many glory in the flesh, I will glory also.)
19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise!
20 For ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage, or if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21 I speak as reproached, as though we had been weak. However it be, whereinsoever anyone 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 labors more abundant, in stripes beyond measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day adrift in the deep;
26 in journeyings often, in perils from waters, in perils from robbers, in perils from mine own countrymen, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and painfulness, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things which are external, there is that which cometh upon me daily: the care for all the churches!
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must glory, I will glory in the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me;
33 but I was let down by the wall in a basket through a window, and escaped his hands.
25 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them;
3 and say unto the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God: Because thou saidst, “Aha,” against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,
4 behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East as a possession; and they shall set their palaces in thee and make their dwellings in thee. They shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.
5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a couching place for flocks; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
6 For thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in heart with all thy contemptuous hate against the land of Israel,
7 behold, therefore I will stretch out Mine hand upon thee and will deliver thee as spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries. I will destroy thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.’
8 “Thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because Moab and Seir do say, “Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen,”
9 therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country — Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim—
10 unto the men of the East with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.
11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the Lord.’
12 “Thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended and revenged himself upon them,
13 therefore thus saith the Lord God: I will also stretch out Mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from it, and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.
14 And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to Mine anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance, saith the Lord God.’
15 “Thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a scornful heart to destroy it for the old hatred,
16 therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will stretch out Mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast.
17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay My vengeance upon them.’”
73 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious of the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no bands in 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 pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish.
8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
10 Therefore His people return hither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
11 And they say, “How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning.
15 If I say, “I will speak thus,” behold, I should offend against the generation of Thy children.
16 When I thought to understand this, it was too painful for me,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then understood I their end:
18 surely Thou didst set them in slippery places. Thou didst cast them down into destruction!
19 How they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors!
20 As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when Thou awakest, Thou shalt despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 So foolish was I and ignorant; I was as a beast before Thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast held me by my right hand.
24 Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
27 For lo, they that are far from Thee shall perish; Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from Thee.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works.
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